Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Level

Series

Fonds

37

Series

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1956-1978

Physical Description

447 photographs : b&w and col. (392 negatives) ; 26 x 21 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

The Negev dinners were established in 1948, coinciding with the creation of the State of Israel, as an annual fundraising dinner. The Jewish National Fund hosted these annual dinners in honour of a leading Canadian citizen, and the proceeds from the dinners were used to establish JNF projects in Israel in the name of the honouree. The JNF projects have, and continue to do so today, raised money to purchase land in Israel's Negev desert and for re-forestation efforts.

The annual dinner was dedicated to a member of the Toronto Jewish community, who had demonstrated outstanding support and commitment to the Community and to the State of Israel. In honour of this individual's contributions, the secured land in Negev was named after them. The honourary guests were presented with awards of appreciation from members of the Canadian and International Jewish community, often including delegates from Israel. The dinners were attended by prominent members of Toronto's Jewish community, including politicians, business men, and philanthropists.

Each subsequent dinner became larger and more successful in its aim to raise funds for Israel, as a result this event soon became the most significant Jewish event in Toronto. As well, it was also the largest annual kosher meal served in Toronto.

The JNF produced an annual Negev Dinner yearbook, commemorating the event, and documenting both the lives of the honouree's family and the current activities of the JNF. As well, the names of individuals who donated money for the JNF projects were recorded in the Souvenir books under patrons and sponsors of the dinners.

Scope and Content

Series consists of negatives taken by Al Gilbert documenting eight Negev Dinners hosted by the Jewish National Fund. The images depict the various activities undertaken at these dinners including: the procession and introduction of the head table guests, the presentation of awards, speeches, toasts, presentation of flowers to the honouree or the wife of the honouree, and the entertainment. The majority of the negatives are portraits taken of the guests posing with the honouree and his or her family. One dinner in this series was dedicated to the Toronto Jewish Community (1956) on the year of its centenary, while the others are in honour of one significant member of the community.

There were Negev dinners held across Canada; however, the dinners in this series were all held in Toronto and were primarily attended by members of the Toronto Jewish community. The honourees documented in this series include: 1956, Toronto Jewish Community; 1966, Bert Godfrey; 1967, Nathan Silver; 1968, Phil Givens; 1970, Leon E. Weinstein; 1973, Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker; 1974, Phil Granovsky; 1978, Eric and Esther Exton.

Notes

Selection for this series reflects the various activities of the Negev dinners, including: speeches, toasts, award presentations, dinner tables, introductions, honourees, entertainment and presentation of flowers. In addition, we selected a sample of images documenting the dinner tables and guests who were not part of the evening's programme, and therefore, would not be captured in the aforementioned criteria.

Name Access

Negev

Jewish National Fund

Godfrey, Bert

Silver, Nathan

Givens, Phil

Weinstein, Leon E.

Diefenbaker, Rt. Hon. John G.

Granovsky, Phil

Exton, Eric

Exton, Esther

Subjects

Awards

Dinners and dining

Fund raising

Arrangement

Series has been arranged into files representing each annual dinner.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Level

File

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

3

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1967

Physical Description

50 negatives : b&w ; 11 x 13 cm

Admin History/Bio

Nathan Silver was born in Warsaw, Poland to Blima and Shul Silver. He married Lily Anne Cooper and they had four children: Shul David, Deborah Ruth, Joseph Baruch, and Bonnie Suzanne. Nathan served in the Second World War as an artillery gunner in the Canadian Army. His occupation was that of a builder and developer and he played an active role within the Toronto Jewish community, operating as National Chairman of the Zionist Revisionist Organization of Canada, executive member of the United Zionist Congress, and, as well, he was a member of the World Executive Zionist Revisionist Movement. Nathan Silver was also an advocate of Jewish education and was Chairman for the Executive of the Associated Hebrew Schools.

Scope and Content

File consists of images documenting the Negev dinner held in honour of Nathan Silver at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

Included on the evening's programme were: Lewis J.E. Moses; Rabbi Emanuel Forman; Rabbi Joseph Kelman; Hon. Dr. Aba Gefen; Louis L. Lockshin; Eric Exton; Rabbi Dr. David Monson; Cantor Zvee Aroni accompanied by Leo Spellman; Philip G. Givens; William Stevenson; Samuel Shainhouse; and Stephen Berger. This file features several images of the aforementioned individuals participating in their assigned roles for the event.

Name Access

Moses, Lewis J.E.

Forman, Rabbi Emanuel

Kelman, Rabbi Joseph

Gefen, Hon. Dr. Aba

Lockshin, Louis L.

Exton, Eric, 1907-1997

Monson, Rabbi Dr. David

Aroni, Cantor Zvee

Spellman, Leo

Givens, Philip G.

Stevenson, William

Shainhouse, Samuel

Berger, Stephen

Negev dinners

Jewish National Fund

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Revisionist Zionists

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Dinner honouring the Toronto Jewish community file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

1

Item

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1956

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 21 x 26 cm and 11 x 13 cm

Admin History/Bio

J. Irving Oelbaum was vice-president of Canadian Jewish Congress.

Scope and Content

Photograph of J. Irving Oelbaum giving a speech at the 1956 Negev dinner held in honour of the Toronto Jewish community on the occasion of its centennial 1856-1956.

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Jewish National Fund

Oelbaum, J. Irving, 1899-1966

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Speeches, addresses, etc

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Dinner honouring the Toronto Jewish community file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

1

Item

2

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1956

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 21 x 26 cm and 11 x 13 cm

Admin History/Bio

Samuel Feldt was president of Feldt's Sandwich Bar and co-owner of Queen City Bowling. He was the Ontario Jewish National Fund Chairman and was actively involved in several other Jewish organizations. In 1961, he was nominated the Man of the Year by the Negev Dinner association, for which a dinner was held in his honour.

Scope and Content

Photograph is of Samuel Feldt giving a speech at the Negev Dinner in 1956 held in honour of Toronto's Jewish community on the anniversary of its centennial.

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Feldt, Samuel

Jewish National Fund

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Speeches, addresses, etc

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Dinner honouring the Toronto Jewish community file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

1

Item

3

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1956

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 26 x 21 cm and 13 x 11 cm

Admin History/Bio

D. Lou Harris was born in Birmingham, England in 1897 to Esther and Harry Harris. He came to Canada in 1911 and married Eva Feldstein; they had two children named Molly and Charlotte. Harris worked as an industrialist and founded Atlas Radio Corporation in 1920. He was president of Holy Blossom Temple and national chairman for the Bonds of Israel.

Scope and Content

Photograph is of D. Lou Harris giving a speech at the 1956 Negev dinner held in honour of the Toronto Jewish community on the anniversary of its centennial. Harris was chairman for the dinner.

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Harris, D. Lou

Feldstein, Eva

Jewish National Fund

Atlas Radio Corporation

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Speeches, addresses, etc

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Dinner honouring the Toronto Jewish community file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

1

Item

4

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1956

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 21 x 26 cm and 11 x 13 cm

Admin History/Bio

Manny Rotman was born in 1909 to Chaya and Hersh Leib. He married Goldie Kestenbaum and they had three children: Millie, Jennie and Joe. Rotman was president of a hotel corporation and also worked as a business consultant. He was past president of Jewish National Fund, Toronto B'nai B'rith Lodge, and was actively involved with several Jewish organizations.

Scope and Content

Photograph of Manny Rotman giving a speech as the Negev Dinner Committee Chairman for the 1956 Negev dinner.

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Rotman, Manny

Jewish National Fund

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Speeches, addresses, etc

Repro Restriction

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

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Dinner honouring the Toronto Jewish community file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

1

Item

6

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1956

Physical Description

2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 26 x 21 cm and 13 x 11 cm

Admin History/Bio

Stephen Berger was married to Dr. Edith Steinbach and they had two sons named John and Michael. He worked as a civil engineer and was actively involved in the Jewish community holding positions with the Jewish National Fund, the Jewish Welfare Fund, Zionist Organization of Canada and others.

Berger was nominated Man of the Year at a Negev Dinner in 1959 and a Nachla was founded in his name in Israel.

Scope and Content

Photograph of Stephen Berger, chairman of the Jewish National Fund of Toronto, giving a speech at the 1956 Negev dinner.

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Berger, Stephen

Jewish National Fund of Toronto

Steinbach, Dr. Edith

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Speeches, addresses, etc

Repro Restriction

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

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Gilbert Studios fonds

Negev dinners series

Negev dinner honouring Phil Givens file

Level

Item

Fonds

37

Series

1

File

4

Item

20

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1968

Physical Description

1 negative : b&w

Notes

Photograph by Al Gilbert.

Name Access

Shainhouse, Sam

Jewish National Fund

Subjects

Dinners and dining

Fund raising

Repro Restriction

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

Source

Archival Descriptions