- Accession Number
- 2006-4-4
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2006-4-4
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Physical Description
- 3 photographs : b&w (tif)
- 5 documents (tif)
- 1 folder of textual records
- 1 DVD
- 1 videocassette
- Date
- 1941-2004
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of copies of electronic copies of photographs, postcards and telegrams as well as newsclippings, a video and a DVD documenting the career of Sam Shapiro in the RCAF and his time as a Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft 3 in Poland.
- Administrative History
- Sam Shapiro enlisted as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force in September 1940. He received his wings in Brantford and was sent overseas in April 1941 as a sergeant pilot. He was in Squadron ten and flew eight successful missions before his plane was shot down over Holland in August 1941, killing two of the crew.
- Shapiro was captured by German forces on 17 August 1941 and was taken to Stalag Luft 3 camp in Poland, where the "Great Escape" took place. Shapiro was not part of the breakout, but did help dig the tunnel that allowed seventy-six of his fellow prisoners to escape.
- While a Prisoner of War, Shapiro was promoted to warrant officer. He was liberated on 16 April 1945 and arrived in England five days later. Shortly after arriving home in 1945, Shapiro received the YMCA sports badge for his conduct in the POW camp and the Canadian Volunteer Service medal. He married his fiance Geraldine Perlman in 1945.
- Use Conditions
- 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.
- Subjects
- Canada--Armed Forces
- World War, 1939-1945
- Name Access
- Shapiro, Sam.
- Stalag Luft 3
- Perlman, Geraldine
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2014-8-14
- 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
- Accession Number
- 2014-10-2
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2014-10-2
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Physical Description
- 40 cm of textual records and other material
- Date
- [192-]-[200-]
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of records related to the life and career of David Green and the Jaffey family. Records include sound and video recordings of events, Goodwill Sales accounting ledgers, meeting minutes from the Jewish Canadian Military Archives and Museum, David Green's military ephemera, manuals and reports of the Jewish Federation Board of Trustees and Bequest and Endowment Fund, and Jaffey family correspondence and photographs. Records also include certificates of appreciation awarded to David Green, mainly from UJA Federation.
- Administrative History
- David Green (1919-2014) was born in the Junction in west Toronto. He served as a private in the Canadian army as part of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was captured and designated MIA when he was held as a POW in Belgium. He became a member of General Wingate Branch 256 Jewish Canadian Legion. In the mid-1940s he married his wife, Sylvia (nee Jaffey) (d. 2010) and they had a daughter, Miriam. He was a longtime volunteer for the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. In 1990, he was one of the first individuals to establish an Endowment Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto.
- The Jaffey family consisted of Kaby Jaffey, his wife, Nellie, and their children Sylvia, Jess and Albert.
- Descriptive Notes
- Physical description note: Accession also consists of photographs and textiles.
- Subjects
- Canada--Armed Forces
- Charities
- Families
- World War, 1939-1945
- Name Access
- Green, David, 1919-2014
- Places
- Toronto, Ont.
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2015-3-6
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2015-3-6
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Physical Description
- 5 cm textual records and other material
- Date
- [ca.1890]-[ca. 1940]
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of personal records of Hyman (Ben) Benjamin, and records documenting Arthur Benjamin's military service. Records include ca. 30 photographs of three generations of the Benjamin family, Rosh Hashanah greeting cards, Hyman Benjamin's birth certificate and first aid certificate. Records also include correspondence between several branches of the Canadian government and Arthur's mother, Annie, regarding the circumstances of Arthur's death; his grave site and his army pension.
- Custodial History
- The records were donated to the Archives by Nancy Rose, daughter of the great-nephew of Hyman (Ben) Benjamin.
- Administrative History
- Hyman "Ben" Benjamin (ca. 1884-1969) was born in Leeds, England to Lazuras and Annie Benjamin. He married Hilda (Holds) Benjamin, and they immigrated to Canada in 1911. He worked as a car mechanic. They had two daughters, Laura (b. 1911) and Florence (b. 1912).
- Arthur "Abraham" Benjamin (ca. 1882-1917) was Hyman Benjamin's brother. He immigrated to Toronto from Leeds some time after 1911 and worked with Hyman as a car cleaner. He joined the 198th Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in 1916, and was killed in the First World War.
- Use Conditions
- 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.
- Subjects
- Canada--Armed Forces
- World War, 1914-1918
- Name Access
- Benjamin, Arthur, 1882-1917
- Benjamin, Hyman, 1884-1969
- Source
- Archival Accessions
