- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Dual Allegiance series
- Second World War album file
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 6
- File
- 100
- Item
- 1
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [May 1945]
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a photograph of Major Ben Dunkelman standing alongside an unknown soldier. They were billeted at a former German work camp in Doorn, Holland, which the Queen's Own Rifles liberated on May 7, 1945. Soldiers set up the camp to reference local landmarks in Cabbagetown, a neighbourhood in Toronto. There is sign behind them that reads: The Greatest Little Place in Canada, Cabbage Town.
- Subjects
- Soldiers--Canada
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Related Material
- Library and Archives Canada Canadian Army Newsreel, No. 88 features the camp. The film has been digitized and can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28ZkB4UX3BU
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 2
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1898, [192-?]-1997
- Physical Description
- 80 cm of textual records and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- Benjamin Dunkelman (1913–1997) was a successful businessman and president of Tip Top Tailors. He had a distinguished military career in both the Canadian Army during the Second World War and in the Haganah during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
- Benjamin was born in Toronto to David Dunkelman (1883–1978) and Rose (née Miller, 1889–1949). He had three sisters and two brothers: Joseph, a movie executive; Ernest, a manufacturer; Zelda; Veronica; and Theodora. His father, David, was a successful entrepreneur who established Tip Top Tailors in 1910. Both David and his wife Rose were fervent Zionists.
- Benjamin attended Upper Canada College and, at the age of eighteen, visited Palestine for the first time. While in Palestine, he worked for a year on a kibbutz, mostly as a guard. During the Second World War, he served as a major in the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada; as major, he gained respect for his knowledge of mortars. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1945 for his role in the final Allied assault on Germany. Two years later, Benjamin returned to Palestine to join the Haganah in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. As a commander, he captured Nazareth and brought northern Galilee under Jewish control. Near the end of the war, he met and married Yael Lifshitz (m. Dunkelman), a corporal in the Israeli army. Benjamin was elected national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada in 1977.
- In addition to his work as a soldier, Benjamin was a successful businessman. He served as president of Tip Top Tailors after his father stepped down; he was also director of Colonial Finance Corporation, president of Cloverdale Shopping Centre, and president of Renforth Developments. Besides operating the Dunkelman Gallery, Benjamin and his wife, Yael, ran the Constellation Hotel and Dunkelman’s Restaurant.
- Dunkelman later wrote of his experiences in both wars in his autobiography "Dual Allegiance" (published by MacMIllan). As well as the DSO, Dunkelman was awarded the Fighter’s Decoration of the State of Israel (1970), and an Israel Bonds Award Dinner in Tribute to Ben Dunkelman (1977). He was a guest of honour both at a reception hosted by the Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science and the veterans of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (1976) and at a 7th Brigade Reunion in Israel (1991).
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records documenting Benjamin Dunkelman's personal, business, and military activities. Included is personal and business correspondence and other records, maps, photographs, news clippings, and scrapbooks assembled by Dunkelman. The bulk of the records relate both to Dunkelman’s autobiography Dual allegiance and to his military career in the Second World War and in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Other records relate to his business work with Tip Top Tailors, the Constellation Hotel, Dunkelman’s Restaurant, and the Dunkelman Gallery, as well as to his Zionist actvities, his writing and public speeches, and his personal life.
- The fonds is organized into the following series: Personal records and correspondence, Zionist materials, Businesses, Second World War, Arab-Israeli War, Dual Allegiance, and Speeches.
- Notes
- Physical description note: Includes 218 photographs, 60 maps, 7 postcards, 5 architectural drawings, and 3 albums.
- Associated material note: see the Ben Dunkelman fonds at Library and Archives Canada.
- Name Access
- Dunkelman, Benjamin, 1913-1997
- Subjects
- Authors
- Israel-Arab War, 1948-1949
- World War, 1939-1945
- Related Material
- See fonds #39 (Rose Dunkelman fonds).
- Creator
- Dunkelman, Benjamin, 1913-1997
- Accession Number
- 2000-3-4
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Personal series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- [192-?]-1995
- Physical Description
- 10 cm of textual records
- 43 photographs
- 2 postcards
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records documenting Ben Dunkelman’s family/private life and such hobbies as yachting and travel. Included are photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, invitations, certificates, speeches, a travel diary, a passport, and a scrapbook. The series is made up of two sub-series: 1. David and Rose Dunkelman (including biographies of those in the Dunkelman family) and 2. Theodora Dunkelman (Ben Dunkelman’s sister).
- Name Access
- Dunkelman, David, 1883-1978 (subject)
- Dunkelman, Rose, 1889-1949 (subject)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Zionist series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Date
- 1927-1996
- Physical Description
- 6 cm of textual records
- 2 photographs
- 4 postcards : b&w and col. ; 9 x 14 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Dunkelman, like his parents, was an active Zionist throughout his life. As a young man from 1930-1931, he lived in Israel and later fought in the Arab-Israeli War. Following the war in 1948-49, he wrote articles, kept correspondence, encouraged investment, and gave speeches in support of Israel. He was also on the executive committee of Israel Speaks, an American publication, and was a member of the Zionist Organization of Canada (ZOC). In 1976, Dunkelman agreed to be the deputy president of the ZOC’s Charitable Fund.
- Scope and Content
- The series consists of records documenting Ben Dunkelman's Zionist activities. Included are legal papers, photographs, correspondence, articles and newspaper clippings.
- Notes
- Herb Mowat was a Canadian Zionist who maintained a correspondence with Dunkelman during the 1950s and 1960s. Dunkelman acquired some of his records.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Second World War series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 4
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date
- 1942-1995
- Physical Description
- 6 cm of textual records and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- During the Second World War, Dunkelman served as a major in the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. After enlisting in 1940, he became a platoon commander. Dunkelman took part in the second wave of D-Day landings in 1944 and later assisted in the final Allied assault on Germany, earning the Distinguished Service Order. He left the army in 1945 after the war had ended. The Queen's Own Rifles Association and the Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science organized a reception in 1976 to honour the publication of Dunkelman's autobiography, Dual Allegiance.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records documenting Ben Dunkelman's involvement in the Second World War. Included are newspaper clippings, maps, photographs, and correspondence. Some files deal with Dunkelman's experiences during the war; others relate to Dunkelman's relationship with veterans after the war and, in one case, with his memories of the war. The files cover such subjects as The Queen's Own Rifles, Veterans, the liberation of The Netherlands, Aubrey Cosens (a soldier under Dunkelman’s command who was killed in battle but later honoured with the Victoria Cross), and the prosecution of Nazi war criminals.
- Notes
- Physical description: Includes 85 photographs, 1 album, and 10 maps.
- Name Access
- Cosens, Aubrey, 1921-1945 (subject)
- Subjects
- Canada--Armed Forces
- World War, 1939-1945
- Related Material
- See fonds 2, series 6 for more information on Dunkelman's involvement in the Second World War.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date
- 1943-1991
- Physical Description
- 15 cm of textual records
- 28 photographs
- 20 maps
- Admin History/Bio
- Dunkelman joined the Machal (foreign fighters for Israel) in 1948 at the onset of the First Arab-Israeli War and was active in helping the fledgling Israeli Army break out of Jerusalem and find a road to Tel Aviv. The Burma Road—named after a Second World War Burma supply route—was a makeshift route from Jerusalem to Tel-Aviv. Israeli soldiers, including Dunkelman, drove a convoy at night along a little-used route to reconnect the two cities. Later in the war, commanding the 7th Brigade, he captured Nazareth and northern Galilee. After Dunkelman had left the Israel Defense Forces in 1949 to seek work as a businessman, he kept in contact with the armed forces of Israel through such organizations as the Jewish War Veterans of Canada, the 7th Brigade Veterans Fund, American Veterans of Israel, the Association of Jewish War Veterans, and the Mahal Association.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of reports, clippings, correspondence, photographs, and maps and documents recording Ben Dunkelman's involvement in the First Arab-Israeli War. The series branches into the following topics in this order: Machal; the 7th Brigade; Operation Hiram; Operation Dekel; the Burma Road; the Israel Defence Forces; a Profile of Ben Dunkelman; and Arab-Israeli War veterans.
- Subjects
- Israel-Arab War, 1948-1949
- Physical Condition
- Some records are fragile.
