Accession Number

1997-11-3

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm

1 folder of textual records

Date

[ca. 1925]-1986

Scope and Content

Accession consists of one black-and-white photograph taken of a group of campers at Camp Kindervelt in Rouge Hill. Identified in the photograph is Rae Watson (standing at the far left).

Also included were several newspaper clippings from 1976–1986, which have been integrated into the clipping files.

Administrative History

Camp Kindervelt was a Labour Zionist League camp in Rough Hill, in the east end of Toronto in the Rouge Valley.

Subjects

Camps

Labor Zionism

Name Access

Camp Kindervelt

Shiner, Sol

Places

Toronto, Ont.

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

1997-4-2

Material Format

graphic material

Physical Description

50 photographs : b&w and col. (24 negatives)

Date

1916-1988

Scope and Content

Accession consists of photographs and newspaper clippings documenting the life of the Levine Family. Photographs include class pictures from Port Whitby's Brock School, Purim celebrations at Oshawa's Beth Zion Synagogue, Camp Ogama staff and camper photos, Camp Winnibagoe cabin photos and Royal Winter Fair prize winning photos.

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

Camp counselors

Camps

Farms

Farm tractors

Purim

Name Access

Camp Winnebagoe

Places

Oshawa (Ont.)

Whitby (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

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Accession Number

2007-12-2

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

90 cm of textual records

1000 photographs [approx.]

Date

1919-2007

Scope and Content

This accession consists of textual and graphic records documenting the programs and activities of Canadian Young Judaea. The records include newsletters and publications, photographs, anniversary books, and program books. There are also two compact discs containing scanned copies of the photographs from this accession.

Custodial History

These records were gathered together for an anniversary celebration held in November 2007. Most of the records were found in the basement of the office building on Marlee Avenue, before being donated to the archives.

Administrative History

Canadian Young Judaea was founded in 1909 as a Zionist movement for Canadian youth by members of the Herzl Zion Club. As a Zionist organization, Young Judaea continues to be committed to fostering a sense of Jewish identity and values in today's Jewish youth and to encouraging a lifelong commitment to Israel.

In order to foster a closer connection to Israel, Canadian Young Judaea employs educational Shlichim from Israel who are posted at various Jewish communities throughout Canada and offices at the national level. In Toronto, Young Judaea also operates several Zionist summer camps located in each region of Canada, and a summer leadership institute called Camp Biluim in Quebec. In addition to the social programme of the organization, Young Judaea also offers educational seminars and conferences.

Young Judaea's national structure includes a National Executive Board and an Administrative Council. Conventions are held regularly, as are regional conferences. In the past, Young Judaea operated as an associated, but distinct, organization from the Zionist Organization of Canada. However, Young Judaea operations were overseen by the ZOC executive, and Young Judaea received their budget from the ZOC Treasury. In addition, ZOC and Young Judaea worked in conjunction with one another on many projects and programmes, such as with the operation of the Zionist camps. They were therefore dependent on ZOC.

Subjects

Camps

Youth

Zionism

Name Access

Canadian Young Judaea

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2009-11-4

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

2 photographs : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm and 9 X7 cm

1 matchbook

Date

1928-2009

Scope and Content

Accession consists of mementos, family documents and clippings from Nancy Draper (née Frankel). The records include a birth announcement card for Nancy in 1928 and a matchbook party favour from her wedding to Darrell Draper in 1949. There is also a scholarship application letter from the donor's granddaughter, Haley Draper, to UJA. Other records include a staff list from Camp Wabi-Kon in 1946; a Globe and Mail obituary of Dr. Martin Wolfish, a past volunteer of OJA; a photograph of David Steinhauer; a clipping about an Inuit sculpture inspired by the experience of Holocaust survivor Leon Kahn; and three eulogies for Patricia Drevnig Goldstein (1940-2005) (née Jacobs). Patricia was the granddaughter of Rabbi Solomon Jacobs of Holy Blossom, and her mother, Edna, was a Frankel. Finally, the accession includes a photocopy of a photograph of members of the Siglen family of Meaford with Maurice Frankel, the great-uncle of the donor, and Irwin Rosen, ca. 1928.

