Address
52 East Fox Lake Rd.
Source
Landmarks

Established in 1933, Camp Winnebagoe was the first Jewish co-educational camp in Canada, owned and operated by Joe and Sadie Danson. First located on the Rouge River, just east of Toronto, the camp moved to a number of different lakeside locations in the Huntsville area, during its long history. In 1971, Camp Winnebagoe purchased Camp Ogama on Fox Lake and it has been there since, operated by the Lustig family. The camp’s programming includes secular and Jewish traditions including themed days, events honouring individual campers’ outstanding contributions and Friday Night Services.
Address
52 East Fox Lake Rd.
Time Period
1933-present
Scope Note
Established in 1933, Camp Winnebagoe was the first Jewish co-educational camp in Canada, owned and operated by Joe and Sadie Danson. First located on the Rouge River, just east of Toronto, the camp moved to a number of different lakeside locations in the Huntsville area, during its long history. In 1971, Camp Winnebagoe purchased Camp Ogama on Fox Lake and it has been there since, operated by the Lustig family. The camp’s programming includes secular and Jewish traditions including themed days, events honouring individual campers’ outstanding contributions and Friday Night Services.
History
In 1946, David Lieberman founded Camp Ogama, a private a co-educational overnight camp for children aged 6-16, on Fox Lake near Huntsville. It was touted to be “Canada’s most progressive camp for young Jewish boys and girls.” The socially conscience programming offered at Camp Ogama had a profound impact on counselors and campers alike producing highly influential alumni. Former camper journalist Earl Pomerantz reflects, “Camp inoculated us with a passion for justice. And it wasn’t write a check and see you later; this was money where your mouth is.”
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Accession Number
2014-8-11
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-8-11
Material Format
graphic material
Physical Description
7 photographs : b&w
Date
1931-1935
Scope and Content
Accession consists of photographs documenting the activities of Motel Bergstein and Borris Litman. Included are images documenting Hat Cap and Milinery workers banquets, conventions and Executive members, as well as images documenting Camp Yungvelt and the Workmen's Circle 35th anniversary. Motel Bergstein is identified in the photos.
Custodial History
The photographs were in the possession of Carrie Grossman, the daughter of Motel Bergstein and step-daughter of Borris Litman.
Administrative History
Motel Bergstein was born in 1898 in Buckawchevitz, Galicia. He came to Toronto in 1920 or 1921 and initially worked as an operator in a hat factory. He met and married Rita Katz in 1922. Motel was a member of the communist party and in the early 1930s he replaced JB Salsberg as the union organizer for the Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers Union. He was eventually excommunicated from the communist party for refusing to call a strike after the party's headquarters ordered him to. After his excommunication, he became an active member of the Workmen's Circle. Around 1937 or 1938, Motel began selling life insurance as a sub-agent for his uncle, Max Bergstein. Motel passed away on December 25, 1941.
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
Labour and unions
Name Access
Bergstein, Motel, 1898-1941
Litman, Boris
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-5-10
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-5-10
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1.4 m of textual records and graphic material
Date
1851-2014
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records reflecting the academic, personal and literary life of Dr. Gerald Tulchinsky. The bulk of the material relates to Canada's garment industry, including photocopied reference material from various sources, reports and statistics, research notes, articles and graduate thesis on the topic, reminiscences by those in the industry and original records from specific firms and associations situated in Ontario and Quebec. Also included are manuscripts and accompanying material for Shtetl on the Grand and a book on the Canadian Clothing Industry, lecture notes, family correspondence and photographs, and the last will and testament of Anne Tulchinsky. All of the material from 1851-1935 are photocopies of original records.
Administrative History
Dr. Gerald Tulchinsky was Professor Emeritus at Queen's University, Department of History, and author of several books on the history of Canadian Jewry and labour issues in Canada. His books include: Shtetl on the Grand (2015); Joe Salsberg: A Life of Commitment (2013); Canada's Jews: A People's Journey (2008); Branching Out: The Transformation of the Canadian Jewish Community (1998); Taking Root: The Origins of the Canadian Jewish Community (1992); and The River Barons: Montreal Businessmen and the Growth of Industry and Transportation, 1837-53 (1977). Tulchinsky was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1933 to Harry and Anne Tulchinsky. He resided in Kingston, Ontario until his death on 13 Dec. 2017.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.
Descriptive Notes
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: This accession also includes numerous books, some of which don't relate to our mandate and others which are duplicates of our current holdings. The books that we have retained have been integrated into the OJA's library holdings. USE CONDITION NOTE: Access restricted until ten years after the donor's death, at the donor's request. Records will reopen on Dec. 14, 2027.
LANGUAGE NOTE: Some of the material is in French.
Subjects
Business
Labour and unions
Name Access
Tulchinsky, Gerald, 1933-2017
Places
Montreal, Que.
Toronto, Ont.
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-2-12
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-2-12
Material Format
multiple media
Physical Description
45 cm of textual records and other material
230 photographs : sepia and b&w ; 23 x 30 cm and smaller
8 sound recordings (50 wav files; 1 microcassette)
1 artifact
Date
1937-2004
Scope and Content
Accession consists of textual records, photographs and audio recordings documenting the lives of Dick Steele, his wife Esther, and friend Bill Walsh. The materials are mostly correspondences between Dick and Esther during his internment at the Don Jail and Ontario Reformatory in Guelph, and from Dick and Bill's military service overseas during the Second World War. They also include correspondences between Esther and Bill, Bill and Anne Walsh, "Jack" and Esther, and other family and friends. Some of the letters show evidence of being censored. There are news clippings in English and Yiddish about the family from various newspapers including the Canadian Tribune (a Communist Party paper). There is a letter Esther wrote to campaign for Dick's release from internment, part of women's activism in this period. There is also a photocopy of a memoir written by Moses Kosowatsky and Moses Wolofsky "From the Land of Despair to the Land of Promise" ca. 1930s.
The photographs include Dick and Bill in the army during the Second World War, a signed picture of Tim Buck addressed to Esther and the twins and a photo of Dick delivering a speech related to the Steel Workers. Also included is a recording of edited sound clips of Bill and Esther talking about Dick, Esther speaking about the letters, (how she received letters and flowers from Dick after he had already been killed), Bill reading a letter Dick wrote to Esther that he left with friends in England to send her in the case that he was killed (which he was), recordings of "Bill Walsh Oral history" Vols.1 and 2 compiled by Leib Wolofsky's (Bill's nephew), and 5 audio recordings by Adrianna Steele-Card with her grandparents Bill and Esther. There is also a microcassette labelled "Joe Levitt."
The accession also includes the stripe of a German corporal that Bill captured as a prisoner, peace stamps and an early copy of Cy Gonick's A Very Red Life: The Story of Bill Walsh, edited by Bill.
Administrative History
Richard "Dick" Kennilworth Steele is the name adopted by Moses Kosowatsky. He was born in 1909 in Montreal to Samuel Kosowatsky and Fanny Held. He lived in a laneway off Clark Street, below Sherbrooke, where his father collected and recycled bottles. He grew up with his siblings, Joseph, Mortimer, Matthew, Gertrude, and Edward.
Bill Walsh (birth name Moishe Wolofsky) was born in 1910, to Sarah and Herschel Wolofsky, the editor of the Keneder Adler (Montreal's prominent Yiddish newspaper). He attended Baron Byng and then Commercial High School, where he met Dick Steele. Bill recalled that Dick denounced militarism in the school when a teacher tried to recruit students to be cadets.
Bill moved to New York City in 1927. His brother, who was living there, helped him get a job as a messenger on Wall Street. He also worked in the drug department at Macy's while attending courses at Columbia University in the evening. Dick worked on a ship for a year and then joined Bill in New York City in 1928. Dick worked at a chemical plant called Linde Air Products while also studying in the evenings at Columbia University.
In 1931, Dick and Bill boarded a ship together in New York bound for Copenhagen. Together, they travelled across Europe, witnessed a Nazi demonstration in Breslau, Germany, and found work in Minsk and Moscow, Russia. This trip inspired them to become Communists. In 1933, Bill's father was on a Canadian trade mission to Poland, which he left to "rescue" his son from the Bolsheviks. Bill agreed to return to Canada after being advised to do so by the Comintern. He then changed his name to Bill Walsh to protect his family.
In 1934, Bill moved to Toronto. He worked as the educational director for the Industrial Union of Needle Trade Workers and the Communist Party, where he met Esther Slominsky/Silver, the organization's office manager. Dick joined Bill in Toronto soon after. Bill introduced Dick and Esther, who then married. In 1940, Esther gave birth to twin sons, Michael and John Steele. Esther was born in Toronto in 1914 to Joseph Slominsky and Fanny (Blackersany?). Her siblings were Bella, Eileen, Morris, and step-sister Eva. Her father, Joseph, was a cloak maker and Esther also worked in the garment industry. Her mother Fanny passed away in 1920 at the age of twenty-six from tuberculosis.
Dick was a metal worker and became a union organizer in the east end of Toronto. He was the head organizer of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and the Steel Workers Organizing Committee of Canada (SWOC) until 1940, when he was dismissed for being a Communist. Bill helped organize Kitchener's rubber workers into an industrial union and was also an organizer for the United Auto Workers of Windsor, Ontario.
Jack Steele, an alias for Dick's brother Mortimer, fought with the Mackenzie-Papineau Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. Jack Steele was recalled to Canada in October 1937 to rally support for the efforts in Spain, returned to the front in June 1938, and was killed in action in August. Some of Dick's letters to his wife, Esther, are signed "Salud, Jack" and were likely written in 1940 when the Communist Party (CP) was banned by the Canadian government under the War Measures Act.
In November 1941, after Mackenzie King's call for enlistment, Dick wrote to the Department of Justice to ask permission to join the army. He never received a reply. On 1 April 1942, Dick's home was raided and he was interned at the Don Jail until September 1942, when he was moved to the Ontario Reformatory in Guelph. Esther wrote a letter to the minister of justice, Louis St. Laurent, to appeal on his behalf.
Major public campaigning by Communists and the wartime alliance with the USSR after 1941 shifted public opinion toward the CP, and the Canadian government slowly began releasing internees in January 1942. Dick was released in October 1942 and enlisted at the end of the month. Dick died on 17 August 1944 in Normandy, France. He was a tank driver in the Canadian Army.
Bill was similarly arrested in 1941, spending time in jail and then an internment camp with other members of the CP. He joined the Canadian Army in 1943 and fought in Holland and Belgium. Bill was first married to Anne Weir who died of a brain hemorrhage in 1943, just before he enlisted. The family believes this may have been due to drinking unpasteurized milk. Encouraged by Dick Steele to take care of his family should he pass in the war, Bill married Esther Steele in 1946. They had a daughter named Sheri and were members of the United Jewish People's Order. For twenty years, Walsh worked for the Hamilton region of the United Electrical Workers (UE). Bill remained a member of the CP until 1967, when we was expelled for criticizing another union leader. He died in 2004. Esther passed away in 2010 at age ninety-six.
Use Conditions
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.
Descriptive Notes
RELATED MATERIAL NOTE: Library and Archives Canada has the William Walsh fonds and MG 28, ser. I 268, USWA, vol.4, SWOC Correspondence, has various letters from Dick Steele ca. 1938. Museum of Jewish Montreal has an oral history with Leila Mustachi (daughter of Max Wolofsky, Bill's brother) where she speaks about Bill, Dick and Esther. USE CONDITION NOTES: For "Bill Walsh Oral history" Vols.1 and 2, some contributors stipulate that recordings are restricted to personal use only and must not be used for any commercial purpose.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Politics and government
Labour and unions
Name Access
Steele, Michael
Steele, Dick
Walsh, Bill
Walsh, Esther Steele
Places
England
Fort William (Ont.)
Germany
Guelph (Ont.)
Hamilton (Ont.)
Montréal (Québec)
Netherlands
Oshawa (Ont.)
Ottawa (Ont.)
Thunder Bay (Ont.)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-9-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-9-4
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
38 cm of textual records
6 photographs : b&w and col. ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
Date
1914-2017
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records relating to labour and the garment industry in Toronto, Montreal, and Hamilton. Newspaper clippings, book chapters, scholarly articles, lecture notes, book reviews, short stories, statistical and demographic records, records relating to Queen's University, and records relating to Beth Israel Congregation in Kingston, Ontario are included. Organizations mentioned are the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). Some personal family records are also included. Records printed on pink paper are photocopies from the ILGWU and ACWA archives at Cornell University.
Administrative History
Dr. Gerald Tulchinsky was Professor Emeritus at Queen's University, Department of History, and author of several books on the history of Canadian Jewry and labour issues in Canada. His books include: Shtetl on the Grand (2015); Joe Salsberg: A Life of Commitment (2013); Canada's Jews: A People's Journey (2008); Branching Out: The Transformation of the Canadian Jewish Community (1998); Taking Root: The Origins of the Canadian Jewish Community (1992); and The River Barons: Montreal Businessmen and the Growth of Industry and Transportation, 1837-53 (1977). Tulchinsky was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1933 to Harry and Anne Tulchinsky. He resided in Kingston, Ontario until his death on 13 Dec. 2017.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.
Descriptive Notes
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: This accession also includes numerous books, some of which don't relate to our mandate. The books that we have retained have been integrated into the OJA's library holdings. USE CONDITION NOTE: Access restricted until ten years after the donor's death, at the donor's request. Records will reopen on Dec. 14, 2027. LANGUAGE NOTE: Some of the material is in French.
Subjects
Labour and unions
Fashion and clothing
Name Access
Tulchinsky, Gerald, 1933-2017
Places
Hamilton (Ont.)
Montréal (Québec)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Address
332 Spadina Avenue
Source
Landmarks

Walerstein's ice cream parlour was owned by Abraham Walerstein, who was originally from Hamilton, Ontario. He opened it in 1917 and it became a hang out for Social Democrats.
Address
332 Spadina Avenue
Time Period
1917-unknown
Scope Note
Walerstein's ice cream parlour was owned by Abraham Walerstein, who was originally from Hamilton, Ontario. He opened it in 1917 and it became a hang out for Social Democrats.
Category
Food-related business
Source
Landmarks
Address
175 Baldwin Street
Source
Landmarks

The Perlmutar Bakery was opened in 1911 by Arrin Perlmutar who had immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine by way of London, England. He opened the bakery on the main floor of his home while his family of seven lived upstairs. The bakery had a wood-burning brick oven until the 1960s, when the city forced them to convert to electric.
Address
175 Baldwin Street
Time Period
1911-1974
Scope Note
The Perlmutar Bakery was opened in 1911 by Arrin Perlmutar who had immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine by way of London, England. He opened the bakery on the main floor of his home while his family of seven lived upstairs. The bakery had a wood-burning brick oven until the 1960s, when the city forced them to convert to electric.
History
The bakery was best known for their onion buns and rye bread. Electric mixers were used for cakes and bread but almost every other step was done by hand. Bread baking was started by 10:00 pm so that there would be fresh bread to deliver in the morning. The bakery closed in 1974.
Category
Food-related business
Source
Landmarks
Address
29 Baldwin Street
Source
Landmarks

Mandel’s opened between 1913-1920. It was initially owned by Harry Mandel. After 1944, it was owned by one of his sons William Mandel. And, in the 1950s, it was owned by the brothers Saul, Abraham, Ben, and William Mandel, from approx. From 1960 to approximately 1965, it was owned by William Mandel (exclusively).
Address
29 Baldwin Street
Time Period
1915-1970
Scope Note
Mandel’s opened between 1913-1920. It was initially owned by Harry Mandel. After 1944, it was owned by one of his sons William Mandel. And, in the 1950s, it was owned by the brothers Saul, Abraham, Ben, and William Mandel, from approx. From 1960 to approximately 1965, it was owned by William Mandel (exclusively).
History
Mandel's Creamery manufactured cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and butter milk under the labels Mandel Bros. & Silver Brand. They also manufactured for private label brands and other wholesale and retail customers. They also sold wholesale butter, eggs, and hard cheese which they did not manufacture. Low salt & low fat cottage was a specialty sold to institutions such as Baycrest Hospital. Their customers included supermarkets, bakeries, restaurants, institutions, resorts, and summer camps. There were also retail sales out of the store front at 29 Baldwin St. The business was sold around 1965 to Mr. Bricks and Mr. Caplan who then sold it to Western Creamery some years later.
Category
Food-related business
Source
Landmarks
Address
295 Spadina Avenue
Source
Landmarks

Harry and Jennie Shopsowitz started Shopsy's Delicatessen, a family business in 1921. Harry died in October 1945 and the business was passed along to his sons, Sam Shopsowitz and Izzy Shopsowitz. The business grew and became known as Shopsy’s. Eventually, Sam opened a meat processing plant, in addition to the restaurants, and by 1947, he became known as the "the corned beef king" in advertisements. Shopsy's corned beef and hotdogs were sold in grocery stores.
Address
295 Spadina Avenue
Time Period
1921-1983
Scope Note
Harry and Jennie Shopsowitz started Shopsy's Delicatessen, a family business in 1921. Harry died in October 1945 and the business was passed along to his sons, Sam Shopsowitz and Izzy Shopsowitz. The business grew and became known as Shopsy’s. Eventually, Sam opened a meat processing plant, in addition to the restaurants, and by 1947, he became known as the "the corned beef king" in advertisements. Shopsy's corned beef and hotdogs were sold in grocery stores.
History
Shopsy's became an institution in the city where the likes of Bob Hope, Al Waxman, Dennis Hull, and Scott Bowman were regular customers. Sam suffered a stroke in 1982 and died in September 1984 at age 63. After 62 years on Spadina, the restaurant moved to Yonge Street at Front Street in March 1983.
Category
Food-related business
Source
Landmarks
Address
338 Spadina Avenue
Source
Landmarks

United Bakers Dairy Restaurant was first established by Aaron and Sarah Ladovsky in 1912 on Dundas Street at Bay Street in the Ward. They moved the restaurant to 338 Spadina Ave. in 1920. 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.
Address
338 Spadina Avenue
Time Period
1920-1986
Scope Note
United Bakers Dairy Restaurant was first established by Aaron and Sarah Ladovsky in 1912 on Dundas Street at Bay Street in the Ward. They moved the restaurant to 338 Spadina Ave. in 1920. 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.
History
Aaron and Sarah had twin sons, Herman and Samuel. 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, Herman's son Philip and daughter Ruth would follow in his footsteps, first helping to run the restaurant with him and later taking over management. 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 the 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.
Category
Food-related business
Source
Landmarks
Address
275 Spadina Avenue
Source
Landmarks

Goldenberg's restaurant, which was kosher, was located at 275 Spadina Ave and was owned by Mr Joseph S. Goldenberg. He made additions to the restaurant in 1929 and 1935 by architect Benjamin Brown.
Address
275 Spadina Avenue
Time Period
1925-
Scope Note
Goldenberg's restaurant, which was kosher, was located at 275 Spadina Ave and was owned by Mr Joseph S. Goldenberg. He made additions to the restaurant in 1929 and 1935 by architect Benjamin Brown.
History
The restaurant was originally located in the Ward at 63 Elizabeth Street.
Category
Food-related business
Source
Landmarks
Address
350 College Street
Source
Landmarks

Wellts Delicatessen was founded by Peter and Fannie Wellts in the 1910s at 350 College Street. Peter Wellts was born in Tarnigrad, Poland in 1888 and Fannie Brown was born in New York City in 1889. They met in New York and moved with Fannie’s family to Toronto in 1910. Peter worked in the garment district prior at the start of the restaurant business. Peter and Fannie married in Toronto on November 26, 1910. They had two daughters Sylvia (b. August 26, 1911) (m. Walfish) and Ethel (b. January 7, 1928) (m. Rochwerg). They lived in an apartment above the delicatessen. When Ethel married her husband Nathan Rochwerg in 1948, they moved in with Fannie and Peter above the deli. Ethel and Nathan had three children Martin, Arlene (m. Kochberg), and Sidney. When Peter was in his 70s, it was decided that the family would move north into the Bathurst Manor and close the deli. Peter had a heart attack on December 26, 1959, before the move, and Fannie moved in with Nathan and Ethel and their three children. The deli closed in 1959.
Address
350 College Street
Time Period
1912-1959
Scope Note
Wellts Delicatessen was founded by Peter and Fannie Wellts in the 1910s at 350 College Street. Peter Wellts was born in Tarnigrad, Poland in 1888 and Fannie Brown was born in New York City in 1889. They met in New York and moved with Fannie’s family to Toronto in 1910. Peter worked in the garment district prior at the start of the restaurant business. Peter and Fannie married in Toronto on November 26, 1910. They had two daughters Sylvia (b. August 26, 1911) (m. Walfish) and Ethel (b. January 7, 1928) (m. Rochwerg). They lived in an apartment above the delicatessen. When Ethel married her husband Nathan Rochwerg in 1948, they moved in with Fannie and Peter above the deli. Ethel and Nathan had three children Martin, Arlene (m. Kochberg), and Sidney. When Peter was in his 70s, it was decided that the family would move north into the Bathurst Manor and close the deli. Peter had a heart attack on December 26, 1959, before the move, and Fannie moved in with Nathan and Ethel and their three children. The deli closed in 1959.
History
The deli was known for 5 cent pastrami/corned beef sandwiches sold during the depression. Peter Wellts never let anyone go hungry during this period. They had Vernor's ginger ale on tap during a time when everything was in bottles. Deliveries would come in through the backyard by the garage. It was kosher. Ethel remembers people coming in to use the phone in the kitchen or the washroom in the basement.
Category
Food-related business
Source
Landmarks
Address
Church St. and Rossland Road, west side of Duffins Creek
Source
Landmarks

The Toronto Workmen’s Circle was established in 1909 to promote workers rights, the Yiddish language and secular Jewish culture. In addition to running schools, the group founded Camp Yungvelt (Young World) on Lake Wilcox in 1925. A year later, the camp moved to a parcel of land in Pickering donated by a group of Workmen’s Circle members who had purchased the land to establish a Jewish cottage colony. The Workmen’s Circle relied on the generous support of its members at a time when the Jewish community supported the study of Hebrew over Yiddish. In addition to recreational activities, the camp focused on teaching Yiddish language and culture. The camp closed in 1971.
Address
Church St. and Rossland Road, west side of Duffins Creek
Time Period
1925-1971
Scope Note
The Toronto Workmen’s Circle was established in 1909 to promote workers rights, the Yiddish language and secular Jewish culture. In addition to running schools, the group founded Camp Yungvelt (Young World) on Lake Wilcox in 1925. A year later, the camp moved to a parcel of land in Pickering donated by a group of Workmen’s Circle members who had purchased the land to establish a Jewish cottage colony. The Workmen’s Circle relied on the generous support of its members at a time when the Jewish community supported the study of Hebrew over Yiddish. In addition to recreational activities, the camp focused on teaching Yiddish language and culture. The camp closed in 1971.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
Morrison Lake
Source
Landmarks

Irene Granovsky, known to staff and campers as “Mrs. G”, founded Balfour Manor Camp on Morrison Lake in the Muskoka Region in 1935. Having previous experience running a day camp on Lake Simcoe, she set out with her husband Ted to create an overnight camp. The property, which had an existing log cabin thought to resemble an English Manor, along with Lord Balfour (architect of the Balfour Declaration that established Palestine as a home for Jewish people in 1917), served as inspiration for the camp name.
Address
Morrison Lake
Time Period
1935-1952
Scope Note
Irene Granovsky, known to staff and campers as “Mrs. G”, founded Balfour Manor Camp on Morrison Lake in the Muskoka Region in 1935. Having previous experience running a day camp on Lake Simcoe, she set out with her husband Ted to create an overnight camp. The property, which had an existing log cabin thought to resemble an English Manor, along with Lord Balfour (architect of the Balfour Declaration that established Palestine as a home for Jewish people in 1917), served as inspiration for the camp name.
History
In addition to activities such as swimming, tennis and horseback riding at Balfour Manor Camp, there were adventurous canoe tripping expeditions down the Severn River to destinations such as Port Carling, Gloucester Pool and Lake Huron. Above all, the camp was recognized for its arts program. At the end of each summer, campers would perform in lavish large-scale productions of musicals and operas. Parents and local cottagers were always invited to enjoy the end of summer performances. The camp closed in 1952.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
2401-05 Ontario Street
Source
Landmarks

The Mothers' and Babes' Summer Rest Home located in Bronte and then Tollandale, was first organized in 1919 by Dora Till, Ida Siegel and Lillian Clavir, members of the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society. It was formed in order to provide convalescent care for victims of the influenza epidemic by offering a two week holiday to mothers and young children. First located in a home in Bronte, now Oakville, the Rest Home was officially brought under the auspices of the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society in 1921. By this time the Home had moved from being a convalescent home to being a place of respite in the country for women and children of modest means, although they continued to assist those with poor health.
Address
2401-05 Ontario Street
Time Period
1919-1941
Scope Note
The Mothers' and Babes' Summer Rest Home located in Bronte and then Tollandale, was first organized in 1919 by Dora Till, Ida Siegel and Lillian Clavir, members of the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society. It was formed in order to provide convalescent care for victims of the influenza epidemic by offering a two week holiday to mothers and young children. First located in a home in Bronte, now Oakville, the Rest Home was officially brought under the auspices of the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society in 1921. By this time the Home had moved from being a convalescent home to being a place of respite in the country for women and children of modest means, although they continued to assist those with poor health.
History
By the late 1930s, a search for a replacement location was underway, as the Bronte Rest Home became ill equipped to deal with the increased demand, primarily due to unsuitable grounds and facilities. In 1941, after selling the home in Bronte, the Mothers' and Babes' Rest Home Committee built a second home on eleven acres of lakefront property in Tollandale, near Barrie. In 1948, the Rest Home was admitted into the Jewish Camp Council, which helped the Committee administer the camp and fill staffing vacancies. Following this move, the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society changed its name to the Mothers' and Babes' Summer Rest Home Association, to better reflect the fact that the home was their only remaining activity. In 1957, the camp expanded its mandate to include the addition of two new programs at its facilities: Camp Family Fun for fathers, mothers, and children up to the age of nine and Camp Good Fellowship, a program for senior citizens over the age of 60. Dora Till was the Rest Home's founding president for a total of 15 years and remained active with the home until it ultimately closed in 1977.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
7861 Chemin River
Source
Landmarks

B’nai Brith’s Ottawa Lodge 885 was officially founded in February 1921 with 25 members. The Ottawa Lodge supported a Jewish Boy Scouts camp which evolved into the first Ottawa B’nai Brith summer camp for Jewish youth in 1935. Since 1935, the camp has delivered traditional camping programs to their community regardless of affiliation, denomination or financial means. Their mission has been to provide children and youth with the opportunity to experience the outdoors, learn new skills and develop life-long friendships while enhancing Jewish values, traditions, affiliation and community.
Address
7861 Chemin River
Time Period
1935-present
Scope Note
B’nai Brith’s Ottawa Lodge 885 was officially founded in February 1921 with 25 members. The Ottawa Lodge supported a Jewish Boy Scouts camp which evolved into the first Ottawa B’nai Brith summer camp for Jewish youth in 1935. Since 1935, the camp has delivered traditional camping programs to their community regardless of affiliation, denomination or financial means. Their mission has been to provide children and youth with the opportunity to experience the outdoors, learn new skills and develop life-long friendships while enhancing Jewish values, traditions, affiliation and community.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
Camperdown
Source
Landmarks

Established in 1930, Camp Camperdown was founded in Orillia by the National Council of Jewish Women as an extension to their long-running Jewish Girls’ Club that provided athletic, cultural and vocational programs to working and school age girls in the city. At Camp Camperdown, girls were provided with even greater opportunities to discover and develop their talents and capabilities. By the late 1930s, the camp moved to the Collingwood area and it closed in the mid-1940s.
Address
Camperdown
Time Period
1930-ca. 1946
Scope Note
Established in 1930, Camp Camperdown was founded in Orillia by the National Council of Jewish Women as an extension to their long-running Jewish Girls’ Club that provided athletic, cultural and vocational programs to working and school age girls in the city. At Camp Camperdown, girls were provided with even greater opportunities to discover and develop their talents and capabilities. By the late 1930s, the camp moved to the Collingwood area and it closed in the mid-1940s.
History
The guiding principle to involve campers in the decision-making process at Camp Camperdown proved highly effective. In 1946, an administrative report described, “The children keep very busy. But the things they do are the things they WANT to do, and activities that they plan, they plan together with their counselors.”
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
1391 Stoneleigh Road, RR#2
Source
Landmarks

In 1921, the 59th Troop - the first Jewish Boy Scout troop in Ontario - was established in Toronto. During the early years, the troop met at the Orde Street School. In 1922, a summer camp was opened for the Jewish scouts from this troop. The camp was situated on Buckhorne Lake, near Port Bolster. It moved to Lake Couchiching in 1934 and in 1939 acquired a property on Duck Lake near Bracebridge, Ontario. Camp Tamarack, as it was called, provided the boys with an opportunity to leave the city and learn new outdoor skills. The camp operated until 1972. The Camp Tamarack of today is located on the same lake but is not connected to this early Boy Scout camp.
Address
1391 Stoneleigh Road, RR#2
Time Period
1922-1972
Scope Note
In 1921, the 59th Troop - the first Jewish Boy Scout troop in Ontario - was established in Toronto. During the early years, the troop met at the Orde Street School. In 1922, a summer camp was opened for the Jewish scouts from this troop. The camp was situated on Buckhorne Lake, near Port Bolster. It moved to Lake Couchiching in 1934 and in 1939 acquired a property on Duck Lake near Bracebridge, Ontario. Camp Tamarack, as it was called, provided the boys with an opportunity to leave the city and learn new outdoor skills. The camp operated until 1972. The Camp Tamarack of today is located on the same lake but is not connected to this early Boy Scout camp.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
Rouge Hills
Source
Landmarks

In 1925, a group of six women from the Jewish Women’s Labour League, namely Rae Watson, Becky Lapedes, Leah Linzon, Bella Goodis, Gertie Blugerman, and Ethel Tempkin, rented a cottage in Long Branch and scheduled vacations so their children could be supervised outside the city near Lake Ontario. The following year, the group, together with Tillie Chikovsky, rented a farm in Rouge Hills, Ontario, twenty-five miles southeast of Toronto. They established a children's summer camp, which they initially named Camp Kindervelt. Later, the camp was renamed Camp Naivelt.
Address
Rouge Hills
Time Period
1925-1970
Scope Note
In 1925, a group of six women from the Jewish Women’s Labour League, namely Rae Watson, Becky Lapedes, Leah Linzon, Bella Goodis, Gertie Blugerman, and Ethel Tempkin, rented a cottage in Long Branch and scheduled vacations so their children could be supervised outside the city near Lake Ontario. The following year, the group, together with Tillie Chikovsky, rented a farm in Rouge Hills, Ontario, twenty-five miles southeast of Toronto. They established a children's summer camp, which they initially named Camp Kindervelt. Later, the camp was renamed Camp Naivelt.
History
At the time, the camp committee rented a dilapidated farmhouse which they furnished from their own homes. Adults set up their own camp in tents. However, overcrowding soon became a challenge, which prompted the group to search for larger grounds. In 1936, Camp Naivelt moved to Eldorado Park in Brampton, ON. The children's camp operated under the name of Camp Kinderland, while the adult portion was called Camp Naivelt. After many successful years, Camp Kinderland ceased to operate as an overnight camp in 1962 but continued as a children's day camp until 1970. Throughout its existence, Camp Naivelt had a significant impact on the lives of many children and adults, providing a unique space for Jewish socialists to come together, build community, and share their ideals.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
Eldorado Park
Source
Landmarks

In 1935 the Labour League (later the United Jewish People's Order) bought Eldorado Park near Brampton, Ontario from the Canadian National Railway to establish Camp Naivelt. The camp opened in 1936 and functioned as a camp for children and families and ran a teacher training facility. Political and social activism was a significant part of Camp Naivelt. Its mission was to promote progressive socialist philosophy, tightly integrated with secular Jewish and Yiddish cultural traditions. A key element of the Camp Naivelt mission was to foster a deep and meaningful understanding of secular Jewish culture and folklore, the Yiddish language, music, folk art and dance.
Address
Eldorado Park
Time Period
1936-present
Scope Note
In 1935 the Labour League (later the United Jewish People's Order) bought Eldorado Park near Brampton, Ontario from the Canadian National Railway to establish Camp Naivelt. The camp opened in 1936 and functioned as a camp for children and families and ran a teacher training facility. Political and social activism was a significant part of Camp Naivelt. Its mission was to promote progressive socialist philosophy, tightly integrated with secular Jewish and Yiddish cultural traditions. A key element of the Camp Naivelt mission was to foster a deep and meaningful understanding of secular Jewish culture and folklore, the Yiddish language, music, folk art and dance.
History
At its peak in the 1950s, Camp Naivelt had approximately 90 small cottages, a communal dining hall, a dance hall, a youth recreation hall, a grocery store and a camp office. The community also included a camp director’s cabin, arts and crafts cabin, infirmary, and a communal washroom and shower area known as, “The Ritz”. Activities ranged from lectures on current issues, films, poetry readings, Yiddish theatre, kultur vinkls (cultural corners), folk dancing and singing to boating and swimming, volleyball and other sports tournaments, hikes and nature walks and campfires. Some 300 children would attend camp during the summer and, at its height during the 1940s and 1950s, as many as 5000 people would fill Camp Naivelt on a summer weekend.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks
Address
1 Arowhon Road
Source
Landmarks

Camp Arowhon has been owned and operated by the Kates family since 1934. It is located on a private lake in Algonquin Provincial Park. Matriarch Lillian Kates established this family business, three generations long, in 1934. A formidable entrepreneur, Kates was undeterred by obstacles of the day such as adventurous travel through Ontario’s wilderness, anti-Semitism, sexism and a lack of financial resources. She passionately pursued her dream of creating a unique Canadian summer camp and single handedly recruited all of its first campers.
Address
1 Arowhon Road
Time Period
1934-present
Scope Note
Camp Arowhon has been owned and operated by the Kates family since 1934. It is located on a private lake in Algonquin Provincial Park. Matriarch Lillian Kates established this family business, three generations long, in 1934. A formidable entrepreneur, Kates was undeterred by obstacles of the day such as adventurous travel through Ontario’s wilderness, anti-Semitism, sexism and a lack of financial resources. She passionately pursued her dream of creating a unique Canadian summer camp and single handedly recruited all of its first campers.
History
When Kates’ son Eugene took over as director, he set up Arowhon’s unique system where campers independently chose their daily activities. True to the inspiration of its name-Samuel Butler’s Utopian novel “Nowhere” spelt backwards “Erehwon”-Arowhon did indeed become “a perfect world for children”. Today the camp is operated by Eugene’s daughter Joanne Kates, the celebrated food critic.
Category
Camps and Resorts
Source
Landmarks