- Part Of
- Board of Jewish Education fonds
- Canada-Israel Secondary School Program series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 48
- Series
- 10
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1972-1990
- Physical Description
- 25 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The Canada-Israel Secondary School Program was a one-year study program for Ontario students in grade ten and eleven from both day and supplementary high schools, sponsored by the World Zionist Organization (WZO) Torah Education Department, the Jewish Agency for Israel Youth Aliya Department, and the BJE. Modeled on similar programs offered by Jewish boards of education in Montreal and in the United States, the program began in the 1980-1981 school year and came to an end with the 1988-1989 school year, following a period of declining enrollment and the decision by the Youth Aliya Department to end its participation in such programs.
- Initially located at the Israeli youth village of Kfar Batya in the town of Raanana, Israel, the program changed location several times during its existence. Other locations included Jerusalem and Kfar HaNoar HaDati, near Haifa. The curriculum followed Ontario government guidelines for general studies, combined with an intensive immersion in Jewish studies and Hebrew adjusted to suit the level of the students. Students were housed in dormitories at the schools, and those students without relatives in Israel were assigned to an English-speaking Israeli family, who served as their "surrogate family" during their stay, to better familiarize them with Israeli culture. In addition to their school studies, students were taken on field trips and traveled extensively to different parts of Israel. The BJE was responsible for organizing the curriculum for the program, and the executive director of the BJE served as its coordinator.
- Scope and Content
- The series documents the BJE's work with the WZO and Youth Aliya Department in organizing the program, developing the curriculum, assessing students' academic performance, monitoring their involvement in social and religious activities, and keeping parents informed of their children's progress. The records include the following kinds of materials: information brochures for parents and students applying to enter the program; correspondence and memoranda between the BJE, Torah Education Department, and Youth Aliya Department; course schedules outlines; student newsletters; and, the BJE Executive Director's correspondence with parents and students. The files in the series are organized chronologically.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Board of Jewish Education fonds
- Executive director series
- Personal correspondence and writings sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 48
- Series
- 2-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1969-1993
- Physical Description
- 72 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- The sub-series consists of Dr. Joseph Diamond's and Rabbi Irwin Witty's personal correpondence, filed with their executive director records, the text of public talks and of commentaries made on Zelda Young's "Jewish hour" radio programme, broadcast every Sunday on the CHIN (Toronto) radio station. The topics of these commentaries varied widely, including Talmudic commentaries, Israeli and Diaspora Jewish politics, as well as matters relating to Jewish education in Toronto and elsewhere. Although much of the personal correspondence is routine in nature, some of the letters include discussions of Jewish education and activities of the BJE.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Board of Jewish Education fonds
- Dr. Abraham Shore She'arim Hebrew Day School series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 48
- Series
- 13
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1979-1999
- Physical Description
- 35 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Founded in 1979-1980, the Dr. Abraham Shore She'arim Hebrew Day School is the only Jewish school in Canada for children with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Rabbi Irwin Witty, executive director of the BJE, and Rabbi Joseph Kelman of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue, played the leading roles in organizing and planning for the school in 1979-1980. The founding of the school was inspired by more than a decade of study by the BJE, the UJWF/TJC, and Jewish Vocational Service (which provided guidance and counseling services in Jewish schools) of the need for greater support and specialized services for Jewish children with learning disabilities. The school was incorporated in 1980 as the She'arim Hebrew Day School, and is governed by a board of directors. Classes began in September 1980, following a year of preparatory work by a planning committee and professional advisory committee.
- The school's enrolment in its first year was eight students; this number grew to more than 65 by the year 2000. It was renamed in honour of Dr. Shore in the mid-1990s. She'arim originally accepted students from grades five to seven, and this was quickly expanded to include students in all grades up to grade eight. The school emphasizes the small size of its classes -- usually six to eight students -- which allows teachers to focus on the distinctive needs of each student. The school seeks to provide students with the skills and problem-solving strategies they need to realize their academic potential and transfer into the mainstream schools.
- Although Rabbi Witty was very involved with the founding of the school and its operations in its early years, and also maintained files on She'arim administration and financing with his BJE records, She'arim did not become an affiliated school of the BJE until the mid-1980s. She'arim's application for affiliation, in 1984-1985, led to the first of several studies of the school by the BJE. After She'arim was accepted for affiliation and financial support, this initial study was followed by a study of the school's management and operations, in the late 1980s, by the consulting company, ARA Consultants. A BJE committee was then appointed to consider and implement the recommendations of the consultant's report. The main changes to the school involved implementing a structured approach to course planning and evaluation for the school. A further review was carried out in the mid-1990s, to address the school's pressing financial crisis of the time.
- Prior to 2001, She'arim was located at Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue at 100 Elder Street, Toronto. Following a donation from Sam Hennick, in memory of his late wife, Sara, and with additional financial support from Jewish Toronto Tomorrow, the school moved in September 2001 to a larger space at the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre, named the Dr. Abraham Shore She'arim Hebrew Day School, Sam and Sara Hennick Education Centre.
- Scope and Content
- The series documents the work of Rabbi Witty and Rabbi Kelman in founding the school, the preliminary work of the planning and professional advisory committees prior to the opening of the school, the work of the She'arim board of governors, and of the various BJE committees which studied the school and its operations. The series consists of committee minutes and reports, correspondence and memoranda concerning the school and its fundraising activities. The files in the series are organized chronologically.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions