Accession Number
2016-4-14
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2016-4-14
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
moving images
Physical Description
ca. 35 cm of textual records
ca. 5 cm of photographs : b&w and col. ; 45 x 30 cm or smaller
1 VHS : col. ; 43 min.
Date
1905-2007
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the family history and publishing career of Alvin Abram. The records include a scrapbook created by Alvin’s father Herman "Harry" Joseph Abramovitz, managing editor of the Canadian Jewish Weekly. The scrapbook documents Abramovitz’s Canadian national lecture tour entitled “The Jews in Two World Wars,” in which he spoke on the plight of the Jewish people during the First World War and the ongoing destruction of the Jewish people in the Second World War. Abramovitz also lectured on the heroism of Jews participating in the Allied armed forces and the importance of the Tehran Declaration. The same scrapbook also includes newspaper clippings, rail tickets, and programs related to his 1944 tour and subsequent 1945 tour “From Destruction to Reconstruction.” A second scrapbook created by Alvin Abram shares the Abramovitz family tree and includes several early family photographs of Alvin and his siblings and his parents’ marriage certificate. A third scrapbook, also created by Alvin Abram, is oversized and includes a few personal items, such as a page from his high school yearbook, caricature sketches of Alvin, and photos and flyers from the book launch of “The Light After The Dark.” There are a number of miscellaneous items including a copy of Louis Epstein (Alvin Abram's father-in-law)’s immigration card, condolence cards for Annie Ruth Abramovitz (née Schwartz), and personal items such as a 1935, Yiddish-language, ten-page, anti-communist booklet portraying Herman Abramovitz as a barber (Herman’s trade) and Stalin in his barber shop chair, as well as a personal Yiddish-language diary (1941).
In addition, there is a signed poster of Dubi Arie’s The Mission: Under The Wings of God and The Shadow of Amalek, a broadside of The Light After The Dark, associated newspaper clippings, a Leonard Mayzel-Ontario B’nai Brith Lodge Charter Certificate (1949), a fiftieth-anniversary video prepared for the Leonard Mayzel Lodge #1800 B'nai Brith celebration (1998), a video-and-photograph compilation that includes a slideshow with a brief history of the lodge, and a tribute to Leonard Mayzel.
Lastly, the accession includes published book titles On The Shoulders of Giants by Alvin Abram, Toronto Street Names by Leonard Wise and Allan Gould, and The Light After the Dark by Alvin Abram.
Administrative History
Alvin Abram (1936–2021) was a storyteller, writer, printer, and graphic designer. He was born on 11 May 1936 in Toronto to Herman Joseph Abramovitz (1905–1954) and Annie Schwartz (1903–1994).
Alvin's father, Herman ("Harry"), was born in Ataki, Bessaravia (Moldova). He immigrated to Canada in 1927 at the age of twenty-two and married Annie Schwartz (of Romania) in Hamilton, Ontario on 23 December 1928. Together, they had three children, Murray (b. 1929), Alvin (b. 1936), and Morton (b. 1938). Herman, a professionally-trained barber, was active in the union and worked as a journalist, lecturer, and editor of the Canadian Jewish Weekly.
Alvin Abram married Marilyn in [1961]. They had three children, Lisa, Lori, and Jason. Alvin ran a successful printing business and, upon completing several creative writing courses in the 1990s, he launched his accomplished writing career publishing dozens of short stories and several books.
Alvin was very involved in community work and volunteered his to time to many Jewish causes including B'nai Brith Canada, where he served on the executive of its Leonard Mayzel Ontario Lodge.
Subjects
Authors
Name Access
Abram, Alvin
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-6-22
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-6-22
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
1947, 1972-1992
Scope and Content
Accession consists of materials assembled by Stanley Emerson and donated to the Ontario Jewish Archives. Included are: one hardbound book commemorating the Toronto Hebrew Free School's liquidation of its capital debt on May 8, 1947; one spiral-bound book assembled on the occassion of Shomrai Shaboth Congregation's twentieth anniversary testimonial dinner honouring Rabbi Gedalia Felder to be held on Sunday, June 18, 1972; one Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto programme for its annual dinner to be held on Thursday, June 22, 1978; one programme for a Machanaim Testimonial Dinner honouring Dr. Isadore Cass on Wednesday, May 2, 1979; one Associated Hebrew Schools graduation programme for Wednesday, June 27, 1979; one newspaper clipping from the Thursday, June 6, 1985 edition of the Canadian Jewish News relating to Rabbi Gedalia Felder, former spiritual leader of Shomrai Shaboth-Chevra Mishnayoth Congregation; one newspaper clipping from the Thursday, June 13, 1985 edition of the Canadian Jewish News relating to Harold Dessen, former president of Associated Hebrew Schools; and one paperbound book assembled on the occassion of a Sol Edell tribute dinner commoemorating the fiftieth yahrzeit (death anniversary) of HaRav Yosef Weinreb and the establishment of the Saol Edell Family Endowment Fund to be held on Saturday, October 31, 1992.
