This is Session 6 of 8 of the Abe Arnold interview.

Arnold begins this session speaking about his involvement with the Jewish Historical Society of Western Canada in 1968. He details his growing interest in Jewish history in Canada, receiving grants to do research on the topic, becoming involved with an expanding circle of academic colleagues through these years and reviews the topics he researched and wrote about. He describes his role as the Regional Director of the Canadian Jewish Congress in the late 1960s and celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1969. Continuing with 1969, Arnold speaks about the establishment of a Manitoba Branch of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (related to the Manitoba Human Rights Association), and about the interaction the group had with the provincial N.D.P. at the time. He details some of the research he did during the late-60s and early-1970s, and details how he contributed writing to various Jewish cultural activities and events. Arnold remembers in detail his extensive involvement in establishing a temporary exhibit for the Manitoba Museum, which resulted in the first office space for the Jewish Historical Society. He recalls some of the oral histories the exhibit included, and also the production of short films by the C.B.C. Arnold recalls his involvement with the Plenary Assembly, and writing for the Winnipeg Jewish Post, and the Canadian Jewish News in Toronto while continuing to work part time at the Historical Society (until resigning in 1975). Arnold recounts his collaborating on a book with William Kurelek. He concludes the session by describing the dissolution of the Manitoba Branch of the CCLA and the formation of an ad-hoc committee on human rights and subsequently the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties in 1978.

Session 5 of 8 of the Abe Arnold interview conducted by Nolan Reilly.

Arnold begins the session speaking about his health issues and the medical treatment of them while he was living in Vancouver. He then turns to speaking about his work at the Jewish Western Bulletin during the 1950s. He tells how he moved to Montreal in 1960 and began work as the Publicity and Public Relations Director for the Jewish Federation (later Allied Jewish Community Services), which was primarily doing editing work. Both he and his wife Bertha found better paying work in Montreal. Arnold also speaks about the special education one of his daughters required in Montreal, and working with his wife Bertha and other community members toward establishing such a class for children in their community. Arnold talks briefly about challenges his children faced during this time, one of his daughters enduring an illness, and there being not sport facilities for his son to continue his track and field, and later some difficulty with school. He recalls being hospitalized in 1961, to have a lung operation, and his wife Bertha then becoming ill with tuberculosis in 1963. Arnold continues to speak about his work writing and his involvement in politics in Montreal and becoming established in his work as the Executive Director of the Canadian Jewish Congress in Winnipeg, after moving there in [1966?]. He speaks briefly to the experiences of his children at this time, and concludes the session describing his participation in forming the Manitoba Human Rights Association in 1968.

This is session 4 of 8, of the Abe Arnold interview, including session log and transcript.

Arnold begins the session by remembering a family vacation the Arnolds took in 1953. He then discusses his work in the mid-1950s, writing columns which addressed antisemitism. He recalls the stigma of communism during these years and how that indirectly caused trouble for him in his work. Arnold details his work as the Research Chair for the Vancouver Centennial Committee (Folk Festival), and also some of the travel he did for his writing, starting the “first Jewish Archives collection” in Vancouver, and recalls the first International Festival in Vancouver in 1958. Arnold recalls his first trip to Israel in 1959. He discusses the Canadian Jewish Congress’ celebration of the bi-centennial of Jewish settlement in Canada, and being appointed Chairman of the Bi-Centennial Committee. Arnold discusses the B.C. Provincial Government’s troubles with the Doukhobors. He recalls doing a program on the C.B.C. and writing articles on human rights issues, and discusses his professional relationship with Saul Hayes (National Executive Director-Canadian Jewish Congress). Arnold recalls some of the artists he worked with while in Vancouver. He concludes the session by telling about a Quebec news writer who noted one of his articles on Jews in Canada as one of his preferred renditions of that history.

This is session 3 of 8 of the Abe Arnold interview, including session log and transcript.

Arnold begins the session by sharing the story of Abram in the Idolshop, a play he participated in as part of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association. He discusses growing into political consciousness. Arnold recalls his time living in Toronto then the move to Vancouver in 1948. Arnold recalls the work he did while in Vancouver, including detailed recollections of running the Jewish Western Bulletin, where his wife Bertha also worked. He recalls his activities and affiliations with several organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, B’nai Brith, and the Civic Unity Association (a human rights group), the U.J.P.O. and the Peretz School. He recalls the political climate in B.C. in the early 1950s, including elements of antisemitism that were apparent at the time, and the politics between Canadian Jewish organizations during this time. He recalls the purchase of their first car and house, and the birth of twin daughters all in 1951. Throughout the interview session Arnold recalls key players in organizations and politics, illustrating the relationships and interpersonal dynamics between them.

This is Session 2 of 8 of the Abe Arnold interview.

This session includes Arnold speaking about his maternal grandparents and children; father’s siblings; Jewish holidays with his family; his work from the early 1940s (Joseph Gould and Sons in Toronto); education in drafting and mechanical drawing; service in the army; the onset of his illness; involvement in the Young Communist League; first article in Volchenblatt and Modern Digest; marriage to wife Bertha in 1945; freelance work for Montreal Standard, Canadian Film Weekly; work at Anglo-Jewish News Service (1946-47); attendance at meeting of the Jewish Press Association (1946); influential leftist literature; Gouzenko Affair; political climate in Ontario through the 1940s; and his family in the 1940s.

This is the first of 8 Abe Arnold interview sessions.

This interview session (58mm 36ss) includes Arnold's early life in Montreal, his parents, and his family's circumstances living in Montreal's Jewish neighbourhoods.

This file contains all documents related to the Abe Arnold Oral History Project. It contains 55 digitized photographs, a draft of Abe Arnold's unpublished memoire chapters, Nolan Reilly's draft manuscript (based on the interview), the interview consent form, the raw unedited audio from the interview sessions, two digitized reel to reel recordings, and an inventory of all the documents archived with the project.

1 oral history interview with Abraham Arnold, conducted over 8 sessions (8h 41mm 22ss total). The interview, conducted by Nolan Reilly, is a life story interview that explores Arnold's life and career as a culturally and politically committed member of Canada’s immigrant Jewish community. The interview was conducted in Winnipeg primarily between 2006 and 2007, with one final session in January 2010, although the content relates to Arnold's time spent in various cities in Canada including Montreal, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. All interview sessions are included as parts which include recordings, transcripts and other interview documents. For other associated records see: 'Related Documents' File.

Oral history interview with Nolan Reilly interviewing Abraham Arnold in 2006–2007. The interview (8h 59mm 52ss) was conducted in Winnipeg primarily between 2006 and 2007 with a final session in January 2010.

The Interview file contains 8 individual interview sessions.

The Related Interview Documents file contains all documentation submitted with the project including digital copies of:
Unpublished Manuscript (Abe Arnold Memoire); Interviewer Notes; Newspaper Clippings; Unpublished MS (Biography by Nolan Reilly); Photographs; Transcripts for OH Forum; Archival (Unedited) Audio Files.

Fonds consists of oral history projects completed by Nolan Reilly as the Primary Investigator, or completed by students under his supervision as a Professor of History at the University of Winnipeg.