COLLECTION NAME:
Winnipeg Jewish Renewal Oral History Collection
Record
Collection Name:
Winnipeg Jewish Renewal Oral History Collection
Title:
Interview with Shalom Schachter, 3 January 2017
Creator:
Lewis, Justin Jaron, 1961-
Subject:
Jewish renewal
Subject:
Schachter-Shalomi, Zalman, 1924-2014
Description:
Audio interview of Rabbi Shalom Schachter, son of Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and born in 1948. Interview conducted by Dr. Justin Jaron Lewis via Skype from Winnipeg to Toronto. 00:00 Interview begins with an introduction of the interviewer and interviewee, as well as location information; 00:55 Rabbi Shalom begins the interview with a song to remember his father. He continues to talk about his father’s beliefs that all beings on the planet are one; 04:40 Justin asks Rabbi Shalom to tell more about his family’s history and his father’s background. He begins by talking about how he got his name; 06:28 Rabbi Shalom talks about his father receiving his PhD in 1956. He talks about his father’s daily schedule and how Zalman would meet members of his congregation at their homes before his service. He continues to explain why the family ended up moving to Winnipeg in 1956; 09:50 Rabbi Shalom talks about the differences between the south end and the north end of Winnipeg and the location of his family home; 11:00 Rabbi Shalom talks about his father’s position as a Rabbi in Winnipeg. He also talks about his experience as a child growing up in Winnipeg and learning Hebrew curriculum; 14:44 Rabbi Shalom talks about his experience at Camp of the Lake while his father was a Rabbi there. He talks about being the oldest boy in the house and the responsibilities he had in the family. He remembers preparing meat for cooking and his fear of dogs; 20:40 Rabbi Shalom talks about a memory of his father related to Pesach, or Passover; 23:00 Rabbi Shalom talks about his father’s experiences traveling to Calgary, Texas, and Israel; 24:20 Rabbi Shalom talks about his experience being a rabbi’s son. He states he had no friends and had many responsibilities growing up. He talks about the “preachers kids self-help group” that he made with other children in Toronto; 25:30 Rabbi Shalom remembers another story related to his bar mitzvah; 30:05 Rabbi Shalom tells a story about the colored tallit; 35:00 Rabbi Shalom talks about how cold Winnipeg was. He talks about how him and his sister left Winnipeg to pursue their studies; 37:00 Rabbi Shalom talks about the trips his father and him would take. He mentions that on the way they would pick up his father’s secretary who helped him with his dissertation, Mary Lynn Patterson; 43:00 Rabbi Shalom talks about his parents’ divorce in 1968. He said his parents waited to separate until his youngest sister turned 13; 44:17 Rabbi Shalom talks about his father’s decision to live in the north end. He mentions that the north-end’s working class was better. He continues to talk about the election and Nixon and how the family needed to support democrats; 48:50 Rabbi Shalom mentions a few of the conflicts his father encountered with the Jewish community while living in Winnipeg. The first conflict being the divorce that shocked the community. Some people also felt uncomfortable with his father’s innovative practices and drug use and felt him and his family were not Jewish enough; 49:36 Rabbi Shalom talks about an event that happened to his father after Zalman returned to Winnipeg after his sabbatical. He also talks about the first job opportunity he was offered after his studies; 52:55 Rabbi Shalom shares another story of his father’s last few years in Winnipeg. The story talks about a time Zalman and his students were hassled at the United States/Canadian border and they were able to get through because an employee at the border knew Rabbi Shalom; 54:40 Rabbi Shalom states that the one thing that he remembers which became harder for his father was celebrating Passover; 55:05 Rabbi Shalom talks about the unique time Zalman received an invitation from [Sharon Cedick?] because she never invited him to anything during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s while he was living there; 56:14 Rabbi Shalom states that his father was an active parent and the kids felt love from their father. They also appreciated the half siblings that resulted from Zalman’s second marriage; 58:16 Justin asks Shalom what the decision process was like regarding which parent the kids would stay with after the divorce. Shalom states that the kids were at different ages with different needs. The two youngest kids stayed with their mother and the older kids wanted to stay with their father but were advised to stay with their mother. He continues to talk about the reasons why his parents separated; 01:05:44 Justin asks if Shalom was aware of the different attitudes felt of Zalman from the Jewish community while he was growing up there; 01:07:30 Justin asks if Zalman was working on the concept of Jewish renewal while her was still living in Winnipeg; 01:11:45 Justin asks Shalom if Zalman had any self-doubt about the spiritual teachings he practiced; 01:14:18 Justin asks Shalom what languages were spoken in his home growing up; 01:19:15 Justin asks Shalom if he has any recollections of Zalman’s siblings, or his aunts and uncle; 01:23:00 Justin asks Shalom to elaborate on the way his father dressed; 01:27:00 Justin thanks Shalom for his participation in the interview.
Contributor:
Schachter, Shalom
Date:
2017-01-03
Type:
Sound
Identifier:
WinnipegShalomSchachterJan032017.MP3
Source:
Rabbi Zalman Schachter's Years in Winnipeg
Language:
English
Coverage:
Toronto
Rights:
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