Accession Number

2005-11-1

Material Format

graphic material

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w ; 51 x 41 cm and 21 x 26 cm

1 item

Date

[ca. 1940]-[196-]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of 2 photographs and a sign related to the Jewish Public Library. One photograph is of Ben Zion Hyman, founder of the library, in graduation dress. There is writing in Hebrew on top of the photograph dated October 1940. A second photograph is of Bert Godfrey, Eddie Gelber and two other gentlemen sitting in the library. The sign is from the 1960s and has the address and operating hours of the library along with some other information for the patrons

Custodial History

The items were housed in the library and found during renovations.

Use Conditions

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

Subjects

Libraries

Name Access

Jewish Public Library (Toronto, Ont.)

Hyman, Ben Zion

Godfrey, Bert

Gelber, Eddie

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2009-6-1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

1 photograph: b&w ; 25 x 20 cm

Date

1923, 1932, 1960

Scope and Content

Accession consists of the naturalization certificate of Harold Kaplan, a souvenir program from his stag party, and an original photograph of New Year's Eve 1959–1960 at the Primrose Club.

Administrative History

Harold Solomon Kaplan (1895–1973) was a Toronto-based architect who, in partnership with Abraham Sprachman in the firm Kaplan & Sprachman, was well-known for the design of art deco and art moderne movie theatres in the 1930s and 1940s and for designing buildings for Jewish communities across Canada from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Descriptive Notes

Photograph #6561 is a copy of this original.

Related records may be found in the Harold S. Kaplan fonds 27.

Name Access

Kaplan, Harold, 1895-1973

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Part Of

Gordon Mendly fonds

Events and organizations series

Level

File

Fonds

18

Series

3

File

9

Material Format

graphic material

Date

20 June 1963

Physical Description

3 negatives : b&w ; 10 x 13 cm

Scope and Content

File consists of images taken at a meeting of the Canada Israel Development Corporation at the Primrose Club. The images depict several men seated at a table, speaking into a microphone, including Mark Levy.

Name Access

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Meetings

Speeches, addresses, etc

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

• 
• 

Part Of

Gordon Mendly fonds

Events and organizations series

Level

File

Fonds

18

Series

3

File

48

Material Format

graphic material

Date

21 May 1963

Physical Description

2 negatives : b&w ; 10 x 13 cm

Scope and Content

File consists of two images taken at a State of Israel Bonds meeting at the Primrose Club. The images depict several people seated at a meeting table, as well as a group photograph of three individuals holding State of Israel Bonds certificates.

Name Access

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

State of Israel Bonds Organization

Subjects

Meetings

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

• 

Part Of

Gordon Mendly fonds

Events and organizations series

Level

File

Fonds

18

Series

3

File

50

Material Format

graphic material

Date

21 Jun. 1966

Physical Description

3 negatives : b&w ; 10 x 13 cm

Scope and Content

File consists of images taken at a State of Israel Bonds meeting held at the Primrose Club. The images depict speakers at the podium, and an image of the head table. The banner behind the head table reads: celebrate the year of Chai - buy Israel bonds.

Name Access

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

• 
• 

Part Of

Gordon Mendly fonds

Events and organizations series

Zionist Organization of Canada sub-series

Level

File

Fonds

18

Series

3-5

File

16

Material Format

graphic material

Date

8 Dec. 1965

Physical Description

3 negatives : b&w ; 10 x 13 cm

Scope and Content

File consists of images taken at a Zionist Organization of Canada, Central Region meeting held at the Primrose Club. The guest speaker was Leon Dultzin, executive member of the World Zionist Organization. The images depict members of ZOC sitting and standing with Leon Dultzin.

Name Access

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

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

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Level

Series

Fonds

37

Series

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1956-1978

Physical Description

447 photographs : b&w and col. (392 negatives) ; 26 x 21 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

The Negev dinners were established in 1948, coinciding with the creation of the State of Israel, as an annual fundraising dinner. The Jewish National Fund hosted these annual dinners in honour of a leading Canadian citizen, and the proceeds from the dinners were used to establish JNF projects in Israel in the name of the honouree. The JNF projects have, and continue to do so today, raised money to purchase land in Israel's Negev desert and for re-forestation efforts.

The annual dinner was dedicated to a member of the Toronto Jewish community, who had demonstrated outstanding support and commitment to the Community and to the State of Israel. In honour of this individual's contributions, the secured land in Negev was named after them. The honourary guests were presented with awards of appreciation from members of the Canadian and International Jewish community, often including delegates from Israel. The dinners were attended by prominent members of Toronto's Jewish community, including politicians, business men, and philanthropists.

Each subsequent dinner became larger and more successful in its aim to raise funds for Israel, as a result this event soon became the most significant Jewish event in Toronto. As well, it was also the largest annual kosher meal served in Toronto.

The JNF produced an annual Negev Dinner yearbook, commemorating the event, and documenting both the lives of the honouree's family and the current activities of the JNF. As well, the names of individuals who donated money for the JNF projects were recorded in the Souvenir books under patrons and sponsors of the dinners.

Scope and Content

Series consists of negatives taken by Al Gilbert documenting eight Negev Dinners hosted by the Jewish National Fund. The images depict the various activities undertaken at these dinners including: the procession and introduction of the head table guests, the presentation of awards, speeches, toasts, presentation of flowers to the honouree or the wife of the honouree, and the entertainment. The majority of the negatives are portraits taken of the guests posing with the honouree and his or her family. One dinner in this series was dedicated to the Toronto Jewish Community (1956) on the year of its centenary, while the others are in honour of one significant member of the community.

There were Negev dinners held across Canada; however, the dinners in this series were all held in Toronto and were primarily attended by members of the Toronto Jewish community. The honourees documented in this series include: 1956, Toronto Jewish Community; 1966, Bert Godfrey; 1967, Nathan Silver; 1968, Phil Givens; 1970, Leon E. Weinstein; 1973, Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker; 1974, Phil Granovsky; 1978, Eric and Esther Exton.

Notes

Selection for this series reflects the various activities of the Negev dinners, including: speeches, toasts, award presentations, dinner tables, introductions, honourees, entertainment and presentation of flowers. In addition, we selected a sample of images documenting the dinner tables and guests who were not part of the evening's programme, and therefore, would not be captured in the aforementioned criteria.

Name Access

Negev

Jewish National Fund

Godfrey, Bert

Silver, Nathan

Givens, Phil

Weinstein, Leon E.

Diefenbaker, Rt. Hon. John G.

Granovsky, Phil

Exton, Eric

Exton, Esther

Subjects

Awards

Dinners and dining

Fund raising

Arrangement

Series has been arranged into files representing each annual dinner.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Level

File

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

2

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1966

Physical Description

51 negatives : b&w ; 11 x 13 cm

Admin History/Bio

Bert Godfrey was born on June 1, 1908 to Minnie Reisman and Solomon Godfrey. He married Ruth Grossman and they had two children named Corrine Leigh and Sheldon. Bert Godfrey was president of S. Godfrey Co. Ltd, a wool import and export company founded by Samuel Godfrey.

Godfrey contributed much time and energy to the cause of Israel and other philanthropic pursuits. Mr. Godfrey was founding president of Beth Tzedec and former president of Goel Tzedec. He served as president of the Bureau of Jewish Education and was founding president of of the United Synagogue Day School. He also sat on several different boards including: Mount Sinai, Jewish home for the Aged, United Jewish Welfare Fund and the Canadian Jewish Council.

Other awards presented to Bert Godfrey include, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America's Louis Marshall Award in 1961 and the National Human Relations Award from the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews in 1964.

Scope and Content

File consists of negatives documenting the 1966 Negev Dinner held in honour of Bert Godfrey. The dinner was hosted by the Jewish National Fund at the Royal York Hotel and was attended by members of the Toronto Jewish community.

Images are of the main activities and participants of the event including speeches and presentations from the following guests: Alfred Green, Rabbi Gedalia Felder, Rabbi Erwin Schild, Nat Hurwich, Manny Rotman, Honourable Gabriel Lourie, Honourable Allan A. Grossman, Mayor Philip G. Givens, Samuel Shainhouse, Morris B. Kaufman, Rabbi David Monson, Max Schecter, Honourable Mr. Justice Abraham H Lieff, Rabbi Stuart E. Rosenberg, Louis L. Lockshin, Rabbi Louis J Cashdan, and Julius Hayman.

Name Access

Negev Dinner

Jewish National Fund

Godfrey, Bert

Green, Alfred

Felder, Rabbi Gedalia

Schild, Rabbi Erwin

Hurwich, Nat

Rotman, Manny

Lourie, Honourable Gabriel

Grossman, Allan A.

