Ralph & Ann Kalef

Ralph and Ann Kalef’s roots in Canada reach back to the early 1900s. Ralph arrived as a young child alongside his father, Rabbi Menachem Kalef, who was brought from Russia to serve the Jewish communities of Saskatoon and later Regina; the rest of the family followed soon after. Ann was born in Regina in 1915 to Joseph and Dvora Schwarzfeld, immigrants from east of Vienna who built the Great West Store, a prominent women’s department store in the city. A dedicated communal leader, Joseph served as president of the Jewish community and was a leading Zionist fundraiser across the Prairies, even meeting with Chaim Weizmann during his Canadian visit in the 1930s in support of the newly launched United Palestine Appeal.

Ralph and Ann married in 1934 and, after the war, moved their young family from Regina to Calgary in 1945. They settled first in a modest home on the North Hill at the corner of 4th Street and 17th Avenue NW. There, their children—Sandra (14), Marcia (10), and Bobby (6)—shared a single bedroom. The birth of their fourth child, Michael, in 1949 brought both joy and the need for space, prompting a move to a larger home in Rosedale.

In Regina, Ralph had earned a living as a milkman. In Calgary, he set his sights on business. His most successful venture began with close friend and partner Harry Cohen, when they purchased army surplus goods in Spokane, Washington, and opened War Surplus Stores in Calgary. As the business grew, Ralph bought out his partner and expanded, adding stores across Alberta and Saskatchewan—in Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, and Prince Albert. The enterprise was renamed National Department Stores, with its offices housed in the Louise Block building at the corner of Macleod Trail and 11th Avenue SE.

By 1957, the family moved again, this time to Mount Royal. Ann became more involved in Jewish communal life, while Ralph left a lasting mark of his own by founding the first Gentlemen’s Dinner for Beth Israel Synagogue—the Ralph Kalef Gentlemen’s Dinner—a format that would later be widely adopted throughout the community.

Ralph passed away in 1998 just shy of his 90th birthday while Ann lived on and had the opportunity to get to know all 7 of her great grandchildren. She passed away in 2007.

Ralph & Ann’s children carried forward the family’s spirit of leadership, creativity, and commitment to community.

Sandra (1935-2014), the eldest, practiced law in the 1980s before finding her voice as a writer. She was the mother of three children: Abbe and her husband Simon, both CPA’s, live in Vancouver and are the proud parents of three boys— Alan (Maggie), Peter (Amber), and Steven, and four grandchildren, Henry, Remy, Natalie and Reese all also based in Vancouver.

Sandra’s middle child, Joseph, spent many years in Toronto in the financial sector before settling in Vancouver, where he raised his children Luca and Zoe.

Diana eventually returned to Calgary after years abroad and has devoted more than 23 years to Jewish communal life as a professional with Calgary Jewish Federation. She also founded the Wings of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation in 1995 which is 100% volunteer-run with a mandate to assist breast cancer patients with basic needs. Diana’s husband, Elliott Steinberg, is also engaged in the community, serving as Chazzan Zeni.

Marcia went on to establish a groundbreaking arts-based school in Washington, DC, reflecting her creativity and belief in innovative education for pre-school children.

Bob followed in Ralph’s entrepreneurial footsteps, eventually working with his father to partner with the Kovitz family to build Centennial Foods into dynamic food company in Canada . Bob and his wife Sydney lived in Calgary for many years before moving to Victoria. Sydney was widely known for her energy and creativity through Sydney’s Sweatworks, based at the JCC, where she taught aerobics and dance classes of all kinds. Together they raised two children, Mia and Josh, and have two grandchildren, Marilyn and Breah.

Michael practiced law in Vancouver for decades. He and his wife Reva raised two children: Justin, now a professor at Rutgers University in New York, and Nikka, who lives in San Diego with her husband Dave and their children, Oscar and Edie.