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

Part Of

David Vanek fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

1

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Date

1906-1999

Physical Description

12 cm of textual records

10 photographs : b&w and col. ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

David Vanek (1915–2008) was born on a farm in Whitchurch Township, York County, Ontario in 1915. He was the sixth of seven children born to Jacob and Jesse Vanek, Jewish-Russian immigrants from the Ukraine who immigrated to Canada in 1913. The family lived in the Newmarket-Oak Ridges area, where they owned a farm and the Vanek Grocery and Confectionary Store in Oak Ridges. The family also owned Cedarholm Park in Lake Wilcox, which had a bandstand and cottages and sold refreshments. They opened the park specifically for Jews who were being excluded from other nearby social venues. The family also lived in Toronto.

Vanek completed his elementary school education at Annette Street Public School and attended Richmond Hill High School and Harbord Collegiate. He was admitted to the honour law course at the University of Toronto. In 1936, he graduated with a bachelor of arts in honour law and went on to law school at Osgoode Hall. While in law school he worked for Carswell’s Canadian Law Abridgement and was editor of the Obiter Dicta student publication at Osgoode Hall. He received his bachelor of laws in 1939.

During the Second World War, Vanek served in the Canadian Intelligence Corps and Field Security in England from 1943 to 1945. Following his military service, he returned to Toronto where he tried private practice briefly before beginning a new career as a lecturer in the newly-created Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. He taught a variety of subjects, including legal bibliography, real property, and public international law.

A community activist, Vanek was the founder of the Lawrence Manor Ratepayers Association. In 1963, he ran for the Ontario Provincial Legislature as a Conservative candidate but failed to win the seat. He was the founder of the Credit Counselling Service of Metropolitan Toronto, which was established in 1965. Vanek was also actively involved in the new Reform congregation Temple Sinai and served as its third president.

In September 1968, Vanek was appointed to the magistrates' court. A few months later, the Provincial Courts Act came into being and he became a judge of the provincial court's criminal division. Vanek presided over and wrote judgements in many significant cases, including Weightman and Cunningham, involving the residual power of a trial judge to stop unfair prosecution, and Squires, involving the lawful exclusion of cameras from the courtroom. His best-known case was that of Susan Nelles, a nurse who was charged with the death of four babies at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children in the early 1980s. He also served as president of the Ontario Provincial Judges' Association. In 1989, after twenty-one years on the bench, David Vanek retired. A decade later, he published his autobiography, "Fulfilment : Memoirs of a Criminal Court Judge," which documents his life and career.

David Vanek married Joyce Lester in 1942, and the couple had three children. Vanek died in 2008.

Custodial History

The records were donated to the Ontario Jewish Archives by David Vanek in July 2000. The records were used to help with the researching of his autobiography.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of textual records and graphic material that document Vanek's family history and career as a prominent lawyer and provincial court judge in Ontario. The fonds includes family records from Russia, newspaper articles, correspondence and documentation relating to his military service during the Second World War, and press clippings and photographs of his family and community activities. The fonds has been arranged into the following series: Personal records, Military service records, Occupational records, and Community organizations.

Name Access

Vanek, David, 1915-2008

Subjects

Judges

Lawyers

Creator

Vanek, David, 1915-2008

Accession Number

2000-7-5

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

Accession Number

2018-1-6

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

object

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

20 photographs : col. ; 10 x 15 cm

1 plaque

Date

1978, 2016-2017

Scope and Content

Accession consists of two thank-you notes addressed to Morley Wolfe from Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Abella, as well as a plaque in appreciation presented to Wolfe for inspiring the genesis of CASTS (Canadians Against Slavery and Torture in Sudan), which led to a larger coalition in Canada against the genocide in Darfur. There is also an accompanying photo on printer paper of Wolfe receiving the plaque from Dr. Norman Epstein alongside C. Arthur Dowes. Finally, there is photo scrapbook compiled by Arnold Lipshitz documenting the Advocates Society's trip to Israel. The Advocates Society was made up of judges and lawyers in Ontario. Identified in the photographs are Franz Bowman; Barbara Bowman; Kathy Parkinson; Sandra Newman; Douglas Caruthers; Cecile Goldenberg and Morley Wolfe.

Administrative History

Morley S. Wolfe was born in Winnipeg in 1928 to Cecil (b. 1895) and Betty (nee Davidow) Wolfe. He spent his early childhood in various cities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba until moving to Toronto in 1940. Soon after graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1955 he started his own practice as a senior member of the law firm Burt, Burt, Wolfe and Bowman. In 1971 he was appointed Queen’s Council, and from 1973 to 1977 he served as counsel for B’nai Brith Canada. After his retirement from practice in 1993, the Province of Ontario appointed him presiding Justice of the Peace for Ontario and Deputy Judge in Small Claims Court. His first marriage was to Sandra Newman in 1958 and they had three children together: Leslie, Lee, and Melanie. He later married Joan and became the step-father to her daughter, Erin. Throughout his life Morley was passionate about fighting prejudice and discrimination and became involved with organizations, such as the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations. He was also a member of the Toronto Police Services Board Committee on Race Relations, served as Chair of the North York Committee on Community, Race and Ethnic Relations, and was appointed to the Canadian Multiculturalism Council. In addition, he was the founding president of Toronto Residents in Partnership (TRIP) from 2003 to 2006. His involvement extended to Jewish organizations. He served as national president of B’nai Brith Canada (BBC) from 1982 to 1983 and was a founding member of its League for Human Rights. He was also president of BBC’s Toronto Regional Council and Wilson Heights Lodge No. 1998, and of the Jewish Camp Council of Toronto as well as many other organizations. Morley’s hard work and involvement in the community earned him many awards, including, City of Toronto’s William P. Hubbard Race Relations Award, the YMCA Canada Peace Medal, B’nai Brith Canada Service Award, and the Province of Ontario’s Senior Achievement Award. Around 2002, Wilson Heights Lodge No. 1998 began filing a series of appeals with B’nai Brith International (BBI) over concerns that BBC’s national executive was governing undemocratically. Morley played a key role in filing these appeals and was the centre of one appeal filed after BBC censured him without advance notice or the opportunity for a hearing. These appeals were not all successful. Around 2006, Morley became involved in another appeal against BBC that was filed by a group of members who called themselves the Concerned Members of B’nai Brith Canada (CMOBBC). They alleged that BBC’s national executive had too much centralized power, was not governing transparently, failed to provide members with audited financial statements at multiple annual general meetings (AGMs), passed a constitution that members had defeated at the 2005 AGM, and was threatening and harassing some members. BBI’s appeal court rendered its verdict in 2007 in favour of BBC. Soon after this judgment was made BBC took steps to expel all the members of CMOBBC. In response, Morley resigned from the organization. Morley currently resides in Brampton.

Descriptive Notes

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: See accession record for page numbers of identified individuals.

Subjects

Lawyers

Name Access

Wolfe, Morley S., 1928-

Places

Israel

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2018-4-2

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Physical Description

4 photographs : b&w and col. ; 19 x 24 cm or smaller

2 folders of textual records

Date

1946-[197-]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting Dorothy and Paul Eker, the grandparents of Glen Eker. Included are: four photographs (one of Dorothy, two of Paul, and one of Osgoode Hall Law School Graduating Class of 1952); a document acknowledging the appointment of Paul to the position of notary public in the province of Ontario; a document calling Paul to the degree of barrister-at-law; and a document certifying Paul's swearing in as a solictor general of the Supreme Court of Ontario.

Custodial History

Associated materials: Other accessions donated by Glen Eker include 2018-3-1, 2018-4-1, 2018-4-16, and 2018-5-1.

Administrative History

Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.

Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.

Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.

Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.

Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.

Use Conditions

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

Subjects

Lawyers

Name Access

Eker (family)

Eker, Glen

Places

Ontario

Source

Archival Accessions

• 
• 
• 

Accession Number

2019-1-6

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

2 folders

Date

1911-1987

Scope and Content

Accession consists of material documenting two generations of the Singer family. Included are: a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario certificate for Bessie Thelma Pullan (1911), a Law Society of Upper Canada certificate for Burrell Milton Singer (1937), a Department of National Defense (Army) certificate for Burrell Milton Singer (1946), a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons (RAM) of Canada constitution (1952), a Mount Sinai Chapter RAM by-law booklet (1952), a Mount Sinai Chapter RAM invitation to its sixty-first convocation (1954), and a Law Society of Upper Canada certificate for Burrell Milton Singer (1987).

Custodial History

Records were donated by Burrel and Carolyn Singer's son Tom.

Administrative History

Louis Michael Singer, K.C. was born in Austria in 1885. When he was three, Louis and his family immigrated to Canada. In Toronto, he attended Jarvis Collegiate Institute. He went on to study law at Osgoode Hall Law School, graduating in 1908. Afterwards, he set up the Singer and Singer law office. In 1914, Louis ran for Toronto City Council, representing Ward 4, and became Toronto's second Jewish alderman. He was re-elected in 1915, 1916, and 1917 only to be defeated in the 1918 election. Thereafter, he returned to his law practice full-time. Louis died on September 23, 1959.

Dr. Bessie Thelma Singer (née Pullan) was born in Russia on June 5, 1888. On July 6, 1911, she married Louis Singer. Two days later, on July 8, 1911, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario admitted her as a member, entitling her to practice physic, surgery, and midwifery in the province. Bessie never practiced medicine; instead, she became a homemaker. She died on January 4, 1947, surived by her husband, Louis, and two sons, Burrell and Ralph.

Burrell Milton Singer, Q.C. was born in Toronto on November 1, 1912. On September 7, 1937, the Law Society of Upper Canada called him to the bar. Burell and his wife Carolyn had two sons: Jeff and Tom. Burrell died on September 26, 1989.

Descriptive Notes

Conservation: Certificates deframed.

General: An annotated copy of Burrell M. Singer's Handbook of Canadian Military Law, which the former co-authored with Lieutenant-Colonel R. J. S. Langford, is available in the OJA's library.

History/Bio note: Bessie Singer's tombstone lists her birth date as July 28, 1890, however, JewishGen has her birth registration as June 5, 1888 and the 1901 Census lists it as July 14, 1888. Bessie's youngest brother Sydney, Harry Pullan was born on Aug. 11, 1890 and therefore the July 28, 1890 date is likely erroneous.

Subjects

Lawyers

Physicians

Politicians

Name Access

Singer (family)

Singer, Bessie Thelma, 1890-1947

Singer, Burrell M., 1912-1989

Singer, Louis, 1885-1959

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2019-5-17

Material Format

textual record

Physical Description

2.4 m of textual records

Date

[ca. 1998]-[ca. 2001]

Scope and Content

Accession consists of the records or Keith Landy, created during his tenure as Chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region. Records include officers and executive meetings, general correspondence, clippings and reference material specifically related to antisemitism and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and records documenting interactions with other organizations such as Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Jewish Immigrant Aid Services and Canadian Council of Christians and Jews.

Custodial History

These records were being housed at Keith Landy's former law office. OJA archivists visited the space and retrieved the records of interest.

Administrative History

Keith M. Landy (ca. 1950-2017) was born in Coventry, England and moved with his family to South Africa, then immigrated to Canada. He was the senior and founding partner of the Toronto law firm Landy Marr Kats LLP and was certified as a specialist in civil litigation by the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Keith was a respected leader of the Jewish community in Toronto. He devoted much of his life to fighting antisemitism and racism and to advocating for the Jewish community and other minority groups both in Canada and abroad.

From 1998-2001, Landy was the Chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region (CJC). As Chair of CJC Ontario, Landy successfully lobbied for passage of the Holocaust Memorial Day – Yom Hashoah- Act by the Ontario Legislature. He served as the CJC's National Honorary Legal Counsel from 1995-1998 and was counsel for CJC at the Somalia Inquiry, and at the Supreme Court of Canada in Human Rights Commission v. Malcolm Ross and New Brunswick Teachers Federation. From 2001 to 2004, Landy acted as national president of CJC. In 2008, he served as chair of the CJC's War Crimes Committee.

In addition to the CJC, Landy was a vice president of the World Jewish Congress, was a member of the Executive Committee of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims, and a governor of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews (CCCJ), a national, non-sectarian organization dedicated to promoting cultural, racial, and religious equality among the people of Canada, through education and research. Landy was also an active member of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Landy has also served as a delegate to the United Nations' World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia in Durban, South Africa. In April 2004, he was a member of the official Canadian governmental delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) conference on antisemitism.

In 2002, Landy was awarded The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his significant contribution to Canada, to the community and to his fellow Canadians. In June, 2005, Keith was the recipient of The Lincoln Alexander Award by the Law Society of Upper Canada, recognizing his commitment to public and community service and to the people of Ontario. Keith was honoured for being a champion for human rights and religious tolerance throughout his longstanding career as a lawyer and community leader.

Landy died in February 2017.

Subjects

Lawyers

Name Access

Landy, Keith, ca. 1950-2017

Canadian Jewish Congress. Ontario Region

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

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

Edward E. Gelber fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

36

Material Format

textual record

Date

[ca. 1914]-1974

Physical Description

1.5 m of textual records

Admin History/Bio

Edward Elisha Gelber (1903-1970), known as Eddie, was a lawyer who practiced in both Toronto and Jerusalem. He was born in Toronto in 1903 to Moses and Sophie Gelber. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toronto in 1925, his Master of Arts at Columbia University in 1929, his Master of Hebrew Literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and was admitted to the Ontario Bar at Osgoode Hall in 1934, and the Palestine Bar in 1937. He married Anna David, a doctor, and they had three children named Edna, Lynn and David.

Edward was very active within the Jewish community, both here and in Israel. He held positions in several Jewish organizations, including president of the Zionist Council of Canada, president of Toronto's United Jewish Welfare Fund, honourary vice-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, and many others. His wife, Anna, was a member of the National Executive Board of Canadian Hadassah.

Edward and his family alternated between residences in Canada and Israel for many years. He died in Jerusalem in 1970.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of records created and accumulated by Edward Gelber. The records pertain to his personal life, his professional work as a lawyer, and finally, his involvement with several Jewish organizations, including the Zionist Organization of Canada, Hebrew Schools of Toronto, Canadian Jewish Congress, and Hadassah. These records include correspondence, professional notes, newsletters, memoranda, meeting minutes, bulletins, invitations and financial records.

Name Access

Gelber, Edward E., 1903-1970

Subjects

Lawyers

Creator

Gelber, Edward E., 1903-1970

Accession Number

See MG6 E3

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

Community Relations Committee series

Anti-Semitism cases sub-series

Level

File

Fonds

17

Series

5-3

File

14

Material Format

textual record

Date

1965

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of news clippings about John Weisdorf, the Jewish lawyer of John Beattie (leader of the Canadian Nazi Party).

Notes

Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.

Subjects

Lawyers

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds

Community Relations Committee series

Anti-Semitism cases sub-series

Level

File

Fonds

17

Series

5-3

File

101

Material Format

textual record

Date

1954

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of correspondence regarding an antisemitic comment made by Edson L. Haines, Q.C. during a lecture at the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Notes

Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.

Name Access

Haines, Edson L

Law Society of Upper Canada

Subjects

Lawyers

Lectures and lecturing

Source

Archival Descriptions

Accession Number

2021-11-26

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

36 photographs : col. and b&w ; 21 x 25 cm or smaller

Date

[ca. 1934]-2015

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records related to John Arthur (Jack) Geller's life and career. Of note are 36 colour and b&w photographs dated from ca. 1934 to 1984 documenting Geller's life and career; Spring Issue 1955 of Obiter Dicta magazine; a small poster with photos of the 1955 graduating class of Osgoode Hall Law School, when Geller was awarded the Gold Key Award; a Certificate of Honor awarded to Geller by the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation for the year of 1949-1950; the May 1999 issue of Fasken Link containing an interview with Geller; a draft of a speech delivered by Geller during a debate at Hart House with the presence of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent as well as an invitation to and newspaper clippings about the debate; newspaper clippings about Geller's participation in several debates; correspondence relating to Geller's licensing examination and call to the Bar; the March 2015 issue of Holy Blossom Temple Bulletin containing a tribute to Geller; the section of the 18 May 1963 issue of Maclean's dealing with the Hal Banks case and the Norris commission, of which Geller was part representing Upper Lakes Shipping; awards given to Geller; and correspondence addressed to him.

Custodial History

Records were donated by Jack's daughter, Dana.

Administrative History

John Arthur Geller was born in 1930 in Toronto, Ontario, to Polish immigrants Kalman and Katy Geller (née Ladowsky). He attended Forest Hill Collegiate and University College at the University of Toronto, where he graduated with a BA degree in 1951. He met his wife, Sybil Gangbar (daughter of Phil and Sarah Gangbar), in 1948, during his second week at U of T, where she was also studying, and they were married two weeks after graduating. They had four children: Lawrence (b. 1955), Dana (b. 1957), Jan (b. 1960), and Harold (b. 1964). After enrolling at Osgoode Hall Law School later that year, and articling at the firm Campbell, Godfrey & Lewtas, he was called to the Bar in 1955. Geller began his legal practice with Campbell, Godfrey & Lewtas, where he remained for the entirety of his career. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1966. In 1993, Geller retired from legal practice and was appointed Vice-Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission. He served in different capacities with the Commission until his 2001 retirement. In addition to his work as a lawyer and for the Ontario Securities Commission, Geller served as a director on the board of Leitch Transport Limited and Ford Glass Limited. He was also a member of the Canadian Jewish Congress, served as president of B'nai Brith, Central Region, and was the National President of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada (JIAS), and a member and Honorary President for Life of Holy Blossom Temple. After suffering a stroke in 2002, Geller developed aphasia and spent five years working tirelessly to regain his reading abilities. He passed away on 7 January 2015. His funeral was held at Holy Blossom Temple, which he never stopped attending.

Subjects

Lawyers

Name Access

Geller, John Arthur (Jack), 1930-2015

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2022-5-22

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Physical Description

10 cm of textual records

38 photographs : b&w and col. ; 20 x 30 cm or smaller

Date

[1939?]-2021

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records documenting Abraham Feinstein's law career and early life. Included are biographical documents such as Abe's CV, personal history, eulogy and obituary; letters of condolence; speech notes written by Abe while serving as Hillel Ottawa oresident; telegrams sent on the occasion of Abe's bar mitzvah; a copy of a speech presented by Abe honouring his parents' diamond anniversary; information concerning CCOC (Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation); correspondence pertaining to his appointment as Queen's Counsel; information concerning the official opening of the Ottawa Courthouse and Registry Offices; a copy of a speech presented by Abe to YMCA-YWCA; article in "Ontario Lawyer's Gazette" featuring Abe; an article in "National" journal featuring Abe; a candidate letter written by Abe in "Law Society of Upper Canada Guide for Voters"; newsclippings announcing Abe as president of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada; a copy of a speech presented by Abe to LibraryCo; a copy of "Focus", the LibraryCo newsletter; a copy of "County of Carleton Law Association Bulletin" and a newsclipping from the "Ottawa Jewish Bulletin" honouring Abe as the recipient of the Carleton Medal; letters of nomination of Abe for County of Carleton Law Association's Legal Innovator Award; copies of three speeches presented to the County of Carleton Law Association by Abe as recipient of the Carleton Medal in 1999, recipient of The Solicitor Award in 2011 and recipient of The Legal Innovator Award in 2020; copy of a letter to the editor of "Law Times" written by Abe; two letters of congratulations on election as a Bencher of the Law Society; a copy of "Communiqu-ate"; copies of three speeches presented by Abe to the County and District Law President's Association in 1993, to Prescott and Russell Law Association in 1994 and to County and District Law Presidents Association in 1995; content pertaining to the receipt of the Order of Ottawa including a copy of the program, an invitation to the ceremonies, letters of congratulations, three nomination letters and an announcement by Soloway Wright; a certificate of recognition for distinguished achievements; a copy of a speech presented by Abe at the Shirley Berman Memorial Lecture Series, 2019 and a copy of the program; content pertaining to The Law Society Medal including a brochure , newsclipping announcing Abe as the recipient of the Law Society Medal in 2008, letters of congratulations, a hand-out describing the walk-through for the ceremony, a copy of Abe's speech, a copy of the program, letters of nomination, an announcement in the CJN and a mention in the "Law Society Gazette". Also included are photographs documenting early family life and honours.

Administrative History

Abraham "Abe" Feinstein was born 19 December 1936 in Ottawa, Ontario to Benjamin and Freda (née Dickstein) Feinstein. Benjamin (1898-2001) was born in Teplik, Russia. Following pogroms and a term of imprisonment, Benjamin fled to Romania for four years and then made his way to Canada in 1924. While living in Winkler, Manitoba he married Freda (1900?-1986), and they had two daughters Miriam (m. Levitin) and Ruth (m. Aaron). Around 1930, the family moved to Ottawa, Ontario where two more children were born, Pearl (m. Moskovic) and Abraham.

Abe attended Kent Street public school and graduated from Lisgar Collegiate. He attended and worked at Camp B'nai Brith and worked at Camp Wooden Acres and Camp White Pine. While completing his Bachelor of Arts degree at Carleton University, he was president of the Ottawa Hillel. Abe received his LLB from the University of Ottawa in 1963 and was called to the Bar in 1965 at Osgoode Hall in Toronto. Abe practiced law with Soloway Wright LLP in Ottawa for 55 years.

Abe married Beverley Kavanat on 23 August 1964 and had three daughters Susan, Harriet and Shawna.

Abe was recognized for his community and professional service to a number of organizations over his lifetime. He was a founding director of Centretown Citizens of Ottawa Corporation in 1975 and was named an honorary life member. In 1982, he was the founding director of the County and District Law Presidents Association of Ontario and the chair of the Committee of Adjustment of the City of Ottawa. Abe was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1983. He served as chair of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee East Region. He served as president of the County of Carleton Law Association (CCLA). The CCLA awarded Abe with the Carleton medal in 1998, the Solicitors' Award in 2011 and the Legal Innovator Award in 2020. Abe became a bencher at the Law Society of Upper Canada (now called the Law Society of Ontario) in 1991, and was awarded the Law Society Medal in 1998. He also served as director and president of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. He also acted as a consultant during the building of Ottawa's new courthouse, ensuring that the needs of attorneys were included in the design. Abe was a director on the board of the Ottawa Food Bank and was made honorary president of the Ottawa YMCA-YWCA. He served as chair of the Investment Committee of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation. From 2018-2020, Abe was the chair of the Governance Committee of Kehillat Beth Israel Congregation in Ottawa. The Order of Ottawa was bestowed upon Abe in 2016.

Use Conditions

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

Descriptive Notes

Associated Material Note: Abraham Feinstein's Order of Ottawa and Law Society medals are held at his former law firm, Soloway Wright LLP. A video of Abe as part of the Shirley Berman Lecture Series is held at the Ottawa Jewish Archives.

Subjects

Law

Lawyers

Name Access

Feinstein, Abraham, 1936-2021

Places

Ottawa (Ont.)

Source

Archival Accessions

Accession Number

2022-6-17

Material Format

textual record

graphic material

Physical Description

4 cm of textual records

10 photographs : b&w and col. ; 25 x 31 cm or smaller

Date

1939-2012

Scope and Content

Accession consists of records documenting the life and career of Justice Sydney Robins. The records include photographs, diplomas, correspondence, and material written by or about Justice Sydney Robins.

Custodial History

Records were donated by Robins' son-i-law, Steven Sharpe.

Administrative History

Sydney Lewis Robins (1923-2014) was born in 1923 in Toronto, Ontario, to Samuel Robins and Bessie Kamarner. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1944 and was admitted to Osgoode Hall Law School that same year. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in September 1947. Robins received an LL.M. degree from Harvard University in 1948. Robins served as a special lecturer on torts at Osgoode Hall Law School from 1948 to 1960, and participated in many continuing legal education sessions for the Law Society of Upper Canada. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1962. Robins was first elected a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1961, and served as its Treasurer from 1971 to 1974. Robins was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ontario in 1976, and to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 1981. Robins served on several Ontario provincial commissions, and arbitrated a TTC labour dispute. Following his retirement from the bench in 1998, Robins joined the law firm of Goodmans LLP. He served as Chair of the Law Foundation of Ontario, and was active in the Canadian Bar Association. Robins died in Toronto on 10 January 2014.

Subjects

Lawyers

Justice

Name Access

Robins, Sydney Lewis, 1923-2014

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Archival Accessions