- Related Material
- See fonds 2, series 6 for more information on the war. Dunkelman wrote an autobiography, Dual Allegiance, based on his experiences in the First Arab-Israeli War and the Second World War.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Business series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 3
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- architectural drawing
- Date
- 1898, 1941-1988
- Physical Description
- 56 photographs and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- Ben Dunkelman’s involvement in business was wide-ranging. He served as president of Tip Top Tailors after his father and as president of Cloverdale Shopping Centre. Along with his wife, Yael, he also opened the Dunkelman Gallery for modern art and Dunkelman's restaurant.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of photographs, correspondence, pamphlets and papers documenting Benjamin Dunkelman’s business activities. The files are organized into three sub-series: Tip-Top Tailors, Constellation Hotel, and Dunkelman Gallery.
- Notes
- Physical description: Includes 6 cm of textual records, 5 architectural drawings, and 1 postcard.
- Subjects
- Business
- Physical Condition
- Most photographs are warped.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Personal series
- David and Rose Dunkelman sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- [192-?]-1991
- Physical Description
- 5 cm of textual records
- 3 photographs
- Admin History/Bio
- Rose and David Dunkelman, Benjamin Dunkelman's parents, were staunch supporters of Toronto's Zionist community. David was a leader of the Zionist Organization of Canada for more than 50 years, while Rose was publisher and first managing editor of the Jewish Standard, a Toronto-based Zionist magazine she founded with her husband. In addition, she was the first vice-president of the Hadassah Organization of Canada and president of the Hadassah Organization of Ontario. Both fervently supported Zionist projects.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of photographs, clippings, obituaries, correspondence and biographical information in connection with Rose, David and Ben Dunkelman. The sub-series contains a pamphlet from the Toronto Zionist Council in 1957 celebrating the council’s 50th anniversary and praising Rose Dunkelman. There are also copies of articles about Rose Dunkelman by H.M. Kaiserman and Meyer W. Weisgal.
- Name Access
- Dunkelman, Rose, 1889-1949
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Personal series
- Theodora Dunkelman sub-series sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-2
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- [192-?]-Nov. 1953
- Physical Description
- 3 folders of textual records
- 26 photographs
- 2 postcards
- Admin History/Bio
- Theodora Dunkelman, one of Ben Dunkelman’s three sisters, was an actress who obtained her bachelor's degree in fine arts and drama from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1946. She died in 1947.
- Custodial History
- Ben Dunkelman acquired some of his sister's records after her death.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of four files of photographs, clippings, brochures and documents. It includes a scrapbook containing clippings and brochures about Theodora Dunkelman’s acting performances and her sister Zelda’s marriage to Morton Harrison Wilner. Other clippings in a separate folder refer to the Theodora Dunkelman Training Workshops which were established in her honour in 1950 at Hadassim, the Canadian Hadassah’s Children’s Village in Israel. A final folder contains Theodora Dunkelman’s bachelor’s degree.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Travel sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-6
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date
- 1931-1975
- Physical Description
- 2 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Following the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-49, Ben Dunkelman frequently travelled to Israel for pleasure as well as for business. Although he once went leopard hunting in Africa, Dunkelman usually visited the Middle East or the United States when outside Canada.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series contains maps, a passport, a 1953 travel diary and some correspondence. The records relate to Benjamin Dunkelman’s travels to Israel. The sub-series includes files for Dunkelman’s passport and his travel maps.
- Subjects
- Israel
- Travel
- Creator
- Dunkelman, Benjamin
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Correspondence sub-series sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-5
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1948-1995
- Physical Description
- 2 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Dunkelman maintained private correspondence with a wide variety of friends, from well-known people such as composer Leonard Bernstein, former Israeli defence minister Shimon Peres and former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin to his father David, the lawyer Carl Goldenberg and his father-in-law, David Lifshitz. One correspondence is with Fred Johnson, an acquaintance from the end of the Arab-Israeli War. Fred Johnson helped Ben and Yael establish themselves in Israel in the years following the war. Johnson wrote to Dunkelman in 1975 and they resumed correspondence.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series contains 12 files of personal correspondence between Benjamin (and sometimes Yael) Dunkelman and family, friends and acquaintances on such subjects as Ben and Yael's marriage, buying a new apartment, condolences for the death of a friend's mother, Yitzhak Rabin's assassination and a retirement application.
- Subjects
- Letters
- Creator
- Dunkelman, Benjamin
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Recreation sub-series sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-4
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- [196-?]-1978
- Physical Description
- 1 cm of textual records
- 12 photographs : b&w ; 13 x 13 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Ben Dunkelman was an avid yachtsman. As member of Toronto's Island Yacht Club--a Jewish club established in the 1950s--he had his own boat called 'The Dinny' and took part in running the club. Besides being a sailor, Dunkelman was an amateur inventor. The sub-series includes a United States patent for a "walking aid for small children".
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series is made up of six files of correspondence, a hunting story, notes and 12 photographs relating chiefly to Ben Dunkelman’s interest in yachting. The 12 photos are of Ben, Yael and friends yachting. In addition, the sub-series contains Dunkelman's walking aid patent and a letter he wrote to Vintage Grand Touring Automobiles.
- Physical Condition
- Photographs are a little warped.
- Creator
- Dunkelman, Benjamin
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Personal series
- David and Rose Dunkelman sub-series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-1
- File
- 9
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- [195-?]-1996
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- The file emphasizes the importance of the Dunkelman family to Ontario's Jewish community. Ben was a distinguished soldier, a successful businessman and a Zionist; David was founder of Tip Top Tailors and a Zionist leader; and Rose was a Zionist leader, publisher of the Jewish Standard and heavily involved in Hadassah and Youth Aliyah.
- Scope and Content
- File contains biographical information about Benjamin Dunkelman, including entries for himself and his parents Rose and David Dunkelman in the New Encyclopedia of Zionism and Israel, edited by Geoffrey Wigoder.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Honours sub-series sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-7
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- [195-?]-1977
- Physical Description
- 2.25 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- In the latter half of his life, Ben Dunkelman received a variety of honours, mainly for his military achievements in the Second World War and in the Arab-Israeli War.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of honours Dunkelman received for his military efforts in the Second World War and in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-1949. The sub-series includes a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) file that contains information about the British honour and why it was given. It also contains a Testimonial Dinner file relating to a tribute in Toronto attended by Yitshak Rabin in 1978 to honour Dunkelman’s achievements in the Arab-Israeli War, and an Israel Bonds file documenting Dunkelman’s position in 1967 as chairman of the Israel Bonds gala anniversary ball.
- Notes
- The DSO award itself is at the National Archives of Canada.
- Subjects
- Military decorations
- Creator
- Dunkelman, Benjamin
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Zionist series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 2
- File
- 6
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1944-1978
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 3 postcards: col.; 9 x 14 cm
- Custodial History
- Ben Dunkelman acquired some of Herb Mowat's papers after his death.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence related to Herb Mowat. In addition, the file contains brochures, rough letters to the editor, a report, Canadian House of Commons Debates for 1 February 1944 (which contains remarks on Jews in Palestine starting on page 77), clippings, poems and three postcards sent to the Dunkelmans.
- Physical Condition
- Some records are fragile.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Business series
- Tip Top Tailors sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 3-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1898, 1941-1988
- Physical Description
- 4 cm of textual records
- 16 photographs
- Admin History/Bio
- David Dunkelman, Benjamin's father, started Tip Top Tailors in Toronto in 1909, and by 1950 it had become a thriving business, with more than 1000 outlets across the country. During the 1930s, Ben had worked for the company, and following the Arab-Israeli War in 1948-49, he returned to Tip Top. He took over as company CEO in the 1950s until the company was sold to Dylex Ltd. in 1967.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of photographs, correspondence and clippings documenting David and Ben Dunkelman's involvement in the family firm, Tip Top Tailors.
- Name Access
- Tip Top Tailors
- Physical Condition
- Most photographs are warped.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Business series
- Dunkelman Gallery sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 3-3
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1967-[197-?]
- Physical Description
- 3 folders of textual records
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 X 26 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- In 1967, Ben and Yael Dunkelman opened the Dunkelman Gallery near the intersection of Bedford and Bloor streets in Toronto. Intending to provide a forum for contemporary art, the Dunkelmans organized large exhibitions and sculpture shows on the works of such artists as Picasso, Henri, Dubuffet and Davis. The gallery, which ran from 1967 to 1973, championed a variety of art, from the avant-garde to older work by the early Twentieth Century School of Paris painters.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-Series consists of a photograph of Ben Dunkelman and his father at the gallery, a newspaper clipping about the opening of the gallery, and correspondence between Dunkelman and Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek about the possibility of a Picasso museum in Jerusalem.
