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Established in 1913 by Henry Dworkin and Sam Easser, the Labor Lyceum Association sought to advance the interests of the city's Jewish trade union movement. Through the sale of $5.00 stock certificates, the community purchased two houses at 344 and 346 Spadina in 1924, adding a new front and meeting rooms in 1929.
Labor Lyceum, 1924-1971
- Address
- 346 Spadina Avenue
- Source
- Landmarks
Established in 1913 by Henry Dworkin and Sam Easser, the Labor Lyceum Association sought to advance the interests of the city's Jewish trade union movement. Through the sale of $5.00 stock certificates, the community purchased two houses at 344 and 346 Spadina in 1924, adding a new front and meeting rooms in 1929.
- Address
- 346 Spadina Avenue
- Time Period
- 1924-1971
- Scope Note
- Established in 1913 by Henry Dworkin and Sam Easser, the Labor Lyceum Association sought to advance the interests of the city's Jewish trade union movement. Through the sale of $5.00 stock certificates, the community purchased two houses at 344 and 346 Spadina in 1924, adding a new front and meeting rooms in 1929.
- History
- The Labor Lyceum operated as the headquarters for the non-Communist unions of the primarily Jewish garment district. The seasonal nature of the textile industry meant that workers had time to socialize and strategize during slow work periods. The Labour Lyceum also served as an important cultural centre for various Jewish societies and fraternal organizations. It hosted a range of activities from lectures and rallies to dances, plays, and concerts. The provincial Cooperative Commonwealth Federation held conventions here in the 1940s. The importance of the Labor Lyceum lessened as the Jewish community began to move out of the Spadina Avenue area, however it remained significant to the continued labour activism taken up by newer immigrant groups. In 1971, the building was sold and the Labor Lyceum moved to Cecil Street.
- Category
- Political
- Source
- Landmarks
![Portrait of Henry Dworkin, [ca. 1925]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, fonds 10, item 32.|Henry (Harry) Dworkin, husband of Dorothy (Goldstick) Dworkin, was born in 1886 in Russia and came to Canada in 1905. In the early years, Henry dispersed food to the hungry and helped people from Poland, Rumania, and Latvia after they settled in Canada. Henry opened E. & H. Dworkin Steamship and Bankers in 1917 with his brother Edward. The business continued as Dworkin Travel at 525 Dundas West.
Dworkin Travel was the oldest travel agency in Toronto which also carried a wholesale tobacco business at the rear. Henry was also the founder of the Labour Lyceum. Henry and Dorothy had one daughter, Ellen, whose nickname was Honey. He died in an auto accident in 1928 and 20,000 people attended the funeral.](/media/Digital Assets/10-Dworkin/F10_i032.jpg?maxheight=1000&maxwidth=1000&watermark=wmk)
