Accession Number
2013-12-9
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-12-9
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 cm of textual records
Date
2009-2012
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting UJA Federation's Maot Chittin program in Cuba and a campaign event featuring Shimon Peres.
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
Presidents--Israel
Prime ministers--Israel
Name Access
Peres, Shimon, 1923-2016
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-10-3
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
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
Accession Number
2016-4-20
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-4-20
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
ca. 4 cm of textual records
7 photographs : col. ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
Date
1953-2014, predominant 1965-1995
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual and graphic records documenting the history and professional activities of Ismé Bennie. The accession includes: a report card from Vereeniging Medium English High School; a SA identification card; documentation from her early employment history in SA; clippings of her work with News/Check magazine; newspaper articles documenting reactions to the "South Africa Speaks" documentary and her involvement with the production; correspondence received while working in public broadcasting at NET (National Educational Television, later succeeded by PBS [Public Broadcasting Service]) and OECA (Ontario Educational Communications Authority, also known as TVOntario); an invitation to the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) Personal Achievement Award party in 1990 and correspondence related to her receipt of the award; a commemmorative document written by Stuart Foxman entitled "Paragon International: Bennie Celebrates Decade at the Helm"; correspondence regarding Bennie's ten year anniversary at Paragon; an invitation to the CFTPA Jack Chisholm Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Motion Picture and Television Industry luncheon and correspondence related to her receipt of the award.
Identified in the photos are: Ismé Bennie and Veronica Tennant.
Custodial History
Material was in possession of Ismé Bennie. Isme donated it to the OJA.
Administrative History
Ismé Bennie was born in Vereeniging, South Africa in 1940. She graduated from Witwatersrand University in 1960 with a B.A. in Library Science. She intially worked as a librarian at the City of Johannesburg Library and briefly left SA to seek opportunity in London. After returning from London, Ismé worked as a writer, researcher and editor with News/Check magazine until the mid-1960s. During this period, she participated in the production of "South Africa Speaks"; a Peabody Award-winning NET/WGBH produced documentary that was critical of the apartheid regime.
Bennie left SA in 1965 in search of professional opportunity and to leave the politics of apartheid. She began working primarily in public broadcasting in the United States. She continued in this field after relocating to Canada 1960s and rose to success in production at OECA,
In 1983, she founded Ismé Bennie International, a media distribution company. After it merged with production company Paragon, Bennie returned to broadcasting. She joined CHUM, (the Toronto-based media company), as Director of Development, rising to Director of Programming and Acquisitions in 1995, and that year won the (CFTPA) Jack Chisholm Award. Previously, she had received the CFTPA Personal Achievement Award in 1990. In 2003, Women in Film and Television – Toronto (WIFT–T) recognized her contribution to supporting and developing women in broadcasting, and she received the WIFT-T Outstanding Achievement Award. Canadian Television Network (CTV) acquired CHUM in 2007 and Bennie was one of the executives retained in the acquisition. Around 2010, Bennie left CTV. Since leaving she has done consulting work and freelance writing. In 2015, she published a memoir entitled, White Schooldays : Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Related material note: oral history AC 429
Subjects
Authors
South Africa--Emigration and immigration
Television producers and directors
Name Access
Bennie, Ismé
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-7-9
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-7-9
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
7 albums of photographs ; 29 x 26 cm
1 binder of textual records ; 26 x 30 cm
1 envelope of textual records
6 photographs : col. ; 10 x 14 cm or smaller (sight) in mat 45 x 40 cm
Date
1957-2018
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Teme Kernerman and her involvement in Israeli folk dancing. Included are: seven photo albums of different dance performances Kernerman was involved with as well as one binder (plus envelope) worth of textual records relating to dance festivals she contributed to.
Administrative History
Teme Kernerman (née London) was born in Toronto on 8 July 1932 to Ann Mandel and Harry London. She grew up with a younger sister Corrine ("Cookie").
Kernerman became involved in Israeli dance through Habonim, a Zionist youth movement. Upon graduating high school, she spent a year at Geva, a kibbutz in Israel's Jezreel Valley. There, she learned Hebrew and benefited from increased exposure to Israeli dance.
Upon returning to Canada, she continued to be active in Israeli dance and, after a period of working in government and Jewish nursery schools, made the decision to pursue dance fulltime.
In 1955, Kernerman moved to New York City, where she studied modern dance in the day and international and Israeli folk dance at night. Through a connection to Jewish dance instructor/educator Dvora Lapson, Kernerman became involved in children's dance festivals, which would inspire her Rikudiyah festival years later.
In 1957, Kernernman returned to Toronto. There, she was active teaching students, training teachers, and leading dance workshops. She created and also served as the directress/choreographer of the Nirkoda Israeli dancers. The troupe aimed to bring Israeli folk dance not only to Jewish communities throughout Ontario, but to the general public as well.
In 1960, Kernerman's husband became director of a gallery in Tel Aviv and she made the decision to make aliyah. In 1967, the couple along with their two children, Doron Noam and Varda Rifka, moved back to Canada, where she reestablished the Nirkoda Isreali Dance Troupe. The troupe continued until 1985.
Kernerman directed the first Rikudiyah festival in 1968. Initially made up of only forty children, it was held at the Jewish Community Centre on Spadina Avenue. From there, it moved to Northview Heights Secondary School in North York. When Kernerman saw that parents were sitting on the floor due to lack of seating, she brought it to York University, where it remained for twenty-five years.
When York underwent construction, Kernerman brought the Rikudiyah to Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto and divided it into programs: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The Rikudiyah continues to be active and since 2015 has been held at the Schwartz/Reisman Centre: Jewish Community Centre Lebovic Campus.
In 1969, Kernerman was instrumental and establishing the Ontario Folk Dance Association and the Ontario Folk Dance Teachers Association, for which she served as chairperson.
Kernerman's involvement in the community was not limited to dance. Between 1985 and 2000, she served as the director of the Fifty-Five Plus Department of Adult Services at the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre.
Kernerman was twice honoured by the Ontario Folk Dance Association. She was the recipient of the Ontario Arts Council Choreographers Award in 1978 and the Ontario Folk Arts Recognition Fellowship Award in 1991. In 2007, she was honoured at the Toronto IsReal Dance Festival.
Use Conditions
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Subjects
Dance festivals
Folk dancers
Folk dancing, Israeli
Name Access
Kernerman, Teme
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions