Part Of

Henry Cassel fonds

Level

File

Fonds

93

File

7

Material Format

textual record

Date

1940-1942

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of records documenting Henry Cassel's internment in England and Canada. Cassel originally maintained these records together in a binder. Included is a journal documenting Cassel's first few months in the camps, correspondence between Cassel and Jewish agencies, instruction sheets and correspondence regarding camp functions and regulations, blank copies of government forms that were filled in by internees in Canada, poems and/or songs written by internees about their experience, newspaper clippings, a copy of the standing orders for the camp, correspondence between the camp committee and the commanding officer, a financial statement, a program for a play put on in the camp by internees, and correspondence regarding Cassel's activities as canteen steward.

Accession Number

2010-4-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Maurice Solway fonds

Level

File

Fonds

13

File

4

Material Format

textual record

Date

1926-1958

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

The file contains low quality photocopies from the original scrapbook. These are primarily of newspaper clippings regarding recitals and reviews from Toronto newspapers in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Subjects

Scrapbooks

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

138

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

graphic material (electronic)

architectural drawing

philatelic record

sound recording

cartographic material

object

Date

1854-2021

Physical Description

ca. 2.4 m of textual records

ca. 600 photographs : b&w and col. (ca. 90 negatives); 30 x 35 cm or smaller

other material

Admin History/Bio

David Pinkus (1924-2021) was born on May 11, 1924, at the Toronto General Hospital to Isadore Pinkus (1887-1947) and Molly (Mollie) Pinkus (née Parelstein) (1892-1990). Isadore was born in Kiev Gubernia of the Russian Empire; Molly was born in Podolia Gubernia of the Russian Empire and later moved to Ukraine with her family. Isadore and Molly met and married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1910 and moved to Toronto in 1911. The Pinkus family settled in Kensington Market in around 1914 and was one of the first Jewish settlers to the Kensington neighbourhood. David spent his entire life living in the Kensington Market area. He lived on 83 Huron Street until 1927 when the Pinkus family moved to 34 Nassau Street, which has been the house of the Pinkus family ever since. David had two siblings: brother Max and sister Goldie.

In his childhood, David attended the Brunswick Talmud Torah daily and learned Hebrew. He had his bar mitzvah at the Kiever Shul. David attended William Houston School until 1930 and Ryerson Public School until grade eight. Later, he attended Harbord School for high school and was also involved with sports at Harbord Collegiate and YMHA. In 1947, David obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto. After graduation, he worked at Goodyear for one year and returned to the University of Toronto as an instructor of engineering drawing and machine design. Later, he worked at various places such as Canadian Industries Limited in Maitland, Toronto Iron Works, and Avro Aircraft Limited.

David’s father, Isadore, was one of the founders of the Kiever Synagogue. David’s involvement with the Kiever Synagogue started in 1947, following Isadore’s death. David served as president and held positions on the executive of the Kiever Shul and played a principal role in the restoration of the shul. He also served on Toronto’s Board of Health as well as the boards of the Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, and St. Christopher House. In addition, David was an active community leader and local historian. He did genealogical research for many Toronto Jewish families. David had been recognized by the National Jewish Federation of North America as a Jewish community hero in 2011. He passed away on May 6, 2021.

Custodial History

Records received after the death of David Pinkus through Joseph Solomon, the executor of David Pinkus’ estate. Records have been selected by archivists following a site visit at David’s home at 34 Nassau Street, Toronto.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of textual records, graphic material, sound recordings, architectural drawings, artifacts, and a small number of philatelic records, most of which document David Pinkus’ career and personal life, the Pinkus family, the Kiever Shul, the Kiever Cemetery, as well as Mount Sinai Cemetery Association (Mount Sinai Memorial Park) and the Dawes Road Cemeteries (Amalgamated Dawes Road Trustees), of which the Kiever Congregation is a member organization. Also included are documents and photographs of other individuals and families, which David collected for his genealogical research, and those that are pertaining to Kensington Market and other congregations and cemeteries.