Subjects
Anniversaries
Schools
Synagogues
Name Access
Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto
Cass, Isadore M., 1916-1996
Dessen, Harold
Felder, Gedalia, 1922-
Shomrai Shabbos Chevrah Mishnayos (Toronto, Ont.)
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-12-5
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-12-5
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
moving images
Physical Description
30 cm of graphic material and textual records
1 videocassette (20 min., 50 sec.) : col., VHS
Date
1970-2018
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the activities related to B'nai Brith's Leonard Mayzel Ontario Lodge (LMOL). Included are: four photo albums; copies of the LMOL Observer/Planet Observer newsletter; minutes of LMOL executive meetings (2017-2018); letters of thanks to LMOL from various organizations; posters advertizing LMOL events; newspaper clippings; a booklet for the 1979 B'nai Brith annual convention; a 2001 Ontario Jewish Resource Directory.
Administrative History
Alvin Abram is on the executive of the Leonard Mayzel Ontario Lodge. He is the son of Herman Joseph Abramovitz (1905–1954) and Annie Schwartz (1903–1994). Herman Abramovitz born in Ataki, Bessaravia (Russian empire) immigrated to Canada in 1927 at the age of twenty-two. He married Annie Schwartz in Hamilton, Ontario, on 23 December 1928. Together, they had three children, Murray (b. 1929), Alvin (b. 1936), and Morton (b. 1938). Herman, although trained as a barber, was active in the union and worked as a journalist, lecturer, and editor of the Canadian Jewish Weekly, the only national Jewish weekly in Canada.
Descriptive Notes
Availability of other formats: Dirty Bagel feature available as an optical disc reference copy.
Name Access
Abram, Alvin
Leonard Mayzel Ontario Lodge
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Dr. Isadore M. Cass fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 40
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Dr. Isadore M. Cass fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
40
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Date
1909-1995
Physical Description
45 cm of textual records
14 photographs : b&w (8 negatives) ; 18 x 13 cm
Admin History/Bio
Dr. Isadore M. Cass (1916-1996), a well-known pathologist and practicing mohel--Jewish ritual circumcisor--for the Toronto Jewish community, was born and educated in Toronto, attending the University of Toronto's medical school. After serving with the army during the Second World War, Dr. Cass returned to Toronto to private practice. He began studying pathology in 1953, and performed research at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Connaught Labs and the Ontario Department of Health throughout his career. He was chief of pathology at Ajax and Pickering hospitals for twenty-three years, until his retirement in 1986.
In 1945, Dr. Cass began doing ritual circumcisions and was the first medical doctor in Toronto to do so. He performed over 40,000 circumcisions throughout Canada and the eastern United States and trained many physicians to perform them as well.
Dr. Cass was a member of the following organizations: New York Academy of Sciences; the Academy of Medicine, Toronto; the Israel Medical Association; General Wingate Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion; and many other associations and societies.
Dr. Cass studied Torah under Rabbi Jacob Gordon and was a Torah reader at Goel Tzedec Synagogue and later, Beth Tzedec. He also studied and taught Torah throughout his life, chairing the Canadian Jewish Congress' Tanach study group for many years, and leading weekly Gemara classes at Beth Tzedec. He belonged to Shaarei Shomayim and Beth Lida synagogues, as well as Lubavitch. In 1987, Dr. and Mrs. Cass were honoured as "Couple of the Year" by Machanaim, The Network of Educational Institutions in Kiryat Gat, Israel, for their great contributions to this charity over the years.
Dr. Cass was married to Miriam Cass and they had four daughters: Sharon, Hylah, Judy, and Elaine. He had four brothers: the late Rabbi Samuel Cass, Harry, Al, and Elie (who was a Reform mohel), and two sisters: Miriam Cass and Zelda Fink. He also had seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Dr. Cass died on January 24, 1996 of cancer.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of records relating to the personal and professional life of Dr. Isadore Cass. These records include appointment books documenting circumcisions he performed, correspondence, writings, Tanach study group notes, a Machanaim invitation and programme, prayer books, certificates, memorial cards, and photographs.
Name Access
Cass, Isadore M., 1916-1996
Subjects
Physicians
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Physical Condition
The prayer book is in poor condition and some of the early daytimers are in fair condition.
Related Material
See also the Ontario Jewish Archives' reference news clipping file under "Cass, Dr. Isadore".
Creator
Cass, Isadore M., 1916-1996
Accession Number
1997-5-1
1997-8-2
Source
Archival Descriptions