Accession Number

1978-5-2

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

15 cm of textual records

Date

[ca. 1971]-[ca. 1976]

Scope and Content

This accession consists of newspaper clippings and correspondence relating to the dismissal of Rabbi Stuart Rosenberg by the Beth Tzedec Board and relating to the Rabbi Hollander case; copies of "The Committee of 10 Report" and "Setting the Records Straight: Analysis and refutation of The Committee of 10 report"; Beth Tzedec Board letters and Bulletins; Beth Tzedec Congregational School Education and Youth Committee minutes and newsletters; Beth Tzedec Congregation Constitution and By-Laws; a report on membership dues policy; and records relating to the Board elections.

Subjects

Synagogues

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Rosenberg, Stuart E., 1922-1990

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2004-6-12

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

3.3 m of textual records

Date

[ca. 1970]-[ca. 1990]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of the records created or accumulated by the Committee for Yiddish, which operated under the auspices of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region and later, the Toronto Jewish Congress (UJA Federation of Greater Toronto).

Use Conditions

Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.

Name Access

Committee for Yiddish (Toronto, Ont.)

Toronto Jewish Congress

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

1990-5-3

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

12 m of textual records

Date

[197-]-[199-]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records documenting various activities of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region, including the small communities, regional committees, eduction and culture. The records appear to have originated with E. Y. Lipsitz.

Use Conditions

Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.

Subjects

Nonprofit organizations

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2005-7-3

Material Format

graphic material

Physical Description

ca. 300 slides : col. ; 35 mm

Date

1977-1978

Scope and Content

Accession consists of photographs taken during visits by CJC Central Region officers to Ontario Jewish communities, and at Canadian Jewish Congress events and meetings in various communities. Accession also includes photos of Jewish interest in Italy.

Subjects

Communities

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Friedman, Morris

Markish, Esther

Eisenberg, Joe

Wexler, Boris

Acker, Abe

Brownstone, Sam

Klafter, Gershon

Rosen, Marty

Fackenheim, Emil

Rosensweig, Philip

Saiger, Norman

Sadowski, David

Gryfe, Mark

Hillel (Kingston, Ont.)

Frey, Marcus

Horowitz, Shlomo

Katz, Stan

Pliscow, Morris

Places

Cambridge (Ont.)

Chatham (Ont.)

Sudbury (Ont.)

Kirkland Lake (Ont.)

Thunder Bay (Ont.)

Sault Ste. Marie (Ont.)

North Bay (Ont.)

Oshawa (Ont.)

Belleville (Ont.)

Windsor (Ont.)

Pembroke (Ont.)

Peterborough (Ont.)

Guelph (Ont.)

Hamilton (Ont.)

London (Ont.)

Kitchener (Ont.)

Owen Sound (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Barrie (Ont.)

Orillia (Ont.)

Kingston (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2012-7-10

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

37.8 m of textual records

Date

1958-[199-]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of general office files of the CJC as well as records related to the Education and Culture Committee, the Toronto Jewish Cultural Committee, Planning and Priorities/Assimilation, the Youth Committee, CJC plenaries, small communities, Chaplaincy, Orthodox Division, Political Liaison Committee, community services, the Audit Committee, Joint Community Relations Committee, Camp Massad and Moess Chitton.

Custodial History

There is no acquisition information for this material. The accession number has been assigned by the archivist.

Use Conditions

Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.

Subjects

Nonprofit organizations

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2015-6-7

Material Format

multiple media

Physical Description

30 cm of textual records and other material

Date

1964-2003

Scope and Content

Accession consists of Canadian Jewish Congress Joint Community Relations Committee files pertaining to incidents of antisemitism in Canada. Files include examples of material distributed by neo-Nazi groups, clippings documenting hate crimes trials and antisemitism in scholarship, and JCRC correspondence.

Use Conditions

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

Subjects

Antisemitism

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2015-9-4

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Date

1973-1977

Scope and Content

Accession consists of the Rules and Conditions for the Morris Black Memorial Essay Contest, essays submitted, correspondence from the Board of Jewish Education and the vote casting process for the 1976 contest.

Custodial History

There is no information on the acquisition of this material.

Administrative History

The Morris Black Memorial Essay Contest was established by the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region's Department of Education and Culture. The rules and conditions stated in a booklet dated 1973 was that the 'prize or prizes for the best essay or essays or oral address or addresses on men famous in Jewish history...'. The Contest was open to 'All Jewish children in the Province of Ontario outside of Metropolitan Toronto and Ottawa.' The essays submitted in 1973 appeared to follow the Rules and Conditions. However, in the 1976 contest, now sponsored by The Board of Jewish Education, there were no restrictions on where the Jewish children lived or on the gender of the person in Jewish history being written about.

Subjects

Education

Children

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Board of Jewish Education (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2015-9-6

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Date

1950-1972

Scope and Content

Accession consists of letters to and from Dr. Joseph Klinghofer, the Educational Director of Canadian Jewish Congress. The correspondence relates to the search for ritual and educational leaders for placement in Jewish communities outside of Toronto such as St. Catharines, Timmins, Belleville, Peterborough, Kirkland Lake, Guelph, Hamilton, Bramalea, North Bay, Windsor, Maritimes, Manitoba and the USA.

Custodial History

There is no information on the acquisition of this material.

Subjects

Education

Religion

Communities

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Klinghofer, Joseph

Places

St. Catharines (Ont.)

Timmins (Ont.)

Belleville (Ont.)

Peterborough (Ont.)

Kirkland Lake (Ont.)

Guelph (Ont.)

Hamilton (Ont.)

Bramalea (Brampton, Ont.)

North Bay (Ont.)

Windsor (Ont.)

Manitoba

United States

Maritime Provinces

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2015-9-12

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual material

Date

1973-1974

Scope and Content

Accession file consists of letters, posters, press releases, minutes of meeting and policy statements regarding Israeli prisoners of war in Syria. The documents are from many organizations such as the Labor Zionist Alliance, National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, Toronto Jewish Youth Council, and the Canada-Israel Committee.

Custodial History

There is no information on the acquisition of this material.

Subjects

Demonstrations

Israel--Armed Forces

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Places

Toronto, Ont.

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2015-9-28

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Date

1973

Scope and Content

Accession consists of a Kashruth Directory of kosher products and services issued by the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region.

Custodial History

There is no information on the acquisition of this material.

Subjects

Religion

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Places

Toronto, Ont.

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2018-1-9

Material Format

textual record

sound recording

Physical Description

10 cm of textual records

1 audio cassette

Date

1960-1997

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records related to Gordon Kushner's activities as music director of Beth Tzedec Congregation. The accession includes Kushner's compositions for V'al Kulam (1982), Mi Sheberach (1983), and Tikanta (1987) along with a collection of compositions by Srul Irving Glick, Paul Kowarsky, and Sid Robinovitch. Of particular note is a composition commissioned by the Canadian Jewish Congress for the Jewish Music Festival 1960. Recordings of selections from Robonvitch's compositions are included in an audio cassette. Also included are correspondence, meeting minutes, repertoire and music lists, and choir membership lists, and program books related to the activities of the Beth Tzedec choir and its performances, such as its participation in various Jewish music festivals. In addition, there are records related to Mel Sach's resignation from the Toronto Jewish Cultural Council as program coordinator; bulletins of Beth Tzedec Congregation, and Jewish Music Committee meeting minutes.

Administrative History

Gordon Kushner (1916-2007) was the music director of the Beth Tzedec Congregation (previously Goel Tzedec) in Toronto from 1948 to 1999. Born in Winnipeg, Kushner trained as a pianist under Gwendda Owen Davies and appeared with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 1940. After serving as a bandsman in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, he resumed his studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto under John Weinzweig in theory and conducting in 1946. As music director for Beth Tzedec Congregation, he composed several choral compositions for the synagogue and coordinated the Beth Tzedec Choir's participation in various concerts and events across Toronto, including the Jewish Music Festival sponsored by the Music Committee of the Toronto Jewish Cultural Council of Toronto Jewish Congress. Kushner was active in the cultural activities of the Toronto Jewish community. He was a member of the education and cultural committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress in 1950 and became co-chair of the central region music committee in 1967. Kushner was also a music educator and during the 1960s taught at the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music Summer School, which he became director of in 1969. He served as the Principal and Vice-Principal of the Royal Conservatory of Music from 1978 to 1991.

Subjects

Music festivals

Synagogue music

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Kushner, Gordon, 1916-2007

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2018-11-5

Material Format

textual record

graphic material (electronic)

textual record (electronic)

Physical Description

7 cm of textual records

285 MB of photographs and textual records

Date

[188-]-2018

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting the From Latkes to Laffa exhibition that was held at Beth Tzedec Congregation in 2017. Included are textual records organized into the following files: Planning, Introduction, The Ward, Kensington, Eglinton, Dairy/bagels, Delis, Kosher, and New trends. There are two additional files without names that contain additional material related to the exhibition. Also included are electronic records, primarily graphic, that relate to the exhibition. The latter have been organized into two folders: Photographs and USB.

Administrative History

From Latkes to Laffas was an exhibition at Beth Tzedec Congregation's Reuben & Helene Dennis Museum that explored the history of Toronto's Jewish restaurants. The exhibition opened on Wednesday the 6 September 2017.

Descriptive Notes

Source of supplied title proper: Title based on a label on the side of the binder.

Subjects

Ethnic restaurants

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Rothstein, Gella

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2019-2-8

Material Format

graphic material

Physical Description

2 folders

Date

1970-1973

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting the Airst family. Included are photographs of Malcolm Airst at his bar mitzvah in 1970 and Randall Airst at his bar mitzvah in 1973. The b'nai mitzvah took place at Beth Tzedec in Toronto where the family were members and Malcolm completed ninth grade at the United Synagogue Day School.

Subjects

Bar mitzvah

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2019-3-1

Material Format

graphic material

Physical Description

6 photographs : col. ; 21 x 15 cm or smaller

Date

[197-?]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting the Airst family. Included are five photographs taken at Malcolm Airst's bar mitzvah, which was held at Beth Tzedec in Toronto, and one photograph of Malcolm's sister, Lisa. Also depicted in the bar mitzvah photographs are: maternal grandfather Alexander Stolberg; parents Herman Airst and Faye Airst; and younger brother Randall Airst.

Descriptive Notes

Physical description: The five bar mitzvah photographs are glued to a matte board.

Subjects

Bar mitzvah

Families

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Part Of

United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds

Photographic and audiovisual collection series

Level

File

Fonds

67

Series

27

File

189

Material Format

graphic material

Date

January 1975

Physical Description

12 slides : col. ; 35 mm

Scope and Content

File consists of twelve 35mm slides depicting a UJA-Israel Special Fund campaign event with Golda Meir at Beth Tzedec. Murray Koffler, Eddie Creed, and Joan Lipson are shown in some of the slides.

Notes

Slides processed by Benjamin Film Labs.

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Meir, Golda, 1898-1978

Subjects

Prime ministers--Israel

Synagogues

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds

Photographic and audiovisual collection series

Level

File

Fonds

67

Series

27

File

206

Material Format

graphic material

Date

3 Feb. 1976

Physical Description

41 photographs : b&w (37 negatives) ; 28 x 28 mm and 35 mm

Scope and Content

File consists of four photographs and thirty-seven negatives of a UJA event with Menachem Begin at Beth Tzedec. Lionel Schipper, Issy Sharp, and Wilf Posluns are identified.

Notes

Photos by Graphic Artists Photographers, Toronto.

Availability of other formats: Also available as digital images.

Name Access

Begin, Menachem, 1913-1992

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Prime ministers--Israel

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds

Photographic and audiovisual collection series

Level

File

Fonds

67

Series

27

File

424

Material Format

graphic material

Date

15 May 1979

Physical Description

3 photographs (2 negatives) : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm and 28 x 28 mm

Scope and Content

File consists of one photograph and two negatives of USDS students (and teacher?) holding a $600 cheque for UJA, raised by a Bowlathon. Rachel Forman, Jessica Rudolph, Lisi Tesher, Moshe Bell, Jessica Benattar, Greg Sigel, and Danny Morgenstein are identified.

Notes

Photos by Graphic Artists Photographers, Toronto.

Availability of other formats: Also available as digital images.

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

George Morrison fonds

Level

Item

Fonds

99

Item

49

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1978]

Physical Description

1 slide : col. ; 35 mm

Name Access

Beth Midrash Hagadol Synagogue

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Architecture

Synagogues

Repro Restriction

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Places

Bathurst Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1980-6-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

George Morrison fonds

Level

Item

Fonds

99

Item

50

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1978]

Physical Description

1 slide : col. ; 35 mm

Name Access

Beth Midrash Hagadol Synagogue

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Architecture

Synagogues

Repro Restriction

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Places

Bathurst Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1980-6-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds:

Photographic and audiovisual collection series

Level

File

Fonds

67

Series

27

File

41

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[197-]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm

Scope and Content

File consists of one photograph of a large crowd waiting outside Beth Tzedec Congregation.

Name Access

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Synagogues

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

George Morrison fonds

Level

Item

Fonds

99

Item

51

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1978]

Physical Description

1 slide : col. ; 35 mm

Name Access

Beth Midrash Hagadol Synagogue

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Architecture

Synagogues

Repro Restriction

Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Places

Bathurst Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1980-6-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Accession Number

2022-8-4

Material Format

architectural drawing

graphic material

object

textual record

sound recording

Physical Description

ca. 11 m of textual records and other material

Date

1930-2012

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records documenting the life and career of Rabbi Benjamin Friedberg. Included are subject files, eulogies, sermons, marriage records, funeral record cards, conversion certificates, gittin (Jewish divorce documents), addresses for High Holiday services, and photographs. Also include are a few artifacts, such as felt patches and medallions, as well as sound recordings. A large number of documents are relating to Rabbi Friedberg's rabbinical career at Beth Tzedec Congregation.

Administrative History

Rabbi Joseph Benjamin Friedberg (1927-2022) was born on June 26, 1927, in Toronto to Chaim (Chamel) and Rochel Rose Friedberg. Rochel Friedberg was born in Polaniec, Poland (Russian part of Poland), the daughter of Moshe and Sura Poss. Rochel had little formal education but learned Talmud from her father. In her youth, Moshe came to Toronto to make a living and had to leave the family behind; shortly thereafter, World War I broke out, and Rochel was sent to the town of Stopnitz. She was then sent to Crackow to work. Rochel married Chaim (Chamel) Friedberg from Patchenev, who was enlisted in Pilsudski’s army. Before the Great Depression, Rochel and Chaim immigrated to Canada. Later on, Chaim took ill and had to go to the Western Sanitarium; soon after that, he passed away in 1957. Rochel passed away in 1992.

Rabbi Benjamin Friedberg was a native of Toronto and received his basic religious and secular education there. He attended Harbord Collegiate in his youth. After spending a number of years at the Yeshiva University in New York, he returned home to attended the University of Toronto, from which he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949. In 1950, Rabbi Friedberg entered the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He received his Master of Hebrew Letters degree and rabbinical ordination in 1954.

Rabbi Friedberg’s first pulpit was in Rochester, New York. He served as assistant rabbi at Beth Tzedec Congregation in 1955; and then as rabbi of B’nai Israel Congregation in London, Ontario. In 1959, he received his Master of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario in Bible and Archaeology. As part of his doctorial program, he studied in the Department of Archaeology and Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; he also spent several years studying in the Department of Religion at the University of Ottawa with special emphasis on the Samaritans.

In 1961, Rabbi Friedberg was called to the pulpit of Agudath Israel Congregation in Ottawa, Ontario, where he served for thirteen years until 1974.

In 1974, he was appointed senior rabbi at Beth Tzedec Congregation, Toronto. His major emphases in the congregation were the development of both child and adult education and emphasizing Israel as the dominant fact in Jewish life today. Much of the programming at Beth Tzedec that he instituted dealt with Israel.

Rabbi Friedberg’s interest in Jewish education was responsible for the founding of a Hebrew High School in Ottawa. His concern with Jewish youth prompted him to devote his time as counsellor to the Hillel Organization on the campuses of the University of Western Ontario, Carleton University, and the University of Ottawa. He taught Bible, Biblical Hebrew, and courses in Judaism at the University of Ottawa; and was an occasional lecturer at the University of Western Ontario in the Orientals Department. While living in Ottawa, he was active in a number of Jewish communal organizations. He was the founder and the organizer of the Ottawa Soviet Jewry Committee and was head of the Jews in Foreign Lands Committee and Canada-Israel Committee. Also, he was on the Social Welfare Council and was chairman of the Aliyah Committee in Ottawa.

Rabbi Friedberg was active with the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and the Canadian Zionist Federation (CZF). He worked actively on behalf of the CJC’s Educational Department. He was on the executive of the CJC Central and Eastern Regions and served as national chairman of the CJC’s International Affairs Committee. As an active Zionist, he served as national chairman of the Hasbara Committee of the CZF and was president of Mercaz Canada, the Zionist organization of the Masorti (Conservative) Movement. He also organized Israel tours and led Israel tour groups for a number of times. Rabbi Friedberg was the recipient of citations of the UJA, State of Israel Bonds, and various other awards in recognition of his communal work. In addition, he had also been invited to serve as a member of Teddy Kollek’s Jerusalem Committee.

Rabbi Friedberg was a contributor to Anglo-Jewish press, television work, and radio. He was chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Religious Advisory Committee and hosted his own television program called “Focus.” He had written for the London Free Press, and the Ottawa Citizen, and a number of Jewish periodicals.

Rabbi Friedberg was married to the former Lola Constant of Montreal (1930-2022). They had three children together—Mark, Gilah, and Esther. Lola Friedberg had a degree from McGill University in Arts and Music. She had given two-piano recitals in conjunction with her twin sister, Miriam “Mitzi” Leboff, on a number of occasions. Lola had taught piano and conducted choirs in Montreal and Ottawa.

Use Conditions

Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Subjects

Rabbis

Sermons

Eulogies

Name Access

Friedberg, Benjamin, 1927-2022

Beth Tzedec Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Ottawa (Ont.)

London (Ont.)

Jerusalem

Source

Archival Accessions