Name

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Newman

Number

OH 19

Subject

Families

Interview Date

4 Jan. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Spiesman

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Ben Newman was born in July 1920 in St Catharines, Ontario. He married Sheila Gould from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ben's father, Abraham, immigrated to St. Catharines from Russia in 1909, living with his aunt and uncle and helping them with their junk business. His wife, Mary, and two children followed later. Four more children were born in Canada: Norman, Benjamin, Rebecca, and Gordon. Benjamin took over the company after Abraham’s retirement and turned it into one of the largest steel manufacturers in Canada. Ben Newman was active in all phases of Jewish life in the community and was the first Jewish aldermen in St. Catharines, a position he held for several years.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Newman, Benjamin

Newman, Sheila

Geographic Access

St. Catharines (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Sol Gebertig

Number

OH 20

Subject

Motion picture industry

Interview Date

17 Apr. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Sol Gebertig was one of several Jews who were pioneers in the Canadian film industry and helped build the motion picture business in the country.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Gebertig, Sol

Speisman, Stephen, 1943-2008

Geographic Access

Beaches (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Joseph Fremar

Number

OH 21

Subject

Business

Food

Occupations

Interview Date

14 May 1974

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

1 MP3 file

Interviewer

Bess Shockett

Total Running Time

12:59 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette tape in August 2003.

Digitized in June 2010.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Joseph "Joe the Orange Man" Fremar was a produce merchant in Kensington Market and opened his location at 234 Augusta Avenue in 1938. Fremar, commonly referred to as the "Orange Man," was a member of the Kiever Synagogue.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Fremar, Joseph

Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Shockett, Bess

Geographic Access

Augusta Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Joseph Fremar, also known as "Joe the Orange Man," talks about the social politics and financial expectations around belonging to certain Toronto synagogues versus others.

In this clip, Joseph Fremar, also known as "Joe the Orange Man," talks about the changing population of Toronto

Name

Rivka Hurwich and Sam Hurwich

Number

OH 22

Subject

Antisemitism

Hospitals

Rabbis

Schools

Teachers

Interview Date

2 Jul. 1974

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side One - 43 minutes

Side Two - 3 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Digitized in 2014.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Dr. Sam Hurwich was involved in a number of organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, Jewish Immigrant Aid Services, and several Labour Zionist groups.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Hospital for Sick Children

Hurwich, Rivka

Hurwich, Sam

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 22 - Hurwich\OH22_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 22 - Hurwich\OH22_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ida Weisteld

Number

OH 23

Interview Date

10 Jul. 1977

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Doris Newman

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Ida Weisteld (née Gazer) was born in 1907 in Brantford, Ontario. Her father, Velvel Gazer, settled in Brantford in 1900. Ida attended King Edward Public School and Brantford Collegiate Institute. As a child, she attended Cheder and participated in a boys and girls social group. She took a business course and worked as a bookkeeper after high school. She was married in Toronto in 1933.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Weisteld, Ida

Gazer, Velvel

Geographic Access

Brantford, Ont.

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 23 - Weisteld\OH23_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Fred Schaeffer

Number

OH 24

Subject

Communities

Immigrants--Canada

Rabbis

Synagogues

Interview Date

11 Jul. 1980

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side 1: 31 minutes

Side 2: 9 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Fred Schaeffer's wife, Beverley, grew up in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Beverley's grandfather, Hyman Kaplan, emigrated from Vilna, Lithuania in 1907, and after a few years in New York, moved to Toronto. Shortly afterwards, he became the first Jew to settle in Kirkland Lake in 1914.

In the 1920s, the Jewish community in Kirkland Lake built a permanent synagogue and acquired an aron kodesh of eastern European design, its lamps, railings, pews and reader’s desk, from the disbanded Ukrainishe Shul in Montreal. In the 1970s, the Kirkland Lake Synagogue disbanded and Fred and Beverly Schaeffer acquired the aron kodesh, all of its furnishings, the ner tamid, and the parochet. They generously donated these Jewish artifacts to Beth Tikvah Synagogue, Toronto, in 1988, in memory of Isadore Kaplan, father of Beverly Schaeffer and Erich Schaeffer, father of Fred Schaeffer.

Fred married Beverley in Toronto. Like many children from Kirkland Lake, Beverley had moved to the city to attend university. Fred and Beverley are keen collectors of Canadian art. He is a retired civil engineer and a former chair of the Canadian Art Historical Committee at the AGO.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Atkins (family)

Bucavetsky (family)

Cochrane (Ont.)

Etkins (family)

Mallins (family)

Purkiss (family)

Schaeffer, Fred

Geographic Access

Ansonville (Ont.)

Engelhart (Ont.)

Kirkland Lake (Ont.)

Krugerdorf (Ont.)

Ontario, Northern

Timmins (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 24 - Schaeffer\OH24_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 24 - Schaeffer\OH24_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Fred Schaeffer and Stephen Speisman discuss some of the earliest synagogues established in Northern Ontario.

In this clip, Fred Schaeffer relates colourful anecdotes about the first Jewish settler in the Swastika-Kirkland area, Roza Brown.

Name

Isaac Segal

Number

OH 25

Subject

Antisemitism

Charities

Communities

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

Side 1: 46 minutes 15 seconds

Side 2: 45 minutes 50 seconds

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Isaac "Ike" Segel, the son of Russian immigrants, was born and lived in Toronto’s Ward district until 1900 when the family moved to Orillia, Ontario. Isaac recalls his experiences as one of three Jewish boys attending the local Orillia high school and working in his father’s general store. In order to provide a proper Jewish life for Isaac, the family returned to Toronto. In 1917 Isaac enlisted in the army and after his father’s death in 1918, Isaac made his home in Hamilton, Ontario. He was a business executive, active on several executive committees of Jewish and Zionist organizations in Hamilton.

Issac maried Esther Segal (née Kenen) who was influential in the National Council of Jewish Women, Hamilton Branch, and their successful attempt to repeal the law that refused the right of women to serve on jury duty.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Beube, Lillian

Segal, Esther

Segal, Isaac

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Orillia (Ont.)

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 25 - Segal\OH25_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 25 - Segal\OH25_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Joe Lewis

Number

OH 26

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

41:58

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Second side inaudible

Last 2 minutes of recording inaudible

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Lewis’ father immigrated to to Canada in 1906. He contributed to local synagogues and established a Hamilton chapter of the socialist organization the Grand Order of Israel. Lewis grew up in Hamilton and attended the Talmud Torah and the Beth Jacob Synagogue.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Lewis, Joe

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 26 - Lewis\OH26_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Lillian Beube

Number

OH 27

Subject

Nonprofit organizations

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Second side inaudible

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Beube, LIllian

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Harry Finkelman

Number

OH 28

Subject

Antisemitism

Education

Occupations

Pharmacists

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

028A: 46 minutes 028B: 7 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Parts inaudible

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Harry Finkelman was born in 1909 in Hamilton and was one of the first Jewish pharmacists in Hamilton. His father was a tailor and an active member of several Jewish organizations including the Hess Street Synagogue and the Talmud Torah. Harry attended the Talmud Torah and was involved with Young Judaea and groups from the Talmud Torah. In this interview, he discusses the early history of Hamilton and discrimination against Jews entering the professions.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Finkelman, Harry

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 28 - Finkelman\OH28_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 28 - Finkelman\OH28_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Harry Finkelman shares some of his early memories of the Hamilton Jewish community in the 1910s. He notes name of shops, shop owners, streets and describes some of the synagogues

In this clip, Harry Finkelman describes the difficulty for a Jew in the 1920s to find a placement to complete a mandatory three-year apprenticeship before he could enter pharmacy at aniversity.

Name

Jack Shapiro

Number

OH 31

Interview Date

1973

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Jack served as a private in the 4th Division Algonquin Tank Corps in the Canadian military in Holland. He worked as a pants presser in Toronto when he first emigrated from Poland in 1927. He lived in both Toronto and Hamilton.

Material Format

sound recording

Geographic Access

Toronto, Ont.

Hamilton, Ont.

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 31 - Shapiro\OH31_Log.doc

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Fanny Gertzbein

Number

OH 33

Subject

Charities

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

2 Oct. 1984

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

OH 033: 27:34 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Notes

Language: Fanny often speaks Yiddish with Morris Silbert providing a translation.

Related group of records external to the unit being described: accession 2019-7/2 includes comments by Gella Rothstein on this oral history.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Fanny Gurtzbein (née Goldhar) immigrated from Poland to Toronto in 1903. Fanny lived with her parents and siblings in Toronto's Ward district. Although raised in poverty, Barney, Fanny's brother, went on to become a successful furrier; Fanny's mother, Tzyerl Goldhar, became the organizer of the Mothers and Babes Summer Rest Home.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

Yiddish

English

Name Access

Goldhar, Myer

Goldhar, Tzeryl

Goldhar, Barney

Gurtzbein, Fanny

Geographic Access

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 33 - Gertzbein\OH33_001_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Jack Abel

Number

OH 34

OH 35

Subject

Antisemitism

Cemeteries

Labor unions

Occupations

Recreation

Societies

Interview Date

1986

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

034A: 31:10 minutes 034B: 31:10 minutes 035A: 31:10 minuets 035B: 13:52 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

The end of the reference copy of AC 35 is not very audible. The original cassette may be clearer.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Jack Abel's career in the garment industry began in the 1920s taking him through the dressmaker's strike of 1932. Abel's experiences with antisemitism were numerous. He participated in the Christie Pits riot, he was active in politics, and he became an early member of the Mozirer Society. Abel became financial secretary of the Mozirer Society and was involved in the purchase and administration of the Roselawn and Bathurst Lawn cemeteries.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Abel, Jack

Mozirer Sick Benefit Society

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH34_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH34_002_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH35_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH35_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Morris Fishman

Number

OH 36

Subject

Antisemitism

Communities

Synagogues

Interview Date

12 Jul. 1977

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Richard Menkis

Total Running Time

Side 1 46 minutes Side 2 17 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Morris Fishman was born on 29 September 1916 in New Jersey. His family moved to Welland, Ontario when he was an infant. He attended elementary and high school in Welland and completed two years at the University of Toronto. He worked in a family menswear business in Welland. Morris was actively involved in the Jewish community including participation in the Anshe Yosher Congregation, the Jewish Cultural Society, and the Jacob Goldblatt B'nai Brith Lodge. He was married and had two daughters.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Fishman, Morris

Geographic Access

Welland (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 36 - Fishman\OH36_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 36 - Fishman\OH36_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Morris Fishman praises the efforts of the non-Jewish community in Welland, Ontario to support the building of a new synagogue following a fire that destroyed the old synagogue in 1954.

In this clip, Morris Fishman discusses the Jacob Goldblatt B’nai Brith Lodge in Welland, Ontario.

Name

Joe and Minna Loewith

Number

OH 37

OH 38

Subject

Agriculture

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

3 Jun. 1984

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

OH 037_001: 31 minutes OH 037_002: 31 minutes OH 038_001 8 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Joe and Minna Loewith immigrated to Canada in November 1938 from the Sudetenland. After arriving in Canada, they settled on the Wren Farm outside of Hamilton, Ontario, along with their family and other members of the immigration group. They got married in 1942. Afterwards, they bought a farm from their brother-in-law and then lived with their three sons on the farm.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Loewith, Joe

Loewith, Mina

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Sudetenland (Czech Republic)

Burlington (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 37, OH 38 - Loewith\OH37_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 37, OH 38 - Loewith\OH37_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 37, OH 38 - Loewith\OH38_001_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Minna Loewith recalls the events beginning in the summer through the fall of 1938 that led her family to emigrate from Czechoslovakia to Canada.

In this clip, Minna shares some of her earliest recollections of when she and her family arrived in Canada in November 1938.

In this clip, Joe Loewith explains the conditions for Czech immigration to Canada set by the CPR and how they were met.

Name

Dr. Meyers Stitt

Number

OH 39

Subject

Port Arthur and Fort. William (Thunder Bay)

Family history

Interview Date

10 Oct. 1985

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

001: 31.20 minutes 002: 10.09 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Copied to digital file on 9 Dec. 2014.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Dr. Meyers Lawson Stitt graduated in dentistry from the University of Toronto in 1927. A scholarship in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto was established in honour of his memory by his son, Mr. Bert Stitt, and his family. These awards are to be given to the students with the highest overall academic achievement in the work of first-year dentistry and were first awarded in 1998.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Fort William (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 39 - Stitt\OH39_001_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Dr. Coleman Solursh

Number

OH 40

OH 41

Subject

Physicians

Societies

Occupations

Medical care

Interview Date

3 Jan. 1985

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

040A: 34 minutes 040B: 31 minutes 041A: 11 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Coleman Solursh was born in Toronto in 1906. He graduated as a physician in 1932. He worked as a lodge doctor. He was involved in the Toronto Jewish Lodge Doctors Association. He worked in the field of family medicine and was appointed chief of the Department of Family Practice at Mount Sinai Hospital. He was appointed associate chief of medicine at Baycrest, Jewish Home for the Aged. He married Zelda Singer, a third-generation Canadian. Zelda's maternal grandfather was appointed colonization chairman in 1897 for Baron de Hirsch settlement for Jewish immigrants. Zelda's father, Manny Singer, was the first Jewish pharmacist in Toronto. Zelda's uncle, Fred Singer, was the first Jewish member of parliament for Ontario.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Solursh, Coleman

Silbert, Morris

Mount Sinai Hospital

Singer, Zelda

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH40_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH40_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH41_001_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Dr. Coleman Solursh describes a meeting between executives from the Toronto Jewish Lodge Doctors' Association and representatives from various Jewish Lodges. The meeting resulted in significant changes to the way medical services and payment were provided to the physicians.

In this clip, Dr. Coleman Solursh describes his role as Chief of the Department of Family Practice in the new Mount Sinai Hospital in 1953. He explains how this department pioneered the model for family practice within a hospital setting across Canada.

Name

Ethel Abramsky

Number

OH 42

Subject

World War, 1939-1945

Women

International Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE)

Interview Date

8 Nov. 1981

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

1 CD

4 WAV files

Interviewer

M. Feldman

Total Running Time

001: 30.53 minutes 002: 30.50 minutes 003: 31.25 minutes 004: 30.42 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003.

Digitized in January 2015.

Notes

Sound quality poor in many sections.

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Ethel Abramsky (née Levin) came to live in Kingston after her marriage to Harry Abramsky in 1927. Ethel remained an active member of the Queen Esther Chapter of Hadassah throughout her life. Harry, an industrialist and business man, was a generous benefactor of Queens University and was instrumental in establishing Hillel House at Queens. Ethel and Harry had three children and eight grandchildren.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Abramsky, Ethel

Abramsky, Harry

Canadian Hadassah-WIZO

International Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE)

Geographic Access

Kingston (Ont.)

Florida

Poland

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Digital file

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_003_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_004_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Harry Abramsky

Number

OH 49

OH 50

Subject

Kingston

Interview Date

6 Jul. 1982

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman and Marjorie Feldman

Total Running Time

OH49_001: 31.04 minutes

OH49_002: 31.00 minutes

OH50_001: 30.59 minutes

OH50_002: 1:09 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Poor audio quality in many sections. OH50_002 started in the middle of the story; cut at 1:09.

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Harry Abramsky was born in Kingston on 29 September 1897. He and his wife, Ethel, were highly respected by citizens and business owners in Kingston. They were also loyal friends of Queen's University. Over the years, they have made many gifts to the university, including funds for the construction of a building that was completed in 1957. In 1974, the building was renamed as Abramsky Hall in their honour. (There is also Abramsky Laboratory in Botterell Hall.) An area within the Agnes Etherington Art Centre is dedicated to the memory of the Abramsky family. The Harry Abramsky Scholarship in the School of Business at Queen's University was also given by Harry Abramsky. Harry Abramsky was a life member of the Royal Kingston Curling Club. He died in February 1988, aged ninety.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Kingston (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

CD

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 49, OH 50 - Abramsky\OH49_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 49, OH 50 - Abramsky\OH49_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 49, OH 50 - Abramsky\OH50_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 49, OH 50 - Abramsky\OH50_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Samuel Rothschild

Number

OH 52

OH 53

OH 54

Subject

Hockey

Interview Date

1980

Quantity

3 cassette tapes ; 2 reference CDs (# 053 and 054)

Interviewer

Darral Field

Total Running Time

OH52: 30.13 minutes OH53: 1.00.44 hour OH54: 33.54 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

There is a lot of white noise interference on the first two tapes, the voices are hard to make out. The third tape is fine. Originals are fine. There is a lot of white noise in OH52 (audio file). The sound in OH53 and OH 54 (audio files) is clear.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Samuel "Sam" Rothschild was born on 16 October 1899 in Sudbury to Daniel and Annie Rothschild, the city's first Jewish settlers. Daniel Rothschild was a merchant in the city, whose retail and office property is listed on the city's register of historic properties.

Samuel was the first Jewish player in the National Hockey League (NHL) and played a total of 102 games. He played for the Montreal Maroons, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Americans. He was the last surviving member of the 1926 Stanley Cup champion Maroons.

Following his retirement from the NHL, Rothschild took up coaching and coached the junior Sudbury Wolves to the 1932 Memorial Cup championship. He married Eva Yackman in 1933. He was also a prominent supporter of curling in the city, was president of the Northern Ontario Curling Association and the Canadian Curling Association from 1957 to 1958, and secured the city's status as host city of the 1953 Brier. He was later inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame. He also served for two years on Sudbury's city council. He died on 15 April 1987, aged eighty-seven years.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Rothschild, Samuel, 1899-1987

Geographic Access

Sudbury (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

CD

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Cyrus Coppel

Number

OH 61

OH 62

Subject

Communities

Families

Interview Date

21 Jul. 1976

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

061A: 46:22 minuets 061B: 45:27 minuets 062A: 45:55 minuets 062B: 28:58 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Cassette tapes were digitized in 2012

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Cyrus Coppel, son of Aaron Coppel and Chaya (Gertrude) Seigel, was born in 1911 in Galt, Ontario. Cyrus remained in Galt throughout his life and became a central figure within its Jewish community. Cyrus initially worked as a mechanic and later worked in the office of an auto shop trading in auto parts. Cyrus also traded in livestock as a hobby. Cyrus Coppel was one of the founders of the B'nai Israel Synagogue in Galt.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Coppel, Cyrus

Troster, Larry

B'nai Israel Synagogue (Galt, Ont.)

Geographic Access

Galt (Cambridge, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH61_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH61_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH62_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH62_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Cyrus Coppel discusses the growth of Galt's Jewish community following the Second World War and the need to purchase a new and larger synagogue to accommodate the growing population.

In this clip, Cyrus Coppel discusses the difficulties of raising Jewish children in a small town.

Name

Dr. Mattie Rotenberg

Number

OH 63

Subject

Antisemitism

Rabbis

Charities

Influenza

Balfour Declaration

Immigrants--Canada

Women's clothing

Women

Department stores

Interview Date

26 Feb. 1976

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Total Running Time

62:52 sec.

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003.

Copied to digital file in June 2014.

Side 2 of the original cassette is damaged. The tape continually speeds up and slows down.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Mattie Rotenberg was the daughter of Russian immigrants. She grew up in Toronto's Ward district and received her degree in mathematics and physics at the University of Toronto. In 1920, she became the first secretary of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Toronto.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto

Hillcrest Progressive School

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

University of Toronto

T. Eaton Co

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

Introduction of Dr. Mattie Rotenberg to the audience 0:00-:49 Family History 0:50-4:00: Rotenberg, daughter of Russian immigrants, recounts the story of her parents’ immigration and arrival in Toronto during the early 1890s. 4:01-7:35: Rotenberg recalls her childhood memories of life growing up in Toronto’s Ward district during the era of “great” Jewish immigration. 7:40-11:10: Rotenberg recalls happy childhood memories living on Regent Street, then a primarily non-Jewish neighbourhood. 11:11-13:40: Rotenberg recalls the Great Fire of Toronto of 1904 that destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto. 13:45-15:19: Rotenberg recalls the open-air streetcar that ran along Toronto’s beltline, the City Dairy, and Riverdale Park. 15.20-18.02: Rotenberg recalls Rabbi Jacob Gordon of Goel Tzedec Synagogue and Rabbi Julius Price, the synagogue’s first English-speaking rabbi. 18:03-21:00: Rotenberg discusses her education at the Dufferin Elementary School and Jarvis Collegiate, her family’s first telephone, riding in a motor car, Massey Hall and Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets considered to be the choice residential district of the time. 21:01-22.00: Rotenberg recalls Dr. Sandler, Toronto’s first Jewish doctor to practice in Toronto’s non-Jewish community. 22:01-22:59: Rotenberg recalls the Queen Street shopping district, the Willinsky’s department store, and Hadassah’s first bazaar held at Toronto Armory. 23:00-23:47: Rotenberg recalls antisemitic incidents that occurred in Toronto during the late 1920s. 23:48-24.33: Rotenberg discusses the Orange Lodges’ influence on civic politics, prejudice towards the Jewish and Catholic communities, and the anti-French-language campaign Rotenberg discusses life in Toronto then and now 24.34-25.30: Rotenberg recalls the changes to Gerrard Sreet East, from a tree-lined street to concrete sidewalks. 25.31-26.48: Rotenberg recalls being the only Jewish student at Jarvis Collegiate. 26.49-27.20: Rotenberg discusses her Jewish education. 27.22-28.06: Rotenberg provides an anecdote about local Jewish news and gossip. 28.07-29.18: Rotenberg discusses the hardships of housekeeping. 29.20-30.25: Rotenberg discusses women’s fashion during the early 1900s. 30.26-31.05: Rotenberg discusses Eatons and Simpsons before the introduction of the cash register. 31:26-33.23: Rotenberg discusses life in Toronto during the early years of the First World War. Rotenberg recalls recruitment meetings held at the Armoury and the crowds that gathered to view war bulletins posted in the window the Telegram’s office on Bay Street. 33.24-36.28: In this portion of the interview, Rotenberg describes the University of Toronto as being an extremely “WASPish” place run by professors with chauvinistic attitudes 36.29-37.23: Rotenberg discusses the problem faced by Jewish women looking for a teaching position. 37:24-39:12: Rotenberg recalls Dr. (Canon) Cody, president of U of T, and his witch hunts for students believed to have Communist leanings. 39:13-40:05: Rotenberg recalls Toronto’s flu epidemic following the First World War. 40:06-41:07: Rotenberg recalls the announcement of the Balfour Declaration in 1918 and the city’s commemoration parade to honour the declaration. Side 2 0:00-:46 : Commemoration of the Balfour Declaration continued. 0:47-4.09: Rotenberg discusses her job as secretary to JIAS during the 1920s. She describes JIAS as an “embryo” started by a few dozen men working to provide aid for Jewish immigrants. *Speech garbled in some sections* 4:10-6:24: Rotenberg discusses the founding in 1929 of the Hillcrest Progressive Day School, whose main motive was to provide a comprehensive Jewish education. 6.25-6.36: Rotenberg discusses the making of liquid hydrogen at the University of Toronto’s physics building during the early 1920s. 6.36-10.00: Here the sound quality becomes poor and Rotenberg’s voice is garbled. 10:00- 21.45: Question period. Sound quality poor and garbled. END