- Notes
- Associated Material: The Dunkelman Gallery Fonds at the National Archives of Canada consists of 1.5 m of textual and graphic records ranging in date from 1959 to 1979.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Business series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 3
- File
- 1
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1985-1986
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Dunkelman's was a restaurant near the corner of Yonge and St. Clair that Ben and Yael Dunkelman opened in the early 1980s. They provided customers with a Californian-style cuisine.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two favourable reviews of Dunkelman’s restaurant from the Toronto Sun and Avenue magazine.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Business series
- Constellation Hotel sub-series sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 3-2
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- architectural drawing
- Date
- [196-?]-1988
- Physical Description
- 39 photographs and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- Ben Dunkelman and Alex Hacker started the Constellation Hotel near Toronto's international airport in 1962. The hotel, at 900 Dixon Road, is now called the Regal Constellation Hotel.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-Series consists of photographs, architectural drawings and papers relating to the Constellation Hotel. These documents were originally organized in a scrapbook. The sub-series also includes a 1988 Toronto Star article referring to Dunkelman, co-owner Alex Hacker and the Constellation Hotel.
- Notes
- Physical description: Includes 2 folders of textual records, 5 architectural drawings, and 1 postcard.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Dealings with archives sub-series sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1-8
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- [197-?]-1990
- Physical Description
- 1.5 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Benjamin Dunkelman kept records of his contact both with the National Archives of Canada and with the Military (I.D.F) & Defence Establishment Archives in Israel. His correspondence relates to research for his autobiography Dual Allegiance, as well as to his decision to donate records to both Archives.
- Scope and Content
- Sub-Series consists of correspondence with and papers from the National Archives of Canada and the Military (I.D.F.) & Defence Establishment Archives. The National Archives material includes a statement giving Dunkelman permission to reproduce and publish Department of National Defence army negatives, along with inventories of records Dunkelman had donated to the Archives. The National Archives of Canada papers also include correspondence between Dunkelman and National Archives archivist Lawrence Tapper. In addition, the sub-series contains a contract between the National Archives and Dunkelman about a collection of his papers that he donated to the Archives. The Sub-Series includes correspondence and a depositor’s agreement with Israel's Military (I.D.F.) & Defence Establishment Archives.
- Creator
- Dunkelman, Benjamin
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Second World War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 4
- File
- 10
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- Date
- 1986
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 1 album ; 30 x 26 cm
- Admin History/Bio
- Aubrey Cosens served as a sergeant in the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada during the Second World War and was under Dunkelman's command when the Queen's Own were fighting in Germany in 1945. He won the Victoria Cross for his bravery.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence, papers and a newspaper article from the Toronto Sun relating to the 1986 opening of a Latchford, Ontario, bridge in honour of Cosens. Also included is an album containing 31 photographs and textual records relating to the Latchford bridge opening. Dunkelman attended the ceremony and unveiled a commemorative cairn in memory of Cosens.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 11
- Material Format
- textual record
- cartographic material
- Date
- [194-?]-1986
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 2 maps
- Admin History/Bio
- At the beginning of the First Arab-Israeli War in 1948, Arab forces controlled the roads between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where Jewish forces were stationed. Dunkelman assisted in finding an alternative route between the two cities, which was called the Burma Road. Operation Maccabee on 1 May 1948 was a plan to use air strikes against Arab forces in order to assist Jewish convoys travelling along the Burma Road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two copies of a map of a section of the Burma Road, a report on Operation Maccabee, and a 1986 historical article about the Burma Road.
- Related Material
- See fonds 2, series 6 for more information on the Burma Road.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Dual Allegiance series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 6
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date
- [194-?]-1997
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- Ben Dunkelman published his memoirs with MacMillan of Canada in 1976 under the title Dual Allegiance. Although nearly thirty years had passed since his involvement in the Second World War and the First Arab-Israeli War, Dunkelman began researching his memoirs in the 1950s and an early version of the book, Israel Assignment, was finished in 1959. After further research, writing and correspondence with publishers, Dunkelman finally secured publication of the manuscript with MacMillan of Canada under the title Dual Allegiance, which was published in 1976. The response to Dual Allegiance after its publication in November came quickly. MacMillan collected many of the newspaper reviews and sent them to Dunkelman. Ben Dunkelman also wrote several different screenplays based on his autobiography. These range from plot summaries to a full-length screenplay submitted to Charles Greene which includes directions for camera shots.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of correspondence, research notes, novel notes, manuscripts, reviews, film/TV scripts, clippings and publicity material related to Ben Dunkelman’s autobiography, Dual Allegiance, which was published by MacMillan in 1976. The series contains drafts of Israel Assignment. It also contains some correspondence, both between Dunkelman and MacMillan about the book, and from readers commenting on it. The series is organized into several general areas in the following order: research, manuscripts, publicity, correspondence and Film/TV scripts.
