Name

Alex Enchin

Number

OH 118

Subject

Businessmen

Synagogues

Interview Date

Jul. 1977

Quantity

1 cassette (1 copy)

1 WAV file

Interviewer

David Enchin

Total Running Time

31.20 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized in June 2014

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Alex Enchin emigrated from Russia to Guelph, Ontario, in 1912. Enchin was one of Guelph's earliest Jewish settlers and an active member of the Jewish community. His son, David, ran two businesses, the Arcade and the House of David, both located in downtown Guelph.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Guelph (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 118 - Enchin\OH118_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Rose Kaplan

Number

OH 211

Subject

Zionism

Communism

Reform Judaism

Interview Date

4 Aug. 1986

Quantity

2 (1copy)

2 WAV files

Total Running Time

53 min.

Conservation

Copied to cassette August 2003

Digitized January 2015

Notes

Participants in the discussion are not clearly identified.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Rose and Julius Kaplan were married in a Reform synagogue in 1924. They lived in Dundas, Ontario, where Julius ran a ladies' wear business. They were both members of a large extended family living in Dundas, Ontario; Hamilton, Ontario; and Guelph, Ontario. Rose passed away of a tumor.

Material Format

sound recording

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Guelph (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

Side One: A – female main interviewee (Ida’s niece), B- female, secondary participant (Rose?, Ida’s granddaughter, Millie’s daughter), C – male, secondary participant 00:25: Discusses B?’s mother, Millie’s childhood. Born in 1912. Had two brothers, Julius and Oscar. The family lived above a furniture store on a main street in Dundas, Ontario. Store sold general merchandise and furniture. 1:05: Discussion about photos and their location. Mentions that Julius has photos. 3:29: A’s father moved to St. Catharines and later to London. 3:40: Lou and Jenny Levine lived in St. Catharines and later Niagara Falls. Families would get together for family occasions, not Jewish holidays. 4:32: A’s parents were Max and Sophie. Adele was born in 1934, after Harry’s death. 4:55: A reminisces about family get-togethers. 5:55: Harry had a successful ladies wear store. Julius joined the business. 6:14: Harry bought a large home in Dundas, Ontario. A describes the grandeur and mentions servants. A mentions that Rose has a picture of the mansion. 8:00: Rose and Julius were married in 1924. 8:33: B is Millie’s daughter. Millie liked “the good life.” A discusses Millie’s relationship with her brothers. 9:58: Both Oscar and Julius were musical. Oscar played piano and Julius played violin. 10:43: A reports that the family (Harry and Ida) was not involved with the synagogue and felt isolated from Jewish society. 12:06: Harry and Ida joined a Reform temple in Hamilton (with services held on Sunday). 13:20: Rose and Julius were married in the Reform synagogue. 13:56: Rose’s family (Stoller) was more traditional and later became involved in a Conservative synagogue in London. 14:33: Oscar was never involved in religion but was involved with Jewish Congress. 15:00: Reminisce about Millie. Millie married Dave at age twenty-four. She ran the household and raised two children. Millie’s daughter was born in 1943. 18:00: Millie was devoted to her mother. Her mother died from cancer. 18:34: A discusses Ida and Harry’s marriage. 19:18:Oscar was married to Eva. 20:33: Ida, Millie and Nathan – all family members with hearing loss. 24:00: Henry, Harry’s brother, lived in Guelph. Harry also had a sister who lived in the United States. 25:17: Henry had two daughters, Celia and ? 26:32: Max went to Guelph when he came from Europe. He worked with Henry. A’s brother was born in Guelph. 28:17: A lists members of the family: Ida, Max, Nathan, Molly and Gertrude. Gertrude, who had Communist leanings, moved to a commune in Petaluna, California. Later, Gertrude moved to Israel, where she died of a heart ailment. Side Two: Side 2 focuses on a discussion of the family tree involving three-to-four individuals. 00:06: The family was anti-Zionist, but after the Holocaust views changed. Gertrude moved to Israel in the late 1950s. 1:38: Ida’s (B’s grandmother) siblings were Nathan, Molly (Carson), Gertrude, Max, Rose (died from a tumor), Chana, another sister(?Motla remained in Poland whose last name was Frank List and discusses the offspring of the siblings: Nathan’s children, Molly’s children, Chana’s daughters (Jenny Levine and Genia and Genia’s children) and grandchildren who lived in Israel, Frank family children 9:50: The Frank brothers went to Palestine in the 1930s. The family that remained in Poland were exterminated during the war. 10:29: Genia’s son, Elisha, survived the war in Russia and Genia’s daughter, Raya escaped to Sweden. Elisha and Raya independently went to Israel after the war. 13:24: The participants discuss the family members in California. Nathan’s family. Eugene married with daughter, Leah, married with two children, Jackie and ?, Lou married to Edith with 2 children, Trudy (joined a cult), Greg married twice, David married with 2 daughters, Ellen Berg and Jamie 19:35: Chana’s daughter, Jenny, was the only family member who came to Canada. The rest of the family died during the war. Jenny had two children, Harold Levine and Adele (Berg). 20:21: Max had two children, Leo and A. Discuss Leo’s family. Leo was married to Molly with daughter, Susie (married with two children) and Dick (married with two children). 21:35: A is married with three sons, ?, Bob, and Dave.

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Harold Wolfman

Number

OH 377

Subject

Canada--Armed Forces

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)

World War, 1939-1945

Interview Date

9 Jun. 2010

Quantity

1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)

Interviewer

Shayla Howell

Total Running Time

30:36

Notes

Harold was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.

Biography

Harold served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1945 as an air frame mechanic. He was stationed in England, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

Belgium

England

France

Germany

Netherlands

Original Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

David Green

Number

OH 383

Subject

Canada--Armed Forces

World War, 1939-1945

Interview Date

10 Jun. 2010

Quantity

1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)

Interviewer

Marie Eve Deleris

Total Running Time

26:10

Notes

David was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.

Biography

David served in the Royal Canadian Army from 1940 to 1945 and was stationed in Jamaica, England, and France. He was in charge of the rations.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

England

France

Jamaica

Original Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Wilfred Abraham Yaphe

Number

OH 381

Subject

Canada--Armed Forces

World War, 1939-1945

Interview Date

10 Jun. 2010

Quantity

1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)

Interviewer

Sam Gojonovich

Total Running Time

16:18

Notes

Wilfred was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.

Biography

Wilfred served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a wireless operator and navigator. He was stationed in England.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

England

Original Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Harold Kates

Number

OH 391

Subject

Canada--Armed Forces

World War, 1939-1945

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)

Interview Date

14 Jun. 2010

Quantity

1 reference DVD (WAV file)

1 archival DVD (WAV file

Interviewer

Marie Eve Deleris

Total Running Time

24:30 seconds

Notes

This interview was part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.

http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/1647:herald-katz/

Biography

Herald was born in Toronto in 1921. He served as a test flight mechanic with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1939 to 1945. Herald was stationed in North Africa, Scotland, Ireland, and England and was involved in various bombing campaigns throughout Europe, including the bombing of Berlin. In 1948, Herald volunteered and fought in Israel’s War of Independence with the 101 Fighter Squadron assembling aircraft in Herzlia. Today, he goes by the name Harold Kates.

Material Format

moving images

Name Access

Jewish Defense League

Geographic Access

Africa, North

England

Ireland

Scotland

Original Format

DVD

Transcript

00:00: Herald was born in Toronto. His parents emigrated in 1904 from Poland. He grew up in the Spadina/College area. 1:32: Herald was not affiliated with a synagogue. 1:50: Herald explains that he initially enlisted with the Queen’s Rangers in 1939 but that he learned they were not going overseas, so he enlisted with the RCAF, because he had taken a course in aeronautics at technical school. 3:30: Herald reports that there were few Jews in his regiment. There was no observance of kashrut and minimal opportunity to observe kashrut. 4:49: Herald discusses chaplains. He recalls that Rabbi Monson was active in the army but not in the air force. 6:15: Herald did not receive assistance, packages, etc. from any Jewish organizations. 7:03: Herald explains that he went overseas in 1942, landing in Liverpool, but that he was stationed in Hastings. He shares an anecdote about the hotel where he lodged. 8:53: Herald describes his role as a test flight mechanic. He lists the aircrafts that he flew in and checked out. 10:43: Herald explains that his squadron, sent to North Africa in 1943, was involved in the bombing of Italy before the invasion of Italy. 11:18: Herald contracted malaria while in North Africa. He recalls that the doctor he saw also had malaria and did not record the illness. 12:28: Herald shares an anecdote about meeting a Jewish girl while on leave in a small town in North Africa. 14:16: Herald’s squadron returned to England in 1944, where he remained until the war ended. 14:48: Herald recalls the disbelief at his station at the end of the war. 15:57: Herald returned to Canada on the Samaria steamship. 16:10: Herald recalls the danger from U-boats while crossing the English Channel en route to England. 17:37: Herald shares memories from his time serving in North Africa. 19:43: Following the war, Herald studied and was licensed in auto-mechanics. 21:04: Herald joined the Jewish Legion after the war to stay in touch with other Jews. 21:23: Herald reports that he did not encounter any antisemitism during his service. 21:55: Herald explains that he was proud to be Jewish. He discusses that he volunteered in 1948 to fight in Israel’s War of Independence. Initially, he volunteered with the army, but he was shifted to 101 Fighter Squadron assembling aircraft in Herzlia. 23:30: Herald discusses his post-war affiliation with Jewish War Veterans, the Jewish Legion, and the Jewish Defense League.

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Max Moskoske

Number

OH 401

Subject

Canada--Armed Forces

World War, 1939-1945

Interview Date

29 Jul. 2010

Quantity

1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)

Interviewer

Sam Gojonovich

Total Running Time

14:33

Notes

Max was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.

Biography

Max served in the Royal Canadian Army from 1941 to 1945 as an engineer. He was involved in building roads and bridges in England, Holland, and the border of Germany.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

England

Germany

Netherlands

Original Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Clifton Pezim

Number

OH 404

Subject

Canada--Armed Forces

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)

World War, 1939-1945

Interview Date

30 Jul. 2010

Quantity

1 reference DVD (2 WAV fies) ; 1 archival DVD (2 WAV files)

Interviewer

Shayla Howell

Total Running Time

File 1 : 32:18

File 2 : 2:33

Notes

Clifton was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.

Biography

Clifton served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942 to 1946 as part of the groundcrew that worked on heavy bombers. He was stationed in England and Scotland. After D-Day, he was stationed in Belgium.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

Belgium

England

Scotland

Original Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Stephen Pincus

Number

OH 415

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

26 Apr. 2015

Interviewer

Jessica Parker

Total Running Time

1 hr. 23 min.

Use Restrictions

Restriction noted by interviewee on video/oral history release form: The foregoing is subject to OJA obtaining my prior written consent prior to placing any of the interview on the internet (other than password protected communications)

Researches should be directed to the access copy created by Stephen Pincus.

Biography

Although he grew up in South Africa, Stephen was born in England where his father was studying. When they returned to South Africa in 1963, they visited Israel on the way, and five-year-old Stephen fell in love with the exotic, young Jewish state.

As a teenager, Stephen was active in Habonim, South Africa’s largest Zionist youth movement and became head of that movement in the late 1970s, running the largest Jewish youth camp in the world. Stephen was also elected chair of South Africa’s Zionist Youth Council, the umbrella body for all-Jewish youth organizations in the country. He and his wife Michelle then moved to Israel with a Habonim group that established Kibbutz Tuval in the western Galilee.

In 1982 Stephen came to study in Toronto. He served as administrator of Bialik Hebrew Day School and as camp director of Camp Shalom, while completing MBA and LLB degrees, and was awarded the Gold Medal at Osgoode Hall Law School. Stephen and Michelle started a family and both their own parents immigrated to Toronto.

Stephen is a senior partner and executive committee member at Goodmans LLP, is widely regarded as one of Canada’s leading business lawyers, and has played a pioneering role in the development of the country’s capital markets. He is is the founding chair of the Canada Africa Chamber of Business, a director of Kew Media Group, a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, chair of the board of Makom, and founder of Kaleidoscope, a unique multi-dimensional Israel engagement program.

He and his wife Michelle; their two married children, Daniel and Lisa; granddaughter Olivia; and therapy dog Mannee all live in Toronto.

Material Format

moving images

Language

English

Name Access

Pincus, Stephen, 1958-

Geographic Access

England

Original Format

Digital file

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

00:56 Stephen discusses his family background, including notable forebears, his grandparents' immigration in the early 1900s, and the largely Lithuanian composition of the South African Jewish community.

03:04 Stephen discusses his South-African-born parents' backgrounds and how they met.

05:14 Stephen mentions that he was born in England in 1958, while his family was abroad for his father's medical studies. He lived there until they returned to South Africa in 1964.

06:25 Stephen remembers arriving in South Africa and all the family that had come to greet them who hadn't seen his parents for eight years. He mentions that all correspondence happened via mail.

08:01 Stephen describes his family's relationship to Judaism: They were Orthodox in name, but took a pragmatic approach. Stephen went to public school and received a lot of his Jewish education from Habonim.

09:27 Stephen describes his bar mitzvah celebrations. Stephen remembers preparing his speech. He enjoys public speaking and this was a starting point.

10:49 Stephen talks about the Habonim youth movement. Stephen's involvement began in his early teens. He became the head of the movement in the late 1970s and ran the camp for a couple of years. Stephen is organizing a trip this summer to Israel for alumni of Habonim.

14:50 Stephen explains that he has a foot in South Africa, Canada, and Israel.

15:43 Stephen talks about the unique environment in South Africa that contributed to Zionism. He talks about the Soweto Uprising in 1976. Israel was a place where South African Jews could create something better. Stephen finds it ironic that some see in Israel a continuation of apartheid.

19:53 Stephen talks about his parents' view of his involvement in Habonim. He relates a story where his father became upset when Stephen participated in a march protesting a United Nations resolution instead of studying for an exam.

21:37 Stephen's father was risk-averse and practical. He wasn't keen on Stephen moving to Israel and would discourage his son indirectly. Stephen went to Israel anyway.

22:20 Stephen's parents did not give voice to strong political views. Stephen remembers being at a poetry reading at a friend's parents' house when he was eight. It was his first mixed-race experience. Stephen and his friends were politically active in high school and as undergraduate students.

24:27 Stephen explains how Zionism and Israel were his major focus while the South African situation was secondary. Stephen remembers visiting Soweto a number of times.

26:00 Stephen discusses the paradox of under apartheid while opposing it. He sees this as a central issue that white South Africans of his generation faced. He discusses the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings of the 1990s.

28:24 Stephen recounts how Israel fell into the arms of South Africa after being pushed away by various African states in the 1970s.

29:03 Stephen describes his involvement in resuscitating Machon Le'Madrichei Chutz La'Aretz, a year-long leadership course for youth leaders in Israel. South African Jews would defer their army service to participate. In 1975, the South African government determined it would not let Jewish students defer for this purpose.

31:16 Stephen discusses his decision to leave South Africa.

32:51 Stephen discusses how not going on Machon is one of his regrets.

33:28 Stephen discusses the places he considered immigrating to. He was focused on going to Israel and was part of a group that went to live on a kibbutz in the western Galilee.

37:24 Stephen discusses previous trips to Israel. The first time he went to the country was when his family went from England to South Africa. This was before the Six-Day War and he remembers barbed wire in Jerusalem. Stephen thinks he probably fell in love with Israel at this time.

38:32 Stephen explains the meaning of the words machon and garin.

39:23 Stephen describes the kupah meshutefet ("common treasury box") economic system. The system didn't last very long.

40:16 Stephen describes how his family and friends reacted to the news that he was making aliyah.

41:09 Stephen discusses a car trip he and his wife took throughout South Africa. He relates how they were caught in a flood and ended up being taken in by a Black family. Stephen reflects on the irony of their situation.

44:07 Stephen discusses he and his wife's arrival in Israel. Stephen was accepted by Hebrew University to study law. Ultimately, he and his wife chose to move to Toronto at the beginning of 1982.

45:06 Stephen shares what he brought with him to Toronto from South Africa.

47:20 Stephen discusses his initial trip to Canada in January 1982. He thinks that it was the coldest winter Toronto experienced until 2014. He discusses some of the hurdles he faced adjusting to the new climate.

51:33 Stephen discusses settling in Canada and going to school.

56:25 Stephen discusses opening an issue of the Canadian Jewish News and seeing that a summer camp was looking for a director. He was director for a couple of years and he and his wife would spend their summer at the camp.

57:05 Stephen discusses how Habonim was different from Camp Shalom, the camp he worked at in Canada.

58:24 Stephen discusses his transition from being involved in a Zionist and socialist youth movement to ending up in business and corporate law. He notes that he has shifted in a number of respects in terms of his perspective on economic values, social values, and religious values.

1:02:55 Stephen discusses his experience integrating into Canadian society.

1:05:20 Stephen contrasts his parents' experience coming later in life with his own experience. They had a wonderful time when they came because there was a large community of retired South African expatriates by then.

1:09:54 Stephen discusses the role of the local Jewish community, and local South African Jewish community, played in his acclimatization.

1:11:59 Stephen discusses how he came to work for Goodmans.

1:14:17 Stephen discusses the differences he has noticed between Canadians and South Africans. He feels that South Africans as a group tend to be more direct than Canadians. In his opinion, South Africans lie somewhere between Israelis and Canadians in terms of directness.

1:17:51 Stephen discusses his journey, coming from a secular Zionist background and starting a program of Jewish learning later in life.

1:20:40 Stephen discusses his own approach to keeping Jewish traditions and customs. He is observant, but not dogmatic.

1:26:11 Stephen discusses his two children. His son is a medical resident and his daughter is finishing up a law/business administration program.

1:27:09 Stephen discusses synagogues he is involved with.

1:29:10 Stephen discusses cultural differences he has experienced raising his children in Canada.

1:33:04 Stephen explains the decisions he and his wife made regarding their children's education.

1:35:15 Stephen describes his children's relationships with their grandparents.

1:37:31 Stephen answers the question, "Do you feel Canadian?"

1:41:55 Stephen discusses his involvement with the Canada-South Africa Chamber of Business.

1:42:42 Stephen discusses the differences in being involved with the ex-South African community more broadly and the ex-South African Jewish community.

1:44:58 Stephen discusses his children's connections to South Africa, which he says are quite limited.

1:46:37 Stephen shares food words and expressions that he shared with his children and which they now use.

1:47:55 Stephen offers a few final remarks about his decision to immigrate to Canada and the relationship between Canadian identity, Jewish/Israeli identity, and South African identity.

Source

Oral Histories

Israel, the Opportunity for New Beginnings

An Indoor Life

Name

Ivor Simmons

Number

OH 425

Subject

Canada--Emigration and immigration

Jews--South Africa

South Africa--Emigration and immigration

Interview Date

9 Feb. 2016

Interviewer

Naomi Raichyk

Total Running Time

OH 425 part 1: 21 min.

OH 425 part 2: 20 min.

OH 425 part 3: 21 min.

OH 425 part 4: 1 min.

OH 425 part 5: 2 min.

OH 425 part 6: 4 min.

