Oral history interview with Boris Chenkis in preparation for the 2015 Scribe on Jewish clothiers. Boris’ parents were born in Chernovke, Ukraine. Boris was born in Belarus in 1952. His family moved to Canada in 1959, when he was 7 years old. His Father was an x-ray technician and got a job in Nanaimo. His mother was a cook. They loved in Nanaimo until 1967 when they moved to Vancouver so his mother could open a clothing store. He talks about going to camp Miriam and Habonim. He went to Israel during his gap year on a Habonim program then went to UBC. In 1984, he opened After Five, a clothing store, with his wife. He talks about running the store and fashion.
Oral interview with Nancy Halpern. Interviewed by Samantha Stokell for SLAIS Oral History class.
Nancy's father's family moved to Vancouver in 1906, when her father Norman Brown was less than six months old. She has stories of her own life in the Vancouver Jewish community and those of her grandparents and parents. She was involved in drama and theatre in the Vancouver and Spokane, WA areas, and worked as a librarian in Vancouver. She was also involved in creating the West Vancouver Jewish Community Association.
Nancy mentions her cousin's daughter, Barbara Liskov (née Huberman) from the States, a professor at MIT who was the first woman to graduate in Computer Science in the U.S., and who is a winner of the Turing Award.
Oral interview with Ralph Levy. Interviewed by Molly Kumar for SLAIS Oral History class. Ralph Levy was born in February, 1934 in Istanbul, Turkey. He is the youngest of four. He describes the language Ladino, which he speaks fluently. He lived in England as a child, where he witnessed the Blitzkrieg and attended post secondary there in Lester. He served in the British Military and was stationed in Egypt for two years. He met his wife in Lester and they were wed in 1957. After closing his marketplace business in England, he lived in the south of France till a storm struck. In 1968, he immigrated to Canada. He initially settled in Melfort, Saskatchewan, then went to Calgary, Fort McMurray and then moved to Victoria where he resided for thirty years before retiring in Vancouver.
Oral Interview with Sarah Adams. Interviewed by Alissa Cartwright for University of Victoria Public History class project. Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.
Oral interview with Rabbi Harry Brechner. Interviewed by Alissa Cartwright for University of Victoria Public History class project.
Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.
Rabbi Harry Brechner leads the Emanu-El Congregation in Victoria, British Columbia. After the desecration, he wrote an open letter to the Times Colonist inviting the desecrator to come clean the headstones and learn about the history of the cemetery. He also helped to arrange the vigil.
Oral interview with Brigitte McKenzie.Interviewed by Kaitlin Findlay for University of Victoria Public History class project.
Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.
In the interview, Brigitte describes her memories of the desecration; her thoughts about the vigil and the community response; her personal valuation of the Emanu-El cemetery as a neighbor who appreciates the cemetery’s beautiful appearance as well as its sacred and historical resonance; her opinion on what historians can do in the wake of such an event; and her own experiences with the sacredness of cemeteries.
Oral interview with Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross. Interviewed by Kaitlin Findlay for University of Victoria Public History class project.
Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.
In the interview, Dr. Stanger-Ross describes his involvement with the Emanu-El congregation; his work on an exhibit for the congregation's 150th anniversary; and his experience of the desecration and vigil. Dr. Stanger-Ross also shares his perspective on the event as a historian; the relation between racism, intolerance and his own research; and reflects on the importance of commemorating historic places in his own research on the forced sale of Japanese Canadian property during and after the Second World War.
Oral interview with Dr. Susuan Roy. Interviewed by Alissa Cartwright and Kaitlin Findlay for University of Victoria Public History class project.
Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.
In this interview, Dr. Roy discusses her research, including her recent, award-winning exhibition ‘c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city”; the 2012 desecration of a Musqueam burial site at c̓əsnaʔəm, or the Marpole Midden; and its relation to her work. Dr. Roy also discusses doing deeply community involved research; her role as a historian and reflects on the significance of cemeteries in her work.
Oral interview with Charlayne Thornton-Joe. Interviewed by Alissa Cartwright for University of Victoria Public History class project.
Interview is about the desecration of the Emanu-El cemetary in Victoria in 2011; explores how the community reacted to this event and the role of historians in preserving historic sites such as this.
In the interview, Charlayne Thornton-Joe describes her initial reaction to hearing about the desecration; her memories of the vigil; her caretaking role at the Chinese cemetery on Harling Point in Victoria; her work with the Intercultural Association, which included leading cemetery walks in Victoria; her own personal experiences with racism and with anti-racism work; her thoughts on the importance of cemeteries; and her opinions on what historians can do to respond to instances of historical desecration.
Follow-up oral interview with Leah Levitt. Interviewed by Debby Freiman. Leah talks about her extended family, education, and her involvement with B'nai Brith Girls and the National Council of Jewish Women.
