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.
Interview with Ricky Vernon. Interviewed by Debby Freiman for The Scribe, 2018. Ricky's family ran This Is It, which was a restaurant and two drive-thrus in Vancouver.
Interview with Mark James. Interviewed by Alysa Routtenberg for The Scribe, 2018. Mark describes the role food played in his childhood, Vancouver's changing food scene, and his own transition from the clothing business to food. He talks about the restaurants and brewpubs he opened in Vancouver, including FIASCO, Flying Beaver, Yaletown Brewing Co., and Red Truck.
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.
Number: CA JMABC A.1971.001-20.20-08 Name: Gyda Chud Interviewer: Debby Freiman Date: May 12th, 2020 Place: Vancouver, BC, via Zoom Project: The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia Oral History Project
Summary: 00:00: Debby Freiman begins to introduce Gyda Chud, a male voice interrupts her. 00:37: Freiman introduces herself and Chud who are meeting over Zoom. Gyda was born in 1947 and has lived in Vancouver all of her life. 1:53: Gyda has a sister named Rita who kept the full version of their last name, Chudnovsky. Her mother, Gallia Chud was ninety-seven at the time of the interview but her father, Ben Chud had died many years prior. Gallia’s family came from Belarus while Ben’s came from Russia. Gallia’s family lived in Winnipeg. Ben and Gallia met in Toronto and married before coming to Vancouver. 3:56: Chud describes how her parents came to Vancouver and were met by several other community members at the train station. The Chuds arrived to help start the new Peretz school in Vancouver. 6:15: Chud mentions several families that were influential in the beginning of the Peretz school such as the Sarkins, Wynes, [Oberbachs]. The Peretz school was initially in an old Tudor style house on Broadway. 8:20: Gallia Chud was involved in parent’s organizations at Peretz. The students used to be at Peretz school twice a week and on Sunday mornings. 10:03: Chud explains the original secular humanist approach of the Peretz school. The children were taught Yiddish rather than Hebrew. Chud was an early childhood education professional. 13:23: Chud recalls performing plays in the auditorium of the old Peretz school building on the holidays. 16:14: Chud describes having her father as a teacher and his teaching style that attempted to be more interactive and engaging for the students. 18:00: Ben Chud left Peretz school in order to complete his high school education. He then went on to get his Master’s of Social Work and taught at the School of Social Work at UBC. 19:42: The two speakers discuss their memories of Ben Chud’s successor, [Label Bossman]. 21:40: Chud describes a group she is part of called the Exploring Jewish Authors Group. 23:30: Chud describes making latkes for the holidays while attending Peretz. She also describes a secular humanist Haggadah that was developed at Peretz. 28:10: Chud tells the story of how the P’nei Mitzvah program and celebration came about. 35:35: The speakers discuss their memories and knowledge of Sara Sarkin. 37:06: Chud discusses the adult programming at Peretz including the Sholom Aleichem Speaker Series. She also discusses the other regular activities and classes that go on at the Peretz Centre. 41:06: The speakers discuss the rumours about the Peretz Centre being a place for communists. Chud rationalizes that people who saw the photo of I.L. Peretz on the wall may have thought he was a Russian man and a communist influencer. 44:30: Chud mentions her son and that he and his wife were married in the Peretz auditorium. 46:31: Freiman asks Chud about the population of Jewish people in Vancouver and how many are regularly involved in the Peretz Centre. Chud mentions that many local Jewish people don’t even know that Peretz exists. 49:18: Chud describes her happiness that the Peretz Centre has become a gathering place for the Jewish community and its organizations. 50:52: The Peretz Centre has several levels of Yiddish classes. 51:44: Chud describes how one of the teachers visited several Jewish families in the Squamish area and described the Peretz services and programs. She also tells of a program where children in the P’nei Mitzvah program gather with students from an Islamic school to learn from each other and cook for the poor of the area. 54:50: End of interview.
Interview with Alan Stamp as part of the BC Jewish Queer & Trans Oral History Project, in collaboration with JQT Vancouver. Alan shares his experience being both gay and Jewish in Canada. He notes an overwhelmingly positive experience in the Jewish community. Alan talks about the books he has write, the happy and dark elements of LGBTQ+ history in North America, and about Jewish Family Services in Vancouver.
Interview with Shira Macklin for On The Record: The BC Jewish Queer & Trans Oral History Project in collaboration with JQT Vancouver. Interviewed by Carmel Tanaka via remote Zoom video call. Shira (she/her) is a Jewish lesbian woman, who was born in Estevan, SK and currently residing in Vancouver. Shira shares about her family origins in England and Russia, and growing up on the Canadian prairies. Shira tells the story behind how she realized she was a lesbian, coming out to her university aged children, and discovering lesbian community in Winnipeg. Shira talks about finding spirituality after experiencing a plane-jacking in India, which led her to the Diamond Approach spirituality school in Colorado and eventually Vancouver. Shira talks about her youth including education, awareness of the Holocaust and early investment in zionism. She talks about her relationship and career histories, and her involvement in Or Shalom. She reflects on women’s/lesbian Seders in Vancouver, and the relationship between the Jewish and queer communities.
Interview with Ruth Simkin for On The Record: The BC Jewish Queer & Trans Oral History Project in collaboration with JQT Vancouver. Interviewed by Madison Slobin via remote Zoom video call. Ruth (she/her) is a queer Jewish woman who was born in Winnipeg, currently residing in Victoria, B.C. She explains how she used to subscribe to the ‘lesbian’ label, but no longer feels connected to one identity. Ruth recalls her family history in rural Manitoba, including her parents, grandparents and siblings, their livelihoods and her relationships with them. Ruth talks about coming out to her family in her twenties, and her experience with getting married to a man at age 18. She discusses her connections to Jewish community, and how being Jewish was understood by her peers throughout her education. Ruth speaks to her pride in being a doctor and a writer, including having written a feminist Haggadah called ‘Like an Orange on a Seder Plate’. Ruth talks about how writing has become an important outlet for her as she became a wheelchair user. Ruth also discusses queer political organizing in Calgary, and coming to B.C. after ending a serious relationship. She discusses how she went back to school to study palliative care while living on Salt Spring Island, and moving to Victoria once working full time as a palliative care doctor. She closes by talking about being a grandmother, but also the relationship between the Jewish and queer communities.
Interview with Marsha Ablowitz for On The Record: The BC Jewish Queer & Trans Oral History Project in collaboration with JQT Vancouver. Interviewed by Carmel Tanaka via remote Zoom video call. Marsha (she/her) is a Jewish lesbian born in Vancouver. Marsha discusses her family’s origins both in Canada, and as immigrants from Europe. She tells stories of her immediate family in Winnipeg and Vancouver. She talks about her heterosexual marriage, and how she didn’t realize she was interested in women until after getting married. She explains her little exposure to queer Jews outside of her uncle Max, and how she experienced discrimination more through racism against her husband, than through anti-Semitism or homophobia in the community. Marsha talks about being aware of the Holocaust and Jewish issues as a kid, being involved in Jewish youth groups into her twenties, and eventually becoming a social worker. She describes her community initiatives within Jewish community organizations, teaching women’s self defense classes and empowering women and LGBT communities. Marsha closes the interview by talking about Quirk-e, a queer writing collective she is presently involved in, life with her partner Maribel during COVID, and her connection to feminist counselling and women’s health movements across Canada.