Biography

Born in Bloemfontein, South Africa’s judicial capital, in 1937, Ivor had a pleasant childhood alongside his two brothers. Because his family lived on the “wrong side” of Naval Hill (the other side was considerably more Jewish), he counted both Jews and non-Jews among his friends. This did not mean he lacked for Jewish culture: Ivor participated in a Jewish youth movement and was sent to a nearby cheder ahead of his bar mitzvah, which he celebrated in the communal hall. Unfortunately, the cheder teacher, a European immigrant who spoke halting English, was not the best teacher and Ivor finished his education with only a partial ability to read Hebrew.

As a young man, Ivor studied chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town. He worked in South Africa for a time before leaving to go to London. At the time he left, he did not have plans to live outside South Africa, but he ended up meeting several Canadians in England who encouraged him to give Canada a try. Obtaining work without any great difficulty and finding the locals friendlier than those in England, he decided to make Canada home.

Ivor worked in marketing for a time before coming to the conclusion that he wanted to be his own boss. With a loan from his father-in-law, he purchased a small company, which he ran for twenty-seven years. He looks back on those years fondly on account of having overcome a number of obstacles along the way and treated his employees fairly. In 1997, he sold his business and decided to devote his time to travel and volunteering.

Ivor and his wife have three children, all of whom live in Canada. They also have several grandchildren.

Material Format

moving images

Language

English

Name Access

Simmons, Ivor, 1937-

Geographic Access

Bloemfontein (South Africa)

Cape Town (South Africa)

England

Sasolburg (South Africa)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Digital file

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

Part 1:

00:25 Ivor was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1937. His maternal grandparents' birthplace was Russia. His paternal grandfather was born near the Lithuanian/Latvian border. His paternal grandfather travelled to England and in 1886 moved to South Africa. His paternal grandmother came to South Africa from Cardiff.

02:24 Ivor's maternal grandfather was a jeweller in Cape Town. He remarried after Ivor's maternal grandmother died. The grandfather and second wife died in a vehicular accident in the 1920s.

03:45 Ivor discusses his parents: how they met and married. Ivor's father ran a printing company and his mother was a music teacher with an interest in the arts. Ivor's mother was involved in Jewish communal affairs.

05:55 Ivor discusses his two younger brother, both of whom moved to Sydney, Australia.

09:20 Ivor describes his youth in Bloemfontein.

10:34 Ivor participated in a B'nai Brith youth movement and attended cheder until age thirteen.

12:05 Ivor had a bar mitzvah in the communal hall.

13:24 Ivor discusses his education and extracurricular activities while he attended Grey College, a boys' school in Bloemfontein. Although Afrikaans was taught in school, Ivor did not gain fluency in Afrikaans until he worked in an oil refinery in Sasolburg.

15:40 Ivor describes his Jewish education.

16:20 Ivor discusses his family's religious and cultural observance.

17:47 Ivor shares his perspective on the impact of politics in South Africa on the Jewish community and on him personally.

19:40 Ivor discusses his reasons for leaving South Africa and how he decided to move to Canada. He found a job with Union Carbide in Toronto and decided to stay.

Part 2:

00:20 Ivor shares his first impressions of living in Toronto and addresses the ease of transition for him.

02:57 Ivor arrived in Toronto on 2 June 1963 after having spent one month in Montreal.

03:40 Ivor discusses the small South African community in Toronto at that time.

05:40 Ivor discusses his family's reaction to his decision to move to Toronto. His parents remained in South Africa. Ivor describes his parents' lifestyle.

08:45 Ivor describes his professional education and career. He studied chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town. He discusses his work history in South Africa, England, and Canada.

13:20 Ivor discusses how he met his wife. He discusses his family: his two sons and one daughter. Ivor discusses his daughter's career.

Part 3:

01:15 Ivor discusses the adoption of his two sons. Ivor discusses the children's education.

06:15 Ivor's mother came to visit regularly. His father came for several visits. Ivor and his family visited South Africa.

07:35 Ivor discusses how his family celebrated Jewish holidays.

08:24 Ivor discusses his wife, Renee.

09:08 Ivor discusses the similarities between Renee's family and his family with regards to Jewish practice and values and their Jewish practice in their home.

11:10 Ivor discusses his limited participation with any organizations within the South African Jewish community in Canada.

12:10 Ivor offers reasons why it would have been difficult to raise his children had they been living in South Africa.

13:40 Ivor discusses some of his family visits to South Africa and the impressions of the children.

15:36 Ivor offers his impressions of current day South Africa.

18:16 Ivor comments on the ease with which he integrated into Canada.

19:06 Ivor discusses his volunteer involvement following his retirement and his personal interests.

Part 4:

00:00 Ivor continues to discuss his personal interests.

Part 5:

00:00 Ivor fondly reminisces about his extended family in Cape Town: his mother's sister and her husband, his mother's brothers, their wives and children, and his father's twin cousins.

Part 6:

00:00 Ivor continues to reminisce about extended family.

02:42 Ivor discusses his pleasure in travel since his retirement.

Source

Oral Histories

What was planned as just a short trip...

