- Ottawa Jewish Archives
- Ottawa Jewish Historical Society fonds
- Interview with Doris (Cohen) Edelstein
Interview with Doris (Cohen) Edelstein
itemNovember 8, 2000O0045
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- Ottawa Jewish Archives via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
- Dates
- November 8, 2000 (indexed as 2000)
- Level
- item
- Scope & content
- Subject: Doris Cohen Edelstein: A Canadian War Bride Interviewer: Sylvia Kershman Date: December 1, 2000 Interview Location: Ottawa, ON Length of Time: 32:02 -Doris was born March 11, 1925 in London England to Daniel Strema and Rachel Bernstein. -Daniel was a natural born salesman, an amateur boxer in his youth, and had a fascination with law. He moved to New York prior to Dori’s birth to make a name for himself; he stayed for 3 years before Rachel called him home to get married. -Rachel and Daniel were married in May of 1924. -Doris recalls her mother being beautiful, funny, a great piano player, and a wonderful mother. -Doris speaks of her childhood in London and seeing shows in the West End. -In 1933 her brother Dennis was born. -In 1937 Doris’s mother Rachel passed away of pneumonia when Doris was only 11. She recalls her father then moving them closer to his family and having to switch schools. She recalls struggling with the transition. The family had trouble finding good household staff so Doris taught herself to cook and clean. -Doris discusses the political climate in 1939; she recalls being the only jewish girl in her school and experiencing anti-semitism. She was put in Coventry which meant no one in the class was allowed to talk to her. -she has vivid memories of walking to school on September 1st 1939 with a suitcase and gas mask. Her brother and her were evacuated to Kettering and lived with a very nice family in a large house. She remembers the head of the house Mr. Cross, she also mentions how lucky she was for her experience and talks about some children who did not get as lucky with the families that took them in. -In Kettering Doris and her friends started a club called The 40 Club. they rented an attic, bought records, and would host dances with 40 people. -In 1942 at the age of 16 she returned to London and worked as a secretary. She recalls the bombings and the buildign next to her being hit directly, taking the wall and window off of her apartment and covering her with glass. -In January 1943 she met her future husband, Phillip Cohen. They were introduced by mutual friends when he arrived in London from Canada. He was a Canadian Air Force Officer and they began dating immediately. They wrote letters daily from 1943 to 1946 and she still has a full suitcase of handwritten letters. -Phillip Cohen was born in Montreal in 1916 and had 6 brothers and sisters. Doris recalls Phillip as quiet, gentle, and having a wonderful laugh. -Doris speaks of her fathers close bond with Phillip and his ability to get extra rations and treats for both Philip and Dennis. -On March 17 1943 Phillip proposed to Doris; however she said no as she felt she was too young and they continued to date. -Doris recalls the bombings on London once the Germans started usign V-1’s and V-2’s. There was an intense terror as they were so deadly. She later learned Phillip was part of the radar team tracking those bombers and striking them down before they got to London. -At the end of 1943 Phillip and Doris wanted to be engaged. In December they told her father they were engaged and he was upset as he did not want her to leave and Phillip had not asked permission to marry her. He eventually came around on the condition they wait a year to marry. -During this time Doris’s father began seeing a woman who eventually became Doris’s step mother. She recalls how loving and wonderful her step mother was to them. This helped calm Doris’s nerves about leaving her brother and father in London. -In 1944 she recalls the bombings in the night and running to a shelter with her weddign dress in hand. -Doris and Phillip were married September 4, 1944. The Rabbi flew in from Ireland and the reception took place at the Rembrandt Hotel and the couple honeymooned in Wales. -Doris recalls celebrating the end of the war in 1945 and Phillip leaving for Canada. -Doris left for Canada March 14, 1946. She recalls arriving in Halifax, taking a train with the rest of the war brides, and being shocked at how big and empty Canada was. -Doris speaks of the warmth she received from Phillip’s family on her arrival. Phillip's brother Abe rented a 1 bedroom apartment to them in Sandy Hill. here they had 2 of their 4 children and stayed until 1952 when they moved to a larger house in Sandy Hill. -Doris joined the National Council of Jewish Women. Doris speaks of deciding Canada was her home and integrating into the community. She touches on the very different war experiences of Europe versus Canada. -Doris speaks of her life in Ottawa; seeing artists, restaurants, and the Gatineau Club. -Phillip’s proudest career moment was when he represented Canada at a labour conference in Geneva in the 1950’s. The whole family moved to Geneva for a year during this time. -Doris recalls her first pregnancy in 1946 when she was also diagnosed with tuberculosis. She spent months in bed during this time as Phillip took care of them both. -In 1971 Phillip passed away unexpectedly. -In 1979 Doris remarried Nat Edelstein. The couple realized after getting married that they had met previously; in London Phillip had introduced his new fiancee to a fellow Canadian officer from Ottawa, that man turned out to be Nat Edelstein. END OF TAPE 1. A second cassette tape was donated by Sylvia Kershman in March 2015. The second cassette is dated December 1, 2000. 2.At the time of the interview Doris was living at 85 Range road appartment 7 in Ottawa. She reads an account of her life which she wrote. 3. Doris Edelstien was a war-bride. (war bride)
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- Genre / form
- sound recording
- Format
- Audio
- Harvested
- 2026-10-17T20:12:50Z · source datestamp n/a · cjhn