Genre
Most Recent Book Title
“A Story of Survival: The Jewish Community in the Christmas City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania”
Book Description
This unpublished manuscript is an oral history of the Jewish community of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. One day while driving through Bethlehem, I noticed a building at Lehigh University that had on its facade what appeared to be the tablets of the Ten Commandments. There was a story there and I’ve spent the past four years finding the answer. This has involved doing field and archival research that at first was simply a way of connecting with the people I met in my adopted hometown. It became “A Story of Survival: The Jewish Community in the Christmas City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,” currently unpublished.
The project is groundbreaking because it combines oral history with exploring the links between people, both individual and institutional. Research at the Library of Congress reveals that there are oral histories and there are explorations of these links, but nowhere are they combined.
The Jewish community in this city of 75,000 — once home to Bethlehem Steel — has always been small but while “the Steel” shut down, an economic blow to the community at large, the Bethlehem Jewish community quietly adapted and survives.
This group’s survival is an example of how people of all backgrounds can cope with societal change in their communities while maintaining their identity.
The project is groundbreaking because it combines oral history with exploring the links between people, both individual and institutional. Research at the Library of Congress reveals that there are oral histories and there are explorations of these links, but nowhere are they combined.
The Jewish community in this city of 75,000 — once home to Bethlehem Steel — has always been small but while “the Steel” shut down, an economic blow to the community at large, the Bethlehem Jewish community quietly adapted and survives.
This group’s survival is an example of how people of all backgrounds can cope with societal change in their communities while maintaining their identity.
Website #1
Location (city/state/country)
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Author bio
Jennifer Lader helps people communicate in writing the ideas that will bring their goals within reach. She believes that people connect through story. To find the story, Jennifer honed her natural interviewing skills while earning a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Grinnell College. For 8 years, she has put those skills into practice writing for newspapers, magazines, and clients who want to be at their best in print and online media. She has interviewed hundreds of people, some famous, others “ordinary”; to Jennifer, they are all fascinating because everyone has a story to tell.
In addition to her abilities as a writer and her three years of experience as a newspaper and magazine editor, Jennifer holds a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She spent 9 years working in the U.S. Treasury Department and applies the project management and training skills she developed there to her every endeavor. Jennifer is a member of the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association.
In addition to her abilities as a writer and her three years of experience as a newspaper and magazine editor, Jennifer holds a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She spent 9 years working in the U.S. Treasury Department and applies the project management and training skills she developed there to her every endeavor. Jennifer is a member of the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association.
Professional Speaker Topics
"Words at Work"
"Uncover Your Purpose, Discover Your Future"
"Their Place, Our Place: An Oral History of the Jewish Community of Bethlehem, Pa."
"Waiting for You: How to Tap Your Community's Stories and Write History!"
"Uncover Your Purpose, Discover Your Future"
"Their Place, Our Place: An Oral History of the Jewish Community of Bethlehem, Pa."
"Waiting for You: How to Tap Your Community's Stories and Write History!"
Favorite Quote or Personal Motto
"What a difference a day can make!"
