Norbert Weissberg

Interview Description

Oral History Interview with Norbert Weissberg

Norbert Weissberg was born in Brooklyn in 1934. His father, Bernard Weissberg, immigrated to New York from Lezajsk, Poland; his mother, Anna Spitzer Weissberg, was also of Polish-Jewish heritage but she was born in the United States and grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Weissberg grew up with one brother in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn at 881 Washington Avenue. His education took him from PS 241 to Erasmus Hall High School and then, in 1951, he went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He then attended Harvard Law School. Married to Judith Schneider Weissberg, the couple resided in Manhattan and, as of 2017, East Hampton, New York. He is currently Chairman of Package Research Laboratory, LLC and Stapling Machines Company, LLC. He serves on several boards, including those at Brandeis University's Ethics Center and-- from 2012 to 2016-- Brooklyn Historical Society.

In this interview, Norbert Weissberg talks about his childhood in Brooklyn and how his Brooklyn community and the events of World War II influenced his life. Touching on many biographical details, Weissberg recalls PS 241 where he attended elementary school and the fun he had with friends playing street games and following sports like Dodgers baseball. He remembers being raised as a Conservative Jew, maintaining a kosher household, and going to the Catskills for Passover, like many New York families. Weissberg describes his parents' community; they would attend performances at the Metropolitan Opera House weekly and on Thursdays his mother would host a mahjong club. He notes how the family consumed New York media; his father read the "New York Post" and "PM," while he listened to Uncle Dan and Mayor LaGuardia's broadcasts. The news of Pearl Harbor in 1941 was pivotal for his worldview as a young boy. Weissberg delves into his Jewish identity, then considers antisemitism and how his two children both think differently on the subject. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.

The Voices of Brooklyn oral histories: Civic leaders series features a dynamic range of narrators. Many are well-known public figures and others are well-known in their communities. This ongoing series focuses on Brooklyn history and the experiences of these narrators often reference their outsized contribution to how New York City citizens live, work, and conduct business in the five boroughs. The oldest narrator in this series was born in 1921.

Citation

Weissberg, Norbert, Oral history interview conducted by Sady Sullivan, February 27, 2012, Voices of Brooklyn oral histories: Civic leaders, 2008.031.3.012; Brooklyn Historical Society.