[DarnDirtyApe]

Also not accepted in WASPy social circles for much of the 20th century: Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Greeks, Italians, Chinese, Portuguese, Brazilians, the Irish, Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Hindus, Muslims, black people of any origin, and poor people.

I can see why someone would seek to change their identity in the search for a new life, but going from Judaism to Russian Orthodox makes zero sense for all the "acceptance" it would buy you in the new world. Besides, someone already posted that Karla's family all sported Christian names, long before coming to Canada. Sorry, I'm just not buying it.

Far more likely that the word "Orthodox" was completely misunderstood - either by Doug when he dropped the J-bomb, or by his wife, who doesn't strike me as particularly bright.

Oh I totally agree; the whole story is just bizarre but that's what Karla said about her grandmother, and I think that it's inappropriate to be arguing about whether or not someone (who is now dead and can't speak for themselves) was/is Jewish, or anything else. Are we going to do a whole Ford family history to see what else is going on there? Who cares.

 

[Greg Banks]

You don't know very much about Jews and their history in Eastern Europe do you?

And pointing to the example of WASPy Toronto country clubs to defend the Fords is just ludicrous. The few who did convert generally came from more assimilated Central European rather than Eastern European backgrounds, and if they were doing it for social mobility reasons, they'd join a high status Protestant church like the Anglicans or United Church, not an immigrant church like Eastern Orthodox or a low-status fundamentalist one like the Pentecostals.

Conversion to the church that endorsed pogroms, in the heart of traditional Yiddish-speaking Eastern Europe, was almost unheard of. So the story isn't nearly as "plausible" as you think.

I'm "an actual Jewish person" and I think you are full of crap.

KoK...United Church? Are you sure? Anyone who joined there must have been selfhating.....

 

[Jado]

She but no offence.

Ewps

 

[PinkLucy]

Oh I totally agree; the whole story is just bizarre but that's what Karla said about her grandmother, and I think that it's inappropriate to be arguing about whether or not someone (who is now dead and can't speak for themselves) was/is Jewish, or anything else. Are we going to do a whole Ford family history to see what else is going on there? Who cares.

Have you not been paying attention? It was done.

 

[casita]

Also not accepted in WASPy social circles for much of the 20th century: Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Greeks, Italians, Chinese, Portuguese, Brazilians, the Irish, Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Hindus, Muslims, black people of any origin, and poor people.

When I was hired there were no women or visible minorities on Operations. Not even in Communications. I didn't do the hiring, that's just the way it was back then.

But, although I no longer recall the exact words, they were similar to these ( that I read recently ) during training at the academy: "If you treat anyone with disrespect or unfairness, your ass will be mine....I cannot change your beliefs, but I can change your employment!”

 

[Greg Banks]

I’ve never heard that version of the story; I always heard it was Catholic. Also, apparently not true:

http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=b6c86e91-cd42-4309-b5e7-0fbf10b2ebb1&sponsor=

excerpt:

Which brings us to High Park. Did the Howards actually stipulate that a Catholic should never be mayor? Colborne House curator Karen Edwards says no.

The land was deeded to the city in two instalments over a period of 17 years. Both donations were notarized.

"The museum has copies of John's will and the conveyances from 1873 and 1890," she writes in an e-mail, "None of the three documents include anything about a Catholic mayor."

I stand corrected...My version comes from grandmother, everytime we passed the park while on the Queen/Long Branch car she'd tell the story..she never tired of telling her version to whoever would listen....

 

[kbdid]

KoK...United Church? Are you sure? Anyone who joined there must have been selfhating.....

The United Church was formed from four denominations of Protestants in 1925 (Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, Union). If you are referring to their stance on Israel/Palestine that was only in the last decade or so. If you wanted to join the most antisemitic church at the time, it would be Orthodox.

 

[DarnDirtyApe]

Have you not been paying attention? It was done.

It was a rhetorical question; I have seen the Star article.

 

[PinkLucy]

It was a rhetorical question; I have seen the Star article.

I was actually talking about this thread, where Karla's ancestry was examined in great detail

 

[casita]

I stand corrected...My version comes from grandmother, everytime we passed the park while on the Queen/Long Branch car she'd tell the story..she never tired of telling her version to whoever would listen....

And my Dad used to scare the heck out of me with stories about Grenadier Pond.

There were a lot of scary stories about that park, and some were true!

Also Greg, given that Mr. Howard was born in 1803, the idea of a Jewish mayor was not likely even on the radar back then.

 

[Greg Banks]

The United Church was formed from four denominations of Protestants in 1925 (Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, Union). If you are referring to their stance on Israel/Palestine that was only in the last decade or so.

Runs deeper than that..... please don't persue it.....thanks

 

[TRA]

High voter turnout yesterday as well!
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/c...nnel=84a7e03bb8d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

 

[Greg Banks]

And my Dad used to scare the heck out of me with stories about Grenadier Pond.

There were a lot of scary stories about that park, and some were true!

Also Greg, given that Mr. Howard was born in 1803, the idea of a Jewish mayor was not likely even on the radar back then.

Like the platoon of grenadiers who drowned in the pond because the ice was too thin...
Or the quicksand in the northwest corner of the pond just waiting to slurp up the unready...

 

[W. K. Lis]

I think it's only a matter of time before Toronto creates an official mayoral residence. We already have them at the federal and provincial levels.

Even Detroit has Manoogian Mansion, official residence of the Mayor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Kilpatrick#Manoogian_Mansion_party

"...a wild party involving strippers at the Manoogian Mansion, the city-owned residence of the mayor of Detroit."

Sounds like quite the party pad!

The new mayor could move into one of the city residences it already owns:

Campbell House

Colborne Lodge

MacKenzie House

Casa Loma

Or an apartment at Regent Park

 

[hper]

A friend of a friend has written a Shakespearean play about a certain troubled monarch and his scheming brother. Free for a limited time from this link. I am just downloading the epub so have not read it yet but I hear the cast of characters alone is brilliant. If you don't have an e-reader, download the PDF for viewing on your computer.

ETA: Once it goes on sale, proceeds will go to the Griffin Centre.

Ooooh. Looking forward to this. Hopefully there's at least one 'Exuent, pursued by a bear"!