GEORGE T. NAGEL INTERVIEW (1977)

This remarkable interview is the only known film footage of George T. Nagel, recorded in 1977 for the “People of Achievement” television series hosted by CSUN librarian Norman Tanis. At the time, Nagel was known simply as a wise, well-loved mature student at the university and volunteer counselor at a halfway house in Northridge, California.

What no one knew—not even Tanis—was that George T. Nagel had once been Rabbi Yechezkel Taub, the Yabloner Rebbe, a Hasidic leader who led hundreds of followers from Poland to pre-state Palestine in the 1920s and founded the agricultural village of Kfar Hasidim near Haifa. In this quiet, compelling interview, Nagel shares his thoughts on life, learning, and human nature with warmth, wit, and philosophical depth—never once revealing his astonishing past. The footage captures a man at peace with himself, offering a rare glimpse into the final, hidden chapter of a life that defies imagination.

Reflecting on the encounter, Norman Tanis later wrote: “Interviewing retired emperors is exhausting work,” as he recallede Nagel’s regal presence, subtle humor, self assuredness, and his gentle but firm authority. An unforgettable conversation with a man whose true story would only come to light decades later.