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 of Susan Quastel. Mrs. Quastel was born in Amsterdam in 1923. During the early part of WW2 she worked at the Jewish Hospital in Amsterdam. After the war she moved to London, where she had family. While in the UK, she trained to be a nurse at Charing Cross Hospital. She then went to Israel, where her sister lived, and worked at Hadassah Hospital. During her time in Israel, she met her husband, who was from Vancouver, at the Hebrew University. She moved to Canada with him and they got married here. In Vancouver, she worked for many Jewish organizations including Hadassah, The National Council of Jewish Women, the Vancouver chapter of Canadian Friends of The Hebrew University, and the Zack Gallery.

Oral History interview with Sonia Sara Bellas, who immigrated to Canada in November, 1925, from a small town near Kiev, in Russia. Her family, unable to move to the United States, settled in Winnipeg. The purpose of immigration was to live closer to family that had settled in Philadelphia. Sonia attended school until grade 11, after which she went on to work in laundry and dry cleaning. She met her husband in 1940, and they were married on December 26, 1942, at his parents' home in Vancouver. They had several children together. Whilst living in Vancouver, Sonia worked in clothing retail. After her retirement, she spent much of her time with her husband and children and fondly remembers entertaining guests at her home. At the time of the interview, she enjoys attending services with her family for high holidays, having lunch with her children and grandchildren weekly, and was a member of Seniors Club. Her son is also present at the interview and offers additional insight to his mother's life as well as his experience growing up with his mother and father.

Oral Interview with Sidi Schaffer for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Daniella Givon. Sidi goes over her family history in Romania, where she was born, and across Eastern Europe, and then details her immediate family in Canada. Sidi describes her artistic influences from her parents who were professional photographers after WWII, especially her mother who encouraged her to do art. Being born in 1938, some of Sidi’s earliest childhood memories are of fleeing from the Holocaust with her family. Sidi found art to be an escape from personal traumas, which eventually took her to art school in Bucharest where she met her husband, David. Sidi describes her and David’s time living in Israel, and eventually moving to Edmonton where she pursued more formal arts education. Sidi describes opportunities to show her printmaking and painted works, and teach arts across Canada. She also describes inspiration from nature, freedom of expression, and memories of the Holocaust. She outlines how the Gesher Project helped her develop as a Jewish artist, and how she produces Judaic influenced art with her sister.

Oral history interview with Sam Heller, who was born in Poland, later moving to England than emigrating to Canada in 1940. Sam's father Horace was one of Poland's top lumber producers, Sam tried to get into the lumber trade on the east coast of Canada but was impeded, therefore moved to Vancouver. Besides Sam's involvement in the Forestry industry, he was involved in the Zionist Association.

Oral History Interview with Mia Weinberg for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Bill Gruenthal. Mia was born in London, England in 1958. She describes her life as a child of German-Jewish refugees post-WWII, growing up in England and the role this had on her life, including her art work. She discusses her transition from a materials technologist in England to an immigrant in Vancouver, going to art school in her 30s and becoming an independent working artist. Mia is known for working with unconventional materials in her works, most often sculpture and installations.

Oral history interview with Louis Eisman in preparation for the 2015 Scribe on Jewish clothiers. Louis speaks on his family history, his grandparents having moved to South Africa from both Russia and Lithuania, as well as his upbringing in Cape Town. In South Africa, Louis began working as a traveling salesman after six months of university, before going on to have an agency and manufacturing plant. In 1977 he moved to Toronto, Canada, where he was successful in his work for a few years. In 1979, he was offered a position in Vancouver, and after spending a weekend there, he and his wife prepared to move there in the following year. He also speaks about his involvement with the Jewish community, and his life and success in Vancouver since moving.

Oral history interview with Leon Braverman who was born in Ganchasti, Bessarbia in 1890. He learned to be a watchmaker in Russia. Started his own watchmaking business which collapsed, he than worked at Birks jewelry store in Vancouver, than Miller's Jewelers.

Oral History interview with John Sitwell. John’s family is from Poland. His grandfather’s house in Poland was a large estate with a registration date of 1136. His family owned a sugar mill and sold bagged sugar. John and Rita went back to Poland and toured around the area his family lived. His parents survived the holocaust and then escaped Uzbekistan. They were on some of the first boats to Israel. In Israel, his grandfather owned a granary. They lived in Israel until John was 8, when they immigrated to Canada. They lived in Regina when they got here. John became a school councillor and moved out to the west coast. His parents followed him after they retired.