- Notes
- Physical description note: Includes 30 maps, 4 photographs, and 2 albums.
- Subjects
- Authors
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Speeches series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 7
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1960-1979
- Physical Description
- 7 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Throughout much of his adult life, Dunkelman wrote and gave speeches in support of Israel. Forums for these talks ranged from synagogues and temples to the Galt Kiwanis Club, the Hadassah-Wizo Organization of Toronto, military reunions, B'Nai Brith and the Detroit Book Fair at that city's Jewish Community Centre.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of speeches delivered and written by Benjamin Dunkelman on subjects such as Canadian Jewry, Machal, Hadassah, Zionism, the Arab League and the Allon Plan. The series includes correspondence related to these speeches, along with notes and brochures.
- Subjects
- Speeches, addresses, etc
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Personal series
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1
- Item
- 1
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [198-?]
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 12 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a formal portrait of Ben Dunkelman.
- Notes
- Photograph is by Leo Hausman.
- Name Access
- Hausman, Leo, 1912-1982
- Subjects
- Portraits
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Physical Condition
- Item is in good condition.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Personal series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 1
- File
- 23
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1931-1940
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Dunkelman received this passport in 1931 and over the next nine years used it to travel to such places as Palestine--when he went to work for a year on a kibbutz--Italy and the United States.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of one Canadian passport.
- Physical Condition
- Passport is in good condition.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Zionist series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 2
- File
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1944-1955
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Custodial History
- Ben Dunkelman acquired some of Herb Mowat's records after Mowat's death.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of essays related to Zionism. The file also includes a letter-to-the-editor Mowat wrote to the Toronto Telegram in 1955 and an article on bridges he first published in 1944.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 1
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1949
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of an article published on 11 February 1949 in The Evening Telegram (Toronto). The author, Margaret Aitken, writes about Dunkelman and another Jew, Maurice Pearlman, who both decided to fight for Israel in the Arab-Israeli War.
- Name Access
- Aitken, Margaret
- Pearlman, Maurice
- Physical Condition
- Record is fragile.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 2
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1948-1966
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of news clippings related to Dunkelman's role in the Arab-Israeli War, and to his brother-in-law, Morton Wilner, who was married to Dunkelman's sister Zelda. The clippings come from such newspapers as The Globe and Mail, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Day-Jewish Journal.
- Name Access
- Wilner, Morton
- Physical Condition
- Records are fragile.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 3
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1973
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of an article photocopied from the Jewish Western Bulletin (4 May 1973). The article relates to Machal volunteers from Vancouver who took part in the Arab-Israeli War.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 4
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1955-1977
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains correspondence mainly between Dunkelman and Araleh Yariv related to the Israeli Military and the Arab-Israeli War. The file also contains one clipping about Yariv.
- Physical Condition
- Some records are fragile.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1979-1984
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of letters between Ben Dunkelman and David Bercuson, as well as a clipping from the Canadian Jewish News related to the Canadian machal. The clipping, written by Sheldon Kirshner, is a review of David Bercuson's new book The Secret Army. The book focuses on the machal and relates to Dunkelman's role in the Arab-Israeli War.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 6
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1966
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of one issue of the Monetary Times from July 1966 containing an article dealing with Canadian Jewish war heroes such as Dunkelman.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 7
- Material Format
- cartographic material
- Date
- 1943-1950
- Physical Description
- 13 maps
- Scope and Content
- File contains maps relating to Dunkelman's activities during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-1949.
- Subjects
- Israel
- Physical Condition
- Some records are fragile.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 8
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1977
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Amnon Rafael was a Tel-Aviv lawyer Dunkelman wrote to concerning his worry that an upcoming book about the 7th Brigade would be inaccurate.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two letters, one from Rafael to Dunkelman about the history of the 7th Brigade, and one from Dunkelman later the same year in reply.
