Name

Rivka Hurwich and Sam Hurwich

Number

OH 22

Subject

Antisemitism

Hospitals

Rabbis

Schools

Teachers

Interview Date

2 Jul. 1974

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side One - 43 minutes

Side Two - 3 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Digitized in 2014.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Dr. Sam Hurwich was involved in a number of organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, Jewish Immigrant Aid Services, and several Labour Zionist groups.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Hospital for Sick Children

Hurwich, Rivka

Hurwich, Sam

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 22 - Hurwich\OH22_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 22 - Hurwich\OH22_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Isaac Segal

Number

OH 25

Subject

Antisemitism

Charities

Communities

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

Side 1: 46 minutes 15 seconds

Side 2: 45 minutes 50 seconds

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Isaac "Ike" Segel, the son of Russian immigrants, was born and lived in Toronto’s Ward district until 1900 when the family moved to Orillia, Ontario. Isaac recalls his experiences as one of three Jewish boys attending the local Orillia high school and working in his father’s general store. In order to provide a proper Jewish life for Isaac, the family returned to Toronto. In 1917 Isaac enlisted in the army and after his father’s death in 1918, Isaac made his home in Hamilton, Ontario. He was a business executive, active on several executive committees of Jewish and Zionist organizations in Hamilton.

Issac maried Esther Segal (née Kenen) who was influential in the National Council of Jewish Women, Hamilton Branch, and their successful attempt to repeal the law that refused the right of women to serve on jury duty.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Beube, Lillian

Segal, Esther

Segal, Isaac

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Orillia (Ont.)

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 25 - Segal\OH25_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 25 - Segal\OH25_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Harry Finkelman

Number

OH 28

Subject

Antisemitism

Education

Occupations

Pharmacists

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

028A: 46 minutes 028B: 7 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Parts inaudible

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Harry Finkelman was born in 1909 in Hamilton and was one of the first Jewish pharmacists in Hamilton. His father was a tailor and an active member of several Jewish organizations including the Hess Street Synagogue and the Talmud Torah. Harry attended the Talmud Torah and was involved with Young Judaea and groups from the Talmud Torah. In this interview, he discusses the early history of Hamilton and discrimination against Jews entering the professions.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Finkelman, Harry

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 28 - Finkelman\OH28_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 28 - Finkelman\OH28_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Harry Finkelman shares some of his early memories of the Hamilton Jewish community in the 1910s. He notes name of shops, shop owners, streets and describes some of the synagogues

In this clip, Harry Finkelman describes the difficulty for a Jew in the 1920s to find a placement to complete a mandatory three-year apprenticeship before he could enter pharmacy at aniversity.

Name

Jack Abel

Number

OH 34

OH 35

Subject

Antisemitism

Cemeteries

Labor unions

Occupations

Recreation

Societies

Interview Date

1986

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

034A: 31:10 minutes 034B: 31:10 minutes 035A: 31:10 minuets 035B: 13:52 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

The end of the reference copy of AC 35 is not very audible. The original cassette may be clearer.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Jack Abel's career in the garment industry began in the 1920s taking him through the dressmaker's strike of 1932. Abel's experiences with antisemitism were numerous. He participated in the Christie Pits riot, he was active in politics, and he became an early member of the Mozirer Society. Abel became financial secretary of the Mozirer Society and was involved in the purchase and administration of the Roselawn and Bathurst Lawn cemeteries.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Abel, Jack

Mozirer Sick Benefit Society

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH34_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH34_002_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH35_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH35_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Morris Fishman

Number

OH 36

Subject

Antisemitism

Communities

Synagogues

Interview Date

12 Jul. 1977

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Richard Menkis

Total Running Time

Side 1 46 minutes Side 2 17 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Morris Fishman was born on 29 September 1916 in New Jersey. His family moved to Welland, Ontario when he was an infant. He attended elementary and high school in Welland and completed two years at the University of Toronto. He worked in a family menswear business in Welland. Morris was actively involved in the Jewish community including participation in the Anshe Yosher Congregation, the Jewish Cultural Society, and the Jacob Goldblatt B'nai Brith Lodge. He was married and had two daughters.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Fishman, Morris

Geographic Access

Welland (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 36 - Fishman\OH36_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 36 - Fishman\OH36_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Morris Fishman praises the efforts of the non-Jewish community in Welland, Ontario to support the building of a new synagogue following a fire that destroyed the old synagogue in 1954.

In this clip, Morris Fishman discusses the Jacob Goldblatt B’nai Brith Lodge in Welland, Ontario.

Name

Dr. Mattie Rotenberg

Number

OH 63

Subject

Antisemitism

Rabbis

Charities

Influenza

Balfour Declaration

Immigrants--Canada

Women's clothing

Women

Department stores

Interview Date

26 Feb. 1976

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Total Running Time

62:52 sec.

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003.

Copied to digital file in June 2014.

Side 2 of the original cassette is damaged. The tape continually speeds up and slows down.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Mattie Rotenberg was the daughter of Russian immigrants. She grew up in Toronto's Ward district and received her degree in mathematics and physics at the University of Toronto. In 1920, she became the first secretary of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Toronto.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto

Hillcrest Progressive School

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

University of Toronto

T. Eaton Co

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

Introduction of Dr. Mattie Rotenberg to the audience 0:00-:49 Family History 0:50-4:00: Rotenberg, daughter of Russian immigrants, recounts the story of her parents’ immigration and arrival in Toronto during the early 1890s. 4:01-7:35: Rotenberg recalls her childhood memories of life growing up in Toronto’s Ward district during the era of “great” Jewish immigration. 7:40-11:10: Rotenberg recalls happy childhood memories living on Regent Street, then a primarily non-Jewish neighbourhood. 11:11-13:40: Rotenberg recalls the Great Fire of Toronto of 1904 that destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto. 13:45-15:19: Rotenberg recalls the open-air streetcar that ran along Toronto’s beltline, the City Dairy, and Riverdale Park. 15.20-18.02: Rotenberg recalls Rabbi Jacob Gordon of Goel Tzedec Synagogue and Rabbi Julius Price, the synagogue’s first English-speaking rabbi. 18:03-21:00: Rotenberg discusses her education at the Dufferin Elementary School and Jarvis Collegiate, her family’s first telephone, riding in a motor car, Massey Hall and Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets considered to be the choice residential district of the time. 21:01-22.00: Rotenberg recalls Dr. Sandler, Toronto’s first Jewish doctor to practice in Toronto’s non-Jewish community. 22:01-22:59: Rotenberg recalls the Queen Street shopping district, the Willinsky’s department store, and Hadassah’s first bazaar held at Toronto Armory. 23:00-23:47: Rotenberg recalls antisemitic incidents that occurred in Toronto during the late 1920s. 23:48-24.33: Rotenberg discusses the Orange Lodges’ influence on civic politics, prejudice towards the Jewish and Catholic communities, and the anti-French-language campaign Rotenberg discusses life in Toronto then and now 24.34-25.30: Rotenberg recalls the changes to Gerrard Sreet East, from a tree-lined street to concrete sidewalks. 25.31-26.48: Rotenberg recalls being the only Jewish student at Jarvis Collegiate. 26.49-27.20: Rotenberg discusses her Jewish education. 27.22-28.06: Rotenberg provides an anecdote about local Jewish news and gossip. 28.07-29.18: Rotenberg discusses the hardships of housekeeping. 29.20-30.25: Rotenberg discusses women’s fashion during the early 1900s. 30.26-31.05: Rotenberg discusses Eatons and Simpsons before the introduction of the cash register. 31:26-33.23: Rotenberg discusses life in Toronto during the early years of the First World War. Rotenberg recalls recruitment meetings held at the Armoury and the crowds that gathered to view war bulletins posted in the window the Telegram’s office on Bay Street. 33.24-36.28: In this portion of the interview, Rotenberg describes the University of Toronto as being an extremely “WASPish” place run by professors with chauvinistic attitudes 36.29-37.23: Rotenberg discusses the problem faced by Jewish women looking for a teaching position. 37:24-39:12: Rotenberg recalls Dr. (Canon) Cody, president of U of T, and his witch hunts for students believed to have Communist leanings. 39:13-40:05: Rotenberg recalls Toronto’s flu epidemic following the First World War. 40:06-41:07: Rotenberg recalls the announcement of the Balfour Declaration in 1918 and the city’s commemoration parade to honour the declaration. Side 2 0:00-:46 : Commemoration of the Balfour Declaration continued. 0:47-4.09: Rotenberg discusses her job as secretary to JIAS during the 1920s. She describes JIAS as an “embryo” started by a few dozen men working to provide aid for Jewish immigrants. *Speech garbled in some sections* 4:10-6:24: Rotenberg discusses the founding in 1929 of the Hillcrest Progressive Day School, whose main motive was to provide a comprehensive Jewish education. 6.25-6.36: Rotenberg discusses the making of liquid hydrogen at the University of Toronto’s physics building during the early 1920s. 6.36-10.00: Here the sound quality becomes poor and Rotenberg’s voice is garbled. 10:00- 21.45: Question period. Sound quality poor and garbled. END

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Montague Raisman

Number

OH 64

Subject

Nonprofit organizations

Human rights

Antisemitism

World War, 1939-1945

Zionism

Interview Date

11 Jul. 1982

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

39:42 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Low sound volume

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Montague Raisman came to Canada from England in 1926. He was actively involved in B'nai Brith Toronto Lodge and held positions of office. He served as the commanding officer for the B'nai Brith Air Cadet Squadron in Toronto during the Second World War. He was instrumental in the formation of the Joint Public Relations Committee, a united Jewish voice in response to pro-Nazi activity.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Raisman, Montague

B'nai Brith

Lipinsky, Jack

Canadian Jewish Congress

Geographic Access

Toronto

Calgary (Alta.)

Montréal (Québec)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 64 - Raisman\OH64_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Montague describes the formation of the B'nai Brith Air Cadet Squadron during the Second World War. He discusses the recruitment and training of the officers and cadets. He explains how this squadron was instrumental in changing recruitment qualifications to allow entry of new immigrants and Black cadets.

In this clip, Montague Raisman discusses the events leading up to an association between B

Name

Dr. Hana Gelber

Number

OH 13

OH 14

Subject

Antisemitism

Families

Occupations

Interview Date

29 Jul. 1973

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

013 Side One 30 minutes

014 Side One 30 minutes

014 Side Two 30 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

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

Biography

Hana Gelber (née David) was born in Safed (Tzfat), Palestine in 1907. She studied sciences at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and prepared her thesis at Hebrew University. She graduated from University of Paris-Sorbonne in 1929. Hana moved to Toronto in December 1929 and married Eddie Gelber in March 1930. Hana and Eddie moved to New York where Eddie was completing his final year at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Hana conducted research at the Rockefeller Institute. They returned to Toronto in July 1930. Hana graduated from Medical School at the University of Toronto in 1934. She completed her medical internship in Palestine. Hana and Eddie lived in Palestine from 1934 to 1939. They returned to Toronto in 1939 where they remained until 1954 at which time they made aliyah. Hana worked at Women's College Hospital until 1954. Hana had three children: Edna, Lynn, and David.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Gelber, Hana

Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Women's College Hospital (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

New York (N.Y.).

Palestine

Toronto (Ont.)

Tsefat (Israel)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH13_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH14_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH14_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ben Collis

Number

OH 93

Subject

Musicians

Cemeteries

Synagogues

Antisemitism

Farmers

Yiddish language

Interview Date

1 Jun. 1976

Quantity

2 audio cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster and Elaine Kahn

Total Running Time

OH93_001:43.50 minutes OH93_002:18.45 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Notes

poor sound quality in some sections

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Ben Collis, the son of Russian immigrants, was born in 1911. He grew up in Oshawa, Ontario. In 1944, he moved to Peterborough, Ontario. Ben's interest in music led him to form his own dance band and play gigs throughout Ontario.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Oshawa (Ont.)

Peterborough (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 93 - Collis\OH93_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 93 - Collis\OH93_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Elinor Einhorn Grill

Number

OH 99

OH 100

Subject

family history

Jewish education

Refugees

Antisemitism

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Farmers

Young Judaea

Camp Elohim

Queen's University Hillel

Rabbi Rosen

St. Catharines

Einhorn, Sol

Israel

Soviet Jewry

Interview Date

13 Jul. 1976

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

2 hrs 25 minutes

Conservation

February 2009

Notes

Detailed transcription: file://s-oja01\data\Grants\Trillium2005\Oral%20Histories\interview%20summaries\St.%20Catharines%20OH%20099-100.doc Original tapes are damaged. Copies have been made, but the white noise interference is considerable.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Raised and educated in Oshawa, Elinor Grill was an active member of the Jewish community and a keen bridge player. She was married to Earl Grill, with whom she had three daughters.

Material Format

sound recording

Geographic Access

Oshawa (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Kalmen Kaplansky

Number

OH 109

Subject

Antisemitism

Human rights

Immigrants--Canada

Labor

Labor unions

Refugees--Canada

Interview Date

20 Sep. 1985

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

109A: 60 minutes 109B: 6 minutes

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Kalmen was born on 5 January 1912 in Poland. He worked in Montreal as a typesetter and linotype operator. He was active in the labour and human rights movements in Canada. Kalmen served as the director of the Jewish Labour Committee in 1945. In collaboration with the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canadian government, and trade unions, the Jewish Labour Committee helped Jewish displaced persons immigrate to Canada by securing them employment. Kalman sat on the Refugee Status Advisory Committee for the federal government.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Kaplansky, Kalmen

Platnick, Phyllis

Jewish Labour Committee

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 109 - Kaplansky\OH109_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 109 - Kaplansky\OH109_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Kalmen Kaplansky discusses some of the obstacles to the relocation of displaced Jews to Canada after the Second World War. He describes a tripartite proposal involving consultation and cooperation among trade unions, management, and government, which enabled the immigration project.

In this clip, Kalmen Kaplansky explains that bribery, corruption, and perjury were a way of life after the Second World War. He relates anecdotes as an example.

Name

Max Enkin

Number

OH 113

OH 114

Subject

Antisemitism

Immigrants--Canada

Labor unions

Nonprofit organizations

Occupations

Refugees--Canada

Interview Date

13 Apr. 1986

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

OH113: 19:40 minuets

OH114:

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 11/28/2011

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Max Enkin was founder and a leading member of the Jewish Vocational Service of Toronto. The original purpose of the organization was to help survivors of the Second World War find employment. In 1947, as associate administrator and representative for the men's clothing sector in Ontario, Max Enkin became involved in the Tailor Project. The project was designed to identify and select skilled tailors from the displaced persons camps of Europe and help to settle them in Canada.

Max Enkin was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of services to the Wartime Prices and Trade Board.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Enkin, Max

Platnick, Phyllis

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 113, OH 114 - Enkin\OH113_001_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Max Enkin discusses the organizations, government departments, and union representatives involved in the development and implementation of the Tailor Project.

In this clip, Max Enkin discusses the Liberal government

Name

Lillian Gollom

Number

OH 122

Subject

Families

Women

Occupations

Antisemitism

Hospitals

Interview Date

8 Dec. 1986

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert and Nancy Draper

Total Running Time

OH122_001: 31.05 minutes

OH122_002: 17.07 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Lillian Gollom (née Slovens) was born in Russia in 1903. She came to Toronto around 1907. She attended Ogness Public School and Canada Business College. She married Nat Gollom in 1924. They had a son and a daughter. Lillian was actively involved with the "Sinai's" and served as president of the organization in 1939. The fund-raising efforts of the the "Sinai's", Ezrat Nashim and "Twigs" assisted with the establishment of the first Mount Sinai Hospital on Yorkville Avenue. Lillian was a volunteer at the hospital. She remained active with the Sinais and involved with the establishment of the second Mount Sinai Hospital on University Avenue. Afterwards, the organization's focus shifted to fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Mount Sinai Hospital

Dworkin, Dorothy

Canadian Cancer Society

Singer, E.F.

Gollom, Lillian

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 122 - Gollom\OH122_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 122 - Gollom\OH122_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Lillian Gollom discusses the establishment and early days of the first Mount Sinai Hospital. She describes the fundraising efforts of Ezrat Nashim, the Sinais, and the Twigs.

In this clip, Lillian Gollom relates anecdotes pertaining to the impact of the Great Depression on Jewish families in the early 1930s.

Name

Edna Jacobs

Number

OH 125

Subject

Families

Travel

Education

Occupations

Antisemitism

Girl Guides

Religion

Volunteers

Interview Date

Dec. 1985, Mar. 1986

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Nancy Draper

Total Running Time

Side 1: 36 minutes Side 2: 46 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Edna Jacobs (née Frankel) was born on 20 March 1904 in Toronto. Her parents, Sigmund and Paula Frankel, were early immigrants from Germany. Edna attended Havergal from kindergarten through high school. She studied general arts for two years at the University of Toronto. She married Arthur Jacobs, the son of Rabbi Solomon Jacobs, in 1936. Together, they had one daughter, Patsy, and a baby who died during infancy. Edna was involved with the Girls Club and the Junior Council of Jewish Women.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Toronto Girl's Club

Toronto Council of Jewish Women

Geographic Access

Toronto

Germany

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 125 - Jacobs\OH125_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 125 - Jacobs\OH125_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Edna Jacobs shares memories from a trip she and her family took to Biblis, Germany to celebrate her grandparents’ golden anniversary.

In this clip, Edna Jacobs reminisces about several prominent Toronto Jewish families.

Name

Anne Edell and I. S. Edell

Number

OH 208

Subject

Recreation

Education

Occupations

Antisemitism

Interview Date

7 Feb. 1984

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

AC 208A: 40 minutes AC 208B: 18 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Anne Edell grew up in Toronto. She worked as a bookkeeper in several local Jewish businesses. During summer vacation, Anne would travel to Port Dalhousie, Crystal Beach, and Jackson's Point. I. S. Edell grew up in Toronto. He graduated in education from OCE but was unable to find a teaching position. He worked at the post office for a short time and later in his father-in-law's business.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Edell, Anne

Edell, I.S.

Platnick, Phyllis

Geographic Access

Port Dalhousie

Crystal Beach

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Anne Edell shares memories of summer vacations.

In this clip, I. S. Edell discusses the antisemitism encountered by Jewish graduates in the field of education in Ontario in the 1930s.

Name

Lillian Gordon

Number

OH 209

Subject

Lawyers

Antisemitism

Discrimination

Interview Date

1 Jan. 1985

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

60 min.

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitzed September 2014

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Lillian Gordon was born in Toronto in 1908. She was one of three women to graduate from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1928. Gordon opened her own real estate law practice in Toronto and continued her practice until she retired in 1981.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

University of Toronto

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

0:00-6.56: Lillian Gordon was born in Toronto in 1908 to Annie and Aaron Sandler. In this portion of the interview, Gordon discusses her parents, the family catering business, and her father’s work as a union organizer in the needle trade. 7:15-8:59: Gordon discusses the requirements for entry into the Osgoode Law School in 1926. 9:00-10:19: Gordon discusses her fellow students at Osgoode Hall from 1926–1929. 10:20-11:48: Gordon discusses looking for a job within the legal profession after graduating from Osgoode Hall in 1929. 11:49-13:10: Gordon discusses looking for a location to open her own law office. 13:11-14:20: Gordon discusses being hired as an investigator for Eaton’s and being dismissed when it was learned she was Jewish. 14:21-15:34: Gordon discusses looking for a real estate office in which to open her own practice. 15:35-16:56: Gordon discusses antisemitism within the legal profession. 16:57-19:24: Gordon discusses her move to California in 1936. 19:25-20:34: Gordon discusses how the scarcity of male lawyers during the Second World War resulted in increased business within her own legal practice. 20:35-22:05: Gordon discusses the problems of being a woman within the legal profession (discussion strays). 22:06-24:45: Gordon discusses the challenges she faced as a female lawyer during the 1930s. 24:46-28:40: Gordon discusses her professional and personal dealings with financial institutions. 28:41-28:54: Gordon discusses how she came to be accepted as a woman and a Jew by her colleagues and clients. 28:55-29:42: Gordon discusses the reaction by colleagues to the hiring of the first Black person to work in the office. 29:43-31:13: Gordon discusses her choice of wardrobe for the office and the courtroom. Side 2: 0-9:20: Gordon discusses early childhood memories. 9:21-11:32: Gordon discusses the diversity of her fellow students at Jarvis Collegiate. 11:33-13:32: Gordon discusses learning to skate and to ride a bicycle. 13:33-16:10: Gordon discusses learning to drive a car. 16:12-22:30: Gordon talks about the early years of her marriage to Sandy Gordon. 22:31-24:30: Gordon reminisces about her law career from her student days until her retirement from law. 24:31-29:00: Gordon discusses working for J. L. Cohen at the beginning of her law career. Photo: Item 1216 Osgoode Hall graduation 1928

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ben Kayfetz

Number

OH 210

Subject

Antisemitism

Human rights

Law

Nonprofit organizations

Interview Date

4 Mar. 1984

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

46 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Christie Pits riot at approximately minute 16:00

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Benjamin "Ben" Gershon Kayfetz was born on 24 December 1916 in Toronto. He married Eva Silver and had two children. Ben graduated from the University of Toronto in 1939, with a bachelor of arts in modern languages. He worked as a high school teacher in Huntsville, Ontario and Niagara Falls, Ontario between 1941 and 1943. In 1943, he joined the war effort, working for the Department of National Defense in postal censorship and was responsible for reviewing prisoner of war mail. After the war, Kayfetz traveled to British-occupied Germany, where he worked as a censor of telecommunications with the Control Commission until 1947. Upon returning to Toronto, he was hired as the national director of community relations by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and as the executive (national) director of the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC), a CJC-B'nai B'rith cooperative organization. He also served as the central region executive director of the CJC between 1973 and 1978. He worked to develop anti-discrimination laws and for the protection of minority and religious rights. Kayfetz was also actively involved in promoting the welfare of Jewish communities worldwide. He was awarded the Samuel Bronfman Medal by the Canadian Jewish Congress in 1985 and the Order of Canada in 1986. In addition to his professional activities, Kayfetz wrote articles for various Jewish publications under both his own name and the pseudonym Gershon B. Newman. He also gave a weekly radio address on CHIN radio addressing various contemporary Jewish issues and was actively involved in the Toronto Jewish Historical Society (serving as its president), the Canadian Jewish Historical Society, and the Yiddish Luncheon Circle. He died in 2002.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Balmy Beach Swastika Club

Canadian Jewish Congress

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Geographic Access

Toronto

Kew Beach

Christie Pits

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\AC 210, Ben Kayfetz\AC 210 notes.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Ben Kayfetz describes the skirmish between antisemitic and Jewish youths at Kew Beach in July 1933.

In this clip, Ben Kayfetz discusses the laws that restricted “Jews or other objectionable races” from purchasing, owning, or renting properties in Toronto and summer resort areas. He describes the steps taken to change the law.

Name

Genya Intrator

Number

OH 223

OH 224

Subject

Antisemitism

Women

Human rights

Interview Date

26 Nov. 1990

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Mindy A. Skapinker

AccessionNumber

1993-9-1

Total Running Time

OH 223A: 46 minutes OH 223B: 46 minutes OH 224A: 16 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Genya Intrator was born in Moscow and moved as a child to Palestine in the 1930s. She was a member of the Israeli underground and served in the Israeli army during the War of Independence. She played a central leadership role in the Soviet Jewry movement in Canada. She founded Women for Soviet Jewry and served as chair of the National Soviet Jewry Committee. She helped with the creation of the Group of 35, a Soviet-Jewry activist group in Toronto. Genya had regular contact by phone with Soviet activists and relayed their information back to Israeli consuls. She was an advisor to B'nai Brith on Soviet Jewry. She started an inter-religious Task Force for Soviet Jewry in Canada.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Intrator, Genya

Skapinker, Mindy A.

Canadian Jewish Congress

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Genya Intrator discusses the formation of the Group of 35, a Soviet-Jewry activist group.

In this clip, Genya Intrator describes how information about Soviet Jews was passed on to the Israeli consulate in New York, who tracked all the data. She explains how she was appointed as a "secret agent" who would report information from her many phone calls to the Soviet Union.

Name

Arthur Gelber

Number

OH 241

Subject

Antisemitism

Arts

Charities

Interview Date

28 Nov. 1990

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

Total Running Time

1:6 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Arthur Gelber was born on 22 June 1915 in Toronto. He was educated at Upper Canada College. He married Esther Salomon and had four daughters. Arthur was actively involved in Jewish and general community activity. Among his accomplishments, Arthur served as chair of the National Arts Centre Corporation, chair of the Advisory Council Ontario Cabinet, past president of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, past president of the National Ballet, Board of Directors of the American Council for the Arts, Ballet Opera House, National Ballet, Stratford Festival, life director of the National Theatre School of Canada, governor of National Theatre School of Canada, former honorary chair of the Performing Arts Development Fund, and former governor of York University, trustee of the AGO, decorated with the Order of Canada, recipient of the Centennial medal in 1967, Diploma D’honneur 1978, Queen’s Jubilee Medal, vice-president of America-Israel Cultural Foundation, executive of Canadian Jewish Congress, president of Toronto Zionist Council, president of United Jewish Welfare Fund, second chair of the UJA in 1949, chair of the United Jewish Relief Agency, and chair of the United Jewish Appeal.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

United Jewish Relief Agency

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Ontario Arts Council

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Mike Rabovsky

Number

OH 296

Subject

Owen Sound

Family history

Cadesky family

Beth Ezekiel

furniture business

World War, 1939-1945

Rabbi Kirschenbaum

Bar mitzvah

Mr. Amsterdam

Antisemitism

Sauble Beach

Cemeteries

Interview Date

13 Jun. 2007

Quantity

2 mini DV's, 1 archival DVD and 1 reference DVD

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Notes

Ontario Small Jewish Communities Project

Availability of other formats: Also available as an M4V Video File

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Mike Rabovsky married Miriam Levinson, and their story is best told through this historical narrative:

Owen Sound's Beth Ezekiel Synagogue, a designated building under Ontario’s Heritage Act, remains the last example of the early small town synagogue that was once so common across Canada. The most compelling window in the synagogue is dedicated to the Rabovsky and Levison's families and tells the story of two immigrant families and the establishment of a Jewish community in Owen Sound.

The jagged shards of glass depict the Levison family's harrowing experience of Kristallnacht (night of broken glass), prelude to the Holocaust. Desperate to escape Germany, the family was just one boat ticket away from freedom. Moments before they were to leave, an elderly couple offered their tickets to the Levisons, effectively sealing their own fate as victims of the Final Solution, while giving the young family a chance to escape the coming storm. Waiting out the war in China, the family eventually made it to Canada where Manfred Levison immediately began to look for work as a Rabbi. At the same time, Isaac Ezekiel Cadesky, a refugee of the Russian pogroms and the man for whom our Synagogue is named, was looking for a Rabbi to serve Owen Sound's bourgeoning Jewish community. Manfred Levison took the job, and in time his daughter Miriam married Isaac's grandson Mike.

Miriam met Myer (Mike) Rabovsky. He was 29 and she was 19. Theirs was a happy marriage, lasting more than fifty years. Miriam and Mike had one daughter, Goldie (m. Bruce Ronald) and two grandchildren.

Material Format

moving images

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Eleanor Jourard

Number

OH 310

Subject

Belleville

keeping kosher

Hadassah

synagogue

Jewish education

Antisemitism

Interview Date

18 Sep. 2007

Quantity

2 mini DVs; 2 reference copy DVDs; 2 archival DVDs

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Notes

Part of Ontario Small Jewish Communities Project.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Eleanor Jourard's parents and grandparents came to Montreal from Russia and Poland. Eleanor attended McGill University but left after her third year. She met her husband, veteran broadcaster Lee Jourard (1929–2014), when he was a camp counsellor at Lake Temagami, north of North Bay. Eleanor and Lee were married in 1951 and moved to Belleville shortly after. A radio job at Quinte Broadcasting’s CJBQ station drew Lee to the Quinte region.

Eleanor went back to university to get her teaching degree and worked as a high school teacher from 1970 to 1990. She and her husband were affiliated with the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville and were original Belleville Theatre Guild members who helped create an outstanding community theatre. They had four children—Lewis (d. 2013), Mike, Andrew, and Tigger—and three grandchildren.

Material Format

moving images

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Rheta Rosen

Number

OH 317

Subject

Immigration and settlement

Education

Antisemitism

Clubs

Business

Recreation

Interview Date

19 Sep. 2007

Quantity

2 mini DVs

2 reference DVDs

2 archival DVDs

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Total Running Time

1:31 minutes

Notes

Part of Ontario Small Jewish Communities Project

Use Restrictions

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

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

Biography

Rheta Rosen (née Rosen) was the daughter of Nathan Rivelis, the owner of Rivelis, a large clothing store in North Bay from 1926 until 1986. The business grew from a small, family-run store into a large department store employing between twenty-five and thirty people. The store was famous for their annual sale held yearly on 16 November. Rheta became a full-time professor in family studies at Ryerson University. She was coordinator of the Learning and Teaching Office and coordinator of the Interpersonal Skills Teaching Centre, Simulation Program. Rheta's area of interest and research lay in the area of intergenerational relationships in the older family. She was a family mediator focusing on issues in the older family, adult children, and their ageing parents. Rheta Rosen died on 22 August 2016.

Material Format

moving images

Name Access

Rosen, Rheta

Geographic Access

North Bay (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Merle Koven

Number

OH 324

Subject

Antisemitism

Education

Synagogues

Interview Date

17 Oct. 2007

Quantity

2 mini DVs, 2 archival DVDs, 2 reference DVDs

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Total Running Time

2 hrs

Notes

Part of Ontario Small Jewish Communities Project.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Merle Koven grew up in Kingston, Ontario and attended Kingston Collegiate. After high school, Merle enrolled in teachers college in Toronto. He later taught school in Kingston. Merle married Philip Koven, a well-known local businessman, philanthropist and community volunteer, who died in 2008. He was owner of Rosen Heating and Cooling, which merged with another old, established city business to form Rosen, Triheat and Anglin, now run by their two sons.

During their forty-five years of marriage, the Kovens raised three children, Adam, Kenneth, and Rebecca. Both Phil and Merle Koven were prominent in the community. In 1982, Merle Koven broke new ground when she became president of Beth Israel in Kingston, possibly the first woman president of an Orthodox synagogue in North America. She was vice chair of Queens 1990s, although she did not have a degree.

The Merle and Philip Koven Bursary in Art History at Queen's University was initially established by Philip Koven in honour of his wife, Merle Koven, both passionate supporters of the arts in Kingston. This fund provides financial support for upper-year students in art history. After Philip Koven passed away in 2008, the fund received many gifts in his memory.

Material Format

moving images

Name Access

Queen's University

Hadassah WIZO Organization of Canada

Bader, Alfred

Geographic Access

Kingston

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Laura Bowman (née Petersiel)

Number

OH 330

Subject

Antisemitism

Communities

Families

Interview Date

31 Oct. 2007

Quantity

1 mini DV; 1 archival DVD; 1 reference DVD

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Total Running Time

60 mins Microphone disconnected for final 10 minutes; volume is reduced but still audible.

Notes

Part of Ontario Small Jewish Communities Project. No restrictions.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Laura Bowman (née Petersiel) grew up in Peterborough when antisemitism was latent in the community. She experienced it personally when she went to work as a young teacher in the early 1950s for the Catholic School Board in Campbellford. Laura married Sydney Bowman and they had three children, Carol, David and Gayle, and six grandchildren. She passed away in February 2010.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

Peterborough (Ont.)

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Eve Gordon

Number

OH 354

Subject

Kitchener

immigration

scrap business

Jewish education

Antisemitism

Hadassah

Weiss, Lillian

synagogue

Tarraday family

Budds

Rabbi Feivel Rosensweig

Brown, Bessie

Rabbi Levy

Interview Date

29 Jan. 2008

Quantity

1 mini DV; 1 archival DVD; 1 reference DVD

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Total Running Time

61 mins

Notes

Part of Ontario Small Jewish Communities Project.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Eve Gordon (née Rosen) was born in 1923 in Russia. She came to Canada in 1927 with her sister, three-week-old brother, parents, and paternal grandparents. They settled in Kitchener, Ontario. Her father, Israel, began working for his brother in the scrap metal business before being able to build a large industrial waste business that provided for three families. As a youth, Eve joined Young Judaea and attended Commercial College, where she was a top student.

Material Format

moving images

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Rita Tate

Number

OH 368

Subject

World War, 1939-1945

Poland

Polish underground

People's Army

Concentration camps

Antisemitism

Jewish ghettos

Interview Date

8 Jun. 2010

Quantity

1 referece DVD (WAV file)

1 archival DVD (WAV file)

Interviewer

Shayla Howell

Total Running Time

45:40 seconds

Notes

This interview is 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/search?query=rita+tate

Biography

Rita was born in Vienna, Austria on 10 January 1932. Rita served in the Polish underground with the People's Army as a courier in the Armia Ludowa. Rita and her mother became involved in the Polish resistance and following the capture of her mother by the German Gestapo, Rita was placed in a Catholic orphanage located near the Warsaw Ghetto. Rita maintained a non-Jewish identity throughout the war. Rita’s mother who was murdered as a Polish political prisoner in Aushwitz, received a posthumous medal for being a war hero.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

Poland

Original Format

DVD

Transcript

2:05: Rita was born in Vienna, Austria on 10 January 1932. Her father was Austrian, and her mother was Polish, 3:10: Rita served with Army Ludova, the People’s Army of Poland, underground resistance. Rita explains there were 2 factions: the Land Army (which was antisemitic) and the much smaller Army Ludova (a left-wing faction supported by Communists in Russia and not antisemitic). 4:37: Rita explains how her mother and she became involved in the resistance movement. Rita explains that they had excellent counterfeit documents, her mother had a job, and they had a place to live. 6:55: Rita describes how she and her mother escaped from Lvov, where they had been living in squalor with her mother’s extended family. 8:32: Rita recounts an incident involving hiding in the home of a Polish woman. She and her mother miraculously escaped capture by German soldiers and trained police dogs. 13:50: Rita and her mother escape to Tarnow, Poland, where they have a friend. Rita explains how the friend, a young man, was able to acquire Polish documents for them, rent an apartment for them, and find a job for her mother at the German Club. 15:44: Rita recounts an incident involving police coming to their building. She explains how her mother had prepared her for this event and how she was familiar with Catholic prayer and practice. 19:50: Rita explains how her mother introduced the idea of getting involved in the underground resistance. She and her mother went to Warsaw to join the Army Ludova. 22:21: Rita describes her job as a courier with the resistance at the age of ten years from October 1942 to March 1943. Rita would deliver messages that were written on small pieces of paper that were braided into her hair. 24:09: Rita explains how her mother was taken by the Germans in March 1943 and how she evaded capture. She was taken into the home of a woman who was involved in the other branch of the Polish resistance. Rita’s mother had been arrested and sent to a German Gestapo prison in Warsaw, Pawiak. 31:46: Rita was placed in an antisemitic Catholic orphanage, located next to the ghetto. 32:41: Rita ran away from the orphanage. 33:41: Rita’s mother was murdered in Auschwitz as a Polish political prisoner. Her mother did not give any information. 35:52: Rita recalls how the resistance fighters celebrated the victory of the Red Army defending Stalingrad. 39:39: Rita maintained a non-Jewish identity throughout the war. After the war, she found a maternal aunt. Together, they moved to Silesia. When they attempted to secure official documents, they were advised by the secret police to never disclose that they were Jewish. 43:00: Rita explains that after the war, there were several pogroms carried out by Poles against surviving Jews (e.g., Kielce). 44:50: Rita’s mother received a posthumous medal for being a war hero.

Source

Oral Histories