Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 64
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 12
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
Fonds
64
Series
5
File
12
Material Format
textual record
Date
1949
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File contains photocopied pages from the synagogue's 1949 Dedication program.
Name Access
Beth Isaiah Congregation (Guelph, 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
Guelph (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 23
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 33
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
Fonds
64
Series
5
File
33
Material Format
architectural drawing
Date
1947
Physical Description
7 architectural drawings
Scope and Content
File contains 7 blueprints for the 1947 extension and alterations to the shul.
Name Access
Congregation Ahavath Shalom
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 41
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 45
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 48
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
Fonds
64
Series
5
File
48
Material Format
textual record
architectural drawing
Date
1949, 1978
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
1 architectural drawing
Scope and Content
File contains a form letter from the congregation regarding High Holiday services (17 July 1978), and a blueprint for the auditorium building (1949).
Name Access
Young Israel of Montreal
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 49
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 54
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
Fonds
64
Series
5
File
54
Material Format
textual record
Date
1944, [1975?]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File contains two short historical overviews.
Name Access
Temple 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
Ottawa (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 66
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 75
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 64; Series 5; File 96
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
The Shuls Project fonds
Reference series
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