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Montague Raisman

Number

OH 64

Subject

Nonprofit organizations

Human rights

Antisemitism

World War, 1939-1945

Zionism

Interview Date

11 Jul. 1982

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

39:42 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Low sound volume

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Montague Raisman came to Canada from England in 1926. He was actively involved in B'nai Brith Toronto Lodge and held positions of office. He served as the commanding officer for the B'nai Brith Air Cadet Squadron in Toronto during the Second World War. He was instrumental in the formation of the Joint Public Relations Committee, a united Jewish voice in response to pro-Nazi activity.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Raisman, Montague

B'nai Brith

Lipinsky, Jack

Canadian Jewish Congress

Geographic Access

Toronto

Calgary (Alta.)

Montréal (Québec)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 64 - Raisman\OH64_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Montague describes the formation of the B'nai Brith Air Cadet Squadron during the Second World War. He discusses the recruitment and training of the officers and cadets. He explains how this squadron was instrumental in changing recruitment qualifications to allow entry of new immigrants and Black cadets.

In this clip, Montague Raisman discusses the events leading up to an association between B

Name

Rabbi Reuben Slonim

Number

OH 65

OH 66

Subject

Development of Toronto Jewish community from 1930s

Rabbis

Interview Date

23 Jul. 1982

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

OH65_001: 26.25 minutes

OH65_002: 15.07 minutes

OH66: 32.48 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Poor sound quality

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Reuben Slonim was born on in Winnipeg in 1914 and ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in 1937. That year, he became Canada’s first Canadian-born rabbi when he was hired by the McCaul Street Synagogue in downtown Toronto. After it merged with Goel Tzedec to become the Beth Tzedec Congregation, Rabbi Slonim served at the new Beth Tzedec for one year. He then served for twenty-three years as rabbi of Beth Habonim on Glen Park Avenue.

Slonim also worked as a jounalist and associate editor of the Toronto Telegram and was known for his outspoken views on the Arab-Israeli conflict and Zionism.

He married Rita Short, and they had a daughter named Rena. Rabbi Reuben Slonim died on 20 January 2000 at the age of eight-five.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

McCaul Street Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

Winnipeg (Man.)

New York (N.Y.).

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ben Lappin

Number

OH 69

Subject

A.M. Klein and S.Bronfman

Interview Date

14 May 1981

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Adam Fuerstenberg

Total Running Time

OH69_001: 31.36 minutes

OH69_002: 11.28 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Very poor sound quality; difficult to make out the content of this oral history.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Ben Lappin was bom in Kielce, Poland, in 1915, the son of Leibish and Sarah Lapidus. Ben moved with his family to Canada in 1924. He married Adah Auerbach, and they had four children: Shalom, David, Naomi, and Daniel.

Ben received his undergraduate degree from McMaster University and his master's and doctoral degrees in social work from the University of Toronto. He spent several years at the Training Bureau for Jewish Communal Service in New York and returned to the University of Toronto in 1958, where he was a professor in the School of Social Work until 1970. He then accepted an appointment at the School of Social Work at Bar Ilan University in Israel, later becoming its director.

In 1963, he published "The Redeemed Children: The Story of the Rescue of the War Orphans by the Jewish Community of Canada." He later wrote a number of other books, several humorous pieces for the CBC and Macleans Magazine, and served as editor of the Toronto Yiddisher Zhurnal’s English-language page.

From 1948 to 1958, he was the executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region and was involved with the national executive committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress; the Canadian Association of Social Workers; and the Farband Labour Zionist Organization of Canada.

He died in January 2001 at the age of eighty-four.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

University of Toronto

Canadian Jewish Congress. Central Region

Geographic Access

Kielce (Poland)

Toronto (Ont.)

Hamilton (Ont.)

Israel

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Rabbi Dr. David Monson

Number

OH 70

Subject

World War, 1939-1945

Religion

Interview Date

1 Dec. 1982

Quantity

1

Interviewer

(not stated, likely Jack Lipinsky)

Total Running Time

OH70_001: 27 minutes OH70_002: 11 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Rabbi David Monson came to Toronto from Ottawa in June 1939 to serve as the rabbi of the Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue. He served on the board of the Brusnswick Talmud Torah. He was a member of B'nai Zion and B'nai Brith and was the long-serving rabbi of Beth Shalom.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Monson, David

Canadian Jewish Congress. Ontario Region

Shaarei Shomayim Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Lipinsky, Jack

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 70 - Monson\OH70_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 70 - Monson\OH70_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Rabbi Monson discusses his early positive working relationships with rabbis within the Toronto Jewish community and explains how sectionalization became a post-war phenomenon.

In this clip, Rabbi Monson discusses the role and responsibilities of the Canadian Jewish Congress in Toronto from 1939 to 1948.

Name

J. B. Salsberg

Number

OH 71

Subject

Labor movement

Labor unions

Women

Demonstrations

Interview Date

Sep. 1985

Quantity

1

Total Running Time

OH71_001: 44:50 minuets OH71_002: 35:55 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902–1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, newspaper columnist, and a man who dedicated his life to Yiddishkeit and the advancement of social justice. He was active in various Jewish organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. In 1938, he was elected as alderman on Toronto’s City Council; in 1948, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He is well remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a "champion of the people," committed to social justice, the plight of the working-class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union

Salsberg, J. B.,1902-1998

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 71 - Salsberg\OH71_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 71 - Salsberg\OH71_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the events that led to the birth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) in America and the ILGWU's influence on the Canadian garment industry.

In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the first sit down strike by tailors in Canada in recognition of women

Name

David Cohen

Number

OH 73

Subject

Synagogues

Interview Date

22 Jun. 1977

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

1 WAV file

Interviewer

Mark Verman

Total Running Time

39.45 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Copied to digital file in January 2015

Sound inaudible

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

David's parents, Sam and Clara Cohen, were amongst the first Jewish settlers of Port Colborne. David's father was born in Lithuania and came to Port Colborne via England and South Africa. After his arrival in Port Colborne in 1914, Sam opened a scrap business. David was born in Port Colborne and likely had his bar mitzvah in the late 1920s at the Agudath Achim Synagogue. David recalls Jewish settlers of Port Colborne including the Sam Kassirer family, the Dwors, and his in-laws who arrived in 1918. At its peak thirty-two Jewish families lived in Port Colborne.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Port Colborne (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 73 - Cohen\OH73_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Fay Gardner

Number

OH 3

Subject

Families

Interview Date

19 Nov. 1974

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Sophie Milgram

Total Running Time

Side one: 30 minutes Side two: 2 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Fay Gardner (née Haber) was born in Toronto in December 1896. Her parents came from Austria. They met and married in New York and moved to Toronto in about 1894. As a child, Fay's family lived on King Street, LaPlante Avenue, and Walton Street. She attended Elizabeth Street School (later Hester How Public School) and Wellesley Public School. At the age of sixteen, Fay and her family moved to Margueretta Street. She got married at age eighteen.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Gardner, Fay

Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto

Geographic Access

King Street (Toronto, Ont.)

LaPlante Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Margueretta Street (Toronto, Ont.)

New York (N.Y.).

Walton Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 3 - Gardner\OH3_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 3 - Gardner\OH3_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Sarah Green

Number

OH 4

Subject

Families

Immigrants--Canada

Neighborhoods

Interview Date

7 Jan. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Sophie Milgram

Total Running Time

38 minutes 44 seconds

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Sarah Green (née Patlik) grew up living in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood. The family home and scrap yard business were both located on Maria Street, which served as the centre for Jewish life in the Junction during the early 1900s. Sarah Patlik was involved with numerous charitable organizations including the Ontario Hospital School of Orilla and the Rubinoff and Naftolin Mishpocha.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Green, Sarah

Geographic Access

Kingston (Ont.)

Maria Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Portland Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Stanley Street (Toronto, Ont.)

West Toronto Junction (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 4 - Green\OH4_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Lawrence Kert

Number

OH 5, OH 6

Subject

Gold miners

Lawyers

Politicians

Prisoners of war

World War, 1914-1918

Interview Date

6 Oct. 1975

Quantity

3 WAV files

4 cassettes (2 copies)

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

1:30 min.

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Digitized between December 2014 and February 2015

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Lawrence Kert was born in 1896 and graduated as a lawyer in 1920 from the University of Toronto's Osgoode Hall. Kert served as a lieutenant in the Canadian Army during the First World War and became a prisoner of war when his plane was shot down in Germany. After his return to Toronto, Kert became a member of the J. Singer & Company law firm. Kert was instrumental in organizing the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto and the Oakdale Golf and Country Club; he also sat on the board of the Goel Tzedec Synagogue. Kert passed away in 1976.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

Englehart (Ont.)

Mattawa (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

OH 005 Side 1: 00:24: Lawrence discusses his family’s arrival to Canada. His parents were born in Vilna and came to Montreal in the early 1880s. His parents met in Canada and were married in Sherbrook. 1:45: Lawrence explains how his father settled in Mattawa, Ontario, near North Bay. 3:15: Lawrence discusses the large Kert family, which settled in Canada and the United States. All the Kerts were related. He mentions one branch in Ottawa, Abram Kert, and shares an anecdote about a cousin, Big Isaac, who lived in Montreal. 6:23: Lawrence’s parents were Henry Isaac and Rachel Isaac (née Vineberg). 6:43: Lawrence chronicles his father’s start in Canada. Initially, his father peddled around Cornwall, Ontario. Then wet to the Klondike. By 1890, he had generals stores set up in Mattawa and Peterborough. He later returned to the Klondike for a short time. He remained in Mattawa for fifteen years. The family moved to Montreal in 1903. 8:34: Lawrence recalls one other Jewish family in Mattawa, the Stern family. 10:31: Lawrence explains why his father returned to Montreal. His father was invited to supply produce to the contractors who were constructing the Timiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway in northern Ontario from 1903 to 1905. 13:10:Lawrence explains how his father was able to earn the contract with the railway. 13:49: Lawrence’s father opened a store in Leskeard. 14:29: Lawrence shares an anecdote about the initial discovery of silver in Cobalt by Fred LaRose, a blacksmith. 15:40: Lawrence explains how his father agreed to build a hotel in the new town site of Englehart in 1904. 17:07: Lawrence’s father sold the produce business to a cousin, Charlie ?Bernstein, who maintained the business in Cochrane for about fifty years. 17:54: The hotel burned down in 1918. Lawrence’s family lived in Englehart from 1905 to 1921/22. 18:22: Lawrence discusses his father’s participation in communal activities in Mattawa and Englehart. He was elected to serve on the school board. He was a supporter of the Conservative Party. Lawrence describes both his parents as socially involved and well-liked. 21:18: Lawrence’s mother was active in the Daughters of the Empire. 21:36: Lawrence discusses the Jewish communities of Englehart and neighbouring Krugersdorf. The synagogue was burned down by a bush fire in 1906. Lawrence had his bar mitzvah in Englehart. After the synagogue burned down, services were held in private homes, including the hotel. 25:38: Lawrence discusses other Jews who lived in Englehart. He lists names and describes their businesses. 27:51: Lawrence discusses Jewish life, practice and education in Englehart in the time period of 1905/06 to 1911. OH 005 Side 2: 00:33: Lawrence recounts a story involving a cousin who was staying with his family at the hotel. 3:24: Lawrence explains that his father built a hotel in Englehart in 1904 and stayed until 1920. The hotel was destroyed by a fire. Lawrence explains why his father did not rebuild the hotel. 4:18: Lawrence’s father started to work in the fur business. He sold the raw furs to St. Louis or to Montreal. 5:16: In 1922, Lawrence’s family moved to Montreal. 5:41: Lawrence was born in 1896. He moved to Englehart at age nine. 6:00: Lawrence discusses his Jewish education. His family belonged to Shaarei Shomayim in Montreal. When they moved to Englehart, they had a teacher. 7:10: Lawrence mentions a warm relationship between his father and Rabbi Jacobs, the head of Holy Blossom on Bond Street in Toronto. 9:13: Lawrence attended the Bond Street synagogue. 9:50: Lawrence became a member of Goel Tzedek. 10:00: Lawrence and his sibling attended high school in Hillbury. He reports not experiencing of antisemitism. 11:39: Lawrence explains how he moved from Englehart to study law at the University of Toronto in the summer of 1914. 12:55: At the outbreak of the war, Lawrence participated in the officers’ training corps at the University. He explains his training and describes how, in 1915, at age eighteen, he qualified as an officer with the Algonquin Rifles. While overseas, he trained as a pilot. 15:42: Before going overseas, Lawrence was the officer in charge of a scout troop in his battalion. 16:20: Lawrence describes the accommodations made for veterans who returned to University of Toronto in 1919. He explains how he was able to complete three years of law school and graduate in the summer of 1920. 18:28: Lawrence lists some of the prominent graduates from his year. 19:01: Lawrence explains that was shot down over Germany in 1917, where he spent the remainder of the war. 20:15: Lawrence explains where he resided while going to university. 21:43: Lawrence describes his involvement with the Jewish community in Toronto. He attended Goel Tzedek and had Jewish friends. 22:42: Lawrence discusses how he got involved at Goel Tzedek and lists some of the families who were members. He explains how he got know Toronto relatives of his oldest brother’s wife. 26:29: Lawrence suggests that university students were welcomed by both clergy (he cites Rabbi Price) and the lay community (he cites the Coopers). 27:22: Lawrence became a charter member of the first B’nai Brith Lodge in 1920. 28:32: Lawrence articled with a non-Jewish firm: Faskin-Robinson. After graduation, Lawrence started a small law firm with Joe Singer. They stayed together for forty-five years.

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Bertha Allen

Number

OH 7

Subject

Business

Motion picture theaters

Interview Date

Jan. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Lillian Bernstein

Total Running Time

Side 1: 36 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Bertha Allen (née Herbert) was married to Herbert Allen. Herbert, his brothers Jule and J. J., and his brother-in-law Louis Rosenfeld were pioneers in the motion picture industry in Canada. They opened a chain of theatres across Canada in the 1910s and 1920s. In Toronto, they built several theatres including the Tivoli Theatre, Bloor Theatre, College Theatre, Parkdale Theatre, Beach Theatre, St. Clair Theatre, Danforth Theatre, and Hollywood Theatre.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Allen, Bertha

Allen, Jule

Allen, J. J.

Rosenfeld, Louis

Geographic Access

Brantford (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 7 - Allen\OH7_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Toba Fluxgold

Number

OH 8

Subject

Bakeries

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

1975

Quantity

1 cassette (1 copy) 2 WAV files

Interviewer

Sheldon Steinberg

Total Running Time

1:02 min.

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized December 2014

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Toba Fluxgold was born in Warsaw, Poland and immigrated to Toronto with her father, older brother, and sister. Toba's father ventured into the bakery business and, in the early 1920s, opened his own kosher bakery in Toronto. Following her father's death in 1929, Toba’s brother Morris expanded and modernized the bakery and later sold it to Carmel Bakery. After her marriage in 1925, Toba moved to Arthur, Ontario, and returned to Toronto after the birth of her first child.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Yiddish

Geographic Access

Arthur (Ont.)

Elizabeth Street (Toronto, Ont.)

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Warsaw (Poland)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

Transcript exists for this oral history.

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Isidore Kaplan

Number

OH 9

OH 10

Subject

Business

Communities

Interview Date

3 Jun. 1975

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Sophie Milgram

Total Running Time

009A: 29 minutes 009B: 41 minutes 010A: 30 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Reduced sound quality at times.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Isidore Kaplan was born in Vilna in 1910. His father was the first Jew to settle in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Isidore's father, a successful businessman, opened a general store in 1915 and a movie theatre in 1923. The Jewish community of Kirkland Lake grew to 135 families and was able to support a synagogue, kosher butcher, and after-school cheder at its peak.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Kaplan, Isidore

Milgram, Sophie

Geographic Access

Cobalt (Ont.)

Englehart (Ont.)

Kirkland Lake (Ont.)

Krugerdorf (Ont.)

Swastika (Ont.)

Vilnius (Lithuania)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 9, OH 10 - Kaplan\OH9_001_Log.doc

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 9, OH 10 - Kaplan\OH9_002_Log.doc

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 9, OH 10 - Kaplan\OH10_001_Log.doc

Source

Oral Histories

Isidore Kaplan's father was the first Jewish resident of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. In this clip, Isidore relates his father's journey in 1912 from Toronto to Kirkland Lake in northern Ontario via Engelhart and Swastika.

In this clip, Isidore Kaplan describes the decline of Kirkland Lake, Ontario

Name

Barney and Tillie Nosov

Number

OH 11

Subject

Families

Religion

Interview Date

22 Sep. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Fred Schaeffer

Total Running Time

side 1: 43:39 minutes

side 2: 43:36 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Most of the interview is conducted with Barney Nosov. Wilfred Kideckel is also featured on the tape, and Tillie Nosov is interviewed briefly.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Barney Nosov arrived in Canada in 1916. Nosov lived in Ansonville, Ontario. He was a merchant, owned a store, and was also in politics for many years.

Wilfred Kideckel was born in Kreugerdorf on a farm in 1917. His father was one of the first immigrants to the area. Kideckel had ten people in his family. He moved to Ansonville and got married. Kideckel moved to Toronto in 1942.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Nosov, Barney

Nosov, Tillie

Kideckel, Wilfred

Geographic Access

Ansonville (Ont.)

Cobalt (Ont.)

Cochrane (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 11 - Nosov\OH11_Transcript.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Dr. Hana Gelber

Number

OH 13

OH 14

Subject

Antisemitism

Families

Occupations

Interview Date

29 Jul. 1973

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

013 Side One 30 minutes

014 Side One 30 minutes

014 Side Two 30 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Hana Gelber (née David) was born in Safed (Tzfat), Palestine in 1907. She studied sciences at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and prepared her thesis at Hebrew University. She graduated from University of Paris-Sorbonne in 1929. Hana moved to Toronto in December 1929 and married Eddie Gelber in March 1930. Hana and Eddie moved to New York where Eddie was completing his final year at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Hana conducted research at the Rockefeller Institute. They returned to Toronto in July 1930. Hana graduated from Medical School at the University of Toronto in 1934. She completed her medical internship in Palestine. Hana and Eddie lived in Palestine from 1934 to 1939. They returned to Toronto in 1939 where they remained until 1954 at which time they made aliyah. Hana worked at Women's College Hospital until 1954. Hana had three children: Edna, Lynn, and David.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Gelber, Hana

Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Women's College Hospital (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

New York (N.Y.).

Palestine

Toronto (Ont.)

Tsefat (Israel)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH13_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH14_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH14_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Belle James

Number

OH 16

Subject

Families

Rabbis

Interview Date

21 Apr. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side One: 46 minutes

Side Two: 5 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Belle James (née Levy) was born in Toronto in 1908. Her father, Rabbi Meyer Levy, became chief rabbi of Toronto in 1905/6.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

James, Belle

Levy, Meyer

Weiss, Lottie

Geographic Access

Toronto, Ont.

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 16 - James\OH16_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 16 - James\OH16_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

John Furedi

Number

OH 78

OH 79

Subject

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Immigrants--Canada

Farmers

Communities

Synagogues

Interview Date

29 Jul. 1976

Quantity

4 cassettes (2 copies)

3 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

OH78_001: 45.20 minutes OH78_002: 45.30 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Copied to digital file in December 2013

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

John Furedi was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1925. During the Second World War, John was drafted into the Hungarian Labour Service System (Munkaszolgalat). After the Nazi occupation of Hungary in March 1944, John was deported to the Kistarcsa transit camp. Between 1945 and 1948, John travelled throughout Europe and returned to Budapest during the takeover of Hungary by the Communists. The revolution and anti-Jewish sentiment forced many Jews, including John and his wife Stephanie, to flee Hungary. In 1956, they immigrated to Canada and lived in Montreal for one year. In 1958, with the aid of a six-thousand-dollar loan provided by the Jewish Colonization Association, John became the first Jewish chicken farmer to settle in Beamsville, Ontario. John went on to become an active member of Beamsville's Jewish community and participated in the establishment of the community’s first congregation in 1966.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Furedi, John

Jewish Colonization Association

Geographic Access

Beamsville (Ont.)

