Showing 45 results

Oral history interview with I.W. who started Chess Brothers Wholesale Fruit and Produce Company, which ran for almost 50 years. He lived in the East End of Vancouver, near Heatley Avenue. I.W. and his brother, were among the founders of Schara Tzedeck Synagogue.

Oral history interview with Isadore (Isy) Walters.

Oral history interview with Sam Lipson who was born in Russia in 1913. Involved in the Association of Professional Engineers, the Jewish Community Centre, Parliamentary Union, Beth Israel Synagogue, Talmud Torah and the Canadian Jewish Congress - on the Jewish Committee, the Educational Committee and the Joint Community Relations Committee. Sam graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Oral history interview with Saul Wyne who was born 1910 in Russia. The prevalence of antisemitism , worsening economic and political conditions led family to emigrate; One brother left in 1926 and settled in Edmonton. Saul's Father saw no future for his daughters in Poland so he settled them in the United States. Saul was active in Calgary's Peretz School as a board member until he and his wife Ruby moved in 1943 to Vancouver and helped start up the Vancouver Peretz School.

Oral history interview with Sam Rothstein who was born in Russia, 1921. His family left Russia due to anti-semitism and post-revolution fallout, despite his father’s success in the lumber business. His father was Yisrael Leib and his mother was Elka Raisel. They settled in Vancouver because that’s where the rest of his family had chosen to live when they had arrived years before. He attended UBC for undergraduate studies and did a joined honours program in French and English and completed his masters there in French and English. He did his PhD at Berkeley and then got a teaching fellowship at the University of Washington in 1942 as a French teacher. He was drafted into the Canadian military during WWII. He served in counterintelligence. He was shipped to England in June, 1944 and then to Italy, Belgium and then stopped in Holland. While finishing his service, he came across a Librarianship pamphlet. He had money for the first time in his life and felt it was time for a change as he felt distance from the idea of being a French professor. He was invited to the faculty of the University of Manitoba as a French Professor but decided to go to Berkeley instead to become a Librarian, doing his PhD in Illinois. UBC offered him a job while he was briefly on return to Vancouver. He met his wife Miriam in 1948/49 through youth group activities at the JCC, they wed and then moved to Illinois to do his PhD, which he received in 1954 while Miriam worked as the dietician for the men’s residence. In 1961, he became the acting director of the UBC libraries. He also started the library school at UBC that same fall. Their daughter Linda was born in 1955 and Sharon was born in 1957. They were members of Beth Israel and Miriam was active in Hadassah. Sam served as an advisor to Hillel and joined the board at the JCC and eventually became president from 1970-1972. He served as one of the vice presidents of Jewish Congress.

Oral history interview with Frances Panar.

Oral Interview with Miriam Karp. Interviewed by Alisa Lazear for Feeding Community podcast.

Oral interview with Alexander "Lexie" Bernstein. Interviewed by Laura Zitron. Lexie talks about his family's contribution to Jewish life and education in Cape Town, and his own life and spirituality in Vancouver.

Interview with Bill Levine. Interviewed by Debby Freiman for The Scribe, 2018. Bill talks about his family's history, his childhood and education in Vancouver, and his career. He also talks about his late brother John Levine (d. April 17, 2012) who had owned and operated John's Pizzarama. Bill discusses his involvement in the community through organizations such as Jewish Committee Foundation and UBC Board of Governors among many others.

Interview with Carole Malkin. Interviewed by Jane Cherry for The Scribe, 2018. Carole talks about her family's history and their restaurants in Vancouver, including Skipper Seafoods, The Fish and Oyster Bar, and The Dollhouse. Carole talks about her childhood and involvement in the Jewish community, including United Synagogue Youth, Young Judea, and Camp Hatikvah.