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Oral Interview with Jessica Freedman for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Daniella Givon via remote Zoom call. Jessica was born in Montreal, but recalls moving around as a child to Israel and back to Canada where she grew up in Calgary. She explains immediate family history which included her mother who was a professional actor, and her father and brother who are musicians. She was primarily introduced to the arts through dance and music, though eventually was trained in visual arts at Simon Fraser University. She describes her different careers as a dancer, choreographer, accountant and yoga studio owner and instructor, but pursued arts full time after quitting her job to take care of her mother who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Jessica explains how her painting style transitioned from realism to more expressive abstracts over time, and how she is inspired by emotions and colour. She also discusses how she is motivated by nature and chaos, collaborating on commissions, and the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, having her art contribute as a light to the world.

Number: CA JMABC A.1971.001-20.18-23
Name: Marcus Stiller
Interviewer: David Goldman
Date: June 4th, 2018
Place: Vancouver, BC
Project: The Jewish Historical Society of BC Oral History Project

00:00 Interviewer David Goldman introduces themselves and Marcus Stiller, the owner of Fish Café, who is being interviewed.
0:21 Stiller was born in Durban, South Africa in 1961. His family lived in a near a Jewish community and Stiller went to Jewish schools. Stiller also describes the significant role food has played in their life since they were young.
1:53 Stiller went to hotel school in South Africa but decided they preferred the culinary industry. Later they worked in Israel for two years.
3:10 Stiller’s first restaurant was in Tel Aviv. They developed a restaurant for a wealthy family and enjoyed the social aspect of the business.
4:18 Goldman asks Stiller how they started the Fish Café in Vancouver. Still recalls that he modeled his business after one with a similar concept in South Africa that sells only seafood.
5:21 Stiller provides an overview of their time in the food industry. After working in Israel for two years, they went to Pretoria, South Africa and joined a friend’s steakhouse business. Around that time, Stiller met their wife to be who was planning to move to Cape Town. Stiller moved with her where they got involved in a successful pizza and pasta restaurant chain. Later, Stiller moved to Johannesburg where they joined their brother-in-law in an electronics business before also working in the security industry. In 1996, Stiller and their wife moved to Vancouver and in 2000, opened the Fish Café.
8:25 Goldman asks Stiller about the extent that Judaism had an effect on their business. Stiller describes how the Jewish community in Vancouver continuously supported their restaurant.
9:33 The speakers begin discussing the changes that have occurred in the food industry during Stiller’s career. Stiller notes that they have noticed a growing trend of smaller food businesses that are independent and family-owned opening in the Kerrisdale area. Stiller recalls their sons’ involvement in the restaurant.
11:39 Goldman asks what Stiller thinks regarding the future of the Fish Café and whether their children will continue it. Stiller replies that it is unlikely their children will take over the business and they will work in it until they are no longer able to.
13:27 Stiller recounts what they’ve learned after working in the restaurant industry. They describe how they are starting to see young people whose parents brought them to the Fish Café as children come in themselves. The Fish Café has allowed Stiller to develop many relationships within the community.
15:11 Stiller recalls how Kerrisdale has changed since the Fish Café began. They notice that it has become increasingly commercialized. Stiller also mentions how they feel very fortunate to be part of the community in Vancouver.
16:19 End of interview.