- Ottawa Jewish Archives
- Ottawa Jewish Historical Society fonds
- Interview with Dorothy Polisky Browns
Interview with Dorothy Polisky Browns
Description only — contact the archive8
- Held by
- Ottawa Jewish Archives via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
- Dates
- May 9, 2005 (indexed as 2005)
- Level
- item
- Scope & content
- Subject: Dorothy Brown and the Politsky Family Date: May 9, 2005 Interview Location: Ottawa, ON Length of Time: 47:42 -Dorothy’s father was Samuel Politsky and her mother was Katie Politsky. They both arrived in Canada in 1913 from Russia. Dorothy’s sister was born in 1911 and Dorothy was born in 1925. -Samuel was a pressman, he had been trained in Russia and worked for the government in Ottawa. Dorothy recalls never wanting for anything but knowing the family had to be careful in regards to their spending. -The family lived on Clarence Street in a double apartment. -Dorothy attended York Street Public School and then Lisgar Collegiate. She discusses her parents' involvement in her school and the community. She discusses how her parents were labeled bundists by the community as they were members of the Jewish Labor Bund in Ottawa. -While the family did not attend shul often, Dorothy’s mother decided it was necessary for them to learn yiddish. -Dorothy then speaks of her own involvement in the Zionism movement. Katie had a history with the zionist movement and fostered in her daughters a desire to elarn and to work in the movement. Dorothy became involved after joining a Saturday night discussion group which inspired her and got her interested in zionism. -Dorothy then speaks of her fathers involvement with a camp. While she does not mention the name of the camp she recalls going there one summer and remembering her father as a leader at the camp. -Dorothy’s family was close friends with the Goldstein’s in Ottawa and she recalls being close with the children. -Dorothy then discusses her move to Israel. She moved there with her husband Morris in 1947 and lived there for a few years. She speaks of the long ship ride to Israel and how some of the people she went with did not end up getting off the boat due to fear and danger. -She recalls a Dr. Noni (?) who not only taught her hebrew but was a member of the Labor Zionist group with her. -Dorothy discusses her house on Clarence Street and the jewish community in Ottawa, she says the community stuck together and supported each other. She recalls her mother assisting a jewish widow after her husband passed. -Dorothy was not very observant growing up, however once she had her own children she became observant again. This was especially important when her children went to Hillel Academy. -Dorothy discusses how the group in Ottawa would prepare for a move to Israel. There was a lot of education; there were dances taught to each person, lectures, and hebrew lessons. Dorothy also mention that Ottawa was very religious and was not a great community for the zionist movement. -Dorothy recalls VE Day in 1944. She was in New York City when the war ended, she was taking a medical assistant course, and she graduated in 1944. -Dorothy is then asked about anti-semitism she experienced; Dorothy recalls the taunting and pushing she recieved from the boys at the Catholic school across from York Street Public School. She also tells a story about her mother applying for a job and being told they do not hire jewish people. For this reason she is very thankful to the Freidman’s and their businesses in Ottawa. -Dorothy then discusses her husband Morris’s family. His family came here from Russia very early. She also discusses Morris’s fathers unfortunate death in a motor vehicle and train collision. END OF INTERVIEW The interview was only recorded on side A of the tape and cuts off after the space on side A ran out
- Location
No place found in this description yet.
Where
More details
- Genre / form
- sound recording
- Format
- Audio
- Language
- English
- Harvested
- 2026-10-17T20:12:50Z · source datestamp n/a · cjhn