Textual records include correspondence; scrapbooks; education records; identification documents; research notes and clippings relating to David’s genealogical research; documents pertaining to his Kensington Market activism and community work; files on David’s engineering career and his role as president of the Kiever Shul; and files documenting the Pinkus family members, such as funeral documents, notebooks, family correspondence, voters’ lists, and records relating to Pinkus Fruit Co. and 34 Nassau Street. Also included are records documenting the Kiever Shul, which include meeting minutes, ledger books, financial documents, legal documents, membership lists and application forms, address books, high holiday service cards, and historic papers dating from the 1920s and 1930s. Textual records documenting the Kiever Cemetery, Mount Sinai Memorial Park, and the Dawes Road Cemeteries are mainly comprised of cemetery maps, burial plot cards, burial record books, by-laws and regulations, and meeting minutes. Also present are records pertaining to other congregations and cemeteries, such as constitution books, brochures, booklets, and copies of legal documents.

Photographs mainly feature David Pinkus and the Kiever Cemetery, with a small number featuring the Pinkus family members, the Junction Synagogue (Congregation Knesseth Israel), the Great Choral Synagogue of Kyiv, and those that David collected for his genealogical research.

Architectural drawings of this fonds include the restoration and renovation plan for the Kiever Shul and the alteration plan for Mount Sinai Cemetery Administration Building.

Also present are sound recordings, including cassettes and microcassettes of David Pinkus; and artifacts, including felt patches, pin back buttons, medals, Toronto foot-pedlar registration badges, and a wooden gavel of the Kiever Shul.

Fonds has been arranged into the following series: David Pinkus’ personal records; Kensington Market; David Pinkus’ genealogical research; the Pinkus family; the Kiever Shul; the Kiever Cemetery; Mount Sinai Memorial Park; the Dawes Road Cemeteries; and other associations, congregations, and cemeteries.

Notes

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 22 architectural drawings, 7 maps, 4 audio cassettes, 2 microcassettes, 1 optical disc, 8 drawings, 2 prints, 1 photo collage, 34 pinback buttons, 15 Toronto padler-on-foot registration badges, 8 felt patches, 3 medals, 3 brooches, 1 wooden gavel, 2 tax tokens, 2 postage stamps, 1 sales tax stamp, and 9 revenue stamps.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: Books that were initially included in this fonds have been removed and incorporated into the OJA’s library collection. These books are: Spadina Avenue by Rosemary Donegan with an introduction by Rick Salutin, Toronto No Mean City by Eric Arthur revised by Stephen A. Otto, Canadian Jewish Directory edited by Edmond Y. Lipsitz, The Toronto Jewish Directory, and The Canada Year Book 1905 (second series).

HISTORY/BIO NOTE: Information is sourced from OH 413 and the content of the fonds.

Name Access

Pinkus, David, 1924-2021

Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Mount Sinai Cemetery Association (Toronto, Ont.)

Mount Sinai Memorial Park (Toronto, Ont.)

Dawes Road Cemetery (Toronto, Ont.)

Amalgamated Dawes Road Trustees (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Families

Synagogues

Genealogy

Cemeteries

Access Restriction

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

Repro Restriction

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

Related Material

See accessions 2004-1-5, 2004-1-6, 2004-2-1, 2008-11-9, 2016-3-48, and 2021-10-1 for additional information on the Kiever Shul; and OH 413 for more information on David Pinkus and the Pinkus family.

Arrangement

Records came into the OJA with no discernible order. Arrangement has been imposed by the archivist.

Creator

Pinkus, David, 1924-2021

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

2021-7-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

David Pinkus' personal records series

Level

Series

Fonds

138

Series

1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

sound recording

object

philatelic record

Date

[ca. 1903]-2021

Physical Description

ca. 50 cm of textual records

ca. 120 photographs : b&w and col. ; 30 x 35 cm or smaller

other material

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting David Pinkus’ career and personal life. In addition to David’s education and employment, many records also provide insight into his active involvement with the Toronto Jewish community as well as his passion for sports and the City of Toronto.

Included are David’s secondary and post-secondary education records, certificates and awards, personal correspondence, invitations, greeting cards, scrapbooks, identification documents, licenses and permits, medical records, financial and insurance records, notes, newspaper clippings, address books, recommendation letters, application forms for jobs, and board appointments. Also included are records relating to his military service during the Second World War; his trips to Israel, Cuba, and the U.S.; and his collaborations with the Ontario Jewish Archives. Records that reflect his personal interests in sports and the Jewish community include historic photographs of sports teams, brochures and newspaper clippings pertaining to the Pavilion of Judaism at Expo 67, artworks featuring Jerusalem and synagogues, notated music of Yiddish-American songs, documents and historic letters in Yiddish and Hebrew, speeches and field-trip workbooks of Toronto’s Jewish community relationship building projects, and miscellaneous material such as personalized Hebrew New Year cards, tickets and promotional material of exhibitions, and the Handbook of Practical Cookery of Toronto Board of Education. Of note is his scrapbooks, which document the City of Toronto and the Ontario Jewish community. The scrapbooks are comprised mainly of photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, postage stamps, wartime ration books, brochures, and historic TTC tickets. This series also contains David’s portraits, photographs featuring him at various events, cassettes and microcassettes, and artifacts of his personal collection such as one brooch, pinback buttons, felt patches, and medals. A small number of pinback buttons and felt patches are part of the scrapbooks.

Notes

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 4 audio cassettes, 2 microcassettes, 2 paintings, 2 prints, 34 pinback buttons, 8 felt patches, 1 brooch, 3 medals, 2 postage stamps, and 9 revenue stamps.

Access Restriction

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

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

David Pinkus’ personal records series

Artworks of the Levy-Benchetons file

Level

File

Fonds

138

Series

1

File

49

Material Format

textual record

Date

1989-1999 [donation made in 2001]

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of brochures containing printed copies of Joseph and Jaime Haim Levy-Bencheton’s artworks; the artworks are accompanied by explanatory text. Also included is a booklet containing the list of Sephardic religious congregations to whom the works of art have been presented as personal donations. The Levy-Benchetons are an old family that originated in Spain and settled in North Africa. Shalom Levy-Bencheton was the father of Jaime Haim and Joseph. The brochures were a donation made by Jaime Haim Levy-Bencheton in 2001 to the Hawaii Jewish Congregation.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gerald Tulchinsky fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

149

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

[185-?]-2017

Physical Description

4.36 m of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Dr. Gerald “Jerry” Tulchinsky (1933–2017) was born in Brantford, Ontario, in 1933 to Harry Tulchinsky and Anne Tulchinsky (née Stemeroff). Gerald spent his childhood and teen years growing up in Brantford as one of four children. His parents owned and operated the Mayfair dress shop on Colborne Street. The Tulchinsky family were active members of their community and were involved with the Beth David Congregation and the Sharon chapter of Hadassah-WIZO. Anne received multiple awards for her volunteer work.

Gerald Tulchinsky left Brantford in order to attend university. He received his undergraduate degree from McGill University and went on to receive his PhD in history from the University of Toronto in 1971.

Gerald married his wife, Ruth Tulchinsky (née Rice), in 1961, and, after spending the first few years of their marriage in various Canadian cities, they settled in Kingston, Ontario. Tulchinsky and his wife had three children: Steve, Ellen and Laura.

Dr. Gerald Tulchinsky’s professional career as a historian began with a focus on Canadian business and labour; later, his research interests expanded to include Canadian Jewish history. He briefly taught at the University of Saskatchewan before becoming a professor at Queen’s University, where he taught in the history department from 1966 to 2000. During his time at Queen’s, Tulchinsky expanded interest in the field of Canadian Jewish studies through his encouragement and supervision of graduate students. As professor emeritus, he was involved in creating the Jewish studies program at Queen’s, which he later became the director of after his retirement from the history department in 2000. In 2005, Tulchinsky became the recipient of theLouis Rosenberg Award, which honoured his contributions to the field of Canadian Jewish studies.

It was also during this time at Queen’s that he became known as a leading scholar on Canadian Jewish history. Over the course of his career, he published six books, including "The River Barons Montreal Businessmen and the Growth of Industry and Transportation 1837–53," "Taking Root: The Origins of the Canadian Jewish Community," "Branching Out: The Transformation of the Canadian Jewish Community," "Canada’s Jews: A People's Community," "Joe Salsberg: A Life of Commitment," and "Shtetl on Grand." The latter is a collection of short stories based on his experiences growing up Jewish in Brantford.

