The pilot produced a charming and
captivating interview between Gail Levenson and her 90-year-old
mother Florence Harris.
Florence Harris, subject of the “Family
Stories” pilot, shared memories of her grandparents, Russian
émigrés who settled in Brooklyn around 1910. He was a Talmudic
scholar; she was a determined survivor who led the family to the U.S.
and helped it survive the Depression by brewing bathtub gin.
Florence’s husband joined the Marines in 1939 at 18. Before his
wartime deployment overseas, he was a member of the Drum and Bugle
Corps that accompanied Franklin Roosevelt on his recuperative visits
to Warm Springs, Georgia. Family stories include recollections of
first-hand impressions of the President. Florence herself had a
connection with the Roosevelts. She worked for 17 years for a
children’s organization founded by First Lady Eleanor. Trudie Lash,
the wife of Eleanor’s biographer Joseph Lash, was her co-worker.
Hosted by Gail Levenson; Dallas Grove,
Executive Producer; Produced by Ted Dellinger; Music by Bill Madden.
Funding for Hometown Histories was
provided by the New Jersey Cultural Trust.
Click [_] box on the bottom right of the video for fullscreen