Givens, Philip G.

Shainhouse, Samuel

Kaufman, Morris B.

Monson, Rabbi David

Schecter, Max

Lieff, Mr. Justice Abraham H.

Rosenberg, Rabbi Stuart E.

Lockshin, Louis L.

Cashdan, Rabbi Louis J.

Hayman, Julius

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Negev dinner honouring Bert Godfrey file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

2

Item

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1966

Physical Description

1 negative : b&w ; 11 x 13 cm

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Godfrey, Frank

Godfrey, Bert

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.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Negev dinner honouring Bert Godfrey file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

2

Item

6

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1966

Physical Description

1 negative : b&w ; 11 x 13 cm

Scope and Content

Photograph of Rabbi Stuart Rosenberg speaking at the 1966 Negev Dinner held in honour of Bert Godfrey. Seated from left to right are: Mr. & Mrs. Bert Godfrey, Rabbi S. Rosenberg, Mr. & Mrs. Julius Hayman.

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Godfrey, Bert

Hayman, Julius

Rosenberg, Stuart E., 1922-1990

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Rabbis

Speeches, addresses, etc

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.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Negev dinner honouring Bert Godfrey file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

2

Item

17

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1966

Physical Description

1 negative : b&w ; 11 x 13 cm

Scope and Content

Photograph of Rabbi Stuart E. and Hadassah Rosenberg at the Negev dinner held in Bert Godfrey's honour. Rabbi Rosenberg was a guest speaker for the event.

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Rosenberg, Rabbi Stuart E.

Rosenberg, Hadassah

Godfrey, Bert

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.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Negev dinner honouring Bert Godfrey file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

2

Item

18

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1966

Physical Description

1 negative : b&w ; 11 x 13 cm

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Godfrey, Bert

Hayman, Julius

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.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Philip Givens fonds

Jewish communal series

State of Israel Bonds sub-series

Level

File

Fonds

51

Series

9-6

File

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

13 Sept. 1964

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w : 20 x 25 cm

Admin History/Bio

The Primrose Club was founded in Toronto in 1907 as the Cosmopolitan Club, an elite Jewish men's social club. In 1959, the club's building at 41 Willcocks Street was expropriated by the University of Toronto (and currently houses the university's Faculty Club), and the club subsequently moved to a new building at Russell Road & St. Clair, designed by Kaplan & Sprachman. It has since been demolished and a condominium has been put up in its place by Ken Rotenberg, a Toronto developer.

Scope and Content

File consists of one photograph of Phil Givens attending a luncheon at the Primrose Club. Identified in the photograph are (left to right): John Bassett, Phil Givens, and George Hees.

Notes

Photograph is by Willy Lobel

Name Access

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Philip Givens fonds

Jewish communal series

Level

File

Fonds

51

Series

9

File

4

Material Format

graphic material

Date

27 Nov. 1965

Physical Description

1 photograph : col. ; 9 x 12 cm

Admin History/Bio

The Primrose Club was founded in Toronto in 1907 as the Cosmopolitan Club, an elite Jewish men's social club. In 1959, the club's building at 41 Willcocks Street was expropriated by the University of Toronto (and currently houses the university's Faculty Club), and the club subsequently moved to a new building at Russell Road & St. Clair, designed by Kaplan & Sprachman. It has since been demolished and a condominium has been put up in its place by Ken Rotenberg, a Toronto developer.

Scope and Content

File consists of one photograph of Phil and Min Givens attending an event at the Primrose Club.

Name Access

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

Physical Condition

Photograph has many stress and crease marks

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Harold S. Kaplan fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

27

Material Format

multiple media

Date

[ca.1910]-1968

Physical Description

345 architectural drawings and other material

Admin History/Bio

Harold Solomon Kaplan (1895-1973) was a Toronto-based architect who, in partnership with Abraham Sprachman in the firm Kaplan & Sprachman, was well-known for the design of Art deco and Art moderne movie theatres in the 1930s and 1940s and for designing buildings for Jewish communities across Canada from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Kaplan was born 10 Sept. 1895, in Bucharest, Romania. At the age of three, he and his widowed mother, Tillie Hohan, moved to London, England, and in 1902 they moved to Toronto where his mother subsequently married Frank Kaplan. While in his teens, Kaplan spent time in Philadelphia living with an uncle and studying draftsmanship. Upon returning to Toronto, Kaplan attended Toronto Technical School where he took courses in architecture and building construction. He also served an apprenticeship with the architect Henry Simpson. In 1919-1920, Kaplan worked for the firm of Page & Warrington, before establishing Kaplan & Sprachman with Abraham Sprachman in 1922. In 1923, he married Dorothy Spain. They had two daughters, Phyllis (Pepper) and Ruthetta (Reiss).

Kaplan & Sprachman were best known for their more than 300 movie theatre projects completed from the 1920s to the 1960s, designing and renovating theatres across Canada in progressive "modern" styles and using innovative building materials. In 1937, they were awarded the bronze medal in the Sixth Biennial Toronto Exhibition for their interiors to the Eglinton Theatre (400 Eglinton Ave. W.) in Toronto, considered to be the finest example of their Art deco design work.

Over the course of their careers, they designed many synagogues for the Jewish community, such as the Anshei Minsk and Shaarei Shomayim synagogues in Toronto, Beth Israel Synagogue, Edmonton, and Beth Israel Synagogue in Vancouver. They also designed the new Mount Sinai Hospital, the Oakdale Golf & Country Club, the Jewish Home for the Aged (Baycrest), and the Jewish Community Centres of Toronto and Hamilton. Their design for the Oakdale Golf & Country Club was chosen as a Canadian entrant in the Arts Competition of the 14th Olympic Games in London, 1948.

In addition to the projects already mentioned, Kaplan & Sprachman worked on retail stores, warehouses and factories, apartment buildings, and single family residences. Their partnership continued until 1965, when the firm of Kaplan & Sprachman was dissolved as of 30 October 1965. Kaplan continued to work as an architectural consultant for several years after this date. Harold Kaplan died 1 April 1973 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Kaplan was a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Ontario Association of Architects, and the Province of Quebec Association of Architects. Kaplan & Sprachman's contribution to the architecture profession was recognized by the Ontario Association of Architects when both Kaplan's and Abraham Sprachman's names were entered on the Honor Roll for prominent members of the profession, established by the association in 1989.

Scope and Content

The fonds documents Kaplan's work as an architect from the 1930s to the 1960s with Kaplan & Sprachman and some of the consulting work he undertook after the dissolution of the partnership in 1965, primarily through architectural drawings and photographs. The preponderance of the materials relates to a series of renovations of Loew's Yonge Street Theatre (189 Yonge St., Toronto, now the Elgin Theatre) and the Uptown Theatre (764 Yonge St., Toronto, just South of Bloor St.) between the 1930s and 1960s, and Kaplan & Sprachman's design of the Primrose Club (Russell Hill Rd at St. Clair Ave., Toronto) in 1958-1959. There is also a large number of photographs by commercial photographers of movie theatres designed or renovated by Kaplan & Sprachman.

Project records are arranged chronologically, with sub-sub-series defined for successive projects at the same site. Some of the materials document project proposals which were not carried out (e.g., proposed renovations of the Winter Garden Theatre).

Other series in the fonds contain business correspondence and newspaper clippings concerning Kaplan & Sprachman projects, and a small amount of personal material such as family photographs, awards Kaplan received over the years for his design work and a colour photocopy of the invitation to Kaplan's stag party in 1923.

Notes

Includes: 132 photographs (131 b&w, including 8 negatives; 1 col.), 8 cm of textual records, and 1 bronze medal.

Name Access

Kaplan, Harold S., 1895-1973

Kaplan & Sprachman (Firm)

Loew's Yonge Street Theatre (Toronto, Ont.)

Primrose Club (Toronto, Ont.)

Uptown Theatre (Toronto, Ont.)

Winter Garden Theatre (Toronto, Ont.)

Physical Condition

Some of the blueprints and drawings are torn or water-damaged. All of the architectural drawings are currently stored in rolls.

Related Material

Accession 2003-7-1 contains additional photographs of buildings designed or renovated by Kaplan & Sprachman, as well as a copy of a published inventory of Kaplan & Sprachman movie theatre projects, compiled by Mandel Sprachman from Kaplan & Sprachman records

Mina Sprachman, widow of Abraham Sprachman, discusses Kaplan & Sprachman in oral history recording AC-142

Kaplan & Sprachman records can also be found in the Mandel Sprachman fonds, at the City of Toronto Archives

Creator

Kaplan, Harold S., 1895-1973

Accession Number

2003-6-1

2004-3-4

Source

Archival Descriptions