Papineau
 

People
       					 
Roffman

I received this e-mail from Harvey Berger, July 28, 2008.

"My name is Harvey. I'm 75. My mother had and aunt & uncle - Mima Tuba and feter Leib who lived
on Marquette. Their family name was Roffman.  Feter Leib operated a  'candy store' and small grocery
on a corner there and lived upstairs with their son Moe amd daughters Fanny and Molly.
As a  kid I'd accompany my Mom on the yellow Beaubien electric but from Fairmount and St. Viateur
to that store on Marquette Street. I had also heard about the 2 shules from my dear friend Irwin Browns
whose late father Maurice Browns grew up in Papineau.I thought at the time it was a remote corner of
the city for Jews to be living in; I grew up on Hutchison and Fairmount. I think it was a very modest life
they lived with Feter Leib trying to eke out a living selling sticks of gum and liquorice and some canned
goods. He always wore a bowler hat, a striped shirt and a tie with an apron tied around  his waist. He
was a very gentle man who seemed to me better suited to some other livelihood. Moe served in the Can.
army. I don't recall what he did after the war. Fanny & Molly both married. I commend your efforts. I recall
the "musical" staged at the Bronfman centre - "Papinu" it was called because that was how these Yiddish-
speaking Montrealers referred to that neighbourhood.
Good luck Harvey Berger"



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