Administrative History

Nancy Frankel (b. 1928) is the daughter of Carl and Dorothy Jacobs Frankel, past prominent members of the Toronto Jewish community and members of Holy Blossom Temple. Nancy attended Camp Wabi-Kon, a Jewish camp in northern Ontario near Temagami, and then worked there as a teenager. She married Darrell Draper on December 10th, 1949. Nancy is a longtime volunteer at the OJA.

Subjects

Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)

Camps

Families

Letters

Obituaries

Name Access

Draper, Nancy

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2013-9-2

Material Format

moving images

Physical Description

1 film reel (ca. 5 min.) : col., si. ; super 8 mm

Date

1983

Scope and Content

Accession consists of one film reel documenting the Slavens family at Camp Wahanowin and at a family farm owned by Eric's parents in Dundalk, Ontario.

Use Conditions

None

Subjects

Amateur films

Camps

Farms

Name Access

Camp Wahanowin

Slavens (family)

Places

Dundalk (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2014-5-4

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Physical Description

4 photograph albums

ca. 450 photographs : b&w and col. (ca. 260 negatives) ; 36 x 30 cm and smaller

3 cm of textual records

Date

[ca. 1963]-[ca. 1995]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of graphic material and textual records documenting Canadian Young Judaea. Included are photographic albums, loose photographs, clippings, photographic contact sheets and negatives, and textual records, including meeting minutes, correspondences, etc. All of the items relate to Ontario-based Jewish summer camps such as Camp Solelim and Camp Biluim, as well as to Canadian Young Judaea.

Custodial History

Records came via Josefa Michaelson, c/o Canadian Young Judaea

Subjects

Nonprofit organizations

Children

Camps

Name Access

Canadian Young Judaea

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2014-8-15

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

ca. 20 cm textual records

3 photographs

Date

1948-2007

Scope and Content

Accession consists of documents and photographs related to Young Judaea programs. Photographs are group pictures from Camp Shalom and Camp Biluim. Among the documents are meeting minutes, newsletters, correspondence, songbooks, scripts, flyers, and guides for counsellors and group leaders. Also included are issues of Hebrew newsletters Daf Hat'Nua and Bat'Nua.

Subjects

Camps

Youth

Zionism

Name Access

Canadian Young Judaea

Camp Shalom

Camp Biluim

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2014-10-3

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

40 cm textual records

ca. 50 photographs

Date

1940-2012

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records of Canadian Young Judaea. Records include correspondence, camp committee meeting minutes, camp committee and staff lists, the CYJ constitution, organizational newsletters, donation lists, flyers and camp reunion ephemera. Records also include clippings and reproductions from the Zionist Archives, and Camp Solelim photographs, as well as publications from other Jewish organizations.

Administrative History

Canadian Young Judaea was founded in 1909 as a Zionist movement for Canadian youth by members of the Herzl Zion Club. As a Zionist organization, Young Judaea continues to be committed to fostering a sense of Jewish identity and values in today's Jewish youth and to encouraging a lifelong commitment to Israel. In order to foster a closer connection to Israel, Canadian Young Judaea employs educational Shlichim from Israel who are posted to various Jewish communities throughout Canada and to offices at the national level in Toronto Young Judaea also operates several Zionist summer camps located in each region of Canada, and a summer leadership institute called Camp Biluim in Quebec. In addition to the social programme of the organization, Young Judaea also offers educational seminars and conferences.

Use Conditions

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

Descriptive Notes

Access restriction note: Files contain personal information of donors, campers, committee members and applicants for subsidies.

Subjects

Camps

Youth

Zionism

Name Access

Canadian Young Judaea

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2015-8-7

Material Format

multiple media

Physical Description

ca. 70 cm of textual records and other material

Date

1928-2013

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting the activities of Ben Zion Shapiro and his family. The bulk of the records document the Shapiro family's involvement in Young Judaea. The Young Judaea material includes: yearbooks, photographs, correspondence, meeting minutes, event programmes, song books, newsletters, and two Camp Biluim flags made by Bunny Shapiro. One flag contains Camp Biluim's crest (1951) and the other one was created for Camp Biluim's colour war and contains the text "We will try and we will succeed Camp Biluim" (1954?). Also included is a VHS tape containing a copy of the Toronto Zionist Council's video about Camp Shalom (1991?). Of note are minute books maintained by Roy Shapiro for the Toronto Young Judaea Administrative Board (1928-1934) and for the Leadership Club (1940-1948).

Accession also contains material relating to Roy and Ben Zion's involvement with the following organizations: the Coordinated Services to the Jewish Elderly (Circle of Care), B'nai Israel Beth David Congregation, Beth Tzedec's Mispacha Program, Beth Tzedec's Israel Action Program, Congregation Beth Haminyan, and Holy Blossom Temple's Department for Jewish Living. These records include, minutes, correspondence, newsletters and publications, evaluation reports and other reports. Also included is a demographic report entitied "Rapid Growth and Transformation: Demographic Challenges Facing the Jewish Community of Greater Toronto" (1995), material from a conference at the University of Toronto on the university's partnership with Israel, CHAT alumni directories, and a CHAT book entitled, "Voices: Jewish Teens of the 90's". Of note are buttons, photographs, reports and correspondence documenting Bunny and Ben Zion's trip to the Soviet Union on behalf of the CJC's Committee for Soviet Jewry.

Finally accession includes material documenting family activities of the Shapiro and Sherman family. Included is a transcript of Bessie Sherman telling her life story (1978), haggadot, PowerPoint presentations created by Ben Zion for his grandchildren and for a family reunion outlining the family history of his family and Bunny's family. There is also a video of Ben Zion presenting his PowerPoint at the Michalski / Cohen family reunion. Also included are family films and videos containing footage of Bunny and Ben Zion's wedding and honeymoon, Camp Biluim, Young Judaea events, Bunny on Machon, family wedding anniversaries and birthday parties, trips to Israel, the United States, and Europe as well as footage of the Cousin's Club. Also included is a VHS tape containing a recorded segment from CityPulse News featuring the family's Pesach festivities in 1995.

Photo identification: Back row, left to right: Ray Markus, Michelle Landsberg, Menachem ?, Frank Narrol. Front row, left to right: Gilda Mitchell, Bunny Shapiro, BenZion Shapiro, Malka Rabinowitz.

Administrative History

Ben Zion Shapiro was born in Toronto in 1931 to Roy Shapiro and Beck Shapiro (née Cohen). He has a younger brother, Morden "Mort" Shapiro (b. 1940). His father worked as an office manager at Rotstein Furniture and Maple Leaf Cleaners, and his mother worked as a legal secretary until marriage. Roy was active in a number of organizations including: Young Judaea, Sons of Jacob Society, Toronto Camera Club, a founding member of Beth David Synagogue, Coordinated Services to the Jewish Elderly (Circle of Care) and president of the Association of Jewish Seniors. Beck was active in Young Judaea and Pioneer Women (president of the Golda Meir Club).

Ben Zion received a master of social work degree from the University of Toronto and attended the Jewish Agency Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad in Jerusalem (1951-1952). He has worked for a number of organizations throughout his career, including: Young Judaea (he was director of both Camp Shalom [1962-1969] and Camp Biluim [1954-1956]), B'nai Brith Youth Organization, University Settlement, St. Christopher's House and director of the Novomeysky Centre in Jerusalem (1957-1961). He was also professor and associate dean of social work at the University of Toronto and three times visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Ben married Bunny "Bernice" Shaprio in 1955. Bunny was born in 1934 in Noranda, Quebec to Irving Sherman and Bessie (née Consky). Bunny attended public school in Noranda, Noranda High School and Forest Hill Collegiate in Toronto, University of Toronto (BA), the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (M.Ed. in special education), and the Jewish Agency Institute for Jewish Leaders from Abroad (1952-1953).

Bunny graduated from the first Camp Biluim Institute for leadership training in 1951 and worked with Ben Zion at Camp Shalom as Camp Mother in 1962 and from 1964-1969. She also worked at Camp Biluim from 1955-1956. In 1983, Bunny and Ben Zion went to the Soviet Union to visit refuseniks on behalf of the Soviet Jewry Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region.

Bunny and Ben have two children: Ayala and Ilan. Since Ben Zion's retirement in 1996, he and Bunny have been living in Jerusalem for half of each year. In 2015, they moved full-time to Jerusalem.

Use Conditions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes

Physical description note: includes ca. 300 photographs (256 tiff), 2 PowerPoint presentations, 1 textual record (doc), 4 buttons, 2 flags, 5 VHS tapes, and 18 film reels (8 mm).

Subjects

Camps

Youth

Zionism

Name Access

Shapiro, Ben Zion, 1931-

Source

Archival Accessions

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Accession Number

2018-5-3

Material Format

graphic material

Physical Description

90 photographs : b&w and col. ; 18 x 13 cm or smaller

2121 slides : col. ; 35 mm

Date

[1972]-2002

Scope and Content

Accession consists of slides primarily from Camp Solelim. There are additional photos from Camp Biluim and Biluim Israel.

Custodial History

One photo album belonged to Biluim Israel staff member, Aubrey Zimmerman.

Administrative History

Canadian Young Judaea was founded in 1909 as a Zionist movement for Canadian youth by members of the Herzl Zion Club. As a Zionist organization, Young Judaea continues to be committed to fostering a sense of Jewish identity and values in today's Jewish youth and to encouraging a lifelong commitment to Israel. In order to foster a closer connection to Israel, Canadian Young Judaea employs educational Shlichim from Israel who are posted to various Jewish communities throughout Canada and to offices at the national level in Toronto Young Judaea also operates several Zionist summer camps located in each region of Canada, and a summer leadership institute called Camp Biluim in Quebec. In addition to the social programme of the organization, Young Judaea also offers educational seminars and conferences. Young Judaea's national structure includes a National Executive Board and an Administrative Council. Conventions are held regularly, as are regional conferences. In the past, Young Judaea operated as an associated, but distinct, organization from the Zionist Organization Canada. However, Young Judaea operations were overseen by the ZOC executive, and Young Judaea received their budget from the ZOC Treasury. In addition, ZOC and Young Judaea worked in conjunction with one another on many projects and programmes, such as with the operation of the Zionist camps.

Camp Solelim was founded in 1965. Its name comes from Kibbutz HaSolelim in Israel which recognizes the builders who were integral to the establishment of the State of Israel. The program is infused with informal social, Jewish and Zionist educational programs. Like many of the camps founded earlier, campers are encouraged to participate in the functioning of the camp and derive a strong sense of responsibility through daily camp operations and camp projects.

Camp Biluim was founded in 1961 under the auspices of the Zionist Organization of Canada as a national leadership training institute for Canadian youth. Originally located in Huntsville Ontario, the camp moved to Mont Tremblant, Quebec in 1976, where it remains today under the full operation of Canadian Young Judaea. The purpose of the camp was to provide practical and transferable leadership training to a slightly older group of Jewish Canadian youths, most of whom were members of Young Judaea. Many Camp Biluim graduates later returned to ZOC summer camps as counsellors or found senior administrative positions in Canadian Young Judaea. Camp Biluim was co-administered by the National Camps Association, and during its period in Ontario, the Ontario Camps Association. However, daily operation and staffing of the summer camp was provided by Canadian Young Judaea.

Subjects

Youth

Camps

Name Access

Canadian Young Judaea

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2020-2-2

Material Format

textual record (electronic)

graphic material (electronic)

Physical Description

3 folders (electronic)

Date

2012–2019

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material accumulated by Shlomo Gleibman during his years volunteering for Kulanu Toronto, Shir Libeynu, and Jewish LGBT programs at Miles Nadal JCC.

