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Archival description
JHSBC Oral History Collection Armed Forces
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Alan Tapper

Oral history interview with Alan Tapper, interviewed by Matthew Graves and assisted by Alan’s wife, Daphne. Alan speaks on his family’s history as well as adolescence in the Jewish community of East London, England, including the artistic and political environment. Alan talks about his family’s experience during the Second World War in London where his neighborhood was heavily bombed and impoverished by rationing, leading to his family’s evacuation to Devon and Newcastle. Alan discusses his involvement in various youth groups and theatre during the war, such as the Brady’s Boy Club. He talks about his military training at Padgate and subsequent conscription into the Royal Air Force intelligence unit where he was stationed in Egypt to monitor conflict over the Suez Canal. Alan speaks about how his military experience impacted his life and also the anti-Semitism he observed. He discusses his immigration to Vancouver, Canada and his role in numerous Jewish and Zionist organizations and boards, including B’nai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress. He talks about his job in fundraising, teaching public speaking, and radio program hosting, as well as his children and marriage.

Arnold Shine and Sam Segal

Oral history interview with Arnold Shine and Sam Segal who discuss the establishment, functions and history of the Canadian Legion in Vancouver. The Jewish Branch of Canadian Legion was founded by Charles Gorovich in 1945, became the Fairview Branch of Canadian Legion and now known as the Shalom Branch of the Canadian Legion. Arnold was in the Army part of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division; served in Normandy, Belgium, Holland, Germany, England. Sam was an Infantry instructor stationed in Vernon.

Bernard Victor

Oral interview with Bernard Victor who was born in Gomel, Russia in 1893 and came to Vancouver, on April 15, 1923, from Winnipeg. Bernard was involved with Talmud Torah, B'nai B'rith, and the Jewish Literary Club. He describes living through two pogroms in Russia. He served in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in Europe from 1916 until 1919. His father worked for the Russian Vital Statistics Department and noticed large numbers of Jews leaving, encouraged Bernard and Bernard's brother to leave.

Bill Gruenthal

Oral history interview with Bill Gruenthal who was born in 1935 in Netanya, Palestine. His father's side is from Silesia, Germany and his mother's side comes from Lower Saxony and Aachen. Bill has been a part of the Jewish National Fund and worked for the Vancouver Board of Trade. Bill discusses tensions between Arab and Jewish communities growing up.

David Rubin

Oral history interview with David Rubin who was born in Transylvania, 1923. He was drafted into a working / bomb clearing battalion of the Hungarian Army in 1944. David chose to come to Canada in 1957 because he had heard it was the country of the future. The Canadian consulate chose Vancouver as his destination. Taught in Ottawa and was recommended to be the reader at Beth Israel Synagogue.

Dr. David Aberle

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.

Dr. Isaac Stoffman

Oral history interview with Dr. Isaac Stoffman who was born in Winnipeg, 1916. He graduated from the University of Manitoba, began his Doctor's practice in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan. He than enlisted in the Canadian army in 1943 as a medical officer, stationed in Regina Military Hospital and Dundern military training camp than as a psychiatrist in London Ontario.

Dr. Jimmy White

Oral history interview with Dr. Jimmy White who was born in 1917 in Ohio. He interned at Vancouver General Hospital 1942-43. In the army he was stationed at various camps across Canada; served overseas in Holland and England. Dr. White speaks of the operations of the J.C.C and the Bulletin.

Dr. Leonard Fratkin

Oral history interview with Dr. Leonard Fratkin who was born in Brandon, Manitoba in 1917. He received his Medical degree in 1942 from the University of Alberta than joined the army and enrolled in the Canadian Officers Training Core, became a Medical Officer, assigned to surgical services. He arrived in England in May of 1944.

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