Relative of A.R. Kaufman weighs in on school name change
Posted Dec 6, 2021 09:00:00 PM.
Despite being an active philanthropist within Waterloo Region, Alvin Ratz (AR) Kaufman, was also an advocate for eugenics. He was known to arrange sterilizations that targeted working class employees, the poor, and those with physical disabilities.
This is the reason why Waterloo Region District School Board has decided to rename A.R. Kaufman Public School.
Rachel Behling is Kaufman's great-great-niece and appeared on the Mike Farwell Show on CityNews 570. During the interview that took place on Monday morning, Behling explained that her great-grandfather, M.R. Kaufman, was A.R.'s brother.
Behling explained that she personally had not met A.R. Kaufman since he died when she was only two years of age.
“It's difficult because my understanding of the family, as a whole, is much more than just AR,” she said. “I've been taught by my side of the family to live like Mary (AR's mother) and Emma Kaufman, who was his sister.”
According to Behling, Emma did amazing work with the YWCA here in Waterloo Region.
When asked about AR's actions and whether or not the school's name should be changed, Behling said that she would like to see the Kaufman name remain.
“You immediately feel like you need to defend but I still feel very close to the people who have helped me in my life. My grandfather, Edmund Kaufman, instilled in me to be proud of my name. Mary and Emma come to mind and they should not be forgotten, they changed lives,” she said.
Behling added that the responsibility passed down from her ancestors, still lives with her everyday.
“We hold ourselves to the standards that they lived which was through philanthropic work and extending that hard work to our community,” she said.
According to Behling, the school board has not reached out to her regarding the upcoming name change, but she would be willing to have a conversation surrounding it all.
“I would like to give more than just the feedback of one individual, it's about the family as a whole and what it has done.”
The public school is not the only establishment with that name. Kaufman Flats, the Kaufman Lofts and A.R. Kaufman Family YMCA all have the name in common. Mary Kaufman was the name sake of Mary's Place in Kitchener, and that name has since been removed.
“My dad and I were very concerned about the removal of her name,” said Behling. “If we can respond as opposed to react to these changes, I'm going to carry on these conversations by honouring the legacy of those that lived before me.”
