Part Of

Ladovsky family fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

83

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Date

[ca. 1890]-2012

Physical Description

3.5 cm of textual records

185 photographs : b&w and col. and sepia toned ( 10 negatives, 4 slides, 3 contact prints) ; 26 x 20 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

Aaron Ladovsky (1888-1960) was born in 1888 in Kielce, Poland. He immigrated to Toronto in 1906 at the age of 18. Soon after arriving, Aaron Ladovsky worked to help form a Jewish bakers’ union to advocate for collective rights among Jewish Bakers. In 1911 he married Sarah Eichler who was from his home town of Kielce, Poland. In 1912 he opened the United Bakers Dairy Restaurant at Dundas and Bay Streets (known then as Agnes and Terauley Streets respectively) in the heart of the Ward. That same year, the couple had twin sons, Herman and Samuel, who were born on September 23, 1912.

Only a short time later, in 1920, Aaron moved the location of his restaurant to 338 Spadina Avenue, just north of Dundas. He and his family lived in an apartment upstairs. Herman and Samuel attended Hester How Elementary School until 1919, Lord Lansdowne Public School once the family moved to Spadina, and later Central Commerce. The twins worked in the family business in the 1920s delivering fresh breads and buns by horse cart.

Aaron Ladovsky was involved in a number of community organizations. He was instrumental in founding the Kieltzer Society of Toronto in 1913, a community based immigrant-aid association extending aid to Kielcers in Poland and around the world. Ladovsky remained an active member of the organization until his death on April 5, 1960. His restaurant provided a welcome gathering place for the Jewish community, serving traditional dishes and maintaining a friendly open-door policy. Aaron Ladovsky was known for his generosity and claimed that no one, whether they had money or not, left his restaurant hungry. The United Bakers' menu was mainly based on Sarah’s original recipes, and continues to be so to this day.

During the Second World War, Herman served overseas as an electrician in the Canadian army show with comics Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. After returning from the war, he married Dora Macklin in 1947, a registered nurse from Regina. He also began to take over management of the family business. Later, his son Philip and daughter Ruth would follow in his footsteps, helping to run the restaurant with him and later taking over managment. United Bakers remained on Spadina Avenue for 66 years, until 1986 when it moved to its current location at 506 Lawrence Avenue West, off of Bathurst Street. Herman was an active fixture in restaurant until his death on January 6, 2002. He also supported and was involved in the work of the Ontario Jewish Archives over the years. Today, Philip and Ruth carry on the family tradition of running United Bakers Dairy Restaurant. In May 2012 the restaurant celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Custodial History

The records were donated in multiple small accessions by Herman Ladovsky from 1977 until 2004.

It appears as though previous archivists integrated some materials into a manuscript group relating to Aaron Ladovsky and then later deconstructed a portion of this group into original accessions. Also, a number of periodicals and textual materials from these accessions were integrated into various other manuscript groups and remain there.

One item, a Lord Lansdowne School anniversary booklet which contains a photocopy of Herman's student record, remained in the Aaron Ladovsky manuscript group. This item could not be identified as part of a previous accession, but has been integrated into the fonds as it appears to have been donated by Herman.

Photo #3050 was not associated with an accession number, but documents United Bakers Dairy Restaurant and was likely donated by Herman Ladovsky.

Recent accruals have been donated by Ruth Ladovsky.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of records documenting the Ladovsky family in Kielce, Poland and Toronto. It is primarily made up of photographs of Ladovsky family members in Kielce and Toronto, and of various organizations that Aaron and Herman were involved in. There are also a few textual records that document the Ladovsky family and their involvement in the Kieltzer Society.

Notes

Newspaper clippings were photocopied and placed in the Aaron Ladovsky vertical file.

Many photographs were originally cited with diifferent numbers. These numbers are mentioned below photo descriptions.

Name Access

Kieltzer Sick Benefit Society (Toronto, Ont.) (subject)

Ladovsky, Aaron, 1888-1960 (creator)

Ladovsky (family)

Ladovsky, Herman, 1912-2002 (creator)

United Bakers Dairy Restaurant (subject)

Related Material

Se MG 2B-1R

See vertical file on Aaron Ladovsky

Arrangement

Records have been organized by media and chronology due to low volume and disparate subject matter. Textual records have been arranged in 17 files. Photographs have been arranged chronologically and are largely described at the item level.

Places

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1977-7-5

1978-12-7

1981-1-2

1983-11-6

1988-4-12

1993-10-1

1994-1-3

1999-11-4

2000-4-4

2004-5-21

2004-5-82

2008-4-9

MG 6 E6

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ladovsky family fonds

Photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

83

File

9

Item

35

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[between 1925 and 1928]

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w and sepia ; 9 x 14 cm and 8 x 12 cm

Scope and Content

Item is an original and a copy photograph of (left to right) Rose Haniford Green, Sarah Ladovsky, and Mary Haniford Pancer in front of United Bakers Dairy Restaurant. Rose and Mary are sisters and Sarah is their aunt.

Notes

Original photo was cited as photo # 3050.

One photo is a copy of the original retained for reference.

Repro Restriction

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.

Places

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ladovsky family fonds

Photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

83

File

9

Item

14

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1920

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 13 x 18 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a photograph of Aaron and Sarah Ladovsky with their nephews in front of United Bakers Dairy Restaurant.

Notes

Originally cited as photo #1444.

Name Access

Ladovsky, Aaron

Ladovsky, Sarah

United Bakers

Subjects

Bakeries

Storefronts

Repro Restriction

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.

Places

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Spadina Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1977-7-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ladovsky family fonds

Photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

83

File

9

Item

19

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[192-?]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 20 x 26 cm on matte 28 x 35 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a group photograph of Toronto members of the Kieltzer Society on the roof top of the United Bakers Restaurant.

Seated left to right: S. Levy; A. Ladovsky; F. Bimko, _ Levy.

Standing left to right: Joe Eisenberg (Isenberg); Lazor Ladowsky; Harry Charendoff; Moshe Cooper; Joe Berkowsky; H. Kornbloom; Noson Yasne; _ Eisenberg (Isenberg).

Name Access

Kieltzer Sick Benefit Society

Levy, S.

Ladovsky, A.

Bimko, F.

Levy

Eisneberg, Joe (Isenberg)

Ladowsky, Lazor

Charendoff, Harry

Cooper, Moshe

Berkowsky, Joe

Kornbloom, H.

Yasne, Noson

Eisenberg

Isenberg

Subjects

Societies

Repro Restriction

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.

Places

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Spadina Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1983-11-6

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ladovsky family fonds

Photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

83

File

9

Item

22

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[1942 or 1943]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a photograph of a family party at the Londoner Shul. Aaron Ladovsky is seated on the far left, between the third and fourth tapestry.

Notes

Formerly identified as photo # 3831.

Name Access

Anshei England

Hebrew Men of England Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Londoner Shul

Zarnitsky, Faivel

Zarnitsky, Rochel

Subjects

Parties

Repro Restriction

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.

Places

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Spadina Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1983-11-6

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ladovsky family fonds

Photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

83

File

9

Item

16

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1920

Physical Description

5 photographs : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

Scope and Content

Item is a copy print, two corresponding negatives, and two postcard photographs of Aaron and Sarah Ladovsky with their two staff members in front of United Bakers on Spadina.

Name Access

Hanford, Rose

Ladovsky, Aaron

Lieberman, Rose

Ladovsky, Sarah

United Bakers

Subjects

Bakeries

Storefronts

Repro Restriction

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.

Places

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Spadina Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions