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Ilana Strummer

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.

Claire Ann Kramer

Interview with Claire Ann Kramer. Interviewed by Cindy Rozen. Ann talks about her family's history, the Apartheid, her childhood, and her career as an interpreter. She speaks in detail about her family's experience in Germany just before World War II, and the political state of South Africa which led to the decision to immigrate to Canada.

Adam Granot

Number: CA JMABC A.1971.001-20.18-17
Name: Adam Granot
Interviewer: Debby Freiman
Date: May 28th, 2018
Place: Peretz Center
Project: The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia Oral History Project

Summary:
00:00: The interviewer, Debby Freiman, introduces herself and Adam Granot who is being interviewed.
00:21: Granot was born in Israel. He then goes on to describe his family and early childhood.
2:45: Granot describes the importance and role food played in his household and while growing up.
4:27: Freiman asks how Granot became involved in the food industry. Granot recounts his father’s career as a restaurant owner in Tel Aviv, Israel while Granot was a child. He then describes his father’s wish to build a business that sells burekas when they moved to Canada. Eventually they purchased the Fraser bakery and named it Breka Bakery which still exists in several locations today.
13:14: Granot was originally working at a car rental agency but left that job in order to take part in the family’s bakery when he was in his early twenties. He also recounts the opening of the other locations.
19:57: Granot is involved with the operations side of the business. His sister, brother-in-law, mother and mother’s partner are all also involved in the business in a variety of capacities. He also describes some of the tenets of the bakery related to product and growth.
25:26: Breka makes a variety of traditional Jewish and Eastern European breads, some of which are in keeping with the tradition of Fraser Bakery.
29:41: The bakeries are open twenty-four seven. Granot describes who the customers are that come in at all hours of the night.
33:18: Granot answers how Judaism has affected the business.
34:46: The speakers discuss the changes that have occurred in the food industry since Breka was first created. They discuss the changes in what customers are looking for in the products they purchase.
38:12: Freiman asks Granot what he sees as the future of Breka. At the time of the interview, Granot was beginning to plan for two more locations to be added to the business. They were also considering to expanding beyond Vancouver itself to other Lower Mainland cities. Granot recounts what he’s learned and what he’s loved about working in the food industry.

Marcus Stiller

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.

Ralph Zbarsky

Number: CA JMABC A.1971.001-20.20-05
Name: Ralph Zbarsky
Interviewer: Bill Gruenthal
Date: February 18, 2020
Place: Vancouver, BC
Project: The Jewish Historical Society of B.C. Oral History Project

Summary:
00:00 Bill Gruenthal (interviewer) introduces himself and then asks Ralph Zbarsky (interviewee) to do the same.
00:53 Zbarsky was born in 1948 in Deep River, Ontario. This town was near Chalk River, the site of the Atomic Energy Commission where his father worked as a scientist.
1:21 His father’s name was Sidney Howard Zbarsky to conduct research on isotopes that could be used as an antidote to nerve gasses that had been used during the Second World War. Sidney Howard’s research has been cited as recently as in the Gulf Wars. Zbarsky notes that this is why he was the first Jewish baby in Chalk River.
2:11 Zbarsky’s mother’s name was Miriam Zbarsky (nee [Frankel]). She had a degree in economics and met Zbarsky’s father at the University of Toronto while they were both studying there.
3:02 Zbarsky’s paternal grandparents were from Russia and came to Vancouver and opened a successful tailoring business. The Frankels (maternal grandparents) came to Vancouver from Eastern Europe via Palestine and also set up a business. He notes that they were also Labour Zionists. Both Zbarksy and his brother, Johnathan, are electrical engineers. Johnathan is two years younger and their sister Deborah is six years younger. Deborah is a financial advisor and is fluent in Japanese.
5:48 Zbarsky married Catherine Zbarsky (nee [Everall]) in 1971. They have a son named Michael and daughter, Jordana. Both Michael and Jordana each have one son and one daughter totaling four grandchildren.
6:41 Zbarsky and Catherine met at Camp Hatikvah. He was working there as a lifeguard while she was one of the councillors. At the time, they were both going to UBC, her for Education and him for Engineering.
7:21 Zbarksy’s father moved the family to St. Paul’s for a short time while he went to the University of Minnesota. In 1950 he was recruited to UBC to be the first member of the Faculty of Medicine. He played a role in recruiting the rest of the faculty and designed much of the curriculum although he was a biochemist rather than a medical doctor. He worked at UBC until his retirement in 1985.
9:06 Zbarsky met three Nobel Laureates while his father was employed at UBC. The Nobel Laureates he met were Dr. Francis Crick, Dr. Gobind Khurana and Dr. Michael Smith. A symposium at UBC was established in Sydney Howard’s name as well as the Dr. S.H. Zbarsky Scholarship.
12:32 Zbarsky describes how the scholarship at UBC in his father’s name is awarded to a graduate student of biochemistry who is working towards their PhD and it is awarded based on peer recommendations. Zbarsky also notes how privileged he was to be able to drive to UBC with his father every day.
13:15 Sydney Howard partnered with Dr. Marvin Weintraub to establish a Judaic Studies program at UBC in the early seventies.
13:31 He mentions his father’s involvement with other Jewish professors at UBC and the [‘Stern Gang’].
13:57 Zbarsky tells the story of how his parents started the Metropolitan Biological Laboratories in 1963. They would perform medical tests that hospitals were not equipped to do at the time in their basement. Eventually the business grew to need more office and laboratory space and they had several thousand employees. Eventually the company was called LifeLabs. They eventually sold the laboratories because they were worried the provincial government would take over private labs.
19:20 Sydney Howard was President of Talmud Torah, helped ensure loans for Jewish community members and was a member of Beth Israel Synagogue.
20:04 Miriam Zbarsky’s degree was in Home Economics but she helped in the laboratories and performed some of the tests. She was also active in Hadassah, Talmud Torah and spoke some Yiddish.
22:07 Deborah Zbarksy never married or had children. Johnathan Zbarsky has three children. Zbarsky was named after his uncle, also named Ralph who served in the Canadian Navy. He never met his uncle because Ralph was on the last ship to be torpedoed during the Second World War.
24:44 Zbarksy recounts his time working for BC Hydro in high voltage engineering. He left BC Hydro in 1986 after designing the company’s site for Expo ’86. Then he was recruited to the City of New Westminster which had a separate utility system. He worked as a consultant for several years after his retirement since high voltage engineering is not a popular career anymore. Zbarsky then recounts some of his hobbies including building and racing race cars as well as playing the symphonic clarinet. He also runs triathlons in order to stay healthy and be a good example for his grandchildren.
27:38 Zbarksy recounts his education. The schools he attended were Talmud Torah, Emily Carr Elementary, Eric Hamber Secondary and UBC where he graduated in 1971.
28:27 Zbarsky helped out with some students’ capstone engineering projects at UBC. He fears for high voltage systems such as the ones he worked on because it is not a widely taught field anymore and there will not be enough specialized engineers to maintain them. Gruenthal mentions that his brother graduated from electrical engineering in the fifties.
30:27 Zbarsky speaks some French and Hebrew and is learning Punjabi to more easily communicate with others who are also involved in racing.
31:02 Gruenthal asks Zbarsky if he has ever played with an orchestra. To which Zbarksy replies no, he plays for enjoyment and is trained by Gene Ramsbottom who is a renowned clarinetist. He also notes that he has tried to teach his grandchildren music.
33:51 Zbarsky recounts how mist of his work has been in BC. He laid hundreds of kilometres of high voltage cables and was part of the construction of the Stave Falls Generating System.
36:04 Gruenthal asks Zbarsky about his involvement in the local Jewish community. Zbarsky mentions how he knew the Leonoffs through their friendship with his in-laws and wife.
37:37 Zbarsky discusses some of his work in mentoring other triathletes. He does not consider himself a competitive triathlete anymore but likes to complete the races.
38:39 He describes his racing hobby. He has raced all over North America and his son is also involved.
39:52 Gruenthal asks Zbarsky to talk further talk about his siblings. Zbarsky tells of how he went to visit his sister Deborah in Japan during the eighties and that she still speaks Japanese. She is also involved in some local Jewish organizations.
41:14 Johnathan Zbarsky was involved at Talmud Torah when his children attended the school. Zbarsky’s kids also went to Talmud Torah. Now Michael lives in Courtenay and Jordana in Burnaby.
42:22 Michael is able to connect with Lubavitch when they come to Courtenay. Zbarsky celebrates some major Jewish holidays with his grandchildren.
42:59 Gruenthal and Zbarksy discuss real estate and Zbarsky’s move to a condo in the Jericho area.
44:32 Zbarsky says how he wanted to keep his father’s involvement in the medical field alive. Gruenthal discusses how he and the board wanted those who had involvement in that field to do oral history interviews. Zbarsky mentions how many people in the medical field currently will ask him if he is related to Sydney Howard because they had taken his classes at UBC.
46:04 Gruenthal thanks Zbarsky for his participation and urges his to keep up with his membership.
46:32 End of interview.

Yosef Wosk

Interview with Yosef Wosk, interviewed by Carol Herbert. Yosef speaks about his family’s history in Ukraine and Russia and how pogroms and anti-Semitism led to their immigration to Vancouver, Canada. Yosef discusses his father’s beginnings in Vancouver and the growth of the Wosk business as peddlers in the furniture business, primarily in South Granville. He talks about his upbringing and relationship to his family and their immense presence in both the Jewish and business community. He speaks about his lengthy education at numerous secular institutions and rabbinic schooling at two Yeshivas and with scholars in North America and Israel. Yosef discusses his career as a rabbi in North America and his directing of interdisciplinary programs at Simon Fraser University.

Shira Blustein

Interview with Shira Blustein about her relationship with food and the food industry. Shira discusses her experiences running vegetarian restaurants, The Acorn and The Arbor, in Vancouver. She talks about the role of food in her family. Shira also discusses her participation in the punk rock music scene in Calgary and her involvement in an alternative country band, Blood Meridian. There is also conversation about raising children in a multi-faith household and Birthright.

Elan Mastai

Interview with Elan Mastai about his mother Judith Mastai, interviewed by Michael Schwartz. Elan speaks about his maternal family’s origins in Chicago and Vienna, Austria and how the family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada because of Judith’s father’s pharmaceutical career. Elan discusses Judith’s upbringing and education in Oakridge and her enthusiasm for theatre, inspiring her education and early career as a theatre actress and director. Elan talks about Judith’s time as a theatre actress in London, England and English teacher in Jerusalem, where she met her husband, Moshe Mastai. Judith then immigrated back to Vancouver to obtain her PhD in education and raise her children. Elan talks about how his mother raised him in an untraditionally intelligent and artistic environment, prompting his career as a writer. He talks about Judith’s career in education at Simon Fraser University and her entrance into visual arts as the director of public programming at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Elan speaks about her time as a travelling art curator and critic, head of education at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and executive director of the Canadian Museum of Craft and Design.

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