Archives West Finding Aid
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Oral history interview with Abe Polik, 1973
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Polik, Abe
- Title
- Oral history interview with Abe Polik
- Dates
- 1973 (inclusive)19731973
- Quantity
- 2 sound cassettes (1.5 hours)
- Collection Number
- 2190 (Accession No. 2190-001)
- Summary
- Tape recorded interview of a Ukrainian immigrant discussing his education, chaos during the civil war and his immigration to Seattle
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Open to all users.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Mr. Polik was born in Bogushovka, Ukraine. His father was a wealthy merchant in the fruit business.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Tape-recorded interview conducted by Meta Kaplan and Fannie Roberts in Oct. 1973 and covering the years 1904-1940.
Mr. Polik discusses his education at Yishiva (studied with Bialih, Ahad Ha'am) in Odessa. During the revolution, his family moved to Slislitk because they thought it would be safer to be in the city with more Jews. He describes the chaos of the civil war years and the narrowing alternatives in business during the period 1917-1921. He escaped through Bessarabia to Eastern Canada with the help of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (ICA) then went on to Vancouver where he worked for the Tothstein brothers. In 1926, Morris Polik immigrated to Seattle while the other Polik brothers worked as harvesters in Alberta. Later, Abe was a cutter in Regina. He also raveled to Winnipeg where he contemplated partnership with a Romanian friend, Max Barrack, but plans failed so he moved to Saskatchewan where he worked as a Hebrew tutor and salesman. He later started his own store in Margo, Saskatchewan. He also describes trading with the farming community.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Listen to the audio recording of this interview on the Libraries Digital Collections site.
Restrictions on Use
Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Jews--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Jews--Washington (State)--Seattle--Interviews
Personal Names
- Polik, Abe--Interviews
Corporate Names
- Jewish Archives (University of Washington)
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