- Related Material
- See fonds 2, series 6 for more information about Dunkelman's concerns regarding inaccurate historical accounts of the 7th Brigade.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 9
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1967-1973
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of clippings from such newspapers as the Jerusalem Post about Dunkelman's involvement in the 7th Brigade during the Arab-Israeli War.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 10
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1949-1973
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains clippings from Israeli newspapers and one magazine about the 7th Brigade. The latter includes a cartoon of Dunkelman.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 12
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1948-1991
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains three items: one nine-page report containing information about the upcoming Operation Dekel, such as the number of enemy forces and organization plans; one letter to Dunkelman from Uri Givon, a researcher studying the 7th Brigade and Operation Dekel; and three pages of notes Dunkelman made in response to this letter.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 13
- Material Format
- cartographic material
- Date
- [196-?]
- Physical Description
- 3 maps
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two photocopied maps of Haifa showing the road to Nazareth, and one photocopied map of Nazareth.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 14
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1956
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a traveller's article by Harry Arvay about Nazareth. The article, called "The Uniqueness of Nazareth", was published in the 27 January 1956 issue of Israel Speaks.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 15
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 8 Nov. 1948
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a photocopied letter from Meyer Weisgal to Rose Dunkelman about Ben's marriage to Yael. The letter refers to the surrender of Nazareth during Operation Dekel, a document Ben had signed.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 16
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1989
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of an article by Eric Margolis in the Toronto Sun dated 16 February 1989. The article refers to Ben Dunkelman's refusal to drive the Arab population out of Nazareth after his conquest of Nazareth during Operation Dekel in 1948.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 17
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1955-1981
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of one magazine clipping and one letter related to Dunkelman's decision to disobey orders to force Arabs out of Nazareth during the Arab-Israeli War. Sherry Kalb translated the article from the magazine Ha-olam Haze for Dunkelman.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 18
- Material Format
- textual record
- cartographic material
- Date
- [194-?]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 2 maps
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two maps and one report. One map is hand-drawn and depicts the plan for Operation Hiram, and one map shows Haifa and part of northern Galilee where Hiram took place. The report is in Hebrew and contains 28 pages.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 19
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1961-1986
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of four articles related to Operation Hiram: one in the magazine Bamahane, two in the magazine Marhot, and one excerpted from the 1986 book Face to Face with the Nazi Enemy. The Bamahane article and the book excerpt contain photographs of Dunkelman.
- Notes
- Mul ha'oyev ha'Nazi (Face to Face with the Nazi Enemy: Fighters Tell their Story) was written by Avraham Ingber, et al. (Tel Aviv: Association of Disabled Veterans of the War with the Nazis, 1986).
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 20
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1949
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File includes copies of two reports Dunkelman submitted to Israeli command in January 1949: four copies of the report dated 3 January 1949 and three copies of the report dated 24 January 1949. The reports suggest changes to the administration of the Israel Defence Forces. In addition, the file contains undated notes and rough charts relating to the structure of Israeli military command during the Arab-Israeli War.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 21
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1985-1988
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two profiles of Ben Dunkelman relating to his activities in the Arab-Israeli War. One, written by Frank Rasky, appears in Lifestyles magazine and the other, written by Phil Fine, appears in The Canadian Jewish News. The latter article also refers to Yael Dunkelman.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 22
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1979
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of two letters. One from Lewis Bend, President of The Royal Canadian Legion's General Wingate Branch, invites Dunkelman and his wife Yael to the branch's President's Ball. Dunkelman replies in the second letter that he and Yael will be unable to attend.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 23
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- [197-]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains a letter Dunkelman wrote in his role as the national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Dunkelman urges Trudeau to protect Canadian Jews from an Arab boycott. The file also includes a biography Dunkelman used when representing Jewish organizations.
- Notes
- Availability of other formats: Also available as PDF files.
- Name Access
- Canada. Prime Minister (1968-1979 : Trudeau)
- Subjects
- Boycotts
- Jewish-Arab relations
- Prime ministers--Canada
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Arab-Israeli War series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 5
- File
- 24
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1977-1984
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains two copies of minutes of the executive meeting of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada on 13 March 1977, which Dunkelman attended. The file also contains related correspondence and a 7-page newsletter.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions