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Ben Kayfetz segment series
- Level
- Series
- ID
- Fonds 135; Series 17
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 135
- Series
- 17
- Material Format
- sound recording
- Date
- 1984-1988
- Physical Description
- 27 audio reels (ca. 1 hr., 45 min.) : 1/4 inch
- Admin History/Bio
- Born in Toronto in 1916, Benjamin Gershon Kayfetz (1916–2002) was the fourth of five children. He would grow up to become a leading figure in the Jewish community through his work as a Canadian-Jewish public servant, journalist, broadcaster, and human rights activist. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1939 with an honours bachelor of arts degree in modern languages. He then continued his education at the Ontario Teachers College, graduating in 1940 with a specialization in language teaching. In 1943, he joined the war effort, taking on a position with the Department of National Defense in Postal Censorship. After the war, Kayfetz stayed on with the Canadian military and was sent to British-occupied Germany in the immediate post-war years. In Germany, he worked as a telecommunications censor for the Control Commission until 1947. Upon returning to Toronto in 1947, Kayfetz was hired as the National Director of Community Relations by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), where he worked until 1985. In addition, he also served as the National Director of the Joint Community Relations Committee in 1955 and as the Central Region Executive Director of the CJC in 1973. Ben married his wife Eva Silver in 1954 and over the course of their marriage they had three daughters together: Zena, Tamara, and Rebecca. In addition to his professional activities, Kayfetz wrote articles for various Jewish publications under both his own name and the pseudonym Gershon B. Newman. He also gave a weekly radio address on CHIN radio, in which he addressed various contemporary Jewish issues. He was also actively involved in the Toronto Jewish Historical Society, serving as its president and founder; the Canadian Jewish Historical Society; and the Yiddish Luncheon Circle. After his retirement in 1985, he was awarded the Samuel Bronfman Medal by the Canadian Jewish Congress. In recognition of his efforts to promote human rights, he was also awarded the Order of Canada in 1986. Ben Kayfetz died on 15 February 2002 at the age of eighty-five.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of 27 audio reels containing Ben Kayfetz's segment for The Jewish Hour, broadcast by CHIN Radio on Sundays. He comments on several issues related to contemporaty Jewish life in Canada and around the world, news related to the Jewish experience, and his travels in Eastern Europe.
- Name Access
- Kayfetz, Ben, 1916-2002
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Accession Number
- 1986-12-5
- 1988-3-4
- Source
- Archival Descriptions