- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National biennial conventions and annual meetings series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- object
- Date
- 1933-1997
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records
- 51 photographs : b&w and col. (28 negatives) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
- 6 objects
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada held national conventions every second year starting in 1937. Annual meetings took place in between convention years.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of programs, minutes, reports, photographs, badges and medals from these biennial conventions and annual meetings. It also includes Ida Strauss’ delegate’s badge to the 1933 National Council of Jewish Women convention in St. Louis.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series
- Camp Camperdown file
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-13
- File
- 23
- Item
- 2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Jul. 1940
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 7 x 6 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a black-and-white photograph of Camp Campdown.
- Notes
- Availability of other formats: Also available as a TIF file.
- Name Access
- Camp Camperdown
- Subjects
- Camps
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Places
- Orillia (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series
- Camp Camperdown file
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-13
- File
- 23
- Item
- 3
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Jul. 1941
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 7 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a black-and-white photograph of Camp Campdown.
- Notes
- Availability of other formats: Also available as a TIF file.
- Name Access
- Camp Camperdown
- Subjects
- Camps
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Places
- Orillia (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 38
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- [190-]-2002
- Physical Description
- 2.6 m of textual records and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (NCJWC) was the first national Jewish women's organization in Canada. The council had its beginnings among the urban elite, and played a strong role over the years in influencing public policy in such areas as relations with Israel, national unity, and the plight of world Jewry. The NCJWC is dedicated, in the spirit of Judaism, to furthering human welfare in the Jewish and general communities -- locally, nationally and internationally. It operated around three main pillars: service, education, and social action.
- The National Council of Jewish Women was founded in the United States in 1893 by activist Hannah G. Solomon. In 1897, its first Canadian chapter was established in Toronto. In 1925, with seven chapters in Canada, a Canadian liaison position to the National Council of Jewish Women was created. A full-fledged “Canadian Division” of the NCJW was formed in 1934, with rules drafted at the first conference in Winnipeg three years later. Irene Samuel served as the Canadian Division’s first national president. In 1943, the division was renamed the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, and was officially incorporated in 1944, though it did not receive its letters patent until three years later. Even so, the NCJWC still retained some affiliation with the NCJW, whereby they paid per-capita dues to the Americans in return for program and administrative materials. In 1967 the NCJWC ceased these payments altogether, thereby separating from NCJW completely.
- The early NCJWC focused on providing service to young girls and immigrants. They also involved themselves in contemporary politics through support for the war effort; the council donated vehicles to the Red Cross, turned Council House into a servicemen's centre, and even built several libraries at Canadian army camps. A national office opened ca. 1950 in Toronto, but until 1966 it moved to the national president's home city with every election. That year the office was permanently anchored in Toronto. In the 1950s and 1960s the council established Good Age clubs, the Irene Samuel Scholarship Fund, and developed the national Higher Horizons child-care and Newer Horizons elder-care programs. It expanded its overseas programs with support for the Israel Family Counseling Association and Ship-a-Box. The Soviet Jewry projects in the 1970s and 1980s reflected the council’s increasing emphasis on social action. Since the late 1990s, the council has focused on women's issues with efforts such as the Breast Self-Examination (BSE) program.
- The NCJWC was governed by an executive council, led by a president. Vice-presidents were each responsible for one portfolio, such as membership, public affairs, etc., which were in turn made up of a number of national committees. The national executive was responsible for producing by-laws, guidelines, policies and procedures, as well as developing national service and social action programs. National also provided support and program materials to the sections, and held biennial meetings every other year from 1937 in cities across Canada. Its decentralized structure meant that while the national office remained in Toronto, officers of the executive have resided right across the country.
- As of 1997, the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada was an affiliate member of the International Council of Jewish Women, a member of UNESCO Canadian Subcommission of the Status of Women, and a member of the Coalition of Jewish Women Against Domestic Violence and the Coalition for Agunot Rights. Prominent past presidents include Mrs. Harry (Irene) Samuel, Mrs. Lucille Lorie, Dr. Reva Gerstein, Mozah Zemans, Mina Hollenberg, Sophie Drache, Thelma Rolingher, Helen Marr, Bunny Gurvey, Sheila Freeman, Penny Yellen, and Gloria Strom. The council’s national office moved to Winnipeg in November, 1993. As of 2006, the council still had 5 active sections in Canada: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.
- Custodial History
- NCJWC donated these records to the OJA after they had finished a historical exhibit and catalogue in 1997 called "Faith and Humanity," celebrating 100 years of NCJWC.
- Scope and Content
- The fonds documents NCJWC’s fundraising, social service and social action work in Toronto, in other cities across the country, and overseas. Records include conference and meeting programs, minutes, hand-written correspondence, speeches and reports, national newsletters, published histories, by-laws and policies, photographs, publicity material, historical subject files and artifacts. The records have been arranged into nine series: National biennial conventions and annual meetings; National Executive Council; National portfolios and committees; National program and event materials; National history research and subject files; International Council of Jewish Women; Toronto Section; Photos and audio-visual material; and National Council of Jewish Juniors, Toronto Section.
- Notes
- Physical description note: includes ca. 2470 photographs, 13 architectural drawings, 2 artistic drawings, 3 badges, 3 medals, 1 pin, 28 audio cassettes, and 1 videocassette.
- Name Access
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada
- Subjects
- Women
- Related Material
- See also: photographs 3207, 3192, 4140, 4067, 4066, 4434; Accession 1977-8-7 for National Council of Jewish Women of Welland; National Council of Jewish Juniors, photographs 458, 459, 460, 463, 464, 465, 466, 468; MG2 B-1K
- Arrangement
- Records have been arranged by function, in accordance with information gleaned from NCJWC's organizational charts and annual reports
- Creator
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada
- Accession Number
- 2001-8-4
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National history research and subject files series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 5
- File
- 15
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [194-]-1987
- Physical Description
- 15 photographs : b&w, sepia and col. ; 25 x 21 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs of past presidents, council members and scholarship recipients, with the exception of a postcard of a man reading in a library, and a print of a collage of four photgraphs taken inside and outside a thrift shop.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National history research and subject files series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 5
- File
- 16
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [1947 or 1954]
- Physical Description
- 5 photographs : b&w ; 25 x 20 cm on mat and 24 x 19 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs taken at the installation of Mildred Goffe as president of NCJW, at Council House located 44 St. George Street.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National history research and subject files series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 5
- File
- 21
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1928-1995
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of various newsclippings; a bulletin; articles about fundraisers, Council thrift shop and programs offered; and various articles pertaining to Dorothy Reitman, past president.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- International Council of Jewish Women series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 6
- File
- 4
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1940-1948
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of pamphlets from South Africa, England and Australia and a radio broadcast announcement from National Council of Jewish Women, New York.