Hungary

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 78 - Furedi\OH78_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 78 - Furedi\OH78_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Paul Szasz

Number

OH 80

OH 81

Subject

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Concentration camps

Communism

Farmers

Communities

Synagogues

Interview Date

29 Jul. 1976

Quantity

4 cassettes (2 copies)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

OH80_001: 45.29 minutes OH80_002: 44.23 minutes OH81: 44.20 minutes

Conservation

OH 080 and 081 were both damaged (tape snapped). They were sent out and were repaired and digitized in 2014.

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Digitzed in June 2014

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Paul Szasz was born in 1926 in Tiszakeszi, Hungary, and was a Holocaust survivor. He came from a family of traditonal farmers. During the Second World War, he was drafted into the Hungarian Labor Service System (Munkaszolgalat) and was liberated from Auschwitz in 1945. Paul escaped Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and immigrated to Canada. With the aid of a loan from the Jewish Colonization Association, Paul purchased a farm in Beamsville, Ontario. Paul went on to become an active member of Beamsville's Jewish community and particpated in the establishment of the community's first congregation in 1966.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Beamsville (Ont.)

Hungary

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 80, OH 81 - Szasz\OH80_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 80, OH 81 - Szasz\OH80_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 80, OH 81 - Szasz\OH81_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Paul Abeles

Number

OH 87

Subject

Farmers

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

14 Jun. 1976

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

45.05 minutes

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Paul Abeles was born on 15 November 1906 in Czechoslovakia. He was a successful businessman and part of a group of four local businesspeople, with Leon Rotberg, Jack Rotberg, and Jack Brown, who bought and rented business properties in the city. The group were also referred to as the “Brantford Companies,” set up to own and manage warehouse properties in the City of Brantford.

Paul was active in the Brantford Jewish community and represented Brantford at the Second Regional Leadership Conference in London, Ontario on 27 March 1960, where over seventy-five representatives of regional Jewish communities gathered. At this conference, Paul was presented with an award of recognition for his volunteer endeavours.

Paul was one of thirty-nine families who immigrated to Canada in 1939 from Czechoslovakia and placed on farms. He was married to Rita Abeles (née (Glaser). He passed away in March 1989.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Brantford (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 87 - Abeles\OH87_Transcript.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Sadie Stren

Number

OH 91

Subject

Communities

Education

Interview Date

14 Jun. 1976

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy) 2 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

OH91_001:44.37 minutes OH91_002:37.34 minutes

Conservation

Copied November 2006

Digitized 2010

Sound distorted on side 1 and side 2

Notes

Significant sound distortion.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or their heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Sadie Stren was born 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. Stren graduated from Wayne State University and worked as a social studies teacher. Following her marriage to Maurice Strenkovsky in 1947, she moved to Brantford, Ontario. In Brantford, Sadie was actively involved in both Jewish and non-Jewish community organizations including Haddassah, the Family Service Bureau, and the University Women’s Club. She was also a board member of the YM-YWCA. In Toronto, Sadie was a member of the Baycrest Women's Auxillary and also authored the History of the Brantford community.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada

B’nai Brith Youth Organization. Lake Ontario Region

Hadassah

Geographic Access

Brantford (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 91 - Stren\OH91_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 91 - Stren\OH91_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Pauline Burns

Number

OH 92

Subject

Kosher food

Jewish youth--Religious life

Jewelry stores

Fasts and feasts--Judaism

Berit milah

Jewish day schools

Interview Date

6 Jun. 1976

Quantity

1 audio cassette (1 copy) 1 WAV file

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

31.54 minute

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Pauline Burns was born in Oshawa, Ontario on 3 July 1935. She attended North Simcoe Public School and O’Neill High School (formerly OCVI) in Oshawa and studied dental nursing at the University of Toronto. Pauline married Sidney Burns in 1956 and had two children. She worked in the family business, Burns Jewellers. In her youth, Pauline was involved in Young Judaeans and BBYO. Once married, she became a member of Hadassah.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

BBYO

University of Toronto

Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada

Geographic Access

Oshawa (Ont.)

Brantford (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 92 - Burns\OH92_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ben Collis

Number

OH 93

Subject

Musicians

Cemeteries

Synagogues

Antisemitism

Farmers

Yiddish language

Interview Date

1 Jun. 1976

Quantity

2 audio cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster and Elaine Kahn

Total Running Time

OH93_001:43.50 minutes OH93_002:18.45 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Notes

poor sound quality in some sections

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Ben Collis, the son of Russian immigrants, was born in 1911. He grew up in Oshawa, Ontario. In 1944, he moved to Peterborough, Ontario. Ben's interest in music led him to form his own dance band and play gigs throughout Ontario.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Oshawa (Ont.)

Peterborough (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 93 - Collis\OH93_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 93 - Collis\OH93_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Elinor Einhorn Grill

Number

OH 99

OH 100

Subject

family history

Jewish education

Refugees

Antisemitism

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Farmers

Young Judaea

Camp Elohim

Queen's University Hillel

Rabbi Rosen

St. Catharines

Einhorn, Sol

Israel

Soviet Jewry

Interview Date

13 Jul. 1976

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

2 hrs 25 minutes

Conservation

February 2009

Notes

Detailed transcription: file://s-oja01\data\Grants\Trillium2005\Oral%20Histories\interview%20summaries\St.%20Catharines%20OH%20099-100.doc Original tapes are damaged. Copies have been made, but the white noise interference is considerable.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Raised and educated in Oshawa, Elinor Grill was an active member of the Jewish community and a keen bridge player. She was married to Earl Grill, with whom she had three daughters.

Material Format

sound recording

Geographic Access

Oshawa (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Charles King

Number

OH 101

Subject

Early life in Whitby

Toronto good

Interview Date

24 Jun. 1976

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Original tapes are damaged. Copies have been made, but the white noise interference is considerable.

Biography

The King family immigrated to Canada from Prague. Charles King and his family landed at New York in 1857 and moved to Whitby in 1863. Charles and his older brother, Joseph, bought out the former proprietor of the tannery and founded the King Brothers' Tannery at Whitby in 1863, which was located at 44 Colborne Street in 1863. In 1878, they opened a Toronto branch.

Charles King (1837–1915) and his wife, Henrietta, had eight surviving children. He was active in local politics, holding almost every position on the county council. Charles occupied the position of reeve of Whitby in 1880 and deputy reeve from 1891 to 1893. He sat in the county council and later became warden of Ontario County.

Charles King was a member of the Whitby Board of Education for sixteen years, serving several terms as chairman. He died at Toronto on 22 February 1915.

