Accession Number

1993-3-1

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Date

1917-1919

Scope and Content

Accession consists of original and copies of documents and newspaper clippings pertaining to Lawrence Kert's service as a pilot during the First World War. Included are his graduation certificate from the Royal Flying Corps, his flight log, documents, and press clippings concerning his capture by the Germans.

Administrative History

Lawrence Kert left the University of Toronto to enlist in the 228th Battalion in 1915, and was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1917. He was listed as missing, but was actually a prisoner of war. He survived and returned to Canada.

Subjects

Canada--Armed Forces

World War, 1914-1918

Name Access

Kert, Lawrence

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

1979-9-28

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

5 cm of textual records

Date

1977-1978

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material created by the New Canadians from the Soviet Union Inc. This includes a photocopy of the organization's by-laws and letters patent, newsclippings, event programs and invitations, meeting minutes, and correspondence and bulletins from various organizations concerned with Russian Jewry.

Descriptive Notes

Language: A majority of the records are in Russian.

MG_RG

MG2 B1z

Subjects

Immigrants--Canada

Jews--Soviet Union

Source

Archival Accessions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

Community Relations Committee series

General office records sub-series

CJC and the United Jewish Peoples Order (UJPO) file

Level

Item

Fonds

17

Series

5-5

File

49

Item

3

Material Format

textual record

Date

16 May 1969

Physical Description

1 letter

Admin History/Bio

Jack Cowan was a founder of the Canadian Jewish Outlook and former president of the United Jewish Peoples' Order.

Sol Kanee (1909–2007) was a Canadian lawyer who served as president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 1971 to 1974.

Scope and Content

Item is a copy of a letter sent to Jack Cowan, national president of the United Jewish Peoples' Order, from Sol Kanee. Kanee's letter acknowledges the receipt of Cowan's letter dated 27 April. The letter touches briefly upon "fundamental differences of opinion between us [Cowan and Kanee] with particular reference to Soviet Jewry."

Notes

General: Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress

Cowan, Jack

Kanee, Sol, 1909–2007

United Jewish People's Order

Subjects

Jews--Soviet Union

Repro Restriction

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

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

Community Relations Committee series

General office records sub-series

CJC and the United Jewish Peoples Order (UJPO) file

Level

Item

Fonds

17

Series

5-5

File

49

Item

4

Material Format

textual record

Date

27 Apr. 1972

Physical Description

1 letter

Admin History/Bio

Jack Cowan was a founder of the Canadian Jewish Outlook and former president of the United Jewish Peoples' Order.

Sol Kanee (1909–2007) was a Canadian lawyer who served as president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 1971 to 1974.

Scope and Content

Item is a copy of a letter sent to Sol Kanee, national president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, from Jack Cowan, national president of the United Jewish Peoples' Order (UJPO). The letter consists of Cowan's observations on the 16th National Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Jewish Congress, which took place in Montreal in November 1971.

Notes

General: Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.

Name Access

Canadian Jewish Congress

Cowan, Jack

Kanee, Sol, 1909–2007

United Jewish People's Order

Subjects

Jews--Soviet Union

Repro Restriction

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

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Political Career series

United Jewish People's Order file

Level

Item

Fonds

92

Series

3

File

18

Item

1

Material Format

textual record

Date

[1956?]

Physical Description

1 resolution

Scope and Content

Item is a one-page resolution authored by the United Jewish People's Order. The resolution addresses "revelations of the horrible crimes and injustices committed in the Soviet Union over an extended period of time," including "the liquidation of many prominent Jewish writers and the closing of Jewish cultural institutions." The resolution expresses the organization's disappointment with the USSR's failure to issue an authoritative statement addressing these and other matters pertaining to the Jewish citizens of the country.

Notes

Availability of other formats: Item has been digitized.

Name Access

United Jewish People's Order

Subjects

Jews--Soviet Union

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

Soviet Union

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Political Career series

United Jewish People's Order file

Level

Item

Fonds

92

Series

3

File

18

Item

2

Material Format

textual record

Date

[1956?]

Physical Description

1 statement

Scope and Content

Item is a statement issued following a meeting of the National Executive Board of the United Jewish Peoples Order, which was held on 8 May [1956?] "to discuss the fate of Jewish culture in the Soviet Union." The statement appears (in full) first in English and then in Yiddish.

Notes

Availability of other formats: Item has been digitized.

Name Access

United Jewish People's Order

Subjects

Jews--Soviet Union

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

Soviet Union

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Political Career series

United Jewish People's Order file

Level

Item

Fonds

92

Series

3

File

18

Item

4

Material Format

textual record

Date

[between 1940 and 1959]

Physical Description

1 report

Scope and Content

Item is a five-page report delivered to United Jewish People's Order delegates by the secretary of the same. The report concerns "the tragic events in the Soviet Union," specifically, "the crimes and injustices against Jewish life and Jewish culture." The organization's relationship to the Labor Progressive Party is discsussed in the report, as is the stance of the organization towards Israel.

Notes

Availability of other formats: Item has been digitized.

Name Access

Labor-Progressive Party

United Jewish People's Order

Subjects

Jews--Soviet Union

Repro Restriction

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

Source

Archival Descriptions

Accession Number

2012-12-1

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

2 v : 36 x 29 x 5 cm and 36 x 29 x 1.5 cm

Scope and Content

Accession consists of two volumes of the Canadian Jewish War Memorial Book of Remembrance. The first of these two volumes contains lists of Jewish soldiers who served in the Canadian military during the South African war, the First and Second World Wars and Korea. It also lists current day Jewish peacekeepers. There are photos and lists of Jewish chaplains who served in the military. For each war, it lists awards, casualties, soldiers' positions and identification numbers. The second volume contains lists of American soldiers who served in the Canadian military.

Custodial History

This book was presented by the Canadian Jewish War Memorial Association to the US Consulate who subsequently donated it to the Ontario Jewish Archives.

Subjects

Korean War, 1950-1953

South African War, 1899-1902

World War, 1914-1918

World War, 1939-1945

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2015-1-1

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Date

1917-1964

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records documenting Samuel Berger and his family. Included is Sam's marriage certificate, wedding invitation, naturalization certificates, and pay book and discharge papers from the First World War. Also included is a copy of the birth certificate for Sam's wife, Rebecca (nee Rotenberg) and a newsclipping of the obituary for Rebecca's father, Lazar Rotenberg.

Custodial History

The records were in the possession of Goldie Berger, the daughter-in-law of Samuel Berger and wife of Leonard Berger.

Administrative History

Samuel Berger enlisted in the Canadian army in Oct. 1918. He was discharged in Dec. 1918. He married Rebecca Rotenberg in 1917.

Subjects

Canada--Armed Forces

World War, 1914-1918

Source

Archival Accessions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

Pamphlets series

Level

File

Fonds

17

Series

51

File

7

Material Format

textual record

Date

1938

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of a pamphlet issued by the Jewish War Veterans of the United States regarding Jews of many countries serving in the First World War.

Subjects

World War, 1914-1918

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds

Toronto Section series

Education Portfolio sub-series

Level

File

Fonds

38

Series

7-6

File

10

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1974-1984

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

37 photographs : b&w and col. (16 negatives and 8 slides) ; 21 x 18 cm or smaller

Scope and Content

File consists of a graphic press cutting, photographs, negatives and slides related to the Soviet Jewry program. Some are of a separated refusenik family, and fundraisers in aid of Soviet Jewry. There is also an announcement of a Separated Family Week with Jim Peterson, M.P. Willowdale, as guest speaker.

Name Access

Peterson, David, 1943-

Subjects

Jews--Soviet Union

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds

Toronto Section series

Toronto Section archival material sub-series

Level

File

Fonds

38

Series

7-13

File

43

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1973-1994

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

21 photographs : b&w and col. ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller

Scope and Content

File consists of photographs, newsclippings, and literature pertaining to refuseniks and activists in Moldavia, and of the fundraising and support NCJW are providing.

Subjects

Jews--Soviet Union

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Jewish community involvement series

Level

File

Fonds

92

Series

4

File

6

Material Format

textual record

Date

1967-1973

Physical Description

3 cm of textual records

Admin History/Bio

In 1970 many Jewish groups in Ontario organized to help refusniks who were being persecuted in the Soviet Union and to pressure local, national and international governments to address Soviet antisemitism. In early 1971, the Action Committee for Soviet Jewry (ACSJ) was formed by the (then) Central Region of the CJC to coordinate the activities of, and provide stable funding and administrative support for, these various ad hoc committees and action groups that had sprung up across Ontario.

The ACSJ originally reported to the CJC’s Steering Committee for Soviet Jewry (SCSJ), but by the mid-1970s the reporting of the two committees was reversed, with the steering committee reporting to the action committee. By 1977, the action committee and the steering committee were merged into the newly-renamed CJC Ontario Region’s Committee for Soviet Jewry (occasionally referred to as the Toronto Committee). J. B. Salsberg was the first SCSJ Chairman, serving in this capacity until 1976.

Scope and Content

File consists of records documenting J. B. Salsberg's involvement in the CJC's Committee for Soviet Jewry. Included are booklets, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, articles, correspondence, meeting minutes of the National Committee on Soviet Jewry and the Steering Committee for Soviet Jewry, reports, newsletters, conference booklets, and a brochure.

Subjects

Committees

Jews--Soviet Union

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Jewish community involvement series

Level

File

Fonds

92

Series

4

File

7

Material Format

textual record

Date

1975

Physical Description

3 cm of textual records

Admin History/Bio

In 1970 many Jewish groups in Ontario organized to help refusniks who were being persecuted in the Soviet Union and to pressure local, national and international governments to address Soviet antisemitism. In early 1971, the Action Committee for Soviet Jewry (ACSJ) was formed by the (then) Central Region of the CJC to coordinate the activities of, and provide stable funding and administrative support for, these various ad hoc committees and action groups that had sprung up across Ontario.

The ACSJ originally reported to the CJC’s Steering Committee for Soviet Jewry (SCSJ), but by the mid-1970s the reporting of the two committees was reversed, with the steering committee reporting to the action committee. By 1977, the action committee and the steering committee were merged into the newly-renamed CJC Ontario Region’s Committee for Soviet Jewry (occasionally referred to as the Toronto Committee). J. B. Salsberg was the first SCSJ Chairman, serving in this capacity until 1976.

Scope and Content

File consists of records documenting J. B. Salsberg's involvement in the CJC's Committee for Soviet Jewry. Included are newspaper clippings, bulletins, executive committee meeting minutes of the Committee for Soviet Jewry, a booklet, and a programme for the 23rd anniversary of the execution of Soviet Jewish poets, novelists and artists at the Beth Tzedec Synagogue.

Subjects

Committees

Jews--Soviet Union

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Joseph Baruch Salsberg fonds

Jewish community involvement series

Level

File

Fonds

92

Series

4

File

8

Material Format

textual record

Date

1986-1991

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Admin History/Bio

In 1970 many Jewish groups in Ontario organized to help Refusniks who were being persecuted in the Soviet Union and to pressure local, national and international governments to address Soviet antisemitism. In early 1971, the Action Committee for Soviet Jewry (ACSJ) was formed by the (then) Central Region of the CJC to coordinate the activities of, and provide stable funding and administrative support for, these various ad hoc committees and action groups that had sprung up across Ontario.

The ACSJ originally reported to the CJC’s Steering Committee for Soviet Jewry (SCSJ), but by the mid-1970s the reporting of the two committees was reversed, with the steering committee reporting to the action committee. By 1977, the action committee and the steering committee were merged into the newly-renamed CJC Ontario Region’s Committee for Soviet Jewry (occasionally referred to as the Toronto Committee). J. B. Salsberg was the first SCSJ Chairman, serving in this capacity until 1976.

Scope and Content

File consists of records documenting J.B. Salsberg's involvement in the CJC's Committee for Soviet Jewry. Included are booklets, reports, agendas, correspondence, meeting minutes, conference material for the Regional Conference on Israel and Soviet Jewry, and newspaper clippings.

Subjects

Committees

Jews--Soviet Union

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

Committee for Soviet Jewry series

Level

Series

Fonds

17

Series

3

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1967-1992

Physical Description

4.5 m of textual records

1822 photographs : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

The earliest impetus for the creation of a Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) committee to focus on the issue of Soviet Jews was in response to the infamous “Leningrad trials” of thirty-one dissident Soviet Jews in the winter of 1970. Concurrently, the Soviet government began to systematically persecute almost all Jews who applied for permission to emigrate. The issuing of exit visas was refused (the genesis of the term “refusenik”), usually on exaggerated claims of national security, after which the applicants were often dismissed from their jobs, recalled to military service, or similarly persecuted by state authorities. Those who publicly protested such treatment were subsequently arrested, detained for long periods, or tried as examples to others and sent to Siberian labour camps.

When information about the plight of Soviet Jews reached Canada, Toronto’s Jews responded immediately and decisively. Synagogue congregations, student groups, women’s organizations, professional organizations and community groups all established independent committees to aid Soviet Jews directly and to pressure local, national and international governments to address Soviet antisemitism. Very quickly these committees began organizing mass rallies, letter writing campaigns, petitions, targeted protests and direct aid involving large numbers of people and considerable fundraising efforts. From 1971 to the late 1980s the cause of Soviet Jewry remained, along with support for The State of Israel, the most significant issue to the Jewish community.

The Action Committee for Soviet Jewry (ACSJ) was formed by the (then) Central Region of the CJC in early 1971 in order to coordinate the activities of, and provide stable funding and administrative support for, the various ad hoc committees and action groups that had sprung up across Toronto and the rest of Ontario. Organizations coordinated by the Action Committee included university student groups, the Group of 35, Women for Soviet Jewry (WSJ), B’nai B’rith, and the Canadian Zionist Federation (CZF). The ACSJ originally reported to the CJC’s Steering Committee for Soviet Jewry (SCSJ), but by the mid-1970s the reporting of the two committees was reversed, with the Steering Committee reporting to the Action Committee. By 1977, the Action Committee and the Steering Committee were merged into the newly-renamed CJC Ontario Region’s Committee for Soviet Jewry (occasionally referred to as the Toronto Committee).

The first Chairman of the SCSJ was the prominent Toronto politician and activist Joseph B. Salsberg. Later chairs, including Sam Filer, Phyllis Sugar, Reg Adelman, author Jeanette Goldman, Joyce Eklove, and Judge Ted Matlow were also involved with affiliated local groups whose activities were coordinated by the SCSJ. Sam Filer, its first permanent Secretary, became in 1976 its second Chairman. He also served as Chairman of the Toronto Action Committee for Soviet Jewry and was an original co-founder of Lawyers and Jurists for Soviet Jewry. Similarly, Phyllis Sugar was a Co-chair of the ACSJ with Reg Adelman in the early to mid-1970s, while simultaneously serving as the Chair of WSJ. Genya Intrator, the first Chair of WSJ in the early 1970s, later served as first Chair of the Canadian Committee for Soviet Jewry. Despite having its first meeting in Winnipeg, the Canadian Committee had most of its leadership and activities in Toronto. Toronto residents Sydney Harris (later Judge Harris), David Satok, Genya Intrator and David Sadowski all chaired this committee as it developed a national agenda through contacts with affiliated organizations across the country, while coordinating internationally with groups such as the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews based in New York.

Towards the end of the 1980s, many of the restrictions regarding exit visas for refusniks were removed and increasingly Russian Jews began to immigrate to Israel, the United States and Canada. A large percentage of the latter settled in Toronto. By 1991, in response to the changes in Russia and the former Soviet republics, the CJC’s local and national Soviet Jewry Committees were wound up and their leadership began to focus on new issues, such as the integration of Soviet Jewish immigrants into Canada and the continuing struggle to fight antisemitism in the successor states of the former Soviet Union. To this end, the CJC formed a Political Liaison Committee in the early 1990s. Internationally, however, many Russian Jewish advocacy groups continued to operate on the foundation of activism and community organization established during the decades of solidarity built around the Soviet Jewry cause.

Custodial History

The records in this series were accumulated and maintained in the offices of the CJC under the jurisdiction of Samuel Resnick, in his role as the Director of the Community Action for Israel Committee, and as the main CJC staff employee for overseeing the Action Committee for Soviet Jewry and Steering Committee for Soviet Jewry, which eventually coalesced as simply the Committee for Soviet Jewry circa 1977. By 1980, Resnick’s title was Director of the Committee for Soviet Jewry, Central Region, making him the primary full-time staffer of the CJC involved in the Soviet Jewry cause.

Scope and Content

Series consists of extensive planning, administrative and operational records including meeting minutes, correspondence, budgets and membership lists. Records pertaining to activities include numerous event and protest photographs, articles, petitions, posters and other press materials. Records related to the gathering of information regarding Soviet Jewry include transcripts of telegrams and telephone conversations, background fact sheets and many individual case files.

This series has been arranged into six sub-series. Sub-series 1 consists of Ontario Region committee meeting agendas and minutes. Sub-series 2 consists of the correspondence files documenting various activities of that committee. Sub-series 3 consists of the agendas, minutes and general correspondence of the National Committee for Soviet Jewry. Sub-series 4 consists of records documenting affiliated Jewish organizations that collaborated with the CJC in protesting the persecution of Soviet Jews. Sub-series 5 consists of records documenting the various protest activities such as lobbying, letter writing, public rallies, marches and demonstrations. Sub-series 6 , Rufusnik Cases, consists of 3 sub-sub-series, containing individual case files, large published lists, and reference publications about Soviet Jews who were refused permission to emigrate (refusniks).

Notes

Physical extent note: although over 28 m of Soviet Jewry records were originally transferred to the OJA, more than 23 m of those records have been culled due to their origin (non-Canadian sources), format (outside periodicals and publications), because they were merely externally-created reference materials, or because they were part of the very large volumes of duplicates that made up the majority of the box contents. Records documenting the activities of other CJC Committees have also been removed for future processing within more appropriately-titled series within Fonds 17.

Subjects

Committees

Jews--Soviet Union

Arrangement

Because the Soviet Jewry records donated by the Canadian Jewish Congress had not been maintained in a discernable original order, they had to be reorganized into their current arrangement by the processing archivist.

Source

Archival Descriptions