Memorandum
1 image
- Held by
- Montreal Holocaust Museum via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
- Dates
- November 11, 1942 (indexed as 1942)
- Level
- item
- Scope & content
- Legal format page entitled memorandum, for holes punched in center parallel creases. Addressed to Isaac Isselbacher to inform him of the regulations for released refugees from Canadian refugee camps. Narrative: Isaac Herbert Isselbacher was born 1919-11-20 in Isselbach, Germany. His brother was Helmut Isselbacher, born 1921-12-20. Their father was Jacob Isselbacher, born 1883-08-05. They had an uncle and aunt, David and Betty Loewenstein, who lived in New York City with their two children. Isaac left Germany on 1939-07-29, hoping to join his relatives in NYC. He only had the time to get to London, England before the war broke out and started working in a factory. He was arrested at his workplace as an ‘enemy alien’ and sent to Canada for internment in 1940. Isaac was interned in Camp N in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was drafted into the Works Program Division for woodworking and net-making. In 1940, he received a last letter from his parents which suggested their imminent deportation. After his release, circa November 1942, Isaac worked as a locksmith. He married Fanny Azeff on 1943-12-26 at the Bnai Jacob synagogue in Montreal. Fanny was born on 1921-12-23 in Canada, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Azeff. Isaac was naturalized as a Canadian citizen on 1946-06-08. Fanny was naturalized on 1946-08-30 (she had lost her citizenship by marrying Isaac). Isaac’s brother, Helmut Isselbacher, was deported with Transport XXII A from Dossin casern in Mechelen (Malines), Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland on 1943-09-20. Of the 2,450 people on the transport, 100 men were selected to work –including Helmut- and the remainder prisoners were gassed. Helmut was made to work as a welder, and was soon fitting new pipes for the gas chamber. He suffered a nervous breakdown as a result. As he was a valued welder, he was transferred to a labour camp in Upper Silesia (Poland) where he remained for two years. As the Russian army advanced, the 6,000 prisoners of this camp were evacuated by train. Helmut remembered being forced to march as the other prisoners died from exhaustion. When liberation was announced, the survivors travelled by ship from Luebeck, Germany, to Sweden with the aid of the Red Cross. After recovery, Helmut decided to remain in Sweden as a welder. Upon learning of his brother’s survival, Helmut travelled to New York in April 1946 to meet with him and their Loewenstein relatives. Afterwards, Helmut travelled to Canada bringing with him a washing machine and bras as late wedding presents for his brother and Fanny. By 1946-08-12, their parents were presumed dead and the two sons inquired into their estate. They received a deed for the land and travelled to the estate to discover that the current owner of their house was their old maid and her son had become the town mayor. Various disputes arose with the current ‘owners’ who believed the Isselbacher family dead. Isaac wished to discuss a settlement, but the mayor’s mother –not realizing Fanny understood German- called the neighbours at work to warn them not to come home as the Isselbacher sons had resurfaced. Payment for the land had reportedly been sent to Israel, though no documentation could be provided.
- In the picture
- DocumentGovernmentImmigrationLetterheadMemoMilitary CampSignatureStampTypewrittenTagged automatically by a vision model; may contain mistakes.
- Location
No place found in this description yet.
Where
More details
- Extent
- Memorandum : Paper : Typewritten : Ink : Blue, black ; Ht: 36 cm x W: 22 cm
- Genre / form
- textual record
- Format
- Document
- Text in the image
- MEMORANDUMWest Block, Wellington St.,OTTAWA, November 11th, 1942.(R. S. W. FULDMAN) Lt.-Col.,Commissioner of Refugee Camps.(B. S. W. Forsbrat) Lt.-Col.,I am sending you this memorandum for your guidance in connection with your release from a refugee camp, so that all misunderstandings, a few of which have already occurred, will in future be avoided.2. Refugees, so long as they remain in Canada, continue to be the general responsibility of the Commissioner of Refugee Camps, whether they are in the camps or out of them, but those out of the camps are also the responsibility of the Director of Immigration, in all matters connected with their employment or the pursuit of their studies.3. Release from the camp is for a temporary period only. It will be renewed by Immigration officials from time to time so long as refugees are careful to observe the conditions of their release and the place of their residence; failure to do this may result in the withdrawal of temporary release and return to a refugee camp. Released refugees do not obtain the status of Canadian citizens, but are regarded as friendly aliens enjoying temporary liberty in Canada.6. Refugees are not subject to the general regulations of National Selective Service and are not required to apply to a local Selective service officer before taking employment which has been arranged for them by the Director of Immigration. The Director's consent to move from one job to another is the only approval necessary.7. As there is no Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps in Canada, refugees are not eligible for enlistment in any Branch of the Armed Forces or to join any Canadian Officers' Training Corps.8. Refugees should be careful to limit their personal belongings and luggage as far as possible to a total not exceeding 150 lbs.Read automatically; may contain mistakes.
- Language
- English
- Harvested
- 2026-10-19T03:21:16Z · source datestamp n/a · andornot
Digital objects at the source
- imageOpen original at source ↗1999_1_47.jpg