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

Henry Cassel fonds

Level

File

Fonds

93

File

5

Material Format

textual record

Date

1921-2000, predominant 1935-1939

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of correspondence and legal records documenting Henry Cassel's emigration from Germany and attempt to immigrate to the United States of America. Included is Henry's passport, nationality identification card, birth certificates, driving certificates, USA immigration sponsorship application, correspondence regarding his application to enter the USA, criminal background checks, a citizenship visa for Italy, and a registration card indicating Henry's place of employment. Also included are newspaper clippings that were collected by Henry regarding the Jewish community of Ferrara, Italy (a region that Henry had travelled through).

Notes

Photocopies of some Italian and German records with translated titles are attached to the accession record.

Access Restriction

Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.

Accession Number

2010-4-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Level

Series

Fonds

103

Series

1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

[192-?]-1993

Physical Description

1.5 m of textual records

35 photographs

Admin History/Bio

The Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel, originally called the Canadian Federation of Polish Jews (CFPJ), was established in 1933 to assist Jews in Poland who were victims of anti-Semitism as expressed in economic boycotts and political discrimination. The CFPJ provided political action and advocacy on behalf of Polish Jews, as well as social help, moral strength and material support. It was a constituent member of the World Federation of Polish Jews, established in 1935, which provided relief and economic assistance to Jews in Poland, and coordinated the assistance given to Jewish communal organizations in Poland. In addition, the CFPJ assisted Canadian landsmanshaften (mutual benefit societies) which were giving support to those communities from which their members had emigrated.

In 1939, following the outbreak of the Second World War, the CFPJ was among those Canadian Jewish organizations which founded the United Jewish Refugee and War Relief Agencies, the purpose of which was to assist in the war effort and to aid war victims. At the conclusion of the war, the UJRWR was renamed the United Jewish Relief Agencies, with an aim to assist refugees in their effort to settle in Canada.

The scope and mandate of the CFPJ has changed over time as new challenges and projects have emerged. In January 1950, its activities expanded to include building homes in Israel for Polish Jewish immigrants, providing local relief to newly arrived Polish Jewish immigrants in Canada, locating relatives and providing legal advice on matters related to passports and visas, contributing to and participating in memorials honouring lost Jewish communities, and maintaining contact with its sister Farbands across the world.

In December 1951, the name of the organization was officially changed to Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel, and as of March 1953, its priorities had shifted to focus increasingly on providing support to Israel.

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting the activities of the Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel. Many records provide insight into the relief efforts carried out to assist Jews in Poland and Israel. Included are meeting minutes, agendas, reports, correspondence, speeches, newspaper articles, financial records, conference material, a ledger book, posters and invitations, membership and donation lists, scrapbooks, leaflets, photographs of important events, letters of appeal, visa and identification applications, property claims applications, and letters from individuals requesting aid.

Name Access

Canadian Federation of Polish Jews

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel

Subjects

Jews--Israel

Jews, Polish

Access Restriction

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

Places

Israel

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

148

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

[1940?]-1952, predominant 1946-1947

Physical Description

56 cm of textual records

Admin History/Bio

Founded in 1924, the Ostrowtzer Hilfs Farein was a landsmanshaft society named after the town of Ostrowiec in Poland. Initially a function of the Ostrovtzer Shul, the society’s mission was to provide support to Ostrovtzers who had immigrated to Toronto, offering small loans and medical assistance and fostering a sense of community. The society began with thirty-eight members, offering assistance to Ostrovtzers arriving in Toronto. Over a decade, membership grew to one hundred, enabling the society to hire a doctor for medical services.

While immigration policies and the outbreak of war slowed membership growth, it surged again with the arrival of Holocaust survivors. Postwar, the Ostrowtzer Society extended relief and aid to refugees in displacement camps, Europe, and Israel. Around this time, it became known as the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee.

In 1946, the society organized a landmark conference in Toronto, leading to the formation of the Central Committee of Ostrowtzer Hilfs Fareinen in North and South America. Max Hartstone served as the committee's executive secretary.

