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

Irving Milchberg

Number

OH 333

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Holocaust survivors

Refugees--Canada

Interview Date

26 Jul. 2007

Quantity

1 mini DV ; 1 archival DVD ; 1 reference DVD

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Total Running Time

1 hr

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

Irving Milchberg, the Holocaust survivor known from Joseph Ziemian's book "The Cigarette Sellers of Three Crosses Square," used to sell cigarettes to Nazis in Warsaw as an oprhan during the Second World War.

Milchberg, the leader of a group of orphaned Jewish children hiding their identities, used to gather at Three Crosses Square, the centre of the German occupation of Warsaw, to sell cigarettes. The group went wandering around under the very noses of policemen, gendarmes, Gestapo men, and ordinary spies.

Before joining the cigarette sellers, Milchberg twice escaped from the Nazis. The first time he scaled a fence and fled the Umschlagplatz, where Jews were put aboard trains to the Treblinka death camp. The second time, he managed to break the bars of the train taking him to Treblinka and scramble out. His father, mother, and three sisters were all murdered by the Nazis.

In 1945, Milchberg made his way to Czechoslovakia, then Austria, then to a camp for displaced people in occupied Germany, where he learned watchmaking, which became his lifelong occupation. In 1947, he moved to Canada, ending up in Niagara Falls, where he opened his own jewellery and watch business. In 1953, he met his wife, Renee, who had survived the war. They had two children and three grandchildren. Milchberg died in January 2014 at the age of eighty-six.

Material Format

moving images

Geographic Access

Niagara Falls, Ont.

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy 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

Ismé Bennie

Number

OH 429

Subject

Canada--Emigration and immigration

Jews--South Africa

South Africa--Emigration and immigration

Interview Date

26 Apr. 2016

Interviewer

Naomi Raichyk

Total Running Time

OH 429 part 1: 21 min.

OH 429 part 2: 21 min.

OH 429 part 3: 21 min.

OH 429 part 4: 9 min.

Biography

For someone who went on to become an influential figure in Canadian broadcasting, it is perhaps surprising to learn that Ismé Bennie grew up without television. Born in Vereeniging, South Africa in 1940, Ismé knew from a young age that she wanted to travel. After graduating from Wits University in 1960, she moved to London, England, which is where she saw television for the first time.

Although happy in London, Ismé decided to return to South Africa after two years, mostly as a result of her parents’ urging. While participating in the production of an American documentary about South Africa, she met a Canadian man who lived in the United States. In 1964, she moved to Los Angeles to be with him and eventually the two moved to New York, where they lived for five years.

Ismé’s partner eventually grew unhappy in New York and decided to return to Canada. At the time, many young men were making their way to Canada in order to dodge the draft. Ismé followed their guide about entering Canada. Upon arrival, she completed the questionnaire with flying colours and was allowed to stay.

Once in Canada, Ismé quickly put together an impressive resume, holding senior positions at CHUM and CTV. She has been honoured by the Canadian Film and Television Production Association with a Personal Achievement Award in 1990 and a Jack Chisholm Award in 1995. In 2003, Women in Film and Television – Toronto recognized her with an Outstanding Achievement Award.

In 2010, Ismé left CTV in order to focus on freelance writing. In 2015, she published a memoir of her childhood entitled White Schooldays: Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa.

Material Format

moving images

Language

English

Name Access

Bennie, Ismé, 1940-

Geographic Access

London (England)

Los Angeles (Calif.)

New York (N.Y.)

South Africa

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Digital file

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

Part 1:

00:24 Ismé was born in South Africa in 1940.

00:36 Ismé immigrated to Enland in 1962. She shares some of her memories from her stay in London. She explains how her views of apartheid changed.

02:40 Ismé discusses her personal and political reaction when she returned to South Africa in 1964.

05:09 Ismé discusses her job with a news magazine in South Africa.

06:48 Ismé discusses her involvement with the production of a film.

08:15 Ismé explains how she met and followed a man to the United States in 1965. She discusses his influence on her intellectually and politically.

10:43 Ismé outlines her first years in North America, initially in Los Angeles, then in New York, and finally in Toronto.

12:32 Ismé explains how she prepared for her move to Canada and discusses her initial arrival in Canada in December 1969.

15:56 Ismé shares her first impressions of Toronto.

18:02 Ismé discusses the friends she made in Toronto.

19:42 Ismé discusses her involvement with her local residential association.

