Ann Krieger speaks on the Jewish community in Vancouver around the early turn of the century. She speaks of O’Bryan Hall and the two Jewish groups - orthodox and reform - that had no meeting place for High Holy Days, and rented O’Bryan Hall and held services together. They hired a rabbi (from Seattle).
Originally, David Oppenheimer and Ann's brother-in-law [Milton], were in business together, managing the Oppenheimer Brothers Ltd.. David's grandfather started the business, then David's father (Simon) and mother died, left two children -- mother's maiden name Leiser, an old Victoria family. Milton Oppenheimer was Simon's brother, he married his sister-in-law's sister, and adopted the two children, David and Ruth, and subsequently had Edith, who was Ann's sister-in-law.
Milton brought the business over to Vancouver, which became head office, with Victoria still in operation.
Ann remembers Milton as a very fine man, and felt sure he must have been active in the community. His wife Amy was Jewish (she was a Leiser), but anti-Semitic, and had no Jewish friends at all. David married a non-Jew, and Milton objected to the marriage. Edith had a few Jewish friends, but knew the Wassermans and the Evans family; she was sent to Berkeley to meet Jewish people.
Ann tells of a collection of Oppenheimer memorabilia that Edith had and suggests that Cyril contact her about seeing the material and copying some of it.