In addition to his books, he wrote and edited dozens of articles on business, immigration, transportation, and antisemitism during his career. Towards the end of his life, he had been working on a book on the history of the Canadian clothing industry.

Tulchinsky died on 13 December 2017. He was eighty-four.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records created and accumulated by Dr. Gerald Tulchinsky. The records relate to his personal life and professional career. The majority of the records are textual and primarily consist of his research on J. B. Salsberg, Canadian Jewish history, business, labour, and the Canadian clothing industry. The records include photocopied research materials, such as articles, statistical reports, and scanned newspaper pages. The records also include research notes; interviews; correspondence; grant applications; photographs; six audio cassettes and two VHS tapes; newspaper clippings; and lecture notes and course syllabi; as well as drafts of Dr. Tulchinsky’s manuscripts, poems, short stories, and articles. Also included among the records are daily planners; some family photographs; birthday and congratulation cards; a passport; a travel diary; a record of the Tulchinsky family tree; Anne Tulchinsky’s volunteer awards and other records; and various materials related to the Tulchinsky family’s involvement in the Brantford Jewish community, the Beth David Congregation, and the Sharon chapter of Hadassah-WIZO.

The fonds is divided into the following six series: 1. Drafts and manuscripts, 2. Research, 3. Personal and family, 4. Correspondence, 5. Teaching materials, and 6. Miscellaneous.

Notes

Associated material: Records of the parish of Gerald Tulchinsky are also held by Queen's University Archives.

Name Access

Tulchinsky, Gerald, 1933-2017

Subjects

Authors

College teachers

Historians

Creator

Tulchinsky, Gerald, 1933-2017

Places

Canada

Accession Number

2008-7-1

2014-8-4

2015-2-2

2016-2-7

2016-5-10

2017-9-4

2018-1-4

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

116

Material Format

textual record

Date

1946-1950

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of correspondence regarding French relief efforts.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Political career series

Level

Series

Fonds

92

Series

3

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

1930-1969

Physical Description

30 cm of textual records and other material

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting J. B. Salsberg's political career. The bulk of the records are textual and cover such topics as: Salsberg's membership, suspension and resignation from the Communist Party of Canada (later the Labor Progressive Party); Salsberg's election campaigns; and, Salsberg's activities as MPP for the riding of St. Andrew. Included is: correspondence; photographs; reports; political writings; agendas; pamphlets; booklets; flyers; campaign literature; campaign notes; campaign posters; newspaper clippings; press releases; speeches; telegrams; political platforms, briefs and submissions; statements; constitutions; resolutions; newspapers; bulletins; periodicals; notebooks; notes; course guides and outlines; donation receipts; event invitations; blank employment applications; and a delegate card.

Notes

Physical description note: includes 7 b&w photographs, 3 pins, and 3 posters.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Political Career series

Level

File

Fonds

92

Series

3

File

1

Material Format

textual record

Date

[ca. 1950] - 1958

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of J. B. Salsberg's published and unpublished political writings. Topics covered include: Metropolitan Toronto taxes, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the Soviet Union, Soviet antisemitism, Palestine, the provincial Department of Lands and Forests and provincial fair practices legislation.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ben Kayfetz fonds

Collected materials series

Level

Series

Fonds

62

Series

3

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

1919-1970

Physical Description

11 cm of textual records

18 photographs

1 object

Scope and Content

Series consists of various materials collected by Ben Kayfetz. It includes various items from Nazi Germany including a Jewish yellow star and number on a badge, Nazi hymn book and a service book of a Nazi Stormtrooper. Among the other materials are photographs of the Bronfman family, World War II enlistment posters, Peretz School Composition books and Jewish Old Folks Home Committee minutes.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ben Kayfetz fonds

Personal series

Level

File

Fonds

62

Series

1

File

6

Material Format

textual record

Date

1945-1947

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of materials relating to Ben Kayfetz's service with the Control Commission in British Occupied Germany. Materials include troop movement orders, a berthing card, an immigration identification card and other materials.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

The Shuls Project fonds

Reference series

Level

File

Fonds

64

Series

5

File

36

Material Format

textual record

Date

1955-[ca. 1965]

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File contains dedication booklet (1957); magazine (?) article from Architecture-Batiment-Construction (in French), "Extension de la Synagogue Beth Ora"; and dedication book (1963).

