Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Eleanor Evens Levy
Click Here to Read the Embedded Transcript
Click Here to Read the Transcript
- Title:
- Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Eleanor Evens Levy
- Date:
- 2015
- Interviewer:
- Lieb, Gail
- Interviewee:
- Levy, Eleanor Evens, 1936-
- Description:
- Eleanor Evens Levy was born in 1936 in Pulaski, Virginia, the youngest of three children of Annie Kessler and Sam Evens [Eventov]. Sam, who was from Rogachev, Russia, was educated as an engineer. Eleanor reports he "discovered the glue that was used in plywood" and came to America "to open up American plywood plants all over the country." The first was in Macon, Georgia, where Annie lived. They married in 1918, moved to Pulaski, and opened a dry goods store. Eleanor describes growing up in the small town in southwestern Virginia. "The closest synagogue was sixty miles away." She had no Jewish friends, and did not experience any antisemitism. She attended Greensboro Women's College in North Carolina. "Immediately when I got to Greensboro, I got in with the people that lived in Greensboro, and I went to synagogue every Friday. I felt very much at home there." Eleanor met Joel Levy, a native of Batesburg, South Carolina, when she was a sophomore. They married in 1955, and moved to Columbia, South Carolina. Joel, an optometrist, established a practice in nearby Winnsboro. Eleanor notes that she and Joel decided to live in Columbia because they wanted to have a "Jewish life." She offers some details about her involvement with various programs and plays at Columbia's Jewish Community Center.
- Collection Title:
- Jewish Heritage Collection Oral Histories
- Contributing Institution:
- College of Charleston Libraries
- Media Type:
- Oral Histories
- Topical Subject:
- Jews--South Carolina--Columbia--Interviews, Jews--South Carolina--Columbia--Social life and customs, Jews--Virginia--Pulaski--Social life and customs, Jewish engineers--United States
- S.C. County:
- Richland County (S.C.)
- Language:
- English
- Shelving Locator:
- MSS 1035-450
- Date Digital:
- 2016-05-16
- Digitization Specifications:
- Mp3 derivative audio created with Audacity software. Archival masters are wav files.
- Format:
- audio/mpeg
- Copyright Status Statement:
- Copyright © Jewish Heritage Collection
- Access Statement:
- All rights reserved.
- Access Information:
- For more information, contact Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries, 66 George Street, Charleston SC 29424.
- Admin ID:
- 263071
Permalink