Detail View: Winnipeg Jewish Renewal Oral History Collection: Interview with Elana Schachter, 29 December 2014

Collection Name: 
Winnipeg Jewish Renewal Oral History Collection
Title: 
Interview with Elana Schachter, 29 December 2014
Creator: 
Lewis, Justin Jaron, 1961-
Subject: 
Jewish renewal
Subject: 
Schachter-Shalomi, Zalman, 1924-2014
Description: 
Audio interview of Elana Schachter, born 1947, by Dr. Justin Jaron Lewis via the telephone from the interviewee's home in Safed (Tzfat) to the interviewer's office. 00:00 Interview begins with an introduction of the interviewer and interviewee, as well as location information; 00:47 Elana states she met Reb Zalman in San Francisco, although Zalman was still living in Winnipeg at the time. Elana mentions she came to Winnipeg in 1973. She was studying with Zalman at the university and was not really connected to the community; 01:57 Elana continues to talk about the time she met him in San Francisco. Zalman stayed in her house while he was visiting; 03:40 Elana asks if Justin knows [Pip?]. She continues to list other people that lived in Winnipeg and asks if Justin has talked to Caloff as well; 05:20 Elana reflects on the special things about Zalman in Winnipeg. She talks about the massive shelves of papers and books that were translations and publications. Zalman would customize a packet of readings for people and it was called “Zalmania.” She mentions the book Zalman wrote “The First Step” came out of those packets; 06:53 Elana talks about the colored tallit Zalman knitted; 09:14 Justin asks what year it was when Elana met Zalman in San Francisco. She mentions it was 1972. Justin continues to ask Elana about her background and how she ended up in Winnipeg because of Zalman. Elana states she was from Los Angeles and moved to San Francisco before she moved to Winnipeg; 16:10 Justin asks if the winters in Winnipeg were shocking to her after growing up in California; 18:38 Elana reflects on a time Zalman took her cross-country skiing; 19:50 Elana talks about her summer in Winnipeg and how Zalman was still living with [Lindsay – also known as Mary Lynn (Zalman’s second wife)] in the basement. Elana talks about all the electronics, lights, and posters in the basement; 24:29 Justin asks when the romantic relationship between Elana and Zalman started. Elana clarifies that Lindsay and Zalman were separated in 1973 and that is when Elana and Zalman got together. Justin asks Elana to recall her first impression of Zalman when she met him at the House of Love and Prayer. She recalls how open people felt with him and remembers a time she walked around the block with Zalman and talked; 28:45 Elana talks about Zalman’s love for teaching and describes his classes. She was always impressed with the scope of his classes and how he brought in perspective from different disciplines. Elana talks about how Winnipeg was not big enough for Zalman; 31:14 Elana mentions that Zalman wanted to leave in the 1970’s. Zalman received two job offers, being in Texas and Philadelphia. He took the job in Philadelphia to be closer to the East Coast; 33:40 Justin asks where Zalman was living after he left Lindsay. Elana does not know because she was not there, but mentions he was already living in an apartment by the time she moved there; 41:18 Justin asks Elana if she did a lot of traveling with him. She mentioned Zalman traveled a lot, but she did not go with him all the time; 42:10 Elana talks about Zalman’s car named “Darrel” and how the car was wired with tape recorders. She tells a story about driving him to the airport and how the break line broke. She continues to list the names of the other cars and trailers they had such as Merrily and Hugo; 47:30 Elana talks about Zalman’s use of recreational drugs and the music he listened to; 54:00 Elana talks about “Zalmania” again and how he would print and keep everything. She continues to say he was like a “one-man catalog”; 58:55 Elana’s phone disconnects and interview ends.
Contributor: 
Schachter, Elana
Date: 
2014-12-29
Type: 
Sound
Identifier: 
WinnipegElanaSchachter_29Dec2014.mp3
Identifier ARK: 
https://ark.colorado.edu/ark:/47540/x6239v5965hh
Source: 
Rabbi Zalman Schachter's Years in Winnipeg
Language: 
English
Coverage: 
Safad
Rights: 
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