Part Of
William Stern fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 33
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
William Stern fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
33
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Date
[ca. 1913]-1984
Physical Description
264 photographs (98 negatives) : b&w and col. ; 28 x 35 cm or smaller
2 folders of textual records
Admin History/Bio
William (Bill) I. Stern (1921-2007) was born Izick Stern in Toronto on 24 February, 1921, to Moishe (Morris) Shternshis (ca. 1893-1976) and Fanny Rumianek (ca. 1896-1991). He was an active and respected member of both the Toronto and Hamilton Jewish communities.
Bill began his education in Toronto at Grace Street and Givens Street elementary schools. He later attended the Central Technical Institute for chemistry. In the late 1930s, Bill left Central Tech to work for his father, but eventually returned to school until the start of the Second World War. At this time, Bill enlisted in the Royal Canadian Airforce and served as a Leading Aircraftsman for three years in France, Belgium and Germany. At the end of the war, he returned to Central Tech and completed his junior matriculation (grade 12) in January of 1946. In December 1946, Bill married his first wife, Toronto-born Laura Rubinstein (1923-1963). The couple had two children, Hershel (1953-) and Sheila (1957-1996).
From 1946 to 1951, Bill studied social work at the University of Toronto through a government sponsored program for war veterans. When he graduated, he practiced social work at several community institutions such as the Children's Aid Society, the University Settlement House and St. Christopher House, in Toronto. In 1956, he was offered a position as director of activities for the Hamilton Jewish Community Centre (JCC). He remained in Hamilton at this post until 1960 and then returned to Toronto as a divisional director of the United Jewish Welfare Fund, where he initiated the fund's Social Planning Department. In 1963, upon the death of his wife Laura, Bill returned to Hamilton as the director of the JCC, and later the executive director of the Hamilton Council of Jewish Organizations (CJO), a position which he held for nine years from 1964 until 1973.
After two years with the United Jewish Welfare Fund of Buffalo, Bill returned to Toronto in 1975 and briefly served two years as the executive director of the Canadian Zionist Federation, Central Region. He then returned to private practice, working as a community consultant and later as a job placement coach at the University of Toronto's School of Social Work.
Bill was an active supporter of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival and the author of "You Don't Have to Be Jewish", a book on Jewish film. He held several positions with philanthropic organizations such as the United Jewish Welfare Fund, the Jewish Home for the Aged and Baycrest, and the Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science. He was also a volunteer at the Ontario Jewish Archives. Bill lived in Toronto with his second wife of more than thirty years, Elizabeth Uptegrove (1952-), until his passing on 18 April 2007.
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Bill Stern until they were donated to the Archives.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of photographs documenting the Stern and Rumianek families, individuals and organizations from the Hamilton and Toronto Jewish communities, as well as Bill Stern and his fellow servicemen during the Second World War.
The fonds has been arranged into the following series: Family photographs; Military photographs; Hamilton Jewish community photographs; Toronto Jewish community photographs; and Camp photographs. The photographs have been described at the item level and have been arranged chronologically. The textual material consists of two files containing records related to Bill Stern's professional and philanthropic career, as well as some family invitations.
Name Access
Stern, William, 1921-2007
Subjects
Communities
Families
World War, 1939-1945
Related Material
See "Stern family" clipping file
Creator
Stern, William, 1921-2007
Accession Number
1980-2-1
1981-9-4
1985-6-6
1986-1-8
1991-5-5
1991-5-6
1994-1-4
2004-5-96
2004-5-135
2004-5-141
2005-5-2
2005-5-9
2006-2-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Scenes from The Ward in the early 20th Century fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 43; Item 9
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Scenes from The Ward in the early 20th Century fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
43
Item
9
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1910]
Physical Description
3 slides : b&w ; 8 x 8 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
Photograph of 7 Jewish women and 1 man praying near the shoreline of Lake Ontario during Rosh Hashana.
Notes
Original is a glass slide.
Title on original slide reads: Devout Jews reading The Law at Toronto Bay on Day of Atonement which is probably wrong as on the first day of Rosh Hashana, Jews gather at a body of water to cast away their sins by symbolically throwing breadcrumbs into the water. The title has been changed by the record creator.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah
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.
Accession Number
2005-5-6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Scenes from The Ward in the early 20th Century fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 43; Item 8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Scenes from The Ward in the early 20th Century fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
43
Item
8
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1910]
Physical Description
3 slides : b&w ; 8 x 8 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
Photograph of a large group of Jewish men and women engaged in the custom/practice of tashlich at the shoreline of Lake Ontario during Rosh Hashana. Some are standing on a bridge in the background.
Notes
Original is a glass slide.
Title on original slide reads: Jews celebrating Day of Atonement which is incorrect as on the first day of Rosh Hashana, Jews gather at a body of water to cast away their sins by symbolically throwing breadcrumbs into the water. The title has been changed by the record creator.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah
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.