Name Access

Congregation Beth Ora

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

Fonds

64

Series

5

File

80

Material Format

textual record

Date

[1979?]

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File contains a one-page historical sketch of the congregation.

Name Access

First Narayever 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

Fonds

64

Series

5

File

79

Material Format

textual record

Date

[ca. 1978]

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File contains several newsletters and flyers.

Name Access

Magen David Sephardic 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

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

United Jewish Relief Agencies, Toronto (UJRA) series

Immigration and Location Service case files sub-series

Level

Sub-series

Fonds

17

Series

4-12

Material Format

textual record

Date

1941-1951, predominant 1947-1949

Physical Description

96 cm of textual records

Scope and Content

Sub-series contains communication case files on immigrants and their sponsors, maintained by the Immigration and Location Service of UJRA. The files date from 1941 to 1951, but most were created in the years right after the war. The records document the interaction between social services agencies and sponsors in the process of locating missing relatives and facilitating the immigration to Canada of known relatives. Records include incoming and outgoing letters, memoranda and telegrams exchanged between the UJRA, sponsoring individuals in Ontario, and Jewish aid organizations such as: the American Joint Distribution Committee in its various European centres; the United Service for New Americans in the United States; the World Jewish Congress; and others. They reflect the administrative process of being a sponsor. Sponsors agreed to keep and support their relatives upon their arrival, but some letters reflect their reluctance, or inability, to provide any aid beyond that. For a short time in 1947, Displaced Persons were admitted regardless of their relationship to their sponsor, but beginning in September 1947, permits were limited to first-degree relatives only. Having employment lined up in Canada was only sufficient where special projects existed: for farmers, miners, lumbermen and D.P.s in camps in Germany and Austria.

Some thicker files document transactions over a period of time; some contain forms such as the letter of authorization granted by the American Joint Distribution Committee; and some letters outline the case history of immigrants, telling their story. The majority of files, however, have just one or two letters dealing with the common administrative activities of the UJRA: dealing with the entrance of relatives, in terms of asking an individual to be a sponsor, passing along messages from the Joint Distribution Committee overseas, or being a go-between to locate sponsors and give them information and instructions. Many letters pertain to the requirement that sponsors pay the travel expenses of their immigrating relatives, or pay for administrative fees for the application process. UJRA in Canada also helped the United Service for New Americans in New York City to locate refugees or those who moved to Canada after their arrival.

The files in this sub-subseries are arranged as they were by UJRA, in alphabetical order by sponsor surname.

Notes

This sub-series is composed of former RG 294, which was separated into case files and administrative files.

Access Restriction

Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Zionist Organization of Canada fonds

Level

File

Fonds

28

File

1

Material Format

textual record

Date

1958

Physical Description

1 scrapbook : 47 x 31 cm.

Scope and Content

File consists of 1 scrapbook containing newspaper and magazine clippings, invitations, correspondence, telegrams, and advertisements about the various celebrations in Canada of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.

Subjects

Israel--Anniversaries, etc

Scrapbooks

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Zionist Organization of Canada fonds

Central Region sous-fonds

Subject files series

Level

File

Fonds

28-1

Series

7

File

225

Material Format

textual record

Date

1963-1968

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

The file consists of correspondence with the Royal Bank of Canada concerning the move to the new Zionist Centre in Toronto, the Jewish Public Library and a schedule of functions and events for the visit of Rabbi Louis Rabinowitz to Toronto. The file also includes correspondence from Mr. Egon Rohmann concerning relations with the United Church of Canada, historical revision, and Israel.

Notes

Availability of other formats: Digitized material.

Name Access

Rabinowitz, Rabbi Louis

Royal Bank of Canada

Repro Restriction

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

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Zionist Organization of Canada fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

28

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

moving images

Date

1908-1979, predominant 1955-1976

Physical Description

7.4 m of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

The Zionist Organization of Canada (ZOC) (1921-1978) acted as the official voice of Zionism in Canada, promoting the aims of Zionism in communities across the country. The ZOC adhered to the principles of the Jerusalem Program of the Zionist movement founded by Theodor Herzl in 1898 during the First Zionist Congress held in Basle Switzerland. These principles included: 1) the promotion of immigration to Israel; 2) raising funds to carry out the aims of Zionism; 3) encouraging investment in Israel; 4) fostering Jewish consciousness; and 5) mobilizing public opinion about Israel and the Jewish communities of the Diaspora.

The Federation of Zionist Societies of Canada (FZSOC) was founded in 1898 as the national collective of groups representing Zionist interests in Canada. In 1921 the organization changed its name and was incorporated as the Zionist Organization of Canada, becoming the primary umbrella organization for Zionist groups in Canada.

The ZOC was a broad-based organization that embraced an ideology of nationhood which attracted influential national leaders within the Jewish community as well as thousands of members across the country. ZOC's main office was located in Montreal until 1970, when it moved to the Toronto Zionist Centre on Marlee Ave, Toronto. ZOC provided smaller communities, which had few institutional supports, with vital linkages to the metropolitan centres through their programs that were run out of the regional offices and local Zionist councils. The Zionist Organization of Canada operated as an umbrella group that oversaw Zionist funds and administered the budgets of such organizations as Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, the Men's Zionist Organization of Canada and Young Judaea. ZOC programs promoted a stronger Jewish identity amongst Canadian Jews and familiarity with Hebrew through the periodical, Canadian Zionist. These programs included book clubs, lunch clubs, film exhibits, youth camps, travel offices, and two television programs during the 1970s on cable television in Montreal and Toronto.

In 1967, ZOC became a constituent member of the new Federated Zionist Organization of Canada (FZOC), along with Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, the Labour Zionist Movement of Canada, Mizrachi Hapoel Hamizrachi Organization of Canada, Zionist Revisionist Organization of Canada, Achdut Avoda, and Friends of Pioneering Israel (Mapam). In 1972, FZOC became the Canadian Zionist Federation (CZF). During the 1970s, ZOC's functions were gradually absorbed by the Canadian Zionist Federation, the CZF Central Region based in Toronto, and by the Toronto Zionist Council. By 1978, the Zionist Organization of Canada had ceased to function as an organization.

Scope and Content

The Zionist Organization of Canada (ZOC) records span a 70 year period between 1908, with the formation of the Toronto Zionist Council (and its affiliated corporation, the United Zionists of Toronto) and the creation of the Zionist Organization of Canada in 1921, until 1978. The bulk of the records in the fonds were created after 1950.

The fonds is organized into two sous-fonds and eight record series. The sous-fonds contain records of the ZOC Central Region and the Toronto Zionist Council, which exercised considerable autonomy in their work under the ZOC umbrella. The record series include records relating to: ZOC's executive bodies, the National Administrative Council and Executive Board, and their predecessor, the Executive Committee of the Federation of Zionist Societies of Canada (1919-1976); the National Camps Association, responsible for overseeing the administration of summer camps owned by ZOC (1961-1968); Canadian Young Judaea, the youth wing of ZOC which was also responsible for the operation of ZOC summer camps (1957-1978); the ZOC Department of Education and Culture's cable television programme, Shalom (1971-1977); ZOC national conventions (1946-1975); the Federated Zionist Organization of Canada, of which ZOC became a member organization on its formation in 1967 (1972-1978); and the 28th World Zionist Congress held in 1972. The fonds also includes a series of subject files, the primary recordkeeping system for ZOC's administration, and a series of photographs of prominant persons and events maintained by ZOC for its public relations work.

Notes

Physical description note: Includes: ca. 1100 photographs (b&w and col.; some negatives), 24 embossed prints, 3 film reels (col., Super 8 mm), and 1 videocassette (col., VHS).

Associated material note: Additional records of the Zionist Organization of Canada can be found at the Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives (Montreal), Library & Archives Canada (Ottawa), and the World Zionist Organization's Central Zionist Archives (Jerusalem)

Name Access

Zionist Organization of Canada

Subjects

Zionism

Access Restriction

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

Creator

Zionist Organization of Canada (1921-1978)

Source

Archival Descriptions