Included among the Kulanu Toronto records are a draft of a letter to the Canadian Jewish News responding to a a "hateful letter" that appeared in the newspaper; a Holocaust Education Week program; a list of interested candidates for Kulanu Toronto's executive committee 2013–2014; a list of some of Kulanu's past events; a list of Jewish LGBT organizations; a filled-out nomination form for the Bill Graham Award, which was established in 2008 by the Pride and Remembrance Association to recognize service to the LGBT community; and a list of inclusive synagogues in Greater Toronto.

Included among the Miles Nadal JCC records are a flyer for its Downtown Shabbat Dinner Series, a document titled "Towards a Proposal for Jewish LGBTQ Programming in Toronto," an agenda for the LGBTQ Advisory Committee meeting held on 28 March 2019, a letter to a "Friend of Kulanu" informing the latter that many of the organization's functions will be taken over the MNjcc LGBTQ+ Programming Committee, and a MNjcc LGBTQ+ initiative proposal.

Included among the Shir Libeynu records are a photograph possibly taken at Pride in 2012, the congregation's logo with Pride colours, and information about the congregation's Pride Havdalah service and other Pride programming.

Administrative History

Shlomo Gleibman was born in Lviv, Ukraine in 1974. Upon moving to Toronto, he volunteered with a number of organizations: From 2012, he served on Kulanu Toronto's executive committee in the capacity of director of education. From 2016–2019, he served on the board of Shir Libeynu, serving as the board's president from 2018–2019. As of 7 February 2020, he was a PhD candidate in York University. Shlomo has also studied at yeshivot in New York and Israel.

Use Conditions

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

Descriptive Notes

Related groups of records external to the unit being described: Other records relating to Kulanu Toronto can be found in the Kulanu Toronto fonds.

Subjects

Volunteers

Name Access

Gleibman, Shlomo

Kulanu Toronto

Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre

Shir Libeynu

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Level

Item

Item

4208

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1986

Physical Description

1 photograph

Notes

Photo by Graphic Artists, Toronto.

Name Access

Lipman, Roy

Big Brothers

Subjects

Volunteers

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1986-12-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Mimi Wise fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

16

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

[ca. 1915]-1994

Physical Description

3 cm of textual records

15 photographs : b&w and col. ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

8 artifacts

Admin History/Bio

Mrs. Mimi Wise (1920-2004) was a native Torontonian and an active member and supporter of the city's Jewish community. She volunteered her time with a number of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, such as the Jewish Book Fair, the Reena Foundation, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the North York Harvest Food Bank. She was known and respected for her many years of work and involvement with Hadassah-Wizo. Her primary focus was on education, with specific emphasis placed on the promotion of Israel within Canada. Mimi travelled to Israel many times during her life, often working as a trip co-coordinator.

Mrs. Mimi Wise was born in Toronto in 1920 to Joseph Marin and Sonia (Stern) Marin. She had an older sister Ruth (Steiner) and a younger brother Jay. The family lived across from the Woodbine Racetrack in the east end of Toronto known as the Beach, until 1928, when they moved to the Christie Street and Davenport Road area. Joseph Marin was one of the founders of the Beach Hebrew Institute and the family were active members of the shul. Mimi's parents were ardent Zionists and their home was often used as a meeting place for Zionists around the world, which included a visit from Golda Meir. Sonia Marin was a supporter of Hadassah-Wizo and of Pioneer Women.

Mimi attended McMurrich Public School and then Oakwood Collegiate High School. In 1938, she met her future husband, Dr. Sydney Wise, and the following year, Sydney began his medical internship at the Columbus Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Mimi stayed behind in Toronto and continued her studies at the University of Toronto. In 1941, she graduated with a degree in physiotherapy, although she never practiced. In 1942, Sydney and Mimi married and Mimi joined her new husband in the United States. In 1944, Sydney was sent overseas with the United States army and Mimi returned to Toronto and began work with the Combined Palestine Appeal. Upon his return to Toronto, Sydney became a pediatrician and opened his own practice. The couple later had two children, Mark and Joel.

In 1948, Mimi became the founding president of the Rishon Chapter of Hadassah-Wizo. During the 1950s and 1960s, she became further involved with Hadassah as the director of the Education Department, from 1957 to 1959, first vice-president from 1959 to 1961, and president of Hadassah Wizo of Toronto, from 1961 to 1963. Mimi also held the position of national co-chairman of the 1972 national convention in Toronto, and in 1973, organized the week-long "Shalom Israel" fair at Yorkdale Shopping Centre on the occasion of Israel's 25th anniversary.

In 2003, Mimi received the Ontario Volunteer Service Award from the Province of Ontario, in honour of her commitment to volunteerism. Mrs. Mimi Wise passed away in 2004.

Custodial History

The records were in the possession of Mimi's husband, Dr. Sydney Wise, who donated them to the Archives in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

Scope and Content

This fonds consists of records related to Mimi Wise's personal life and organizational activities. It includes photographs, textual records and artifacts. The textual records relate to Mimi's work with Hadassah, including her installation speech as president, certificates, programs for conventions and luncheons, an invitation to meet Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and several speeches. There is also an electronic copy of a 1944 memorial card for Joseph Marin.

The artifacts include two pairs of Pierre Cardin silk stockings given to Mrs. Wise in 1967 by the Baroness Alix de Rothschild; a president's pin set with pearls, given to Mimi in 1963 at the end of her term; a gold maple leaf pin worn by participants on a Hadassah trip to Israel; a pin given to Mimi inscribed with Guardian of Youth Aliyah, given in exchange for a monetary donation; a pin given to Mimi inscribed with MDA, which is the Mogen Dovid Adom ambulance service; and a Canadian Hadassah-Wizo diamond jubilee gold medallion given to Mimi in Jerusalem in 1977.

There are item level descriptions for all fifteen photographs, which include images of the Rishon Chapter and the National Executive of Hadassah-Wizo, family photographs, and portraits of Mimi.

Name Access

Wise, Mimi, 1920-2004

Subjects

Volunteers

Creator

Wise, Mimi, 1920-2004

Accession Number

2003-6-6

2003-9-3

2004-5-118

2006-3-13

2006-4-6

2006-7-2

2006-8-2

2006-8-14

2006-9-7

2010-1-2

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Patricia Joy Alpert fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

77

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

sound recording

Date

[ca. 1907]-2001, predominant 1990-2001

Physical Description

1.2 m of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Patricia Joy Alpert (1931-2001) was an internationally-acclaimed artist, teacher, and dynamic community leader, most notably serving as national president of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO from 1996 to 1999. Pat was born in Toronto in 1931 to parents Oscar and Gertrude Pattenick. Oscar Pattenick, the son of Benjamin Pattenick and Pauline Goldenberg, was born in 1892 in Galicia and immigrated to Canada with his brother as a young man. The brothers ran a retail clothing business that expanded to several locations around Ontario, including Toronto and Bowmanville. Oscar married Gertrude Breslin (1896-1988) in 1917. She was one of fourteen children of Hyman Breslin and Sarah Pearl Papernick and had been raised in Toronto. Together the couple raised three children: Bernard (Boon), and twin girls Patricia and Pearl.

Pat and her sister showed artistic talent from an early age. After graduating from Oakwood Collegiate Institute, Pat enrolled at the University of Miami and graduated with a BA in art history in 1956. She started her career as a designer and display artist at the Simpson department store, doing freelance artwork and volunteering at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Pat married Herbert S. Alpert in 1958 and they had two daughters, Lisa and Nancy. Pat went back to school at Toronto Teacher's College and then taught kindergarten for eleven years for the North York Board of Education. She also earned a supervisor's art certificate and taught art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, North York Public Library, and Associated Hebrew Schools. Her artistic career took off in the 1970s, when her drawings were exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around North America. She typically drew human figures using ink.

Pat Alpert’s volunteer work began soon after her marriage, when she joined Toronto's Carmel chapter of Hadassah as a way to make new friends. In 1983, she became president of Toronto Hadassah-WIZO, serving until 1985. She continued with Toronto Hadassah as vice-president and corresponding secretary. Pat was deeply committed to Jewish life and to the State of Israel. Choosing Hadassah as the focus of her passion, she left her professional career in the 1990s to become a full-time volunteer. She served as chair of the Canadian Hadassah-WIZO Foundation, vice-president of National Hadassah, national president from 1996 to 1999 and president of Toronto Jewish National Fund from 1992 to 1994. Pat also held positions for Israel Bonds, Jewish Women’s Federation, B’nai Brith League for Human Rights, the Holocaust Centre of Toronto, Baycrest Women’s Auxiliary and board of governors, and Reena Foundation. Pat Alpert died on October 4, 2001, at the age of seventy.

Custodial History

Donated by Herbert Alpert in late 2001 or early 2002. No documentation for this donation could be found when it was assigned an accession number in October 2002 during an inventory of the vault. Pat Alpert's daughter Nancy Spring was contacted in 2009 to sign a deed of gift.

Scope and Content

Fonds contains records documenting Patricia Joy Alpert's personal, professional and volunteer-related activities. The records include textual material, photographs, and a sound recording of a radio show announcing an exhibit of Alpert's work. The records of Alpert's professional career as an artist and a teacher are comprised of curriculum vitae and brief biographies, exhibit records and correspondence. Samples of Alpert's drawings are included, dating from the 1940s to the 1970s. The records relating to Alpert's community leadership include a large number of speeches, clippings, articles, correspondence, cards and letters, meeting minutes, and unique diary entries meticulously detailing Hadassah business, conversations and controversies. There are minutes from the following entities: Hadassah National Officers, Hadassah National Executive Board, World WIZO Executive and Canadian Hadassah Foundation. Other organizations represented in the records include the Jewish National Fund, Baycrest Women’s Auxiliary, Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation, and State of Israel Bonds.

The personal records in the fonds include letters written by Pat to Herbert when he was working in England during parts of 1968-1970, letters exchanged between Pat and her daughters when the girls were at camp in 1971 and 1973, and a collection of clippings spanning twenty years in which Alpert appears. As well, there is a notebook of Pat's Torah observations, thoughts and quotations. The personal series also contains records of Gertrude Pattenick's: a handwritten homemaker's guide and recipe book, ca. 1907, and several letters exchanged between Gertrude and Oscar before and during their marriage. One file contains the obituary of Gertrude and the condolences received by Pat.

There are approximately 3175 photographs (218 negs and 45 slides) in the fonds. These are of Hadassah conferences and annual conventions, meetings, social events, Hadassah projects in Israel (contact sheets) and images of Alpert's drawings. Many of the photographs were originally in four scrapbooks Alpert created: three to highlight the events of her Hadassah presidency and one she titled "Important Moments" that spans the 1980s and 1990s. The scrapbook files (in box 3) contain photographs, clippings and a number of event programs. The photographs include images of Alpert at special events and conventions, as a speaker, meeting people, socializing and travelling in Israel and to international Hadassah events around the world.

The poster in the fonds is for an event organized by the Women's Auxiliary of Baycrest Centre in 1981, the second annual Camerata concert and gala reception.

The fonds is arranged in 6 series: 1. Personal; 2. Professional; 3. Toronto Hadassah; 4. Hadassah-WIZO Canada; 5. Jewish National Fund; 5. Hadassah-WIZO of Canada Foundation; Other organizations.

Notes

Physical description note: Includes ca. 3175 photographs (218 negatives and 45 slides), 1 cassette tape and 1 poster.

Name Access

Alpert, Patricia Joy, 1931-2001

Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada (Subject)

Subjects

Artists

Teachers

Volunteers

Access Restriction

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

Arrangement

The arrangement of the fonds was constructed by the archivist. The scrapbooks were taken apart and the captions for each event provided the titles for the files.

Creator

Alpert, Patricia Joy, 1931-2001

Accession Number

2002-10-65

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Sadie Stren fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

78

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

graphic material (electronic)

Date

[189-]-1997

Physical Description

15 cm of textual records

176 photographs : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller

2 photographs (jpg) : b&w

Admin History/Bio

Sadie Stren (1915-2014) was born on April 19, 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. Her father and mother had come from a small town in Russia. Samuel Goldberg, her father, arrived to stay with family in Brantford, Ontario in 1910 and began working as a peddler. He moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1912 where he worked for the Ford Motor Company and later owned a confectionary store. Emma, Sadie’s mother, came from Russia to reunite with Samuel after he began living in Detroit and the couple married and started a family there.

Sadie grew up in a predominately Jewish neighbourhood in Detroit with her parents and her sister Sarah. She graduated from what is now Wayne State University and worked as a social studies teacher in Detroit for approximately 10 years, until she married at age 31. Sadie first met her husband, Maurice "Maurie" Strenkovsky (1910-1995), while visiting relatives in Brantford. By the time the two had met, Maurie was going by the last name Stren, although it is not certain when he began to do so. He served in the Second World War and corresponded with Sadie during their courtship. The two married in 1947, five years after meeting. The couple initially lived in Detroit, where their son David was born on August 28, 1948, but soon moved to Brantford, where Sadie gave birth to a daughter, Patti, on August 8, 1949. Maurie became a manufacturer of surgical dressing and continued in this profession until his retirement.

When Sadie first moved to Brantford, she joined several Jewish women’s organizations, including Hadassah. She continued to be actively involved in both Jewish and non-Jewish community organizations for the remainder of her life. She ran and taught the Beth David Sunday school in Brantford for many years, and in 1976, was honoured for her work as Sunday school supervisor by the Beth David Sisterhood. During her time in Brantford, Sadie served on the board of directors for eight different organizations, and was the president of four. She was a member of the board of directors for the Family Service Bureau and was elected president in 1966. She was also a past president of the University Women’s Club and a former board member of the YM-YWCA. Her husband was quite active in the community as well. Maurie Stren’s commitments included serving as president of B’nai B’rith Brantford from 1965-1966 and as District Governor of the Lions Club from 1963-64, among other things.

Upon moving to Toronto, Sadie became a member of the Baycrest Women’s Auxiliary and volunteered at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Aphasia Institute.

Sadie was an amateur historian who served as the Brantford Jewish community's archivist and historian for a number of years. She had been collecting sources of Brantford Jewish history in her home since at least the 1970s in order to assemble the history of Brantford's community. Sadie was also an author who wrote about the history of the Brantford community, spoke at conferences, and was a contributor to the Canadian Jewish Historical Society Journal in 1981. She passed away on December 9, 2014.

Custodial History

The records were donated by Sadie Stren in five different transfers from 1976-2006. The first accession was received as a part of the small communities project in 1976 and included only photographs. Subsequent accessions included photographs and textual documents relating to both Sadie’s family and the Brantford community. Sadie is an author and she acquired some of the materials when researching the history of the Brantford community.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of material created and collected by Sadie Stren related to the Brantford Jewish community, as both a member of the community and an author researching its history. Among the records are newspaper and article clippings, correspondence, research notes, records of the Brantford Hebrew Association, miscellaneous printed and published material, Hadassah minutes, records related to Congregation Beth David and its Hebrew school and photographs.

The Brantford Hebrew Association records include 3 ledger books which span the years between 1909 to 1952, legal documents for the Association including the original letters patent incorporating the Brantford Hebrew Association in 1911.

Notes

Some of the photographs are modern copies of older photographs.

Some early accessions contained photocopies of orginal documents that were eventually donated in later transfers. These photocopies were culled.

Many photographs were described at the item level at the time they were accessioned, but there are quite a few photographs in the fonds which have not yet been described in detail.

Name Access

Stren, Sadie, 1915-2014

Subjects

Immigrants--Canada

Volunteers

Related Material

For additional material related to the Brantford Jewish community see also accession #1978-11-4, accession #2009-2-5, oral history #AC91, and accession #2004-5-71.

Creator

Stren, Sadie, 1915-

Places

Brantford (Ont.)

Accession Number

1976-6-9

1977-5-6

1978-11-3

2005-11-10

2006-12-1

Source

Archival Descriptions