- Name
- Cyrel Troster
- Material Format
- moving images
- Interview Date
- 28 Nov. 2016
- Source
- Oral Histories
- Name
- Cyrel Troster
- Number
- OH 441
- Subject
- Arts
- Charities
- Committees
- Interview Date
- 28 Nov. 2016
- Interviewer
- Melissa Caza
- Use Restrictions
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Material Format
- moving images
- Name Access
- Ontario Jewish Archives
- Original Format
- Digital file
- Transcript
- OH 441 Part 1 0:22 Cyrel outlines her academic background and discusses her volunteer & professional positions, including Chair of the OJA, Chair of Cultural Planning & Allocation, served on the Board of the Canadian Jewish Congress & Ontario Jewish Congress and currently serves on the Board of OJA. 0:53 Cyrel discusses the history of the Ontario Jewish Archives. Cyrel. & Susan Cohen obtained federal grants to create a local initiative project with the initial focus to collect information on prominent members of the Toronto Jewish community. Cyrel identifies the organizations & individuals who assisted them initially (e.g. Toronto Jewish Historical Society,Victor Sefton) . She discusses the staff, including Steven Speisman, Bess Shockett & Ruth Ladovsky and the location in Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue. 4:53 Cyrel describes the creation of the Sense of Spadina Walking tours which were an offshoot of a living exhibit designed for the Triennial for the Canadian Jewish Congress in 1974. She discusses the contributors to the project, including Steven Speisman, Bess Shockett, Marty Mendelow, Charlie & Peggy Goldsbie and Mrs. Langner, the wife of the Rabbi from the Kiever Synagogue. 6:05 Cyrel describes the successful Sense of Spadina Walking Tours held in June 1974. 7:47 Cyrel discusses the formation of day & evening volunteer committees to help catalogue material in OJA’s new location in the basement of 150 Beverly St. She discusses some of the archival donations e.g. Sidney Harris, Ben Kayfetz. 9:12 Cyrel recalls the move to Lipa Green building in early 1980’s. 9:48 Cyrel describes the OJA office at 150 Beverly. St. She describes some of the historical documents that were discovered in the basement. She discusses the volunteers’ responsibilities. 11:27 Cyrel discusses the function of the OJA committee. She discusses Photo Committee. 13:00 Cyrel discusses early efforts to acquire material for the OJA. 15:56 Cyrel explains why an archive specific to the Ontario Jewish community was established. The effort to establish the OJA arose from a small group of researchers, including Steven Speisman, who recognized the importance of preserving ethnic Jewish history. 17:18 Cyrel explains how the material collected by OJA is unique to & valued by the Ontario Jewish community. 18:48 Cyrel discusses some of the challenges faced by OJA in the early years. 19:58 Cyrel discusses the end result of the Toronto Jewish Historical Society. 20:45 Cyrel discusses the evolvement of the Sense of Spadina Walking Tours. She explains how Ellen Scheinberg, archivist, was pivotal in the advancement of the walking tours. Spadina Walking Tours became a part of “Jane’s Walk”. 24:02 Cyrel shares an amusing story about Henry Papernick, retired lawyer & OJA volunteer. 25:35 Cyrel discusses the contributions made by Brooky Robins, assistant to Steven Speisman. She spearheaded the collection of material from northern Ontario. Also involved was Fred Schaeffer. 26:46 Cyrel discusses OJA hosting various community events to donate materials to the archives. 27:41 Cyrel explains that due to the volume of donated material, off-site storage facilities were used at Yonge & Eglinton. 28:04 Cyrel describes the changes and improvements that occurred after moving to the facilities at Lipa Green. 28:55 Cyrel discusses her responsibilities as Chair of OJA between 1983 and 1998. She mentions that she also served on the Ontario Jewish Congress, Ontario Region Executive & the Toronto Jewish Congress. 30:11 Cyrel explains that Jewish Communist papers were passed on to the collection of Multicultural History at St. Michael’s. 30:36 Cyrel discusses some of the projects and exhibits that OJA pursued. 32:05 Cyrel discusses the efforts made by Sol Edell & Marty Mendelow to fix up the Kiever synagogue in the early 1980’s. 34:25 Cyrel explains why the Kiever synagogue was chosen as a focus for an OJA project. 35:25 Cyrel discusses the special projects & direction of the OJA during the period she was Chair. 36:19 Cyrel discusses the biggest challenges faced by the OJA during her sevice as Chair. OH 441 Part 2 00:00 Cyrel discusses the changes in leadership and operation at the OJA ca 2000. Staff included Brooky Robins, Susan Jackson and Ellen Scheinberg. 1:54 Cyrel discusses the major projects that occurred while Ellen Scheinberg was Director. 3:09 Cyrel discusses her role with the OJA while Ellen served as Director. 4:07 Cyrel discusses the challenges faced by OJA while Ellen served as Director. 5:23 Cyrel discusses the relationship between OJA and other archives and agencies. 8:00 Cyrel addresses the factors that contributed to the success of the Sense of Spadina Walking Tours. 11:13 Cyrel points that out the general groups participating in the Sense of Spadina Walking Tours tend to be Jewish but Jane’ Walk groups are varied & drawn to the neighbourhood. 11:53 Cyrel discusses why the OJA has played a major role in her life. 12:25 Cyrel shares a story from her personal life in order to illustrate the importance of preserving oral histories. 13:51 Cyrel relates a story told to her by Ben Kayfetz about the Strettiner Rebbe on Cecil Street. OH 441 Part 3 00:00 Cyrel describes the efforts of Sol Edell, Susan Brown and Cyrel to put together an audio-visual presentation to mark the opening of the archives. 2:17 Cyrel describes a conceived project that was not realized.
- Source
- Oral Histories
- Accession Number
- 2016-3-69
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2016-3-69
- Material Format
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Date
- 1950-1991
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of interviews with various persons concerning their link with Goel Tzedec and its successor synagogue, Beth Tzedec. The interviews were primarily conducted by Ben Keyfetz and Jack Orenstien, the latter serving as the executive director of Beth Tzedec at that time. Persons interviewed included Carl Keyfetz, N. N. Levine, Meyer Axler, and Bert Godfrey. There is also other information in the file concerning cantors and rabbis who served at Goel Tzedec, including Julius Price, Bernard Wladowsky, Jacob Gordon, and Samuel Sachs. There is a document from Bert Godfrey—undated but with a reference to 1950—titled "Report of Construction Sub-Committee." This presumably preceded the construction of the building housing the Beth Tzedec Synagogue on Bathurst Street. Also included is a 1955 publication of the Ne'ilah Service of Beth Tzedec to take place on 6 February 1955, concluding a half century of worship at the synagogue on University Avenue. Lastly, there are several pages of notes concerning the synagogue and its history.
- Custodial History
- There is no information on the acquisition of this material.
- Subjects
- Committees
- Synagogues
- Rabbis
- Name Access
- Kayfetz, Benjamin, 1916-2002
- Places
- Toronto, Ontario
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- Item
- ID
- Item 2452
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 2452
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Oct. 1962
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : (1 negative)
- Scope and Content
- Simchas Torah, 1962.
- Right to left: Ben Kayfetz, Nissan Yoeli (Mapam shaliach and principal in Albert Einstein School), Israeli ambassador and wife (Prato), Moises Baldas (chairman of Co-ordinating Committee), Elizer Anonowski, [unknown], Jaime Terner.
- Name Access
- Anonowski, Elizer
- Baldas, Moises
- Kayfetz, Benjamin, 1916-2002
- Terner, Jaime
- Yoeli, Nissan
- Subjects
- Committees
- Places
- Havana (Cuba)
- Accession Number
- 1980-12-13
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Toronto Cloakmakers Union fonds
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 8
- Item
- 3
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1936
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a photograph taken of the 25th Jubilee Arrangement Committee in 1936. Included in the photograph are the following people: A. Kirzner; Mrs. Lovich; A. Weingarten; A. Maggerman, CHMN; B. Havelock,sec.;H. Smith, treas.; A. Weinstock; M. Greenberg;L. Ginsberg; M. Wagman; S. Weiss; H. Newmark; H. Wise; D. Kirshenbaum; N. Neslin; O. Isenberg; H. Wagner; N. Cohen; M. Drillick; Z. Finkelstein; S. Langer; Ch. Blumenstein; H. Gluskin; Ch. Schatz; J. Tureck; S. Kraisman; J. Rodinsky; M. Saunders
- Name Access
- Blumenstein, Ch
- Cohen, N
- Drillick, M
- Finkelstein, Z
- Ginsberg, L
- Gluskin, H
- Greenberg, M
- Havelock, B
- Isenberg, O
- Kirshenbaum, D
- Kirzner, A
- Kraisman, S
- Langer, S
- Lovich, Mrs
- Magerman, A
- Newmark, H
- Neslin, N
- Rodinsky, J
- Saunders, M.
- Schatz, Ch
- Smith, H
- Tureck, J
- Wagman, M
- Wagner, H
- Weingarten, A
- Weinstock, A
- Weiss, S
- Wise, H
- Subjects
- Anniversaries
- Committees
- Portraits, Group
- 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.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions