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Monty Grunebaum and Barney Sher - 6 Sep. 2016

Name: Monty Grunebaum and Barney Sher

Material Format: moving images

Interview Date: 6 Sep. 2016

Source: Oral Histories

Name: Monty Grunebaum and Barney Sher

Number: OH 438

Subject: Canada--Emigration and immigration; Jews--South AFrica; South Africa--Emigration and immigration

Interview Date: 6 Sep. 2016

Interviewer: Naomi Raichyk

Total Running Time: OH 438 part 1: 22 min.; OH 438 part 2: 22 min.; OH 438 part 3: 20 sec.; OH 438 part 4: 14 min.; OH 438 part 5: 22 min.; OH 438 part 6: 11 min.

Biography: Monty Grunebaum and Barnie Sher are two of the founding members of Kehillat Shaarei Torah, a Modern Orthodox shul located on Bayview Avenue in North York. Monty, who immigrated to Canada in 1977, says that the impetus for starting the shul derived partly from South Africans wanting to recreate their memories of Jewish life in South Africa in their new country. A group began to look at different venues in the city and applied for a rabbi. Because many of the South Africans who immigrated to Canada were of modest means, it was a challenge raising funds. With the support of the established Toronto community, eventually, the group was able to purchase a property and hire a rabbi. In November 1980, the shul was incorporated as Kehillat Shaarei Torah of Toronto.; Kehillat Shaarei Torah has had four rabbis since its incorporation in 1980. Rabbi Eliot Feldman served the community from 1981 to 1988 and was instrumental in getting the shul established. Rabbi Steven Cohen succeeded Feldman, serving the congregation from 1988 to 1992. Rabbi Reuven Tradburks came next, caring for the community from 1992 to 2009. The current rabbi, Rabbi Joe Kanofsky, has led the community since 2009.

Material Format: moving images

Language: English

Name Access: Grunebaum, Monty; Kehillat Shaarei Torah (Toronto, Ont.); Sher, Barney

Geographic Access: South Africa; Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format: Digital file

Copy Format: Digital file

Transcript: Part 1:; 00:29 Monty explains the impetus for starting a synagogue for South African Jews in Toronto.; 01:37 Monty discusses where he lived in Toronto when he arrived in 1977. He discusses the main locations where South African Jews settled.; 02:50 Barnie describes a large presence of South African Jews in the Bayview/York Mills area.; 03:11 Barnie discusses the origins of the synagogues in South Africa.; 04:14 Barnie discusses the importance of cantorial singing in South African synagogues.; 05:20 Barnie describes some of the synagogues and their primary influences from Lithuania and Germany.; 06:24 Barnie recounts his first experience at a Toronto synagogue for the High Holidays.; 08:13 Monty recounts his first experience at a Toronto synagogue for Rosh Hashanah and how it served as a catalyst to establish a synagogue that would feel more comfortable.; 09:47 Barnie describes funeral traditions in South Africa. He contrasts these practices with his personal experience in Toronto.; 14:19 Barnie and Monty discuss the early attempts to establish services to meet the needs of their South African Jewish community.; 18:21 Barnie highlights the importance of having a separate section in the cemetery in order to maintain South African burial practices.; 19:23 Barnie and Monty discuss the role played by Bernard Isaacs in the formation of the synagogue.; Part 2:; 00:00 Barnie discusses some of the earliest founders and promoters of the synagogue: Rabbi Whitty, Kurt Rothschild, Harvey Hecker, ?Bernie Gert. He describes fundraising efforts.; 01:19 Monty explains how the property for the synagogue was purchased.; 03:23 Barnie describes the acquisition of the aron kodesh, pews, and prayer books from an Ontario synagogue donation and from membership donations.; 04:25 Monty discusses the limited financial resources of new South African immigrants. Financial support for the synagogues came from membership donations.; 05:20 Monty notes that the synagogue attracted a number of Jews who moved from Montreal.; 06:26 Barnie discusses the synagogue's first rabbi, Rabbi Feldman.; 07:50 Barnie discusses resistance to the synagogue from Jewish neighbours.; 09:36 The synagogue's name, Kehillah Shaarei Torah, was the name of Rabbi Feldman's congregation in Syracuse. Barnie and Monty reminisce about Rabbi Feldman.; 12:55 The synagogue was incorporated in November 1980.; 14:45 Barnie describes the operation of the synagogue before a building was constructed.; 19:13 Monty recalls that Beth Tikvah Synagogue lent them Torahs.; 19:51 Barnie reminisces about the first Rosh Hashanah in their new building.; 20:48 Barnie recounts how the synagogue received a generous donation from the Reichman family.; Part 4:; 00:00 Monty lists the rabbis who served the synagogue.; 00:26 Barnie recounts a humorous incident about meeting a new rabbi.; 02:50 Barnie and Monty discuss Rabbi Tradburks and his contribution to the synagogue and the greater Jewish community in Toronto.; 09:29 Barnie discusses an attempt to change the synagogue's direction from Orthodox to Conservative.; 10:28 Barnie and Monty continue to reminisce about Rabbi Tradburks.; Part 5:; 00:00 Monty discusses Rabbi Joel Kanofsky.; 02:40 Barnie identified demographics as a concern for the continuity of the synagogue.; 04:50 Barnie continues to discuss membership. Membership has remained relatively steady at a 220-230 family core.; 06:00 Barnie and Monty discuss outreach methods and various synagogue services, education, and events.; 11:00 Barnie discusses some humorous incidents involving their group of four friends, including a Purim skit and a birthday gag.; 18:17 Barnie discusses Rabbi Tradburk's involvement in the formation of the Coby Mandel Foundation, a support group for youth in Israel who have lost family members as a result of terrorism.; Part 6:; 00:00 Barnie discusses changes that are occurring in the synagogue with a change of demographics and new membership.; 02:24 Monty raises concerns about loss of membership.; 04:18 Monty lists some programs and services offered in the synagogue, including a youth program.; 04:43 Barnie discusses the current status of the synagogue. He cites some of the problems with the existing synagogue (e.g. no elevator, lack of parking, no banquet hall).; 07:34 Barnie mentions the synagogue on Green Lane, another synagogue with a large South African membership.; 08:44 Barnie describes the process of hiring a new rabbi for their synagogue.

Source: Oral Histories

https://player.vimeo.com/video/232091886?

Wilfred Teper [textual record] – 1959-1962, predominant 1961.

Accession Number: 2019-7-4

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2019-7-4

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 5 cm textual records; 2 photographs : b&w, sepia toned (tiff)

Date: 1959-1962, predominant 1961

Scope and Content: Accession consists of correspondence between members of the Teper family. Included are letters that Wilfred Teper sent from Tsumeb (Namibia), Lausanne, and Barcelona, to his mother Seina Teper (née Grossman) in Cape Town. Also included are letters from Seina to Wilfred’s sister Rita Burton, brother-in-law David Burton, and niece Oriane Falkenstein . Seina forwarded Wilfred’s letters to Rita and David, and requested that they forward his letters to her as well.; 001: Claremont Talmudic Society tenth anniversary, Nov. 1955, Cape Town, South Africa. Photograph by Bridge Studio, Salt River. Identified in photo back row, left to right, M. Marks, H. Kagan, M. Polliack, A. Wasserman, M. Katz, S. Yutar, Y. Teper. Middle row, A. L. Resnick, M. Fletcher, B. Stein (Secretary), W. Rubin, Jack Levin, J. Levin. Front row, Menashe Ben-Dov, M. Stone, Rabbi Romm, B. Margolis (Chairman), Rev. Ch. Gordon, Rev. A. Kramer, Mr. N. Tobias.; 002: Wilfred (right) standing with unidentified friend, Cape Town, South Africa [1946?].

Custodial History: Seina Teper sent all the letters she received from her son Wilfred Teper to her daughter Rita Burton (née Teper) in Johannesburg. Rita's daughter Oriane Falkenstein (née Burton), gave the letters to Wilfred in 2013.

Administrative History: Wilfred Teper (b. 1939) is the son of Edel Teper (d. 1958) and Seina (Grossman) Teper (d. 1963), both immigrants from Lithuania to South Africa. After graduating from the University of Cape Town with a degree in chemical engineering, Wilfred spent a year working at a Germanium extraction plant in Tsumeb, Namibia (then known as South West Africa and administered by the South African government) from 1961-1962. While there he bought a motor bike (which he traded for a radio and a bicycle) and on a weekend off he went to Etosha Game Reserve (now Etosha National Park). His mother sent him parcels of food, which Wilfred shared with his housemate. During this time, pieces of mail went astray.; Having saved enough money for his European travel, Wilfred left Tsumeb in January 1962, returning to Cape Town briefly before departing for Europe for three months with two long-time friends. In 1963 he married Anna Cvi of Kimberley, South Africa. They had four children and lived in Waterkloof, a suburb of Pretoria, before immigrating to Toronto in 1976, where they became members of Beth Tikvah Synagogue.

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

Subjects: Jews--South Africa; Letters

Places: Namibia; South Africa

Source: Archival Accessions