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
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds;
Executive Committee series;
Executive director sub-series;
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto sub-sub-series
Level
Sub-sub-series
Fonds
67
Series
5-5-4
Material Format
textual record
Date
1979-2003
Physical Description
55 cm textual records
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-series consists of meeting minutes, reports, and correspondence arising from the executive director’s involvement in the management and restructuring of the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto (JCC). File titles are predominantly those supplied when they were created and may reflect the subject, origin, and/or recipient of the contents. Records in this sub-sub-series have been arranged chronologically.
Name Access
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 61
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
61
Material Format
multiple media
Date
[ca. 1920]-1994
Physical Description
3 m of textual records (19 v.) and other material
Admin History/Bio
The Schwartz-Reisman Jewish Community Centre, the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre (formerly the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre or BJCC) and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNJCC) in Toronto are the current incarnations of what began, in 1919, as the Hebrew Association of Young Men's and Young Women's Clubs, later known as the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association of Toronto (YM-YWHA). The YM-YWHA, in turn, began as a merger between several other small athletic clubs operating in the city. The original mandate was strictly athletic, but soon broadened to include other areas of interest, in order to provide a sense of Jewish identity and camaraderie through physical, educational, cultural and community based programming. During the 1920s, the 'Y' became known simply as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) – the name under which it was incorporated in 1930.
For close to two decades, the ‘Y’ had rented rooms in the Brunswick Avenue and College Street area, including the basement facilities of the Brunswick Avenue Talmud Torah. By the mid-1930s, these facilities were overcrowded and unable to support the growing membership, particularly when the young women’s programming was reintroduced in 1936.
As a result, in 1937, the YM-YWHA constructed its own athletic building at 15 Brunswick Avenue, next door to the Talmud Torah, to ease the overcrowding. However, the ‘Y’ still had to make use of five scattered buildings to meet its needs, including the Central YMCA gym for its basketball teams. The early ‘Y’ was staffed by volunteers who were granted free memberships in exchange for their time and expertise.
On 3 February 1953, a new Jewish Community Centre was dedicated at the corner of Bloor Street and Spadina Avenue. By the end of the 1950s, the ‘Y’ was providing services for all ages, ranging from a nursery school to their Good Age Club for seniors.
As the Jewish community moved northward, so too did the ‘Y’, with the dedication of a new northern branch on 1 May 1961. This new branch, located at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue, was created in order to address the athletic, educational, cultural and community needs of the expanding Jewish community in the north end of the city. Fourteen years later, an improved cultural and physical education wing was added as part of the completion campaign. This included the addition of the Leah Posluns Theatre and the Murray Koffler Centre of the Arts. In 1978, the YM-YWHA changed its name to the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto, in order to better reflect its broader role in the community. A new Northeast Valley branch was also established in Thornhill in the early 1980s and later closed in the late 1990s.
In 1994, the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto took over the operation of the northern branch, due to financial difficulties. At this point, all three branches became independent of one another and were no longer constituted as the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto. They each had independent boards of directors, while still receiving some of their operating funds from the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of the records created and accumulated by the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto -- which included the Bloor branch and the northern Bathurst Jewish Community Centre -- and its predecessor, the YM-YWHA. The records include textual records maintained by the office of the executive director, financial reports, architectural plans, Y-Times newsletters, program material, photographs and oral histories.
The records have been arranged into the following series: Executive director, Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee, Publication Committee, Communications Department, Sports Celebrity Dinner, and Combined Building Campaign Committee.
Notes
Includes 2539 photographs, 42 architectural drawings, 13 sound recordings, 4 artifacts, and 2 posters.
Name Access
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
Subjects
Community centers
Related Material
See photo #2369-2646, 3412, 3519, 3804, 4201, 5004, 6125, accession #1986-7-8, MG2 N1a
Creator
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto (Toronto, Ont.)
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
2004-6-6
2004-5-13
2004-5-2
1988-11-7
1988-4-9
1984-7-2
1983-12-1
1982-12-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
Executive Director series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 61; Series 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
Executive Director series
Level
Series
Fonds
61
Series
1
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
object
architectural drawing
Date
1936-1993
Physical Description
2.66 m of textual records (12 v.) and other material
Admin History/Bio
The role of the executive director was to oversee the administrative operations of the YM-YWHA, including staffing and personnel, budgetary activities, maintenance, programming, special events and festival celebrations, membership, community outreach and fundraising activities.
Although a staff position, the executive director was also a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, as acting secretary. As such, the executive director was responsible for attending and taking the minutes at all committee meetings, and for the collection and maintenance of all official files documenting the activities of the YM-YWHA, and later, the Jewish Community Centres. The executive director also acted as executive director of the Jewish Camp Council, which operated out of the Bloor and Spadina YM-.YWHA building.
In the late 1940s, George Horrowitz was the YM-YWHA's executive director, and in 1952, David Andrews succeeded him. Andrews served as executive director until 1976, at which point he became executive vice-president and Martin Park, his former assistant, succeeded him as executive director. Sid Brail became the executive director in 1979.
Scope and Content
This series consists of the records created and collected by the office of the executive director of the YM-YWHA and the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto. The records include operating files, correspondence, financial records, program material, reports, photographs, course registration ledgers and architectural drawings.
The records are organized alphabetically as subject files, which reflects the original arrangement of the records. The exceptions are the financial reports, the course registration ledgers and the architectural plans, which were maintained separately.
The records have been arranged into the following sub-series: subject files, financial reports, architectural drawings and Y-Arts Council registration ledgers.
Notes
Includes 142 photographs, 41 architectural drawings, 2 artifacts and 2 posters.
Arrangement
As the executive director oversaw operations at both the Bloor and Spadina branch and the northern branch of the YM-YWHA, the records relating to both branches were filed together. There has been no attempt made to separate the records of the individual branches.
Creator
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto
Accession Number
2004-5-2
1988-11-7
1983-12-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zelda Young fonds
Miscellaneous series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 135; Series 27; Item 23
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zelda Young fonds
Miscellaneous series
Level
Item
Fonds
135
Series
27
Item
23
Material Format
sound recording
Date
30 Aug. 1985
Physical Description
1 audio reel (8 min.) : polyester, 7 1/2 ips, 2 tracks, stereo ; 1/4 in.
Scope and Content
Zelda Young interviews Patti Starr, Assistant Treasurer of the Jewish Community Centre, National Council President of the Jewish Women's Foundation, Chairman of the Biennial, and officer of the Canadian Jewish Congress. The interview presumably revolves around the JCC, but full content could not be verified due to severe stickiness and squealing. Patti talks about her work and her position at the JCC, the legacy of Marty Mendelow, and the problems faced by the centre and the possible solutions.
Name Access
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto
Subjects
Community centers
Interviews
Access Restriction
Closed. Records are closed for conservation reasons.
Repro Restriction
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Physical Condition
Tape is in poor condition. Audio quality is fair. Tape was covered in lubricant/binder dust (cleaned). There is severe stickiness and squealing, indicative of SBS. No signs of mold.
Accession Number
1986-12-5
Source
Archival Descriptions
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