Accession Number
2005-5-6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Solomon Edell fonds
Adas Israel Synagogue series
Publications sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 4; Series 5-6; File 10
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Solomon Edell fonds
Adas Israel Synagogue series
Publications sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
4
Series
5-6
File
10
Material Format
textual record
Date
1963-1972
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of Rosh Hashanah bulletins published by the Adas Israel Sisterhood.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah
Source
Archival Descriptions
Name
Dr. Joe Greenberg
Material Format
moving images
Interview Date
18 Oct. 2013
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Dr. Joe Greenberg
Number
OH 412
Subject
Canada--Armed Forces
World War, 1939-1945
Interview Date
18 Oct. 2013
Quantity
2 DVDs
Interviewer
Dara Solomon
Total Running Time
1 hr. 51 min.
Biography
Dr. Joe Greenberg (1922–2017) was born on 30 August 1922 in Toronto. He attended Lansdowne Public School, was briefly enrolled at Central Tech, and completed grade nine at Central Commerce. In his youth, he was actively involved in the Jewish Boys' Club and attended B'nai Brith Camp. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, where he earned the ranking of sergeant major and was posted to an anti-aircraft squadron. Following the war, Joe had the opportunity to complete his high school matriculation and was accepted into medical school at the University of Toronto. Upon graduation, he served his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton. He set up a general medical practice first on Grey Street and later on Bathurst Street. He married Pepi Rosenstein (m. Greenberg) in 1958, and they had four children. Joe was a very active member of the Russisher Shul (Shaare Tzedek) on Markham and Ulster Streets. Joe spent his formative years growing up on Major Street. With the help of a local historian, Gus Sinclair, Joe was instrumental in the naming of a small lane branching off Major Street "The Boys of Major Street" in memory of the residents who served during the Second World War but did not return. Another lane was named "Greenberg Lane" in Joe's honour. Dr. Joe Greenberg died on 10 April 2017.
Material Format
moving images
Name Access
Greenberg, Joseph, 1922-2017
Original Format
Digital file
Copy Format
DVD
Source
Oral Histories
Part Of
Morris Norman collection
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 22; Item 52
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Morris Norman collection
Level
Item
Fonds
22
Item
52
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[188-?]
Physical Description
1 item
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Morris Norman collection
Level
File
ID
Fonds 22; File 16
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Morris Norman collection
Level
File
Fonds
22
File
16
Material Format
textual record
Date
[192-?], 1964
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File conists of one Rosh Hashanah postcard printed in Germany, [192?] and one Rosh Hashanah greeting card sent to Mr. Louis Farmell of Toronto from H. Schosloff of Glasgow, 1964.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 692
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
692
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[194-]
Physical Description
1 negative : b&w ; 12 x 10 cm
Scope and Content
Item is a copy negative of a Rosh Hashanah card featuring a photograph of Hyman and Simcha Kaplan of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, on the front. The writing on the card says "A Happy New Year" in English and Hebrew.
Name Access
Kirkland Lake, Ontario
Kaplan, Hyman
Kaplan, Simcha
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
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
William Stern fonds
Military photographs series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 33; Series 2; Item 18
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
William Stern fonds
Military photographs series
Level
Item
Fonds
33
Series
2
Item
18
Material Format
graphic material
Date
Oct. 1944
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative); 21 x 26 cm and 35 mm
Scope and Content
This item is a copy photograph of a group of Jewish soldiers and civilians who had gathered together in Brussels, Belgium to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. The group is standing on the front steps of a building. Harold Eisenberg is pictured in the suit and sunglasses, crouching in the front row on the far left.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah
Soldiers
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
Belgium
Accession Number
2004-5-96
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
William Stern fonds
Family photographs series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 33; Series 1; Item 16
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
William Stern fonds
Family photographs series
Level
Item
Fonds
33
Series
1
Item
16
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1930
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative); 9 x 14 cm and 10 x 12 cm
Scope and Content
This item is a Rosh Hashana postcard with a photograph of Bill Stern's paternal aunt Peah. The card used for the New Year greeting is from a general design stock, since it has a drawing of an eagle, a canon and the American flag on it, but the photograph was taken at Bronstein's Studio, located at 618 Dundas Street West in Toronto.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
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
Dundas Street West (Toronto, Ont.)
Accession Number
1991-5-5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 4321
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
4321
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1950
Physical Description
1 slide : colour (2 photographs : colour and b&w, 1 negative)
Notes
Item is a colour slide transparency. There are two copy prints in the photo cabinet (one colour and one black-and-white) and one negative.
Name Access
Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
Beth Midrash Hagadol Synagogue
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah
Synagogues
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.
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
1987-3-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 2458
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
2458
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1917]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)
Notes
From the Seymour and Abi Shatz Collection.
Name Access
Shatz, Benjamin
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
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
1980-12-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Gordon Melamed fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 7; Item 19
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Gordon Melamed fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
7
Item
19
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[192-]
Physical Description
1 photograph
Scope and Content
Item is a Rosh Hashanah photograph.
Subjects
Infants
Rosh ha-Shanah
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
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Committee for Soviet Jewry series
Protest activities sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 17; Series 3-5; File 37
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Committee for Soviet Jewry series
Protest activities sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
3-5
File
37
Material Format
textual record
Date
Aug. 1974-Sept. 1974
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File includes lists of cards ordered, paid for and sent, and an illustrated poster with Russian and Hebrew text on yellow paper.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 28; Series 5; File 109
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
28
Series
5
File
109
Material Format
textual record
Date
1954
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
The file consists of New Year's cards and Rosh Hashanah cards.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
1992-8-3
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
1992-8-3
Material Format
graphic material
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 15 x 10 cm
Date
1941-1943
Scope and Content
This accession consists of a photograph of Anne Tulchinsky in her uniform for the Brantford Red Cross Nursing Auxiliary.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Tulchinsky, Anne
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
1998-12-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
1998-12-4
Material Format
graphic material
Physical Description
56 photographs : b&w and col. (27 negatives) ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller
1 postcard
Date
1909-[ca. 1980]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of a collection of copy and original photographs documenting the life of the Dime family and their relatives in locations including Belleville, Oshawa, Toronto, the Muskoka Sanitorium, and Goose Bay, Labrador.
Photo Captions:
001: Sam and Dorothy Dime, Dime’s Drug Store, 568 Jarvis Street, Toronto, [1957?].
002: Street view of Dime’s Pharmacy, 568 Jarvis Street, Toronto, 1960.
003: Sgt. Sam Dime, Pharmacy, Goose Bay Labrador, 1944.
004: Ada Dime, with Ben [Safe] and Sam Dime, secondhand furniture, 56 King St. West, Oshawa, ON, 1921.
005: Sam Dime with dog [4F], Goose Bay, Labrador, 1944.
006: Sam Dime, 56 King St. W., Oshawa, ON, ca. 1920-21.
007: Rabbi Isaac Stein with grandchildren Izzie (left) and Donna, Toronto, 1930.
008: Portrait of Ada Dime (née Aronson) with her brother Sammy Aronson, 273 Yonge Street, Toronto, ca. 1915.
009: Portrait of David and Sammy Tobe, Belleville, ON, [1909]. Photograph by R. McCormick Belleville.
010: Morris Bernard of Belleville, Overseas, First World War, ca. 1918.
011: David Dime, (age 25), 1914. The Dutch Studio Vander Feen, 318 Yonge St. Toronto, ON, [192-?].
012: Unidentified group of children, [19--?].
013: Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Tobe with their children David and Sammy, Belleville, ON, [1920]. Photograph by R. McCormick Belleville.
014: Portrait of David and Ada Dime with daughter Anne, Belleville, ON, ca. 1915.
015: Mickey and Riva Marcus, Belleville, ON, ca. 1917-18.
016: Ada Dime, 30 Simcoe Street, Oshawa, ON, 1930.
017: Tobie Green (m. Dime), her brother Hershel Goldman and Goldie Fryman, St. Patrick Street Between Elm & Dundas, [Toronto], ON, 1924.
018: Cheder class, Oshawa Hebrew Congregation, Beth Zion,45 Albert Street in Oshawa, Ontario, 1922. Back row (L to R): Simma Engel, Rabbi Primack's son, Rabbi Primack's daughter, Annie Dime, Annie Hennick, Sara Rainish. Front row (L to R): Clara Engel (m. Rubin), Maxie Rainish, Irving Oilgissor, Becky Rainish, Sam Dime, [Primack child?], Rabbi Primack.
019: David Dime (back row, right), Muskoka Sands, July ca. 1922
020: Oshawa Belleville group, Belleville, Ontario, ca. 1930. Back row: Mr. Diamond, Goldie Engel, Abe Swartz, [unidentified], Faige Swartz, Sarah Golub, Sue [Sape], Hymie Golub. Front row: Mrs. Lepofsky, Mildred Golub.
021: National Council of Jewish Women, 44 St. George Street, ca. 1943. Also pictured is Betty Stone and Dora Stein (4th left).
022: Sam Dime, Dime’s Pharmacy, 568 Jarvis Street, Toronto, ca. 1951.
023: Dorothy Stein (m. Dime) at closing of canteen, 44 St. George Street, Toronto, 1945. Photographer Globe & Mail.
024: Ada and David Dime, Muskoka Sands, Gravenhurst, ca. 1922.
025: Canadian Jewish Congress Service Mens Club postcard, ca. 1940s.
026: Mrs. Ada Dime, Dime’s Dry Goods, 30 Simcoe St. S., Oshawa, ON, 1926.
027: David Dime (left), with orphans in Baron de Hirsch Farm in Saskatchewan, ca. 1906.
Administrative History
The donor Sam Dime served in the Second World War. In 1947 Sam and his wife Dorothy Dime (née Stein) opened Dime's Drug Store at 568 Jarvis Street in Toronto. The pair operated the Jarvis Street institution for thirty-nine years and officially closed their store in 1986.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Places
Oshawa (Ont.)
Belleville (Ont.)
Muskoka (Ont. : District municipality)
Saskatchewan
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2009-2-1
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2009-2-1
Material Format
graphic material
Physical Description
42 photographs : b&w ; 10 x 13 cm
Date
[ca. 1945]
Scope and Content
This accession consists of photographs taken by an unknown individual—likely someone in the government or military—during the Second World War. The photographs feature broken-down army equipment, soldiers, prison scenes, the German and Austrian countryside, destroyed buildings, and deceased and emaciated prisoners of concentration camps.
Custodial History
These photographs were given to Maxwell London following the end of the Second World War by a British officer. They were kept in his house until his death in 2003, at which point they came into the possession of his daughter Sandra London-Rakita. They were given to Susan Jackson of UJA Federation in November 2008, who passed them on to the Archives.
Administrative History
Pte. Maxwell London (1917-2003) was born in Toronto on 15 April 1917 to Morris and Jennie London from Russia. He married Marielle (nee McCall) London in 1957 in Montreal and had 2 daughters: Lynda and Sandra and 4 grandchildren Zachary Elkaim, Justin Elkaim, Ryan Rakita and Brianna Rakita. London was in the Royal Regiment of Canada during the Second World War. He was captured in 1942 at Dieppe and held as a POW in Stalags 8B and 2D. He was liberated at the end of the war and went to England before returning to Canada. He died on 13 December 2003.
Use Conditions
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.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
London, Maxwell, 1917-2003
Source
Archival Accessions
Name
Jack Gang
Material Format
moving images
Interview Date
9 Jun. 2010
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Jack Gang
Number
OH 378
Subject
World War, 1939-1945
Interview Date
9 Jun. 2010
Quantity
1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)
Interviewer
Stephanie Markowitz
Total Running Time
34:19
Notes
Jack was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.
Biography
Jack was a private in the Polish Army from 1944 to 1946. He was stationed in Europe and involved in liberation campaigns in Poland and Germany.
Material Format
moving images
Geographic Access
Germany
Poland
Original Format
DVD
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Jeffery Wolf Ostroff
Material Format
moving images
Interview Date
9 Jun. 2010
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Jeffery Wolf Ostroff
Number
OH 379
Subject
World War, 1939-1945
Interview Date
9 Jun. 2010
Quantity
1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)
Interviewer
Sam Gojonovich
Total Running Time
17:21
Notes
Jeff was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.
Biography
Jeff served in the British Merchant Navy from 1944 to 1948 as a deckhand / helmsman. He was involved in the Battle of the Atlantic and was stationed in the Arctic Circle.
Material Format
moving images
Original Format
DVD
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Martin Maxwell
Material Format
moving images
Interview Date
10 Jun. 2010
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Martin Maxwell
Number
OH 385
Subject
World War, 1939-1945
Interview Date
10 Jun. 2010
Quantity
1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)
Interviewer
Sam Gojonovich
Total Running Time
26:55
Notes
This interview is part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.
http://www.thememoryproject.com/search?query=maxwell
Biography
Martin Maxwell born in Vienna in 1924 was transported to England as part of the Kindertransport project. Martin enlisted in the British Air Corps in 1942 and served as a glider pilot in the British Army. Stationed in Europe, Martin was involved in the D-Day and Arnhem campaigns. He was imprisoned as a Jewish prisoner of war in Hanover, Germany and in 1948 participated in the war crimes commission in Washington D.C.
Material Format
moving images
Original Format
DVD
Transcript
.25-1.06: Maxwell, born in Vienna, was one of 10,000 children to be transported to Great Britain as part of the Kindertransport project. 1.07-2.03: Maxwell discusses his service as a glider pilot in the Air Corps of the British Army. 2.04-4.00: Maxwell discusses his participation as a glider pilot in the D-Day operation. 4.01-5.08: Maxwell provides a brief description of his training as a fighter pilot. 5:09-5.30: Maxwell discusses an incident involving his evacuation via submarine from Europe back to England. 5.35-7.12: Maxwell discusses his involvement in General Montgomery’s Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem in Holland. 7.13-7.52: Maxwell discusses an injury he suffered during his participation in Operation Market Garden. 7.53-8.35: Maxwell discusses the armistice which allowed the dead and wounded, including Maxwell, to be moved from the field to a hospital. 8.36-9.00: Maxwell describes an incident that occurred while he was held at SS barracks in Appledorn. 9.01-10.11: Maxwell describes his imprisonment as a Jewish prisoner of war (POW) in Fallingbostel, a camp near Hanover, Germany. 10.12-11.15: Maxwell relates a humorous incident that occurred during his imprisonment in POW camp 11.16-13.10: Maxwell describes the sixty-fifth anniversary of the liberation of Holland. 13.11-13.33: Maxwell discusses photographs taken during the sixty-fifth anniversary. 13.34-14.09: Maxwell talks about his motivation for joining the army. 14.10-14.22:Gojonovich is formulating his next question. 14.23-15.22: Maxwell recalls an antisemitic incident he experienced during his service. 15.23-15.55: Maxwell discusses the eighty Jewish paratroopers buried in the cemetery at Arnhem. 15.56-17.20: Maxwell discusses the events that led to his participation in the War Crimes Commission held in Washington, D.C. in 1948 17.21-18.09: Maxwell discusses his present day work with war veterans and Holocaust education. 18.10-20.42: Maxwell relates the story of a chance encounter with a young girl at Bergen Belsen. 20.43-22.00: Maxwell talks about the honour he received in Holland when he was presented with the torch of freedom.
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Robert Shapiro
Material Format
moving images
Interview Date
10 Jun. 2010
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Robert Shapiro
Number
OH 386
Subject
World War, 1939-1945
Interview Date
10 Jun. 2010
Quantity
1 reference DVD (WAV file); 1 archival DVD (WAV file)
Interviewer
Stephanie Markowitz
Total Running Time
29:26
Notes
Robert was interviewed as part of the Memory Project event held at Lipa Green on 13 May 2010 in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute.
Biography
Robert served in the Royal Air Force from 1940 to 1945 as a physical training instructor, flight MAC (Military Aircraft Carrier), and air-sea rescuer. He was stationed in England.
Material Format
moving images
Original Format
DVD
Source
Oral Histories
Accession Number
2011-11-6
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2011-11-6
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
4 photographs : b&w (jpg) ; 15 MB
Date
1940-1945
Scope and Content
Accession consists of four electronic copies of original photographs documenting David Smith during the Second World War.
Custodial History
The photographs were loaned to the Archives to be copied and returned. They were returned by courier on 21 November 2011.
Administrative History
Max and Rose Smith opened a resort for Jewish singles in Port Carling, Muskoka in 1938. The resort was kosher and offered Jewish content to visitors. Boys and girls bunked seperately.
Suzanne Smith (née Beskin) and David Samuel Smith met at Cornell University in the spring of 1946, after David returned from service in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Suzanne was living in the United States and attending Columbia University. She worked as a libraian at Cornell. David studied hotel administration. They married in 1947 and moved back to Toronto in 1948.
Descriptive Notes
Availability of other formats: Digitized material.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2012-4-2
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2012-4-2
Material Format
multiple media
Physical Description
30 cm of textual records and other material
Date
[190-]-1994
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting the literary and military careers of Leo Heaps, as well as a small selection of family photographs and textual records. Included are various manuscripts and other writings, newsclippings and documents related to Heaps' role as a British paratrooper and his subsequent awarding of the Royal Military Cross. The photographs document the Heaps family, as well as the underground resistance movement in Arnhem, of which he was a part.
The videocassette documents a family trip to Arnhem in 1994 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem.
Photo Caption (035): Seargent Alan Kettley of the Glider Pilot Regiment, [194-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2012-4-2. Courtesy of the Heaps Family.
Photo Caption (038): Gilbert Sadi-Kirschen known, head of the Special Air Service mission to Arnhem, [194-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2012-4-2. Courtesy of the Heaps Family.
Photo Caption (046): Major Tony Hibbot (left) about to take off for Arnhem, [194-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2012-4-2. Courtesy of the Heaps Family.
Custodial History
The records were in the possession of Adrian Heaps, son of Leo Heaps.
Administrative History
Leo Heaps (1923-1995) was born in Winnipeg in 1923, the son of A. A. Heaps and Bessie Morris. His father A. A. was a founder of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, the forerunner of the New Democratic Party. Leo Heaps was raised in Winnipeg and received an education at Queen's University, the University of California, and McGill University. During the Second World War, at the age of 21, Heaps was seconded to the British Army and found himself commanding the 1st Battalion's Transport. He participated in the Battle of Arnhem as a paratrooper.
Leo Heaps was awarded the Royal Military Cross for his work with the Dutch Resistance. His brother, David, had also achieved the same distinction, thereby making them the only Jewish brothers during the Second World War to win the decoration. After the war, Heaps went to Israel and aided their army in the establishment of mobile striking units. Whilst there, he met his wife-to-be, Tamar (1927-). Together they had one son, Adrian, and three daughters, Karen, Gillian, and Wendy.
During the Hungarian Revolution he led a special rescue team to bring refugees out and across the border. In the mid-1960s he returned to Britain where he dabbled in various entrepreneurial projects as well as writing several books, notably "The Grey Goose of Arnhem", telling his own story of Arnhem, the aftermath of the battle, and also the stories of other Arnhem evaders and their dealings with the Resistance.
