- Ottawa Jewish Archives
- Ottawa Jewish Historical Society fonds
- An address on the Kravetz Family and Talmud Torah
An address on the Kravetz Family and Talmud Torah
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- Held by
- Ottawa Jewish Archives via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
- Dates
- June 14, 1999 (indexed as 1999)
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- item
- Scope & content
- Subject: Aviva Freedman and her Parents Interviewer: N/A Date: June 14, 1999 Interview Location: Ottawa, ON Length of Time: 47:12 -Aviva Freedman was born in Ottawa to Rose and Rabbi Boruch Kravetz. In her introduction Rose and Boruch are introduced as important members of the Ottawa Jewish community and the educational philosophy of the Talmud Torah and Hillel Academy. -After Rabbi Kravetz’s untimely death His wife Rose and Aviva moved to Montreal where Rose finished high school and went on to complete an Bachelor of the Arts, a Masters, and a Doctorate. -After she married Jack Freedman they spent some time living in Boston before returning to Ottawa in the mid 1970’s where they have remained since then. -Aviva is an active member of the jewish community in Ottawa. -Aviva begins her talk with her parents early life in Bialystok Poland. Both of her parents were born in Bialystok and came from very different backgrounds. Her father came from a poor but well educated family. While her mother came from a wealthy family. -Despite this difference in upbringing the two shared an outlook on wealth, they saw little value in money and focused on an educated and ethical life. -Aviva then focuses on the unique environment Bialystok created; it was a community of orthodox, zionist, and feminism that melded into a progressive jewish community. She also discusses the progressive educational system there; they adopted North American innovations and had “hebrew immersion” where both religious and secular classes were taught in hebrew. -Aviva then touches on her father's early education, as well as his experience in the first class of a yeshiva university in Poland. Her mother was also very educated and trained as a pharmacist in Poland. -Unfortunately, when the Kravetz’s arrived in Canada they came to Quebec where women were unable to be pharmacists so she changed her career path; however, once they moved to Ontario, where women could be pharmacists, she never learnt of this policy change and did not return to her career. -Aviva then touches on her mothers struggle upon coming to Canada; Bialoystok was a progressive and feminist community and North America did not have the dame ideals when they arrived in 1938. -Rabbi Kravetz was made principal of the Talmud Torah when he arrived in Ottawa. He was well regarded in the community as an inspiring teacher and an advocate of educational philosophy. -Aviva then recalls a story of her mother and her traveling to Israel in the 1960’s where they met a relative of her father, they reminisced on his spirited youth and passions. -An important part of Rabbi Kravetz’s stance on education was the relationship between student and teacher. Aviva describes the description of this relationship in the Talmud and how it influenced her own teaching as well. She then discusses how many of his past students have reached out to her with stories of her father and how he inspired them. She also mentions how her parents had such a love for education that they constantly opened their home to students. -From 1945 to 1948 her father founded the Hillel Academy. Aviva recalls how her father experienced resistance in the community due to cost and fear of isolating young jewish students. -Aviva then mentions how her father came to North America already with a respect for North American philosophy and education and used this to influence the Talmud Torah and Hillel. He focused on inspiring students and using education as its own reward, he also banned corporal punishment and worked to inspire the teachers withe ducational philosphy. -Rabbi Kravetz educational philosophy was to strengthen identity and build the jewish community rather than trying to blend into the community. -Aviva speaks on her recollections of her mother; Rose was an active member of many jewish organizations and Aviva remembers her mom going from tea to tea all the time. She speaks on the many friends the Kravetz’s had in the community; some of which include the Shapiros, Lobes, Kissels, and the Goldbergs. -To conclude Aviva talks of her fathers zest for life; his love of the outdoors, swimming, learning, good food, and of comedy. She expresses this through a story of her father swimming at summer camp. -The talk is concluded with a comment from the audience. END OF TAPE
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- 2026-10-17T20:12:50Z · source datestamp n/a · cjhn