Oral interview with Brigitte McKenzie.Interviewed by Kaitlin Findlay for University of Victoria Public History class project.

Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.

In the interview, Brigitte describes her memories of the desecration; her thoughts about the vigil and the community response; her personal valuation of the Emanu-El cemetery as a neighbor who appreciates the cemetery’s beautiful appearance as well as its sacred and historical resonance; her opinion on what historians can do in the wake of such an event; and her own experiences with the sacredness of cemeteries.

Oral interview with Isa Milman. Interviewed by Alissa Cartwright for University of Victoria Public History class project.

Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.

In the interview, Isa Milman describes her memories of the vigil; her thoughts about the desecration and the community response; her personal connections to the Emanu-El cemetery; and her work to create the historical plaque that today sits outside the synagogue, as well as her participation in the 150th anniversary of Congregation Emanu-El. She also reads her poem, “Hanging the Star of David on Blanshard Street.”

Oral Interview with Sarah Adams. Interviewed by Alissa Cartwright for University of Victoria Public History class project.
Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.

Oral interview with Rabbi Harry Brechner. Interviewed by Alissa Cartwright for University of Victoria Public History class project.

Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.

Rabbi Harry Brechner leads the Emanu-El Congregation in Victoria, British Columbia. After the desecration, he wrote an open letter to the Times Colonist inviting the desecrator to come clean the headstones and learn about the history of the cemetery. He also helped to arrange the vigil.

Oral interview with Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross. Interviewed by Kaitlin Findlay for University of Victoria Public History class project.

Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.

In the interview, Dr. Stanger-Ross describes his involvement with the Emanu-El congregation; his work on an exhibit for the congregation's 150th anniversary; and his experience of the desecration and vigil. Dr. Stanger-Ross also shares his perspective on the event as a historian; the relation between racism, intolerance and his own research; and reflects on the importance of commemorating historic places in his own research on the forced sale of Japanese Canadian property during and after the Second World War.