New York

Bill Aron and his wife Isa moved to New York City in 1974, during the heyday of urban street photography. Looking for a career change, but with no clear idea on what he should do, Bill turned to his camera to fill his days. He began to document his Jewish world: the Lower East Side where he worked, and the Upper West Side Havurah Community, where he found fellowship and a radical method of Jewish observance. The Havurah is also where he met our host, Ruth Ellenson, then only a small child. Bill and Ruth reminisce about their first impressions of each other - Bill as a long-haired hippie, and Ruth as a charismatic, outgoing kid. Guest expert Deborah Dash Moore illuminates the field of New York City street photography in this era, and how Bill's work and approach compares to his contemporaries, guiding us through the Jewish neighborhoods of New York and the uniqueness of the counter-culture Havurah movement. During this period, Bill's hobby evolved into a profession. And thanks to his documentary photography, 1970's Jewish New York has a significant historical record.

The World in Front of Me is presented by Jay and Gretchen Stein, with generous support from the Knapp Family Foundation, the Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation in Honor of Alan Bloch, Scott and Dianne Einhorn, The Karetsky Family, and Michael and Corie Koss.

Image credit: NYC Subway, 1977, Bill Aron.