Oral history interview with Zoltan Fleischer in preparation for the 2014 Scribe with a focus on Jewish scrap metal dealers. He was born in Hungary in 1927. His father was drafted by the army in 1938, the army took their horses as well. Hungary was liberated by the Russian Army. He stayed in Hungary until 1956, when he came to Canada. He choose Canada because he had never heard anything bad about it. When he arrived here, he only spoke Hungarian and only had $5.00. His sister, brother-in-law, and him traveled by train across Canada to Victoria. He got a job in a scrap yard saved his money and bought land in Surrey. He opened a furniture business but sold it when the SkyTrain was being built. He then bought Scott Road Trading and Auto Wrecking.

Oral history interview with Sam Rothstein who was born in Russia, 1921. His family left Russia due to anti-semitism and post-revolution fallout, despite his father’s success in the lumber business. His father was Yisrael Leib and his mother was Elka Raisel. They settled in Vancouver because that’s where the rest of his family had chosen to live when they had arrived years before. He attended UBC for undergraduate studies and did a joined honours program in French and English and completed his masters there in French and English. He did his PhD at Berkeley and then got a teaching fellowship at the University of Washington in 1942 as a French teacher. He was drafted into the Canadian military during WWII. He served in counterintelligence. He was shipped to England in June, 1944 and then to Italy, Belgium and then stopped in Holland. While finishing his service, he came across a Librarianship pamphlet. He had money for the first time in his life and felt it was time for a change as he felt distance from the idea of being a French professor. He was invited to the faculty of the University of Manitoba as a French Professor but decided to go to Berkeley instead to become a Librarian, doing his PhD in Illinois. UBC offered him a job while he was briefly on return to Vancouver. He met his wife Miriam in 1948/49 through youth group activities at the JCC, they wed and then moved to Illinois to do his PhD, which he received in 1954 while Miriam worked as the dietician for the men’s residence. In 1961, he became the acting director of the UBC libraries. He also started the library school at UBC that same fall. Their daughter Linda was born in 1955 and Sharon was born in 1957. They were members of Beth Israel and Miriam was active in Hadassah. Sam served as an advisor to Hillel and joined the board at the JCC and eventually became president from 1970-1972. He served as one of the vice presidents of Jewish Congress.

Oral history interview with Morris Saltzman who was born in Winnipeg, 1918. Morris's father brought the family to Vancouver because he was became a successful merchant, eventually owning two grocery stores; 1st in wholesale potato business; second on corner of Nelson and Bute St. Morris was involved in and or speaks of B'nai B'rith, Jewish Community Fund and Council, Zionist Organization, Community Fund and Council, Vancouver Lodge and St. John's Shaughnessy Men's Club.

Oral history interview with Louis Zimmerman who was born in Toronto in 1911. He was stationed overseas in England and Scotland, operating England's coastal radar chain between 1941 - 1945. He discusses Vancouver's Jewish Community Centre and the start of his career in Vancouver in 1948. Was recognized as a "servant and master" of the Jewish community in Vancouver for his outstanding record of service.

Oral History interview with Leon Broitman. Leon was born in 1922 in the USSR. He talks about the Ukrainian Holocaust and living in the USSR under Stalin. He started studying to become a teacher but was drafted and subsequently wounded during WW2 and never completed his education. After the war he came to Canada and became a cutter (Tailor) in Montreal. He then moved to Ottawa and opened a store. He also started an investment company that was still in business at the time of the interview (2013). He closed is store in Ottawa and moved to BC. He had 4 children with his wife and talks about them and their careers. Much of the interview is about Soviet Union history and talking about WW2 and the Germans.