Showing 1194 results

Interview with Gerry Cuttler as part of the Canadian Jewish Congress oral history project.

Interview with Herb SIlber as part of the Canadian Jewish Congress oral history project. Herb discusses his role as an honorary legal counsel with CJC, including the work he did on combating hate crimes in Canada.

Number: CA JMABC A.1971.001-20.20-07
Name: Zena Simces
Interviewer: David Schwartz
Date: Unspecified, 2020
Place: Zoom
Project: The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia Oral History Project

Summary:
00:00: David Schwartz introduces himself and then asks Zena Simces, who is being interviewed to introduce herself as well. Both of Simces’ parents were born in Poland. Simces discusses her time growing up in Winnipeg and her parents’ involvement in the Jewish community.
3:05: Simces discusses her establishment of a lecture series with the Atlantic Centre for Human Rights in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She became involved with Canadian Jewish Congress when she moved to Vancouver. She was Chair of the Community Relations Committee as well as Vice-Chair of the board.
5:18: Simces discusses what she believes is the main mission of the CJC. She mentions the large role the CJC played in advocating for Jewish concerns and educating the rest of the community about those concerns and addressing anti-Semitism.
6:48: Simces mentions some of the other groups and organizations that the CJC had strong relationships with including S.U.C.C.E.S.S, other ethnic groups and religious leaders. The CJC was always well-prepared and well-respected.
8:58: Simces recounts the role the CJC played in the Hate Crimes Legislation and Holocaust Remembrance Day. Simces herself was appointed to the Human Rights Advisory Council.
10:35: Schwartz asks Simces what she is most proud of accomplishing during her time at the CJC. She is very proud of the establishment of Holocaust Remembrance Day. But she wishes more members of the Jewish community were involved politically.
11:52: The speakers discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the reorganization of the CJC structure in 2003 and then again in 2011.
17:21: Schwartz asks Simces about her current involvement in Jewish advocacy. Simces speaks of the founding of the Simces and Rabkin Family Dialogue on Human Rights.
21:15: End of interview.

Interview with Sharon Kates as part of the Canadian Jewish Congress oral history project. Sharon served on the board of Congress from 1986 to 1989, and chaired the Jewish Parliamentary Affairs Committee for a period of time. She talks about how the committee worked to engage with Members of Parliament.

Number: CA JMABC A.1971.001-20.19-19
Name: Michael Elterman
Interviewer: David Schwartz
Date: December 27th, 2019
Place: Home of David Schwartz, Vancouver, BC
Project: The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia Oral History Project

Summary:
00:00: Interviewer David Schwartz introduces himself and Dr. Michael Elterman who is being interviewed. Elterman was born in 1953 in Cape Town, South Africa and trained as a psychologist.
00:56: Elterman notes both his parents were also born in South Africa and both of their families were of Latvian origin.
2:30 Elterman describes his parents’ involvement in the Jewish community of Cape Town.
3:29: Schwartz asks Elterman about Elterman’s twenty-year long tenure working for the Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. Elterman eventually became Chair of the CJC Community Relations Committee.
8:07: Elterman describes some difficult situations and events that the CJC helped resolve while he was working in the organization. He describes the local newspapers’ anti-Israel leanings, Doug Collins and the North Shore News, Canadian Liberty Net and Holocaust denial.
13:25: Schwartz asks Elterman if the CJC had trouble dealing with any particular conflicts during his tenure. Elterman describes how Congress was accused of being against free speech, even internally.
15:45: Elterman describes his and the CJC’s involvement with other ethnic and community groups who formed a coalition with the CJC. This coalition consisted of groups of Sikh, Chinese, Polish, Ukrainian and Black people. The CJC was also aligned with the BC Federation of Labour. Elterman also mentions the CJC’s part in Holocaust denier, David Irving’s, being denied entry in to Canada. Elterman was also on the Committee for Racial Justice with Aziz Kharki.
21:24: Elterman notes that other groups viewed the CJC as a leader.
22:31: Elterman discusses the differences in focus points between the Jewish Federation and the CJC. They speakers also discuss Professor Bill Nicholls.
25:18: Schwartz asks Elterman what he is most proud of while thinking about his time at the CJC. Elterman notes that he is proud of the respect the CJC garnered from the community and other groups. He mentions the organization of a ‘buy-cott’, when the CJC encouraged the Jewish community to purchase as many Israeli products as possible.
27:45: The speakers discuss the restructuring of the institutional structure of the CJC and its centralization.
36:55: Elterman laments that the restructuring meant a loss of local Jewish community engagement since local members had little say in the happenings and advocacy.
39:15: Elterman mentions that be has friends in other area of Canada who feel the same way as he does regarding the structural changes of the CJC.
41:24: End of interview.

Interview with Rabbi Avraham Feigelstock. Interviewed by Gary Averbach for The Scribe, 2018. Rabbi Avraham talks about the founding and operation of Kosher Check (formerly BC Kosher), on which he serves as supervising rabbi.

Interview with Janna Ginsberg. Interviewed by Debby Freiman for The Scribe, 2018. Janna talks about her family's history and her experiences growing up with Jewish food. She describes her background in horticulture and talks extensively about her catering business and restaurant, Janna's Select Catering and Tudor Rose. Janna reflects on the food scene in Victoria over the years.

Interview with Carole Malkin. Interviewed by Jane Cherry for The Scribe, 2018. Carole talks about her family's history and their restaurants in Vancouver, including Skipper Seafoods, The Fish and Oyster Bar, and The Dollhouse. Carole talks about her childhood and involvement in the Jewish community, including United Synagogue Youth, Young Judea, and Camp Hatikvah.

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 Ilana Strummer. Interviewed by Bill Gruenthal. Ilana discusses kibbutzim in Israel and her family's history. She talks about her physiotherapy work in the Israeli army before immigrating to Canada, and her subsequent involvement in the Vancouver Jewish community.