Part Of

Benjamin Dunkelman fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

2

Material Format

multiple media

Date

1898, [192-?]-1997

Physical Description

80 cm of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Benjamin Dunkelman (1913–1997) was a successful businessman and president of Tip Top Tailors. He had a distinguished military career in both the Canadian Army during the Second World War and in the Haganah during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Benjamin was born in Toronto to David Dunkelman (1883–1978) and Rose (née Miller, 1889–1949). He had three sisters and two brothers: Joseph, a movie executive; Ernest, a manufacturer; Zelda; Veronica; and Theodora. His father, David, was a successful entrepreneur who established Tip Top Tailors in 1910. Both David and his wife Rose were fervent Zionists.

Benjamin attended Upper Canada College and, at the age of eighteen, visited Palestine for the first time. While in Palestine, he worked for a year on a kibbutz, mostly as a guard. During the Second World War, he served as a major in the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada; as major, he gained respect for his knowledge of mortars. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1945 for his role in the final Allied assault on Germany. Two years later, Benjamin returned to Palestine to join the Haganah in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. As a commander, he captured Nazareth and brought northern Galilee under Jewish control. Near the end of the war, he met and married Yael Lifshitz (m. Dunkelman), a corporal in the Israeli army. Benjamin was elected national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada in 1977.

In addition to his work as a soldier, Benjamin was a successful businessman. He served as president of Tip Top Tailors after his father stepped down; he was also director of Colonial Finance Corporation, president of Cloverdale Shopping Centre, and president of Renforth Developments. Besides operating the Dunkelman Gallery, Benjamin and his wife, Yael, ran the Constellation Hotel and Dunkelman’s Restaurant.

Dunkelman later wrote of his experiences in both wars in his autobiography "Dual Allegiance" (published by MacMIllan). As well as the DSO, Dunkelman was awarded the Fighter’s Decoration of the State of Israel (1970), and an Israel Bonds Award Dinner in Tribute to Ben Dunkelman (1977). He was a guest of honour both at a reception hosted by the Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science and the veterans of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (1976) and at a 7th Brigade Reunion in Israel (1991).

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting Benjamin Dunkelman's personal, business, and military activities. Included is personal and business correspondence and other records, maps, photographs, news clippings, and scrapbooks assembled by Dunkelman. The bulk of the records relate both to Dunkelman’s autobiography Dual allegiance and to his military career in the Second World War and in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Other records relate to his business work with Tip Top Tailors, the Constellation Hotel, Dunkelman’s Restaurant, and the Dunkelman Gallery, as well as to his Zionist actvities, his writing and public speeches, and his personal life.

The fonds is organized into the following series: Personal records and correspondence, Zionist materials, Businesses, Second World War, Arab-Israeli War, Dual Allegiance, and Speeches.

Notes

Physical description note: Includes 218 photographs, 60 maps, 7 postcards, 5 architectural drawings, and 3 albums.

Associated material note: see the Ben Dunkelman fonds at Library and Archives Canada.

Name Access

Dunkelman, Benjamin, 1913-1997

Subjects

Authors

Israel-Arab War, 1948-1949

World War, 1939-1945

Related Material

See fonds #39 (Rose Dunkelman fonds).

Creator

Dunkelman, Benjamin, 1913-1997

Accession Number

2000-3-4

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Solomon Edell fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

4

Material Format

multiple media

Date

[ca. 1900]-2010

Physical Description

3.1 metres of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Sol Edell (1919-2000) was a prominant member of the Toronto Jewish community who initially pursued a career as a pharmacist and was later founder and president of the property development company, Elmdale Investments. He held positions as board member or chair in a wide variety of religious, educational and social service organizations and institutions both in Canada and Israel. In Toronto, these included: Clanton Park Synagogue, Adas Israel Synagogue, Jones Avenue Cemetery, Canadian Jewish Congress and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto (formerly Toronto Jewish Congress, and now the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto).

Edell was born in Toronto on 5 March 1919, the son of Pesach and Molly Edell. He attended Harbord Collegiate and graduated from the Toronto College of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, in 1943 while on leave of absence from the army. He was enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War and served in the signal corps.

After he completed his army service, he opened Edell’s Drug Store at 1978 Queen Street in Etobicoke in 1948, the first shomer Shabbat drug store in the city. He operated a second store at 494 Spadina Avenue in the late 1940s. In 1955 the Queen Street location was expropriated by the City of Toronto. Subsequently, Edell founded Elmdale Investments, the company which built and managed the Elmhurst Plaza in Etobicoke. He reopened the drug store, which was renamed Elmhurst Drugs in the plaza. He also invested in two retail textile stores, Deltex Drapery and Dodd’s Drapery which had been founded by group of businessmen including his cousin Israel Edell.

In 1952 he married Dolly Weinstock, the daughter of Moishe and Sylvia Weinstock. They lived in the newly developed suburb of North York with their four children: Ethel, Simcha, Malka and Joseph. After 10 years of marriage, Dolly died and in 1966, he married Celia Rogen Hoffman.

Sol Edell was a founding member and first president of the Clanton Park Congregation. He was actively involved in the construction of the synagogue and its development. He continued to be affiliated with Shomrai Shabbos where his grandfather Rabbi Yosef Weinreb had been the rabbi. He was also involved with Adas Israel, the synagogue in Hamilton where his wife Celia had been an active member.

He was chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region -- Toronto Jewish Congress Archives Committee, which subsequently became the Ontario Jewish Archives. During his tenure, the archives was responsible for the reconstruction of the Kiever Synagogue which had been built in the early 1900s but had fallen into a state of disrepair by the 1960s.

Sol Edell was also involved in a number of Zionist organizations. He was the founding chair of the Aliyah Support Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, whose mandate was to assist Torontonians who had moved to Israel and ease their transition into Israeli society. He was also an active member of the Mizrachi organization and its affiliated institutions. Another one of Sol Edell’s interests was ensuring the preservation of local cemeteries. He was president of the Jones Avenue Cemetery and on the board of Pardes Shalom and the Bathurst Lawn Cemetery, Clanton Park section.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting Sol Edell's business activities, community involvement and personal life. Included is correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, financial records, legal records, publications, audio-visual material, invitations, newspaper clippings, artifacts, lists, reports, speeches, and architectural drawings.

The fonds is organized into the following eleven series: Personal; Edell's Drug Store and Elmhurst Pharmacy; Elmdale Investments; Deltex Drapery and Dodd's Drapery; Adas Israel Synagogue; Clanton Park Synagogue; Shomrai Shabbos; Aliyah; Cemetery and funeral home; Historical materials; and, Activities and organizations.

Notes

Physical description note: includes 739 photographs, 232 architectural drawings, 11 audio cassettes, 9 audio reels, 13 film reels, 7 videocassettes, 4 slides, 1 plaque, 4 badges, and 1 key.

Name Access

Edell Solomon, 1919-2000

Clanton Park Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Edell, Dolly

Edell, Celia

Edell's Drug Store

Elmhurst Pharmacy

Jones Avenue Cemetery

Canadian Jewish Congress/ Toronto Jewish Congress Archives

Aliyah Support Committee

Subjects

Business

Pharmacists

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Physical Condition

The bulk of the architectural drawings are currently being stored rolled up. They should be flattened and encapsulated in melinex.

Film and sound reels should be digitized.

Related Material

See fonds #5 for material related to Paul Edell.

See accession #2012-10/9 for material related to the Edell family.

Creator

Edell, Solomon, 1919-2000

Accession Number

2002-12-2

2008-8-29

2011-5-4

2012-10-9

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Solomon Edell fonds

Personal series

Level

Series

Fonds

4

Series

1

Material Format

multiple media

Date

[ca. 1900]-2000

Physical Description

49 cm of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Sol Edell, the son of Paul and Mollie Edell, was one of five siblings. He and Dolly Weinstock, the daughter of Moishe and Sylvia Weinstock, had two daughters and two sons and lived in Toronto. After Dolly died in 1961, he married Celia (née Rogen) Hoffman, a widow, in 1966. He became the stepfather to the two sons of Max and Celia Hoffman who had been residents of Hamilton. Some members of the family remained in Toronto while others moved to other parts of Canada, the United States and Israel. Sol Edell was actively involved in or provided financial support to many educational, professional and religious organizations.

Scope and Content

Series includes correspondence, invitations, publications, photographs, family films and a sound recording. The series is made up of seven sub-series: Associations, Charities, Community Activities, Education and Extra-Curricular Activities, Life Cycle and Family Events, Religious, and Residence.

Notes

Physical description note: includes 12 photographs, 7 film reels, 1 audio reel, 1 plaque, 4 badges, and 47 architectural drawings.

Name Access

Hoffman, Max

Hoffman, Celia

Rho Pi Phi

Harbord Collegiate

Subjects

Education

Greek letter societies

Physical Condition

Film and sound reels should be digitized.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Solomon Edell fonds

Personal series

Life cycle and family events sub-series

Level

Sub-series

Fonds

4

Series

1-5

Material Format

multiple media

Date

[ca. 1900]-2000

Physical Description

37 cm of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Sol Edell had a large family and a large circle of friends and aquaintenances. Consequently, he was invited to many circumcisions, weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs. He also set up several memorial funds in memory of his sister and wives.There are also documents in this sub-series that relate to family members.

Scope and Content

Sub-series consists of correspondence, receipts, diplomas, photographs and films documenting various family celebrations, vacations and home life. There is a selection of invitations, cards and benchers sent by the Edell, Weinstock and Hoffman families as well as ones that they received from family and friends. In addition, there are newspaper clippings and notices of the deaths of Edell family members and friends as well as correspondence and receipts relating to memorial funds set up in their memory. The sub-series also contains films of family and friends taken at home, on vacation and at family celebrations.

Notes

Physical description note: includes 10 photographs, 7 film reels, and 1 audio reel.

