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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.

Oral history interview with Allan Nortman, interviewed by Jennifer Yuhasz, in preparation for the 2014 Scribe with a focus on Jewish scrap metal dealers. Allan speaks on his family’s history, explaining how he came to be born in Haifa, Israel, in 1951. Following their short time in Israel, his family moved to England for a few months before setting in Vancouver in 1953. He speaks on his own career as well as his father’s though his own memories from his childhood.

Oral Interview with Anna Lutsky for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Helen Aqua. Anna was born in Tunis in 1952. She describes her family history, mostly situated within Tunisia, where her artistic influences came from her mother and sister. She recalls going to a strict French school in Tunis until the age of 16, when her family moved to a diverse kibbutz in Israel. She discusses the beginning of her art career as a young mother at the age of 22. Anna describes how her artwork acted as diaries for the places she lived throughout her life, including France, Italy and Cyprus, where the landscapes were the common sources of inspiration. She talks about how her art evolved into a mixed-media style that included painting on objects like furniture or clothing to repurpose their form and function, but one of her largest reoccurring themes remains nature. Anna tells of her most prominent memories of galleries and exhibitions where her art has been shown; this includes turning her home into a gallery, but also participating in World Expos abroad and being commissioned to represent France and Canada with her pieces. She further discusses how her art is more secular than reflective of Jewish connections.

Oral Interview with Barbara Heller for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Daniella Givon. Barbara, born in Vancouver Canada, talks about her family’s origins in Poland and immigration to Canada. She speaks about her upbringing in Vancouver and how she was surrounded by art in her childhood, leading her to become a visual person and a creative. Barbara discusses her interest in religious mysticism which inspired her education and later, became a specific influence in her art pieces. She speaks about how at first she wanted to be a printmaker but pregnancy led her to work with tapestry and she never looked back. She speaks about recurring symbols, like dead birds, in her art which provide a greater message to her audience about themes like life and war. Barbara discusses the highlights of her career, like showing art in Poland and working with various art collectives within North America, all with the support of her family.

Oral History interview with Ben and Rita Akselrod. Rita was born in Bacau, Romania. They met in a DP camp in Austria. After the war they went to Israel then came to Canada via Italy. They worked as a peddlers then with antiques. Then started a second-hand and antique store in New Westminster. They talk about how antisemitism didn't disappear after the war.

Oral history interview with Bertha Uniden who was born in Poland. She has worked for B’nai B’rith

Oral Interview with Cynthia Minden for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Bill Gruenthal via remote Zoom call. Cynthia was born in Toronto in 1953 and describes growing up into a family full of musicians, including her parents, who also admired visual arts. She talks about her professional background in classical music as a flautist where she was a member of ensembles, a music teacher, and an arts administrator. Cynthia speaks about her brothers moving to Vancouver and her love of rural living as inspiration for her to move from Toronto to Denman Island. Cynthia discusses her beginnings as an artist through making baskets and subsequently sculpture, collage, surface design, and other art forms. She talks about translating her art practice into therapeutic work through equine facilitated wellness, where people can connect with nature and do be guided through art projects. She speaks about her work in exhibits including the political inspiration behind her pieces: from themes of refugees and migration to environmentalism and making art from reclaimed objects.

Oral interview with David Kaplan. Interviewed by Bill Gruenthal. David talks about his family's involvement with the steel industry and the Jewish Botanical Gardens. Eventually settling in Vancouver, David opened a very successful R&D tax consultation firm and later on became heavily involved with the Jewish Family Services Agency. He also discusses Jewish education in South Africa.

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.

Oral Interview with Jessica Freedman for the JMABC Artists Scribe. Interviewed by Daniella Givon via remote Zoom call. Jessica was born in Montreal, but recalls moving around as a child to Israel and back to Canada where she grew up in Calgary. She explains immediate family history which included her mother who was a professional actor, and her father and brother who are musicians. She was primarily introduced to the arts through dance and music, though eventually was trained in visual arts at Simon Fraser University. She describes her different careers as a dancer, choreographer, accountant and yoga studio owner and instructor, but pursued arts full time after quitting her job to take care of her mother who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Jessica explains how her painting style transitioned from realism to more expressive abstracts over time, and how she is inspired by emotions and colour. She also discusses how she is motivated by nature and chaos, collaborating on commissions, and the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, having her art contribute as a light to the world.