The society expanded its reach, creating a young men's branch and evolving into the Ostrovtzer Independent Mutual Benefit Society. In recent years, it has provided support for Israel, the Baycrest Foundation, UJA Federation, and more. It also owns cemetery land, ensuring that each of its members receives a proper Jewish burial. The society also established an endowment fund through the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto.

Custodial History

The records were donated by Nancy Freeman, Max Hartstone’s daughter, on 17 October 2017. A subsequent donation was made on 19 April 2022. Nancy recalls that the letters, received by her father Max Hartstone in his capacity as secretary of the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee, were stored in large bakery boxes in their garage.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the activities of the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee. The fonds primarily contains correspondence from other Ostrovtzer societies and Holocaust survivors from Ostrowiec, Poland, located throughout North and South America, Europe, and Palestine. Photographs are included with some of the correspondence. Other materials include minutes, notices of meetings, financial records, invitations, events memorabilia, speeches, and newspaper clippings. The materials document the efforts of the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee, in collaboration with Ostrovtzer societies worldwide, to provide assistance and support to Holocaust survivors from Ostrowiec. These records also offer insight into the immediate, postwar experiences of Holocaust survivors

The fonds is arranged into five series. The series are: 1. Letters from individuals; 2. Letters from organizations; 3. Administrative; 4. Events; and 5. Newspaper clippings.

Name Access

Hartstone, Max, 1907-1982

Subjects

Fraternal organizations

Holocaust survivors

Jews--Poland

Access Restriction

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

Repro Restriction

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Physical Condition

Some of the textual records are fragile and are enclosed in plastic.

Arrangement

Nancy Freeman had bundled the correspondence upon donation; however, given that there did not appear to be a specific order to the bundles, the archivist rearranged the materials to improve accessibility.

Creator

United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee

Places

Ostrowiec (Sokolów Podlaski, Poland)

Accession Number

2017-10-5

2022-4-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds

Letters from organizations series

Level

Series

Fonds

148

Series

2

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1945-1950

Physical Description

10 cm of textual records

1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 6 cm

Scope and Content

Series consists of correspondence and related documents from Ostrovtzer societies in North and South America, Europe, and Palestine, as well as other organizations collaborating with Ostrovtzer societies to provide aid to Holocaust survivors from Ostrowiec, Poland. A photograph is included with one of the letters. Materials were created between 1945 and 1950 and document the activities of the various organizations, including efforts to assist with immigration, distribution of financial and material aid, coordination with other organizations, conference planning, and other relief activities. The materials also provide insights into the post-war challenges faced by the Ostrovtzer community.

Series is arranged into eighteen sub-series: Aid Society of Landsleyt from Ostrowiec; American ORT Foundation; Beth Yehudah Center; Canadian Federation for Polish Jews; Canadian Jewish Congress; Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin; Committee of Ostrowtzers in Italy; District Committee, Ostrowiec; Eargun Yozei Ostrowceh in Palestine; Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada; Ostrovtzer Aid Committee in Costa Rica; Ostrovtzer Aid Society Michigan; Ostrovtzer Friendship Association; Ostrowiec Aid Society of Chicago; Ostrowiec Mutual Aid Committee in Paris; Ostrowtzer Committee in Munich; Ostrowtzer Relief Committee Los Angeles; and Ostrowtzer Relief Committee New York.

Arrangement

The archivist imposed an alphabetical order on the sub-series within the series.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds

Letters from individuals series

Level

Series

Fonds

148

Series

1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

[194-?]-1949, 1952

Physical Description

26 cm of textual records

5 photograhs

Scope and Content

Series consists of correspondence, photographs, and related documents from Holocaust survivors from Ostrowiec, Poland, and other various individuals living in North and South America, Europe, and Palestine. The letters were primarily sent to Max Hartstone in his capacity as secretary for the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee and included requests for financial and material aid, assistance with immigration, and requests to locate friends and family. Materials were created between 1940 and 1952, with the majority being produced between 1946 and 1947. They document the immediate postwar experiences of survivors from Ostrowiec and the ongoing challenges they faced in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Arrangement

The files within the series are arranged alphabetically first, by surname of the letter writer, and chronologically second.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

116

Material Format

textual record

Date

1946-1950

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of correspondence regarding French relief efforts.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

118

Material Format

textual record

Date

1947-1949, 1958

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of copies of blank passport questionnaires, letters, disbursement lists, and correspondence regarding visa and passport forms for Polish Jews to enter Canada.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

124

Material Format

textual record

Date

1948-1949, 1956, 1978

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of correspondence certifying Jewishness, related to relief efforts.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

125

Material Format

textual record

Date

1948-1949, 1956, 1978

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

133

Material Format

textual record

Date

1946-1949, 1953

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of correspondence with the Polish Legation, Consular Division in Ottawa regarding financial aid, documentation, and claiming property, and an invitation to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising events. The division is now known as the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

147

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1952

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 4 cm

Scope and Content

File consists of a portrait photograph and correspondence regarding relief in Israel.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

148

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1953

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 7 cm

Scope and Content

File consists of a photograph, gift certificates, and correspondence regarding relief in Israel.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

149

Material Format

textual record

Date

1954

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

170

Material Format

textual record

Date

1950-1954

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of lists and correspondence regarding packages sent for relief in Israel. The contributions sent in 1950 were for Pesach and Hanukkah. The contributions sent in 1954 (5715) were for Rosh Hashanah.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

171

Material Format

textual record

Date

1955-1959

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of lists of contribution recipients and correspondence regarding packages sent for relief in Israel. The contributions sent in 1955 (5715) and 1959 (5719) were for Pesach.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds

Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series

Level

File

Fonds

103

Series

1

File

173

Material Format

textual record

Date

[195-]-[196-]

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of correspondence regarding packages sent for relief in Israel. The contributions sent in 1950 were for Pesach and Hanukkah. The contributions sent in 1954 (5715) were for Rosh Hashanah. The contributions sent in 1955 (5715) and 1959 (5719) were for Pesach.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Philip Givens fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

51

Material Format

multiple media

Date

[192-]-1990

Physical Description

1.35 metres of textual records (20 vols.) and other material

Admin History/Bio

Philip (Phil) Gerald Givens, QC, (1922–1995) was a Canadian politician, judge, police commissioner, and active Jewish communal leader. He is is largely remembered as the fifty-fourth mayor of Toronto.

Phil Givens was born in Toronto, the only son of Hyman and Mary Gevertz (Gewercz). As a youth, he attended Harbord Collegiate and graduated from the University of Toronto in political science and economics in 1945. In 1947, he married the former Minnie “Min” Rubin. They had two children together: Eleanor and Michael.

Givens graduated as a lawyer from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1949; however, shortly thereafter, he decided to enter politics, running as a municipal school board trustee in 1950. In 1951, he was elected as alderman for Ward 5, serving in this capacity until 1960, when he was subsequently elected as a controller.

Givens was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1962.

Following the sudden death of Mayor David Summerville in 1963, Givens was appointed by City Council as the mayor of Toronto and was officially elected to the position in 1964, winning a close race against Allan Lamport. As mayor, Givens was automatically a member of the Metropolitan Toronto Executive and Council, the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission, the Consumer’s Gas Company Executive, the Toronto Hydro Commission and the governing boards of Toronto’s major hospitals.

Givens was publicly seen as an affable and populist mayor, but his tenure was not without controversy. His support for the construction of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts and his decision to acquire Henry Moore’s bronze sculpture The Archer for the new Nathan Phillips Square were both highly controversial during his term in office. In particular, the Moore sculpture sparked intense controversy and public debate amongst council members and citizens alike, because traditional and representational public art pieces were the norm in Toronto at the time and The Archer sculpture was considered expensive, bold, and unrelatable. The controversy surrounding the statue’s purchase was still partly to blame for Givens’ 1966 election defeat to William Dennison. Ultimately, the sculpture was purchased with privately solicited donations and has become one of Toronto’s beloved and recognized landmarks.

Givens ran for the House of Commons of Canada in the 1957 and 1958 federal elections but was defeated in his bid to become member of Parliament for Spadina. In 1967, Givens entered national politics for the second time, winning a seat as a Liberal in Toronto’s York West riding. In 1971, he stepped down before the end of his term to campaign for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Again, running under the Liberal banner, Givens won his seat in York-Forest Hill. In the 1975 provincial election, he was re-elected as a member of Provincial Parliament in the Armourdale constituency.

In 1977, Givens retired from politics and was appointed as a provincial court judge and chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission, serving in both capacities until 1985, when he left the Commission but continued in the judiciary as a civil trial judge until officially retired from public life in 1988.

In addition to his political career, Givens also worked briefly as a current affairs commentator for local radio broadcaster CHUM 1050 AM.

Givens was an ardent Zionist and a prominent leader of several Jewish communal organizations. He was the founder and first president of the Upper Canada Lodge of B’nai Brith and sat on the executives of the Canadian Jewish Congress, the United Jewish Welfare Fund, the Talmud Torah Eitz Chaim, the Zionist Organization of Canada, the Toronto Zionist Council, Jewish National Fund, State of Israel Bonds, and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He was chair of the United Israel Appeal-Israel Emergency Fund in 1967 and the United Jewish Appeal-Israel Special Fund in 1968. From 1973 to 1985, he was the national president of the Canadian Zionist Federation. In the 1990s, he served as the national chairman of the Committee for Yiddish of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Givens was the honouree of the Jewish National Fund’s Negev Dinner in 1968. He received the Human Relations Award from the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews in 1969 and the Award of Honour from the Toronto Regional Council of B’nai Brith in 1972.

Givens was also known to be a passionate sailor and was a member of both the Royal Canadian and the Island Yacht Clubs in Toronto.

Custodial History

The records were in the possession of Phil Givens until they were donated to the Archives in September 1990 by his wife.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the personal, professional and communal activities of Phil Givens. The bulk of the material is graphic and most of the photographs relate to his tenure as Mayor of Toronto and to his Jewish communal work. The records also include general correspondence, speeches, campaign material, scrapbooks, cartoons, certificates and awards, biographical writings, audio and visual materials and artifacts. The records have been arranged into nine series representing Givens’ various roles and activities and have been described to the file level and item level when necessary. These series are: 1. Personal life; 2. City of Toronto Alderman; 3. City of Toronto Controller; 4. City of Toronto Mayor; 5. Metropolitan Toronto Police Commissioner; 6. Provincial politics; 7. National politics; 8. Legal career; 9. Jewish communal service.

Notes

Physical Description Note: Includes ca. 915 photographs, 14 drawings, 1 print, 1 presentation piece, 27 objects, 4 DVD’s, 4 videocassettes and 1 audiocassette.

Physical Extent Note: Fonds was reduced from 5.5 m of records to 2.6 m of records. Please see accession record for further details regarding the records that were culled.

General Note: Previously cited as MG6 B

Associated material note: City of Toronto Archives: “Philip Givens fonds” (fonds 1301) and Series 363, Sub-series 2 “Mayor' Office journals” (fonds 200). Library and Archives Canada: “Correspondence and subjects” series (R4942-1-1-E) in the Stuart E. Rosenberg fonds (R4942-0-X-E); Henry S. Rosenberg fonds (R3946-0-9-E); Jewish National Fund of Canada fonds (R4347-0-1-E), “Subject series: Givens, Judge Philip G. – Toronto” (R4347-7-4-E); “Correspondence, memoranda, minutes, reports” series (MG31-H67), Zdzislaw Przygoda fonds (R6257-0-0-E) [Sir Casimir Gzowski monument committee records –chaired by Phil Givens]; B'nai Brith Canada fonds (R6348-0-9-E); Canadian Zionist Federation fonds (R9377-0-6-E).

Name Access

Givens, Phillip, 1922-1995

Givens (nee Rubin), Min

Subjects

Law

Politicians

Related Material

See Fonds 2: Benjamin Dunkelman fonds

See Fonds 18: Gordon Mendly fonds

See Fonds 28: Zionist Organization of Canada fonds

See Fonds 37: Gilbert Studios fonds (Negev dinners series, Zionist Building series, Portraits series).

Creator

Givens, Philip, 1922-1995

Accession Number

1990-9-7

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

United Jewish Relief Agencies, Toronto (UJRA) series

Level

Series

Fonds

17

Series

4

Material Format

textual record

Date

1938-1974

Physical Description

6 m of textual records

Admin History/Bio

The United Jewish Refugee and War Relief Agencies (UJR&WRA) was formed on October 26, 1939 with the assistance of Samuel Bronfman. It was spurred by the persecution of Jews in Europe. In 1938 Canadian Jewish Congress had formed the Canadian Coordinating Committee for Refugees. This committee was extended in 1939 to form the UJR&WRA, joining with the Canadian Organization for Rehabilitation through Training (ORT Federation), the Federation of Polish Jews, the Jewish Peoples’ Relief Committee, and the Joint Distribution Committee. The UJR&WRA facilitated the entry into Canada of as many refugees as possible and provided assistance to those admitted. After the war came a massive effort to assist the millions of Displaced Persons in Europe, as the UJR&WRA provided food, medical care and rehabilitation services and assisted people emigrating to Israel and Canada. Following the war, the name of the organization was changed to the United Jewish Relief Agencies (UJRA).

The UJRA operated as “an arm of Congress,” sharing a President and Director, submitting its budget to Congress’s Executive Committee, yet remaining an autonomous arms-length agency since its function was to oversee organizations rather than carry out the actual work, as other Congress committees did. Its role in the 1940s and 1950s was to coordinate the myriad agencies in Ontario involved in immigrant assistance, including the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Jewish Vocational Service, Jewish Child and Family Service, Mothers and Babes Rest Home, Young Men’s Hebrew Association, and United Restitution Organization. Though many of its committees were temporary in nature, others, such as the Loan Committee (whose cases were later taken over by the Toronto Jewish Free Loan Cassa), evolved into bodies that became independent of Congress but continued to carry out their functions.

In 1967 the UJRA was incorporated with recognized status as a charitable organization whose main purpose was relief of poverty. By this time the organization's aid activities in Israel were extensive, including support for homes for the aged, technical and vocational training for newcomers, and hospitals. In Canada, UJRA continued to provide assistance to new immigrants, including the continuing loan program. A national Board of Directors worked in tandem with a committee of Canadians in Israel to manage, control and supervise the UJRA's activities and projects.

Scope and Content

Series consists of administrative and committee records of the United Jewish Relief Agencies in Toronto, spanning the years 1938 through 1974. Records include minutes, correspondence, reports, case files, agendas, notices of meetings, subject files, lists, and administrative forms. The series is arranged into 12 sub-series: 1-CJC Committee for Refugees (the precursor to UJRA); 2-Executive Committee; 3-Administrative and subject files; 4-Administrative committees; 5-Housing Committee; 6-Loan Committee; 7-European Youth Scholarship Committee; 8-Collections Committee; 9-Committee on Deportations; 10-Restitution Claims Committee; 11-Refugee case files; and 12-Immigration and Location Service case files.

Access Restriction

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

Arrangement

The series has been re-arranged by the archivist from former Record Groups 201, 286, 292, 293, 294, 295 and 296.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

United Jewish Relief Agencies, Toronto (UJRA) series

Immigration and Location Service case files sub-series

Level

Sub-series

Fonds

17

Series

4-12

Material Format

textual record

Date

1941-1951, predominant 1947-1949

Physical Description

96 cm of textual records

Scope and Content

Sub-series contains communication case files on immigrants and their sponsors, maintained by the Immigration and Location Service of UJRA. The files date from 1941 to 1951, but most were created in the years right after the war. The records document the interaction between social services agencies and sponsors in the process of locating missing relatives and facilitating the immigration to Canada of known relatives. Records include incoming and outgoing letters, memoranda and telegrams exchanged between the UJRA, sponsoring individuals in Ontario, and Jewish aid organizations such as: the American Joint Distribution Committee in its various European centres; the United Service for New Americans in the United States; the World Jewish Congress; and others. They reflect the administrative process of being a sponsor. Sponsors agreed to keep and support their relatives upon their arrival, but some letters reflect their reluctance, or inability, to provide any aid beyond that. For a short time in 1947, Displaced Persons were admitted regardless of their relationship to their sponsor, but beginning in September 1947, permits were limited to first-degree relatives only. Having employment lined up in Canada was only sufficient where special projects existed: for farmers, miners, lumbermen and D.P.s in camps in Germany and Austria.

Some thicker files document transactions over a period of time; some contain forms such as the letter of authorization granted by the American Joint Distribution Committee; and some letters outline the case history of immigrants, telling their story. The majority of files, however, have just one or two letters dealing with the common administrative activities of the UJRA: dealing with the entrance of relatives, in terms of asking an individual to be a sponsor, passing along messages from the Joint Distribution Committee overseas, or being a go-between to locate sponsors and give them information and instructions. Many letters pertain to the requirement that sponsors pay the travel expenses of their immigrating relatives, or pay for administrative fees for the application process. UJRA in Canada also helped the United Service for New Americans in New York City to locate refugees or those who moved to Canada after their arrival.

The files in this sub-subseries are arranged as they were by UJRA, in alphabetical order by sponsor surname.

Notes

This sub-series is composed of former RG 294, which was separated into case files and administrative files.

Access Restriction

Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.

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

Julius P. Katz fonds

Scrapbooks and newsclippings series

Level

File

Fonds

55

Series

7

File

4

Material Format

textual record

Date

1941-1951

Physical Description

3 cm of textual records

Scope and Content

This file consists of a scrapbook with newspaper clippings and letters in English, Yiddish and Polish of a personal interest to Katz. Included are: articles and letters written by Katz (including a "Thank you, Canada " letter); announcements, articles and letters from various organizations (e.g. Ezrath Torah Fund, Mizrachi, National Conference for Israel and for Jewish Rehabilitation, Jewish Congress, JIAS, Jewish National Fund, Yeshivath Torah Vodaath and Mesivta); lists for the election of delegates (Orthodox, Social Service and Philanthropic) to the 5th Plenary Session of the Canadian Jewish Congress; an article concerning a Memorial Service for martyrs of the Warsaw Ghetto; condolence notices; Rosh Hashanah greetings and a letter in Polish form the Consulate of the Republic of Poland. Also included is a pressed leaf.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Bella Diamant fonds

Level

Item

Fonds

117

Item

16

Material Format

textual record

Date

[after 1947]

Physical Description

1 letter

Scope and Content

Item is a letter written in Polish and sent by an unknown author after the war, possibly from Germany. It is queried whether the letter may have been sent to Bella's sister Esther but ended up in Bella's possession. Included is a hand-written and typed translation.

Source

Archival Descriptions

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Part Of

Henry Rosenbaum fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

121

Material Format

graphic material

graphic material (electronic)

textual record

Date

1928-2015

Physical Description

247 photographs : b&w and col. (1 negative); 20 x 25 or smaller

13 cm of textual records

Admin History/Bio

Henry "Hanoch" Rosenbaum (1925-2015) was born in Radom, Poland. He was the second youngest of eight children born to Rachel Rosenbaum (née Katz) and Moshe Rosenbaum.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Herny learned the fate of Radom's Jewish civilian population. Two thirds of Radom's Jewish population were victims of mass murder and perished in the extermination camp Treblinka, immediately following the first liquidation of Radom's large ghetto in August 1942. Henry's parents, two siblings, and their families were among the innocent victims murdered during the Holocaust.

Henry Rosenbaum met his wife Bella Rotbard (1925–2012) while living in an Italian DP camp after the war. Although Bella was also from Radom, she did not know the Rosenbaum family. Bella's parents, her sixteen-year-old sister, and four-year-old brother, as well as most of her parents' extended families, were also victims of the Holocaust.

While in Italy, the Joint Distribution Committee funded "mock kibbutzim," preparing Holocaust survivors for immigration to Palestine and kibbutz life. Bella, a one-time member of the secular Jewish youth movement Hashomer Hatzair, believed that she was destined to be a "kibbutznik," a member of a kibbutz.

In 1946, Bella and Henry immigrated to Palestine as part of the Bricha. The Bricha supported the illegal immigration of Holocaust survivor refugees to Palestine. They spent their first few days in Atlit, a British Mandate detainee camp and soon settled on kibbutz. Bella married Henry in 1946 and moved to an apartment in Ramat Gan. During this time Henry served in the IDF’s motor pool.

Henry, Bella, and their young daughter Brenda (b. 1949) immigrated to Toronto in 1952. With the assistance of a relative, Henry gained employment in a print shop sweeping floors. Henry soon advanced to machine operator and in 1961 opened his own print shop, Trio Press Limited.

Bella worked in the garment industry, sewing collars onto shirts and earned her wages through piece work. She continued working in manufacturing up until the birth of her second child Murray (b. 1961).

Henry Rosenbaum was an active life-long member of the Radom Society and served as editor for their quarterly Yiddish and English journal the Voice of Radom.

Custodial History

Material was in possession of Henry Rosenbaum's daughter Brenda Bornstein.

Scope and Content

Fonds illustrates the family history of Henry Rosenbaum and the life he and his wife Bella Rosenbaum rebuilt in Canada. Photographs document: early life in Poland, displaced persons camp in Italy, immigration to Palestine, military service in the Israel Defense Forces, family life in Israel, immigration and settlement in Canada and many milestone events and celebrations in Toronto, Ontario. Additional photographs of the Radom Society in Toronto. The majority of the photographs were assembled in a scrapbook created by their daughter Brenda Bornstein in celebration of her parents' thirtieth wedding anniversary (1976). In addition, there is a more comprehensive biography written by Henry and Bella's son-in-law Eric Bornstein.

Fonds consists of records relating to Henry Rosenbaum and his affiliation with B’nai Radom. Included are programs and souvenir booklets from the 1962 unveiling of a monument in memory of the Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of Radom and Vicinity (Poland), annual Holocaust remembrance (Yizkor) events published in 1987 and 2010; and a 50th Anniversary of Liberation publication. Books include a Yiddish language bound copy of the Voice of Radom from 1963-1965, an English language bound copy of the Voice of Radom 1983–1989 and Henry Rosenbaum’s personal memoir published in 1995. In addition, there are eight photographs of Henry's great-grandchildren, and a photo of Henry with his daughter Brenda.In addition there is a collection of speeches written by Henry Rosenbaum primarily for family milestone events such as weddings, birthdays, bar mtizvahs, and bat mitzvahs. In addition there is a copy of a presentation made to the Radom Congregation on the occasion of Israel's twenty-fifth year of independence, a Hebrew-language letter of congratulations, and several personal letters written by Murray Rosenbaum (the latter are addressed to his parents while travelling to Israel and Europe). The personal speeches written and delivered by Henry were in honour of the following relatives: Rivi Anklewicz, Marshall Lofchick, Murray Rosenbaum, Elana Aizic, Regina Goldstein, Brenda Rosenbaum, Eric "Ricky" Bornstein, Murray Severin, Robin Severin-Weingort, Rachel Bornstein, Susan Szainwald, Daniel Bornstein, Sholom Rosenbaum, Bella Rosenbaum, Linda Goldstein, and Leon Aizic.

Subjects

Holocaust survivors

Creator

Rosenbaum, Henry, 1925-2015

Places

Poland

Italy

Palestine

Israel

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

2015-10-5

2017-2-13

2019-7-1

Source

Archival Descriptions