Part 2:

00:00 Ismé discusses her impressions of Canadians' views of South Africa.

01:11 Ismé discusses her process of integration into and adjustment to Toronto.

03:10 Ismé explains that she had minimal contact with other South Africans when she arrived in Toronto. She suggests that her circumstances differed from other South African immigrants.

06:42 Ismé discusses her Jewish life growing up in South Africa.

09:45 Ismé discusses her involvement with the Jewish Genealogical Society in Toronto due to her personal interest in genealogy.

10:57 Ismé discusses her pursuit of her family history.

14:24 Ismé graduated from Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. She discusses the efforts of an alumni group in Toronto.

16:11 Ismé discusses her successful career in broadcasting.

Part 3:

00:00 Ismé continues to discuss her career in broadcasting.

01:46 Ismé discusses her current work involvement as a consultant and writer.

03:16 Ismé discusses challenges she has faced as a woman and as a Jew.

06:50 Ismé discusses people who have influenced her in her professional life.

08:31 Ismé discusses some of her most rewarding professional achievements.

10:28 Ismé discusses her avid, longstanding interest in reading.

12:07 Ismé discusses her family and friends in South Africa and how she has maintained connection with them.

16:10 Ismé discusses her impressions of recent visits to South Africa.

19:23 Ismé discusses the challenges her sister would face if she considered immigration to Canada.

Ismé considers the notion of moving back to South Africa.

Part 4:

00:00 Ismé continues to discuss the notion of living in South Africa.

01:30 Ismé recalls some of her memories of South Africa.

05:40 Ismé discusses the process of pursuing her Canadian citizenship.

Source

Oral Histories

Toronto Fashion

A Very Loose Jewish Background

Welcome to Canada

Two South Africas

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

Norm Albert

Number

OH 311

Subject

Belleville

scrap business

clothing retail

Bar mitzvah

Israel trip

Immigration

Interview Date

18 Sep. 2007

Quantity

2 mini DVs; 2 archival DVDs; 2 reference DVDs

Interviewer

Sharon Gubbay Helfer

Total Running Time

1 hr. 29 mins.

Notes

Part of 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

Norm Albert (1928–2010), the son of Jacob and Lily Albert, was born in Toronto and raised with his brother, Stan, in Trenton and Belleville, Ontario. After attending Belleville Collegiate Institute, Norman joined his father in the Ladies' Retail Business, at the age of nineteen, by opening the Fashion Shoppe in Trenton. Norm's wife, Carole, hailed from Queens, New York. They were married in New York in 1956.

Norman opened another ladies' clothing store in Trenton, the Normandy Shop. A third store, Artistic Ladies Wear, was opened with his brother in Belleville. While toiling in the business of being a retail merchant, Norman and his father joined ranks with a childhood friend, Sidney, to form S & A Investments, a mortgage, loan, and real estate development company. He also ran Kingston Automatic Vending for more than twenty years with his brother-in-law. Norm was on the executive for the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville for seventeen or eighteen years.

Norman enjoyed his retirement years with wife Carole in Florida and at the lake house in Brighton, Ontario. They had three children—Mark, David and Michele—and six grandchildren.

Material Format

moving images

Original Format

Mini DV

Copy Format

DVD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Albert Gilbert

Number

OH 365

Subject

Discussion about his career

Interview Date

23 Sep. 2009

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Ellen Scheinberg

Biography

Albert Gilbert was born in Toronto. His father was Nathan Gittelmacher (Gilbert) who came to Canada from Kiev, Russia. He established Gilbert Studios in Toronto in 1922, the year Albert was born. Albert began working with his father, who was also a photographer. Albert took over the business in 1945. He married Gail, and they have two children, Nina and Michael. Albert became a well-known portrait photographer and has had the opportunity to photograph many well known personalities, including a series documenting all of Israel's prime ministers. In 1997, the City of Toronto honoured him on the seventy-fifth anniversary of Gilbert Studio with a gala reception and exhibition held at Metro Hall.

Albert was awarded the Photographer of the Year Award from the Professional Photographers of Canada in 1968, 1969, and 1973. He is a fellow of the Professional Photographers of Canada, a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, and a fellow of the American Society of Photographers. In 1989, he was made a member of the Order of Canada in recognition for being "a master portrait photographer." His son, Michael, is also a photographer.

Material Format

sound recording

Copy Format

CD

Source

Oral Histories