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Oct. 14, 2005
Creation will bear fruit
Historical society soon to have permanent home.
STEVE TURNBULL
Food is no small part of the Jewish experience – kreplach,
kugel, cream cheese and lox have all have been a big part of my
years in British Columbia's Jewish community.
Lately, however, some in the community have been whipping up another
tempting creation, one that is a recipe for the preservation of
B.C. Jewish heritage. The ingredients include dedication, perspiration,
ingenuity, drive, enthusiasm and huge amounts of volunteer effort
– all baked in the oven of community consultation and served
up with a generous filling of cash. The end product is the Jewish
Museum and Archives of British Columbia – a new facility soon
to occupy the third floor of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater
Vancouver (JCC).
The master chef of this historically enriching dish is the Jewish
Historical Society of British Columbia (JHS). Founded in 1971, the
society has been a driving force for heritage preservation within
the B.C. Jewish community. For nearly 35 years, the society has
been true to its constitution – one that first and foremost
declares it will pursue the collection, preservation, publication
and popularization of material having reference to the settlement
and history of Jews in British Columbia.
In fulfilling this mandate, the society has acquired well in excess
of 100,000 photographic images, including those from the Jewish
Western Bulletin (now the Jewish Independent), the Jewish
Federation of Greater Vancouver and the studio of celebrated commercial
photographer Leonard Frank, his successor Otto Landauer and portrait
photographer Fred Schiffer.
The JHS's holdings also include records of nearly two dozen community
organizations, among them several B'nai B'rith lodges, Victoria's
Congregation Emanu-El, the Canadian Jewish Congress – Pacific
Region and material from many prominent B.C. families and individuals,
as well as more than 400 oral histories. The archival holdings and
reference library are accessible to the public via society staff
and volunteers in its Vancouver offices and through an ambitious
publications program. This huge body of work forms a solid foundation
of resource material upon which to build the Jewish Museum and Archives
of B.C.
The idea of a Jewish museum for the province has been percolating
in the hearts and minds of many community leaders for more than
a decade. However, in the past two years, talk has turned to action.
In the fall of 2003, the JHS started bringing together key people
to plan for a new museum.
This small group, now known as the museum steering committee of
the JHS, has raised more than half of the $1.9 million the society
estimates it will need to establish the facility and run it for
its first three years. The group has also been busy arranging the
renovation of the space that will house the museum, staffing the
new facility and overseeing plans for a permanent exhibit.
Aldrich, Pears and Associates have been contracted to plan and install
a 1,500-square foot permanent exhibit that will include a chronological
overview of B.C. Jewish history and Jewish immigration demographics.
The exhibit will also explain the nature of the current community,
ranging from individuals to organizations – and highlight important
events in both the Jewish lifecycle and calendar. A collection of
Judaica will also be prominently featured.
In addition to the exhibit, the museum will house archival finding
aides, a reading room, programming area and work areas in a space
designed by architect Richard Henriquez and renovated to museum
standards.
This is the latest step in preserving and promoting British Columbia's
Jewish history, but the JHS intends that it not be the last. Long-term
plans forecast a "stand alone" museum and archives in
a building to be built near the JCC. In the meantime, the current
museum project nears completion and is slated to open in the spring
of 2006.
For more information or to offer assistance, contact the Jewish
Historical Society at 604-257-1599.
Steve Turnbull is a member of the Jewish Historical Society
of B.C.
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