Showing 30 results

Interview with Aaron Kafka. Interviewed by Michael Schwartz for The Scribe, 2018. Aaron talks about his experiences with coffee shops and cafes before he decided to open Kafka's in Vancouver. He talks about how his coffee shop sets him apart from competition, the city's shifting food scene, and the importance of relationships in the Jewish community.

Oral history interview with Adele Zucker who grew up in Colorado, worked for B’nai B’rith Women and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an administrator and training officer for secretaries in California and than Washington.

Oral Interview with Barbara Heller for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Daniella Givon. Barbara, born in Vancouver Canada, talks about her family’s origins in Poland and immigration to Canada. She speaks about her upbringing in Vancouver and how she was surrounded by art in her childhood, leading her to become a visual person and a creative. Barbara discusses her interest in religious mysticism which inspired her education and later, became a specific influence in her art pieces. She speaks about how at first she wanted to be a printmaker but pregnancy led her to work with tapestry and she never looked back. She speaks about recurring symbols, like dead birds, in her art which provide a greater message to her audience about themes like life and war. Barbara discusses the highlights of her career, like showing art in Poland and working with various art collectives within North America, all with the support of her family.

Interview with Bill Levine. Interviewed by Debby Freiman for The Scribe, 2018. Bill talks about his family's history, his childhood and education in Vancouver, and his career. He also talks about his late brother John Levine (d. April 17, 2012) who had owned and operated John's Pizzarama. Bill discusses his involvement in the community through organizations such as Jewish Committee Foundation and UBC Board of Governors among many others.

Oral history interview with Dr. David Aberle. The interview contains discussions of Dr. Aberle's non-Jewish upbringing, anthropological fieldwork with the Navajo. It includes his experience with Sen. McCarthy accusing him of being a Soviet spy during the Red Scare, his time in the army during the Second World War surveying the results of the strategic bombings of Japan and Germany. Dr. Aberle is the founder of the Jews for a Just Peace. He worked at the University of Michigan and University of British Columbia in the anthropology department.

Oral history interview with Efrem Rappaport.

Interview with Elan Mastai about his mother Judith Mastai, interviewed by Michael Schwartz. Elan speaks about his maternal family’s origins in Chicago and Vienna, Austria and how the family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada because of Judith’s father’s pharmaceutical career. Elan discusses Judith’s upbringing and education in Oakridge and her enthusiasm for theatre, inspiring her education and early career as a theatre actress and director. Elan talks about Judith’s time as a theatre actress in London, England and English teacher in Jerusalem, where she met her husband, Moshe Mastai. Judith then immigrated back to Vancouver to obtain her PhD in education and raise her children. Elan talks about how his mother raised him in an untraditionally intelligent and artistic environment, prompting his career as a writer. He talks about Judith’s career in education at Simon Fraser University and her entrance into visual arts as the director of public programming at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Elan speaks about her time as a travelling art curator and critic, head of education at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and executive director of the Canadian Museum of Craft and Design.

Interview with Efrem (Eppy) Rappaport. Interviewed by Debby Freiman for The Scribe, 2018. Eppy talks about the foods he ate growing up, and how he came to own the original Omnitsky Kosher in Winnipeg before opening more stores in Vancouver. He compares the Jewish and non-Jewish clientele in Vancouver to Winnipeg and discusses the difficulties of operating a kosher deli.

Oral history interview with Isaac Lipovsky who was born in Russia in 1902 but the family emigrated to Winnipeg in 1905 after Issac's brother was born. Issac's father fought in the Russo-Japanese War, finding work at Red River Sheet Metal Works in Winnipeg, later opening B.C. Ceiling and Roofing Company once the family relocated in 1910. After working through a number of businesses, mainly concession stands and selling candy, started working for Woodward's Department Stores in 1932.

Oral history interview with Isaac Messinger. He was born in Poland in 1929. During the war he was moved to Siberia, Russia. Later in the war he became a chauffeur for a General in the Polish Army, he was 16 or 17 at the time. After the war he ended up in Germany and was a pickpocketing. He got sent to an American school in Germany that was teaching children that were going to immigrate to North America, but he couldn’t sit still in class, so they gave him a job in the garage where he learnt English with the Americans that worked there. He came to Canada at age 18 or 19. He got a job as a tin smith, then he got a job as a carnie and made his way to Vancouver where he worked at the PNE. He eventually opened a steak Restaurant and ran it for a while. He talks about Casinos and Las Vegas. He talks about how he met his wife and their life together.