Disciplines
Jewish Studies
Abstract
Summarized by Avi Frank
Burt Lazarin was born in 1944 and grew up in the Bronx in the Highbridge and Williamsbridge neighborhoods. His family came from Eastern European Jewish backgrounds, with his father’s side immigrating from Lithuania and his mother’s from a region that later became part of Belarus. Lazarin describes growing up in a working to lower-middle-class household, first in a small apartment in Highbridge and later, in 1952, moving to a larger two-family home in Williamsbridge with his parents, brothers, and extended family. Although not religious, Lazarin recalls a strong sense of Jewish identity shaped by family traditions, Yiddish-speaking relatives, and his time at a Jewish people’s school, where he learned Jewish history and politics.
Lazarin describes his neighborhood as ethnically diverse, with Jewish, Italian, and Irish communities living near one another. He attended P.S. 73, P.S. 76, and Evander Childs High School, where he became involved in student government and the school newspaper. He later attended City College of New York. After college, Lazarin studied urban planning at the University of Washington and later joined the Peace Corps, working in Chile. He went on to build a career in labor relations. He also reflects on his personal life, including coming out as gay, his long-term partnership beginning in 1981, and raising a son. Lazarin fondly recalls his childhood in the Bronx, emphasizing strong community ties, outdoor play, and positive memories despite changes in the borough over time.
Keywords: Bronx, Highbridge, Williamsbridge, Jewish identity, immigration, labor unions, Communism, City College, urban planning. Peace Corps, LGBTQ history, neighborhood change, family life
Recommended Citation
Omey, Caitlin, "Lazarin, Burt" (2024). Bronx Jewish History Project. 105.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/bjhp/105
