TRANSCRIPT

Interview with F. Schaeffer by S. Speisman July 11, 1980

S. Speisman: Now these . . .one thing about Kirkland Lake is it had, it was able to hold on to its Rabbi longer than anybody else - right because Rabbi Rabinovitch was?

F. Schaeffer: They had a great deal of trouble - there was a disaster early on. They hired a Rabbi and his name came up somewhere again, who deserted them, went to Ottawa in Rosh HaShanah. Somebody went and he died fairly very recently. They hired somebody . . . there again, you would have to find out and I am sure it is not that difficult. Some where in the early thirties, they brought over from Russia a Rabbi Rabinovitch. I don't even know his first . . .Is it Israel?

S. Speisman: I don't remember what this name was.

F. Schaeffer: Who apparently, by the time I got up North had passed away. His children, maybe his widow still live in Detroit. Apparently, he was quite a distinguished, learned Rabbi. Why he stayed in Kirkland Lake for so many years; I really do not know, because as I understand it the congregation was not all that nice to him either. But, he stayed there and he certainty was, was a rock for the community.

And then after, after Rabinovitch there were Rabbis until but 1968, but I do not think anyone ever stayed more than a year or two - It was . . . It was a dead end there. The last rabbi was circa '67, '68. Incidentally, he was not a rabbi he was only a melamed who was looking for a job. Because he taught my kids who had nothing to do in the summer. Anyway. Neither had, my kids had nothing to do and he had nothing to do - so he took my kids and gave them their first Hebrew lessons. His name was Winternitz. And my wife and his family still exchange Rosh HaShanah cards.