Leo Heaps spent most of his life in Toronto, Canada, and was amongst the forty Canadian veterans who returned to Arnhem in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary. He died in 1995.
Use Conditions
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Publication credit line must read: Courtesy of the Heaps Family.
Descriptive Notes
Physical Description note: Includes ca. 100 photographs; 1 videocassette (ca. 32 min) : col, sd. ; VHS, and 1 presentation piece : 52 x 49 cm.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Heaps, Leo, 1923-1995
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-9-2
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-9-2
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
30 Mar. 1944
Scope and Content
Accession consists of one letter written by Cpl. Abe Fishman to Mrs. M. Title from Fort Jackson, South Carolina. In it, Fishman details life in the American army including his training schedule, camp duties and general family matters.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Fishman, Abe
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-6-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2013-6-7
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
[19--]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of a copy of Arnold Mest's memoirs detailing his role during the Second World War.
Administrative History
Arnold Mest (1921-2000) was a radio operator in the Canadian military during the Second World War. Born in Toronto, Mest was a typesetter for the Toronto Telegram. When it went out of business he moved to San Jose, California and worked for the Mercury News.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Mest, Arnold, 1921-2000
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Anti-Semitism cases sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 17; Series 5-3; File 119
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Anti-Semitism cases sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
5-3
File
119
Material Format
textual record
Date
1940
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of a series of correspondence with Mr. C. Johnson, who questions Jewish participation in the military in the Second World War.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 1546
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
1546
Material Format
graphic material
Date
May 1944
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 18 x 13 cm
Scope and Content
This item is a copy photograph of members of the Jewish Bielski partisan group in Poland. They are pictured assembled in the Naliboki forest.
Name Access
Bielski partisans (Resistance group)
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
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
Poland
Accession Number
1978-5-3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 4320
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
4320
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1950
Physical Description
4 photographs : b&w and col.
Scope and Content
Item is a colour slide transparency. There are two copy prints in the photo cabinet (one colour and one black-and-white) and one copy negative.
Name Access
Goel Tzedec Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
Beth Midrash Hagadol Synagogue
Subjects
Architecture
Rosh ha-Shanah
Synagogues
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.
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
1987-3-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Scenes from The Ward in the early 20th Century fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 43; Item 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Scenes from The Ward in the early 20th Century fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
43
Item
6
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1910]
Physical Description
3 slides : b&w ; 8 x 8 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
Photograph of three men and three women walking down a street in the Ward during Yom Kippur. View of one woman is blocked by one of the men in front, but part of her hat is visible. In the background is an ice-cream and confectionary store.
Notes
Original photo is a glass slide.
Title taken from writing on the original slide.
Title may be wrong. It is possible that the holiday being celebrated is Rosh Hashana as the other slides in this accession depict the celebration of Rosh Hashana.
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah
Yom Kippur
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.
Accession Number
2005-5-6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
ID
Item 4108
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
4108
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1920]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)
Scope and Content
This Rosh Hashana card includes a photograph of Max and Mollie Kasdan.
The photo was probably taken in Toronto.
Subjects
Portraits
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
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
1978-7-17
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2022-10-6
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-10-6
Material Format
moving images (electronic)
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
1 video (mp4)
1 photograph (jpg)
Date
2021-2022
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Sam Mogelonsky and her family. Included are two items. The first is a video Rosh Hashanah card recorded in the fall of 2021 and sent from Sam; Sam's partner, Matthew "Mat" Calverley; and Sam's parents' dog, Hondo, a Bouvier des Flandres. The second is a photograph taken during Passover 2022 of Hondo wearing a kippah.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Related groups of records external to the unit being described: Other records relating to the Mogelonsky family's celebration of Jewish holidays can be found in the COVID-19 Documentation Project collection.
Subjects
Dogs
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-8-15
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-8-15
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
27 photographs : b&w and col. ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
1 folder of textual records
Date
[192-?]-[2003?]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting William Ladner's family in Europe and his immigration to Canada. Included are photographs of his family, his immigration identification card, certificate of Canadian citizenship, and a fax from he received from his paternal uncle in the United States.
Administrative History
William Ladner is a Holocaust survivor, born en route from Austria to Antwerp, Belgium in 1940. As a child, William Ladner and his mother fled to Belgium from their home in Austria following the arrest of his father by the Nazis. Will's parents had attempted to immigrate to Switzerland but were turned away. Both of Will's parents perished during the Holocaust. William's father was an [electrician] and his mother a nurse. At the time of their immigration, Belgium was occupied by Germany having capitulated on the terms of unconditional surrender on May 28, 1940. Germany invaded Belgium and Holland on May 10, 1940 (Plan Yellow). Desperate for work, Mrs. Ladner reported to an employment office but was quickly discovered to be Jewish and deported to Malines. Deportation trains from Malines to Auschwitz began on August 4, 1942. Will has records documenting the movement of his parents during the war up until their deaths. Will's mother arranged for his safekeeping during the war by placing him in an orphanage operated by a Catholic Convent before she was deported to Auschwitz where she was murdered. After the war, arrangements were made by a cousin [Schindler] who worked for the British Intelligence in Birmingham, as well as William's mother's sister, who resided in Birmingham, England. Will Ladner immigrated to England in January 1946 to join his aunt. He then moved to Canada.
Photo captions
001: Kurt Ladner and Willie Ladner reunite, (Dedham, Massachusetts), ca. 2003
002: Willie Ladner (back) reunites with his paternal uncle Kurt Ladner, and Kurt’s wife Elizabeth Newman, (Dedham, Massachusetts), ca. 2003
003: Passport photo of Willie Ladner, (Willowdale, ON) 25 Apr. 1997
004:J Portrait of Berta Berger, (Vienna, Austria), ca. 1938. Written on reverse “Bertha Berger married Ladner, born 30. May 1919 in Vienna Austria.”
005: Willie Ladner in orphanage attire, (Antwerp, Belgium), ca. 1945. Written in German on the reverse: “Meinem Liebsten Groszmutterchen, Millionen Kusse, Harry William Ladner.”
006: Willie Ladner (right) holding hands with another child at the orphanage, (Antwerp, Belgium), ca. 1945
007: Portrait of Berta Ladner with her infant son Willie Ladner, (Antwerp, Belgium), 1940.
008: Portrait of Berta Ladner, (Vienna, Austria), [1935?].
Descriptive Notes
Related groups of records external to the unit being described: Other records relating to William Ladner and his family can be found in Accession 2018-8-5.
Subjects
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Orphans
Places
Belgium
Austria
Source
Archival Accessions
Name
Israel Nutzati
Material Format
moving images
Interview Date
30 Aug. 2010
Source
Oral Histories
Name
Israel Nutzati
Number
OH 409
Subject
Prisoners of war
World War, 1939-1945
Interview Date
30 Aug. 2010
Quantity
1 reference DVD (1 WAV file) ; 1 archival DVD (1 WAV file)
Interviewer
Shayla Howell
Total Running Time
43:20
Notes
Israel was interviewed as part of the Memory Project which was undertaken in partnership with the Historica Dominion Institute
Biography
Israel grew up in Palestine and enlisted in the British Army with the Jewish Brigade in 1945. He was stationed in various cities near Italy and throughout Europe and Egypt. Although he did not see any fighting, he was involved in the transport of prisoners of war and guarded army vehicles. He was released from the army in 1946.
Material Format
moving images
Geographic Access
Egypt
Europe
Italy
Palestine
Original Format
DVD
Source
Oral Histories
Part Of
Sadie Stren fonds
Photographs file
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 78; File 3; Item 32
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sadie Stren fonds
Photographs file
Level
Item
Fonds
78
File
3
Item
32
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[between 1939 and 1945]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 18 x 13 cm and 12 x 10 cm
Admin History/Bio
Sgt. Kanter was with the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Scope and Content
This item is a copy print and corresponding negative of Sergeant Ben Kanter of Brantford, Ontario, in his military uniform, taken during the Second World War.
Name Access
Canada. Canadian Army
Subjects
Portraits
World War, 1939-1945
Accession Number
1978-11-3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sadie Stren fonds
Photographs file
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 78; File 3; Item 31
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Sadie Stren fonds
Photographs file
Level
Item
Fonds
78
File
3
Item
31
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[between 1939 and 1945]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative) ; 18 x 13 cm and 12 x 10 cm
Scope and Content
This item is a copy print and corresponding negative of Max Rapoport of Brantford, Ontario in his military uniform, taken during the Second World War.
Subjects
Portraits
World War, 1939-1945
Accession Number
1978-11-3
Source
Archival Descriptions
Name
Rabbi Dr. David Monson
Material Format
sound recording
Interview Date
1 Dec. 1982
Source
Oral Histories
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-war phenomenon.

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

Accession Number
2010-5-14
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2010-5-14
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
27 photgraphs : b&w and col. (jpg)
Date
1940-[2004?], predominant 1940-1945
Scope and Content
Accession consists of scanned photographs documenting Esther Mager's experience serving in the Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Also included is one wedding portrait of her husband and one photograph of Esther with her children and grandchildren. The verso of scanned photographs were also scanned to show annotations and dates on the originals.
Administrative History
Esther (nee Mendelson) Mager was born in Montreal on December 3, 1917 to Max and Lillian Ray (nee Bloomfield) Mendelson. Her mother passed away nine months after her birth, duing the flu epidemic of 1918, and her father remarried Sarah Wallman. Max had six additional children with Sarah. From the age of tweleve to about the age of eighteen, Esther worked in her father's jewellery store, Thompson's Jewellery, located on Philips Square. There she performed various jobs such as, polishing jewellery and assisting customers. Around the age of eighteen she began work as an assistant bookkeeper for a company that manufactured refrigerators where she was paid $25 per week.