Watching What you Say in South Africa

Name

Richard Stern

Number

OH 426

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Occupations

Interview Date

23 Feb. 2016

Interviewer

Lisa Newman

Total Running Time

OH 426 part 1: 22 min.

OH 426 part 2: 22 min.

OH 426 part 3: 21 min.

OH 426 part 4: 1 min.

OH 426 part 5: 4 min.

OH 426 part 6: 3 min.

OH 427 part 7: 10 min.

OH 428 part 8: 2 min.

Use Restrictions

Waiting for Richard to sign waiver.

Biography

The firstborn twin (he insists he and his brother are not competitive), Richard grew up in the small town of Muizenberg in an old house on the seafront with his parents and four siblings. Born in 1937, Richard’s childhood was untainted by apartheid, which came into effect eleven years later in 1948. As a child, he played with children of colour on his grandfather’s farm; by adolescence, those same childhood friends were obliged to call him "Boss" on account of his race.

After completing high school at Kingswood College, a Methodist boarding school five hundred miles from where he grew up, Richard returned to Muizenburg where he worked on a farm before going back to school to obtain a diploma in agriculture. Around this time, he had a small mishap working at a winery. He had been warned not to fall asleep while the grapes were fermenting; sure enough, he did just that and the next morning the winery found itself with ten thousand gallons of vinegar.

Richard gained more experience in different wineries after completing a tour of Europe with the National Union of South African Students. He stayed in England and worked at a winery located under the Tower of London and later at wine farms in Bordeaux and the Champagne region of France. While in Europe, his twin brother told him about agriculture in Israel, which prompted him to go there. It was in Israel that he met his first wife with whom he had three children.

Richard worked at several jobs in Israel and opened three of the first Supersol supermarkets there. He also served in the Israel Defense Forces. Eventually though, he decided to come to Canada, which he did with his family in 1963. In Ottawa, he operated a supermarket for a short time before going to work for the head office of Loeb. Through this position, he got to see a good deal of Canada and developed a sense of its geography and a feel for its people.

In the early 1970s, Richard made a living as his own boss in a brokerage business before the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce recruited him to market Canadian grocery and alcohol products. It was while working for the department that he became a Canadian citizen.

Today, Richard is retired and married to Doris. They have four children and eight grandchildren. He considers himself a Canadian Jew, but retains a strong affection for South Africa and its natural beauty. Since leaving, he has been back to South Africa between twenty and thirty times with Doris.

Material Format

moving images

Language

English

Name Access

Stern, Richard, 1937-

Geographic Access

Cape Town (South Africa)

England

France

Israel

Muizenberg (South Africa)

Ottawa (Ont.)

Original Format

Digital file

Transcript

0Part 1:

00:00 Richard was born in Muizenberg, South Africa on 5 January 1937. He was the first of a set of twins.

00:57 Richard discusses his grandfather's business in Cape Town.

01:38 Richard reminisces about his childhood in Muizenberg. He shares memories about school, after-school activities, and his school performance.

04:06 Richard discusses his siblings: Robert, Maxwell, Peter, and Jean.

06:11 Richard studied viticulture. He describes the challenges he faced realizing his dreams after leaving his country and support system.

08:37 Richard reminisces about growing up in Muizenberg.

09:30 Richard discusses Jewish life and education in Muizenberg.

10:23 Richard discusses his bar mitzvah.

11:11 Richard describes the history of his parents' home.

12:07 Richard recalls his family celebrating Jewish holidays.

12:42 Richard discusses his affiliation with the Second Muizenberg Jewish Boy Scout group and camp.

13:15 Richard notes that his father was a leader in the Habonim youth movement, but did not want his children to participate in Habonim.

14:18 Richard discusses his father's involvement with the scouting movement in Cape Town. His father was involved in Jewish communal affairs. He describes his father's involvement with an entertainment group.

15:59 Richard discusses the make-up of the Jewish community in Muizenberg.

16:30 Richard shares stories involving his personal relationships with Black or "coloured" Africans. He relates an incident that occurred during his first work experience.

19:40 Richard discusses the changes that arose with the introduction of apartheid in 1948. He refers to the risks associated with political involvement against the government.

22:09 Richard discusses Klingswood College, the boarding school he attended.

Part 2:

00:00 Richard continues to reminisce about attending boarding school. There were about twelve Jewish students.

03:42 Richard mentions the Sharpeville massacre.

04:12 Richard describes the student mix at Kingswood College. He describes exemptions made for Jewish students as well as mandatory church services.

06:33 Richard describes his pursuits after graduating from Kingswood College. He describes working on farms and vineyards. He earned a diploma in agricultural science from the College of Agriculture at the University of Stellenbosch. He relates stories from his college years.

11:44 Richard speaks of his travels and work experience in England, France, and Israel after graduating from college.

14:19 Richard speaks of his contact with Israel's first ambassador to Canada, Michael Comay, and his first marriage to Michael's daughter, Jill. They had two children.

