Dorothy Aronson

Boston Historical Society programming chairman for 25 years. Mother of four, educator, culturally-German, German speaker, born and raised in the Boston area, Malden, MA. Dorothy taught german in Malden, MA.  She was college-educated at Colby college in Maine as a German major. Topics of discussion include German cultural heritage and her travel to Germany, attending Heidelberg University post-World War II, travel through Europe post-college, her interest and involvement in education and the creation of programming and camps for the children in her religious community, history, religion and architecture. Dorothy’s personal research and programming with the historical society specifically focused on the many streets in Dedham, Massachusetts, and history of the area from 1600’s-1800’s. Her interests also include spiritual revelatory first person accounts, and the value of physical historical documents and their preservation.

Dorothy also attended Heidelberg University for three semesters post World War II. She was able to spend time near her extended family in the area of the Black Forest. She married post college in the 1950s and mentions putting her career on hold to start her family. Her family lived in Medfield, MA. She includes detailed accounts of the religious community of her specific town and region. Her daughter brought her to Camphill Ghent where she thrives in the culture and enjoys the ability to experience a culture with German roots.  She is a new resident of Camphill Ghent; she has been there 6 months. She was also a 60-year home owner who was involved in the building of her own home.

Topics discussed include her early life as a Baptist, and the role of the many different  religions of the Boston Area and their links to historical cultural anthropology of the region. Protestant, Unitarianism, Catholicism. The impacts of Unitarianism at Harvard was discussed.