Material Format

sound recording

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Max Enkin

Number

OH 132

Subject

Tailor project

Clothing trade

Clothing workers

Refugee camps

Legislators--Canada

Labor unions

Interview Date

24 Mar. 1982

Quantity

1 audio cassette (1 copy)

1 WAV file

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

43.19 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Recopied March 2009 as the original copy done was inaudible.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Max Enkin was a founder and a leading member of the Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto. In 1947, as associate administrator and representative for the men's clothing sector in Ontario, Max Enkin became involved in the Tailor Project, which was designed to identify and select skilled tailors from the displaced persons camps of Europe and help to settle them in Canada. Max Enkin was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to Wartime Prices and Trade Council.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Europe

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 132 - Enkin\OH132_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ben Himel

Number

OH 135

Subject

Communism

Education

Fraternal organizations

Labor unions

Zionism

Interview Date

24 Jan. 1983

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

OH135_001: 26.40 minutes OH135_002: 29.20 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Ben Himel was vice president and founder of the Borochov School and Kindergarten. Himel was affliated with the Poale Zion Jewish National Workers Alliance (Farband), the Independent Workers Circle, and the Board of Jewish Education.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Himel, Ben

Speisman, Stephen

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 135 - Himel\OH135_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 135 - Himel\OH135_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Benjamin Himel discusses the ideologies of Canada's labour Movements during the 1930s and 1940s.

In this clip, Benjamin Himel discusses the Zionist movement within the Toronto Jewish community during the 1930s and 1940s.

Name

Tobie Taback

Number

OH 136

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Nonprofit organizations

Interview Date

23 Feb. 1983

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

34 minutes 58 secons

Conservation

Copied November 2006

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Tobie Taback was the long-time secretary for the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Toronto. She retired in 1982.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (Toronto, Ont.)

Taback, Tobie

Lipinsky, Jack

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Tobie Taback discusses the helplessness faced by the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in bringing immigrants out of Europe during the period of Canada's strict no immigration policy.

In this clip, Tobie Taback discusses the activities of Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (JIAS) employees during the years 1937–1939, the obstacles they faced vis-à-vis immigrant applications and the "parcels to Russia and Poland" aid program run by JIAS.

Name

Jack Shindman

Number

OH 138

OH 139

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Nonprofit organizations

High Holidays

Immigrants--Canada

Quantity

4 audio cassettes (2 copies)

4 WAV files

Interviewer

Danny Drutz

AccessionNumber

1983-1-10

Total Running Time

1:30 minutes

Conservation

OH 139 Copied August 2003

OH 138 digitized in 2016

Notes

Related material note: Accession 1983-1-10 includes typed, unpublished manuscript of Jack Shindman's memoir.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Jack Shindman was born in Rovno, Ukraine and immigrated to Toronto in 1923. Shindman worked in a junkyard and advanced to millinery work, becoming executive of his union. After purchasing property at 150 Avenue Road, he opened a laundry business on the ground floor and lived with his family on the top floor. Shindman formed the Obecz-Valin Farein of Toronto, an association for landsleit of his hometown and worked for HIAS/JIAS helping immigrants procure immigration documents.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Greene, Lorne, 1915-1987

Geographic Access

Rovno, Ukraine

Toronto, Ont.

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

OH138 Side One 00:00: Jack explains the complicated, drawn-out process of arranging immigration to Canada. 00:14: Jack explains that his future father-in-law had a brother, Abe, and his wife, Molly, who could help with immigration. 1:33: Jack explains how steamship tickets were procured from his future mother-in-law and her three daughters but not for him and his three sisters due to insufficient funds. 3:15: Jack explains that he continued to work with HIAS/JIAS to help immigrants procure documents before departure in Rovno. His older sister worked as a dressmaker. 4:38: Jack discusses the proposal and wedding to his wife Raizel. Jack describes how he took his mother-in-law and sisters-in-law to Warsaw before their departure to Canada. Jack returns to Rovno. 7:42: Jack discusses the agreement he made with his mother-in-law about joining them in Canada. The family in Canada sent a letter promising to send four tickets. 9:42: Jack discusses the circumstances surrounding the birth of their son. 10:11: Jack discusses various legal obstacles that prevented them from immigrating to Canada. 13:53: Jack explains how he and his family were able to secure a special permit procured by Mrs. Dworkin, a steamship agent. Jack, his wife, his son, and his three sisters arrived in Toronto in April 1923. OH138 Side Two 00:00: Jack explains that the Polish regulations limited the amount of time Russians were permitted to remain in Poland if they were waiting to travel abroad. He explains how he deceptively was able to obtain Polish passports for himself, his wife, and his sisters to enable them to remain in Poland for a longer time. 3:58: Jack discusses his efforts at finding work. 5:56: Jack relates an incident involving his youngest sister getting burned from boiling water while taking a bath. He discusses the exemplary care provided by a doctor, Dave (?)Perlman. 8:32: Jack discusses how he was able to find work at his uncle’s junk yard in the Junction. He worked with Joe Tenenbaum. 9:51: Jack describes a flat the family lived in on Stephanie Street. 11:01: Jack discusses his struggle trying to find a job. He explains how he was quickly able to advance while working in a millinery job. 14:58: Jack explains how he became an executive of his union. He was advised by Joe Salsberg to request higher wages. OH139 Side One 00:00: Jack explains that his sisters and sister-in-law got married. 1:37: Jack discusses Benny’s bar mitzvah. 2:28: Jack discusses forming the Obecz- Valin Farein, an association for lantsleit (people from his home town) to send parcels to help people back in Russia from 1934–1939. The organization existed until 1968. 4:54: Jack bought a building at 150 Avenue Road. The family lived upstairs with a laundry on the main floor. 5:53: Jack discusses the dissolution of the organization. 7:00: Jack explains how he purchased a building at 150 Avenue Road and the neighbouring building at 152 Avenue Road. 9:42: Jack discusses his son’s service in the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War. 13:19: Jack discusses his attempt to purchase a property on Davenport Road that could be used as a laundry business for his son. OH139 Side Two 00:48: Jack explains that Benny opted to go to university after the war rather than go into his father’s business. 1:57: Jack discusses building a house. 3:02: Jack discusses Jack’s girlfriend who later became his wife. He discusses the wedding at Shaarei Shomayim. 7:16: Jack explains how his son, Benny, and his daughter Adele’s husband, Don, started to work in Jack’s businesses in1952/53. Danny Drutz explains the careers of Don and Benny. 10:34:Danny Drutz discusses Edith’s education and completing a degree at Queen’s University and a course in Lorne Green’s school for acting. 11:10: Danny Drutz discusses Edith’s life course: her work, her engagement and marriage to (?) Lennie Hauser, and her move to London. 13:02: Danny Drutz discusses Lennie’s work with the Department of External Affairs of Canada in diplomatic service. 14:20: Danny Drutz discusses Edith’s work with Information Canada.

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Dr. Alexander Brown

Number

OH 140

Subject

Education

Interview Date

4 May 1977

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side 1: 46 minutes 22 seconds Side 2: 41 minutes 13 seconds good

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Dr. Alexander Brown was a leader in the field of Jewish education in Toronto. He held various positions with Toronto's Board of Education and the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto. He was actively involved with other Jewish organizations, such as the Canadian Jewish Congress and the United Jewish Welfare Fund. Dr. Brown was born in the Ukraine in 1909 and was the son of Louis and Bessie Brown.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Brown, Alexander

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Board of Jewish Education (Toronto, Ont.)

United Jewish Welfare Fund (Toronto, Ont.)

Associated Hebrew Schools (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Dr. Brown describes his tenure as executive secretary of the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), its organizational structure, and the CJC's position within the Toronto Jewish community.

In this clip, Dr. Brown discusses the Board of Jewish Education, the Welfare Fund, and the Canadian Jewish Congress in relation to the subsidization of Associated Hebrew Schools.