Accession Number
2004-6-12
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2004-6-12
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
3.3 m of textual records
Date
[ca. 1970]-[ca. 1990]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of the records created or accumulated by the Committee for Yiddish, which operated under the auspices of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region and later, the Toronto Jewish Congress (UJA Federation of Greater Toronto).
Use Conditions
Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
Name Access
Committee for Yiddish (Toronto, Ont.)
Toronto Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Dr. Alexander Brown fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 95
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Dr. Alexander Brown fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
95
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Date
1934-1982
Physical Description
58 cm of textual records
125 photographs
1 print
Admin History/Bio
Dr. Alexander Brown (1909-1984) was a leader in the field of Jewish education in Toronto. He held various positions with Toronto’s Board of Jewish Education (BJE) and the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto, and was actively involved with other Jewish organizations, such as the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and the United Jewish Welfare Fund (UJWF).
Brown was born in the Ukraine on 14 February 1909 to Louis and Bessie Brown. The family immigrated to Canada in 1920. Brown attended the Simcoe Street Talmud Torah and studied under Rabbi Jacob Gordon. He continued his education at the Hebrew Theological College of Chicago and returned to Toronto in 1933. Between 1934 and 1936 Brown served as the first executive secretary of the CJC, Central Region. From 1936 to 1937 he was an announcer for the Jewish Radio Hour, where he read the News of the Week. In 1945 he graduated from the University of Toronto with a BA and then again in 1948 with an MA in Oriental languages. Brown was married to Dorothy Mercovitch (1912-2009) of London, Ontario, and together they had two children: Martin and Paul.
Brown entered the field of Jewish education as the principal of Shaarei Shomayim Hebrew School from 1942 to 1948, as a principal of the AHS of Toronto and as dean of the Midrasha L'Morim. From 1957 to 1964 he worked as a consultant with the BJE in Toronto and then became the BJE's associate director until the early 1980s. He also was a member of the UJWF’s Study Committee on Jewish Education, the National Council of Jewish Education, the Toronto Zionist Council, and the Educational and Cultural Committee of the CJC. In 1969, he received an honourary doctorate in Hebrew Letters from the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois.
Dr. Brown died on 15 September 1984 at the age of 75.
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Paul Brown, Dr. Brown's son, until their donation to the OJA.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of textual and graphic material documenting the professional activities of Dr. Alexander Brown. The bulk of the material relates to his involvement with the BJE and the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto. Included are meeting notices, agendas, and minutes, reports, studies, speeches, proposals, constitutions, correspondence, financial records, publications, questionnaires, photographs, booklets, articles, biographies, press releases, newspaper clippings, programmes, invitations, flyers, lists, applications, statistics, and a directory.
Records have been arranged into the following four series: 1. Board of Jewish Education; 2. Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto; 3. United Jewish Welfare Fund Study Committee on Jewish Education; and, 4. Jewish communal activities. Two files are attached directly to the fonds level. Records are described to the file level with a selection of item level descriptions.
Notes
Fonds was reduced from approximately 1.2 metres to 0.74 metres. Records that were culled include duplicate or damaged photographs, duplicate graduation programmes and invitations, duplicate UJWF Study Committee Interim reports that are located elsewhere in OJA's holdings, and other duplicated material. Also removed were American and other non-Canadian booklets.
Photographers and photography studios are identified on the photographs.
Name Access
Brown, Alexander, 1909-1984
Gordon, Jacob, Rabbi
Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto
Board of Jewish Education (Toronto, Ont.)
United Jewish Welfare Fund (Toronto, Ont.)
Subjects
Education
Physical Condition
The photographs are in poor condition. They have begun to curl and have become stiff from being stored in a dry environment. They should be flattened through humidification and encapsulated in mylar to prevent re-curling.
Related Material
See: Oral history interview with Dr. Brown (AC 140), Board of Jewish Education fonds 48, United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds 67, AHS of Toronto MG2 G-1E, accession 1981-11-4, United Synagogue Day School accession 1990-5-2, accession 1991-12-5, and accession 1988-11-3. For photographs of Jewish schools see Gordon Mendly fonds 18, series 3.
Arrangement
Arrangement has been created by the archivist since there was no discernable original order.
Creator
Brown, Alexander, 1909-1984
Accession Number
2009-7-9
2010-12-9
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Dr. Alexander Brown fonds
Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 95; Series 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Dr. Alexander Brown fonds
Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto series
Level
Series
Fonds
95
Series
2
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Date
1945-1982
Physical Description
37 cm of textual records
84 photographs
1 print
Admin History/Bio
The non-denominational and Zionist Toronto Hebrew Religious School (the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto ‘s precursor) was established in 1907 to provide Jewish children with a Jewish education based on Torah values. Originally situated on Simcoe Street, the school moved to Brunswick Avenue in 1925. As the Jewish population in the city grew, additional branches of the school were opened throughout the city. Although classes were originally taught five days a week in the evenings, the first day school opened in 1943 with 25 students. The Associated Hebrew Day School expanded in the late 1950s to include a junior high, and in the 1960s the Community Hebrew High School (now TannenbaumCHAT) opened. Dr. Alexander Brown began his career with Associated as the Principal of Shaarei Shomayim Hebrew School from 1942 to 1948. He later served as Principal at Associated.
Scope and Content
Series consists of textual and graphic material documenting Dr. Alexander Brown's involvement with the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto. Included are meeting notices, agendas and minutes, reports, speeches, articles, press releases, publications, correspondence, photographs, invitations, programmes, financial records, statistics, lists, constitutions, and educational resources.
Notes
Photographers and photography studios are identified on the photographs.
Name Access
Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto
Physical Condition
Many of the photographs have begun curling along the edges and have become stiff due to poor storage conditions. Some photographs also have had sections cut out of them.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2014-1-10
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-1-10
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
1 presentation piece : 50 x 42 cm
Date
[ca. 1982]-[ca. 1983]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of one folder of textual records related to the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and one presentation piece in the form of a framed photograph of Hilda Naiman complete with a commemorative plaque.
Custodial History
Records came via Shelly Rotman, Adminstrative Assistant with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
Administrative History
Hilda Naiman was the former Executive Secretary of Toronto Jewish Congress when they were located on Beverley Street in Toronto.
Use Conditions
UJA Federation meeting minutes and general correspondence are closed for 10 years from date of creation. Contracts and donor agreements are permanently closed.
Subjects
Nonprofit organizations
Name Access
Haiman, Hilda
Toronto Jewish Congress
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-5-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-5-7
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
90 cm of textual records
Date
1968-1985
Scope and Content
Accession consists of the general financial ledgers for the United Jewish Appeal (1975-1978, 1980-1982); the United Jewish Welfare Fund (1975-1980, 1984-1985); the Toronto Jewish Congress (1980-1985); the Bequest and Endowment Fund (1968-1985); and the Toronto Hebrew Memorial Park (1983-1985).
Use Conditions
UJA Federation meeting minutes and general correspondence are closed for 10 years from date of creation. Contracts and donor agreements are permanently closed.
Descriptive Notes
Use Conditions note: Some of the ledgers contain payroll information. This information is closed until 30 years after death of the individual documented.
Name Access
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Toronto Jewish Congress
United Jewish Welfare Fund (Toronto, Ont.)
Toronto Hebrew Memorial Park
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
2018-7-2
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-7-2
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
20 cm of textual records
Date
1979, 1989-2005
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Shoel Silver's involvement with various committees, including: Project Renewal, NECHAMA. Keren Hayesod, Israel Center for Treatment of Psychotrauma and The Jewish Agency for Israel, UJA and others. Included are reports, correspondence, proposals, a 1979 edition of the Jewish Standard, first edition of the Children's Newspaper in Kfar Gvirol and assorted research material.
Use Conditions
Conditional Access. Researchers must receive permission from the donor prior to accessing the records. Please contact the OJA for more information.
Descriptive Notes
Language: Most of the items are in English, with some items partially or fully in Hebrew.
Subjects
Charities
Israel
Name Access
Jewish Agency for Israel
Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto
Project Renewal (Israel)
Silver, Shoel
Toronto Jewish Congress
Places
Israel
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-10-14
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-10-14
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
7 cm of textual records
Date
1964-2018
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting different public and Jewish organizations in Toronto. Included are: 1964 and 1965 issues of the William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute's Advocate yearbook; a record of the Eglinton chapter of B'nai Brith Women of Canada's opening meeting on 16 September 1992; a booklet with short profiles of the 1998-99 UJA Federation Board of Directors; a 2013 commemorative booklet celebrating Darchei Noam's fortieth anniversary and Rabbi Tina Grimberg's ten-year anniversary at the synagogue; a program for the 8th Annual Symposium in Germanic Studies University of Toronto, which was titled Global Yiddish Culture, 1938-1948; various materials from the 2018 Ashkenaz Festival; newspaper clippings; and informational material for the Canadian Jewish Congress/Toronto Jewish Congress' Heritage-in-a-Box project
Subjects
Festivals
Public schools
Synagogues
Name Access
Ashkenaz Festival
B'nai Brith Women of Canada
Canadian Jewish Congress. Central Region
Congregation Darchei Noam (Toronto, Ont.)
Grimberg, Tina
Toronto Jewish Congress
Troster, Cyrel
University of Toronto
William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Photographic and audiovisual collection series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 27; File 541
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Photographic and audiovisual collection series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
27
File
541
Material Format
graphic material
Date
29 Mar. 1981
Physical Description
11 photographs : b&w (11 negatives) ; 28 x 28 mm
Scope and Content
File consists of eleven negatives depicting a Toronto Jewish Congress awards event at Beth Tzedec. Sheldon Sper is depicted being recognized with a Leadership Development Award. Wilf Posluns and Irwin Gold are also identified.
Notes
Photos by Graphic Artists Photographers, Toronto.
Name Access
Toronto Jewish Congress
Subjects
Awards
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Photographic and audiovisual collection series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 27; File 549
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Photographic and audiovisual collection series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
27
File
549
Material Format
graphic material
Date
26 May 1981
Physical Description
5 photographs : b&w (5 negatives) ; 28 x 28 mm
Scope and Content
File consists of five negatives of a TJC event. Identified in the negatives are James Kay and Mark Gryfe.
Notes
Photos by Graphic Artists Photographers, Toronto.
Name Access
Toronto Jewish Congress
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Photographic and audiovisual collection series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 27; File 557
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Photographic and audiovisual collection series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
27
File
557
Material Format
graphic material
Date
5 Oct. 1981
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (2 negatives) ; 28 x 28 mm
Scope and Content
File consists of two negatives of two unknown men at the TJC offices.
Notes
Photos by Graphic Artists Photographers, Toronto.
Name Access
Toronto Jewish Congress
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 6156
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
6156
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[between 1987 and 1989]
Physical Description
1 negative : b&w ; 10 x 12 cm
Scope and Content
This item consists of an original portrait, which is hanging on the fourth-floor wall, and a copy negative. The negative is housed in the OJA's photo cabinet.
Name Access
Rosenfeld, Herb
Toronto Jewish Congress
Subjects
Portraits
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.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 6149
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
6149
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[19--]
Physical Description
1 negative : b&w ; 10 x 12 cm b&w ; 10 x 12 cm
Admin History/Bio
Campaign Chairman: United Jewish Appeal 1976.
President: Toronto Jewish Congress1980-1982.
Scope and Content
This item consists of an original portrait, which is hanging on the fourth-floor wall, and a copy negative. The negative is housed in the OJA's photo cabinet.
Name Access
Posluns, Wilfred
United Jewish Appeal
Toronto Jewish Congress
Subjects
Portraits
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.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 3824-3827
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
3824-3827
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Jan. 1982
Physical Description
4 photographs
Scope and Content
Pictured are Rabbi Sheldon Steinberg (Congress Chaplain), Meyer Feldman (Cairman Book Committee), United Synagogue Day School students.
Name Access
Toronto Jewish Congress
Subjects
Genizah
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
1985-11-6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 4418
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
4418
Material Format
graphic material
Date
16 Dec. 1985
Physical Description
1 photograph
Notes
Photo by Graphic Artists, Toronto.
Name Access
Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto
Subjects
Science fairs
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.
