Accession Number

2023-5-5

Material Format

multiple media

Physical Description

40 cm of textual records and other material

Date

1982-2017, predominant 2014-2015

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records documenting David Matlow's role as chair of the UJA Campaign 2015, his involvement in the March of the Living, and other community organizations. Also reflects Andrea Cohen's role as co-chair of campaign and Allison Himel as chair of Women's Philanthropy. Includes 40 cm of textual records, 16 photographs (col. ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller), 2 prints (poster ; 28 x 36 cm or smaller), 1 wristband, 1 medal (8 cm in diam. on loop 4 x 42 cm), 1 t-shirt, and 1 papercut (18 x 18 cm in frame 30 x 36 cm).

Administrative History

David Matlow is the owner of the world’s largest private collection of Theodor Herzl memorabilia and is the producer of My Herzl, a 52 minute documentary by Israeli film maker Eli Tal-El. A partner at Goodmans LLP in Toronto, David was the co-chair, together with Andrea Cohen, of Toronto’s 2015 Campaign for the United Jewish Appeal.

Subjects

Fund raising

Jewish outreach

Jewish philanthropists

Name Access

Matlow, David

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2023-11-2

Material Format

graphic material (electronic)

Physical Description

12 photographs (jpg) : col.

Date

Nov. 2023

Scope and Content

Accession consists of twelve photographs of posters taken by the donor in Midtown, Toronto, and near Bathurst and Sheppard Streets in North York. The photographs were taken between 6 and 8 November 2023, approximately one month after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the start of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. Many of the photographs depict Israeli citizens taken hostage by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.

Six of the photographs are of posters disseminated by the #KidnappedFromIsrael campaign (https://www.kidnappedfromisrael.com). Of the seven Kidnapped from Israel posters photographed—one photograph depicts two posters—three of which were vandalized. The vandalism on the first Kidnapped from Israel poster reads, "IDF soldier." The vandalism on the second Kidnapped from Israel poster reads, "Israeli terrorism is not OK!" The vandalism on the fifth Kidnapped from Israel poster reads, "3000 dead Palestinians."

Two of the photographs are of posters disseminated by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto's #NoRoomForTerror campaign (https://www.instagram.com/noroomforterror). Neither of the #NoRoomForTerror posters appear to have been vandalized, although one is torn in half. It is unclear if this was done intentionally.

Two of the photographs are of posters with the message "HAMASISIS" and the hashtag #BringThemHomeNOW. Of the two HAMASISISIS posters photographed, both were vandalized. The vandalism on the first HAMASISIS poster appears to read, "10k dead Palestinians." The vandalism on the second HAMASISISIS poster appears to read, "Israel is terroris[m/t]."

Lastly, there is a photograph of a small poster tied to the Forgotten Echo Instagram page. The latter's message reads, "It costs Canadian taxpayers $33,000 to kill one baby in Gaza. Take action." On this poster is a QR code that links to a petition to the prime minister of Canada calling upon the prime minister "to take the necessary measures to address the Israel-Palestine conflict."

Use Conditions

Conditional Use. Researchers must receive permission from the donor prior to publication. 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.

Subjects

Hostages

Posters

Vandalism

Name Access

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Part Of

Solomon Edell fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

4

Material Format

multiple media

Date

[ca. 1900]-2010

Physical Description

3.1 metres of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Sol Edell (1919-2000) was a prominant member of the Toronto Jewish community who initially pursued a career as a pharmacist and was later founder and president of the property development company, Elmdale Investments. He held positions as board member or chair in a wide variety of religious, educational and social service organizations and institutions both in Canada and Israel. In Toronto, these included: Clanton Park Synagogue, Adas Israel Synagogue, Jones Avenue Cemetery, Canadian Jewish Congress and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto (formerly Toronto Jewish Congress, and now the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto).

Edell was born in Toronto on 5 March 1919, the son of Pesach and Molly Edell. He attended Harbord Collegiate and graduated from the Toronto College of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, in 1943 while on leave of absence from the army. He was enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War and served in the signal corps.

