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

Accession Number

2021-10-2

Material Format

textual record (electronic)

Physical Description

12 textual records (pdf)

Date

1977-2021

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material (chiefly genealogical research) documenting Glen Eker's family, particularly the Bishinskh line. Also included are two theses by Glen Eker—Leisure and Lifestyle in Selected Writings of Karl Marx: A Social and Theoretical History and The Early Writings of Karl Marx on the Position of Women and the Family in Bourgeois Society—and articles written by Debby Eker for the Excalibur and the Enterprise. Finally, there is an article by Paul M. Eker titled "Biblical Genealogy of Eker," which appeared in the March 1999 issue of Shem Tov.

Subjects

Families

Name Access

Eker (family)

Eker, Glen

Marx, Karl, 1818-1883

Places

Ontario

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2018-3-1

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

object

Physical Description

26 cm of textual records

ca. 300 photographs : b&w and col. ; 35 x 28 cm or smaller

2 objects

Date

1912-2009

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting Glen Eker's family, particularly the Hurowitz/Horwitz and Strachman/Strathman family lines.

Included are: ca. 300 photographs, mostly of friends and family, but also including numerous photographs of Banff, Alberta; certificates issued to members of the Horwitz family; family trees; letters from Elizabeth Gordon to Glen containing family history; a Pride of Israel Sick Benefit Society member badge; a kiddush cup commemorating Pride of Israel's golden jubilee; print and microform copies of Glen's Jews Resident in ... series of indexes; medical records; a glass measuring cup with the logo of Bayview Pharmacy; and other assorted material.

Photo Caption (001): Joseph Horwitz and Rebecca Strachman, [ca. 1920]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.

Photo Caption (058): [Alice Moon?], 1944. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.

Photo Caption (189):Wanda Louise Gordon, 2 May 1942. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.

Photo Caption (190): [Unknown girl, 194-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.

Photo Caption (199): Rosh Hashanah card featuring portrait of Joseph Horwitz, [ca. 1920]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.

Photo Caption (200): Irving Howard, [19--]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.

Administrative History

Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.

Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.

Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.

Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.

Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.

Descriptive Notes

Associated materials: Other accessions donated by Glen Eker include 2018-4-1, 2018-4-2, 2018-4-16, and 2018-5-1.

Subjects

Genealogy

Rosh ha-Shanah cards

Vacations

Name Access

Eker (family)

Eker, Glen

Horwitz (family)

Hurowitz (family)

Strachman (family)

Strathman (family)

Places

Banff (Alta.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

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Accession Number

2018-4-1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

ca. 40 photographs : b&w and col. ; 17 x 13 cm or smaller

1 folder of textual records

Date

1921-2017

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting Glen Eker's family. Included are: ca. 40 photographs of family and friends; biographical information for Benjamin Eker, Glen's grandfather; a genealogy article by Deborah Pekilis, Glen's wife, on the Issenmans of Montreal; and a copy of Glen's grandparents' marriage certificate.

Administrative History

Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.

Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.

Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.

Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.

Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.

Descriptive Notes

Associated materials: Other accessions donated by Glen Eker include 2018-3-1, 2018-4-2, 2018-4-16, and 2018-5-1.

Subjects

Families

Genealogy

Name Access

Eker (family)

Eker, Glen

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

2018-11-6

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

4 folders

Date

1949-2015, predominant 1949-1976

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting Glen Eker and his family. Included are: birth certificates and an expired passport for Dorothy Horwitz, certificates of marriage (including a ketubah) for Dorothy Eker and Paul Eker, a true copy of a change of name order for Isadore Maxwell Eker/Paul Maxwell Eker, and a Valentine's Day-themed photograph of Glen and Deborah "Debbie" Eker taken on 9 February 2015.

Administrative History

Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.

Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.

Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.

Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.

Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.

Subjects

Birth certificates

Families

Marriage records

Name Access

Eker (family)

Eker, Glen

Places

Hamilton (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2019-4-2

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

ca. 3 cm. of textual records 1 photograph

Date

1976-1990

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting Glen Barry Eker. Included are university diplomas including graduation certificates from McMaster University, the University of Waterloo, and the University of Western Ontario. There is also an undated graduation photograph of Mr. Eker and a card given to Dorothy Eker, Glen Eker's mother, by her husband, Paul Eker.

Administrative History

Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.

Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.

Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.

Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.

Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.

Subjects

Married people

Portraits

Postsecondary education

Name Access

Eker (family)

Eker, Glen

Places

Hamilton (Ont.)

London (Ont.)

Waterloo (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions