Showing 15 results

Interview with Longina Dimant. Longina, born as Hinda Wejgman, grew up in Warsaw, Poland. She talks about her life and her family in Poland before the Second World War, which she describes as happy. They lived in Pelcowizna, a neighbourhood in Poland, until the war. In late 1939, Longina and her family fled Poland by train to Siberia. They stopped in Małkinia for a few days before continuing on to Leninogorsk (now Ridder, Kazakhstan) where they lived for the next six and a half years. At 14, Longina began working at a brick factory. It was a difficult life and they were always hungry. After the war, Longina went to Moscow to try and speak to politician Kalinin to ask him if her family should go back to Poland or stay in Russia; he told her to go back to Poland.

Oral history interview with Moses Steinberg who was born in Ottawa in 1918. His mother and father were born in what than was Russia but now is located in the Ukraine - Zhitomir & Brusilov. They emigrated to Montreal in 1905. His interview consists of family history, growing up in Ottawa and how he became a Pharmacist.

Oral history interview with Dr. Bluma Tischler, who was born 1924 in Baranowicz, Poland - now Baranavichy in Belarus. Bluma and her husband Issac attended medical school at the University of Odessa, than studied in Munich, Germany. Bulma and Issac wanted to emigrate to the United States but due to their quota's being full they decided to come to Canada.

Oral history interview with Margaret Libbert who was born in the former Moravian capital of Brno in 1928, than part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Margaret discusses the challenges her family faced having to uproot themselves and relocate to England when Germany invaded Austria in 1938. The family landed in Montreal initially but travelled by train and arrived in Vancouver by 1940. Margaret studied International Relations and Russia at UBC, she was on the Students Council and first woman elected President of Literary and Scientific executive at UBC. She than worked for the government of Canada.

Oral history interview with Robert A. Wenner, born in 1923 in Alberta. He speaks of his Great-Grandfather, Grandfather on his father's side as well as his mother's side of the family who were from Russia and moved to France. Bob's own father served as an artillerymen and sharpshooter during the First World War. Bob planned to go into Medicine but there were no medical programs on the West Coast and so took Optometry in California.

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.

An Oral history interview with Gertrude (Gertie) Zack (nee Fouks) who was born in 1918 in Canada. Gertie was involved in United Jewish Appeal's Women's Division, the Council of Jewish Women; and rolling bandages for the Red Cross during the Second World War.

Oral history interview with Fannie Samuels who was born on the along the Prussian border of Poland in 1896 and emigrated to Winnipeg in 1905. Fannie was involved in the Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah and Golden Agers. She moved to Vancouver in 1971, two years after her husband died.

Oral history interview with Harry Woolfe who was born in England to Russian parents. Harry's recounts his career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in construction and working for Paramount Pictures.

Oral history interview with Reva Checov who was born in a small village in Russia in 1897. Later in life when she emigrated to Canada she went to McGill University and the University of British Columbia. Reva was involved in the Pioneer Women, National Council of Jewish Women, B'nai B'rith; Red Cross, Heart Foundation, Cancer Society ; Israeli Affairs and the Jewish National Fund among an assortment of other roles.