Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Level

Fonds

Fonds

89

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Date

1911-1971, predominant 1911-1935

Physical Description

6 cm of textual records

17 photographs

Admin History/Bio

Isaac Matenko (1874–1960) was a founder, teacher, and principal of the I. L. Peretz School. He worked tirelessly to preserve and promote secular Jewish culture and the Yiddish language in Toronto. He was also a prominent member of local Jewish organizations, such as the Socialist-Territorialist Club and the Yiddish Kultur Gesellshaft.

Isaac was born on 1 February 1874 in the town of Makariv, located in the Kyiv Oblast (province) of Ukraine. He married Elke Yelia Moshkevitch (1878–19 November 1953) on 4 August 1900 in Yekaterinoslav (today Dnipro). They immigrated from czarist Russia to Toronto in 1906, passing first through New York with their two children, Percy (30 June 1901–May 1987) and Theodore (1903–1906, died of measles at Ellis Island), and Yelia’s three sisters, Dvora, Bracha, and Celia, and Isaac’s younger half-brother, Paul Frumhartz. They had two more children after arriving: Abraham (14 August 1908–October 24, 1989) and Shoshana (Sue) (1911–2001). Although he had been a teacher in Russia, Isaac worked as an operator in a cloak factory in Toronto, where he was instrumental in forming the union (likely the Cloakmakers’ Union of Toronto, which later affiliated with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union).

As a child, Isaac received a traditional Jewish education. This, combined with his self-taught secular education and the teachings of Yiddish nationalist Dr. Chaim Zhitlovski, informed his future career and philosophies. He was described as an idealist by his friends, whose dedication to Yiddish culture and language motivated him to bring this knowledge to a younger generation.

On 11 July 1911, Isaac and his fellow Socialist-Territorialist members established the Toronto Yiddish National-Radical School. By 1916, it had been taken over by the Workmen’s Circle and renamed the I. L. Peretz School, after the well-known Yiddish author and playwright. The school began in a rented room at the Zionist Institute on Simcoe Street, moving to larger locations on Richmond Street West, then Beverley Street as it grew. Eventually, several more branches opened, such as the Maria Street school that Isaac was affiliated with. He taught at the school for free in the evenings after working during the day in a shop. His brother Paul was also a founding teacher at the school.

Isaac was described by family, friends, and community members as a passionate teacher with an iron will. He was well-versed in Jewish knowledge, with a desire to pass it on to a younger generation and his fellow union members. He remained involved in the school and in teaching, even after retirement. He died on 2 June 1960 at the age of eighty-six.

Custodial History

These records were donated to the OJA by Sue Levy, daughter of Isaac Matenko.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records documenting Isaac Matenko's involvement with the Workmen's Circle and other Jewish organizations. Included are photographs, programmes, certificates, I. L. Peretz School jubilee books, a songbook, a yearbook, articles, and newsclippings.

Fonds has been arranged into one series for the Workmen's Circle. There are also two files attached to the fonds-level. The records are described at the series and file-level, with some item-level descriptions.

Name Access

Arbeiter Ring

Arbeiter Ring Schools

Arbeter Ring

Camp Yungvelt

Frumhartz, Paul

I.L. Peretz

Matenko, Isaac, 1874-1960

Matenko, Percy

National Radical School

Peretz Shule

Workman's Circle

Workmen's Circle

Subjects

Schools

Teachers

Yiddish language

Related Material

For additional Workmen's Circle records, see: accessions 1979-4-4, 1980-2-2, 1983-6-3, 1984-10-1, 1986-4-1, 1992-1-2, 1997-2-1, 1998-3-32, 2004-5-41, 2004-5-105, and fonds 30.

For additional Camp Yungvelt records, see: accessions 1979-4-4, 1986-4-1, 1991-12-4, 1993-6-6, 1999-5-1, 2004-5-37, 2005-6-4, 2006-12-3, photographs # 2964, # 4014, # 6021, MG2N1K, Benjamin Brown fonds 49, and Dorothy Dworkin Fonds 10 (item 14).

Creator

Matenko, Isaac, 1874-1960

Accession Number

1987-11-4

1991-4-2

2007-5-3

2007-6-28

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Level

Item

Fonds

89

Item

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[between 1900 and 1920]

Physical Description

1 photograph : sepia tone ; 17 x 12 cm

Notes

Photograph by Kessner Studio. Originally in Bronx N.Y. but taken in Toronto. Kessner had a studio in the Junction.

Previously photograph #4218.

Subjects

Portraits

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.

Places

Toronto (Ont.)

Accession Number

1987-11-4

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Level

File

Fonds

89

File

1

Material Format

textual record

Date

12 May 1960–16 July 1961

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of biographical sketches of Isaac Matenko. The bulk of these sketches were written just after Isaac's death in 1960 and were originally published in various newspapers, including the Vochenblat, the Yiddisher Zhurnal, and On the Threshold. The Yiddish articles are accompanied by English translations.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Level

File

Fonds

89

File

2

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1911-1935

Physical Description

3 photographs : b&w ; 19 x 24 cm mounted on board 30 x 35 cm or smaller

Scope and Content

File consists of photographs documenting Isaac Matenko's involvement with the Socialist-Territorialist Club and the Yiddish Kultur Gesellshaft.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Jewish organizations file

Level

Item

Fonds

89

File

2

Item

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

16 Feb. 1935

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 6 x 11 cm mounted on base 9 x 13 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a group photograph taken during a meeting of the Yiddish Kultur Gesellshaft at the home of Matenko at 424 Shaw Street. Identified in the photograph are (top row, left to right): Lipa Green, ?, Z. Sahle, Mrs. Sahle, Gershon Pomerantz, Misha Allen

(second row, left to right): Moshe Menachovsky, S. Matenko, Isaac Matenko, E. Matenko

(third row, left to right): Mr. Lipman, Mrs. Menachovsky, M. Frumhartz, ?, ?

(bottom row, left to right): Mrs. Lipman, F. Shafron (Mark), Mr. and Mrs. J. Seltzer.

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

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Jewish organizations file

Level

Item

Fonds

89

File

2

Item

2

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1913

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 19 x 24 cm mounted on board 30 x 35 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a group photograph of members of the Socialist-Territorialist club. Identified in the photograph are: (back row, left to right): Mrs. A. Bromberg, Mrs. Coldofsky, ?, Nodelman, ?, Louis Koldofski, Aaron Bromberg, Mrs. Annie Rhinewine

(middle row, left to right): ?, Abraham Rhinewine, ?, ?, Isaac Matenko, H. Shiner

(front row, left to right): Paul Frumhartz, ?

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

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

Series

Fonds

89

Series

1

Material Format

graphic material

textual record

Date

1911-1971

Physical Description

5 folders of textual records

13 photographs : b&w ; 19 x 23 cm mounted on board 30 x 34 cm or smaller

Admin History/Bio

The Workmen's Circle (Arbeiter Ring) is a radical left Jewish fraternal organization founded in 1900. It was originally established to protect the rights of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who were entering the North American labour force. The Workmen's Circle's main purpose was to promote the labour movement and ensure economic justice for its members. It also promoted secular Yiddish culture, and ran many schools and summer camps across North America, such as Camp Yungvelt in Pickering.

The I.L. Peretz School began as the Toronto Yiddish National-Radical School in 1911. It was founded by Socialist-Territorialist members Isaac Matenko, Abraham Rhinewine, Paul Frumhartz, Aaron Bromberg, H. Rigelhaupt, L. Goldman, and Louis Koldovsky in order to promote Yiddish culture and language. By 1916, it had been taken over by the Workmen’s Circle and renamed the I.L. Peretz School. The founders overcame many obstacles to establish the school, including opposition from religious groups (which preferred Hebrew over Yiddish); a lack of support from the Jewish community; and a serious lack of funds.

The school began in a rented room in the Zionist Institute on Simcoe St., with about forty students. By the following school year, the number had increased to 330, due to cheap tuition and a good reputation. The growing number of students necessitated several moves to larger spaces, among them 260 Richmond St. W. and 194 Beverley St. Later, other branches and other levels (kindergarten to mittelshul) were established on Maria St., Bellwoods Ave., and St. Clair Ave. The school flourished for about 50 years before its decline and ultimate closure.

Scope and Content

Series consists of records documenting Isaac Matenko's involvement in the Workmen's Circle and the affiliated I.L. Peretz School and Camp Yungvelt. Included are photographs, programmes, certificates, a yearbook, a songbook, and newsclippings.

Name Access

Arbeòter-ring Y.L. Perets-Shuln

Workmen's Circle (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

Item

Fonds

89

Series

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1928]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 11.5 x 9 cm

Admin History/Bio

Founded in the 1920s, Camp Yungvelt was a Yiddish summer camp for Jewish children. It was originally situated on Lake Wilcox, but later moved to Pickering, where it operated until it closed in the 1950s. It was established by the Workmen's Circle and affiliated with the I. L. Peretz Schools. Camp Yungvelt was known for accepting the children of poor immigrants for a fraction of the regular fee.

Scope and Content

File consists of one photograph of Isaac Matenko and Gelberg (a teacher at I. L. Peretz School) standing in front of a tent at Camp Yungvelt in Pickering, Ontario.

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

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

File

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

1

Material Format

textual record

Date

16 Oct. 1936, 17 Oct. 1971

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of two programmes commemorating the twenty-fifth and sixtieth jubilees of the I. L. Peretz School.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

File

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

2

Material Format

textual record

Date

1926 Mar. 1928

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of an I. L. Peretz School graduation certificate (class of 1926) and graduation yearbook (class of 1928).

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

File

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

3

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1911–1929

Physical Description

12 photographs : b&w ; 19 x 23 cm mounted on board 30 x 34 cm or smaller

Scope and Content

File consists of photographs documenting Isaac Matenko's involvement in the I. L. Peretz School, from its beginnings as the Yiddish National-Radical School. Included are group photographs of Matenko with his students, fellow teachers and school founders, and members of the West Toronto School Committee. Also included are portraits of his students.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

I. L. Peretz School photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

3

Item

1

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1915]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a photograph of Principal Matenko (in the middle of the top row) with members of the West Toronto School Committee for the Junction Peretz school located on Maria Street.

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

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

I. L. Peretz School photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

3

Item

2

Material Format

graphic material

Date

[ca. 1915]

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a portrait of Matenko with his younger female pupils at the Junction branch of the I. L. Peretz School.

Subjects

Portraits, Group

Students

Teachers

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

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

I. L. Peretz School photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

3

Item

3

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1915

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 21 cm mounted on board 25 x 30 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a group photograph of teachers and students of the Toronto Yiddish National-Radical School, taken during a picnic in High Park in 1915.

Individuals identified are (top row): Paul Frumhartz, Aaron Bromberg, Abraham Rhinewine

(man in centre with school bell): Isaac Matenko - principal

(front row, fifteenth person from right, in jacket): Abraham Matenko

Subjects

Picnics

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.

Places

High Park (Toronto, Ont.)

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

I. L. Peretz School photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

3

Item

4

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1929

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 25 cm mounted on board 25 x 35 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a portrait of the Women's Auxiliary of the I. L. Peretz Workmen's Circle Schools. Individuals identified are (top row, left to right): ?, ?, Gluskin, Farber, Goldberg, Matenko, ?, ?, ?

(second row, left to right): ?, Saretsky, Goldstein, Soboloff, ?, ?, Lipchitz, ?, ?

(third row, left to right): ?, Nelson, ?, Ginsberg, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Rose

(fourth row, left to right): Lipman, Glazer, Soboloff, Sable, Gordon, Epstein, Seltzer, Frumhartz, ?, ?

(front row, lef to right): ?, Carson, Gerrard, Solway, Gelberg

Subjects

Portraits, Group

Women

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

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

I. L. Peretz School photographs file

Level

Item

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

3

Item

5

Material Format

graphic material

Date

1911

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 19 x 23 cm mounted on board 30 x 35 cm

Scope and Content

Item is a portrait of the founders of the Toronto Yiddish National-Radical School, taken in its founding year. Individuals identified are (top row, left to right): Abraham Rhinewine, Aaron Bromberg, Paul Frumhartz, H. Rigelhaupt, A. Schmerler (?)

(second row, left to right): Louis Goldman, Isaac Matenko, Louis Koldofsky

Subjects

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

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

File

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

4

Material Format

textual record

Date

1941-1942

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of a Yiddish songbook, which was compiled by Michel Gelbart to be used in the I. L. Peretz School.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

File

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

5

Material Format

textual record

Date

Apr. 1955

Physical Description

1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of newsclippings and a programme book commemorating Matenko's eightieth birthday celebration, organized for him by the Workmen's Circle Peretz Schools. Also included are English translations for some of the articles published in the programme book.

Source

Archival Descriptions

Part Of

Isaac Matenko fonds

Workmen's Circle series

Level

File

Fonds

89

Series

1

File

6

Material Format

textual record

Date

[between 1911 and 1918]

Physical Description

1 file of textual records

Scope and Content

File consists of one certificate for a subscription of two shares to raise money for the Workmen's Circle Home, taken out by A. Nissnevitch.

Source

Archival Descriptions