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
1986-12-3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Solomon Edell fonds
Personal series
Life cycle and family events sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 4; Series 1-5; File 21
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Solomon Edell fonds
Personal series
Life cycle and family events sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
4
Series
1-5
File
21
Material Format
textual record
Date
1949-1995
Physical Description
4 cm folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of benchers colleced by Sol Edell at weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other events. Of note is a bencher from the dedication of the Shaarei Shomayim Congregation's dedication (1949), a bencher from Clanton Park Synagogue, and a souvenir bencher from the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto.
Name Access
Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto
Shaarei Tefillah Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)
Subjects
Synagogue dedication services
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 67
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
67
Material Format
multiple media
Date
1936-2010, predominant 1938-1976
Physical Description
14.3 m of textual records
5593 photographs, 25 x 20 cm and smaller, and other media
Admin History/Bio
The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (FJPT) was incorporated in Ontario in March 1917 to coordinate the fundraising activities of Jewish charitable, philanthropic, and social service agencies in Toronto. In 1918, ten separate agencies were funded by the FJPT. By 1937, fourteen agencies were funded. The Great Depression of the 1930s and the development of several newer Jewish aid, education, and medical care organizations created both increased need for resources and growing competition for ever-more scarce dollars. Within a very few years, this funding crisis forced a major review of the organization.
During 1936, a series of special meetings of leading individuals were held to examine the income and expenditures of all Toronto Jewish agencies and also to speculate about the need for a new Toronto Jewish "community chest" as the sole fund-raising organization for a federation of all Jewish agencies, including the FJPT. In 1938, the new United Jewish Welfare Fund was formally constituted. Added to the FJPT's previous list of Toronto client agencies in 1938 were: the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Hebrew National Association, the Jewish Immigrant Aid Association, the Mizrachi Society, the Toronto Free Loan Association, the Geverkshaften, and Old Folks Home, and the United Palestine Appeal, raising the total number of agencies to twenty-two.
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, the UJWF's annual fundraising campaign was combined with the CJC's United Palestine appeal to form a new, combined campaign named the United Jewish Appeal (UJA). In 1967, the UJA name was legally changed to the United Jewish Appeal of Metropolitan Toronto.
In mid-1976, the organization's public name was changed to the Toronto Jewish Congress. Although initially thought of as a merger between the UJWF and the CJC, the actual result was the expansion of the UJWF responsibilities to include local education and welfare services previously shared with the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region. The UJWF, however, remained the legal senior entity.
In 1991, the public name was again changed to the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto and, in 1999, to UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. By this date, over thirty beneficiary and affiliated agencies, forty-nine affiliated schools and five federation departments were fully or partly funded by the federation.
In June 2010, the organization altered its legal structure, with the senior legal entity becoming the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 25 series: Annual Meetings, Annual Reports, Board of Directors, Constitution Committee, Executive Committee, Officers Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Administration Committee, Social Planning Committee, Committee on Capital Needs and Planning, Central Committee on Scholarships in Aid, Joint Committee of the BJE and UJWF Study on Jewish Education, Nominations Committee, Pension Fund Committee, Coordinating Committee, Special Ad Hoc and Temporary Committees, Annual Campaign, Client Agencies, Joint Committee of the CJC and the UJWF, Committee on Community Organization, Sub-Committee on Construction and Administration of Community Schools, Joint Committee on Fundraising, Personnel Committee, Community Leadership Development Council, and Israel at Fifty Community Celebration.
Over 4500 photographs and a variety of other media are managed within Series 17, Campaign records.
Notes
For exact details about the contents of individual series and sub-series, please review their scope and contents notes.
Name Access
United Jewish Welfare Fund
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto
United Jewish Appeal
Toronto Jewish Congress
Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Subjects
Charities
Fund raising
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
For records of the predecessor of the UJWF, see Fonds 66, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds.
Further detailed documentation of the proposed merger between the UJWF and the CJC (creation of the TJC) may be found in Fonds 67, Sub-sub-series 5-5-1, Files 171 and 221.
Further documentation on the United Jewish Welfare Fund may be found within Fonds 9, Series 7, records of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society.
For further detailed records of a key community leader's involvement with the UJWF see Accession 1982-8-8, the records of Samuel Godfrey, 1943-1972.
Creator
United Jewish Welfare Fund (1938-)
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions