- 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
- 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
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Subject files sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- object
- architectural drawing
- Date
- 1936-1993
- Physical Description
- 2.1 m of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- This sub-series contains the operating files created and accumulated by the office of the executive director of the YM-YWHA during the years 1937-1978. The files contain correspondence, meeting minutes and agendas, program material, photographs, reports, financial records and other related records. They are arranged by subject in alphabetical and chronological order. The photographs and architectural drawings are located in the subject files with the related textual material.
- Notes
- Includes 142 photographs, 11 architectural drawings, 2 artifacts, and 2 posters.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- 1988-11-7
- 1983-12-1
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- sound recording
- textual record
- architectural drawing
- Date
- [ca. 1920]-1990
- Physical Description
- 1866 photographs and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- The Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee was established in 1982, in order to document the history of the YM-YWHA of Toronto. The committee was chaired by Bert Fine and was mandated by the JCC of Toronto's Executive Committee to collect historical and archival material from the community, which was to be donated to the Ontario Jewish Archives.
- Scope and Content
- This series consists of the records collected by the Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee. The records are predominantly photographs, but also includes some textual records. This series also contains oral histories, created by the committee in order to document the experiences of some of the YM-YWHA's original members.
- The series contains a sub-series for the photograph collection, which is organized alphabetically by theme, event or person and is described at the file and item levels. There is also a sub-series for the oral history program, which is described at the sub-series level.
- Notes
- Includes 13 sound recordings, 3 cm of textual records, and 1 architectural drawing.
- Accession Number
- 1984-7-2
- 1982-12-2
- 2004-5-13
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Financial reports sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-2
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1937-1984
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The treasurer was responsible for overseeing all financial operations of the YM-YWHA. The treasurer was chairman of the Finance Committee which recommended, discussed and approved the day-to-day financial requirements for the operation of the "Y". The committee was also responsible for submitting the financial information to the accounting houses who prepared the "Y's" audited financial reports.
- Scope and Content
- This sub-series contains the financial reports and statements for the YM-YWHA., the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto, the Combined Building Campaign, the Northern Building Fund Campaign, the Jewish Camp Council, Camp Northland, Camp B’nai Brith, the Mothers' and Babes' Rest Home and Camp Fundale.
- The reports are organized chronologically by year. Each year often contains more than one report, either for different periods of the same year, or for different structures under the control of the YM-YWHA. The reports were kept by the office of the executive director.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Architectural plans sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-3
- Material Format
- architectural drawing
- textual record
- Date
- 1950-1981
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records (4 v.)
- 30 architectural drawings
- Admin History/Bio
- Page & Steele Architects were responsible for the design and construction of the Spadina and Bloor and Spadina YM-YWHA along with associate architects, Kaplan & Sprachman. The Bloor "Y" was completed in 1952.
- The northern building was designed and constructed by W. Sefton & Associates Ltd. Consulting Engineers and Gordon S. Adamson & Associates Architects. The northern building was completed in 1961.
- Scope and Content
- This sub-series contains records relating to the design and construction of the YM-YWHA at Bloor and Spadina and the YM-YWHA on Bathurst Street in North York. The records include bound specifications detailing the labour, material and building methods for each of the buildings, as well as some architectural drawings of the northern building.
- The records are arranged by project.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Sports Celebrity Dinners series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 5
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- object
- Date
- 1987-1994
- Physical Description
- 427 photographs : col. ; 13 x 13 cm
- 3 cm of textual records
- 2 artifacts
- Admin History/Bio
- The Sports Celebrity Dinners were developed by the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto in 1985. Each year, a different person connected with the world of sports was honoured by the community for their contributions. The night included a dinner, guest speakers and celebrity appearances, and usually an athletic demonstration or participatory event that related to the honouree's sport. For example, a boxing match, a skating demonstration or a batting cage.
- Scope and Content
- This series consists of photographs and program books from eight of the annual Sports Celebrity Dinners held by the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto.
- Subjects
- Celebrities
- Sports
- Accession Number
- 2004-6-6
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Subject files sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-1
- File
- 4
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1961-[ca. 1992]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 67 photographs : col. ; 13 x 13 cm
- Scope and Content
- This file contains member correspondence and invitations to the annual meetings and receptions held between 1961 and 1969. There are also photographs taken at the annual meetings in 1988, [ca. 1989] and [ca. 1992]. The photographs show members of the Executive Committee at the podium as well as the general membership.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Subject files sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-1
- File
- 75
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1957-1981
- Physical Description
- 2 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The Jewish Camp Council was formed in 1945 by five different groups running summer camps for Jewish youth: B’nai Brith, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Mothers’ and Babes’ Summer Rest Home Association, the United Jewish Welfare Fund of Toronto and the YM-YWHA
- The United Jewish Welfare Fund eventually assumed responsibility for all camp property, including Camp Northland in Haliburton, and programming for all camps was organized as a unified service. The Jewish Camp Council Board of Directors included representatives from all five organizations, while the executive director of the YM-YWHA acted as executive director of the Jewish Camp Council. Initially, the head office was located at Camp B'nai Brith, near Orillia, and then moved into the new YM-YWHA building at Spadina and Bloor in 1953.
- Scope and Content
- This file contains textual records relating to the operation of the Jewish Camp Council and the camps it oversaw. Records include reports, executive and community correspondence, financial records, camp pamphlets and program itineraries.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Subject files sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-1
- File
- 104
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1959-1980
- Physical Description
- 2 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The National Jewish Welfare Board was an international association of Jewish community centres and YM-YWHAs, based in New York City.
- Scope and Content
- This file contains textual records relating to the National Jewish Welfare Board. The records include correspondence between David Andrews and various representatives of the NJWB and program material. There is also a program book from the 1980 volleyball tournament held at the Jewish Community Centres of Toronto.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Subject files sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-1
- File
- 128
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1976-1992
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 1 poster ; 63 x 54 cm
- Scope and Content
- This file contains program brochures and pamphlets for both the northern and Bloor and Spadina YM-YWHAs. and material related to the Jewish Book Fair. There is also a poster entitled "The promise fulfilled..." outlining the northern branch's programming schedule for the fall session.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Subject files sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-1
- File
- 129
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1953-1987
- Physical Description
- 3 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- This file contains program reports and studies for the various departments of the YM-YWHA. This incudes reports on cultural programming, club and education, the junior and teenage departments, athletics and the day camps. There is a report on the future service role of the Bloor building, dated 1964 and two for the northern building, dated 1964 and 1968. Also included are reports created by the Group Services Study Committee, the YMHA Study Committee, the Northern Building Task Force to the Overall Study Committee, the Implementation Committee on Fiscal and Program Operations and the Dance Committee.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Executive director series
- Subject files sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 1-1
- File
- 157
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1970-1993
- Physical Description
- 1 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- By the 1960s, the Cultural and Educational Department was running a program known as the Y-Arts Council. The council promoted education through the arts, providing both adult and children's classes, many of which were free to ‘Y’ members. The council comprised schools of dance, art, music, drama, Jewish Studies and recreational activities.
- Scope and Content
- This file contains program books for the Y-Arts Council and two program books from the Arts Person of the Year gala tribute dinners honouring Louis Applebaum in 1991 and Oscar Peterson in 1993.
- Accession Number
- 2004-5-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series
- Oral history program sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 2-1
- Material Format
- sound recording
- textual record
- Date
- 1982
- Physical Description
- 13 audio cassettes
- 1 folder of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The oral history program was one part of the archives program. The interviewers were Molly Willer, Gay Lokash and Frances Gotkin, volunteers working under the direction of the Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee.
- Scope and Content
- This sub-series consists of twelve oral histories of various past and present members of the YM-YWHA in Toronto and the signed release forms. The interviewees include Judge Joe Addison, Harvey Blackstein, Lou Borsook, Bert Godfrey, Mrs. Sara Godfrey, Stan Kivy, Jack Oelbaum, Abe Posluns, Harry Pullen, Anne Roher, Max Swartz, Alex Winick and Lou Zimmerman. The interviewees discuss different aspects of their association with the "Y", including the history and structure of the organization, the various sports teams and clubs, social events and other reminiscences.
- The recordings are in cassette format and are located in three separate file folders. The signed release forms are located in a fourth file folder.
- Accession Number
- 1984-7-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Communications Department series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 4
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1986-1992
- Physical Description
- 4 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The e"Y"e opener newsletter was a weekly internal staff newsletter created by the Communications Department of the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto. The content for the newsletters was submitted by staff members of the Bloor and northern branches, and edited by Barbara Lampcov and Freda Marcovitch. It was published every week and contained information on current programs at both branches, staff news, and jokes and cartoons.
- Scope and Content
- This series consists of e"Y"e opener newsletters created by the JCC of Toronto Communications Department from 1986 to 1992. The records are arranged by year. Several volumes are missing, particularly from the years 1989 to 1992.
- Accession Number
- 2004-6-6
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series
- Photograph collection sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 2-2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- architectural drawing
- Date
- [ca. 1920]-1993
- Physical Description
- 1866 photographs : b&w, sepia and col. (199 negatives) ; 35 x 28 or smaller
- 3 cm of textual records
- 1 architectural drawing
- Custodial History
- Most of the photographs were in the custody of Ted Winick, who sat on the Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee. They were donated to the OJA in 1982 and 1984.
- Scope and Content
- This sub-series contains photographs collected by the Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee. The photographs document the executive and general membership, special events, sporting groups and teams, and YM-YWHA owned camps and properties, including the construction and completion program of the northern branch. There are also a small amount of textual records and an architectural drawing, which has been kept in the file with the accompanying graphic images.
- Arrangement of the photographs has been imposed by the archivist, as no original order existed when the records were acquired. The photos have been arranged into alphabetical files by function, where one exists, otherwise they have been grouped together by subject, event or individual. This approach was taken so that images pertaining to certain subjects or events could be easily accessed by the researcher. The images have been described at the file and item levels.
- Accession Number
- 1984-7-2
- 1982-12-2
- 2004-5-13
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
- Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee series
- Photograph collection sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 61
- Series
- 2-2
- File
- 2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1944, 1981
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : b&w and col. ; 17 x 11 and 9 x 13 cm
- Scope and Content
- This file consists of two photographs of Judge Joseph Addison, who was a member of the YM-YWHA and a handball enthusiast. One photograph is of Addison holding a handball and is affixed to a board which says: Although he is no longer playing handball, he was noted for his long arms and legs and excellent condition. He has, and is devoting a lot of time and effort into promoting handball from coast to coast and is the present Commissioner of Handball. The second is a snapshot of him sitting in an office chair, consulting some papers.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
