Part Of
Julius P. Katz fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 55; Series 2; File 33
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Julius P. Katz fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
55
Series
2
File
33
Material Format
textual record
Date
1940-1943
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
This file consists of communication from the Canadian Jewish Congress. Included are: receipt for an ad in the Daily Hebrew Journal (1942), announcements of an upcoming lecture and list of lectures from the Institute of Jewish Studies (1940, 1942), periodical devoted to Jewish affairs (1942, in Polish), a poster published by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, packet of ribbons with the insignia "I support United Jewish Welfare" (1942-1943), newspaper clipping (1942, in Yiddish), solicitation letter from High Rabbinical Jeshivah Sfath Emeth (1942), two wedding invitations (1942), invitation to honour Samuel Bronfman on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday (1941), printed speech presented by Samuel Bronfman, President of CJC (1941), communication with the Canadian Jewish Congress (e.g. announcements of meetings, meeting minutes, call to support the victory loan, a letter in support of the Greek War Relief Fund, a letter reporting vandalism of "Moncatta Library" at University College, London) and a list of delegates to the 5th Plenary Session.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Julius P. Katz fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 55; Series 2; File 176
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Julius P. Katz fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
55
Series
2
File
176
Material Format
textual record
Date
1941-1942
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
This file consists of correspondence between Katz who served as President of the Federation of Polish Jews of Toronto with the head of the Polish Consulate in Montreal.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds
Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 93
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
93
Material Format
textual record
Date
1946-1948
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
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 98
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
98
Material Format
textual record
Date
1946-1948
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
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 109
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
109
Material Format
textual record
Date
[194-?]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of documents most likely related to relief efforts. The documents are in Polish.
Access Restriction
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds
Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 116
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
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 118
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
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 114
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
114
Material Format
textual record
Date
1946-1949
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Notes
Most of the correspondence is typed on American Federation of Polish Jews letterhead.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds
Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 124
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
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 125
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
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 133
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
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hanke Kohn to Max Hartstone file
Level
File
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 86
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hanke Kohn to Max Hartstone file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
86
Material Format
textual record
Date
[1946 or 1947]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Hanke Kohn was from Ostrowiec, Poland. Her parents were Aron and Dyna (née Mincberg). In June 1940, Hanke left Ostrowiec for the Soviet Union, leaving her parents, younger brother, and grandmother behind. She was arrested at the border for crossing illegally and spent six months in prison until Moszek Klajman, whom she later married, arranged her release. They lived in Rowne in the early 1940s. After the war, they returned to Ostrowiec, only to discover that none of Hanke’s family had survived. Hanke and Moszek subsequently relocated to Szczecin, Poland, where they were living in the mid-1940s with their son.
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from Hanke Kohn in Szczecin, Poland, to Max Hartstone. In this letter, Hanke emphasizes her need for assistance, citing her husband's low income. She asks for individual's addresses and about life in America. She also mentions an upcoming letter from the Ostrowtzer Committee in Szcecin. Envelope is included (it is possible this envelope does not belong with this letter as the return address is for Germany). File also includes a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hanke Kohn file
Level
File
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 87
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hanke Kohn file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
87
Material Format
textual record
Date
[1946 or 1947]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Hanke Kohn was from Ostrowiec, Poland. Her parents were Aron and Dyna (née Mincberg). In June 1940, Hanke left Ostrowiec for the Soviet Union, leaving her parents, younger brother, and grandmother behind. She was arrested at the border for crossing illegally and spent six months in prison until Moszek Klajman, whom she later married, arranged her release. They lived in Rowne in the early 1940s. After the war, they returned to Ostrowiec, only to discover that none of Hanke’s family had survived. Hanke and Moszek subsequently relocated to Szczecin, Poland, where they were living in the mid-1940s with their son.
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from Hanke Kohn, in Szczecin, Poland, to an unknown recipient, likely Max Hartstone. In this letter, the Hanke writes about her personal history, her decision to leave Poland in 1940 to go to the Soviet Union, and the challenges she faced, including being arrested at the border. She writes about returning to Ostrowiec after the war and discovering that none of her family had survived. She mentions that she has a fourteenth-month old son and that she and her family are now living in Szczecin. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hanke Kohn to Max Hartstone file
Level
File
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 88
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hanke Kohn to Max Hartstone file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
88
Material Format
textual record
Date
2 Apr. 1947
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Hanke Kohn was from Ostrowiec, Poland. Her parents were Aron and Dyna (née Mincberg). In June 1940, Hanke left Ostrowiec for the Soviet Union, leaving her parents, younger brother, and grandmother behind. She was arrested at the border for crossing illegally and spent six months in prison until Moszek Klajman, whom she later married, arranged her release. They lived in Rowne in the early 1940s. After the war, they returned to Ostrowiec, only to discover that none of Hanke’s family had survived. Hanke and Moszek subsequently relocated to Szczecin, Poland, where they were living in the mid-1940s with their son.
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from Hanke Kohn in Szczecin, Poland, to Max Hartstone, dated 2 April 1947. Hanke expresses her gratitude for the package of clothes sent to her and her son, but conveys her dissapointment about not receiving the ten dollars sent to her. She asks for updates from Max regarding his wife's illness. An envelope with with multiple stamps and postmarks is included. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Notes from unknown senders file
Level
File
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 197
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Notes from unknown senders file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
197
Material Format
textual record
Date
[194-?]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of notes and letters sent by various unknown individuals in Europe and Palestine to unknown recipients, likely Max Hartstone and the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Notes from unknown senders file
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 197; Item 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Notes from unknown senders file
Level
Item
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
197
Item
1
Material Format
textual record
Date
4 Nov. 1946
Physical Description
1 letter
Scope and Content
Item is a letter from an unknown author in Palestine to family members. In this letter, the writer discusses their experience moving to Palestine, including difficulties finding employment and accommodation. They write at length about a child left behind in Poland and requests assistance to retrieve the child. The writer also provides updates on family members and acquaintances in Palestine. The writer sends greetings and requests a response to their letter. A typed translation is included.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Notes from unknown senders file
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 197; Item 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Notes from unknown senders file
Level
Item
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
197
Item
2
Material Format
textual record
Date
[194-?]
Physical Description
1 note
Scope and Content
Item is a note which lists the names and biographical information for a number of Ostrovtzers. The writer of this note is unknown. A typed translation is included.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Philip Givens fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 51
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
ID
Fonds 17; Series 4
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
ID
Fonds 42
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
ID
Fonds 55; Series 7; File 4
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
Fonds
ID
Fonds 117
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
117
Material Format
textual record
graphic material (electronic)
Date
1926-1947
Physical Description
3 cm of textual records
11 photographs : b&w and sepia (tiff)
Admin History/Bio
Bella Diamant (m. Hershenhorn) was the daughter of Moishe and Sarah Diamant. She was born in Ostrowiec (Ostrovietz), Poland and had five siblings: Esther, Chaim Myer, David, Baruch, and Ruth. Bella met her future husband, Samuel Hershenhorn, in Poland. He was the son of Mendel and Miriam Hershenhorn from Drildz. The family arrived in Toronto sometime during the early 1920s; Mendel arriving first followed by Miriam and Samuel. The marriage between Bella and Samuel was arranged by their families and so Bella was sent to Toronto to be with him in 1927. They married on 13 Nov. 1927. Together they had three children: Ruth (Rishie), Esti and Lee. Samuel worked for a slipper and spat manufacturer and then started his own company: The Canadian Spat and Slipper Company. He was a member of the Drildzer Sick Benefit Society. Bella was a housewife. Many of Bella's relatives perished during the Holocaust, including both her parents, her brother David who died with his wife and daughter on a forced march, and her sister Ruth who was murdered by the Nazis alongside her young daughter. Chaim Myer was sent to live with Bella and Samuel in Toronto prior to the onset of the war and therefore survived. Baruch and Esther both survived the Holocaust and eventually moved to New York City.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of letters written to Bella Diamant Hershenhorn from relatives in Poland and Frankfurt. The pre-war letters are from Bella's father Moishe in Poland as well as Bella's siblings and cousins, usually added as additional notes and postscripts onto Moishe's letters. The post-war letters are from Bella's sister Esther and brother Baruch in Frankfurt, who both survived the Holocaust. The letters are written in Yiddish and Polish and have accompanying English translations. Also included are several scanned copies of photographs depicting Bella on the SS Estonia, en route to Canada (ca. 1927), and with various relatives in Poland prior to immigration.
Notes
REPRODUCTION RESTRICTION NOTE: Donor must be notified prior to publication of letters.
Name Access
Hershenhorn, Bella, ca. 1906-1999
Subjects
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Letters
Arrangement
The letters have been arranged chronologically.
Places
Ostrowiec (Sokolów Podlaski, Poland)
Toronto (Ont.)
Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
Accession Number
2016-12-44
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 117; Item 14
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
117
Item
14
Material Format
textual record
Date
3 Feb. 1947
Physical Description
1 letter
Scope and Content
Item is a letter sent to Bella Hershenhorn in Toronto from her sister, Esther with greetings from an unknown author. There is a typed and handwritten translation of the letter.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 117; Item 13
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
117
Item
13
Material Format
textual record
Date
3 Aug. 1945
Physical Description
1 letter
Scope and Content
Item is a letter written in Polish, sent to Bella Hershenhorn from her sister Esther, who is living in a DP camp in Bergen. Included is a hand-written and typed translation.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Refugee camps
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 117; Item 15
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
117
Item
15
Material Format
textual record
Date
30 Jan. 1947
Physical Description
1 letter
Scope and Content
Item is a letter, written on one side in Yiddish, sent to Bella Hershenhorn from her brother Baruch in Frankfurt. On the reverse side is a letter to Bella in Polish from her sister Esther with greetings from Leir Gooshen. Included is a hand-written and typed translation.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 117; Item 16
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
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 117; Item 27
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
117
Item
27
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
Date
[1940?]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (tiff) ; 228 MB
Scope and Content
This item is a scanned photograph of Yeheskel Borenstein son of Ovadya and Ruth Borenstein. Included is a scan of the recto and verso of the photograph. Written on the back in Polish are the dates (19 March 1938 and 11 October 1942) with the name Yeheskel Borenstein son of Ovadya and Ruth.
Notes
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Digitization of the original photograph was done by the OJA Archivist. A master tiff file and a jpg access copy were made.
Subjects
Holocaust victims
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Henry Rosenbaum fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 121
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
Part Of
Henry Cassel fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 93
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
Henry Cassel fonds
Level
File
ID
Fonds 93; File 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
Maurice Solway fonds
Level
File
ID
Fonds 13; File 5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Maurice Solway fonds
Level
File
Fonds
13
File
5
Material Format
textual record
Date
1919-1988
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
The correspondence includes reflections upon music, personal and professional recommendations and several personal letters of thanks. Most of these are originals but a few photocopies are included. The correspondents in this file include: Fanny Gottesman, Luigi von Kunits, Eugène Ysaÿe, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Henrietta Wilkinson, Grace Lerner, Lionel De May, Joseph Gingold, Nathan Milstein, Stephen Fry, Dorothy Soichet and [Theresa Mc-?].
Notes
Much of the content of one of the photocopies is unclear, perhaps having been made from a particularly fragile original, and has been kept at the end of the folder, out of sequence with the other pieces of correspondence.
Arrangement
The records in this file are arranged chronologically.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Maurice Solway fonds
Level
File
ID
Fonds 13; File 7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Maurice Solway fonds
Level
File
Fonds
13
File
7
Material Format
textual record
Date
1927-1989
Physical Description
3 cm of textual records
Scope and Content
A number of articles in magazines and loose clippings were donated in both of the Solway accessions. These are kept with the original accessions in two folders. Included in accession # 1988-10-9 are six articles relating to Maurice Solway's career in professional music. Included in accession # 1991-3-3 are a number of original and copied articles, including a photocopy of the European magazine review of Solway's debut as a soloist from 1927, several reviews in CBC publications, various loose articles and published magazines containing articles about or by Maurice Solway.
Arrangement
These articles are arranged in chronological order within their respective folders.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1
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
ID
Fonds 148
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
ID
Fonds 148; Series 2
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 organizations series
Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin sub-series
Level
Sub-series
ID
Fonds 148; Series 2-6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from organizations series
Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin sub-series
Level
Sub-series
Fonds
148
Series
2-6
Material Format
textual record
Date
1946-1947
Physical Description
2 folders of textual records
Admin History/Bio
The Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin, likely founded after the end of the Second World War, served as a representative body for Ostrovtzer Jews residing in Poland. Legitimized through the Central Committee of Polish Jews in Warsaw, it primarily represented Ostrovtzer Jews who returned from the Soviet Union and were residing in Szczecin, Lower Silesia, Lódz, and Warsaw.
Functioning as a liaison between the Ostrovtzer community in Poland and North American Ostrovtzer societies, the committee played a key role in soliciting aid. They sought assistance, particularly in the form of money and clothing, to support the Ostrovtzer Jews living in Poland. Additionally, the committee acted as a conduit for communication by passing on letters written by Ostrovtzers. The committee also engaged in advertising to help locate and unite friends and family.
Scope and Content
Sub-series consists of correspondence documenting the activities of the Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin during the post-Second World War period, specifically focusing on their efforts to solicit aid and support for the Jewish community in Szczecin and Lower Silesia.
Places
Poland
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from organizations series
Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin sub-series
Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin and personal correspondence file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
2-6
File
1
Material Format
textual record
Date
1946
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence regarding the formation of the Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin. File also includes a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Organizations series
Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin sub-series
Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin and personal correspondence file
Level
Item
Fonds
148
Series
2-6
File
1
Item
2
Material Format
textual record
Date
6 Nov. 1946
Physical Description
1 letter
Scope and Content
Item is a note from the Provincial Committee of Polish Jews in Szczecin, dated 6 November 1946. This note certifies the organization of the Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin and lists the names of the members.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from organizations series
Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin sub-series
Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin and Hanke Kohn correspondence file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
2-6
File
2
Material Format
textual record
Date
1947
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence from the Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin and from Hanke Kohn. Envelope is included. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Organizations series
Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin sub-series
Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin and Hanke Kohn correspondence file
Level
Item
Fonds
148
Series
2-6
File
2
Item
2
Material Format
textual record
Date
[1947]
Physical Description
1 letter
Admin History/Bio
Hanke Kohn was from Ostrowiec, Poland. Her parents were Aron and Dyna (née Mincberg). In June 1940, Hanke left Ostrowiec for the Soviet Union, leaving her parents, younger brother, and grandmother behind. She was arrested at the border for crossing illegally and spent six months in prison until Moszek Klajman, whom she later married, arranged her release. They lived in Rowne in the early 1940s. After the war, they returned to Ostrowiec, only to discover that none of Hanke’s family had survived. Hanke and Moszek subsequently relocated to Szczecin, Poland where they were living in the mid-1940s with their son.
Scope and Content
Item is a letter from Hanke Kohn in Szczecin, Poland to Max Hartstone. In this letter, Hanke expresses her disappointment at not receiving a response to her letter and seeks an explanation for the lack of communication. She writes about needing someone to talk to and asks to hear from Max's father.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Organizations series
Committee of Ostrowtzer Jews in Szczecin sub-series
Committee of Ostrovtzer Jews in Szczecin and personal correspondence file
Level
Item
Fonds
148
Series
2-6
File
1
Item
4
Material Format
textual record
Date
19 Oct. 1946
Physical Description
1 letter
Admin History/Bio
Hanke Kohn was from Ostrowiec, Poland. Her parents were Aron and Dyna (née Mincberg). In June 1940, Hanke left Ostrowiec for the Soviet Union, leaving her parents, younger brother, and grandmother behind. She was arrested at the border for crossing illegally and spent six months in prison until Moszek Klajman, whom she later married, arranged her release. They lived in Rowne in the early 1940s. After the war, they returned to Ostrowiec, only to discover that none of Hanke’s family had survived. Hanke and Moszek subsequently relocated to Szczecin, Poland where they were living in the mid-1940s with their son.
Scope and Content
Item is a letter from Hanke Kohn in Szczecin, Poland, to Max Hartstone, dated 19 October 1946. In this letter, Hanke introduces herself as the daughter of Aron and Dyna, expressing her desire to connect with Ostrovtzers in Toronto who remember her. She mentions finding no one left from her family upon returning from Russia. She also mentions her husband Moszek Klajman and their one-year-old son.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from individuals series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1
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
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Ròzia and Sola Blumels to Max Hartstone and the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
19
Material Format
textual record
Date
[1946]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Ròzia (b. 1925) and Sola Blumels were sisters born in Ostrowiec, Poland, to Jacob Moishe and Freyde Blumels. In 1946, they were living in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) displaced persons camp in Bari, Italy, and later emigrated to Palestine in December 1946 aboard the SS Four Freedoms. Before settling in Holon, Palestine, they spent some time in the Rehovot hospital. They had two other sisters, Eva and Hana, who were living in Sweden in the mid-1940s.
Scope and Content
File consists of a short letter from Ròzia and Sola Blumels in Bari, Italy, to Max Hartstone and the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee. The writers express their gratitude for the committee's help in reuniting them with their sisters, Eva and Hana. They also provide a brief update about their current situation. Enevelope is included. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Ròzia and Sola Blumels to Max Hartstone and the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
20
Material Format
textual record
Date
[1947]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Ròzia (b. 1925) and Sola Blumels were sisters born in Ostrowiec, Poland, to Jacob Moishe and Freyde Blumels. In 1946 they were living in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) displaced persons camp in Bari, Italy and later emigrated to Palestine in December 1946 aboard the SS Four Freedoms. Before settling in Holon, Palestine, they spent some time in the Rehovot hospital. They had two other sisters, Eva and Hana, who were living in Sweden in the mid-1940s.
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from Ròzia and Sola Blumels in Holon, Palestine, to Max Hartstone and the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee. The writers express their gratitude for money received and provide an update on their current situation, including recent health problems. They also pass on greetings from their sisters in Sweden. An envelope with multiple stamps and postmarks is included. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Josef Fachler to Max Hartstone and the United Ostrovzer Hilfs Committee file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
37
Material Format
textual record
Date
23 Aug. 1947
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Josef Fachler was from Ostrowiec, Poland, and was living in Munich, Germany, in the mid-1940s.
Records exists for a Josef Fachler (b. 1915) from Ostrowiec who emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife Belia (née Finkelstein) in January 1952.
Scope and Content
File consists of a short letter from Josef Fachler in Munich, Germany, to Max Hartstone and the United Ostrovtzer Hilfs Committee. In this letter, Josef asks for help locating his cousin Nusyn David Fachler. Envelope is included. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from the Frydrych brothers to Max Hartstone and the United Ostrowizer Hilfs Committee file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
44
Material Format
textual record
Date
23 Jun. 1946
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Moses (b. 1905), Issacher “Sucher” Frydrych (b. 1914), and Dawid (b. 1923 or 1925) were born in Bedzin, Poland, to Icek and Perla (née Neuman). The brothers were imprisoned in the Bergen-Belsen camp during the Holocaust, and in 1945 were taken to a hospital in Sweden. They were living in Stråtenbo-Aspeboda, Sweden in the mid-1940s, and according to a letter from Dawid Marmselstein, immigrated to Palestine in early 1947.
Alternate spellings of their surname include Friedrich, Fridrickh, and Fridrich.
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from the Frydrych brothers, Moses, Issauchar "Sucher," and David, in Stråtenbo-Aspeboda, Sweden, to the United Ostrowizer Hilfs Committee, dated 23 June 1946. The brothers write that they are living in a camp for convalescents, the conditions of which are very bad. They described their ongoing struggles with hunger, illness, and the lack of support from the local Jewish community. They enclose clippings depicting executions in Ostrowiec during the war. Envelope is included. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Abram Szlama Grosman and Shmuel Grossman correspondence file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
55
Material Format
textual record
Date
1946
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence from Abram Szlama Grosman and Shmuel Grossman in Munich, Germany, to Max Hartstone. Envelopes are included. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Abram Szlama Grosman and Shmuel Grossman correspondence file
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 55; Item 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Abram Szlama Grosman and Shmuel Grossman correspondence file
Level
Item
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
55
Item
2
Material Format
textual record
Date
10 Sep. 1946
Physical Description
1 letter and 1 envelope
Admin History/Bio
Shmuel Grossman was likely from Ostrowiec, Poland, and was living in Munich in the mid-1940s.
An alternate spelling of his first name is Samuel.
Scope and Content
Item is a letter from Shmuel Grossman in Munich, Germany, to Max Hartstone and family, dated 10 September 1946. In this letter, Shmuel expresses his disappointment at not having received any letters from Max for over three months. He asks Max to write to him and mentions that he hasn't heard from his uncle Samuel in over two months and asks Max to get in touch with him.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hilary Grossman to Max Hartstone file
Level
File
ID
Fonds 148; Series 1; File 63
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Letters from Individuals series
Letter from Hilary Grossman to Max Hartstone file
Level
File
Fonds
148
Series
1
File
63
Material Format
textual record
Date
23 Oct. 1946
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Hilary Grossman (b.1922) was born in Ostowiec, Poland, to Saloman and Balbina (née Haberfeld). Before the Holocaust, he worked as a cook. He was taken to Dachau in 1944 and, after the war, was living in the Feldafing displace persons camp in Germany.
Scope and Content
File consists of a letter from Hilary Grossman, in Feldafing, Germany, to Max Hartstone, dated 23 October 1946. In this letter, Hilary advises that he, with his wife and child, are experiencing very difficult conditions and receive very little help from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). He requests assistance and provides his family's birthdates for immigration paperwork. An envelope is included, though it is possible that this envelope does not belong with this letter as the return address is different from the writer's name and address. File also contains a typed translation.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Source
Archival Descriptions