Name Access

Hoffman family

Weinstock family

Edell, Dolly

Edell, Celia

Subjects

Families

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Solomon Edell fonds

Shomrai Shabbos Synagogue series

Level

Series

Fonds

4

Series

7

Material Format

textual record

architectural drawing

graphic material

Date

1913-1999

Physical Description

22 cm of textual records

4 architectural drawings

2 photographs

Admin History/Bio

Shomrai Shabbos is an orthodox congregation which was founded in 1896. Sol Edell’s grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Weinreb, served as rabbi of the congregation from 1900 until 1942. The synagogue was in several downtown locations until it moved to its present location on Glengrove Avenue in North York in 1966. The congregation has grown steadily over the years and now has a membership of over 350 families. Sol Edell’s family were members of the congregation when he was a child. Although he retained his membership in the congregation after his marriage, he rarely attended the services at the synagogue. However, he did continue to participate in fundraising on behalf of the synagogue.

Custodial History

The earlier records were collected by Sol's grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Weinreb, or his father, Paul Edell. After their deaths, Sol maintained his membership in the congregation and continued to receive material from the synagogue.

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting the establishment, construction, membership and activities of the Shomrai Shabbos Synagogue. Included is correspondence, speeches, technical drawings, financial records, ledgers, a tribute book, legal records, flyers, bulletins, marriage certificate receipts, certificates, invitations, a photograph, and stationary.

Name Access

Felder, Gedalia, Rabbi

Yosef, Weinreb, Rabbi

Subjects

Architecture

Synagogues

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Solomon Edell fonds

General community activities series

Level

File

Fonds

4

Series

11

File

103

Material Format

textual record

Date

[19-]

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of a booklet containing a memorial service for the departed and Mourner's Kaddish.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Lipa Green fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

20

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

[190-]-1979

Physical Description

42 cm of textual records

69 photographs : b&w and sepia (23 negatives) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

Lipa (Louis) Green (1899–1976) was born on 15 April 1899 in Usupow, Poland. He immigrated to Toronto in 1910 and later began work as a bricklayer. In 1924, Lipa married Fanny Green and had three sons: Abraham (Al), Harold and Sam; and three daughters: Deana (Weiman), Rookie (Goldstein), and Shavy (Tishler). In 1948, with partner, Arthur Weinstock, he founded the Greenview Construction Company, later to be renamed Greenwin. Green's sons, Al and Harold, along with Weinstock's son-in-law Al Latner, later became involved in the business.

Green was a prominent Jewish communal leader and philanthropist in Toronto and was affiliated with organizations such as the Labor Zionists (Farband), the Jewish Vocational Service and the Jewish Public Library. He was a strong advocate of the Yiddish language and was involved with many Yiddish committees, both at the local and national levels. The current building for Jewish agencies in Toronto is named the Lipa Green Building for Jewish Community Services.

Custodial History

The records were in the possession of Lipa's son, Harold, before being donated to the OJA in January 1978.

Scope and Content

This fonds consists of records documenting Lipa Green's personal life as well as his professional and philanthropic endeavours. Included are financial documents, event invitations and programs, meeting minutes, photographs, personal, business and organizational correspondence, speeches and writings, a scrapbook, records on a cooperative Jewish summer resort near Pickering, Ontario, as well as some material produced by other organizations and collected by Green during the course of his life. Most of the personal correspondence, speeches and other writings are in Yiddish, including Green's reminiscences on his life in Poland and his bar mitzvah. The files have been grouped according to personal records, business records, organizational records and ephemera.

Name Access

Green, Lipa, 1899-1976

Subjects

Businesspeople

Immigrants--Canada

Philanthropists

Physical Condition

Some of the photographs are in very poor condition and require conservation work.

Related Material

See Gordon Mendly Fonds 18 for a portrait of Lipa Green.

Arrangement

The records had been previously arranged as MG6 A. Many of the files were kept or combined, but several new files were also created to better reflect the records in the fonds. Several files were also culled as they did not relate to the mandate of the OJA. See the accession record for further information on the culled materials.

Creator

Green, Lipa, 1899-1976

Accession Number

1978-1-4

2004-5-150

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Lipa Green fonds

Personal series

Level

Series

Fonds

20

Series

1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

[190-]-[197-]

Physical Description

18 cm of textual records

68 photographs : b&w and sepia (23 negatives) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting Lipa Green's personal life. Included are donation receipts, greeting and bereavement cards, event invitations, personal correspondence, speeches and writings, photographs, and a scrapbook.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Morris Norman collection

Level

Collection

Fonds

22

Material Format

multiple media

Date

1856-1995

Physical Description

1.1 m of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Morris Norman (b. 1946) is a chartered accountant living and working in Toronto. He is an avid collector of Canadiana, specifically Judaica. He purchases lots at auction and donates them to the Ontario Jewish Archives, as well as other institutions.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of the individual items collected at auction by Morris Norman. The records relate to the Toronto Jewish community and Ontario Jewry and include textual documents, photographs, near-prints, publications, artifacts, posters and broadsheets, sound recordings, and ephemera. Most of the items relate to various Jewish organizations, businesses, synagogues and individuals, and to Christian missionary work in Toronto. The material has been described at the file level, or where appropriate, the item level.

There are also four distinct series of records which document Berul Sugarman, who was a concert violinist and orchestral leader; the Franklin family, who owned a large amount of property in Toronto in the late 1800s and early 1900s; radio and television scripts written by Wayne and Shuster, Henry Karpus and Russell Bradley; and a collection of Turofsky photographs.

Notes

Physical description note: Includes 49 objects, 25 photographs, 7 audio recordings and 4 prints.

Name Access

Norman, Morris

Norman, Jessie

Creator

Norman, Morris (1946-)

Accession Number

1995-9-3

1995-9-4

1995-9-8

1996-6-3

1996-7-3

1996-9-1

1997-7-1

1998-1-1

1998-3-44

1998-7-2

1999-10-1

2000-7-4

2000-12-3

2001-3-3

2001-4-3

2001-8-5

2001-10-6

2001-11-1

2002-4-1

2002-5-1

2002-7-1

2002-9-1

2002-10-5

2002-10-58

2002-12-3

2003-5-3

2003-10-6

2004-7-4

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Zionist Organization of Canada fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

28

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

moving images

Date

1908-1979, predominant 1955-1976

Physical Description

7.4 m of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

The Zionist Organization of Canada (ZOC) (1921-1978) acted as the official voice of Zionism in Canada, promoting the aims of Zionism in communities across the country. The ZOC adhered to the principles of the Jerusalem Program of the Zionist movement founded by Theodor Herzl in 1898 during the First Zionist Congress held in Basle Switzerland. These principles included: 1) the promotion of immigration to Israel; 2) raising funds to carry out the aims of Zionism; 3) encouraging investment in Israel; 4) fostering Jewish consciousness; and 5) mobilizing public opinion about Israel and the Jewish communities of the Diaspora.

The Federation of Zionist Societies of Canada (FZSOC) was founded in 1898 as the national collective of groups representing Zionist interests in Canada. In 1921 the organization changed its name and was incorporated as the Zionist Organization of Canada, becoming the primary umbrella organization for Zionist groups in Canada.

The ZOC was a broad-based organization that embraced an ideology of nationhood which attracted influential national leaders within the Jewish community as well as thousands of members across the country. ZOC's main office was located in Montreal until 1970, when it moved to the Toronto Zionist Centre on Marlee Ave, Toronto. ZOC provided smaller communities, which had few institutional supports, with vital linkages to the metropolitan centres through their programs that were run out of the regional offices and local Zionist councils. The Zionist Organization of Canada operated as an umbrella group that oversaw Zionist funds and administered the budgets of such organizations as Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, the Men's Zionist Organization of Canada and Young Judaea. ZOC programs promoted a stronger Jewish identity amongst Canadian Jews and familiarity with Hebrew through the periodical, Canadian Zionist. These programs included book clubs, lunch clubs, film exhibits, youth camps, travel offices, and two television programs during the 1970s on cable television in Montreal and Toronto.

In 1967, ZOC became a constituent member of the new Federated Zionist Organization of Canada (FZOC), along with Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, the Labour Zionist Movement of Canada, Mizrachi Hapoel Hamizrachi Organization of Canada, Zionist Revisionist Organization of Canada, Achdut Avoda, and Friends of Pioneering Israel (Mapam). In 1972, FZOC became the Canadian Zionist Federation (CZF). During the 1970s, ZOC's functions were gradually absorbed by the Canadian Zionist Federation, the CZF Central Region based in Toronto, and by the Toronto Zionist Council. By 1978, the Zionist Organization of Canada had ceased to function as an organization.

Scope and Content

The Zionist Organization of Canada (ZOC) records span a 70 year period between 1908, with the formation of the Toronto Zionist Council (and its affiliated corporation, the United Zionists of Toronto) and the creation of the Zionist Organization of Canada in 1921, until 1978. The bulk of the records in the fonds were created after 1950.

The fonds is organized into two sous-fonds and eight record series. The sous-fonds contain records of the ZOC Central Region and the Toronto Zionist Council, which exercised considerable autonomy in their work under the ZOC umbrella. The record series include records relating to: ZOC's executive bodies, the National Administrative Council and Executive Board, and their predecessor, the Executive Committee of the Federation of Zionist Societies of Canada (1919-1976); the National Camps Association, responsible for overseeing the administration of summer camps owned by ZOC (1961-1968); Canadian Young Judaea, the youth wing of ZOC which was also responsible for the operation of ZOC summer camps (1957-1978); the ZOC Department of Education and Culture's cable television programme, Shalom (1971-1977); ZOC national conventions (1946-1975); the Federated Zionist Organization of Canada, of which ZOC became a member organization on its formation in 1967 (1972-1978); and the 28th World Zionist Congress held in 1972. The fonds also includes a series of subject files, the primary recordkeeping system for ZOC's administration, and a series of photographs of prominant persons and events maintained by ZOC for its public relations work.

Notes

Physical description note: Includes: ca. 1100 photographs (b&w and col.; some negatives), 24 embossed prints, 3 film reels (col., Super 8 mm), and 1 videocassette (col., VHS).

Associated material note: Additional records of the Zionist Organization of Canada can be found at the Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives (Montreal), Library & Archives Canada (Ottawa), and the World Zionist Organization's Central Zionist Archives (Jerusalem)

Name Access

Zionist Organization of Canada

Subjects

Zionism

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Creator

Zionist Organization of Canada (1921-1978)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Larry Becker collection

Level

Collection

Fonds

34

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1882-1996

Physical Description

58 cm of textual records

11 photographs : col. and b&w ; 28 x 36 cm or smaller

4 lantern slides : col. (hand painted) ; 5 x 8 cm

Admin History/Bio

Larry Becker (1939-1998) was a collector with a focus on his native Toronto. He grew up in central Toronto, near Dundas and Ossington, where his father ran a cigar store. Around 1948, the family moved north to Vaughan. Larry attended Lakeshore Teachers' College and married fellow teacher, Rose Weber, in 1961. He taught primary school in Welland, Ontario

Larry returned to Toronto in June 1965, and began collecting for profit and posterity. That year, with the active assistance of his wife Rose, opened the first of three businesses that sold collectables. Both his father and grandfather had been small-scale collectors. From 1965 to 1996, the growing Becker family lived at 25 Lesgay Crescent in North York. In December 1996, the Beckers moved to a larger place in the Kettleby countryside, where Larry had planned to retire and work on his collection

Larry Becker died on February 20th, 1998

Scope and Content

The collection consists of items collected by Larry Becker including postcards, bulletins from Ontario Jewish organizations, sermons, periodicals, books, hand painted lantern slides documenting scenes of Jews in early Toronto, and other material relating to Ontario's Jewry

Notes

Information for biographical sketch gathered and cited from "Collecting Toronto: Through the Eyes of Larry Becker" virtual exhibit from the City of Toronto website at: http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/archives/becker_collections/

The lantern slides have been rehoused and moved to the negative cabinet.

Associated material note: The City of Toronto Archives has an extensive collection in the Larry Becker fonds, Fonds 70 (see Accession file for details)

Physical Condition

The textual records are in good condition. The colour photographs are suffering from severe dark fading and have taken on a distinct red cast.

Creator

Becker, Larry (1939-1998)

Accession Number

2002-12-1

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Larry Becker collection

Level

File

Fonds

34

File

36

Material Format

textual record

Date

1919

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of a list of individual members running for election, their professions and number of votes. H. Dworkin, News Dealer, garnered the most votes with a total of 2,989.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rose Dunkelman fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

39

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1896-1979

Physical Description

30 cm of textual records

28 photographs : b&w (11 negatives) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

2 scrapbooks

Admin History/Bio

Rose Dunkelman (1889–1949) was born Rose Miller in Philadelphia to Harry Miller and Dora Miller (née Belkin). At the age of thirteen, she moved to Toronto where she received her education and where she resided with her family until her death in 1949 at the age of fifty-nine. Rose Dunkelman devoted her life to helping the less fortunate, particularly children and orphans, and to championing the cause of Zionism at home and abroad. She was internationally known and respected for her philanthropic work and for her knowledge of, and dedication to, Zionist causes. She was a leader in the Canadian-Jewish community for more than thirty years.

On 19 January 1910, she married David Dunkelman (1883–1978), founder and president of Tip Top Tailors Ltd. The couple had six children: Joseph, Ernest, Benajamin, Theodora, Veronica (Annenberg) (Ourisman), and Zelda (Wilner).

Rose was a founding member of the Zionist Organization of Canada, vice-president of the Ontario Zionist Region, and founded and chaired the Canadian branch of Youth Aliyah in 1933. For over twenty-five years, Rose held various positions within the Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada, including president of the Toronto Council of Hadassah (1921), honorary president on the executive board (1938–40), joint chair of the war effort (1941), president of the Hadassah Organization of Canada Central Chapter of Toronto (1937–8, 1945-6), and honorary national vice-president. Rose also founded the Hadassah Bazaar in 1924. There is currently a Canadian Hadassah day care centre in Neve Sharett that is named in her honour, as well as the Rose Dunkelman Memorial Community Center in Hadassim erected in 1950 in her memory.

In 1930, prompted by the 1929 attack on Jews at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and in Hebron, Rose and David Dunkelman founded the magazine the Jewish Standard as a Zionist forum for the English-speaking Jewish population of Canada. She was the periodical's first publisher and managing editor.

After the First World War, Rose worked as an officer with the Canadian Red Cross, bringing war orphans to Canada from eastern Europe, for which she was presented with the Coronation Medal by King George VI in 1937. She was also active in the rehabilitation of First World War veterans.

During the Second World War, as chair of Ontario Youth Aliyah, Rose helped rescue children from Nazi persecution at Auschwitz, Treblinka, Buchenwald, and Dachau concentration camps and helped secure their passage to and resettlement in Palestine. Dunkelman held leadership positions in many domestic and international Jewish and Zionist programs and projects—many focused on the welfare of Jewish children—including the Jewish National Fund, Karen Hayesod, Karen Kayemeth, Young Judaea, the Toronto Hebrew Free Schools, and the YM-YWHA. She also served on the Canadian Family Allowance Board after the Second World War.

After a lengthy illness, Rose died on 20 October 1949 in Toronto at the age of fifty-nine. She was buried at Goel Tzedec's cemetery on Dawes Road and was later re-interred in Israel's national cemetery at Degania on 14 January 1953, as she requested in her will.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of personal and business correspondence, family letters, newsclippings, event invitations, articles, two scrapbook albums and other textual material relating to Dunkelman's death and re-interment in Israel, her philanthropic activities with Hadassah and Youth Aliyah, and her business activities with the Jewish Standard.

One scrapbook contains a testimonial certificate presented to Rose by Toronto Hadassah on her recovery from ill health (1926), while the other was presented to her by Toronto Hadassah on the occasion of her 57th birthday in 1946. This scrapbook contains photographs of the banquet along with several pages of signatures from members of local Hadassah chapters.

The photographs include: Rose Dunkelman's re-interment in Israel (1953), a birthday banquet for Rose hosted by Hadassah (date uncertain), a portrait of Rose as a young woman (ca. 1905), David Dunkelman as a young boy in Brooklyn, NY (1896), the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto) extension (1966), a portrait of Benjamin Dunkelman in Israel (1953), and one photograph of Rose Dunkelman with Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt (1941).

Name Access

Cohen, Israel

Dunkelman, Ben, 1913-1997

Dunkelman, David

Dunkelman, Ernest

Dunkelman, Rose, 1889-1949

Dunkelman, Theodore

Dunkelman, Veronica

Dunkelman, Zelda

Dunkelman, Joseph

Family Allowance Board

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada

Hebrew Free Schools

Jewish Federated Charities

Jewish National Fund

Jewish Standard

Karen Hayesod

Karen Kayemeth

Red Cross

Steinglass, Meyer F.

Tip Top Tailors

Weisgal, Meyer

YM-YWHA

Zionist Organization of Canada

Subjects

Businesspeople

Philanthropists

Zionists

Physical Condition

Some of the documents are very brittle.

Related Material

Ben Dunkelman fonds 2: (accession 2000-3-4)

Ben Dunkelman accession: 1978-6-6

Zionist Organization of Canada fonds 28, series 6, file 27

photo #4690

Hadassah accession: 1978-1-2, 1984-12-3, 2003-3-1, MG2 J1I

The Jewish Standard: MG9

Creator

Dunkelman, Rose, 1889-1949

Accession Number

1988-5-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Dr. Isadore M. Cass fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

40

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1909-1995

Physical Description

45 cm of textual records

14 photographs : b&w (8 negatives) ; 18 x 13 cm

Admin History/Bio

Dr. Isadore M. Cass (1916-1996), a well-known pathologist and practicing mohel--Jewish ritual circumcisor--for the Toronto Jewish community, was born and educated in Toronto, attending the University of Toronto's medical school. After serving with the army during the Second World War, Dr. Cass returned to Toronto to private practice. He began studying pathology in 1953, and performed research at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Connaught Labs and the Ontario Department of Health throughout his career. He was chief of pathology at Ajax and Pickering hospitals for twenty-three years, until his retirement in 1986.

In 1945, Dr. Cass began doing ritual circumcisions and was the first medical doctor in Toronto to do so. He performed over 40,000 circumcisions throughout Canada and the eastern United States and trained many physicians to perform them as well.

Dr. Cass was a member of the following organizations: New York Academy of Sciences; the Academy of Medicine, Toronto; the Israel Medical Association; General Wingate Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion; and many other associations and societies.

Dr. Cass studied Torah under Rabbi Jacob Gordon and was a Torah reader at Goel Tzedec Synagogue and later, Beth Tzedec. He also studied and taught Torah throughout his life, chairing the Canadian Jewish Congress' Tanach study group for many years, and leading weekly Gemara classes at Beth Tzedec. He belonged to Shaarei Shomayim and Beth Lida synagogues, as well as Lubavitch. In 1987, Dr. and Mrs. Cass were honoured as "Couple of the Year" by Machanaim, The Network of Educational Institutions in Kiryat Gat, Israel, for their great contributions to this charity over the years.

Dr. Cass was married to Miriam Cass and they had four daughters: Sharon, Hylah, Judy, and Elaine. He had four brothers: the late Rabbi Samuel Cass, Harry, Al, and Elie (who was a Reform mohel), and two sisters: Miriam Cass and Zelda Fink. He also had seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Dr. Cass died on January 24, 1996 of cancer.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of records relating to the personal and professional life of Dr. Isadore Cass. These records include appointment books documenting circumcisions he performed, correspondence, writings, Tanach study group notes, a Machanaim invitation and programme, prayer books, certificates, memorial cards, and photographs.

Name Access

Cass, Isadore M., 1916-1996

Subjects

Physicians

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Physical Condition

The prayer book is in poor condition and some of the early daytimers are in fair condition.

