Title: Oral History Interview with Alex and Bernice Hyatt and Photographs
Inclusive Dates: 1977

Creators:

• Hyatt, Alex, 1903-
• Hyatt, Bernice

Call Number: Audio 657A; Superior Tape 1; PH 4762

Quantity: 1 tape recording (37 minutes) and 9 photographs (1 folder)

Repository:

Housed at the Area Research Center, Jim Dan Hill Library, University of Wisconsin-Superior; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Superior Jim Dan Hill Library / Superior Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Tape-recorded interview conducted February 20, 1977, by Laurie J. Tarlowe with Rabbi Alex Hyatt and his wife Bernice concerning his 1922 emigration from Lithuania to Superior, Wisconsin, his family background, and the Jewish community in Superior, its synagogues, and religious practices. The photographs include images of Rabbi Hyatt and Bernice Hyatt, and exterior and interior views of the Hebrew Brotherhood Congregation synagogue in Superior.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-audi00657a

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Rabbi Alex Hyatt was born in Vilkomir, Lithuania in 1903. He immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1922 and joined relatives who had settled in Superior, Wisconsin. His father, Morris Hyatt, served as rabbi and mohel (ritual circumcisor) for the Jewish community for approximately twenty-five years. He was succeeded as rabbi by Alex, who had completed his rabbinical training in New York shortly after the family's arrival in the United States.

Interview

The purpose of this interview was to obtain information from Rabbi Hyatt concerning the early history of the Jewish community of Superior. Although Rabbi Hyatt is considered to be a late arrival in the community, as the spiritual leader of Superior's oldest congregation, the Hebrew Brotherhood Synagogue, it was assumed that he might be able to provide some background of the community's religious history.

At the time of the interview, Rabbi Hyatt was recuperating from open-heart surgery complicated by emphysema. Mrs. Hyatt assisted during the interview to aid her husband who had a decided speaking disability. In addition, she translated portions of the interview conducted in Yiddish and provided information she deemed relevant during the course of our conversation.

The interview was conducted at the Hyatt home, the same house that had been occupied by Rabbi Hyatt's father and mother. It should be added that the Hyatt home maintained a shtetl atmosphere and that in the traditional manner of Eastern Europe, Rabbi Hyatt has never received a regular salary from his congregants.

Abstract to the Interview

The tapes for this interview have two tracks: a voice track containing the discussion and a time track containing time announcements at intervals of approximately five seconds. The conents list indicates in order of discussion the topics covered on each tape, and indicates the time-marking at which point the beginning of the particular discussion appears.

Thus, the researcher by using a tape recorder's fast forward button may find and listen to discrete segments without listening to all of the taped discussion. For instance, the user who wishes to listen to the topic on “Family Name Changes” should locate the place on the second track of tape one, side one, where the voice announces the 02:30 time-marking (the voice says at this point, “two minutes, thirty seconds”, and at this point switch to the first track to hear the discussion. The discussion on “Family Name Changes” continues until approximately 04:05 at which point discussion of the next topic (“Reasons for Family's Immigration to Superior”) begins.

The abstract is designed to provide only a brief outline of the content of the tapes and cannot serve as a substitute for listening to them. However it will help the researcher easily locate distinct topics and discussions among the many minutes of commentary.

Related interviews done by Laurie J. Tarlowe are cataloged separately.

Acquisition Information

Accession Number: M77-380

Audio 657A/Superior Tape 1 Tape/Side   1/1 Time   00:00	Introduction
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   00:40	Background of Rabbi Hyatt's life in Europe
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   01:55	Reasons for immigration to Superior
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   02:30	Family name changes
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   04:05	Reason's for family's immigration to Superior
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   05:00	Background of his Uncle Zalman Yehuda Leib Weinstein, first member of the family to settle in Superior
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   08:20	Grandfather's occupation
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   08:55	Background of Rabbi Hyatt's mother (maiden name Weinstein)
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   09:30	Background of Rabbi Hyatt's father and family
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   12:35	Knowledge of Synagogue in the 1920s while he studied in New York
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   13:05	Jewish population of Superior and Jewish leadership in the synagogue structure
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   14:00	Grandparents' home Scope and Content Note: How it looked; recalls they had a cow and sold milk products.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   15:20	Father's sister, Bluma, who married a man from New Jersey
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   18:40	Father taught Talmud classes
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   20:00	How observant the community was of religious practices
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   21:05	First religious services in Superior and the construction of synagogues
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   23:40	Attendance at the synagogue, women participation and “minyan”.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   24:40	Types of Jewish businesses in Superior
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   00:00	Introduction
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   00:30	Background of other synagogue in Superior (Superior Hebrew Congregation)
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   02:00	Synagogue school and teachers
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   03:15	Arnovich Family (father's family)
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   04:05	Jewish organizations in Superior, Zionist organization and participation of Jews from Mesabi Range communities
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   05:20	Superior Gentile community and Jewish community's relationships with Gentiles
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   07:30	Wealthy Jews in Superior and their businesses
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   08:05	The Mikveh (Jewish ritual bath)
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   10:40	Early impressions of Superior
PH 4762	Photographs