- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 9
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1925-1989
- Physical Description
- 31.8 m of textual records
- 319 photographs : b&w and col. ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
- Admin History/Bio
- The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada was established in 1920 by the newly-formed Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC). A Toronto branch was established in a storefront office on Spadina Avenue, but the organization was rudimentary. As the enthusiasm that spurred the founding of CJC died out, JIAS soon faltered. Then in 1922 it was taken over and reactivated under the cooperative support of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto, B'nai B'rith, and the Council of Jewish Women. JIAS was legally incorporated on 30 August 1922. It also operated under the moniker of the Emergency Jewish Immigrant Aid Committee, and it changed its name to Jewish Immigrant Aid Services in 1954.
- Charged with organizing emergency relief for European Jews in distress, JIAS became the central agency of the Jewish community to facilitate the lawful entry of Jewish immigrants into Canada, and provided them with welfare services, transportation, and assistance with accommodation and employment after their arrival. In addition, JIAS offered consultation services for sponsors of potential immigrants, ran a competitive foreign remittance service, and campaigned to counter the activities of unscrupulous steamboat agents, lawyers, and influence peddlers, or “shtadlanim,” who often victimized immigrants and sponsors alike.
- In conjunction with similar efforts by the CJC, JIAS was also actively engaged in negotiating for the increased admission of Jewish immigrants to Canada. In 1923, the federal government instituted a permit-based immigration program and JIAS competed with travel agents and solicitors in the private sector for these limited quota permits. After combating the anti-immigration policies of the Depression era, the outbreak of war in 1939 virtually closed the already limited avenues for immigration.
- JIAS Canada was organized into a national office in Montreal and regional offices in Winnipeg (Western Region), Toronto (Central Region), and Halifax (Eastern Region). The Central Region covered Ontario, and established a full-time head office in 1935 at 399 Spadina Avenue in Toronto (hence the Central Region was sometimes called simply the Toronto Office). The office later moved to 265 Spadina Avenue. JIAS Toronto’s board of directors met on a regular basis at different locations in Toronto, including 206 Beverley Street and in the Talmud Torah building at 9 Brunswick Avenue. The first JIAS Toronto board included notable Toronto residents such as Henry Dworkin, Mrs. Draiman, Mr. Kronick, Dr. Brodey and Mrs. Willinsky. The role of the board was to oversee the operations of the Central Region. It rendered decisions on issues relating to finances, procedures and policies, negotiations with the federal Immigration Branch, as well as individual cases that required their attention.
- General meetings of the Central Region membership were held annually. The 1943 JIAS constitution states that regional annual meetings were to be held for “receiving and considering reports,” holding nominations and elections for the executive, and discussing JIAS’s program and policies.
- In the post-war era, JIAS shifted its focus to renewed efforts on behalf of individual claimants and community support, while the focus for lobbying for a reversal of Canada's immigration policy fell increasingly under the jurisdiction of the CJC. A boom in immigration between 1947 and 1952 saw the arrival of large numbers of Jewish immigrants to all parts of Canada and the Toronto Office of JIAS renewed its efforts to meet the needs of this new influx. Major world events also sparked other waves of immigration from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, North Africa, and Russia, to which JIAS responded in turn. JIAS worked in conjunction with other immigrant aid societies such as HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, in the United States, to facilitate immigration to the United States, and later to Israel, where many of the immigrants and refugees coming to Canada had family and ultimately settled.
- Custodial History
- Custody of these records was transferred to the Ontario Jewish Archives by JIAS in 1983, as preparations were under way for the move to a new facility in North York. Much of the material was in four-cubic-foot boxes and in file cabinets.
- The accession was divided into three sections: files which were at the JIAS office and had been retained in their original order; files which had been retrieved from a flood in the basement of 152 Beverley St. and consequently had been thrown into dry boxes without regard to order; files discovered in the furnace rooms at 150 and 152 Beverley St., intact but covered in coal dust. The bulk of the records were stored off-site, with dirty files being isolated from the rest.
- The dust-covered materials were cleaned at an off-site location, placed in temporary boxes and transferred to the Archives and restored, as far as was possible, to their original order.
- Clips were removed and replaced as appropriate with archivally acceptable ones. All materials were transferred to acid-free folders and boxes.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds contains the records of the Toronto Office (Central region) of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada. The fonds consists primarily of textual records: minutes, correspondence, financial records, reports, immigration files, naturalization case files, social service case files and the records of attempts to trace missing individuals. There are also photographs of special events, speakers and arriving immigrants.
- The fonds represents an important resource for the study of Canadian Jewry, especially when taken in conjunction with the JIAS National Office records at the Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives in Montreal, and those of the Western Office at the Library and Archives of Canada. It documents the means by which a particular Canadian ethnic community has dealt with the problems of rescue, settlement and government relations. These records also offer insight into the relationship between the Toronto Office and the other branches of JIAS, and invite comparison with similar agencies in the United States, as well as those of other ethnic groups in Canada.
- The material collected includes information about the countries of origin, transportation routes, settlement and employment patterns of Jewish immigrants to Canada in the twentieth century. The documents also touch upon important related issues such as advocacy, sponsorship, admission processes, health and social problems.
- These records cover several waves of immigration following the Second World War: Holocaust survivors in the late 1940s, Sephardic (North African) and Hungarian Jews in the 1950s, Russian and Czechoslovakian Jews in the 1960s, and additional Russians in the 1970s.
- The records also contain significant information for those researchers looking to conduct genealogical research into Jewish immigrants and their descendents.
- The fonds has been arranged with one sous-fonds, which contains the records of the National JIAS office in Montreal. In total there are 17 series. The Toronto office (main fonds) series are: 1. Board of Directors and Executive Committee Minutes; 2. Annual meeting proceedings; 3. Reports; 4. Legal ; 5. Administration; 6. JIAS Committees; 7. External committees; 8. Financial ; 9. Arrivals; 10. Immigration case files; 11. Social service assistance case files; 12. Photographs; 13. Miscellaneous. The National Office sous-fonds is divided into the following series: 1. National executive meeting minutes; 2. National annual meeting proceedings; 3. National annual reports; 4. Publications; and Photographs.
- Notes
- Physical description note: Physical extent is based on fully processed records. Additional accessions are not included (see Related Material note below).
- Associated material note: The CJC National Archive, in Montreal, has additional JIAS records from 1920-1989 including 275 m of textual records and graphic materials (3250 photos): collection number I0037; alpha-numeric designation MA 4. The National Archives of Canada, Manitoba branch, in Winnipeg, has Jewish Historical Society of Western Canada JIAS textual records from 1923-1950 on 18 microfilm reels: Former archival reference number MG28-V114 (no replacement listed). The originals of these records are maintained by the Jewish Historical Society of Western Canada.
- Name Access
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto
- Subjects
- Immigrants--Canada
- Nonprofit organizations
- Access Restriction
- Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
- Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
- Related Material
- Other OJA records relating to JIAS may be found in the following accessions: 1979-9-5; 1988-5-2; 1991-10-5; 2006-3-11.
- Creator
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto
- Accession Number
- 1983-8-1
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- Social service assistance case files series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 9
- Series
- 11
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1950-1982
- Physical Description
- 7.2 m of textual records
- Scope and Content
- This series consists of case files created by JIAS for those immigrants who required ongoing assistance after their arrival in Toronto. The files consist of correspondence with other Jewish social service organizations, case reports detailing financial loans, job prospects, employment and housing reports and other situational information.
- Notes
- This series was formerly known as MG2 I1a J1
- Access Restriction
- Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
- Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.
- Arrangement
- The title of each file is either the name of the prospective immigrant or the name of their sponsor in Canada. JIAS had originally arranged these files chronologically based upon the date a case was first opened by the office, such as the date of their first interview with a prospective immigrant, or the date they first corresponded with an international agency.
- A suffix following the file number (eg. A, B) indicates a separate file opened for the individual, rather than the same file divided into two folders. For example, an individual may have immigrated to Canada and then sponsored a family member, in which case JIAS would have created two separate files. Some appear with the prefix A, meaning assistance, and others with S.S., meaning social service.
- Accession Number
- 1983-8-1
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- Board of directors and executive committee minutes series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 9
- Series
- 1
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1925-1984
- Physical Description
- 33 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of agendas and minutes of meetings, predominantly those of the Toronto (Central Region) executive committee and board of directors. Other committees represented include the General Membership, Management, Nominations, Arrangements, Personnel, and Case committees. The series also contains some reports on specific topics presented at Executive meetings, and a small amount of correspondence. The series includes a gap for the years 1932-1933, which appear to be missing.
- Notes
- This series was formerly known as MG2 I1a A1.
- Arrangement
- The records are arranged chronologically.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- JIAS National Office sous-fonds
- National Executive meeting minutes series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 9-1
- Series
- 1
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1943-1965, 1980
- Physical Description
- 4 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of meeting minutes of the JIAS National Executive from 1943-1950 and 1961-1965 and the National Offiers for 1980. Years 1945 and 1948 are missing. Not all meetings are represented. The meetings alternated between Montreal, at the JIAS Headquarters on Esplanade Avenue, and various locations in Toronto, including the 455 Spadina office.
- The minutes document the business of the executive during these periods, and several include memoranda and reports. Some minutes include regional reports with activity statistics. The 1940s records reflect JIAS’s growth within Canada, in particular the establishment of the Winnipeg office. The later years evidence JIAS’s increasingly international scope and involvement with projects around the world.
- The series is arranged chronologically.
- Notes
- This series was formerly known as MG2 I1a A2.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- Annual meeting proceedings series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 9
- Series
- 2
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1926, 1940-1984
- Physical Description
- 17 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records pertaining to the JIAS Toronto annual meetings in 1926, and 1940 through 1984. Missing are meetings for 1944-1949, 1951, 1952, 1954-1959, and 1979. The records include agendas, proceedings, addresses of the president and executive director, secretary’s reports, financial reports, invitations, programmes, member and committee lists, and correspondence. There is often also a short biography of the guest speaker. The speeches of the various executive members give an overview of the issues of concern in a particular period.
- Notes
- This series was formerly known as MG2 I1a C.
- Arrangement
- The records are arranged chronologically
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- Arrivals series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 9
- Series
- 9
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1949-1986
- Physical Description
- 76 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- Series contains records of immigrant arrivals in Canada from 1949 through 1986. The "sailings" files are basically passenger lists from Atlantic voyages between 1949 and 1953 that brought immigrants to Canada. These lists are marked, showing which immigrants were sponsored by JIAS. Not all of the immigrants were Jews. Information included indicates the ship name; date and place of departure; date and place of arrival; names of passengers; their children and ages; sponsors and their address. Some lists include age, sex, occupation and destination information for sponsor or immigrant. The later "record of arrivals" files (1959 to 1986) contain lists, letters, telegrams and memoranda, as well as "agency notification cards" that list the immigrant arriving, citizenship and destination (sponsor) in Canada, and number of dependents. The series is arranged in chronological order.
- Access Restriction
- Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.
- Physical Condition
- Records are foxed, some have rust or water stains.
- Arrangement
- Series has been arranged by the archivist in a combination of two previous series. The original "Sailings" series (MG2 I1a I) was arranged in two separate groups, the first of sailings for which JIAS had an official number (these numbers are still on the folders), and the second of those without a number. These two groups have been integrated into a single chronological series. The Record of Arrivals files were formerly part of the MG2 I1a K2 series, "Immigrant Files - Administration, Projects."
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- Level
- Sous-fonds
- Fonds
- 9-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1926-1982
- Physical Description
- 51 cm of textual records
- 14 photographs : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
- Admin History/Bio
- The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada was organized into a national office in Montreal and regional offices in Winnipeg (Western Region), Toronto (Central Region) and Halifax (Eastern Region). The national office was responsible for directing and managing all the affairs of the organization, including defining national and international policy; administration of regional offices; national budget; fundraising; external relations with other organizations, such as the United Jewish Relief Agencies (UJRA) and Jewish Family & Child Services (JF&CS); and publicity. It also organized the annual meeting, special events and conventions.
- Membership in JIAS was open to individuals, organizations or companies who paid an annual fee. General meetings of the membership were held at least once every two years, where reports were presented and considered, nominations and elections held for national officers and the national executive committee, policies, programs and problems discussed, and decisions taken.
- The National Executive Committee of JIAS was composed of the following members: national president; three vice-presidents (the presidents of the Western, Central and Eastern regions), with the addition in the 1950s of a vice-president at large; three regional treasurers, eventually reduced to one national treasurer; secretary; and twelve members comprising four representatives from each region. In 1929 the ‘executive secretary’ position was renamed ‘executive director.’ According to the 1943 constitution, the executive was required to hold meetings at least three times a year, in alternate cities. In 1954 this was amended to twice a year.
- During the early stages of JIAS's operations, it had to face the difficulty of being overstretched financially, as it sought to respond to and to change the often oppressive living conditions of new immigrants and the situation of those held in federal detention centres. The organization’s principled approach to immigrant welfare won JIAS much of its early success, as it became the preferred contact for government officials who had formerly dealt with numerous independent agencies, many of which had profited from the exploitation of desperate immigrants. This situation also profited the government, however, as the responsibility for establishing the priority of applications reverted increasingly to JIAS as it had to limit its appeals by the quotas imposed by the federal government.
- JIAS was one of the founding organizations responsible for the establishment of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) in 1978, which has since operated as a non-profit umbrella organization to coordinate the efforts of immigrant and refugee advocacy groups. JIAS continues to operate offices across Canada in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor and Winnipeg. The JIAS National Office moved from Montreal to Toronto in 1989, with the appointment of Susan Davis to National Director, and is now located at 4580 Dufferin St., Suite 306, Toronto, Ontario.
- Scope and Content
- Sous-fonds consists of National Office records retained by the Toronto JIAS office as reference copies. Records include meeting minutes, speeches and reports from annual meetings, and the published annual reports produced from the annual meetings. The sous-fonds covers the years 1926 to 1982 and is divided into the following series: 1. National Executive meeting minutes; 2. National annual meeting proceedings; 3. National annual reports; 4. Publications; and 5. Photographs.
- Name Access
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada (creator)
- Subjects
- Immigrants--Canada
- Nonprofit organizations
- Access Restriction
- Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
- Annual meeting proceedings series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 9
- Series
- 2
- File
- 32
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1984
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains copies of speeches from the annual meeting for 1983, which was a joint national/regional meeting.
- Notes
- Title based on contents of the file.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions