Part Of

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

14

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

1917-2011

Physical Description

2.82 m of textual records and other material

Admin History/Bio

As early as 1916 the Ezras Noshem Society (a mutual benefit society for Jewish women) started to raise funds to purchase and renovate what would become The Toronto Jewish Old Folks' Home (Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care’s forerunner) after its members recognized the need for a home in Toronto where the Jewish elderly could receive kosher meals and communicate with staff in their own language. Property at 31 Cecil Street was purchased in 1917 and sometime between September 1918 and January 1920 the Home officially opened there. The Home was run by a small staff and the women of Ezras Noshem who volunteered their time to make beds, cook kosher meals, do laundry and sponsor fundraising events. By 1938 the Home had expanded into its neighboring houses at 29, 33, and 35 Cecil Street and was caring for 115 residents. It provided residents with synagogue services, a hospital ward and social activities. At this time the Home also became a member of the United Jewish Welfare Fund.

In 1946, the need for a larger and more modern building prompted a fundraising campaign, which was headed by Abe Posluns, to purchase and build a new facility. In December 1954, the new building opened at 3650 Bathurst Street and consisted of two new institutions: The Jewish Home for the Aged and Baycrest Hospital. This location continued to expand over the years, including a new building for residents in 1968, an apartment building for seniors called the Baycrest Terrace in 1976, and a community centre known as The Joseph E. and Minnie Wagman Centre in 1977. These additions enabled Baycrest to expand its programs to include a day care program, recreational programs, and a Sheltered Workshop which was run in cooperation with the Jewish Vocational Service and provided residents with employment. In 1986 a new Baycrest Hospital was erected, and in 1989, the Rotman Research Institute, which is also affiliated with the University of Toronto, opened to create a research facility where top researchers could study and find new treatment methods for the elderly.

In recent years, Baycrest’s services and programs have continued to expand. In 2000, the Apotex Centre, the Jewish Home for the Aged and the Louis and Leah Posluns Centre for Stroke and Cognition opened to help residents with progressive dementia caused by vascular disorders. In 2001 a condominium building opened at 2 Neptune Drive for seniors, and in 2003 the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic was established to provide out-patient services for seniors with memory disorders. Baycrest Centre also provides numerous cultural and religious programs for the inhabitants and the greater community, including a heritage museum, art exhibits and a Holocaust program.

Custodial History

Records were donated to the OJA in a series of accessions from a variety of sources, including the Baycrest Women's Auxiliary and the Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting the history, governance, and activities of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Included are meeting notices, agendas and minutes, correspondence, reports, speeches, photographs, artifacts, constitutions, publications, press releases, financial records, event invitations, programs, a scrapbook, a poster, lists, theatrical scripts, newspaper clippings, brochures and booklets, flyers, a land deed, certificates, schedules, annual calendars, cards, questionnaires, and lists.

Fonds is arranged into eleven series: 1. Board of Directors and Executive Committee; 2. Annual General Meetings and Annual Reports; 3. Committees and meetings; 4. Women's Auxiliary; 5. Men's Service Group; 6. Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home; 7. Programs and services; 8. Religious services; 9. Fundraising; 10. Publications and publicity; and, 11. Events. Records are described to the file level with some item level descriptions.

Notes

Physical description note: Includes 1102 photographs, 4 coins, 2 posters, 1 badge, 1 pin, 1 key chain, 1 postcard, and 1 pen.

Associated material note: related material at Library and Archives Canada includes a small Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care fonds, and the Eric Exton fonds. For architectural records see the Irving D. Boigon fonds 243 at the City of Toronto Archives (Boigon was an architect who designed many of Baycrest's buildings between the 1970s and 1990s). Contact Baycrest Centre's Heritage Museum for committee records from the 1930s, and consult Baycrest's website to access electronic copies of current issues of Baycrest's publications.

Name Access

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care

Baycrest Hospital

Ezras Noshem Society (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Hospitals

Old age homes

Related Material

See Gordon Mendly Fonds 18, series 3-4; Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto fonds 75; United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds 67; accession # 2009-6-2; Dora Till Fonds 52; J. Irving Oelbaum Fonds 24; Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds 61, series 1-1; Gilbert Studios fonds 37; Ben Kayfetz fonds 62, series 3, file 3; JFWB fonds 87, series 6, files 5 and 6; JIAS fonds 9, series 7, file 1; Harold S. Kaplan fonds 27, series 1-4, and Morris Norman fonds 22.

Creator

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 1917-

Accession Number

1982-11-1

1983-11-2

1988-2-7

1979-9-17

1979-9-23

1987-9-7

2004-5-50

MG 2 O 1A

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care fonds

Jewish Old Folks' Home series

Level

Series

Fonds

14

Series

6

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Date

1917-[ca. 1950]

Physical Description

16 photographs and other material

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting the activities of the Jewish Old Folks' Home. Included are photographs, annual calendars, a badge, coins, a land deed, and a donation receipt.

Notes

Includes 3 folders of textual records, 1 badge, and 2 coins.

Name Access

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Related Material

For additional photographs of the Jewish Old Folks' Home see Fonds 61, series 6.

For minutes of the Jewish Old Folks' Home Committee (1934-1935) see Fonds 62, series 3, file 3.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

6037

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1950]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm

Scope and Content

Item is an exterior photograph of the Jewish Old Folks' Home on Cecil St.

Notes

Same image as photo #4365 and photo #45

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Architecture

Old age homes

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1986-11-6

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1712

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1946

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Older people

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.

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1979-3-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

2925

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1915

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Scope and Content

Identified in this photograph at the front, from left to right are: David Brown (Superindendent of Jewish Old Folks Home); [unknown]; [unknown]; Layefsky; Jacob Zelick Rosenberg (father of Henry S. Rosenberg).

Name Access

Brown, David

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Layefsky

Mozirer Mutual Benefit Society

Rosenberg, Henry S.

Rosenberg, Jacob Zelick

Subjects

Portraits, Group

Societies

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1981-7-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

4751

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1919

Physical Description

2 photographs : (1 negative)

Scope and Content

5th left, middle row: Israel Freeman (leader).

6th left, middle row: Ben Zion Hyman.

3rd left, middle row: Sam Hurwich.

Back row, right: Edward Gelber (?).

Name Access

Freeman, Israel

Hyman, Ben Zion

Gelber, Edward

Hurwich, Sam

Agudath Ha'ivri Hatzair

Jewish Organizations

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1989-2-4A

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1268

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1942

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Scope and Content

This photograph was taken at the Borochov Branch's 25th anniversary banquet.

Name Access

Borochov

Farband

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Anniversaries

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1977-4-2

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1269

Material Format

graphic material

Date

June 1942

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Scope and Content

Identified in the photo is: Shlomo Yollek, Hersh Meyer Kirshenbaum, Yitshak Weinroth, Louie Siegel, Dr. Sam Hurwich, Yisrael Fryman, Fishel Wallerstein, Shabbsai Rappaport, Ben Shatz, J. Zweig, Joe Cash, David Cooper, Nachman, Lovensky, Harry Sher, A. Levenson, George Sheinhouse, Moishe Kachuk, and Zalman, Cohen.

Notes

Original photo by Famous Studios, Toronto.

Name Access

Jewish National Workers' Alliance

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Congresses and conventions

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

See photo #12: Jewish National Workers Alliance, Members of the Office Committee [graphic material]. -- 12 June 1942.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1977-4-2

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

4803

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[194-?]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Scope and Content

Possibly Eaton Auditorium.

Name Access

Hadassah-Wizo

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Congresses and conventions

Women

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1986-5-6

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1271

Material Format

graphic material

Date

25 July 1926

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Scope and Content

This photograph shows a group of people at a picnic for the Borochov Branch 124.

Name Access

Farband

Borochov

Trafalgar

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Picnics

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.

Physical Condition

Poor condition.

Related Material

See photo 2453 for a copy print and negative of this image.

Accession Number

1977-4-2

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1617

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[1939 or 1940]

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Notes

Photo by Modern Studio

Name Access

Farband

Independent Workers' Circle Joint Committee

Leivick, H.

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Committees

Lectures and lecturing

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.

Places

Toronto Islands (Ont.)

Accession Number

1978-11-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

4335

Material Format

graphic material

Date

Nov. 1947

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Scope and Content

Item is a panoramic photograph taken of individuals at the Labour Zionist Movement's Actions Committee at the Fourth National Convention eating dinner.

Name Access

Labour Zionist Movement

Montreal

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Congresses and conventions

Labor Zionism

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.

Creator

Federal Photos

Places

Montréal (Québec)

Accession Number

1987-10-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

4286

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1941

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Name Access

Jewish Organizations

Borochov

Jewish National Workers' Alliance

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1985-3-6

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1624

Material Format

graphic material

Date

March 1931

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Notes

Credit the Estate of Max Speisman.

Name Access

Poalei Zion

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Anniversaries

Zionism

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.

Accession Number

1978-4-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

3409

Material Format

graphic material

Date

Mar. 1948

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Notes

Credit: Graphic Artists, 781 Bloor St. W., Toronto.

Name Access

Jewish Organizations

Jewish Women International of Canada

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Women

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.

Accession Number

1982-5-2

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

2166

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[1932 or 1933]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Name Access

Young Judaea

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Congresses and conventions

Youth

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.

Places

Queen's Park (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1980-7-5

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

4650

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[194-?]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Scope and Content

Identified in this photograph are those seated, left to right: Samuel J. Zacks; Rabbi Jesse Schwartz (Goel Tzedec); Morris Bearg (Maurice Berg?).

Name Access

Berg, Maurice, 1913-1993

Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Organizations

Schwartz, Rabbi Jesse

Zacks, Samuel J.

Subjects

Meetings

Portraits, Group

Zionists

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1981-11-4

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

4840

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1921]

Physical Description

1 photograph : sepia

Scope and Content

Back row, left to right: [unknown]; [unknown]; Dora Ezrin; [unknown].

Front row, left to right: Rose Levine; [unknown]; Edmund Scheuer; [unknown].

Name Access

Levine, Rose

Ezrin, Dora

Scheuer, Edmund

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Education

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.

Accession Number

1989-11-7

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

6704

Material Format

graphic material

Date

6 Nov. 1929

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 10 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a copy print of Eleanor Maud Godfrey, aged three years and ten months, taken for the Hadassah Exposition Perfect Baby Contest of 1929.

Name Access

Godfrey, Eleanor Maud

Jewish Organizations

Subjects

Children

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.

Accession Number

2004-11-3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

87

Material Format

textual record

architectural drawing

Date

1928-1943

Physical Description

67 cm of textual records

1 architectural drawing

Admin History/Bio

Sometime around 1919, the Family Welfare Committee was set up within the newly created Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (FJPT) to perform social welfare work with Jewish families. Around 1931, the Committee was reorganized as an independent member agency of the FJPT and renamed the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau (JFWB). At the same time, Dora Wilensky (1902-1959), a professionally-trained social worker, was hired as the agency’s executive director. Throughout its existence, most of its funding came from the FJPT (later the United Jewish Welfare Fund).

Located at 179 Beverley Street, the JFWB’s core activities included: relief provision; helping families meet basic needs, such as medical care, heating and clothing; housekeeping assistance; counseling; and case work. The JFWB’s major concerns shifted over time from a rise of immigration and desertion cases in the 1920s to the dramatic increase of wife abuse, suicide, and unemployment cases during the Great Depression of the 1930s. After the outbreak of the Second World War, the JFWB sought ways of assisting soldiers and their families, such as, investigating special government grants to soldiers.

In an attempt to meet community needs, the JFWB initiated various programs, such as a Homemaking Club to teach women house management skills, and a Clothing Centre to provide families with inexpensive household goods. It also partnered with other local Jewish organizations in the early 1940s in the Liaison Project for troubled Jewish youth. In the 1930s, the Jewish Employment Service and Hebrew Free Burial Society became departments of the JFWB and, in 1941, the JFWB began guaranteeing loans for clients through the Hebrew Free Loan Association. In the same year, the Jewish Big Sister Committee became affiliated with the agency and the Jewish Big Brother Movement followed soon after.

In 1936, the JFWB became one of the first unionized social agencies in Canada when it formed the Staff Association with the Jewish Child Welfare Association (JCWA), another member of the FJPT. Although the JFWB’s focus was work with families and the JCWA’s focus was work with children, both agencies found it necessary at times to work with both children and families. In order to prevent service duplication and reduce confusion over casework responsibility, the Joint Application Bureau was set up within the FJPT to review all case work applications and determine the appropriate agency to provide assistance. However, a merger between the agencies was still believed necessary to improve service to the community and ease confusion. Discussions regarding the co-ordination of services between the JCWA and the JFWB began as early as 1935 and in February 1943, the JCWA and JFWB merged to form the Jewish Family and Child Services (JF & CS).

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of textual records and one architectural drawing documenting the programs, operation, finances, and special studies of the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau as well as its relationships with other organizations. Included are reports, meeting notices, agendas and minutes, correspondence, memos, budgets, statistics, theatrical scripts, newsclippings, and one architectural blueprint. A number of the records relate to special short-lived committees and projects that the JFWB participated in with other agencies, such as the Jewish Big Sister Committee, Jewish Big Brother Committee, Jewish Child Welfare Association, the Jewish Community Centre Association, the Young Men's and Women's Hebrew Association, and the Jewish Old Folks' Home.

Records have been arranged into the following 19 series: 1. Board of Directors; 2. Executive Director; 3. Jewish Federation Communal Council; 4. United Jewish Welfare Fund Men's and Women's Service Council; 5. Case Committe; 6. Joint Meetings and Committees; 7. Joint Application Bureau; 8. Homemaking Club; 9. Clothing Centre; 10. Liaison Project; 11. Operational statistics; 12. Finance and accounting; 13. Human Resources; 14. Special projects and studies; 15. Publicity; 16. Liaison with other social welfare organizations; 17. Canadian Association of Social Workers; 18. Welfare Council of Toronto; and, 19. Conferences.

Notes

Associated material note: for related records held at the City of Toronto Archives, see also: Welfare Council of Toronto records in the University Settlement House fonds (fonds 1024, series 658); and, Department of Public Welfare records in the Former City of Toronto fonds (fonds 200).

Name Access

Jewish Family Welfare Bureau

Jewish Community Centre Association

Young Men's-Young Women's Hebrew Athletic Association (Toronto, Ont.) (subject)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

United Jewish Welfare Fund (Toronto, Ont.) (subject)

Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (subject)

Wilensky, Dora, 1902-1959

Subjects

Charities

Children

Families

Nonprofit organizations

Access Restriction

Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director and the head of Jewish Family and Child prior to accessing some of the records.

Related Material

See also: Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds (fonds 86); Jewish Family and Child Services fonds (fonds 79); Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds (fonds 66); and, United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds (fonds 67).

Arrangement

Records relating to programs, committees and liaison with other organizations that continued after the formation of JF & CS are arranged with that fonds.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

249

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[195-]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w

Notes

Item is a publictiy poster for the Jewish Home for the Aged. The poster is in Yiddish.

Name Access

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Posters

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1713

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1946

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Older people

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.

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1979-3-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1714

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1946

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Women

Older people

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.

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1979-3-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1715

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1946

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Older people

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.

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1979-3-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1716

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1946

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Older people

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.

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1979-3-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1717

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1946

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Older people

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.

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1979-3-8

Source

Archival Descriptions

Level

Item

Item

1718

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1946

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)

Name Access

Jewish Home for the Aged (Toronto, Ont.)

Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)

Subjects

Old age homes

Older people

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.

Places

Cecil Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Accession Number

1979-3-8

Source

Archival Descriptions