- Name Access
- National Council of Jewish Women. New York Section
- Subjects
- Women
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Presidents sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-1
- File
- 1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- [1947?]-1989
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 14 photographs : b&w and col. (4 negatives) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a list of Toronto Section presidents from 1897 to 1997, 4 negatives and 14 photographs of some of these presidents, and newclippings about the Toronto Section of the NCJW.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Executive sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-2
- File
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1932-1984
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 11 photographs : b&w and col. ; 15 x 10 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of three invitations to annual meetings of the NCJW, Toronto Section, and photographs taken at the Fall General Meeting in September 1984.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Education Portfolio sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-6
- File
- 2
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1936-1976
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 2 photographs : b&w ; 25 x 20 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of 2 photographs, and a study of the day care needs in the Jewish community. NCJW Toronto Section were concerned with the need of quality day care services in the general and Jewish community of Toronto.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-13
- File
- 8
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1897-1947
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a page from the "Gold book" showing pictures of the first amd second president of the Toronto Section; a Diamond Jubilee commemorative book, 1987 to 1957, celebrating 60 years of service; and a history of NCJW.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-13
- File
- 9
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- [190-]-[198-?]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 3 photographs : b&w ; 13 x 19 cm on mat 25 x 16 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs of the first Council House at 36 Walton Street pre-1909, the next Council House at 254 McCaul Street post-1909, the current Council House at 4700, Bathurst Street, and a photocopy of a photo of the Jewish Working Girls' Club in 1909.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-13
- File
- 29
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1941-[194-]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a pamphlet promoting the CJC Servicemen's Centre and newspaper clippings from a scrap book page about a proposed new library for soldiers at Camp Borden, and the Library's supervisor who will run it.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-13
- File
- 32
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1947-1966
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of texual records
- 16 photographs : b&w ; 28 x 23 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of 16 photographs pertaining to the Ship-A-Box program. Examples are Council members holding a box in front of a ship, and kindergarden children enjoying the boxes' contents. A map in one of the photographs show that boxes were shipped to homes, communities, medical centres and D.P. camps, in Europe and Israel. A Ship-A-Box monthly report, dated March 14, 1961, serving kindergardens in Israel lists the educational toys, and work and play materials packed in their boxes.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Photographs and audio-visual material series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 8
- File
- 1
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [192-]-[195-]
- Physical Description
- 16 photographs: b&w and col. ; 18 x 13 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs of past presidents and executive members of NCJW, including Mrs. Charles Mandell, Evelyn Shulman, Sadie Wolinsky, Lil Gold, Mrs. Harold Lorie, Sophie Drache, Dr. Reva Gerstein, Mrs. A. Pattenick, Mrs. Carol Stone and Mrs. H. Thomson.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National Executive Council series
- Presidents sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 2-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- [193-?]-1987
- Physical Description
- 4 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of speeches, reports and correspondence generated by various presidents of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada. It includes Irene Samuel's handwritten speeches and reports from the 1930s. Samuel, the first president of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, was involved in the formation of council's Canadian division.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National portfolios and committees series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 3
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1937-1995
- Physical Description
- 8 cm of textual records
- 2 photographs
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada conducted its activites through a number of national portfolios, each headed by a national vice-president and composed of a number of committees.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of reports, publicity, guidelines, by-laws, and other material generated by these various national committees and portfolios. It also includes fairly full sets of the national periodicals Canadian Council Women, Keeping You Posted and The New Edition.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National Executive Council series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 2
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1933-1988
- Physical Description
- 8 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Executive Council was the main governing body of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada.
- Scope and Content
- Series is composed of two sub-series: National Presidents and National Administration.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National history research and subject files series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1928-1997
- Physical Description
- 23 cm of textual records
- 73 photographs (18 slides)
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada made a number of efforts over the years to compile historical and archival collections.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of news clippings, published histories, correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs, listings of presidents and other materials, which were gathered as part of the effort to document the NCJW's history. Records include a clippings scrapbook and photographs of prominant president Lucille Lorie, two published national histories, and photographs from a 1947 or 1954 presidential installation. There are also subject files generated by the various sections across Canada, which include section bulletins and publications, year books, photographs and newsclippings.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Presidents sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- [1947?]-1989
- Physical Description
- 5 cm of textual records
- 16 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists predominantly of correspondence, photographs, lists, and newsletters which were generated by past Toronto Section presidents.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Executive sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-2
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1932-2002
- Physical Description
- 25 cm of textual records
- 61 photographs
- Admin History/Bio
- Toronto Section's executive was composed of the president and all other elected officers, plus branch and committee chairmen. They were responsible for planning and carrying out council's programs and activities.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of sets of Toronto Section's annual reports and exectuive meeting minutes, as well as executive and branch lists, photographs, and annual meeting programs.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Education Portfolio sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-6
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1936-1996
- Physical Description
- 6 cm of textual records
- 225 photographs : (130 negatives and 14 slides)
- Admin History/Bio
- Toronto Section's executive historically incorporated five or six vice-presidents, each in charge of a portfolio made up of a group of related committees. The education portfolio oversaw workshops and speakers, and engaged in research and social action projects. This portfolio often organized programs and activities in conjunction with the membership and service portfolios.