15:49 Richard discusses his decision to remain in Israel and his early work experience in Israel.

17:22 Richard describes suffering from jaundice while completing his army training in Israel.

18:14 Richard was in Canada for six months and then returned to Israel.

18:18 Richard describes some of the challenges he encountered as manager of some of the newly-opened chain of Supersol supermarkets in Israel.

21:26 Richard discusses his decision to apply for immigration to Canada.

Part 3:

00:00 Richard discusses the breakup between the Bronfsmans and Bert Loeb.

00:58 Richard describes his ten years of work for Loeb's in Ottawa.

02:50 Richard opens up a brokerage business in 1971.

03:11 Richard describes how and why he was approached by the government of Canada to work in industry, trade, and commerce.

03:57 Richard explains how he became a Canadian citizen.

04:45 Richard describes his involvement in marketing alcoholic beverages and grocery products on behalf of the government of Canada.

06:01 Richard discusses his post chairing Canada-Israel agreements.

06:29 Richard describes the events that led to his wife and children returning to Israel in 1967. He notes the likelihood of his moving back to South Africa had his wife not decided to return to Canada.

07:06 Richard discusses his attachment to South Africa and offers his impressions of the country.

11:37 Richard praises the liberal political position taken by Jews in South Africa.

12:30 Richard discusses his ancestry. His paternal and maternal grandfathers came from Germany to South Africa. His paternal grandmother came from New York. He tells some stories about his grandparents.

14:42 Richard muses about his lack of awareness of different Jewish groups while growing up.

16:50 Richard discusses his identity as a Canadian Jew.

18:30 Richard discusses some of his philanthropic support.

19:55 Richard recalls memories about his grandparents.

Part 4:

00:00 Richard displays and describes two photographs of himself and his siblings.

Part 5:

00:00 Richard displays a photograph of the opening of the Voortrekker monument commemorating the Afrikaner scouting movement. Richard discusses his involvement with the movement and his attendance at the opening of the monument.

01:45 Richard displays and discusses a photograph of his school cadets band.

03:03 Richard displays and discusses a photograph of his rugby team.

03:49 Richard displays a photograph of himself and his brother-in-law, Yochanan, while serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Richard discusses how Yochanan was killed in the Golan Heights in 1967.

Part 6:

00:00 Richard displays and discusses a plaque that was present to his grandfather, Max Sonnenberg, for his service in parliament for twenty years.

01:38 Richard displays and discusses a book that was written by his grandfather.

Part 7:

00:00 Richard discusses his work with Agriculture Canada as director of processed food and later director of international marketing. He took early retirement in 1990.

01:23 Richard displays and discusses a photograph from the International Dairy Congress in 1994. He shares a story about Stephen Lewis, who was a guest speaker.

03:14 Richard displays and discusses a photograph of Richard presenting a cheque to the deputy minister of agriculture repaying the grant for the Dairy Congress.

04:12 Richard displays and discusses a photograph that related to his work with the sheep council in 1997.

05:44 Richard displays and discusses a photograph that related to his work with the cervidae industry.

06:50 Richard displays and discusses a trophy honouring his father for his contributions to the Community Chest Carnival. Richard shares some stories related to the Masque Theatre in Muizenberg that was started by his father.

09:56 Richard displays and discusses a program relating to the re-opening of the Masque Theatre in 1999.

Part 8:

00:00 Richard displays and discusses a photograph from his parents' wedding.

Source

Oral Histories

Scouting

Racism?

Name

Colleen "Chips" Klein and Paul Klein

Number

OH 444

Subject

Canada--Emigration and immigration

Jews--South Africa

South Africa--Emigration and immigration

Interview Date

13 Mar. 2017

Interviewer

Lisa Newman

Total Running Time

OH 444 part 1: 7 min.

OH 444 part 2: 7 min.

OH 444 part 3: 37 min.

OH 444 part 4: 2 min.

Biography

Although they both grew up in Jewish neighbourhoods, Chips and Paul met for the first time at Margate, a decidedly non-Jewish seaside resort on South Africa’s southern coast. Chips’ grandmother, who was with Chips at the time, scouted the area for Jewish men, which is when she spotted Paul. Convinced the two were bashert, she indulged in a little matchmaking, with the result that Paul phoned Chips when he returned home. While they did break up at one point, Chips’ grandmother’s judgment was vindicated when the two married at Cyrildene Shul in Johannesburg a few years later.

When their children were three and five years old, the couple made the decision to immigrate to Canada. Paul, an engineer by training, was transferred to Guelph. There, the family joined the local synagogue and enrolled their children in public education. It was while living in Guelph that Chips and Paul became involved in work combating antisemitism. Growing up in Jewish communities, neither had encountered much antisemitism, but living in a small town they were forced to come to terms with being different.

Once their children were grown up, Chips and Paul moved to Toronto, purchasing a house in Thornhill in order to be close to the South African community. Both Chips and Paul are involved in Jewish education through their local synagogue and remain active in a variety of sports. In addition to their faith, sport is one of the ways they stay in touch with their grandchildren, which is why Chips says, “As long as we’re able, we’re going to keep doing it.”

Material Format

moving images

Language

English

Name Access

Klein, Colleen

Klein, Paul

Geographic Access

Guelph (Ont.)

Johannesburg (South Africa)

Thornhill (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Digital file

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

Part 1:

00:00 Chips discusses the areas in Johannesburg where she was born and raised.

01:30 Chips discusses her education. She attended King David School. She notes that her parents may have been founding members of King David.

02:37 Chips discusses her career in dance as a dancer and as a teacher in her own dance school.

05:22 Chips describes growing up in South Africa. She discusses her family's warm relationship with their servants.

06:20 Chips mentions her own political involvement as a teenager in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She explains why and her husband decided to leave South Africa.

Part 2:

00:00 Paul discusses his parents' arrival to South Africa. His father fled from Berlin in 1937. His mother fled from Frankfurt, Germany in 1936. His father served in the British army during the war.

01:34 Paul explains why his father did not join a synagogue. Paul did not have a bar mitzvah. He recounts an incident that he attributes to his connection to Judaism.

02:55 Paul explains that having Jewish friends only became an issue for him when he started dating.

03:20 Paul explains that his father's fellow workers were secular German Jews.

03:40 Paul discusses his limited Jew upbringing. He discusses how and why he started to learn about and practice Judaism.

05:02 Paul has one sister living in Montreal. He discusses other relatives, some of whom survived the Holocaust.

06:30 Paul discusses how he met Chips.

Part 3:

00:00 Chips discusses how she met Paul.

00:48 Chips and Paul describe how they reconnected with Chips when Paul graduated from engineering.

03:49 Paul discusses their early marriage. He explains the factors that contributed to his decision to leave South Africa and immigrate to Canada. He expresses satisfaction with their decision to come to Canada.

05:25 Chips notes their children's positive comments about growing up and living in Canada.

05:56 Paul discusses his professional career.

07:30 Chips discusses their friends' and relatives' reactions to their decision to leave South Africa. They left in 1975. Chips' and Paul's parents immigrated to Canada around 1981.

09:18 Paul describes his parents' reaction to their decision to emigrate.

10:14 Chips discusses her parents' comments about leaving South Africa.

10:49 Chips and Paul discuss their return visits to South Africa. Chips describes her children's impressions of South Africa.

12:45 Chips discusses their early time in Canada. They first came to Guelph. She discusses establishing a Jewish home/environment for their children.

13:42 Paul recounts antisemitic incidents while living in Guelph.

15:20 Paul discusses their involvement with a program out of Lipa Green focused on assisting small Jewish communities. He comments on the program's success. Paul served as vice-chair.

16:50 Paul discusses the impact of the program on his children. He describes their strong connection to Israel.

17:37 Chips and Paul explain the program and how it was implemented.

18:46 Paul discusses his involvement with the synagogue in Guelph and in Toronto.

20:39 Paul explains why they decided to move to Thornhill in 1991. They belong to a synagogue on Green Lane.

21:33 Paul explains that the company he worked for in South Africa transferred him to Canada.

22:32 Chips discusses her community involvement including participation in Hadassah-WIZO and participation in the synagogue.

23:26 Chips discusses the creation of a business. She discusses her involvement in a women's inventors project. Chips mentions that she and Paul run a business together.

25:47 Chips describes her involvement in the development of a book to assist women with the patenting and marketing of products. She describes a federal government initiative that she was involved in to develop a book for the government to help women entrepreneurs. She also assisted with the development of a books for teachers and Girl Guides geared toward female inventions.

27:52 Paul discusses an acclaimed dance program that Chips was involved with South Africa.

30:22 Chips and Paul discuss their involvement in Jewish education. Chips spearheaded an adult education program for women and men. Paul discusses his involvement teaching Parshat HaShavuah.

35:45 Chips discusses her family's involvement in sport, including marathons and skiing.

36:47 Paul ponders the question of feeling Canadian.

Part 4:

00:34 Chips comments on when she first considered herself Canadian.

02:02 Paul mentions a National Film Board documentary about Jews in small communities and their inclusion in the film.

Source

Oral Histories

An Entrepreneurial Spirit

Always a Stranger

Antisemitism in Canada

Small Town Life

Address

216 Beverley Street

Time Period

1918-unknown

Scope Note

The Apter Synagogue was formed by a group of people who came to Toronto from the area of Opatow (Apt) in Poland around the turn of the century. They first established a small synagogue on Centre Avenue near Dundas Street in the Ward. In 1918, in anticipation of more Apter immigrants coming to Toronto after the First World War, the synagogue was sold and a larger one purchased on Beverley Street. Both the synagogue members and the Apter Friendly Society met there.

History

In later years, a bitter controversy between the synagogue and society erupted and the building was sold.

Category

Political

Religious

Private Clubs

Source

Landmarks