Interview with Madeline Abramson, September 14, 2016

Interview Summary

Madeline Abramson was raised as a Catholic in Louisville, Kentucky. In this interview, she explains her family's involvement in the Catholic church and her dissatisfied feelings with religion before discovering Judaism. Abramson offers a unique perspective and elaborates on the similarities between Catholicism and Judaism. Abramson describes her education and career as a young adult prior to meeting her now husband, Jerry Abramson. Abramson discovered Judaism through meeting him in the early 1980s before marrying in 1989. She examines the role her husband played in her journey converting, and how the Louisville Jewish community welcomed her. Jerry Abramson's political career began as Mayor of Old Louisville from 1986 to 1999 and mayor of Louisville Metro from 2003-2011. Abramson introduces her husband's career and the effects it had on her, including the influence it had on her own service in the community. Madeline Abramson was passionate about her civic duties and became particularly involved in the women's effort, arts and Jewish community. She became the chair of both the Kentucky Commission on Woman and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. She is also involved with the National Council of Jewish Women. Abramson elaborates on their time as first family of Louisville. Although they were a religious minority, they embraced their faith in the public realm. Her husband eventually accepted the position of Lieutenant Governor under Governor Steve Beshear and later the position of Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs under President Obama. Jerry commuted between Louisville and both Frankfort and Washington D.C. to avoid moving his family. She describes the importance of maintaining a delicate balance between politics and family and discusses her role in both positions as a supporting wife, community leader, and mother. In this oral history, Madeline Abramson reflects on her past and elaborates on the future by discussing the influence Judaism has had on herself.

Interview Keyword

African Americans--Social conditions. Race relations--United States Marriage Genealogy Higher education Washington (D.C.)

Interview LC Subject

Childhood Education Catholicism Catholics--Kentucky Jews--Identity Religion Holidays--Kentucky Judaism Jews--Kentucky--Louisville Louisville (Ky.) Jewish leadership--Kentucky--Louisville Louisville (Ky.)--Politics and government Politicians--Kentucky Volunteers Conversion--Judaism Jewish converts Families

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Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.