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- The Shuls Project fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 64
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1859-1980, predominant 1977-1979
- Physical Description
- ca. 5178 photographs and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- The “Shuls Project” was the work of three University of Toronto architecture students, who in 1977 wrote a research paper on the eight Toronto synagogues built before World War II. Concerned at the lack of resources on these synagogues, Sidney Tenenbaum, Lynn Milstone and Sheldon Levitt foresaw the loss of communities’ recorded history as membership dwindled and elders passed on. The students conceived a project that would photograph and document every synagogue in Canada, gathering visual evidence, memorabilia, plaques and stories before they disappeared and history was lost. The students’ goal was to document synagogues’ architecture, art, and historical development through research, interviews and site visits.
- The students secured a large portion of the required funding for the project from the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation in Montreal, funding which was matched by the Canadian Jewish Congress. This financial support enabled Levitt, Milstone and Tenenbaum to begin their study, named “Shuls… A Study of Canadian Synagogue Architecture.” They began in the summer of 1977, traveling through the Western provinces. The next summer, they visited eight Maritime cities, Montreal and other Quebec communities. Financial support in the project’s second year was again provided by the Bronfman Family Foundation, along with the Canadian government and donations in kind from businesses, including Benjamin Photo Finishers in Toronto, and Polaroid. The summer of 1979 was spent in Ontario, with an added grant from Wintario. In total, the Shuls project team traveled over 24,000 kilometres, taking thousands of photographs and conducting several hundred interviews. Photographs were taken by Tenenbaum, with Levitt and Milstone assuming primary responsibility for researching synagogues’ history and gathering historic records. Interviews were conducted by all three researchers, in both English and Yiddish.
- With no handy index of every shul in Canada, the researchers located small shuls by word of mouth. They spread word of their project and solicited assistance using press releases, letters to known communities, and slideshow presentations as they traveled. They would first examine a building to get an idea of a community’s character and heritage, then conduct interviews with designers, architects, rabbis and other prominent community members.
- With the research and photographs created, the team compiled three catalogues of the Western, Eastern/Quebec, and Ontario phases of the project. These catalogues have entries on each synagogue that include historical summaries highlighting the founding, growth, mergers and decline of Jewish communities, their changing needs, changing architectural expressions and trends, and the evolving uses of synagogues over the course of the twentieth century. There are also building descriptions, some with critical comments by the authors, and lists of the photographs and slides produced.
- The compilation of materials and preparation of these catalogues took place at the Project’s offices at 26 Ava Road in Toronto, and continued through the summer of 1980 when the Ontario catalogue was completed. In 1985, Tenenbaum, Milstone and Levitt published a book highlighting their work, called Treasures of a People: The Synagogues of Canada.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of the records created and collected by the team of students conducting the Shuls study from 1977 to 1980. The majority of the fonds is made up of graphic material, in the form of 35mm colour slides and black-and-white Polaroid prints and (print-size) negatives. There are approximately 5110 photographs in the fonds. Fonds also consists of notes and inventory forms of buildings' architectural features. There are no interview transcripts, but the fonds does include three audio cassettes with recorded interviews and shul tours. Reference materials used in researching the history of the shuls include dedication and anniversary commemorative books and programmes, newsletters, articles and newspaper clippings. In addition the fonds contains 47 blueprints, the majority from Montreal synagogues. The fonds is arranged in the following series: 1. Quebec synagogues; 2. Ontario synagogues; 3. Western Canada synagogues; 4. Eastern Canada synagogues; 5. Reference.
- Notes
- Physical description note: includes 92 cm of textual records, 42 architectural drawings, 3 audio cassettes, and 1 drawing.
- Physical extent note: many of the slides were culled because they were felt to be reproductions. Some of the synagogue images in the research book may therefore not be included in the fonds.
- Name Access
- Shuls Project
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Creator
- Levitt, Sheldon
- Milstone, Lynn
- Tenenbaum, Sidney T.
- Places
- Canada
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Series
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- architectural drawing
- Date
- 1859-1980
- Physical Description
- 35 cm of textual records
- 10 photographs
- 41 architectural drawings
- Scope and Content
- Series contains reference materials created by and written about the synagogues. Primary records include commemorative booklets, a small number of newsletters, brochures, and programs from special events. There are also newspaper clippings and copied articles providing histories of synagogues. There is a small number of photograph prints and negatives, but many of the files also include photographs from books, magazines or photocopies. The series is arranged in alphabetical order by city, then by synagogue. Not every synagogue the project team researched has a reference file, and there may be reference files for shuls for which no photographs survive.
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 23
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 23
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Date
- [ca. 1910]-1978
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 4 photographs : b&w prints (2 negatives) ; 12 x cm
- Scope and Content
- File contains notes, lists, clippings, copied pages from directories and 4 unidentified photographs (2 negatives).
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Montréal (Québec)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 25
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 25
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1939
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains a photocopied article on the synagogue's fiftieth anniversary from Canadian Jewish Review.
- Name Access
- Beth David Congregation (Montréal, Québec)
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Montréal (Québec)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
Sha'ar Hashomayim, Westmount (Montreal), Quebec
[textual record, architectural drawing]
– 1859-1978.
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 41
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 41
- Material Format
- textual record
- architectural drawing
- Date
- 1859-1978
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 4 architectural drawings
- Scope and Content
- File contains photocopied articles, a newspaper clipping, photocopied photographs, a greeting card with photograph on cover, copies of the 1859 contract commissioning the erection of the synagogue as well as a list of specifications for the masons, and blueprints for the 1967 extension.
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Montréal (Québec)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 45
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 45
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1932-[ca. 1965]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains dedication book for new building (1960), copied articles, assorted pamphlets and programmes.
- Name Access
- Temple Emanu-El (Montréal, Quebec)
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Montréal (Québec)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 49
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 49
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1925, 1945
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains one copied newspaper article and several other transcribed newspaper articles.
- Name Access
- House of Israel
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Moose Jaw (Sask.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 66
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 66
- Material Format
- textual record
- architectural drawing
- Date
- 1920-1977
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- File contains a copied photograph from The Jewish Post, the congregation's constitution adopted in 1920, and a blueprint from 1955.
- Name Access
- Agudas Israel
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Saskatoon (Sask.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 75
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 75
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1935-1979
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains a 1979 newsletter, "Voice of Radom," and copies from the 10th and 30th anniversary booklets.
- Name Access
- Beth Radom Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- ID
- Fonds 64; Series 5; File 96
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 96
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1930-1978
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains the shul's dedication programme from 1930, the 25th (1954) and 49th anniversary programmes (1978).
- Name Access
- Congregation Shaar Hashomayim
- Subjects
- Anniversaries
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Windsor (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
Narrow By
- Administration series 20
- Anti-Semitism Cases sub-series 53
- Architectural projects series 27
- Artifacts series 28
- Auditor's reports sub-sub-series 10
- Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care fonds 9
- Bella Diamant fonds 13
- Ben Kayfetz fonds 10
- Benjamin Brown fonds 91
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds 20
- Betty Goldstick Lindgren fonds 11
- Board of Directors and Executive Committee minutes series 8
- Board of Management series 18
- Board of Trustees series 8
- Budget Committee series 14
- Budget and Finance Committee series 10
- Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds 82
- Commercial building plans and drawings series 64
- Community Relations Committee series 71
- Cowan family fonds 17
- Documents series 21
- Dora Till fonds 33
- Dorothy Dworkin fonds 8
- Executive Committee series 7
- Executive director series 23
- Family photographs series 14
- Farb family fonds 16
- Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds 54
- Finance and accounting series 11
- Folks Farein fonds 19
- Foster care series 8
- Franklin family legal documents series 7
- General correspondence series 18
- Gilbert Studios fonds 13
- Harold S. Kaplan fonds 31
- Harris family series 22
- Harry Clairmont fonds 14
- Homemaking Clubs series 17
- Human Resources series 8
- Ida Lewis Siegel fonds 26
- Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds 93
- Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds 32
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series 9
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds 24
- Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds 131
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds 70
- Jewish Old Folks' Home series 8
- JIAS National Office sous-fonds 8
- John J. Glass fonds 45
- Joint meetings and committees series 7
- Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds 22
- Julius P. Katz fonds 175
- Ladovsky family fonds 9
- Larry Becker collection 17
- Legal series 8
- Levine and Cass family fonds 22
- Liaison with other social welfare organizations series 42
- Maurice Berg fonds 10
- Maurice Solway fonds 8
- Meeting Minutes sub-series 22
- Men's Clothing Manufacturers' Association of Ontario fonds 37
- Minutes of meetings sub-series 8
- Mizrachi series 63
- Morris Norman collection 60
- Mothers' and Babes' Summer Rest Home Association series 25
- National Administrative Council and Executive Board series 24
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds 44
- National Treasurer sub-series 15
- Operational statistics series 10
- Other committee meeting minutes and agendas series 9
- Personal series 47
- Personnel Study sub-series 14
- Photograph collection sub-series 8
- Photographs file 19
- Photographs series 12
- Programs and services sub-series 11
- Publicity series 8
- Rabbi Samuel Sachs fonds 21
- Rebecca Kamarner fonds 8
- Reference materials series 13
- Reference series 9
- Reports series 9
- Research Records sub-series 15
- Residential building plans and drawings series 14
- Sammy Luftspring fonds 19
- Samuel Aaron and Rose Harris sub-series 9
- Scheuer family fonds 10
- Sermons series 21
- Solomon Edell fonds 13
- Subject files series 77
- Subject files sub-series 9
- The Shuls Project fonds
- Thelma Harris Rose Family fonds 46
- Toronto Jewish community photographs series 11
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series 18
- Toronto Section series 27
- United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds 36
- Welfare Council of Toronto series 23
- William Stern fonds 27
- Zionist Organization of Canada fonds 39