- Scope and Content
- This sub-series comprises photographs, reports, programs and brochures generated by the portfolio and predominantly covers the late 1970s through to the early 1980s.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Service Portfolio sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-11
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- object
- Date
- 1936-1995
- Physical Description
- 25 cm of textual records
- 921 photographs : b&w and col. (288 negatives and 25 slides)
- 1 object
- Admin History/Bio
- Toronto Section's executive historically incorporated five or six vice-presidents, each in charge of a portfolio made up of a group of related committees. The service portfolio has been a cornerstone of Toronto Section throughout its existence. This portfolio's early progressive programs included the Jewish Girls' Club and Camp Camperdown, and later evolved into a blood donor drive, ESL programs, nursery, and aid to seniors and the disabled. In the 1960s they began to operate as a clearing-house for Jewish commmunity volunteers.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of photographs, program materials, reports and newsletters which document the Service Portfolio's activities.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Toronto Section archival material sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7-13
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1908-1996
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records
- 290 photographs : (37 negatives)
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, Toronto Section celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1997. These files, organized chronologically by year, were likley assembled in conjunction with a commemmorative exhibit and book produced by the centennial committee.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of programs from anniversary celebrations, photographs of early Council House buildings, bulletins, handwritten correspondence, telegrams and newsclippings. Of note is a series of letters from Ida Siegal which she wrote upon making several cross-country trips for the NCJW between 1931 amd 1936.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- National Council of Jewish Juniors, Toronto Section series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 9
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1933-1940
- Physical Description
- 7.5 cm of textual records
- 1 photograph
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Council of Jewish Juniors section opened in Toronto circa 1932. Members of the Junior Council conducted the Jewish Girls' Clubs as well as other study and cultural groups. Its social service activities ran parallel to those of Toronto Section of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (referred to as Senior Council). The juniors disbanded in 1946, and integrated into the NCJWC's evening groups.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of scrapbook pages and newsletters from the 1930s. The scrapbooks contain programs, news clippings, and photographs from Junior Council productions and conventions.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Photographs and audio-visual material series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 8
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1920-1996
- Physical Description
- 6 cm of textual records
- 26 audio cassettes
- 1 video cassette
- 241 photographs
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of various photographs and audio-visual records. The photographs are grouped mainly by decade. A majority of audio cassettes pertain to the 1981 conference on disabled Jewish people and associated activities. The video cassette is a narrated history of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
- Toronto Section series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 38
- Series
- 7
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1932-2002
- Physical Description
- 1.56 m of textual records and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- The first Canadian section of the National Council of Jewish Women was founded in Toronto in 1897. Toronto Section has been one of the most active sections of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada and has provided many of its leaders. This series charts the growth of Toronto Section, predominantly from the 1930s through the early 1990s.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of annual reports, bulletins and Council Communiqués, executive and board minutes, chairmen's handbooks, event and Angel's Ball programs and invitations, publicity material, scrapbooks, photographs, newsclippings, published histories, reports, anniversary booklets, architectural drawings of Council House, certificates, playscripts, audio recordings and a videocassette of the council's history.
- The series is divided into 13 sub-series: Presidents; Executive; Board of Directors; Communication porfolio; Membership portfolio; Education portfolio; Thrift shop portfolio; Ways and means portfolio; Finance portfolio; House committee; Service portfolio; Special events; and Toronto Section archival material.
- Notes
- Physical decscription note: Includes 2080 photographs, 2 artistic drawings, 13 architectural drawings, 1 object and 1 sound recording.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
