Isidor Nodek

Isidor Max Nodek

Birth: May 2, 1869 in Adelnau, Poland

Death: March 24, 1945 in White Rock, B.C.

Plot: Row C – Plot 11

פ׳׳נ
האשה צירל בת ר׳ יהושע
ת׳נ׳צ׳ב׳ה
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DEAR WIFE
CERLINE NODEK
DIED OCTOBER 16.1935,AGE 72
MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE
I.M. NODEK
BELOVED UNCLE OF
HELEN,MARTIN AND
CYRIL BOAS
BORN MAY 2 1869
DIED MARCH 24 1945.

Translation of inscription:

פ׳׳נ (Abbreviation of Hebrew: “Buried here”)
האשה צירל בת ר׳ יהושע (Hebrew: The woman Tzirel bat R. Yehoshua)
ת׳נ׳צ׳ב׳ה (Abbreviation of Hebrew: “May their souls be bound with the bond of life.”)
In Loving Memory of my Dear Wife
Cerline Nodek
Died October 16.1935, Age 72
May Her Soul Rest in Peace.
I.M. Nodek
Beloved Uncle of
Helen,Martin and
Cyril Boas
Born May 2 1869
Died March 24 1945.

Biography:
Real Estate developer, Broker, Active in Civic and Jewish Causes
Fifteen-year-old Isador Nodek, known as I.M. was recorded as travelling alone to “Amerika” on the March 26, 1885 Hamburg Passenger List.

The next available information about I.M. comes from the 1921 Census of Canada which states that I.M. immigrated to Canada in 1892 and became a Naturalized Canadian in 1901. Travel documents describe him as standing about 5′ 9″ with grey or green eyes and as having a visible scar on his right hand. The Census also indicated that he was literate in English and spoke Polish but not French.

I.M.’s name first appeared in the Victoria City Directories in 1895. He was listed as an agent living at 272 Yates Street. The following year he was listed as a clerk and living at 247 Yates Street. I.M accompanied his uncle Dr. Sigfried Hartman and moved to Dawson City for the 1896 part of the Klondike Gold Rush (1896-1899) where he was licensed to sell liquor. I.M returned to Victoria where in 1900, according to the Victoria City Directory, he was living at 100 Yates. In 1902 and 1903, I.M. was working at a feed, produce and poultry store at 8-12 Store Street. His name was absent from Victoria’s City Directories until 1908.

On September 25, 1907 the thirty-eight-year-old I.M. married the thirty-five-year-old Cerline Brosh Braverman in Seattle. Dr Sigfried Moritz “Max” Hartman was one of the two Victorian’s to act as witnesses at the wedding. Dr. Hartman also signed the marriage certificate for State of Washington Marriage certificate. The couple settled in Victoria in the spring of 1908. According to The Victoria Daily Times of April 25, 1908, I.M. received a building permit to build a house at 1015 Cook Street. The April 29, 1908 edition of The Victoria Daily Times reported that the cost of the house was expected to be $4,800 (roughly $161,000 in 2023).

According to the Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, Cerline and I.M. travelled from Liverpool and entered New York on August 7, 1908. The Victoria Daily Times reported on April 25, 1908 that Dr. Hartman was appointed to look after I.M.’s interests while the couple was away. According to the Arriving Passenger and Crew lists, I.M. and Cerline visited I.M.’s brother-in-law in Berlin in 1922. They travelled first class when they visited Germany again in 1925.

Beginning in 1909, the Victoria City Directories listed I.M.’s home address as 1015 Cook Street. On May 14, 1909, The Victoria Daily Times reported that I.M. was among the residents of Cook Street who attended a City Council meeting to advocate for Cook Street to be paved.

1015 Cook Street photo taken June 1969 for the Hallmark Heritage Society

For the bulk of his career, I.M. was a broker and involved in real estate. The Times Colonist on August 19, 1931 reported that I.M. was one of the brokers who was selling shares to for people to invest in The Power Factor Corp. Ltd, touted as a new automatic electric house plant for heating, hot water and lighting. (Advert posted above.)

I.M. and H.E. Levy, proprietor of Levy’s Restaurant, invested in property together. They sold “Fruitlands” at the corner of Cook Street and Linwood Avenue in August 1911.

I.M.’s other real estate endeavours included:
1925: purchasing two Russell Street properties in December
1928: received a building permit for a brick addition to 846 Yates St at a cost of $550 (about $10,000 in 2023) in October
1930: received permission to build a 5 room dwelling at 1215 Rockland Avenue at a cost of $4,500 (about $78,000 in 2023) in October
1936: The Victoria Daily Times reported on October 14, 1936 that I.M.’s application to do repairs at 846 Yates Street was denied because the city didn’t want to continue to have “old frame structures” in the downtown area.
1931 manager of a property known as Twin Oaks between starting in 1931. The Victoria Retail Control Committee rejected I.M.’s proposal to raise the rents in 1941.
1936: received a permit to build a new brick store front with a rubber roof at 446 Yates Street at a cost of $1,000 (about $21,000 in 2023)
1938: received a permit for alterations at 738-738 1/2 Yates Street
1938: plumbing permit was granted for the installation of plumbing fixtures at 1048 Johnson Street
1939: permission was granted to build a secondhand store at 717 Pandora Avenue
1940: permission was granted for $500 (about $10,000 in 2023) worth of “alterations” to the store at 541 Johnson Street
1941: received a building permit for construction of a ten-room duplex at 1206-8 Yates Street at a cost of $4,000 (about $75,000 in 2023).

City of Victoria Archives: CoV-CR-0144-1-0034

The press covered a number of legal cases which involved I.M. They included:
Spring of 1909:
Charges were made by the Light-keeper, Capt. George Johnston and August Schultz alleging that August was employed by Capt. Gaudin, and paid with government funds to build a chicken house and that Capt. Gaudin ordered them to sell buckets of coal belonging to the government, at I.M.’s store. I.M. and his employees gave testimony refuting the charge. Capt. Gaudin was later exonerated.
May 1920:
In an attempt to recover funds used to purchase a lot at a recent tax sale, a legal team representing I.M. threatened members of City Council. The City Solicitor was instructed to defend the action.
June 1923:
A case was brought before the court by David Doig to hold I.M. and H.E. Levy liable for a $20,000 note. The trial was covered over a number of days. A settlement was reached, the terms of which were not publicized.
October, 1931
I.M. was driving a car that collided with a fruit truck driven by Lee Wah at the corner of Linden and Fairfield Avenues. Although there was “considerable damage” to both vehicles, I.M. was not injured but Lee had a bruised arm. Both men were charged with “common danger driving” and fined $20 each.

Other than a notice on February 14, 1931 in The Victoria Daily Times about a deck of forty-eight cards with four suits no longer in use that I.M. found in a trunk that belonged to his father, there isn’t a lot of information about is personal life.

His gravestone reads “Beloved Uncle of Helen, Martin and Cyril Boas.” In February 16,1936, Isador gave his niece Helen Nodek away at her wedding to Martin Boas in Seattle. Martin and Helen settled in Victoria and lived at 1015 Cook Street. Cyril was their son. Martin passed away in 1953 and Helen subsequently entered into a relationship A.E. Alexandor and moved into his home on Lincoln Road.

Isador was very involved in the community, both Jewish and general. His contributions to community fundraising drives were reported in the paper. Those included:
1918: $10 ($177.00 in 2023) to the local Red Cross
1920: Isador was one of the first to pledge money to Victoria’s drive for publicity funds for the big advertising campaign for the Victoria and Island Development Association.
1921: $2.50 (almost $40 in 2023) to the Britannia Relief fund
1931: donated a box of apples to the Aged Women’s Home Committee
1937: $5 (about $103 in 2023) to the Community Chest

I.M. joined the Chamber of Commerce in November 1920. I.M. was also a member of the Island Automobile Association where a group of motoring enthusiasts met to share their hobby and to help each other when they broke down. On March 23, 1920, the Victoria Daily Times that I.M. had been elected as an officer of that group. On October 29, 1920, the Victoria Daily Times reported that the members of the Island Automobile Association met at the Empress to discuss whether to join forces with a new automobile club. They decided to remain active and elected I.M. to the Board of Governors.

In I.M.’s day, Cordova Bay was a popular resort destination for Victorians. In 1927, plans were drawn up to build a clubhouse for recreational use. The clubhouse would be the location for activities such as races in running and canoeing. I.M. was heavily involved in the regattas that took place there. He was the Vice-President of the regatta and judge. Cerline presented some of the prizes. I.M. continued as Vice-President and judge at the 1928 regatta.

The Aged Men’s Home Fund sponsored an annual picnic at Goldstream Park. The Victoria Daily Times reported on July 16, 1936 that I.M.’s car was among the “shining string of cars” which brought the “aged men” to the event.

I.M. was also heavily involved in Jewish life. In 1911 he was unanimously re-elected for a second two-year term as Vice-President of the synagogue. He was President of the Board of Directors from 1915-1916, from 1920-21, from 1926-7, and from 1928-32. I.M. was the treasurer for the Jewish Relief Committee of Victoria that was formed in 1915 to collect funds to help Polish Jews. That committee received a letter signed by Baron Leopold de Rothschild thanking the Victoria chapter for the funds that were collected for “the relief of the stricken Jews of Poland.”

In 1917, the committee raised over $2,000 (about $40,000 in 2023) for the Russian Polish Relief fund. A letter of thanks from the head office in Montreal was received.
I.M. was a member and Chair of the Victoria Lodge of Independent Order B’nai B’rith. On May 12, 1917, the Lodge held a fundraiser and informal dance in aid of the Red Cross and Returned Soldier’s Fund. Advanced tickets could be obtained from the committee members including from I.M. The Daily Times advertised on May 4, 1917 that there would be dancing from 9-12 with the latest music provided by the Eaton’s Orchestra and a ‘choice buffet’ would be served.

The Victoria Daily Times reported on May, 20, 1920 that the Canadian Jewish Relief Committee selected Officers for the Island Drive, with I.M. as Treasurer and David Doig as honorary Treasurer.

According to the Victoria City Directories, I.M. had retired by 1926. However, he continued to travel and to be involved in civic and Jewish affairs. The Victoria Daily Times reported on October 18, 1930 that dry rot had set into the timbers of the sixty-eight-year old synagogue building. The women of the congregation held a fundraising bridge and whist drive at the Shrine Auditorium. The article reminded players to bring their own cards and score pads. I.M. helped at the fundraiser.

In 1936, I.M. and his niece Helen were part of a Zionist organization. They along with the Rabbi Levy, Mr. Boas, Mr. (Eli) and Mrs (Annabelle) Bean welcomed and dined at the Empress with Mme Yetta Levy-Stein from Berlin who was on a cross-Canada tour to bring attention to Zionist causes.

I.M. was a member of the National Council of American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which raised funds to aid ‘distressed’ Jews overseas. The Times Colonist reported on December 27, 1941 that three Victorians-H.I. Mallek, I.M. Nodek and Mrs S.E. Levy- were among officers elected to the National Council of American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc. at its 27th annual meeting in New York.