Related Material

See also the Ontario Jewish Archives' reference news clipping file under "Cass, Dr. Isadore".

Creator

Cass, Isadore M., 1916-1996

Accession Number

1997-5-1

1997-8-2

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

42

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1884-1974

Physical Description

21 cm of textual records

3 photographs : b&w ; 21 x 26 or smaller

Admin History/Bio

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Graubart (1862–1937) was chief rabbi to Toronto's Polish Jews, director of Eitz Chaim Talmud Torah, and a leading spokesman for Orthodox Jewry during the 1920s and 1930s. Rabbi Graubart was born in Poland, the descendant of a prominent rabbinical family. He was a noted rabbi and posek (legal decisor) in Poland, St. Louis (USA), and, later, Toronto. In Poland, he served in Stashov, the district from which most of Toronto's Polish Jews had emigrated. He was renowned for his religious knowledge and published works and for his efforts in creating rabbinical associations throughout Poland and Russia. He was also an enthusiastic Zionist.

On 18 August 1920, Rabbi Graubart became the communal rabbi of Toronto's Polish Jews, succeeding Rabbi Judah Rosenberg. He soon took charge of the Eitz Chaim Talmud Torah, and, in 1922, he formed a yeshivah called Shaarei Torah. He was the recognized authority for Polish-Jewish congregations on the supervision of kosher food production, which involved him in ongoing disputes with other Toronto rabbis of the time, including Rabbis Jacob Gordon and Joseph Weinreb.

Rabbi Graubart developed the first communal eruv in Toronto, enabling Jews to carry or move items outdoors on the Sabbath. He launched a campaign against Sabbath violation, publishing notices and holding open-air sermons in Kensington Market, urging Jewish workers and manufacturers not to work on Saturday. He also approached unions urging them to let their employees off for holy days. He was also a spokesman for Mizrachi, the movement of religious Zionists.

Toward the end of his life, Rabbi Graubart withdrew from communal work and concentrated almost exclusively on his writings and the study of rabbinic literature. He was renowned internationally as a scholar and authority in his field. He wrote an autobiography entitled "Book of Memoirs." Rabbi Graubart was married to Esther Graubart (née Liebschuetz), and they had three children: David, Hinda, and Deborah.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of Rabbi Graubart's marriage registers and certificates, personal and professional correspondence, articles, speeches, sermons, photographs, copies of the introductions to "Chavalim Ba-Ne'Imim" in Hebrew and English, and other personal and family documents.

Notes

ACCESS RESTRICTION NOTE: Rabbi Graubart's marriage registers and certificates post-1937 are closed in accordance with the OJA's privacy policy. Pre-1937 records are open and can be consulted.

Name Access

Graubart, Yehuda Leib, 1862-1937

Subjects

Orthodox Judaism

Rabbis

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

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.

Physical Condition

Many of the records are in very fragile condition.

Related Material

See also Photo #3413 and the Ontario Jewish Archives' news clippings file under "Graubart, Rabbi Yehuda Leib"

Creator

Graubart, Yehuda Leib, 1862-1937

Accession Number

1990-5-1

1992-8-6

Source

Archival Descriptions

• 
• 

Part Of

Scheuer family fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

47

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

[187-]-1959

Physical Description

6 folders of textual records

2 window plates : brass

58 photographs : b&w ; 25 x 20 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

The Scheuer family dates back to at least the eighteenth century in Germany to Moise Scheuer (1765-1846) and Esther Ackerman (1770-1847). Their son, Isaac Scheuer (1809-1889), married Hannchen (Johanna) Strauss (1815-1878) in 1843. Isaac and Johanna had six children: Gabriel (1844-1922), Camilla (1845-1916), Edmund (1847-1943), Emma (1853-1916), Ida (1855-1902), and Benno (Benjamin) (1857-1921).

While Gabriel, Emma, and Ida remained in Europe, Camilla, Edmund, and Benno immigrated to Canada in the late nineteenth century. Camilla came to Hamilton, Ontario after her marriage in 1866 to Herman Levy, co-founder of the Levy Brothers jewellery business. Edmund became a partner in the business when he first immigrated to Canada in 1871, and lived with Camilla and Herman. Camilla became the acknowledged leader of Jewish women in Hamilton. She served in organizations such as the Deborah Ladies' Aid Society, which eventually became an auxiliary of Temple Anshe Sholom, Canada's oldest Reform congregation, often referred to as the Hughson Street Temple. Edmund established the first Sabbath School in Ontario at Anshe Sholom in 1872 and served as president from 1873 to 1886.

After he was established in Hamilton, Edmund returned to Europe in 1873 to marry Oda Strauss (1854-1913) at Forbach, Lorraine, and then brought her back to Canada with him. The couple moved to Toronto in 1886, where he established a wholesale jewellery business on Yonge Street called Scheuer's under his company Edmund Scheuer Limited. Scheuer's was one of the oldest jewellery firms in Toronto and the oldest established wholesale diamond importer in Canada. Edmund's brother, Benno, also worked for the business as the accountant and then secretary-treasurer. Benno was married to Gatella Strauss (1859-1903) and they had three children: Eddie Jr. (1884-1967), Rhoda (1886-1963) and Isadore (1887-1969). Eddie Jr. and Isadore also worked for their uncle's business. Eddie Jr. started as a clerk and then became vice-president, while Isadore started out as a travelling salesman and jeweller. When their uncle retired in 1922, Eddie Jr. took over as president and his brother Isadore became vice-president of Scheuer's.

In addition to his jewellery business, Edmund Scheuer also taught and supervised the religious school at Holy Blossom Synagogue. He went on to serve in every official capacity at Holy Blossom, including vice-chairman and treasurer of the building committee for the Bond Street building. He also founded The Jewish Free School at 206 Beverley Street for Jewish girls and wrote his own textbook for the school, the first Jewish religious school book printed in Toronto. In 1892, he founded the first Jewish benevolent society in Toronto and was later president of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. In 1927, the Beverley Street building, which housed Federation offices, was dedicated in his honour and named the "Scheuer House".

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the Scheuer family in Germany, Hamilton, and Toronto. The fonds is made up primarily of photographs of Scheuer family members and friends. It also includes some textual records, including correspondence, marriage certificates, a Toronto Jewish Free School text book, and Holy Blossom Temple Bulletins. Also included are two brass "Scheuer's" window plates which were likely from Edmund Scheuer's jewellery business of the same name.

Notes

Associated Material Note: See the CJC National Archives collection for Edmund Scheuer at: http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=archives&Type=1&Language=EN&Rec=253

Name Access

Scheuer (family)

Subjects

Families

Related Material

See OJA vertical file cabinet for "Scheuer, Edmund" and "Levy, Camilla"

See MG3 A1 Holy Blossom

See MG2 G1C - Edumund Scheuer's Zionist Free School

Saarbrücken City Archives - May have records pertaining to Edmund's brother Gabriel Scheuer (1844-1922) who remained in Germany.

Arrangement

The textual records have been arranged in chronological order into five files. The objects have been described as one file. The fifty-eight photographs have been described as two files and thirty-nine items arranged chronologically

Accession Number

1989-4-2

2004-7-1

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Julius P. Katz fonds

General correspondence series

Level

File

Fonds

55

Series

3

File

1

Material Format

textual record

Date

1919

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

The file consists of a postcard written in Hebrew addressed to Mr. S. Goldman.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ben Kayfetz fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

62

Material Format

multiple media

Date

1919-2001

Physical Description

93 cm of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Benjamin Gershon Kayfetz was born on December 24, 1916 in Toronto, graduating from the University of Toronto in 1939, with a B.A. in modern languages. Between the years 1941 and 1943, he worked as a high school teacher in Huntsville and Niagara Falls. In 1943, he joined the war effort, working for the Department of National Defense in Postal Censorship and was responsible for reviewing prisoner of war mail. After the war, Kayfetz traveled to British Occupied Germany where he worked as a censor of telecommunications with the Control Commission until 1947.

Upon returning to Toronto, he was hired as the National Director of Community Relations by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), and as the Executive (National) Director of the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC), a CJC - B'nai B'rith cooperative organization. He also served as the Central Region Executive Director of the CJC between 1973 and 1978. During his tenure, he worked with various churches, unions and minority groups to develop anti-discrimination laws and for the protection of minority and religious rights. Kayfetz was also actively involved in promoting the welfare of Jewish Communities worldwide, and made visits to Cuba in 1962 and 1965, and Russia in 1985, to study and report on the state of these Jewish Communities. After his retirement in 1985, he was awarded the Samuel Bronfman Medal by the Canadian Jewish Congress. In recognition of his efforts to promote Human Rights, he was also awarded the Order of Canada in 1986.

In addition to his professional activities, Kayfetz wrote articles for various Jewish publications under both his own name and the pseudonym, Gershon B. Newman, and gave a weekly radio address on CHIN radio addressing various contemporary Jewish issues. He was also actively involved in the Toronto Jewish Historical Society (serving as its president), Canadian Jewish Historical Society and Yiddish Luncheon Circle. Ben Kayfetz died in 2002.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of materials produced or acquired by Ben Kayfetz in both his personal and professional capacity. It includes biographical materials, minutes, correspondence, recorded CJC and JCRC meetings, memorabilia, transcripts and recorded versions of CHIN radio broadcasts he delivered, as well as various interviews, speeches, articles, book reviews and works he composed. Fonds also consists of minutes, agendas and other records of various Yiddish and historical associations Mr. Kayfetz was involved in.

Notes

Physical Description note: includes 20 photographs, 107 audio cassettes, 1 Beta video cassette and 1 object.

Fonds includes audio tapes 1-5, 7-32, 35-37, 39-42, 44-45, 47-50, 53-56, 58-64, 66-67, 70-85, A1-A5, A7-A9, A12-A14, A16-A20, A23-A28, A30, A32-A38 and A40-A43.

Name Access

Kayfetz, Ben, 1916-2002

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Related Material

Audio tapes AC 246-AC 275 belonged to Ben Kayfetz and are related to this fonds.

