Jennie Goldstein and Mr. and Mrs. Boris Coopersmith - 26 Jan. 1975

Name

Jennie Goldstein and Mr. and Mrs. Boris Coopersmith

Number

OH 147

OH 148

Subject

Theater, Yiddish

Interview Date

26 Jan. 1975

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Stephen Spiesman

Total Running Time

OH147A: 44. minutes

OH148B: 45. 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

Jennie Goldstein emigrated from Russia to Toronto in 1914. While living and working in the Ward, Jennie married Harry Goldstein, who was noted as both a "dresser" and an actor in Toronto's Lyric and Standard Theatres. After Harry's passing, Jennie became a supplier of costumes for the Yiddish theatre. In 1920, to help support the family, Jennie opened a deli stand alongside the original Shopsy's deli located in the area of Kensington Market. Jennie and Harry's daughter Bess married Boris Coppersmith whose parents, Yossel and Nessie, owned a variety store at Spadina Avenue and Baldwin Street.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Coopersmith, Bess

Coopersmith, Boris

Goldstein, Jennie

Harris, Harry

Lyric Theatre

Pasternak, Chanina

Speisman, Stephen

Standard Theatre (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

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

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Jennie Goldstein describes the early years of Toronto's Yiddish theatres such as the Tivoli and the Standard and cantors such as Harry Harris and Chanina Pasternak.

In this clip, Jennie Goldstein describes the performances and cantors of the Lyric Theatre circa 1914.