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Armed Forces
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Nora Patrich

Oral History Interview with Nora Patrich for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Carol Herbert. Patrich was born in Argentina in 1952 and speaks about her upbringing between Argentina, Israel and the United States. She discusses her exposure to political activism and Latin American expressionist art throughout her formative years, including mentorship within her father’s politically charged arts collective named the Spartacus Movement. She tells her experience of the military coup in Argentina during the ‘70s, that forced her into exile in Israel with young children after her husband was assassinated. She explains how this led to a life of traveling activism denouncing Argentina’s past military atrocities, including anti-Semitic genocide, and fighting for human rights through art and protest. Patrich’s primary art mediums are painted murals and sculptures; she discusses their public installments into places like past concentration camps and military bombing sites, and how her art will always be political. She closes by talking about doing mosaic work, independent book printing and publishing, and how there is a documentary about her stories of Argentina.

Alan Tapper

Oral history interview with Alan Tapper, interviewed by Matthew Graves and assisted by Alan’s wife, Daphne. Alan speaks on his family’s history as well as adolescence in the Jewish community of East London, England, including the artistic and political environment. Alan talks about his family’s experience during the Second World War in London where his neighborhood was heavily bombed and impoverished by rationing, leading to his family’s evacuation to Devon and Newcastle. Alan discusses his involvement in various youth groups and theatre during the war, such as the Brady’s Boy Club. He talks about his military training at Padgate and subsequent conscription into the Royal Air Force intelligence unit where he was stationed in Egypt to monitor conflict over the Suez Canal. Alan speaks about how his military experience impacted his life and also the anti-Semitism he observed. He discusses his immigration to Vancouver, Canada and his role in numerous Jewish and Zionist organizations and boards, including B’nai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress. He talks about his job in fundraising, teaching public speaking, and radio program hosting, as well as his children and marriage.

Gerald (Jerry) Lecovin Fonds

  • CA JMABC A.2015.015
  • Fonds
  • 1948 - 2015

This fonds consists of photographs, programs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, memorabilia, and certificates.

Zoltan Fleischer

Oral history interview with Zoltan Fleischer in preparation for the 2014 Scribe with a focus on Jewish scrap metal dealers. He was born in Hungary in 1927. His father was drafted by the army in 1938, the army took their horses as well. Hungary was liberated by the Russian Army. He stayed in Hungary until 1956, when he came to Canada. He choose Canada because he had never heard anything bad about it. When he arrived here, he only spoke Hungarian and only had $5.00. His sister, brother-in-law, and him traveled by train across Canada to Victoria. He got a job in a scrap yard saved his money and bought land in Surrey. He opened a furniture business but sold it when the SkyTrain was being built. He then bought Scott Road Trading and Auto Wrecking.

Esther Nobleman

Oral history interview with Esther Nobleman. Esther Nobleman believes in the importance of serving the community however one can. Since her arrival in Vancouver from Medicine Hat in the fall of 1969, Esther has contributed much to the Jewish community here. Among other volunteer activities, in the early 1980s she threw herself into the campaign to safeguard the rights of Jews in the former Soviet Union as chair of the Soviet Jewry Committee. Even when time has been all that she's had to give, Esther has given it freely and generously.

Esther was born in the prairies and her husband, Abe Nobleman, was born in Montreal. Esther's parents came to Canada from Russia; Esther' father was in the Russian army but they escaped Russia because of the pogroms. Esther was in the air force in Canada. Her brother was a prisoner of war. Esther worked extensively with the Soviet Jewry campaign in Vancouver as well as being actively involved in a number of organizations and volunteer work.

Leon Broitman

Oral History interview with Leon Broitman. Leon was born in 1922 in the USSR. He talks about the Ukrainian Holocaust and living in the USSR under Stalin. He started studying to become a teacher but was drafted and subsequently wounded during WW2 and never completed his education. After the war he came to Canada and became a cutter (Tailor) in Montreal. He then moved to Ottawa and opened a store. He also started an investment company that was still in business at the time of the interview (2013). He closed is store in Ottawa and moved to BC. He had 4 children with his wife and talks about them and their careers. Much of the interview is about Soviet Union history and talking about WW2 and the Germans.

Isaac Messinger

Oral history interview with Isaac Messinger. He was born in Poland in 1929. During the war he was moved to Siberia, Russia. Later in the war he became a chauffeur for a General in the Polish Army, he was 16 or 17 at the time. After the war he ended up in Germany and was a pickpocketing. He got sent to an American school in Germany that was teaching children that were going to immigrate to North America, but he couldn’t sit still in class, so they gave him a job in the garage where he learnt English with the Americans that worked there. He came to Canada at age 18 or 19. He got a job as a tin smith, then he got a job as a carnie and made his way to Vancouver where he worked at the PNE. He eventually opened a steak Restaurant and ran it for a while. He talks about Casinos and Las Vegas. He talks about how he met his wife and their life together.

Irving Rivkin

Oral history interview with Irving Rivkin who was born in Winnipeg, 1915. Father Samuel Rivkin was in Russian army stationed in St. Petersburg, around 1905-1912; Irving's mother Lena Romalowski worked in St. Petersberg's large knitting factory. Ivring's wife, Ann, comes from England.

Ernest ("Smoky") Smith

Oral history interview with Ernest ("Smoky") Smith who was born in British Columbia in 1914. Ernest fought in Italy during the Second World War under the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, earning a Victoria Cross for his actions on the Po river. Noteworthy for how he received his cross.

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