Accession Number

2021-12-1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

ca. 25 cm of textual records

15 photographs : b&w and col. ; 20 x 26 cm and smaller

Date

1832-2017

Scope and Content

Accession consists of the research files of Bill Gladstone. The materials document Bill’s research on various aspects of the Jewish history of Toronto and Canada and are sourced from a variety of newspapers, books, and archival repositories. Most of the newspaper clippings and copies of clippings are from the Canadian Jewish News, Toronto Star, the National Post, and the Globe and Mail; and the copies of archival documents are mainly from the Archives of Ontario, the City of Toronto Archives, and the Ontario Jewish Archives.

Included are Bill’s newspaper articles; documents relating to Bill’s books and a publishing house that Bill established in 2008 named Now and Then Books; genealogy research materials and notes; copies of early Toronto maps; copies of articles written by Ben Kayfetz; research materials documenting Toronto local synagogues such as the Holy Blossom Temple, Goel Tzedec Synagogue, First Narayever Congregation, and McCaul St. Synagogue (Beth Hamidrash Hagadol); copies of Canadian Moving Picture Digest and Canadian Film Weekly that document the accomplishments of Jews in the Canadian film industry; and research materials pertaining to Russian Jews, Yiddish theatres and opera houses, religious education in public schools, and the history of the Jews in Toronto and Canada in general. Also included are research documents relating to Toronto Jewish neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market, The Junction, The Ward, and Bathurst Manor; and materials documenting Toronto local Jewish businesses, organizations, families, and individuals.

Accession also contains a small number of photographs that Bill took or collected during his research, most of which feature the Holy Blossom Temple, Temple Beth Israel (Macon, Georgia), and Congregation Mickve Israel (Savannah, Georgia).

Administrative History

Bill Gladstone is a researcher, journalist, author, publisher, and genealogist living in Toronto. He has written and edited numerous books on Canadian Jewish history and is a frequent contributor to the Canadian Jewish News, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and other publications. He is often asked to give community presentations on a variety of topics related to the history of Jewish Toronto. In 2008, Bill established a publishing company named Now and Then Books. Bill is the former president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto and book review editor for Avotaynu, the international journal of Jewish genealogy.

Use Conditions

Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes

Titles of files were transcribed from their original formal titles; for files that do not bear formal titles, supplied titles were given based on file contents.

Subjects

Genealogists

Authors

Journalists

Name Access

Gladstone, Bill

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

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

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

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

2016-2-1

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Physical Description

ca. 300 photographs : b&w, sepia and col. (1 negative) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

40 cm of textual records

Date

[189-]-2007

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records created and accumulated by Bill Gladstone in the course of researching his book on the genealogical lineage of the Naftolin and Rubinoff families. Included are photographs of the Shmuel Chaim and Rachel Rubinoff branch, the Aaron Rubinowitz branch, the Benjamin Rubinoff branch, the Arnoff branch and the Naftolin branch. The photographs are in the form of family and individual portraits, candid snapshots, event photographs, Rubinoff store exteriors, and photographs of various life event celebrations. The textual records consist of research notes and copied material from various sources detailing the lives of individual family members.

Use Conditions

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes

FINDING AID NOTE: It is recommended that researchers consult the book "One Hundred Years in Canada: the Rubinoff-Naftolin Family Tree" for more context when viewing the material.

USE CONDITIONS NOTE: Donor retains copyright for all original research and writing. Donor wishes to be notified prior to publication. Publication requests must receive permission from donor, if possible.

Subjects

Families

Name Access

Gladstone, Bill

Naftolin family

Rubinoff family

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2016-2-15

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

1 m of textual records

ca. 200 photographs

Date

[189-]-2013

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records created and collected by Bill Gladstone during the course of his research into the family history and genealogy of the Naftolin and Rubinoff families and their various branches. Included are Gladstone's extensive research files on each member of the family, which consist of hand-written research notes, correspondence with family members and government officials, newsclippings, copies of vital statistics, immigration and citizenship records, certificates, bereavement and sympathy cards, telegrams and congratulatory anniversary cards, invitations, and photographs.

Accession also consists of records related to the Agudas Hamishpocha, the family mutual benefit society and social club that was formed in 1928 by the Naftolin and Rubinoff families. These records include meeting invitations and flyers, anniversary and jubilee books, membership lists, photographs, loan society materials, newsclippings and articles, research notes, and a copy of the letters of incorporation.

Administrative History

Bill Gladstone is a direct decendent of the Naftolin-Rubinoff family. The five branches of the family as researched by Gladstone are the Rachel Rubinowitz and Shmuel Chaim Rubinowitz branch; Riva Rishe Rubinowitz and Itsha Maisha Naftolin branch; Binyamin (Benjamin) Rubinoff and Esther Dobin branch; Minya Rubinowitz and Elimelech Arnoff branch; and Aaron Rubinowtiz and Esther Cahansky branch. Rachel, Riva Rishe, Binyamin, Minya and Aaron were all siblings. Other family names include Cohen, Slovin, Rosensweig, Patlik and Alter.

Use Conditions

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes

FINDING AID NOTE: It is recommended that researchers consult the book "One Hundred Years in Canada: the Rubinoff-Naftolin Family Tree" for more context when viewing the material.

USE CONDITION NOTE: Donor retains copyright for all original research and writing. Donor wishes to be notified prior to publication. Publication requests must receive permission from donor, if possible.

Subjects

Families

Name Access

Gladstone, Bill

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

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

Accession Number

2020-2-5

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

7 cm of textual records and other materials

Date

1936-2014

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting Toronto's Jewish community. Included are records related to Beth Sholom Synagogue and Rabbi Monson, the Koronik family, the Toronto Jewish Literary Festival, the Holy Blossom Temple Stagecraft Company, the Jewish Genealogical Society, and Rabbi Joseph Kelman. Also included are an interview with Barry Caplan; letters to Harry Arnoff; research related to Beth Tzedec Congregation; a photograph of the Bornstein Choir; a copy of the Jewish Traveller's Guide to the City of Toronto, 5761; a photograph of a marriage at the Minsker taken in March 1945, photographs of the Cantor Bernstein choir, 1936-1940; and other miscellaneous photographs.

Subjects

Genealogists

Name Access

Gladstone, Bill

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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