Creator

Kayfetz, Ben, 1916-2002

Accession Number

1975-012, 1976-10-4, 1980-12-13, 1982-2-2, 1983-6-2, 1985-4-2, 1987-2-3, 1996-5-4, 1998-3-22, 2000-11-4, 2004-3-1, 2004-5-20, 2006-2-9, 2006-8-4

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Ben Kayfetz fonds

Collected materials series

Level

Series

Fonds

62

Series

3

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

1919-1970

Physical Description

11 cm of textual records

18 photographs

1 object

Scope and Content

Series consists of various materials collected by Ben Kayfetz. It includes various items from Nazi Germany including a Jewish yellow star and number on a badge, Nazi hymn book and a service book of a Nazi Stormtrooper. Among the other materials are photographs of the Bronfman family, World War II enlistment posters, Peretz School Composition books and Jewish Old Folks Home Committee minutes.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Congregation Beth David fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

88

Material Format

multiple media

Date

[ca. 1916]-1996, predominant 1940-1996

Physical Description

38 cm of textual records (9v.) and other material

Admin History/Bio

The Brantford Hebrew Association, Congregation Beth David’s precursor, was founded in 1907 when Rabbi Backer officiated Brantford’s first public Jewish religious service in an upper hall on George Street. Services had previously taken place in the homes of Jewish families, who had begun settling in the area around the turn of the century. By 1911, services had moved to the old Conservative Hall at Dalhousie and King Street. In 1915, the congregation purchased a building at 33 Palace Street and remodeled it into a synagogue. This building was also used as a community centre and for the Congregation’s Hebrew school.

On October 13th, 1911 the congregation was incorporated, and the following year it purchased land for a cemetery in the northeast corner of Mount Hope Cemetery. Due to increasing membership, a new synagogue was built at 50 Waterloo Street in 1948. In January 1950, the congregation changed its name to Beth David in honour of member David Axler, who died during the Second World War while training as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The congregation was at its peak in the 1960s with 150 member families. However, membership drastically fell after the children of this generation moved to larger cities and their parents followed after retirement. By 1999, only 28 families remained as members and services were reduced to being held on the High Holidays and special occasions, such as, b'nai mitzvah. Dwindling resources and membership forced the congregation to close around 2001. Throughout its existence, over 30 rabbis served the congregation, including Rabbi Saul Wolfe Gringorten (ca. 1910-1923). Its cemetery continues to be looked after by Allan Norris, a past president of the congregation.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the acitivities, religious programs and services, membership, and finances of Congregation Beth David, as well as the recognition and honours awarded by and to Brantford's Jewish community. Included are meeting minutes, photographs, plaques, a key, a marriage register, general ledgers, ledgers and lists of membership dues and receipts, audited financial statements, budgets, correspondece, bulletins, office stationary, newsclippings, certificates, library book cards, bookplates, rabbi contracts, and surveys.

Fonds has been arranged into the following six series: 1. Meetings ; 2. Religious programs and services; 3. Finances & accounting ; 4. Administrative functions ; 5. Bulletins ; and, 6. Events.

Notes

Includes 10 microfiches of textual records, 5 architectural drawings, 11 photographs (4 negatives), 3 plaques, 1 mounted letter and 1 key.

Fonds was reduced from ca. 1 metre to ca. 45 cm. See accession 2001-10-3 for further information about the culled material.

Name Access

Congregation Beth David (Brantford, Ont.)

Subjects

Architecture

Communities

Synagogues

Physical Condition

The binding on some of the general ledgers is fragile and coming apart. They have been stored flat to reduce any strain.

The architectural drawings have some tears and should be flattened.

Related Material

Please see the Sadie Stren fonds 78 for other records documenting Brantford's Jewish community and the Beth David Congregation, including the synagogue's original letters of incorporation.

For other photographs documenting Congregation Beth David, see: accesssion 1976-6-5 (photo # 1133); accession 1976-6-6 (photos # 1138, 1137, 1136); accession 1976-6-13; accession 1986-2-2 (photos #3593-3595, 3856, 3889-3894), photo #918; and, photo #578.

For records related to Beth David's namesake, David Axler, and photographs of its cemetery, please see accession #2004-5-71.

For records of Rabbi Gringorten, see accession #2009-2-5 and 2008-11-3

For additional records related to Brantford families and other Jewish organizations, such as the Hadassah chapter and B'nai Brith lodge, please see accession #2001-10-3; MG 2J29a, #2009-7-1, 1978-11-4, 1977-8-16, 1992-8-3, 1980-1-14, 1978-1-2, 2008-7-1, photo# 109, photo# 755, and photo #758.

Arrangement

Fonds is arranged to the file-level, but only described to the series-level. Three file-level descriptions exist for files attached directly to the fonds. Photographs with existing item-level descriptions were also attached to the fonds.

Creator

Congregation Beth David (Brantford, Ont.)

Places

Brantford (Ont.)

Accession Number

2001-10-3

1978-11-4

1981-12-2 / MG3 B16

1976-6-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

92

Material Format

multiple media

Date

1914-1993

Physical Description

1.2 m of textual records (2 v.) and other material

Admin History/Bio

Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902-1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, insurance salesman, and journalist. He was also active in various Jewish organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. He is well-remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a “champion of the people," committed to social justice, the plight of the working class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.

J. B. was born in Lagow, Poland on November 5, 1902 to Abraham and Sarah-Gittel Salsberg. Abraham immigrated to Toronto in 1910 and J. B. followed with his mother and two younger sisters in 1913. They settled at 73 Cecil Street. Abraham and Sarah-Gittel had additional children in Canada: Nathan (b. 1915), Reuven (Bob or Robert, b. 1917), Betty, and Thelma. Abraham worked as a peddler in Toronto.

J. B. briefly attended Landsdowne Public School, but dropped out around 1916, against his parents' wishes, and took a job in a leather goods factory to contribute to his family’s income. J. B.’s parents had hoped he would become a rabbi and, despite his full-time employment, J.B. continued to study Torah with scholars at the synagogue on Centre Avenue.

In 1917, J. B. decided to pursue the ideas of Zionism and socialism and, abandoning his plans to become a rabbi, became involved in establishing the Young Poale Zion organization, a Labour Zionist youth group dedicated to secular aims. Around 1922, J. B. was made secretary general of the Young Poale Zion of America in New York, where he worked for one year. Shortly after returning to Toronto, he became the organizer for the Hat, Cap, and Millinery Workers Union of North America in Chicago. J. B. married Dora Wilensky in 1927.

In 1926, J. B. joined the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). He was an active member of the CPC for 30 years, serving as the head of its Trade Union Department for two decades. In 1929 he was suspended from the party for one year as a dissenter. In 1932, he became the Southern Ontario District union organizer for the Communist Workers' Unity League.

It was as a member of the CPC that J. B. entered electoral politics. After a series of failed bids in municipal and provincial elections between 1935 and 1937, J. B. was elected alderman of Ward 4 in Toronto in 1938. He only held the position for one year. He was re-elected to this position in 1943, beating out Nathan Phillips, before being elected to the Ontario Legislature as the representative for the St. Andrew riding. J. B. sat as member of provincial parliament for the Labor-Progressive Party (the provincial wing of the CPC) for 12 years. For several years, he was the only elected Communist in North America. As MPP, he helped create legislation banning discrimination in public places and introduced a bill that would ensure fair employment practices in the province. He lost his seat to Allan Grossman in 1955 and unsuccessfully ran in the federal election later that year. Remembered by journalist Gordon Sinclair as “one of the best debaters in the house," J. B. was well-respected by members of all political parties. Out of admiration for J. B., Conservative Premier Leslie Frost named Salsberg Township in Northern Ontario in his honour.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, J. B. had grown increasingly concerned about reports of Soviet antisemitism and privately urged party leaders to pursue the issue. In 1956, when Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev exposed the transgressions of Stalin’s regime, J. B. went to Moscow as part of a CPC delegation. After meeting with Khrushchev himself, it became clear to J. B. that antisemitism was indeed a problem in the USSR and that his efforts to probe the situation were being stonewalled.

J. B. publicly expressed his concerns about Soviet antisemitism in a series of articles published in the Vochenblatt from October 25, 1956 to December 13, 1956. He finally left the Communist Party in 1957. However, he remained a member of the United Jewish People’s Order (UJPO), a Communist Jewish fraternal organization.

Entering the business world, J. B. established the Model Insurance Agency Limited in 1957, where he served as president for several years. In 1959 J. B.’s wife, Dora, passed away. Around this time J. B. also resigned from the UJPO, along with other members who felt the organization needed to be more critical of the Soviet Union. They founded an alternative, non-Communist, left-wing Jewish organization, the New Fraternal Jewish Association, where J. B. served as president for several terms and edited its publication, Fraternally Yours.

In his later life, J. B. was active as an executive member of organizations, such as the CJC and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was the first chairman for the CJC Ontario Region’s Soviet Jewry Committee and the Committee for Yiddish. He also began writing an award-winning weekly column for the Canadian Jewish News. J. B. was awarded the CJC’s Samuel Bronfman Medal for distinguished service, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto’s Ben Sadowski Award of Merit. A strong supporter of Israel, he was involved in the creation of two Israeli medical centres that are named in his honour. He also helped establish the J. B. and Dora Salsberg Fund and the J. B. Salsberg Fund for Yiddish at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. J. B. passed away in 1998.

Custodial History

The records were donated to the OJA in a series of accessions. Material from accessions 1991-5-4 and 1992-9-4 were donated by J. B. Salsberg. The remaining material was donated by his estate after his death.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting J. B. Salsberg's personal, professional and Jewish communal activities. The bulk of the records are textual and relate to his membership in the CPC (later LPP), election campaigns, and Jewish communal work. Included is correspondence; photographs; reports; political writings; certificates; agendas; pamphlets; brochures; booklets; flyers; campaign literature; campaign notes; posters; newspaper clippings; press releases; articles; transcripts; speeches; telegrams; political platforms, briefs and submissions; statements; constitutions; resolutions; newspapers; meeting minutes; bulletins; periodicals; notebooks; notes; course guides and outlines; medallions; pins; plaques; donation receipts; event invitations and programmes; lists; blank employment applications; a school test; a study; a coin; a drawing; a sketch; an audio cassette; and a delegate card.

Records are arranged into the following five series: 1. Personal ; 2. Labour Zionism and union activities ; 3. Political career ; and, 4. Jewish community involvement. There are also four files and one item attached directly to the fonds.

Notes

Physical Description Note: Includes 53 photographs, 7 medallions, 11 pins, 4 posters, 2 plaques, 1 sketch, 1 drawing, 1 audio cassette, 1 desk name plate, and 1 coin.

Physical Extent Note: Fonds was reduced from approximately 7 metres to 1.5 metres. The culled material consisted primarily of published books, periodicals and pamphlets that had been collected by J. B. Salsberg. For further details about what was culled please view the accession records.

Associated Material Note: Queen's University Archive also has a J. B. Salsberg fonds, 14 hours of interview tapes with J. B. Salsberg and records of the UJPO are held by the Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario (MHSO).

Name Access

Salsberg, J. B.,1902-1998

Subjects

Labor leaders

Politicians

Related Material

For additional records in OJA's holdings, see: Ben Kayfetz fonds 62, series 8, file 2 ; accession 2008-11-2 ; accession 2004-1-4 ; and oral histories AC 71 and AC 226.

Creator

Salsberg, Joseph Baruch, 1902-1998

Accession Number

1991-5-4

1992-9-4

1998-2-2

1998-12-5

2004-5-28

2010-4-1

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Jewish community involvement series

Level

Series

Fonds

92

Series

4

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

1914-1993

Physical Description

11 cm of textual records (1 v.) and other material

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting J.B. Salsberg's involvement with various Jewish organizations, including: the I.L. Peretz School, the Canadian Jewish Congress, UJA Federation, the New Fraternal Jewish Association, the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and the Canadian Zionist Federation. Included are medallions, pins, a coin, a poster, certificates, photographs, meeting minutes, a test, booklets, event programmes, a transcript, bulletins, notes, newspaper clippings, articles, reports, newsletters, a brochure, and a flyer.

Notes

Physical description note: includes 17 photographs, 4 pins, 4 medallions, 1 coin, 1 poster, and 1 certificate.

Related Material

For other records documenting the CJC's Committee for Soviet Jewry see also fonds 17, series 3.

For other NFJA records see MG 2B-1P and MG9 ("Fraternally Yours" publications).

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Henry Cassel fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

93

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1900]-2000, predominant 1929-1947

Physical Description

8 cm of textual records

3 albums (ca. 210 photographs)

2 photographs

Admin History/Bio

Heinz Kassel (1912-2009) (later changed to Henry Cassel) was a German refugee during the Second World War who was classified as an enemy alien by the British government. He spent two years in an internment camp for prisoners of war (POWs) in Quebec. He later became a naturalized Canadian citizen and enlisted in the Canadian military.

Heinz was born on October 25, 1912 in Aschaffenburg, Germany to Adolf and Olga Kassel. Adolf owned a successful banking business which he had inherited from his father. The family resided above the bank and lived a comfortable life during these early years. They moved to Frankfurt around 1920 after Adolf sold his business to buy a partnership in a bank there.

Heinz’s parents had hoped that he would one day become a corporate lawyer. In 1931, in preparation for his future career, he began studying law and economics at Frankfurt University. He enjoyed his initial university years. However, after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, he became alarmed when his non-Jewish university friends began ignoring him and when the German government passed laws forbidding Jews from practicing law in court. Determined to leave Germany and seek out a better life elsewhere, he begged his parents to immigrate with him to the United States. They refused to go, unwilling to leave behind the life they had worked so hard to build. In accordance with his parents’ wishes, Heinz relocated to nearby Italy instead of the US in 1934. He learned Italian and eventually secured a job with an engineering firm.

Sensing that the political climate in Italy was becoming dangerous for Jewish people, Heinz applied for immigration to the US in early 1939. Eager to leave Italy, he relocated to London to await the approval of his US visa. He left just in time: Britain declared war on Germany less than a week after his arrival. His parents, in turn, managed to escape to Holland. Soon after Britain’s declaration, all immigrants from enemy countries were considered enemy aliens and suspected of being spies.

On May 12, 1940, the British military arrested Heinz and interned him with other German immigrants and POWs. He believed his detainment was only a precautionary measure and that he would be cleared within a few days. However, the British shipped him to the Isle of Man where he remained for several months. Fearing an invasion, the British shipped 3,000 of the POWs, including Kassel, to Quebec, where he was briefly interned at a POW camp set up at the Plains of Abraham. In October 1940, he was moved with 736 other refugees to an abandoned railway yard (later known as “Camp N”) in Newington, near Sherbrooke, Quebec. While there, he confronted a great deal of antisemitism from the guards.

While he was interned in Quebec, the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) interviewed him and other Jewish prisoners in order to lobby for their release. Realizing that the internees were not POWs, the Canadian government declared the camp a refugee camp in 1941. By October 1942, the CJC was successful in helping Heinz secure employment with Benjamin Pape & Company in Toronto.

Heinz met Reta Freeman in Toronto and they were married in November 1944. Reta was born and raised in Toronto. After their nuptials, they were both briefly classified as enemy aliens and had to report to the RCMP on a regular basis. Shortly thereafter, Heinz enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army and was sent to basic training in Manitoba. On January 21, 1946 he was granted landed immigrant status, and in April of that year, he became a citizen.

After the war, Heinz learned that his parents as well as other relatives had been transported to concentration camps and had not survived. He was certainly one of the few fortunate ones to leave the country, despite the circumstances of his removal. He resented being interned for so long, but did not blame the British for rounding him up with other Germans based on their initial fears regarding enemy aliens. His feelings about Canada's treatment of him during that time, however, were not as sympathetic.

The couple lived their lives in Toronto. They first resided at 2346 Yonge Street. Heinz legally changed his name to Henry Cassel. He worked as an accountant and later was a controller for the United Jewish Welfare Fund. The couple had two children: Andrew (b. 1947) and Richard (b. 1951). Reta passed away in August 1962 and Henry later remarried Esther Cassel. He passed away at the age of 96 on February 15, 2009.

Custodial History

Records were created and accumulated by Henry Cassel. His sons donated them to the OJA after his death.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the life of Henry Cassel, particularly his attempt to emigrate from Europe prior to the Second World War and his internment in Canada as a German prisoner of war (POW). Included is personal correspondence between Cassel and his parents; correspondence written by Cassel to potential employers and Canadian Jewish agencies; legal documents and certificates, such as Cassel's birth certificate and passport; family photo albums documenting the family and lives of Henry Cassel and his wife Reta; Cassel's autobiography; a journal and notebook written by Cassel during his internment; and, other internment records, such as government forms and poems and songs written by internees. Also included are newspaper clippings, articles, financial statements, genealogical research, and antisemitic ephemera collected by Cassel. Of particular note are newsletters that were produced during the 1990s by ex-internees who had kept in touch over the years. Records are arranged into 16 files.

Notes

Textual records in the fonds were reduced from ca. 20 cm to 8 cm. Please see accession record for further details about the culled material.

Associated material notes: for related records at other archives, please see: the UJRA case files at the National CJC Archive in Montreal and the holdings at Library and Archives Canada (such as, the Directorate of Internment Operations series in the Department of National Defense fonds R112-0-2-E)

Name Access

Cassel, Henry, 1912-2009

Subjects

Europe--Emigration and immigration

Prisoners of war

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Related Material

See: Canadian Jewish Congress case files in RG 282 and accession #2005-10-1.

Creator

Cassel, Henry, 1912-2009

Accession Number

2010-4-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Samuel Sachs fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

106

Material Format

textual record

Date

1914-1979

Physical Description

63 cm of textual records

Admin History/Bio

Rabbi Samuel Sachs (1894-1989) was the spiritual leader of Goel Tzedec Synagogue from 1927 to 1946, when the congregation was housed on University Ave.

Rabbi Sachs was born on 1 September 1894 in Vilnius, Lithuania. He was the son of Yehuda Sachs and Reiza Malka Sachs. He had two siblings: sisters Khaya Sachs and Rebecca Sachs.

As a child he attended Radin, one of the classical yeshivas in Lithuania. Coming to the United States, he studied at the Isaac Eichanan Yeshiva and the Jewish Theological Seminary. He received his smicha (rabbinical ordination) in 1916 and in the ensuing ten years served in Brooklyn, Detroit, and Portland, Oregon.

He married Florence "Fayge" Farber (1902-1976) on 24 Oct. 1920 in Detroit, Michigan. Together, they had four children: Judah (Jerry) Raphael Walpert, David Sachs; Mendel Sachs and Elliott Sachs.

In 1927, Sachs moved to Toronto to become the spiritual leader of Goel Tzedec Synagogue.

Notably, Sachs led the deputations to Mayor William Stewart to stop the flaunting of an inflammatory swastika banner during the Christie Pits riot of 1933. The following year, when the Canadian Jewish Congress was reorganized, Sachs joined the public relations committee, which he chaired for a time. He was also active on the Jewish education committee, the German boycott committee and the arbitration committee.

Later, in the war years, he was chairman of the Intra-Jewish Committee — a body which undertook to enforce that Jewish merchants and dealers complied with the wartime restrictions on various supplies and provisions.

He acted as prison chaplain in the 1930s and honorary chaplain to the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War.

He left Toronto in 1946 because of an illness that was removing his voice leaving him unable to perform most of his rabbinical tasks. In California he partially regained this function and carried on certain rabbinical and teaching tasks. He died on 25 April 1989 in Santa Monica at the age of 94.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records created by Rabbi Samuel Sachs. Included are his sermons and related notes on a number of biblical themes, general writings, prayers, speeches, and general correspondence.

Name Access

Sachs, Samuel, 1894-1989

Subjects

Rabbis

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Edelstein family fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

111

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

text

Date

1890-2005

Physical Description

2 m of textual records

30 photographs

4 posters

2 artifacts

12 books

1 CD

Admin History/Bio

Isaac Edelstein (1889-Dec. 1954) was born to Ronya Edelstein (née Silver) ([18--?]-June 1921) and Abraham Edelstein (1846-[19--?]). The family moved to Canada in 1913, arriving in Quebec before settling in Toronto. Isaac, the eldest, had five siblings: Archibald, Bessy, Lilian, Goldie, and Harry. Isaac married Ida (Hebrew name: Chaya) (1898-1978), who immigrated to Canada from Gomel district in Homiel Province, Belarus.

Isaac was a tailor and Ida was a dressmaker. Isaac and Ida had two children: Rony (nickname Renne) Rabassa (b. 4 Jan. 1931) and Albert (nickname Abi) Edelstein (26 Sept. 1925-1 May 2021).

After meeting through shared involvement in Habonim, Albert married Ruth (née Blumenstein) (15 Sept. 1928-30 Mar. 2023) on 2 Jan. 1949. They had 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Albert received vocational training as a watchmaker at Central Technical School, and spent the majority of his career as a retailer, operating a jewelry store with his wife Ruth. He was the president of the District Jewelers Association (1983-1984) and the chairman of the Queen Broadview Business Improvement Area in the 1990s. Ruth and Albert's children were educated in the Jewish day school system. Ruth was involved in the National Council of Jewish Women.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the personal lives of members of the Edelstein family and their communal affiliations.

Name Access

Edelstein (family)

Subjects

Families

Creator

Albert Edelstein

Accession Number

2000-1-1

2000-2-2

2000-3-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Pappenheim family fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

113

Material Format

multiple media

Date

1906-2005

Physical Description

2.0 m of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

Albert Pappenheim (1921-1984) was born to Jonas (1877-1941) and Irma (1881-1941) Pappenheim in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He had three siblings, Ernst (b. 1911), Karla (m. Goldschmidt) (1912-1989), and Ruth (m. Possen) (1915-2010). From 1936-1938, Albert studied at the Jewish Teachers Seminary (ILBA) in Wurzburg, Germany, but his studies were interrupted due to Kristallnacht. Albert was sent to study at a yeshiva in England, but was declared an illegal immigrant with the start of the war and was interned and sent to Canada in 1940. He was interned at Ile aux Noix in Richelieu River in Quebec along with other yeshiva students. Upon his release from the camp, he resumed his rabbinical studies and became a prominent rabbi and community leader in Toronto. He married Rhoda Helen (née Kabatznik) Pappenheim (1925-1987) who was born to Eli and Sarah Kabatznik. Rhoda studied to be a teacher at Toronto Normal School. Albert and Rhoda had a daughter Irma. Albert's sister and brother-in-law Karla and Max Goldschmidt emigrated to Palestine. Sister and brother-in-law Ruth and Leo Possen eventually joined Albert in St. Catharines after the war.

Albert received a BA in Oriental Languages in 1947 and MA in 1949 at the University of Toronto. He also continued his training at Yeshiva Torath Chaim Toronto under Rabbi Abraham Price and took the rabbinic exam in 1949. He led the Congregation B'nai Israel in St. Catharines, Ontario from 1948-1953. In 1953, he moved to Lexington, Kentucky to be the rabbi of Ohava Zion Congregation. While in Lexington, he was also a lecturer at the University of Kentucky in Hebrew and Biblical History. In 1956, he returned to Canada to be the rabbi of Beth David Congregation in Downsview, Toronto. Beth David amalgamated with B'nai Israel Synagogue in 1960 and with Beth Am Congregation in 1977. Albert also served on many rabbinical organizations and committees. He was the Chairman of the Education Committee for the United Synagogues of America, Ontario Region; Secretary of the Rabbinical Assembly, Central Region, Canada; and Chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region. His service and contributions to the rabbinical community was recognized through an honourary doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1975.

Custodial History

The records were donated by Irma Pappenheim, daughter of Albert and Rhoda Pappenheim in three accessions. Some of the letters created and accumulated in researching the Pappenheim family history were in the custody of her aunt Karla.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the life and activities of Rabbi Albert Pappenheim and his family, including genealogical research conducted by his daughter Irma Pappenheim. The majority of records document Albert's activities as a rabbi at B'nai Israel Congregation in St. Catharines, Ontario; Ohava Zion Congregation in Lexington, Kentucky; and Beth David B'nai Israel Beth Am Congregation in Toronto. Records include sermons and related research, newspaper clippings, newsletters, bulletins, scrapbooks, photographs, correspondence, and administrative records. Also included are copies and originals of family correspondence and related material chronologically documenting the Pappenheim family history from the 1930s onwards, including translations. Other records document Albert's personal life and education with some material related to his wife Rhoda and her mother Sarah Kabatznik and include posthumous tributes, letters, and clippings.

Fonds is arranged into six series: 1. Personal, 2. Posthumous material, 3. Sermons and writings, 4. Rabbinical activities and congregational records, 5. Genealogical research 6. Scrapbooks

Notes

Physical Description Note: Includes ca. 250 photographs, 4 scrapbooks, 2 CDs, 3 audiocassettes, 1 audio disc and 1 USB key.

Duplicate copies of genealogical research, sermon notes, and other publications were culled.

Arrangement

Original order was preserved whenever discernible with sermons and writings largely organized into subject files and genealogical research in chronological order.

Creator

Pappenheim (family)

Accession Number

2005-10-1

2017-1-14

2017-8-12

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

138

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

graphic material (electronic)

architectural drawing

philatelic record

sound recording

cartographic material

object

Date

1854-2021

Physical Description

ca. 2.4 m of textual records

ca. 600 photographs : b&w and col. (ca. 90 negatives); 30 x 35 cm or smaller

other material

Admin History/Bio

David Pinkus (1924-2021) was born on May 11, 1924, at the Toronto General Hospital to Isadore Pinkus (1887-1947) and Molly (Mollie) Pinkus (née Parelstein) (1892-1990). Isadore was born in Kiev Gubernia of the Russian Empire; Molly was born in Podolia Gubernia of the Russian Empire and later moved to Ukraine with her family. Isadore and Molly met and married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1910 and moved to Toronto in 1911. The Pinkus family settled in Kensington Market in around 1914 and was one of the first Jewish settlers to the Kensington neighbourhood. David spent his entire life living in the Kensington Market area. He lived on 83 Huron Street until 1927 when the Pinkus family moved to 34 Nassau Street, which has been the house of the Pinkus family ever since. David had two siblings: brother Max and sister Goldie.

In his childhood, David attended the Brunswick Talmud Torah daily and learned Hebrew. He had his bar mitzvah at the Kiever Shul. David attended William Houston School until 1930 and Ryerson Public School until grade eight. Later, he attended Harbord School for high school and was also involved with sports at Harbord Collegiate and YMHA. In 1947, David obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto. After graduation, he worked at Goodyear for one year and returned to the University of Toronto as an instructor of engineering drawing and machine design. Later, he worked at various places such as Canadian Industries Limited in Maitland, Toronto Iron Works, and Avro Aircraft Limited.

David’s father, Isadore, was one of the founders of the Kiever Synagogue. David’s involvement with the Kiever Synagogue started in 1947, following Isadore’s death. David served as president and held positions on the executive of the Kiever Shul and played a principal role in the restoration of the shul. He also served on Toronto’s Board of Health as well as the boards of the Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, and St. Christopher House. In addition, David was an active community leader and local historian. He did genealogical research for many Toronto Jewish families. David had been recognized by the National Jewish Federation of North America as a Jewish community hero in 2011. He passed away on May 6, 2021.

Custodial History

Records received after the death of David Pinkus through Joseph Solomon, the executor of David Pinkus’ estate. Records have been selected by archivists following a site visit at David’s home at 34 Nassau Street, Toronto.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of textual records, graphic material, sound recordings, architectural drawings, artifacts, and a small number of philatelic records, most of which document David Pinkus’ career and personal life, the Pinkus family, the Kiever Shul, the Kiever Cemetery, as well as Mount Sinai Cemetery Association (Mount Sinai Memorial Park) and the Dawes Road Cemeteries (Amalgamated Dawes Road Trustees), of which the Kiever Congregation is a member organization. Also included are documents and photographs of other individuals and families, which David collected for his genealogical research, and those that are pertaining to Kensington Market and other congregations and cemeteries.

Textual records include correspondence; scrapbooks; education records; identification documents; research notes and clippings relating to David’s genealogical research; documents pertaining to his Kensington Market activism and community work; files on David’s engineering career and his role as president of the Kiever Shul; and files documenting the Pinkus family members, such as funeral documents, notebooks, family correspondence, voters’ lists, and records relating to Pinkus Fruit Co. and 34 Nassau Street. Also included are records documenting the Kiever Shul, which include meeting minutes, ledger books, financial documents, legal documents, membership lists and application forms, address books, high holiday service cards, and historic papers dating from the 1920s and 1930s. Textual records documenting the Kiever Cemetery, Mount Sinai Memorial Park, and the Dawes Road Cemeteries are mainly comprised of cemetery maps, burial plot cards, burial record books, by-laws and regulations, and meeting minutes. Also present are records pertaining to other congregations and cemeteries, such as constitution books, brochures, booklets, and copies of legal documents.

Photographs mainly feature David Pinkus and the Kiever Cemetery, with a small number featuring the Pinkus family members, the Junction Synagogue (Congregation Knesseth Israel), the Great Choral Synagogue of Kyiv, and those that David collected for his genealogical research.

Architectural drawings of this fonds include the restoration and renovation plan for the Kiever Shul and the alteration plan for Mount Sinai Cemetery Administration Building.

Also present are sound recordings, including cassettes and microcassettes of David Pinkus; and artifacts, including felt patches, pin back buttons, medals, Toronto foot-pedlar registration badges, and a wooden gavel of the Kiever Shul.

Fonds has been arranged into the following series: David Pinkus’ personal records; Kensington Market; David Pinkus’ genealogical research; the Pinkus family; the Kiever Shul; the Kiever Cemetery; Mount Sinai Memorial Park; the Dawes Road Cemeteries; and other associations, congregations, and cemeteries.

Notes

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 22 architectural drawings, 7 maps, 4 audio cassettes, 2 microcassettes, 1 optical disc, 8 drawings, 2 prints, 1 photo collage, 34 pinback buttons, 15 Toronto padler-on-foot registration badges, 8 felt patches, 3 medals, 3 brooches, 1 wooden gavel, 2 tax tokens, 2 postage stamps, 1 sales tax stamp, and 9 revenue stamps.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: Books that were initially included in this fonds have been removed and incorporated into the OJA’s library collection. These books are: Spadina Avenue by Rosemary Donegan with an introduction by Rick Salutin, Toronto No Mean City by Eric Arthur revised by Stephen A. Otto, Canadian Jewish Directory edited by Edmond Y. Lipsitz, The Toronto Jewish Directory, and The Canada Year Book 1905 (second series).

HISTORY/BIO NOTE: Information is sourced from OH 413 and the content of the fonds.

Name Access

Pinkus, David, 1924-2021

Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Mount Sinai Cemetery Association (Toronto, Ont.)

Mount Sinai Memorial Park (Toronto, Ont.)

Dawes Road Cemetery (Toronto, Ont.)

Amalgamated Dawes Road Trustees (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Families

Synagogues

Genealogy

Cemeteries

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

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.

Related Material

See accessions 2004-1-5, 2004-1-6, 2004-2-1, 2008-11-9, 2016-3-48, and 2021-10-1 for additional information on the Kiever Shul; and OH 413 for more information on David Pinkus and the Pinkus family.

Arrangement

Records came into the OJA with no discernible order. Arrangement has been imposed by the archivist.

Creator

Pinkus, David, 1924-2021

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

2021-7-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

David Pinkus' personal records series

Level

Series

Fonds

138

Series

1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

sound recording

object

philatelic record

Date

[ca. 1903]-2021

Physical Description

ca. 50 cm of textual records

ca. 120 photographs : b&w and col. ; 30 x 35 cm or smaller

other material

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting David Pinkus’ career and personal life. In addition to David’s education and employment, many records also provide insight into his active involvement with the Toronto Jewish community as well as his passion for sports and the City of Toronto.

Included are David’s secondary and post-secondary education records, certificates and awards, personal correspondence, invitations, greeting cards, scrapbooks, identification documents, licenses and permits, medical records, financial and insurance records, notes, newspaper clippings, address books, recommendation letters, application forms for jobs, and board appointments. Also included are records relating to his military service during the Second World War; his trips to Israel, Cuba, and the U.S.; and his collaborations with the Ontario Jewish Archives. Records that reflect his personal interests in sports and the Jewish community include historic photographs of sports teams, brochures and newspaper clippings pertaining to the Pavilion of Judaism at Expo 67, artworks featuring Jerusalem and synagogues, notated music of Yiddish-American songs, documents and historic letters in Yiddish and Hebrew, speeches and field-trip workbooks of Toronto’s Jewish community relationship building projects, and miscellaneous material such as personalized Hebrew New Year cards, tickets and promotional material of exhibitions, and the Handbook of Practical Cookery of Toronto Board of Education. Of note is his scrapbooks, which document the City of Toronto and the Ontario Jewish community. The scrapbooks are comprised mainly of photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, postage stamps, wartime ration books, brochures, and historic TTC tickets. This series also contains David’s portraits, photographs featuring him at various events, cassettes and microcassettes, and artifacts of his personal collection such as one brooch, pinback buttons, felt patches, and medals. A small number of pinback buttons and felt patches are part of the scrapbooks.

Notes

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 4 audio cassettes, 2 microcassettes, 2 paintings, 2 prints, 34 pinback buttons, 8 felt patches, 1 brooch, 3 medals, 2 postage stamps, and 9 revenue stamps.

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

The Kiever Shul series

Level

Series

Fonds

138

Series

5

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

graphic material (electronic)

architectural drawing

object

Date

1912-2016

Physical Description

ca. 76 cm of textual records

ca. 150 photographs : b&w and col. (29 negatives) ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller

other material

Admin History/Bio

The Kiever synagogue, also known as the Kiever Shul, is a Modern Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Toronto. It was founded in 1912 by a small congregation of Jewish immigrants from the Kiev Gubernia of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) and formally incorporated in 1914 by the granting of the Letters Patent by the Provincial Secretary. The congregation’s formal name is "The First Russian Congregation of Rodfei Sholem Anshei Kiev." According to the earliest congregational records, Max Bossin was president in 1912. At first, services were held in members’ homes and later in a rented house on Centre Avenue in The Ward. Not being able to afford a rabbi, services were led by members, including Cantor Herschel Litvak.

In 1917, sufficient funds were raised to mortgage a house at 25 Bellevue Avenue on the outskirts of Kensington Market. The congregation relocated there, and the facilities were enlarged in 1921 with the acquisition of a second house. In 1927, a new synagogue, which was built on the site of the two houses and designed by a Jewish architect named Benjamin Swartz in the Byzantine Revival style, was completed to accommodate increasing number of congregants. During the construction from 1924 to 1927, religious services were conducted at the home of Mr. Silverman at 29 Wales Avenue. Equipped with a rabbi and a proper synagogue, the Kiever was able to play a larger role in the Toronto Jewish community. The shul offered Yiddish and bar-mitzvah lessons, a youth minyan led by Fischel Cooper, a credit society, as well as a women’s auxiliary.

Several decades later, the Kiever’s membership declined in the 1950s and 1960s due to demographic changes—Jews began leaving the downtown core for the north end of town. The synagogue building deteriorated. In 1973, the Archives Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region decided to help preserve it, and by 1982, sufficient funds had been raised to restore the building. In 1979, the Kiever Synagogue became the first building of Jewish significance to be designated a historical site by the province of Ontario and has been protected under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since then.

Some of the founders included: Molly and Isadore Pinkus, B. B. Smith, Yehudah Leib "Louis" Bossin, Isaac Mosten, Jake Dubin, Harry Cohen, and Wolf Ganz. The congregation's first and longest-tenured rabbi was Solomon Langner, who served from around 1929 until his death in 1973. Sheldon Steinberg served as rabbi from the time of Langner's death until the mid-1990s. David Pinkus served as president of the Kiever Shul from the late 1970s to 2011. As of 2022, the synagogue president is Adam S. Cohen.

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting the administration and activities of the Kiever Synagogue. Included are financial documents, tax forms, insurance documents, receipts and invoices, the 50th jubilee book, accounting ledger books, address books, membership lists and application forms, printed copies of emails, correspondence, meeting minutes, by-laws and regulations, legal documents, certificates, cemetery deeds, funeral record books, files on construction and restoration, seats arrangement charts, raffle tickets, High Holiday service cards, artworks, and historic papers dating from the 1920s and 1930s. Also included are photographs featuring the Kiever Shul, two architectural drawings, and a wooden gavel.

Notes

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 9 architectural drawings, 1 photo collage, 4 sketches, 2 drawings, 1 wooden gavel, and 1 optical disc that contains 225 MB photographs.

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

The Kiever Shul series

Record books (part 1 of 2) file

Level

File

Fonds

138

Series

5

File

63

Material Format

textual record

Date

[ca. 1919]-[ca. 1988]

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of a record book of the Kiever Synagogue. Record entries were written in Hebrew, documenting individuals’ names followed by dates. The record book also contains phone numbers as well as names and addresses written in English. The content of the record book was arranged by month. Also included are notes written on loose-leaf paper.

Notes

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: The use of this record book needs further identification.

ARRANGEMENT NOTE: The notes written on loose-leaf paper may or may not be relating to this record book. They were arranged into this file because they have been kept together with the record book.

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

The Kiever Cemetery series

Level

Series

Fonds

138

Series

6

Material Format

textual record

architectural drawing

graphic material

Date

1919-2016

Physical Description

ca. 27 cm of textual records

76 photographs : col. (27 negatives) ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller

1 architectural drawing

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting the cemeteries of the Kiever Synagogue located at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and the Dawes Road Cemeteries. Included are cemetery plot maps, cemetery record books, burial plot cards, occupant location lists, statements, financial documents, meeting minutes, correspondence, legal documents, photographs, and architectural drawings.

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

David Pinkus fonds

Other societies and cemeteries series

Level

Series

Fonds

138

Series

9

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1914-2006

Physical Description

5 cm of textual records

66 photographs : b&w and col. ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller

Scope and Content

Series consists of records relating to other societies and cemeteries, which David Pinkus collected for research or out of personal interest. Included are photographs, constitution handbooks, booklets and brochures, bulletins, printed copies of newspaper clippings and legal documents, magazines, correspondence, prayers, and articles.

Societies and cemeteries being documented are: Pardes Shalom Cemetery, Sunnyside Cemetery Association, Holy Blossom Religious School, the First Narayever Congregation, Adath Israel Congregation, Beach Hebrew Institute, Pride of Israel Congregation, Beth Tzedec Congregation, the Junction Synagogue (Congregation Knesseth Israel), the Hebrew Men of England Synagogue, Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am, Emunah Shleima Synagogue, Beth El (Windsor, ON), Shaar Hashomayim (Windsor, ON), Or Shalom (London, ON), the Great Choral Synagogue (Kyiv, Ukraine), Kollel Kovno and Kollel Beth Israel (New York, U.S.), Achdut Ha-avoda Poale Zion Toronto, the Lizzies Old Timers Association, Steeles College Memorial Chapel, St. Michael’s Hospital, Talmud Torah Eitz Chaim, Baycrest, and Herzl Zion Club.

Source

Archival Descriptions