Alberta history at the Zack

OLGA LIVSHIN

“The creation of A Joyful Harvest was a labor of love,” said Maxine Fischbein, who was representing the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta on the opening night of the exhibition A Joyful Harvest: Celebrating the Jewish Contribution to Southern Alberta Life, 1889-2005. The show, which opened at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery early this month, is presented by the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia.

Counting more than 90 people at the opening, welcoming comments were held in the lobby in order to make room for all the guests. Many current and former Alberta Jews came to pay tribute to friends and relatives highlighted in the exhibit. One of the first questions guests asked each other was: “Are you from Alberta?”

The exhibit salutes people, places and institutions that have defined Jewish life in southern Alberta since the arrival of the first permanent Jewish settlers in 1889. Richly illustrated and professionally designed as an accordion-like sequence of panels, the exhibit celebrates southern Alberta’s Jewish pioneers, builders and creators. The first Jewish cemetery, the first Jewish school, Hadassah Bazaars and the Zionist movement are all reflected in the exhibit’s more than 100 panels.

The display was the brainchild of the founding president of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta, Jay Joffe, Fischbein said in an interview with the Independent. Joffe first conceived of an exhibit for the 2005 Alberta centennial celebration and, after the society received a government grant and secured some private donations, preparations for it began in earnest, Fischbein explained. A group of researchers, many volunteering their time, went through countless documents in the society’s archives and local libraries, sifting through photos, newspapers and personal records.

“Our current president, Jack Switzer, is our resident historian,” Fischbein said. “Much of the exhibit is based on his research. Also our archivist, Agi Romer Segal, played a huge role.”

Fischbein herself conducted hundreds of one-on-one interviews with the surviving subjects and their family members, collecting stories. “I interviewed tons of people,” she recalled. Fischbein also edited the exhibit and wrote several of the biographical pieces, while Switzer wrote the majority of the rest.

One of the more compelling factoids exhibited is the disproportionate participation of Alberta Jews in the Second World War. One in 10 Calgary Jews fought against the Nazis with the Canadian Armed Forces. No other people in Canada boasted a higher percentage of participation at that time.

The exhibit also features Alberta Jews who have reached nation-wide acclaim in business, education, music, performing arts, medicine or politics. Perhaps the hardest task that organizers faced was the selection process. Joffe formed a committee for this purpose. Those profiled include 16 members of the Order of Canada – an award that is the source of fierce pride in the Alberta Jewish community.

“Some amazing people and stories are not represented here,” Fischbein said with regret. “We couldn’t. The exhibit wasn’t supposed to be exhaustive because the space was limited.” The original material, plus some new stories that trickled in later, are included in the book A Joyful Harvest, published by the society in 2007.

After the launch in Calgary, the exhibit traveled throughout Alberta and, everywhere, people came up with new stories. Visitors shared family legends and old photos with the historical society, providing a wealth of new material for future programs and exhibitions.

“I felt inspired and grateful to work on this exhibit,” Fischbein said. “Sometimes we forget our history in our everyday life ... if we don’t write it down, it disappears.”

Bill Gruenthal, then president of the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia, saw the exhibit in late 2006, while on a visit to Calgary. “I was impressed,” he remembered. “It was like a virtual tour of the history of Alberta Jews. I recognized many names. Some of those people moved to B.C. later, or have family here.” When he returned to Vancouver, Gruenthal urged the museum’s board of directors to bring the exhibit here.

At the time, the local society was busy organizing its fledgling museum. Laura Moodie, executive director of the museum, knew the time would be right eventually: “I knew this exhibit would fit our mandate. The tie is here. Many people from Alberta live or have relatives in British Columbia, but we couldn’t do it before now. We had several other exhibits already planned and we needed the gallery space. The exhibit is too big for our regular museum on the third floor, and the gallery is only available to us one month a year. This summer was the first opportunity to bring this exhibit to Vancouver.”

A Joyful Harvest is at the Zack Gallery until Aug. 31.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She is available for contract work. Contact her at [email protected].

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