Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
78 | AUGUST 26 • 2021
The Bold Vision of
Dr. Sidney Bolkosky
I
n August 1981, Dr. Sidney Bolkosky, profes-
sor of history at the University of Michigan-
Dearborn (UM-D), conducted an interview
with Salvatore and Lily Katan, Detroit-area survi-
vors of the Holocaust. This was just the beginning
of a wonderful project.
Over the years, Bolkosky inter-
viewed nearly 300 Holocaust survi-
vors. These interviews became the
Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor
Oral History Archive, a collection
at the Mardigian Library at UM-D.
As its website states: “This archive
represents a guarantee of honest
presentation — unembroidered,
without dramatization, a scholarly yet austerely
moving collection of information and insight,
”
and that “the Voice/Vision Archive is made to be
used.
” In this respect, most of the interviews are
now online.
Dr. Sidney Bolkosky (1944-2013) was born and
raised in Rochester, N.Y., the son of Jewish immi-
grants. He earned a B.A. from the University of
Rochester, an M.A. from Wayne State University,
and a Ph.D. from SUNY-Binghamton. In 1972,
Bolkosky returned to Michigan for a position at
UM-D, where he made a distinguished career
over the next 40 years, including receiving numer-
ous awards for teaching as well as establishing the
Voice/Vision Archive. Among his many publi-
cations was a first-rate history of Detroit’s Jewish
community in 1991, Harmony and Dissonance:
Voices of Jewish Identity in Detroit, 1914-1967.
Bolkosky did not believe he had any relatives
in the Holocaust. Despite no direct connection to
the Shoah, however, Bolkosky developed a keen
interest in the subject. He constructed a course on
the Holocaust with two teachers from Oakland
County in 1978 and began his interviews with
survivors in 1981. At that time, Bolkosky was on
the cusp of a surge of popular and scholarly inter-
est in the Holocaust, and he was a pioneer in col-
lecting oral histories of survivors. Bolkosky retired
from UM-D in 2012.
Dr. Jamie Wraight, Bolkosky’s successor
and current director of Voice/Vision Archive,
described Bolkosky’s legacy: “It was Sid’s ability
to let the survivors tell their stories at a pivotal
point in their lives, as well as a pivotal point in
the history of Holocaust memory, that makes
the interviews in the archive so important
and unique. The survivors were ready to talk,
and Sid was there to listen. As I look back
now at the interviews that Sid Bolkosky
conducted over
the span of nearly
40 years, I’m always
kind of blown away
by how important
his effort to collect
these stories was.
”
Bolkosky left the
Voice/Vision Archive
in good hands. Dr.
Wraight was first hired
as a part-time curator
for the collection in
2000 and, subsequently,
worked with Bolkosky
for many years. Upon
Bolkosky’s retirement,
Wraight became direc-
tor of the Voice/Vision
Archive. In addition, he
also teaches about the
Holocaust at UM-D, as well
as courses on modern and
ancient history, and has lec-
tured on the subject around
the nation.
Sidenote: We are grateful that Wraight, with
the support of Dr. Martin Hershock, dean of the
College of Arts, Sciences and Letters, partnered
with the Detroit Jewish News Foundation in
January 2020 to display the Foundation’s exhib-
it, “The Holocaust Unfolds,
” at the Mardigian
Library.
Dr. Bolkosky’s first interview 40 years ago led
to a significant legacy at UM-D. The Voice/Vision
Archive is one of the most important collections
of survivor oral histories in the world.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives,
available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.
to let the survivors tell their stories at a pivotal
point in their lives, as well as a pivotal point in
the history of Holocaust memory, that makes
and unique. The survivors were ready to talk,
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair
now at the interviews that Sid Bolkosky
Voice/Vision Archive
Wraight was first hired
as a part-time curator
2000 and, subsequently,
worked with Bolkosky
for many years. Upon
Bolkosky’s retirement,
Wraight became direc-
tor of the Voice/Vision
Archive. In addition, he
also teaches about the
Holocaust at UM-D, as well
as courses on modern and
ancient history, and has lec-
tured on the subject around
to a significant legacy at UM-D. The Voice/Vision