After he completed his army service, he opened Edell’s Drug Store at 1978 Queen Street in Etobicoke in 1948, the first shomer Shabbat drug store in the city. He operated a second store at 494 Spadina Avenue in the late 1940s. In 1955 the Queen Street location was expropriated by the City of Toronto. Subsequently, Edell founded Elmdale Investments, the company which built and managed the Elmhurst Plaza in Etobicoke. He reopened the drug store, which was renamed Elmhurst Drugs in the plaza. He also invested in two retail textile stores, Deltex Drapery and Dodd’s Drapery which had been founded by group of businessmen including his cousin Israel Edell.

In 1952 he married Dolly Weinstock, the daughter of Moishe and Sylvia Weinstock. They lived in the newly developed suburb of North York with their four children: Ethel, Simcha, Malka and Joseph. After 10 years of marriage, Dolly died and in 1966, he married Celia Rogen Hoffman.

Sol Edell was a founding member and first president of the Clanton Park Congregation. He was actively involved in the construction of the synagogue and its development. He continued to be affiliated with Shomrai Shabbos where his grandfather Rabbi Yosef Weinreb had been the rabbi. He was also involved with Adas Israel, the synagogue in Hamilton where his wife Celia had been an active member.

He was chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region -- Toronto Jewish Congress Archives Committee, which subsequently became the Ontario Jewish Archives. During his tenure, the archives was responsible for the reconstruction of the Kiever Synagogue which had been built in the early 1900s but had fallen into a state of disrepair by the 1960s.

Sol Edell was also involved in a number of Zionist organizations. He was the founding chair of the Aliyah Support Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, whose mandate was to assist Torontonians who had moved to Israel and ease their transition into Israeli society. He was also an active member of the Mizrachi organization and its affiliated institutions. Another one of Sol Edell’s interests was ensuring the preservation of local cemeteries. He was president of the Jones Avenue Cemetery and on the board of Pardes Shalom and the Bathurst Lawn Cemetery, Clanton Park section.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting Sol Edell's business activities, community involvement and personal life. Included is correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, financial records, legal records, publications, audio-visual material, invitations, newspaper clippings, artifacts, lists, reports, speeches, and architectural drawings.

The fonds is organized into the following eleven series: Personal; Edell's Drug Store and Elmhurst Pharmacy; Elmdale Investments; Deltex Drapery and Dodd's Drapery; Adas Israel Synagogue; Clanton Park Synagogue; Shomrai Shabbos; Aliyah; Cemetery and funeral home; Historical materials; and, Activities and organizations.

Notes

Physical description note: includes 739 photographs, 232 architectural drawings, 11 audio cassettes, 9 audio reels, 13 film reels, 7 videocassettes, 4 slides, 1 plaque, 4 badges, and 1 key.

Name Access

Edell Solomon, 1919-2000

Clanton Park Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Edell, Dolly

Edell, Celia

Edell's Drug Store

Elmhurst Pharmacy

Jones Avenue Cemetery

Canadian Jewish Congress/ Toronto Jewish Congress Archives

Aliyah Support Committee

Subjects

Business

Pharmacists

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Physical Condition

The bulk of the architectural drawings are currently being stored rolled up. They should be flattened and encapsulated in melinex.

Film and sound reels should be digitized.

Related Material

See fonds #5 for material related to Paul Edell.

See accession #2012-10/9 for material related to the Edell family.

Creator

Edell, Solomon, 1919-2000

Accession Number

2002-12-2

2008-8-29

2011-5-4

2012-10-9

Source

Archival Descriptions

Accession Number

2014-1-7

Material Format

graphic material (electronic)

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

9 CDs (graphic material)

1 DVD (graphic material)

Date

2008-2011

Scope and Content

Accession consists of photographs from the "Israel at 60 mission", the 2008 "Prime Minister's mission" in Israel, a film by Haim Hecht called "One flight for us", photographs from the UJA Atari luncheon in 2008, photographs and a draft schedule from the Women's Philanthropy Atarah Mission to Cuba in 2009, photographs from UJA women's philanthropy event on April 15, 2010, and photographs from the LOJE Tea event on June 16, 2011.

Use Conditions

UJA Federation meeting minutes and general correspondence are closed for 10 years from date of creation. Contracts and donor agreements are permanently closed.

Name Access

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2014-2-8

Material Format

multiple media

Physical Description

55 photographs : col.

