TRANSCRIPTInterview of B. Scheaffer and J. Atkins by R. Ormerod Sept 26, 2003
B. Scheaffer That is very true; you know the Jewish community in Kirkland Lake was really, very, I can even use the word influential. I do not think you walked down the street, Joe, without every store, every second store, being Jewish. When it came to Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kipper, I think the town closed down - because every store was closed. Is that not right?
J. Atkins: Well those who. . .
B. Scheaffer: There were no Jews who did not close.
J. Atkins: At that time, in small communities everywhere, our most holiest days of the year, those people who had Jewish businesses or Jewish-owned business, generally closed their stores, ok, and that was Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kipper, the day of atonement and those are the most important days.
B. Scheaffer Apart from . . . the main storekeepers in town were primarily men's wear, ladies' wear, jewellery . . . the theatre business was family owned. Do you remember anybody else, remember Mr. Brown was the shoemaker. . .
F. Scheaffer: Mr. Jacks the furrier.
B. Scheaffer: The furrier, but basically it was ladies' and men's' wear was it not Joe?
J. Atkins:Ya
B. Scheaffer But we did have professionals also. We had dentists, Dr Roodman - we had doctors, Dr. Montagnice.
J. Atkins:Henry Montagnice was no doctor.
B. Scheaffer: He vaccinated me?
J. Atkins:Henry Montagnice sold equipment for the theatres.
B. Scheaffer: Oh, then who was it, there was other doctor, oh there was somebody else. There was a Jewish doctor . . .yes
J. Atkins:Doctor Magduire
B. Scheaffer: Magduire not Montagnice - Oh I'm sorry I am wrong, Thank you for correcting me there. My father always used to say that when the Jewish professionals moved out that was the beginning of the dying of the town. |
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