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Cyril E. Leonoff fonds Vancouver Island
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Broadcast of the Mallek Family

  • CA JMABC A.1998.010, A.2008.007, A.1968.001, A.1971.002, A.2007.017, A.2007.009, A.2011.007, A.2010.055-OH.19.61-01
  • Item
  • December 10, 1968
  • Part of Cyril E. Leonoff fonds

Radio broadcast for the segment/show Enterprise in Action of radio station CJVI Victoria on March 5th, 1961. This episode features the Mallek Family. Two radio hosts outline the Malleks’ lives and successes in both Victoria and Vancouver up until the present (1961).
The broadcast tells the story of husband and wife, Harry R. Mallek and Alice Mallek, who met in Seattle in 1905 and lived there for a short while, later running a general store in Tacoma—despite both being Canadians themselves. Hoping to give their children a Canadian education, they finally moved to Vancouver, briefly, in 1912 and then to Victoria. There, they started a ladies’ ready-to-wear business called the Ladies’ Sample Suithouse. In time with its success, this business changed locations and its name was changed to Mallek’s. The episode also shares details of the Malleks’ children Howard, Laurence, and Edward. The brothers operated quite a successful horseradish business in their adolescence and moved on to other careers. Howard became a doctor while Laurence opened Mallek’s Ltd. of Vancouver and Edward started his own retail business. Meanwhile, Mrs. Mallek, after the passing of Mr. Mallek, still spends her days at Mallek’s in Victoria when she is not spending time with her family or various societies in her community.

Interview with Sonia Rose

  • CA JMABC A.1998.010, A.2008.007, A.1968.001, A.1971.002, A.2007.017, A.2007.009, A.2011.007, A.2010.055-OH.19.72-03
  • Item
  • March 26, 1972
  • Part of Cyril E. Leonoff fonds

An interview with Sonia Rose, who was born in England and arrived in Victoria in 1918. She describes her involvement in Jewish community life in Victoria. Sonia was active in Eastern Star and B'nai B'rith, a charter member of Hadassah, member of Red Cross, Canadian Club, Musical Arts Society, Hospital Auxiliary, and Council of Canadian Citizenship. She also wrote a Victoria column for the Jewish Western Bulletin. Sonia begins the interview discussing her family hosting Rabbi J.H. Hertz, Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, during his visit to Victoria in 1921.