10 cm of textual records

1 VHS

1 CD

1 DVD

1 medal

Date

1975-2013

Scope and Content

Accession consists of photographs from the Israel at 50 event, canvasser training materials from 2011, Joshua Institute records 2011-2012, the "Jewish campus life task force report" of April 24, 2009, a booklet of plans in the project proposal for upgrading Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat (ca. 2013), campaign donor list from 1975, UJA Federation annual meeting "toward tomorrow" booklet from October 29, 2001, 2007-2008 UJA budget records, and an organizational chart for Foundation. Also included is a VHS tape "The Mission: Under the wing of God and the Shadow of Amalek" by Dubi Arie, DVD of "Becoming a witness: The march of the living interfaith experience" (2005), CD with photographs from the UIA of Canada visit to Israel in August 2006, and a medal from the UJA Federation Fun Run of 2000.

Custodial History

Records were transferred to the archives by Ted Sokolsky, president and CEO of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Use Conditions

UJA Federation meeting minutes and general correspondence are closed for 10 years from date of creation. Contracts and donor agreements are permanently closed.

Name Access

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2014-5-2

Material Format

multiple media

Physical Description

15 cm of textual records

8 architectural drawings

2 CDs

Date

1960-2011, predominant 2011

Scope and Content

Accession consists of architectural drawings for the construction of the Northern YM-YWHA at 4600 Bathurst Street (1960) as well as floor plans for the proposed re-development of the site in 1999. Also included are submissions for the competition to design and build the Jewish War Veterans of Canada memorial at the Sherman Campus (2011).

Use Conditions

UJA Federation meeting minutes and general correspondence are closed for 10 years from date of creation. Contracts and donor agreements are permanently closed.

Subjects

Architecture

Charities

Veterans--Canada

Name Access

Young Men's Hebrew Association (Toronto, Ont.)

Bathurst Jewish Community Centre

Jewish War Veterans of Canada

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2014-8-14

Material Format

multiple media

Physical Description

1 scrapbook

1 folder of textual records

2 photographs : b&w ; 13 x 18 cm and 21 x 25 cm

Date

1941-1951, 1959-1961

Scope and Content

Accession consists of a scrapbook documenting the military career of Seymour Bernard. Included in the scrapbook are photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, the transcript for a CFRB radio segment featuring Bernard, invitations for dinners honouring Bernard, a booklet (possibly by the Canadian Jewish Congress) entitled "Jews Have Always Fought for Freedom", and a torn black ribbon that was likely worn by Bernard's parents during shiva after he died in 1951 (kriah). The scrapbook was likely assembled by Bernard's parents.

Accession also includes material documenting Joel Snitman's confirmation at Holy Blossom Temple and involvement in the BBYO. Included are photographs and programs documenting Holy Blossom Temple's confirmation class of 1959, the program book of the B'nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) Southern Ontario Region Fall Conclave (1960), a BBYO AZA Sweetheart Ball booklet (1961), and the Lorac Letter newsletter (1959) which was a chapter of the AZA BBYO. Identified in the photographs are: Joel Snitman, Susie Romm, Karen Smith (?), Don Smith, Rabbi Eisen, and Rabbi Feinberg.

Administrative History

Beatrice Bernard (1913-1998) was born to Louie Bernard (1895?-1956) and Esther Berger (1892-1983) in Toronto in 1913. She had two younger siblings: Seymour (was a tailgunner in the RAF during the Second World War) and Gertrude. The family lived at 410 Crawford Street and Louie owned his own dress store at St. Clair and Yonge Street. Beatrice helped her father in the dress store in the 1930s. Louie eventually owned a coat manufacturing business which was located in the Balfour Building. Beatrice married Michael Snitman in 1935. Michael Snitman (1910-1978) was born to Harry and Lottie in Russia in 1910. He immigrated to Canada with his parents in 1912 and had two younger siblings who were born in Toronto: Bill (1912-2013) and Judy (Judith). Michael attended Harbord Collegiate and ran his own business called Plastwood Products in the early 1940s. Around 1947 he entered the photographic business as a distributor. He ran the Toronto branch of Montreal-based Anglophoto, which was owned by his brother-in-law, Abe Feigelson. Michael and Beatrice had two children together: Joel (b. 1943) and Bernard (Bernie) (b. 1948). Joel received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and taught Biology for five years before entering the real estate and property management business. He met his wife Blossom (nee Houpt) in the B'nai Brith Youth Organization and they had their first date on April 9, 1960. They later married in Aug. 1964 and had three children together: Aryeh, Sheri, and Aviella.

