Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Ontario Jewish Archives sous-fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
ID
Fonds 67-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Ontario Jewish Archives sous-fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
Fonds
67-1
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Date
1971-2008
Physical Description
2.1 m of textual records and other material
Admin History/Bio
The Ontario Jewish Archives (OJA) was established in 1973 and remains in operation today. The OJA’s mandate is to acquire, preserve, and make available records documenting Ontario’s Jewish community. The Archives became a legal corporation on 24 February 1977 with authorization from the Federal Corporations Act and the Provincial Letters Patent.
The Toronto Jewish Historical Society (TJHS) established an Archives Committee in 1971, to preserve the records of Toronto’s Jewish community. This prompted the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) Central Region to work with the TJHS to establish an organization that would preserve records of Jewish communities across Ontario. At a CJC Central Region Officers’ meeting in 1973, TJHS president Victor Sefton proposed that the Historical Society’s Archives Committee become an official arm of the CJC. After approving the proposal, the CJC Central Region allocated a budget for operation of the Archives, and the two Committees merged, forming one archival organization that operated under the umbrella of the CJC Central Region.
After the Toronto Jewish Congress (TJC) formed in 1976, the Archives became accountable to the TJC but continued to report to the CJC Central Region. In 1992, the TJC and CJC transferred responsibility for the Archives to the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation, and the Archives remains part of that organization today.
The OJA’s administrative structure includes a Board of Directors, the director of the archives, archivists, an assistant archivist, contract employees, and volunteers. The Board of Directors consists of six to twelve members, each approved by UJA Federation and current Board members. Meetings are held a minimum four times per year and are presided by a Chair or the Vice Chair in the Chair’s absence. The Archives Director manages daily operation of the Archives. From 1973 to around 2000, Stephen Speisman acted as Director of the Archives. Ellen Scheinberg served as Archives Director from October 2002 to January 2011. Dara Solomon began as the OJA's Director in May 2012.
Since 1973, the Archives has undergone unofficial and official name changes. When first established in 1973, the Archives was called the “Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region Archives.” After the Archives became accountable to the TJC, OJA letterheads and publicity material occasionally bore the name “Toronto Jewish Congress / Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region Archives.” When the Archives became a legal corporation in 1977, the corporation was named the “Ontario Jewish Archives Foundation” but the Archives’ public name remained unchanged. In 1992, the Archives’ public name officially became the “Ontario Jewish Archives.”
Scope and Content
This sous-fonds documents the formation, administration, and operation of the OJA. Records relating to the establishment of the Archives date from 1971-1973, while those relating to administration and operation date from 1973-2008.
This sous-fonds consists of Archives Committee meeting minutes, memoranda, policies, communications with parent organizations (mainly TJC), financial records, correspondence, records documenting the development of the OJA website, and a small amount of acquisition files. Records in the sous-fonds relate to Archives programs and projects, including tours, exhibits, presentations, workshops, and services. Activities of employee and volunteer work are also documented. Also present are budgets and posters from the Oskar Asher Schmidt Museum, which the Archives operated.
Notes
Access restriction note: The financial records, personnel and competition files and grant files are restricted to the public.
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
Additional records related to this sous-fonds can be found in the Sol Edell fonds, Victor Sefton fonds, accession 2006-7/7 and Cyrel Troster's records.
Arrangement
Correspondence was originally organized in chronological order and remains in the original order. Other records have been arranged according to function or activity.
Creator
Ontario Jewish Archives (Toronto, Ont.)
Accession Number
This sous-fonds is comprised of accessions 2005-8/2, 2004-5/99 and 2004-6/5 along with MG8J and materials from the Sol Edell fonds.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
ID
Fonds 86-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
Fonds
86-1
Material Format
textual record
Date
1932-1936
Physical Description
5 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
The Jewish Children’s Bureau (JCB) was established in the early 1930s. Staffed by professionals, its role was to “provide protection and supervision for neglected, dependent, illegitimate and maladjusted Jewish children.” This included arranging adoptions, placing children in foster homes, supervising children in their own homes, providing housekeeping services and assisting unmarried mothers. Prior to the JCB’s formation, welfare work with children in the Jewish community was performed by untrained staff and volunteers at the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society and the Jewish Children’s Home (JCH). Both the JCB and the JCH were members of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and received most of their funding from them.
The JCB’s creation represented a move towards the professionalization of social work, a shift away from institutionalizing children in orphanages to placing them in foster homes, and the Federation’s need to cut costs. The agency’s formation came at a time when the relationship between the JCH and the Federation was poor. Since the late 1920s, the Federation received a grant from the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) for the cost of maintaining children at the JCH. However, CAS had become increasingly unhappy with the policies and practices of the JCH, such as allowing parents to visit children and returning children to their homes after they turned 16. In addition, the Federation and CAS were unhappy that the JCH was resistant to developing a foster home program even though this was becoming the professional norm.
When the JCB was created the JCH became a subcommittee of the agency. In 1934, the JCB took over control of the JCH’s administration and case work after a Mental Hygiene survey of the JCH’s conditions found that its Superintendent lacked the training necessary for her job. On February 22, 1935, the Federation finally closed the JCH to cut costs and focus on a foster care program. A year later, the JCB amalgamated with the Jewish Big Brother Movement and the Jewish Big Sister Committee to form the Jewish Child Welfare Association.
Scope and Content
Sous-fonds consists of textual records documenting the activities of the Jewish Children's Bureau and the closure and operation of the Jewish Children's Home in its final years. Included is correspondence, meeting agendas, surveys, financial records and news articles. Sous-fonds is divided into the following series: 1. Board of Trustees; 2. Executive Director; 3. Adoption; 4. Foster care; 5. Finance and accounting; 6. Human Resources; 7. Building administration; 8. Special projects, studies and surveys; 9. Publicity; and, 10. Liaison with other social welfare 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.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
ID
Fonds 9-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
Fonds
9-1
Material Format
textual record
Date
1926-1982
Physical Description
51 cm of textual records
14 photographs : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada was organized into a national office in Montreal and regional offices in Winnipeg (Western Region), Toronto (Central Region) and Halifax (Eastern Region). The national office was responsible for directing and managing all the affairs of the organization, including defining national and international policy; administration of regional offices; national budget; fundraising; external relations with other organizations, such as the United Jewish Relief Agencies (UJRA) and Jewish Family & Child Services (JF&CS); and publicity. It also organized the annual meeting, special events and conventions.
Membership in JIAS was open to individuals, organizations or companies who paid an annual fee. General meetings of the membership were held at least once every two years, where reports were presented and considered, nominations and elections held for national officers and the national executive committee, policies, programs and problems discussed, and decisions taken.
The National Executive Committee of JIAS was composed of the following members: national president; three vice-presidents (the presidents of the Western, Central and Eastern regions), with the addition in the 1950s of a vice-president at large; three regional treasurers, eventually reduced to one national treasurer; secretary; and twelve members comprising four representatives from each region. In 1929 the ‘executive secretary’ position was renamed ‘executive director.’ According to the 1943 constitution, the executive was required to hold meetings at least three times a year, in alternate cities. In 1954 this was amended to twice a year.
During the early stages of JIAS's operations, it had to face the difficulty of being overstretched financially, as it sought to respond to and to change the often oppressive living conditions of new immigrants and the situation of those held in federal detention centres. The organization’s principled approach to immigrant welfare won JIAS much of its early success, as it became the preferred contact for government officials who had formerly dealt with numerous independent agencies, many of which had profited from the exploitation of desperate immigrants. This situation also profited the government, however, as the responsibility for establishing the priority of applications reverted increasingly to JIAS as it had to limit its appeals by the quotas imposed by the federal government.
JIAS was one of the founding organizations responsible for the establishment of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) in 1978, which has since operated as a non-profit umbrella organization to coordinate the efforts of immigrant and refugee advocacy groups. JIAS continues to operate offices across Canada in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor and Winnipeg. The JIAS National Office moved from Montreal to Toronto in 1989, with the appointment of Susan Davis to National Director, and is now located at 4580 Dufferin St., Suite 306, Toronto, Ontario.
Scope and Content
Sous-fonds consists of National Office records retained by the Toronto JIAS office as reference copies. Records include meeting minutes, speeches and reports from annual meetings, and the published annual reports produced from the annual meetings. The sous-fonds covers the years 1926 to 1982 and is divided into the following series: 1. National Executive meeting minutes; 2. National annual meeting proceedings; 3. National annual reports; 4. Publications; and 5. Photographs.
Name Access
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada (creator)
Subjects
Immigrants--Canada
Nonprofit organizations
Access Restriction
Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
ID
Fonds 28-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
Fonds
28-2
Material Format
textual record
Date
1907-1979
Physical Description
18 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Formed in 1907 following the 1906 Zionist Congress in Toronto, the Toronto Zionist Council (TZC) was founded by the societies Agudath Zion, B'Nai Zion, Daughters of Zion, B'noth Zion Kadimah, Zion Literary Club, and the Young Men's Zion Club of Toronto. The purpose of the Council was to coordinate the efforts of its member organizations in promoting the aims of Zionism in the Toronto area. The formation of the Council was accompanied by the incorporation of the United Zionists of Toronto as a publicly traded corporation, which purchased property and acquired assets for use in TZC activities and for rental by TZC member organizations.
In 1912, United Zionist of Toronto purchased a building at 249 Simcoe Street, Toronto, as the first Zionist Institute. The Institute included meeting rooms, a Zionist and Hebrew library, and a small gymnasium. In 1913, the Institute moved to a building at 206 Beverley Street. The Institute subsequently moved to 651 Spadina Avenue in 1924 and was renamed the Zionist Centre. In 1962 the Centre moved to a new building at 188 Marlee Avenue, Toronto.
Scope and Content
The sous-fonds includes: records relating to the incorporation of the United Zionists of Toronto (1907), copies of the Toronto Zionist Council constitution and proposals for constitutional ammendments, minutes of meetings of United Zionists of Toronto Board of Directors (ca. 1912) and Toronto Zionist Council and committees (1952-1953, 1962-1977), property management records and correspondence concerning rental arrangements for offices and meeting rooms in the Zionist Institute/Centre. The sous-fonds also includes some administrative records and correspondence with affiliated organizations created by TJC officers and Zionist Centre staff.
Related Material
See also Al Gilbert; accession # 1991-4-4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
ID
Fonds 28-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
Fonds
28-1
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
moving images
Date
1934-1978
Physical Description
4.4 m of textual records and other material
Admin History/Bio
From 1921 to 1978, the Zionist Organization of Canada acted as the official voice of Zionism in Canada. The largest of the ZOC regions was the Central Region consisting of Ontario. Virtually all organizations, congregations, societies and ideological groupings having a Jewish heritage in Ontario participated in the activities of the Central Region of ZOC.
The Central Region administration mirrored the administration at the national level. It functioned through an Executive, a Regional Council, and various volunteer committees. The Ontario Camps Association provided governance for the summer camps in Ontario co-sponsored by the Zionist Organization of Canada, Hadassah-Wizo and Canadian Young Judaea. Programmes such as the Zionist Book Club, art exhibitions, lunch clubs and other activities have served to promote the ideals of Zionism and foster a stronger sense of Jewish identity among Jews throughout Ontario.
Regional Plenary conferences were held between the National Plenary conventions. This sous-fonds includes records of the 16th to 28th Central Region Conferences held between 1946 and 1968. Representatives from Central Region also participated as delegates to National Conventions and internationally in the World Zionist Congress.
Scope and Content
The Central Region sous-fonds documents the activities of the Zionist Organization of Canada at the regional level. While the records cover the period between 1934 to 1978, the bulk of the records date from after 1960. As well as textual records and photographs, the sous-fonds includes films (and a video transfer of the films) of camp activities at Camp Solelim in 1974.
The sous-fonds is organized into 7 series: records of the Ontario Camps Association (1961-1978); auditor's reports prepared for the Central Region Treasury Board (1944-1970); records relating to the Zionist Book Club (1962-1978); Young Judaea (1955-1968); correspondence with community representatives (1965-1967); Central Region conferences (1946-1968); and, the Central Region administration's subject files (1952-1978).
Notes
Physical description note: Includes 353 photographs, 3 film reels (Super 8 mm), and 1 videocassette (VHS).
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Source
Archival Descriptions