- Ottawa Jewish Archives
- Ottawa Jewish Historical Society fonds
- Rhoda Prager discusses the Cooper / Slone families
Rhoda Prager discusses the Cooper / Slone families
Description only — contact the archiveO0045
- Held by
- Ottawa Jewish Archives via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
- Dates
- September 10, 2001 (indexed as 2001)
- Level
- item
- Scope & content
- -The Sloan side of Rhodas family came to Canada in the early 1900’s. -The Cooper side had some relatives come to Pembrooke prior to World War I and the rest came to Pembrooke after the war. -When Rhoda was born her family lived at Augusta. At the age of 4 they moved to Electric Street in New Edinburgh. She remembers her neighbour Ben Goldfield, The Betchermans, Estelle Levitan, and Robin’s family grocery store. -The family then moved to 292 Clarence street so Rhoda and her brother could go to York Street Public School. -Rhoda then discusses her neighbours and a former employer who lived in Sandy Hill. Mentions Eating Disorder. -Rhoda remembers shopping at Friemans with her mother and spending Saturdays at the movies with her brother and Julie Cransberg, she says they would go to either Center Theatre, The Regent, or the Capitol. -Rhoda discusses her time at York Street School; she tells a story about Laurie Greenberg (?) standing up to the boys at the catholic school nearby as they were throwing snowballs at her. -Rhoda went to Lisgar High School and during this time moved to her grandparents house on McGee Street. And she remembers this house because she remembers their first refrigerator being delivered in 1938. -During the war years she remembers her mother forming a knitting club to knit for the Red Cross. She talks about learning to knit and sending scarves overseas to help soldiers. She discusses how this is something she kept up with and later in life sent scarves to Israeli soldiers, knitting baby blankets for the civic hospital, and sweaters and afghans for her grandkids. -Rhoda spent lots of her social time growing up playing tennis at Tel Aviv Tennis Club, she talks about the social aspect. -Rhoda tells a story about the delivery boy from Rideau Bakery, and her memories of roller blading to the Rideau Bakery to pick up bread for her family. -She has very fond memories of her mother cooking in the kitchen and selling the food they grew in the garden. She talks about her mother having beautiful gardens at their house on Electric Street. -She remembers the garden at the house on McGee Street because they grew strawberries and she had some every morning. -Rhoda discusses how growing up she never realized how poor her family was, her parents always made sure to have food in the house and her mother was an avid canner so they ate canned food all through the winter. -Rhoda talks about Zeydeh Sloan who she spent lots of time with growing up. She never went to cheder because her Zeydeh taught her at home. She admired him growing up and talks about him always making money on the side through his calligraphy or by teaching diplomats children yiddish. -Rhoda went to Camp B’nai Brith in the summers. -During the war years she was in high school. She talks about rationing and seeing her mother help people label packages being sent overseas. She also recalls the boys breakfast club on sundays. -Rhoda then discusses her life in Pembroke. Rhoda married Newt Prager in 1950 and they had 3 children together, all born in Ottawa. Betsy in 1953 and Jonie and Margo in 1957. Shortly after the twins were born they moved to Pembroke. Rhoda talks about the jewish community in Pembroke and the opening of the synagogue there. -She recalls her and her husband being very active in the community and her spending a lot of time with her friends and her bridge group. -Rhoda used to throw many house parties and talks about throwing big parties for her daughters weddings. She talks about cooking for the parties and her favorite recipes. -Rhoda also volunteered with the auxiliary club at the hospital. SHe says she loved her work in palliative care. -Rhoda’s first daughter Betsy got married in 1980 and was the first jewish girl married in the Pembroke synagogue. -in 1993 Newt passed away and Rhoda moved back to Ottawa. -RHoda talks about her daughters marriages, divorces, children, and their new marriages. Betsy now lives in Nova Scotia with her second husband and Jonie lives in Maryland. -Rhoda talks about joining Agudath Israel when she returned to Ottawa. She now works with an organization bringing gifts and celebrating jewish holidays in long term care homes. -Rhoda now spends most of her time either in Florida, or visiting her daughters in Nova Scotia and Maryland. END OF TAPE ***tape abruptly cuts out at end of interview***
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- 2026-10-17T20:12:50Z · source datestamp n/a · cjhn