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![Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023 thumbnail](/media/Hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_001.JPG?width=280)
Interview with Shirley Cohn
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19597
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Series
- Museum Oral Histories series
- Subseries
- Many Voices Project Interviews subseries
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 2 sound recordings (wav) (16 min., 57 sec.) (50 min., 36 sec.) + 1 sound recording (mp3) (50 min., 36 sec.)
- Material Details
- Interviewer: Eric Damer Interviewee: Shirley Cohn Location of Interviews: Burnaby Village Museum Interview Dates: April 14, 2023 and September 6, 2023 Total Number of Tracks: 2 Total Length of all Tracks: 67 min., 33 sec. Digital master recording (wav) recording of second interview (50 min., 36 sec.) was converted to mp3 for access on Heritage Burnaby
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two recordings of oral history interviews with Shirley Cohn conducted by Burnaby Village Museum Registrar and Researcher, Eric Damer. The first interview was conducted on April 14, 2023 and the second interview was conducted on September 6, 2023. Summary of interview conducted on September 6, 2023: 0:00 – 16:09 Shirley Cohn shares background information about her parents who immigrated to Detroit from Hungary in the 1930’s. Shirley recalls what it was like for her parents being Jewish during World War II and how many of their relations were killed in the Holocaust. Shirley talks about her Jewish Hungarian heritage, what it was like growing up in Detroit, the Jewish community in Detroit and the Jewish holidays and traditions that her family celebrated. Shirley recalls her high school and University education and experiences, starting her career in social work and how she met her future husband, Theodore “Ted” Cohn. 16:10 – 18:27 Shirley shares the story about her father in law, Dr. Daniel E. Cohn who was Harry Houdini’s doctor at the time of his death in Detroit on Oct. 31, 1926. Shirley explains that she donated some of Dr. Daniel E. Cohn’s original documents pertaining to this event to the New York Public Library. 18:28 – 26:04 Shirley describes her experiences living and working in London Ontario while her husband was a professor at University of Western Ontario and Shirley worked as a social worker in family services. Shirley recalls experiences of anti-Semitism while living in London. Shirley talks about moving to Burnaby in 1977 after her husband took a job as a professor at Simon Fraser University. Shirley describes her experiences living in Burnaby, raising a family and working as a social worker at Burnaby General Hospital. 26:05 – 26:18 Shirley talks about her interests outside of work, her family’s involvement in the Burquest Jewish Community Association and being a member of Temple Shalom. Shirley conveys information about other Jewish synagogues in Greater Vancouver, describes Reform Judaism at Temple Shalom and some Jewish cultural practices that her family has been involved with. 26:19 – 33:12 Shirley describes her family’s experiences living in the Garden Village nieghbourhood in Burnaby, her involvement sharing Jewish cultural traditions at her children’s school and recalls her children’s experiences attending school in Burnaby. 33:13 – 40:46 Shirley conveys the career paths that her children took and talks about what she likes about living in Burnaby including; the walking and hiking trails, the cultural and art performances and her involvement in local politics. Shirley talks about her and her husband’s involvement in the SFU retirees association and the SFURA walking and hiking group. Shirley reflects on her husband’s academic career, experiences teaching at SFU and the role of the Hillel Jewish Students Association at the Simon Fraser University. Shirley talks about the difficulties of discussing political views about the State of Israel. Shirley describes some traditional Jewish foods, the roles that they play and a local bakery that carries Jewish bake goods. 40:47 – 50:36 Shirley describes her current daily life in Burnaby; working one day a week as a social worker, gardening, her involvement at Temple Shalom and the Jewish Community Centre and how she travels in Burnaby. Shirley recalls the changes that she’s encountered in Burnaby and in her career over the years, shares a story about her husband losing his thesis and describes what Burnaby was like while she was raising her family. Shirley shares what she thinks about the areas of development in Burnaby and conveys the importance of having parks and affordable housing. In closing, Shirley reflects on what is like to be a Jewish person living in Burnaby.
- History
- Interviewee biography: Shirley Tanner was born in Detroit in 1947. Her parents were both Jewish. Her mother fled Hungary as a refugee in 1939, while her father emigrated from there in 1934. Shirley attended public schools in Detroit, and then studied social work at the University of Michigan. After marriage, Shirley and Ted Cohn moved to Ontario where Ted had a faculty appointment at the University of Western Ontario in political science. Six years later they moved to Burnaby for Ted’s teaching position in political science at Simon Fraser University. While living in Burnaby, Shirley took care of a growing family while also practicing social work, mainly at Burnaby Hospital. The family enjoyed Burnaby’s libraries and parks. Shirley helped out at her children’s schools, became a Block Watch captain, and the family joined Burquest Jewish Community Association. The Cohns later became members of Temple Sholom Synagogue in Vancouver, while remaining in Burnaby. Beginning in 2009, Ted started an informal hiking group for retired Simon Fraser University staff. This group has been open to others, so now has a wide variety of members. Shirley has also helped lead hikes in the region. Interviewer biography: Eric Damer is a Burnaby Village Museum Interpreter, Museum Registrar, Researcher and Blacksmith. Eric pounded hot steel for the first time in 1977 in junior high. Fifteen years later, he joined Burnaby Village Museum where he has smithed for three decades. He also provides historical research for museum exhibits and special projects. Outside the museum, Eric is a social historian with a special interest in educational history.
- Creator
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Subjects
- Education
- Recreational Activities - Hiking
- Organizations
- Organizations - Societies and Clubs
- Migration
- Persons - Jewish Canadians
- Religions - Judaism
- Social Issues - Racism
- Social Issues
- Wars - World War, 1939-1945
- Names
- Cohn, Dr. Daniel E.
- Cohn, Shirley
- Cohn, Theodore H. "Ted"
- Burquest
- Hillel Jewish Students Association
- Simon Fraser University
- SFURA walking and hiking group
- Simon Fraser University Retirees Association "SFURA"
- Temple Shalom
- Responsibility
- Damer, Eric
- Accession Code
- BV023.16.1
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
- Media Type
- Sound Recording
- Notes
- Title based on contents of file
- Summary, recording and transcript of second interview available on Heritage Burnaby
Images
![Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023 thumbnail](/media/Hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_001.JPG)
Documents
Audio Tracks
Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
Interview with Shirley Cohn, [1926-2023] (interview content), interviewed 2023
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/media/hpo/_Data/_BVM_Sound_Recordings/Oral_Histories/2023_0016_0001_003.mp3Bea MacMillan file
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription5252
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1940-1970
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Girl Guides fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records + 2 photographs + emphemera
- Scope and Content
- File consists of International Guiding ephemera collected by Bea MacMillan and includes: a handwritten camp menu from July 1940; a "WAGGS / World Guiding/Girl Scouting" poster (1968); a poster of "FLAGS OF THE UNITED NATIONS"; a colour page titled "THE WHEEL OF PROGRESS" "showing the start of the M…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Girl Guides fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records + 2 photographs + emphemera
- Scope and Content
- File consists of International Guiding ephemera collected by Bea MacMillan and includes: a handwritten camp menu from July 1940; a "WAGGS / World Guiding/Girl Scouting" poster (1968); a poster of "FLAGS OF THE UNITED NATIONS"; a colour page titled "THE WHEEL OF PROGRESS" "showing the start of the Movement in Member Countries / of the World Association of Girl / Guides and Girl Scouts" (1962); six colour pages from "World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts" of "Girl Guide/Girl Scout Uniforms"; various postcards and note cards including Lady Baden Powell, "Our Cabana" in Guernavaca, Mexico, "The Long House at Tsoona, B.C.", "Siempre Listas / Guilas De El Salvador"; various graphic design cards; stickers titled "Nuestra / Cabana / Mexico", "Nuestra Cabana / Cuernavaca", "Olave House / London" and a few vinyl decals and brochures pertaining to the "World Flag" for Girl Guides/Girl Scouts; two vinyl bookmarks in honour of the Diamond Jubilee (1910 - 1970); a "Glossary of Girl Guide Terms"; a printed pamphlet from Mexico "Una Palabra a Los Padres" written in Spanish; a folder titled "Mexican Native Costumes" with colourful paper cut outs and two black and white matted photographs of "Our Chalet - Switzerland".
- Creator
- MacMillan, Bea
- Names
- Girl Guides of Canada
- Accession Code
- BV015.35.319
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- No known restrictions
- Date
- 1940-1970
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on content of file
Postcards from afar
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription98024
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1971-1972
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 12 postcards : col. ; 10.5 cm x 15 cm and smaller
- Scope and Content
- Postcards sent to the Burnaby Region Boy Scouts of Canada by Scout staff during their travels abroad. Photographs on recto of postcards depict various local and international locations including: Ontario, New Brunswick, and Alberta, Canada; France; Gilwell Park and London, England; Alaska, USA; Ca…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1971-1972
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Subseries
- Burnaby Scouts subseries
- Physical Description
- 12 postcards : col. ; 10.5 cm x 15 cm and smaller
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 631-021
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Reproduction Restriction
- Reproduce for fair dealing purposes only
- Accession Number
- BHS1994-05
- Scope and Content
- Postcards sent to the Burnaby Region Boy Scouts of Canada by Scout staff during their travels abroad. Photographs on recto of postcards depict various local and international locations including: Ontario, New Brunswick, and Alberta, Canada; France; Gilwell Park and London, England; Alaska, USA; Casablanca, Morocco; Mt. Fuji, Japan; Perthshire, Scotland; and Nairobi, Kenya.
- Subjects
- Geographic Features
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Transcribed title
- Title transcribed from label on original envelope
Images
