Photograph depicts Bernie Simpson and an unidentified man bending over a young girl at a computer. The young girl is likely Neetu Nijjar. This photo was likely taken during Bernie's visit to Walter Moberly Elementary School. Written on verso: "Neetu Nijjar". Neetu is seated at a desk which has: "...CCA-3 - VSB-206 - AVS - VE6156" written on it.
Photograph depicts Bernie Simpson and two unidentified men standing in a classroom. Bernie is second from the left. There is a circle of children seated on a carpet around a woman in a white shirt, likely their teacher. This photo was likely taken during Bernie's visit to Walter Moberly Elementary School.
Oral history interview with Gallia Chud. Gallia Chud was born in Staraya Russa, Russia in the year 1923. She briefly describes her childhood in the town prior to her immigration to Canada in December, 1929 at the age of six. Her family settled in Winnipeg where she completed her studies and met her husband, Ben. They married in 1943 and were reunited in 1945 as Ben had been serving in the Canadian military during World War II. Ben was invited to teach at the Peretz School in Vancouver during its establishment and they moved to the city in October, 1945. Both Gallia and Ben were involved with the school for most of their lives while residing in Vancouver, with Ben serving as principal for fifteen years and Gallia serving as president for five while maintaining involvement with the PTA the whole time. They had two daughters. Ben passed away in 1986.
Oral History interview with Iris Andrews. Born in 1933, Iris lived in London before moving to Vancouver once war broke out in 1940. Iris’s maternal grandfather was the first in her family to come to Canada, arriving in Vancouver in 1911. He opened a kosher bakery called Mother Hubbard Bakery on the corner of West Broadway. Iris’s maternal grandparents belonged to the Beth Israel congregation prior to the construction of the synagogue on Oak St. Her paternal grandparents were from Balaya Tserkoff, Russia (Now Bila Tserkva, Ukraine). Her paternal grandfather was a soldier in the Russian Army in the calvary before being designated a free man. Iris’s paternal grandparents arrived in England in 1903, where her grandfather began to works as a cigarette maker. Iris lived in Vancouver from 1940-1945 as war evacuee, and later returned to the city with her husband and two children in 1962. Iris was very active in the Jewish community; she was involved with Sisterhood at Beth Israel, she joined the Nordau chapter of Hadassah-WIZO, she worked as a Rabbi Secretary at Beth Israel, and she was on the committee for the Beth Israel museum.
Oral history interview with Max A. Jacobson who was born in Winnipeg, 1928. Graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1950 in General Science with focuses in geology and chemistry. Moved to Calgary in 1951, finding working in the Seismic field. He married Tannis Bass, of Winnipeg, their children were born in Calgary. Max's paternal in-laws came from Russia 1908-09, while the maternal side from the New England region. Max helped to found the Burquest Jewish Association.
Oral history interview with Daniel Ezekiel who was born in Manila. His family is split between Ashkenazi and Sephardic. Daniel talks about his family history and how they ended up in Manila. Daniel speaks 4 languages, his father speaks 5, and his mother 8. In the 1970s political change in Manila caused everyone who could to leave. His family moved to Vancouver. He went to medical school at the University of Toronto. He compares North American Jews to Jews in the Philippines. He went to Israel with a youth group in 1980 and still visits ever couple of years.
Oral History interview with Leslie Andrews. Born in 1929, Leslie grew up in a village a few miles out from London, and he speaks about what the Jewish community was like as he grew up. Leslie’s father was a tailor, and he collaborated with Leslie’s mother to start a clothing shop in London that sold waistcoats and petticoats called Andrews and Goldberg. During World War II, they moved their shop out of London to Aylesbury, and had contracts to make raincoats for the British Armed Forces. Leslie talks about the complications he had with both his secular and Jewish education in England. Leslie went to school to become a pediatric pulmonologist and proceeded to work in physical medicine. After the war ended, Leslie met his wife Iris, and became the first person in his family to come to Canada, emigrating to Vancouver in January 1962. He began working at the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Center. Leslie, Iris, and their children attended Beth Israel synagogue, and were quite active in the Jewish community in Vancouver, with Iris working as a secretary and Leslie acting as chairman for various committees at Beth Israel. He talks about how the Jewish community in Vancouver has changed since he first arrived in British Colombia.
Oral history interview with Gary Averbach who was born in Vancouver in 1942 and was businessman and spent a great deal of his life working for Jewish Community Centres.
Oral history interview with Naomi Katz who was born in Durban, 1924. Her mother, Rachel Newman, was born in 1900 and her father, Emphram Levey, was born in 1895. Naomi's first job was as a stenographer in Vancouver, later she took courses in teaching English as a Second Language, where Naomi found work at the Vancouver School Board. Was head of Directions ESL conference and helped produce 'Blue Brief', presented to the government in 1981, it focused on settlement services in multicultural societies. Naomi participated in the Parent-Teacher conferences ,Canadian Jewish Congress forum, the Jewish Historical Society and started the West Coast Reader for non-native English speakers.
Oral history interview with Anna R. Leith who was born in 1923 in Prince George. Studied bacteriology in University and wound up working in Bio-Medical Libraries. Involved in a number of associations, Canadian Society of Lab. Technologists; active in the General B. C. Library Association., president eventually, the B.C. Librarians, and Canadian Library Association. After she retired she joined the National Council of Jewish Women, the Genealogy Association of B.C, the JCC and the Jewish Historical Society.