Search Results

Name

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Newman

Number

OH 19

Subject

Families

Interview Date

4 Jan. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Spiesman

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

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

Biography

Ben Newman was born in July 1920 in St Catharines, Ontario. He married Sheila Gould from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ben's father, Abraham, immigrated to St. Catharines from Russia in 1909, living with his aunt and uncle and helping them with their junk business. His wife, Mary, and two children followed later. Four more children were born in Canada: Norman, Benjamin, Rebecca, and Gordon. Benjamin took over the company after Abraham’s retirement and turned it into one of the largest steel manufacturers in Canada. Ben Newman was active in all phases of Jewish life in the community and was the first Jewish aldermen in St. Catharines, a position he held for several years.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Newman, Benjamin

Newman, Sheila

Geographic Access

St. Catharines (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Sol Gebertig

Number

OH 20

Subject

Motion picture industry

Interview Date

17 Apr. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Sol Gebertig was one of several Jews who were pioneers in the Canadian film industry and helped build the motion picture business in the country.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Gebertig, Sol

Speisman, Stephen, 1943-2008

Geographic Access

Beaches (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Joseph Fremar

Number

OH 21

Subject

Business

Food

Occupations

Interview Date

14 May 1974

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

1 MP3 file

Interviewer

Bess Shockett

Total Running Time

12:59 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette tape in August 2003.

Digitized in June 2010.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Joseph "Joe the Orange Man" Fremar was a produce merchant in Kensington Market and opened his location at 234 Augusta Avenue in 1938. Fremar, commonly referred to as the "Orange Man," was a member of the Kiever Synagogue.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Fremar, Joseph

Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Shockett, Bess

Geographic Access

Augusta Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Joseph Fremar, also known as "Joe the Orange Man," talks about the social politics and financial expectations around belonging to certain Toronto synagogues versus others.

In this clip, Joseph Fremar, also known as "Joe the Orange Man," talks about the changing population of Toronto

Name

Rivka Hurwich and Sam Hurwich

Number

OH 22

Subject

Antisemitism

Hospitals

Rabbis

Schools

Teachers

Interview Date

2 Jul. 1974

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side One - 43 minutes

Side Two - 3 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Digitized in 2014.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Dr. Sam Hurwich was involved in a number of organzations including the Canadian Jewish Congress, JIAS, and several Labour Zionist groups.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Hospital for Sick Children

Hurwich, Rivka

Hurwich, Sam

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 22 - Hurwich\OH22_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 22 - Hurwich\OH22_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ida Weisteld

Number

OH 23

Interview Date

10 Jul. 1977

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Doris Newman

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

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

Biography

Ida Weisteld (née Gazer) was born in 1907 in Brantford, Ontario. Her father, Velvel Gazer, settled in Brantford in 1900. Ida attended King Edward Public School and Brantford Collegiate Institute. As a child, she attended Cheder and participated in a boys and girls social group. She took a business course and worked as a bookkeeper after high school. She was married in Toronto in 1933.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Weisteld, Ida

Gazer, Velvel

Geographic Access

Brantford, Ont.

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 23 - Weisteld\OH23_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Fred Schaeffer

Number

OH 24

Subject

Communities

Immigrants--Canada

Rabbis

Synagogues

Interview Date

11 Jul. 1980

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side 1: 31 minutes

Side 2: 9 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Fred Schaeffer's wife, Beverley, grew up in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Beverley's grandfather, Hyman Kaplan, emigrated from Vilna, Lithuania in 1907, and after a few years in New York, moved to Toronto. Shortly afterwards he became the first Jew to settle in Kirkland Lake in 1914.

In the 1920s the Jewish community in Kirkland Lake built a permanent synagogue, and acquired the aron kodesh of eastern European design, its lamps, railings, pews and reader’s desk, from the disbanded Ukrainishe Shul in Montreal. In the 1970s the Kirkland Lake Synagogue disbanded and Fred and Beverly Schaeffer acquired the aron kodesh, all of its furnishings, the ner tamid and the parochet. They generously donated these Jewish artifacts to Beth Tikvah Synagogue, Toronto, in 1988, in memory of Isadore Kaplan, father of Beverly Schaeffer and Erich Schaeffer, father of Fred Schaeffer.

Fred, married Beverley in Toronto. Like many children from Kirkland Lake, Beverley had moved to the city to attend university. Fred and Beverley are keen collectors of Canadian art. He is a retired civil engineer and a former chairman of the Canadian art historical committee at the AGO.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Atkins (family)

Bucavetsky (family)

Cochrane (Ont.)

Etkins (family)

Mallins (family)

Purkiss (family)

Schaeffer, Fred

Geographic Access

Ansonville (Ont.)

Engelhart (Ont.)

Kirkland Lake (Ont.)

Krugerdorf (Ont.)

Ontario, Northern

Timmins (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 24 - Schaeffer\OH24_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 24 - Schaeffer\OH24_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Fred Schaeffer and Stephen Speisman discuss some of the earliest synagogues established in Northern Ontario.

In this clip, Fred Schaeffer relates colourful anecdotes about the first Jewish settler in the Swastika-Kirkland area, Roza Brown.

Name

Isaac Segal

Number

OH 25

Subject

Antisemitism

Charities

Communities

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

Side 1: 46 minutes 15 seconds

Side 2: 45 minutes 50 seconds

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Isaac "Ike" Segel, the son of Russian immigrants, was born and lived in Toronto’s Ward district until 1900 when the family moved to Orillia, Ontario. Isaac recalls his experiences as one of three Jewish boys attending the local Orillia high school and working in his father’s general store. In order to provide a proper Jewish life for Isaac, the family returned to Toronto. In 1917 Isaac enlisted in the army and after his father’s death in 1918, Isaac made his home in Hamilton, Ontario. He was a business executive, active on several executive committees of Jewish and Zionist organizations in Hamilton.

Issac maried Esther Segal (née Kenen) who was influential in the National Council of Jewish Women, Hamilton Branch, and their successful attempt to repeal the law that refused the right of women to serve on jury duty.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Beube, Lillian

Segal, Esther

Segal, Isaac

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Orillia (Ont.)

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 25 - Segal\OH25_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 25 - Segal\OH25_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Joe Lewis

Number

OH 26

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

41:58

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Second side inaudible

Last 2 minutes of recording inaudible

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Lewis’ father immigrated to to Canada in 1906. He contributed to local shuls and established a Hamilton chapter of the socialist organization the Grand Order of Israel. Lewis grew up in Hamilton and attended the Talmud Torah and the Beth Jacob Synagogue.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Lewis, Joe

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 26 - Lewis\OH26_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Lillian Beube

Number

OH 27

Subject

Nonprofit organizations

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Second side inaudible

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

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

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Beube, LIllian

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Harry Finkelman

Number

OH 28

Subject

Antisemitism

Education

Occupations

Pharmacists

Interview Date

1972

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Total Running Time

028A: 46 minutes 028B: 7 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Parts inaudible

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Harry Finkelman was born in 1909 in Hamilton and was one of the first Jewish pharmacists in Hamilton. His father was a tailor and an active member of several Jewish organizations including the Hess Street Synagogue and the Talmud Torah. Harry attended the Talmud Torah and was involved with Young Judea and groups/clubs from the Talmud Torah. In this interview he discusses the early history of Hamilton and descrimination against Jews entering the professions.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Finkelman, Harry

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 28 - Finkelman\OH28_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 28 - Finkelman\OH28_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Harry Finkelman shares some of his early memories of the Hamilton Jewish community in the 1910s. He notes name of shops, shop owners, streets and describes some of the synagogues

In this clip, Harry Finkelman describes the difficulty for a Jew in the 1920s to find a placement to complete a mandatory 3 year apprenticeship before he could enter Pharmacy at University.

Name

Jack Shapiro

Number

OH 31

Interview Date

1973

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

AccessionNumber

1978-2-2

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Jack served as a private in the 4th Division Algonquin Tank Corps in the Canadian military in Holland. He worked as a pants presser in Toronto when he first immigrated from Poland in 1927. He lived in both Toronto and Hamilton.

Material Format

sound recording

Geographic Access

Toronto, Ont.

Hamilton, Ont.

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 31 - Shapiro\OH31_Log.doc

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Fanny Gertzbein

Number

OH 33

Subject

Charities

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

2 Oct. 1984

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

OH 033: 27:34 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003.

Notes

Language: Fanny often speaks Yiddish with Morris Silbert providing a translation.

Related group of records external to the unit being described: accession 2019-7/2 includes comments by Gella Rothstein on this oral history.

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Fanny Gurtzbein (née Goldhar) immigrated from Poland to Toronto in 1903. Fanny lived with her parents and siblings in Toronto's Ward district. Although raised in poverty, Barney, Fanny's brother, went on to become a successful furrier; Fanny's mother, Tzyerl Goldhar, became the organizer of the Mothers and Babes Summer Rest Home.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

Yiddish

English

Name Access

Goldhar, Myer

Goldhar, Tzeryl

Goldhar, Barney

Gurtzbein, Fanny

Geographic Access

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 33 - Gertzbein\OH33_001_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Jack Abel

Number

OH 34

OH 35

Subject

Antisemitism

Cemeteries

Labor unions

Occupations

Recreation

Societies

Interview Date

1986

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

034A: 31:10 minutes 034B: 31:10 minutes 035A: 31:10 minuets 035B: 13:52 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

The end of the reference copy of AC 35 is not very audible. The original cassette may be clearer.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Jack Abel's career in the garment industry began in the 1920s taking him through the dressmaker's strike of 1932. Abel's experiences with antisemitism were numerous. He participated in the Christie Pits riot, he was active in politics, and he became an early member of the Mozirer Society. Abel became financial secretary of the Mozirer Society and was involved in the purchase and administration of the Roselawn and Bathurst Lawn cemeteries.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Abel, Jack

Mozirer Sick Benefit Society

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH34_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH34_002_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH35_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 34, OH 35 - Abel\OH35_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Morris Fishman

Number

OH 36

Subject

Antisemitism

Communities

Synagogues

Interview Date

12 Jul. 1977

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Richard Menkis

Total Running Time

Side 1 46 minutes Side 2 17 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Morris Fishman was born on 29 September 1916 in New Jersey. His family moved to Welland, Ontario when he was an infant. He attended elementary and high school in Welland and completed two years at the University of Toronto. He worked in a family menswear business in Welland. Morris was actively involved in the Jewish community including participation in the Anshe Yosher Congregation, the Jewish Cultural Society, and the Jacob Goldblatt B'nai Brith Lodge. He was married and had two daughters.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Fishman, Morris

Geographic Access

Welland (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 36 - Fishman\OH36_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 36 - Fishman\OH36_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Morris Fishman praises the efforts of the non-Jewish community in Welland, Ontario to support the building of a new synagogue following a fire that destroyed the old synagogue in 1954.

In this clip, Morris Fishman discusses the JOHob Goldblatt B’nai Brith Lodge in Welland, Ontario.

Name

Joe and Minna Loewith

Number

OH 37

OH 38

Subject

Agriculture

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

3 Jun. 1984

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

OH 037_001: 31 minutes OH 037_002: 31 minutes OH 038_001 8 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Joe and Minna Loewith immigrated to Canada in November 1938 from Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. After arriving in Canada, they settled on the Wren Farm outside of Hamilton, Ontario, along with their family and other members of the immigration group. They got married in 1942. Afterwards, they bought a farm from their brother-in-law and then lived with their three sons on the farm.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Loewith, Joe

Loewith, Mina

Silbert, Morris

Geographic Access

Hamilton (Ont.)

Sudetenland (Czech Republic)

Burlington (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 37, OH 38 - Loewith\OH37_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 37, OH 38 - Loewith\OH37_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 37, OH 38 - Loewith\OH38_001_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Minna Loewith recalls the events beginning in the summer through the fall of 1938 that led her family to emigrate from Czechoslovakia to Canada.

In this clip, Minna shares some of her earliest recollections of when she and her family arrived in Canada in November 1938.

In this clip, Joe Loewith explains the conditions for Czech immigration to Canada set by the CPR and how they were met.

Name

Dr. Coleman Solursh

Number

OH 40

OH 41

Subject

Physicians

Societies

Occupations

Medical care

Interview Date

3 Jan. 1985

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

040A: 34 minutes 040B: 31 minutes 041A: 11 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Coleman Solursh was born in Toronto in 1906. He graduated as a physician in 1932. He worked as a lodge doctor. He was involved in the Toronto Jewish Lodge Doctors Association. He worked in the field of family medicine and was appointed chief of the Department of Family Practice at Mount Sinai Hospital. He was appointed associate chief of medicine at Baycrest, Jewish Home for the Aged. He married Zelda Singer, a third-generation Canadian. Zelda's maternal grandfather was appointed colonization chairman in 1897 for Baron de Hirsch settlement for Jewish immigrants. Zelda's father, Manny Singer, was the first Jewish pharmacist in Toronto. Zelda's uncle, Fred Singer, was the first Jewish member of parliament for Ontario.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Solursh, Coleman

Silbert, Morris

Mount Sinai Hospital

Singer, Zelda

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH40_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH40_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH41_001_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Dr. Coleman Solursh describes a meeting between executives from the Toronto Jewish Lodge Doctors' Association and representatives from various Jewish Lodges. The meeting resulted in significant changes to the way medical services and payment were provided to the physicians.

In this clip, Dr. Coleman Solursh describes his role as Chief of the Department of Family PrOHtice in the new Mount Sinai Hospital in 1953. He explains how this department pioneered the model for Family PrOHtice within a hospital setting OHross Canada.

Name

Ethel Abramsky

Number

OH 42

Subject

World War, 1939-1945

Women

International Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE)

Interview Date

8 Nov. 1981

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

1 CD

4 WAV files

Interviewer

M. Feldman

Total Running Time

001: 30.53 minutes 002: 30.50 minutes 003: 31.25 minutes 004: 30.42 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003.

Digitized in January 2015.

Notes

Sound quality poor in many sections.

Use Restrictions

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

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

Biography

Ethel Abramsky (née Levin) came to live in Kingston after her marriage to Harry Abramsky in 1927. Ethel remained an active member of the Queen Esther Chapter of Hadassah throughout her life. Harry, an industrialist and business man, was a generous benefactor of Queens University and was instrumental in establishing Hillel House at Queens. Ethel and Harry had three children and eight grandchildren.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Abramsky, Ethel

Abramsky, Harry

Canadian Hadassah-WIZO

International Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE)

Geographic Access

Kingston (Ont.)

Florida

Poland

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Digital file

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_003_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 42 - Abramsky\OH42_004_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Cyrus Coppel

Number

OH 61

OH 62

Subject

Communities

Families

Interview Date

21 Jul. 1976

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

061A: 46:22 minuets 061B: 45:27 minuets 062A: 45:55 minuets 062B: 28:58 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Cassette tapes were digitized in 2012

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Cyrus Coppel, son of Aaron Coppel and Chaya (Gertrude) Seigel, was born in 1911 in Galt, Ontario. Cyrus remained in Galt throughout his life and became a central figure within its Jewish community. Cyrus initially worked as a mechanic and later worked in the office of an auto shop trading in auto parts. Cyrus also traded in livestock as a hobby. Cyrus Coppel was one of the founders of the B'nai Israel Synagogue in Galt.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Coppel, Cyrus

Troster, Larry

B'nai Israel Synagogue (Galt, Ont.)

Geographic Access

Galt (Cambridge, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH61_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH61_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH62_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 61, OH 62 - Coppel\OH62_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Cyrus Coppel discusses the growth of Galt's Jewish community following the Second World War and the need to purchase a new and larger synagogue to OHcommodate the growing population.

In this clip, Cyrus Coppel discusses the difficulties of raising Jewish children in a small town.

Name

Montague Raisman

Number

OH 64

Subject

Nonprofit organizations

Human rights

Antisemitism

World War, 1939-1945

Zionism

Interview Date

11 Jul. 1982

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

39:42 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Low sound volume

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Montague Raisman came to Canada from England in 1926. He was actively involved in B'nai Brith Toronto Lodge and held positions of office. He served as the commanding officer for the B'nai Brith Air Cadet Squadron in Toronto during the Second World War. He was instrumental in the formation of the Joint Public Relations Committee, a united Jewish voice in response to pro-Nazi activity.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Raisman, Montague

B'nai Brith

Lipinsky, Jack

Canadian Jewish Congress

Geographic Access

Toronto

Calgary (Alta.)

Montréal (Québec)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 64 - Raisman\OH64_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Montague describes the formation of the B'nai Brith Air Cadet Squadron during the Second World War. He discusses the recruitment and training of the officers and cadets. He explains how this squadron was instrumental in changing recruitment qualifications to allow entry of new immigrants and black cadets.

In this clip, Montague Raisman discusses the events leading up to an association between B

Name

Rabbi Dr. David Monson

Number

OH 70

Subject

World War, 1939-1945

Religion

Interview Date

1 Dec. 1982

Quantity

1

Interviewer

(not stated, likely Jack Lipinsky)

Total Running Time

OH70_001: 27 minutes OH70_002: 11 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Rabbi David Monson came to Toronto from Ottawa in June 1939 to serve as the rabbi of the Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue. He served on the board of the Brusnswick Talmud Torah. He was a member of B'nai Zion and B'nai Brith and was the long-serving rabbi of Beth Shalom.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Monson, David

Canadian Jewish Congress. Ontario Region

Shaarei Shomayim Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Lipinsky, Jack

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 70 - Monson\OH70_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 70 - Monson\OH70_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Rabbi Monson discusses his early positive working relationships with rabbis within the Toronto Jewish community and explains how sectionalization became a post WWII phenomenon.

In this clip, Rabbi Monson discusses the role and responsibilities of the Canadian Jewish Congress in Toronto from 1939 to 1948.

Name

J.B. Salsberg

Number

OH 71

Subject

Labor movement

Labor unions

Women

Demonstrations

Interview Date

Sep. 1985

Quantity

1

Total Running Time

OH71_001: 44:50 minuets OH71_002: 35:55 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902–1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, newspaper columnist, and a man who dedicated his life to Yiddishkeit and the advancement of social justice. He was active in various Jewish organizations, including: the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. In 1938 he was elected as alderman on Toronto’s City Council and elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1943. He is well remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a "champion of the people,' committed to social justice, the plight of the working-class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

International Ladies' Garment Workers Union

Salsberg, J. B. (Joseph B.), 1902-1998

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 71 - Salsberg\OH71_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 71 - Salsberg\OH71_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the events that led to the birth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) in America and the ILGWU's influence on the Canadian Garment Industry.

In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the first sit down strike by tailors in Canada in recognition of women

Name

Fay Gardner

Number

OH 3

Subject

Families

Interview Date

19 Nov. 1974

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Sophie Milgram

Total Running Time

Side one: 30 minutes Side two: 2 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Fay Gardner (née Haber) was born in Toronto in December 1896. Her parents came from Austria. They met and married in New York and moved to Toronto in about 1894. As a child, Fay's family lived on King Street, LaPlante Avenue, and Walton Street. She attended Elizabeth Street School (later Hester How Public School) and Wellesley Public School. At the age of sixteen, Fay and her family moved to Margueretta Street. She got married at age eighteen.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Gardner, Fay

Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto

Geographic Access

King Street (Toronto, Ont.)

LaPlante Avenue (Toronto, Ont.)

Margueretta Street (Toronto, Ont.)

New York (N.Y.).

Walton Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 3 - Gardner\OH3_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 3 - Gardner\OH3_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Sarah Green

Number

OH 4

Subject

Families

Immigrants--Canada

Neighborhoods

Interview Date

7 Jan. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Sophie Milgram

Total Running Time

38 minutes 44 seconds

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Sarah Green (née Patlik) grew up living in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood. The family home and scrap yard business were both located on Maria Street, which served as the centre for Jewish life in the Junction during the early 1900s. Sarah Patlik was involved with numerous charitable organizations including the Ontario Hospital School of Orilla and the Rubinoff and Naftolin Mishpocha.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Green, Sarah

Geographic Access

Kingston (Ont.)

Maria Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Portland Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Stanley Street (Toronto, Ont.)

West Toronto Junction (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 4 - Green\OH4_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Bertha Allen

Number

OH 7

Subject

Business

Motion picture theaters

Interview Date

Jan. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Lillian Bernstein

Total Running Time

Side 1: 36 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Bertha Allen (née Herbert) was married to Herbert Allen. Herbert, his brothers, Jule and J. J., and his brother-in-law, Louis Rosenfeld were pioneers in the motion picture industry in Canada. They opened a chain of theatres across Canada in the 1910s and 1920s. In Toronto, they built several theatres including the Tivoli Theatre, Bloor Theatre, College Theatre, Parkdale Theatre, Beach Theatre, St. Clair Theatre, Danforth Theatre and Hollywood Theatre.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Allen, Bertha

Allen, Jule

Allen, J. J.

Rosenfeld, Louis

Geographic Access

Brantford (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 7 - Allen\OH7_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Toba Fluxgold

Number

OH 8

Subject

Bakeries

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

1975

Quantity

1 cassette (1 copy) 2 WAV files

Interviewer

Sheldon Steinberg

Total Running Time

1:02 min.

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized December 2014

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Toba Fluxgold was born in Warsaw, Poland and immigrated to Toronto with her father, older brother, and sister. Toba's father ventured into the bakery business and in the early 1920s opened his own kosher bakery in Toronto. Following her father's death in 1929, Toba’s brother Morris expanded and modernized the bakery and later sold it to Carmel Bakery. After her marriage in 1925, Toba moved to Arthur, Ontario and returned to Toronto after the birth of her first child.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Yiddish

Geographic Access

Arthur (Ont.)

Elizabeth Street (Toronto, Ont.)

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Warsaw (Poland)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

Transcript exists for this oral history.

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Isidore Kaplan

Number

OH 9

OH 10

Subject

Business

Communities

Interview Date

3 Jun. 1975

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Sophie Milgram

Total Running Time

009A: 29 minutes 009B: 41 minutes 010A: 30 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Reduced sound quality at times.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Isidore Kaplan was born in Vilna in 1910. His father was the first Jew to settle in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Isidore's father, a successful businessman, opened a general store in 1915 and a movie theatre in 1923. The Jewish community of Kirkland Lake grew to 135 families and was able to support a synagogue, kosher butcher, and after-school cheder at its peak.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Kaplan, Isidore

Milgram, Sophie

Geographic Access

Cobalt (Ont.)

Englehart (Ont.)

Kirkland Lake (Ont.)

Krugerdorf (Ont.)

Swastika (Ont.)

Vilnius (Lithuania)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 9, OH 10 - Kaplan\OH9_001_Log.doc

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 9, OH 10 - Kaplan\OH9_002_Log.doc

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 9, OH 10 - Kaplan\OH10_001_Log.doc

Source

Oral Histories

Isidore Kaplan's father was the first Jewish resident of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. In this clip, Isidore relates his father's journey in 1912 from Toronto to Kirkland Lake in northern Ontario via Engelhart and Swastika.

In this clip, Isidore Kaplan describes the decline of Kirkland Lake, Ontario

Name

Barney and Tillie Nosov

Number

OH 11

Subject

Families

Religion

Interview Date

22 Sep. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Fred Schaeffer

Total Running Time

side 1: 43:39 minutes

side 2: 43:36 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Most of the interview is conducted with Barney Nosov. Wilfred Kideckel is also featured on the tape, and Tillie Nosov is interviewed briefly.

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Barney Nosov arrived in Canada in 1916. Nosov lived in Ansonville, Ontario. He was a merchant, owned a store, and was also in politics for many years.

Wilfred Kideckel was born in Kreugerdorf on a farm in 1917. His father was one of the first immigrants to the area. Kideckel had ten people in his family. He moved to Ansonville and got married. Kideckel moved to Toronto in 1942.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Nosov, Barney

Nosov, Tillie

Kideckel, Wilfred

Geographic Access

Ansonville (Ont.)

Cobalt (Ont.)

Cochrane (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 11 - Nosov\OH11_Transcript.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Dr. Hana Gelber

Number

OH 13

OH 14

Subject

Antisemitism

Families

Occupations

Interview Date

29 Jul. 1973

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

013 Side One 30 minutes

014 Side One 30 minutes

014 Side Two 30 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Hana Gelber (née David) was born in Safed (Tzfat), Palestine in 1907. She studied sciences at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and prepared her thesis at Hebrew University. She graduated from University of Paris-Sorbonne in 1929. Hana moved to Toronto in December 1929 and married Eddie Gelber in March 1930. Hana and Eddie moved to New York where Eddie was completing his final year at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Hana conducted research at the Rockefeller Institute. They returned to Toronto in July 1930. Hana graduated from Medical School at the University of Toronto in 1934. She completed her medical internship in Palestine. Hana and Eddie lived in Palestine from 1934 to 1939. They returned to Toronto in 1939 where they remained until 1954 at which time they made aliyah. Hana worked at Women's College Hospital until 1954. Hana had three children: Edna, Lynn, and David.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Gelber, Hana

Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Women's College Hospital (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

New York (N.Y.).

Palestine

Toronto (Ont.)

Tsefat (Israel)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH13_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH14_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 13, OH 14 - Gelber\OH14_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Belle James

Number

OH 16

Subject

Families

Rabbis

Interview Date

21 Apr. 1975

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side One: 46 minutes

Side Two: 5 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Belle James (née Levy) was born in Toronto in 1908. Her father, Rabbi Meyer Levy, became chief rabbi of Toronto in 1905/6.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

James, Belle

Levy, Meyer

Weiss, Lottie

Geographic Access

Toronto, Ont.

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 16 - James\OH16_001_Log.docx

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 16 - James\OH16_002_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

Name

John Furedi

Number

OH 78

OH 79

Subject

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Immigrants--Canada

Farmers

Communities

Synagogues

Interview Date

29 Jul. 1976

Quantity

4 cassettes (2 copies)

3 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

OH78_001: 45.20 minutes OH78_002: 45.30 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Copied to digital file in December 2013

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

John Furedi was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1925. During the Second World War, John was drafted into the Hungarian Labour Service System (Munkaszolgalat). After the Nazi occupation of Hungary in March 1944, John was deported to the Kistarcsa transit camp. Between 1945 and 1948, John travelled throughout Europe and returned to Budapest during the takeover of Hungary by the Communists. The revolution and anti-Jewish sentiment forced many Jews, including John and his wife Stephanie, to flee Hungary. In 1956, they immigrated to Canada and lived in Montreal for one year. In 1958, with the aid of a six-thousand-dollar loan provided by the Jewish Colonization Association, John became the first Jewish chicken farmer to settle in Beamsville, Ontario. John went on to become an active member of Beamsville's Jewish community and participated in the establishment of the community’s first congregation in 1966.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Furedi, John

Jewish Colonization Association

Geographic Access

Beamsville (Ont.)

Hungary

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 78 - Furedi\OH78_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 78 - Furedi\OH78_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Paul Szasz

Number

OH 80

OH 81

Subject

Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Concentration camps

Communism

Farmers

Communities

Synagogues

Interview Date

29 Jul. 1976

Quantity

4 cassettes (2 copies)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

OH80_001: 45.29 minutes OH80_002: 44.23 minutes OH81: 44.20 minutes

Conservation

OH 080 and 081 were both damaged (tape snapped). They were sent out and were repaired and digitized in 2014.

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Digitzed in June 2014

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Paul Szasz was born in 1926 in Tiszakeszi, Hungary, and was a Holocaust survivor. He came from a family of traditonal farmers. During the Second World War, he was drafted into the Hungarian Labor Service System (Munkaszolgalat) and was liberated from Auschwitz in 1945. Paul escaped Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and immigrated to Canada. With the aid of a loan from the Jewish Colonization Association, Paul purchased a farm in Beamsville, Ontario. Paul went on to become an active member of Beamsville's Jewish community and particpated in the establishment of the community's first congregation in 1966.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Beamsville (Ont.)

Hungary

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 80, OH 81 - Szasz\OH80_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 80, OH 81 - Szasz\OH80_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 80, OH 81 - Szasz\OH81_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Paul Abeles

Number

OH 87

Subject

Farmers

Immigrants--Canada

Interview Date

14 Jun. 1976

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

45.05 minutes

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Paul Abeles was born on 15 November 1906 in Czechoslovakia. He was a successful businessman and part of a group of four local businesspeople with Leon Rotberg, Jack Rotberg and Jack Brown who bought and rented business properties in the city. The group were also referred to as the “Brantford Companies,” set up to own and manage warehouse properties in the City of Brantford.

Paul was active in the Brantford Jewish community and represented Brantford at the Second Regional Leadership Conference in London, Ontario on 27 March 1960, where over seventy-five representatives of regional Jewish communities gathered. At this conference, Paul was presented with an award of recognition for his volunteer endeavours.

Paul was one of thirty-nine families who immigrated to Canada in 1939 from Czechoslovakia and placed on farms. He was married to Rita Abeles (née (Glaser). He passed away in March 1989.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Brantford (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 87 - Abeles\OH87_Transcript.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Sadie Stren

Number

OH 91

Subject

Communities

Education

Interview Date

14 Jun. 1976

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy) 2 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

OH91_001:44.37 minutes OH91_002:37.34 minutes

Conservation

Copied November 2006

Digitized 2010

Sound distorted on side 1 and side 2

Notes

Significant sound distortion.

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Biography

Sadie Stren was born 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. Stren graduated from Wayne State University and worked as a social studies teacher. Following her marriage to Maurice Strenkovsky in 1947, she moved to Brantford, Ontario. In Brantford, Sadie was actively involved in both Jewish and non-Jewish community organizations including Haddassah, the Family Service Bureau, and the University Women’s Club. She was also a board member of the YM-YWCA. In Toronto, Sadie was a member of the Baycrest Women's Auxillary and also authored the History of the Brantford community.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada

B’nai Brith Youth Organization. Lake Ontario Region

Hadassah

Geographic Access

Brantford (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 91 - Stren\OH91_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 91 - Stren\OH91_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Pauline Burns

Number

OH 92

Subject

Kosher food

Jewish youth--Religious life

Jewelry stores

Fasts and feasts--Judaism

Berit milah

Jewish day schools

Interview Date

6 Jun. 1976

Quantity

1 audio cassette (1 copy) 1 WAV file

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

31.54 minute

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Pauline Burns was born in Oshawa, Ontario on 3 July 1935. She attended North Simcoe Public School and O’Neill High School (formerly OCVI) in Oshawa and studied dental nursing at the University of Toronto. Pauline married Sidney Burns in 1956 and had two children. She worked in the family business, Burns Jewellers. In her youth, Pauline was involved in Young Judaeans and BBYO. Once married, she became a member of Hadassah.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

BBYO

University of Toronto

Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada

Geographic Access

Oshawa (Ont.)

Brantford (Ont.)

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 92 - Burns\OH92_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ben Collis

Number

OH 93

Subject

Musicians

Cemeteries

Synagogues

Antisemitism

Farmers

Yiddish language

Interview Date

1 Jun. 1976

Quantity

2 audio cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Larry Troster and Elaine Kahn

Total Running Time

OH93_001:43.50 minutes OH93_002:18.45 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 2014

Notes

poor sound quality in some sections

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Ben Collis, the son of Russian immigrants, was born in 1911. He grew up in Oshawa, Ontario. In 1944, he moved to Peterborough, Ontario. Ben's interest in music led him to form his own dance band and play gigs throughout Ontario.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Oshawa (Ont.)

Peterborough (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 93 - Collis\OH93_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 93 - Collis\OH93_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Max Enkin

Number

OH 132

Subject

Tailor project

Clothing trade

Clothing workers

Refugee camps

Legislators--Canada

Labor unions

Interview Date

24 Mar. 1982

Quantity

1 audio cassette (1 copy)

1 WAV file

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

43.19 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Recopied March 2009 as the original copy done was inaudible.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Max Enkin was a founder and a leading member of the Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto. In 1947, as associate administrator and representative for the men's clothing sector in Ontario, Max Enkin became involved in the Tailor Project, which was designed to identify and select skilled tailors from the displaced persons camps of Europe and help to settle them in Canada. Max Enkin was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to Wartime Prices and Trade Council.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Europe

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 132 - Enkin\OH132_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Ben Himel

Number

OH 135

Subject

Education

Fraternal organizations

Labor unions

Zionism

Interview Date

24 Jan. 1983

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

OH135_001: 26.40 minutes OH135_002: 29.20 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Ben Himel was vice president and founder of the Borochov School and Kindergarten. Himel was affliated with the Poale Zion Jewish National Workers Alliance (Farband), the Independent Workers Circle, and the Board of Jewish Education.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Himel, Ben

Speisman, Stephen

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 135 - Himel\OH135_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 135 - Himel\OH135_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Benjamin Himel discusses the ideologies of Canada's Labor Movements during the 1930s and 1940s.

In this clip, Benjamin Himel discusses the Zionist movement within the Toronto Jewish community during the 1930s and 1940s.

Name

Tobie Taback

Number

OH 136

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Nonprofit organizations

Interview Date

23 Feb. 1983

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Jack Lipinsky

Total Running Time

34 minutes 58 secons

Conservation

Copied November 2006

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Tobie Taback was the long-time secretary for the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Toronto. He retired in 1982.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (Toronto, Ont.)

Taback, Tobie

Lipinsky, Jack

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Tobie Taback discusses the helplessness faced by JIAS in bringing immigrants out of Europe during the period of Canada's strict "no immigration" policy.

In this clip, Tobie Taback discusses the activities of Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (JIAS) employees during the years 1937-39, the obstacles they faced vis a vis immigrant applications and the "parcels to Russia and Poland" aid program run by JIAS.

Name

Dr. Alexander Brown

Number

OH 140

Subject

Education

Interview Date

4 May 1977

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

Side 1: 46 minutes 22 seconds Side 2: 41 minutes 13 seconds good

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Dr. Alexander Brown was a leader in the field of Jewish education in Toronto. He held various positions with Toronto's Board of Education and the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto. He was actively involved with other Jewish organizations, such as the Canadian Jewish Congress and the United Jewish Welfare Fund. Dr. Brown was born in the Ukraine in 1909 and was the son of Louis and Bessie Brown.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Brown, Alexander

Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region (Toronto, Ont.)

Board of Jewish Education (Toronto, Ont.)

United Jewish Welfare Fund (Toronto, Ont.)

Associated Hebrew Schools (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Dr. Brown describes his tenure as Executive Secretary of the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), its organizational structure, and the CJC's position within the Toronto Jewish Community.

In this clip, Dr. Brown discusses the Board of Jewish Education, the Welfare Fund and the Canadian Jewish Congress in relation to the subsidization of Associated Hebrew Schools

Name

Rabbi Elimelech Ittamar

Number

OH 141

Subject

Education

Immigrants--Canada

Rabbis

Synagogues

Zionists

Interview Date

11 May 1976

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Doris Newman

Total Running Time

Side 1: 46 minutes Side 2: 19 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Rabbi Ittamar was born in Poland. He came to Toronto in 1923. He attended Landsdowne and Ryerson Public Schools in Toronto for one year and then continued his education at a theological seminary in New York, which later became Yeshiva University. Throughout his life, Rabbi Ittamar was an ardent Zionist. From 1930 until June 1932, Rabbi Ittamar served as rabbi of Beth Jacob and Adas Yisroel Synagogues in Hamilton. He then worked as principal of the Seattle Talmud Torah and attended graduate school at the University of Washington for three and a half years. He served for twenty years in Detroit as rabbi and president of Yeshiva. He made aliyah in 5715 (1955), when he was invited by Chief Rabbi Herzog to become secretary of the chief rabbinate. He was married (nee Unger) in 1936 and had two children, Tamar and Yehoshua.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Ittamar, Elimelech

Geographic Access

Toronto

Hamilton

Detroit

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 141, Rabbi Elmelech Ittamar\OH 141 notes.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Rabbi Ittamar shares some of his early memories as a boy in Toronto.

While attending Yeshiva in New York, Rabbi Ittamar headed the debating team. In this clip he describes his first English-speaking public presentation while representing the debating team in 1930 at the Jewish People’s Institute in Chicago.

Name

Mina Sprachman

Number

OH 142

Subject

Architects

Buildings

Occupations

Interview Date

12 Dec. 1978

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

AC142: 31:34 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Abraham Sprachman (1896–1971) was as Toronto-based architect who, in partnership with Harold Kaplan in the firm Kaplan & Sprachman, was well-known for the design of art deco and art moderne movie theatres during the 1930s and 1940s and for designing buildings for Jewish communities across Canada from the 1930s to 1960s.

Abraham married his cousin Mina Sprachman in 1921. They had two children, Mandel and Sheila. Mandel followed in his father's footsteps and became a nationally-recognized and acclaimed architect. Both specialized in theatre design and renovations. Mandel became an architect best known for his restoration of the Elgin Wintergarden.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Kaplan & Sprachman

Kaplan, Harold

Sprachman, Abraham, 1896-1971

Speisman, Stephen

Sprachman, Mina

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Mina Sprachman discusses her husband's architectural firm of Kaplan and Sprachman, its Jewish clientele and the firm's commissions to design and renovate theatres, hospitals and synagogues across Canada.

Name

Jennie Goldstein and Mr. and Mrs. Boris Coopersmith

Number

OH 147

OH 148

Subject

Theater, Yiddish

Interview Date

26 Jan. 1975

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Stephen Spiesman

Total Running Time

OH147A: 44. minutes

OH148B: 45. minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Jennie Goldstein emigrated from Russia to Toronto in 1914. While living and working in the Ward, Jennie married Harry Goldstein, who was noted as both a "dresser" and an actor in Toronto's Lyric and Standard Theatres. After Harry's passing, Jennie became a supplier of costumes for the Yiddish theatre. In 1920, to help support the family, Jennie opened a deli stand alongside the original Shopsy's deli located in the area of Kensington Market. Jennie and Harry's daughter Bess married Boris Coppersmith whose parents, Yossel and Nessie, owned a variety store at Spadina Avenue and Baldwin Street.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Coopersmith, Bess

Coopersmith, Boris

Goldstein, Jennie

Harris, Harry

Lyric Theatre

Pasternak, Chanina

Speisman, Stephen

Standard Theatre (Toronto, Ont.)

Geographic Access

St. John's Ward (Toronto, Ont.)

Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Jennie Goldstein describes the early years of Toronto's Yiddish theatres such as the Tivoli and the Standard, and OHtors such as Harry Harris and Chanina Pasternak.

In this clip, Jennie Goldstein describes the performances and OHtors of the Lyric Theatre circa 1914

Name

Max Federman

Number

OH 149

OH 150

Subject

Communism

Immigrants--Canada

Labor unions

Interview Date

19 Mar. 1976

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Ben Schneider

Total Running Time

OH149A: 30. minutes OH149B: 30. minutes OH150A: 1. minute

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Max Federman was born in Poland. In 1919, he moved to Germany where he attended school. He joined his father in Toronto in 1920. A union leader, labour Zionist, and ardent anti-Communist, Max became actively involved in the union movement and served as representative of the Local Fur Workers Union. He was involved in a twenty-year battle with the Communist leadership of the International Furrier Union until they disbanded and merged with the International Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union. Max was involved in Jewish community organizations including the Histadrut, Borochov School, and the United Jewish Welfare Fund.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Federman, Max

Goldman, Emma

Schneider, Ben

Geographic Access

Germany

Poland

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 149, 150, Max Federman\OH 149, 150 notes.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Max Federman describes the conflict between the Federation of Labour (F of L) and Communist International Union (CIU) from 1938–1956. He discusses the steps in which the International Fur and Leather Union disaffiliated with the International Union to join the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union in 1956.

In this clip, Max Federman discusses his early involvement with a trade union while living in Germany in 1919.

Name

Dora Till

Number

OH 151

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Families

Labor

Labor unions

Women

Occupations

Interview Date

4 May 1983

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Stephen Speisman

Total Running Time

46 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Dora Till (née Tobias) was born in New York City in 1896. She came to Toronto in 1900. She married Morris Till in 1918. They had one daughter, Cecile. As a youth, Dora was involved with Herzl Girls and the Boot and Shoe Society. Dora was active in community service and contributed greatly to social service work. She was co-founder and first president for the Mothers' and Babes' Summer Rest Home, vice president of the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society, a board member for the Jewish Family and Child Services, an executive for the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, honorary vice president of United Jewish Welfare Fund, on the board of Canadian Jewish Congress and past president of the Naomi Chapter of Hadassah-WIZO.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Herzl Girls Boot and Shoe Society, 1920

Mothers and Babes Summer Rest Home

Baycrest Hospital

United Jewish Welfare Fund

Beth Tzedec Synagogue

Timothy Eaton Company

Till, Dora

Geographic Access

Toronto

Bronte

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Dora Till discusses some of the services provided by Hebrew Maternity Aid.

Dora Till was co-founder and first President for Mothers and Babes Summer Rest Home. In this clip, Dora describes the efforts to solicit and fundraise on behalf of the Mothers and Babes Summer Rest Home.

Name

Helen Weinzweig

Number

OH 106

Subject

Feminists

Award winners

Authors

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

Interviewer

Miriam Beckerman

Total Running Time

OH106_001: 30.07 minutes OH106_002: 07.06 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003 Digitized 2014

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Helen Weinzweig was born in Poland in 1915. She married John Weinzweig, a well-known Canadian composer, and had two sons, Paul and Daniel. While she only completed four years at high school, she was an avid reader and self-educated. Weinzweig authored short stories and novels, won the Toronto Book Award in 1981, and was a shortlisted nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction in 1989. She was regarded as one of Canada's first important feminist writers, and her style was marked by experimental forms with some aspects of metafiction. Helen also wrote and produced a one-act play, and several of her short stories were adapted for stage and CBC Radio. Weinzweig died in 2010, aged ninety-four.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Weinzweig, John, 1913-2006

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 106 - Weinzweig\OH106_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 106 - Weinzweig\OH106_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Morris Shankman

Number

OH 107

Subject

Immigrants

Businessmen

Interview Date

2 Jan. 1978

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Miriam Beckerman

Total Running Time

31.08 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003 Digitized 2014

Notes

Most of the interview is inaudible due to the nature of Mr. Shankman's voice. Morris is aged ninety-three at the time of interview.

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Morris Shankman was born in a small village near Minsk, Belarus. He immigrated to New York in 1904 and later to Toronto, where he got married and started his own business.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Russia

Toronto (Ont.)

Belarus

New York (N.Y.).

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 107 - Shankman\OH107_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Kalmen Kaplansky

Number

OH 109

Subject

Antisemitism

Human rights

Immigrants--Canada

Labor

Labor unions

Refugees--Canada

Interview Date

20 Sep. 1985

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

109A: 60 minutes 109B: 6 minutes

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Kalmen was born on 5 January 1912 in Poland. He worked in Montreal as a typesetter and linotype operator. He was active in the labour and human rights movements in Canada. Kalmen served as the director of the Jewish Labour Committee in 1945. In collaboration with the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canadian government, and trade unions, the Jewish Labour Committee helped Jewish displaced persons immigrate to Canada by securing them employment. Kalman sat on the Refugee Status Advisory Committee for the federal government.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Kaplansky, Kalmen

Platnick, Phyllis

Jewish Labour Committee

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 109 - Kaplansky\OH109_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 109 - Kaplansky\OH109_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Kalmen Kaplansky discusses some of the obstacles to the relocation of displaced Jews to Canada after the Second World War. He describes a tripartite proposal involving consultation and cooperation among trade unions, management, and government, which enabled the immigration project.

In this clip, Kalmen Kaplansky explains that bribery, corruption, and perjury were a way of life after the Second World War. He relates anecdotes as an example.

Name

Max Enkin

Number

OH 113

OH 114

Subject

Antisemitism

Immigrants--Canada

Labor unions

Nonprofit organizations

Occupations

Refugees--Canada

Interview Date

13 Apr. 1986

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

OH113: 19:40 minuets

OH114:

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized 11/28/2011

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Max Enkin was founder and a leading member of the Jewish Vocational Service of Toronto. The original purpose of the organization was to help survivors of the Second World War find employment. In 1947, as associate administrator and representative for the men's clothing sector in Ontario, Max Enkin became involved in the Tailor Project. The project was designed to identify and select skilled tailors from the displaced persons camps of Europe and help to settle them in Canada.

Max Enkin was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of services to the Wartime Prices and Trade Board.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Enkin, Max

Platnick, Phyllis

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 113, OH 114 - Enkin\OH113_001_Log.docx

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Max Enkin discusses the organizations, government departments and union representatives involved in the development and implementation of the Tailor Project.

In this clip, Max Enkin discusses the Liberal Government

Name

Myer Pinsky

Number

OH 119

OH 120

Interview Date

31 Jul. 1978

Quantity

4 cassettes (2 copies)

4 WAV file

Interviewer

Larry Troster

Total Running Time

OH119_001: 46.25 minutes OH119_002: 44.23 minutes OH120_001: 44.13 minutes OH120_002: 46.20 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Conditional access. Researchers must receive permission from the interviewee or his/her heir prior to accessing the interview. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Lillian Gollom

Number

OH 122

Subject

Families

Women

Occupations

Antisemitism

Hospitals

Interview Date

8 Dec. 1986

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert and Nancy Draper

Total Running Time

OH122_001: 31.05 minutes

OH122_002: 17.07 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

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

Biography

Lillian Gollom (née Slovens) was born in Russia in 1903. She came to Toronto around 1907. She attended Ogness Public School and Canada Business College. She married Nat Gollom in 1924. They had a son and a daughter. Lillian was actively involved with the "Sinai's" and served as president of the organization in 1939. The fund-raising efforts of the the "Sinai's", Ezrat Nashim and "Twigs" assisted with the establishment of the first Mount Sinai Hospital on Yorkville Avenue. Lillian was a volunteer at the hospital. She remained active with the Sinais and involved with the establishment of the second Mount Sinai Hospital on University Avenue. Afterwards, the organization's focus shifted to fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Mount Sinai Hospital

Dworkin, Dorothy

Canadian Cancer Society

Singer, E.F.

Gollom, Lillian

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 122 - Gollom\OH122_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 122 - Gollom\OH122_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Lillian Gollom discusses the establishment and early days of the first Mount Sinai Hospital. She describes the fundraising efforts of Ezrat Nashim, the Sinais and the Twigs.

In this clip, Lillian Gollom relates anecdotes pertaining to the impact of the Great Depression on Jewish families in the early 1930s.