Descriptive Notes

Availability of other formats: Digitized material.

Subjects

Canada--Armed Forces

Scrapbooks

World War, 1939-1945

Name Access

Bernard, Seymour

Snitman, Beatrice, 1913-1998

Snitman, Michael, 1910-1978

Snitman, Joel, 1943-

Source

Archival Accessions

Part Of

United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

67

Material Format

multiple media

Date

1936-2010, predominant 1938-1976

Physical Description

14.3 m of textual records

5593 photographs, 25 x 20 cm and smaller, and other media

Admin History/Bio

The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (FJPT) was incorporated in Ontario in March 1917 to coordinate the fundraising activities of Jewish charitable, philanthropic, and social service agencies in Toronto. In 1918, ten separate agencies were funded by the FJPT. By 1937, fourteen agencies were funded. The Great Depression of the 1930s and the development of several newer Jewish aid, education, and medical care organizations created both increased need for resources and growing competition for ever-more scarce dollars. Within a very few years, this funding crisis forced a major review of the organization.

During 1936, a series of special meetings of leading individuals were held to examine the income and expenditures of all Toronto Jewish agencies and also to speculate about the need for a new Toronto Jewish "community chest" as the sole fund-raising organization for a federation of all Jewish agencies, including the FJPT. In 1938, the new United Jewish Welfare Fund was formally constituted. Added to the FJPT's previous list of Toronto client agencies in 1938 were: the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Hebrew National Association, the Jewish Immigrant Aid Association, the Mizrachi Society, the Toronto Free Loan Association, the Geverkshaften, and Old Folks Home, and the United Palestine Appeal, raising the total number of agencies to twenty-two.

When the State of Israel was established in 1948, the UJWF's annual fundraising campaign was combined with the CJC's United Palestine appeal to form a new, combined campaign named the United Jewish Appeal (UJA). In 1967, the UJA name was legally changed to the United Jewish Appeal of Metropolitan Toronto.

In mid-1976, the organization's public name was changed to the Toronto Jewish Congress. Although initially thought of as a merger between the UJWF and the CJC, the actual result was the expansion of the UJWF responsibilities to include local education and welfare services previously shared with the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region. The UJWF, however, remained the legal senior entity.

In 1991, the public name was again changed to the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto and, in 1999, to UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. By this date, over thirty beneficiary and affiliated agencies, forty-nine affiliated schools and five federation departments were fully or partly funded by the federation.

In June 2010, the organization altered its legal structure, with the senior legal entity becoming the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of 25 series: Annual Meetings, Annual Reports, Board of Directors, Constitution Committee, Executive Committee, Officers Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Administration Committee, Social Planning Committee, Committee on Capital Needs and Planning, Central Committee on Scholarships in Aid, Joint Committee of the BJE and UJWF Study on Jewish Education, Nominations Committee, Pension Fund Committee, Coordinating Committee, Special Ad Hoc and Temporary Committees, Annual Campaign, Client Agencies, Joint Committee of the CJC and the UJWF, Committee on Community Organization, Sub-Committee on Construction and Administration of Community Schools, Joint Committee on Fundraising, Personnel Committee, Community Leadership Development Council, and Israel at Fifty Community Celebration.

Over 4500 photographs and a variety of other media are managed within Series 17, Campaign records.

Notes

For exact details about the contents of individual series and sub-series, please review their scope and contents notes.

Name Access

United Jewish Welfare Fund

Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto

United Jewish Appeal

Toronto Jewish Congress

Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Subjects

Charities

Fund raising

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Related Material

For records of the predecessor of the UJWF, see Fonds 66, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds.

Further detailed documentation of the proposed merger between the UJWF and the CJC (creation of the TJC) may be found in Fonds 67, Sub-sub-series 5-5-1, Files 171 and 221.

Further documentation on the United Jewish Welfare Fund may be found within Fonds 9, Series 7, records of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society.

For further detailed records of a key community leader's involvement with the UJWF see Accession 1982-8-8, the records of Samuel Godfrey, 1943-1972.

Creator

United Jewish Welfare Fund (1938-)

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions