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Interview with Marsha Ablowitz for On The Record: The BC Jewish Queer & Trans Oral History Project in collaboration with JQT Vancouver. Interviewed by Carmel Tanaka via remote Zoom video call. Marsha (she/her) is a Jewish lesbian born in Vancouver. Marsha discusses her family’s origins both in Canada, and as immigrants from Europe. She tells stories of her immediate family in Winnipeg and Vancouver. She talks about her heterosexual marriage, and how she didn’t realize she was interested in women until after getting married. She explains her little exposure to queer Jews outside of her uncle Max, and how she experienced discrimination more through racism against her husband, than through anti-Semitism or homophobia in the community. Marsha talks about being aware of the Holocaust and Jewish issues as a kid, being involved in Jewish youth groups into her twenties, and eventually becoming a social worker. She describes her community initiatives within Jewish community organizations, teaching women’s self defense classes and empowering women and LGBT communities. Marsha closes the interview by talking about Quirk-e, a queer writing collective she is presently involved in, life with her partner Maribel during COVID, and her connection to feminist counselling and women’s health movements across Canada.

Oral history interview with David and Vera Bakonyi on the late Peter Bakonyi (Vera's husband and David's father). Peter Bakonyi was born in 1933 in Budapest, Hungary. He met his wife Vera at a high school function. While in Budapest, he trained for the modern pentathlon event (fencing, swimming, horseback riding, shooting and cross country running) and played volleyball all while attending law school. He and Vera immigrated to Canada in 1957 as refugees and wed in Vancouver in 1959. He began solely training in fencing and switched his career path to real estate. Peter was a 6x Canadian Fencing Champion, 18x British Columbia Champion and attended the 1968 Olympic Games after being prevented from attending both the 1960 and 1964 games. He was also a founder of the Canadian Maccabiah Games team. He competed in the Maccabiah Games until his death in 1997. Vera and David discuss the legacy they've established in Peter's honour, such as the creation of the Peter Bakonyi World Cup (formerly Challenge Peter Bakonyi).

Oral history interview with Betty Averbach who was born in Romania in 1921. Her family moved to Canada when she was 3 years old, the Council of Jewish Women met them and helped them get settled. Talks about growing up in Vancouver and the Jewish community here. Her father was a junk peddler when they first arrived. Talks about raising her family in Vancouver and her family's active relationship with the Schara Tzedeck synagogue. Speaks of the importance of the Jewish Community Centre in the life of the community when she was young, the support and confidence it generated amongst Betty and her friends.

Oral History interview with Doreen Herzstein. She recounts her life growing up in Zimbabwe; the Jewish life and Zionist leaning of the community. She also mentions the strong Hadassah and Union of Jewish Women in Haare. After she was married, she lived in South Africa for a couple of years but left when the Nationalist Party came to power in 1948. They moved back to Zimbabwe and raised their children there. In the 1970’s they told their children to leave Zimbabwe and they followed in 1977. They originally moved to Edmonton, but it was too cold, and they moved to Vancouver. Doreen talks about the welcoming community on the North Shore, hiking, and walking with the Ramblers.

Oral history interview with Jack Rose who was born in Vancouver in 1920, just one year after his parents had moved to the city. When the Second World War broke out Jack joined the Signal Corps in April 1940. Division was brought to Hong Kong in November and was captured by the Japanese and wasn't released until 1945.