The World in Front of Me: New York

Photographer Bill Aron joins host Ruth Ellenson to revisit 1970s Jewish New York, from the Lower East Side to the countercultural Havurah movement on the Upper West Side. Bill reflects on how a search for a new direction led him to document the people and neighborhoods around him, preserving a vibrant moment in Jewish and New York history. Featuring insights from historian Deborah Dash Moore on the era’s street photography scene and the uniqueness of the Havurah community.

About “The World in Front of Me”: In the summer of 2025, journalist and writer Ruth Andrew Ellenson sat down with famed photographer Bill Aron, and recorded more than 12 hours of interviews. For nearly 50 years, Bill traveled the world, photographing Jewish communities as near as his home of Los Angeles and as far away as the Soviet Union. From the American South to Cuba, from New York to Jerusalem, Bill captured it all. This series reveals never before heard stories from the artist himself.
Presented by The American Jewish Historical Society.

You can find “The World in Front of Me” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.