In 1941, Esther joined up with the Canadian Air Force, where she performed motor transport and was paid $28 per week. She met her husband, Saul Mager, on a blind date in Montreal while on leave from her post in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Saul was in the dress manufacturing business in Toronto. They married in 1945 and had two sons together; Mark (b. 1946) and Howard (b. 1949).
Use Conditions
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.
Subjects
Families
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2011-4-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2011-4-7
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
2 photographs (tiff) : col. and b&w
Date
1965, 1985
Scope and Content
Accession consists of two photographs documenting Lev Mikhailovich Pikus's involvment with the partisans in the Brest Underground during the Second World War. Included is one photograph of Lev meeting with other partisans in Minsk in 1965. Identified are (left to right): Alexander Poliakov, Vasily Nesterenko, Lev Pikus, Alexandra Nesterenko, and Tzila Vladiminova. Also included is one portrait of Lev in military uniform that was taken in 1985.
Custodial History
Records were loaned to the Archives for copying as part of the Russian Jewish War Veterans oral history program. The originals were returned to the donor.
Administrative History
Lev was fourteen when the Second World War began and living in Brest, Belarusia. He joined the Brest Underground (podpolye), which was linked to partisan detachment. As part of his service in the underground he collected arms and sent them to partisans and spread anti-Nazi leaflets among the Brest population. Under the cover of a beggar, he went to railway stations to collect information about Nazi trains. He sent this information to the partisans so they could blow up the trains.
Subjects
Guerrillas
World War, 1939-1945
Places
Minsk (Belarus)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2011-4-6
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2011-4-6
Material Format
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
1 photograph (electronic) : b&w ; 14 MB
Date
[ca. 1956]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of one electronic copy of a photograph of the Jewish Partisan Unit in Belarus, circa 1956. Anna is pictured in the front row, third from the right. Her husband Abrahm is second from the right.
Custodial History
The item was loaned to the Archives for copying as part of the Russian Jewish War Veteran initiative. The original photograph was returned to the donor on the same day.
Administrative History
Anna was in the Minsk ghetto at the start of the Second World War when she escaped to a partisan detachment in May 1942. She stayed with this detachment until 1944. Originally it was a Jewish group but later grew to include non-Jews as well. Their first fight was in June 1942 when they were surrounded by Germans troops, however they broke through the line and got away through the surrounding swamps. Anna's job was to fill cartridge belts for the machine guns. She later joined the Minsk Partisan Brigade and was charged with guarding the partisan camp and later recruiting new people to the group from Minsk. She participated in a “Rail War”, destroying the rail lines and blowing up Nazi trains. The MPB worked in collaboration with the Minsk Underground (Podpolye). Her husband Abrahm was a commander of another subversion group called the Podryvnaya Gruppa.
Subjects
World War, 1939-1945
Guerrillas
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2021-11-21
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2021-11-21
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
13 cm of textual records
Date
1927-1984, predominant 1927-1947
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the Posluns family. Included are letters to Sam Posluns written in 1927, when Sam was in New York; letters to Sam Poslun written in 1947, when he was in Europe with the Tailor Project; miscellaneous newspaper articles; and a 1984 Negev Dinner book. Of note is a letter addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Posluns from Abby Fuhrman, whose son, David Fuhrman, went to live with the Posluns during the Second World War.
Use Conditions
Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
Subjects
Families
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Posluns (family)
Posluns, Samuel, 1910-1994
Places
Europe
New York (N.Y.).
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-2-3
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-2-3
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
3 cm of textual records
Date
[1939?]-2020, predominant 1939-1946
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting the immigration of Daniel Zultek from Poland to Canada under a Sugihara Visa in 1941 and documents pertaining to Sugihara visas and Chiune Sugihara (also known as Sempo Sugihara), a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania. Included are Daniel’s travelling documents dating from 1939 to 1941—an identification document, an immigration identification card, a quarantine/medical examination card issued by Nippon Yusen (also known as NYK Line), and a ship manifest; correspondence between Daniel and Polish consulates in Toronto and Montreal (1941-1943)—one of the letters (28 May 1942) was obtained by Daniel for the purpose of bringing his brother, who was still in Warsaw at that time, over to Canada; a memorandum from the Jewish Community of Kobe to Daniel (1941); records documenting Daniel's experience in serving in the Polish Armed Units in Canada (1941); work documents pertaining to Daniel’s career at Canada Motor Products (1941-1942); and a brief memoir written by Daniel with notations by his daughter Irene. Also included are newspaper clippings and book chapters documenting Daniel’s immigration to Canada via Japan under a Sugihara visa (1993-2020), a programme book of the Sempo Sugihara Tribute Dinner (1993), and a pamphlet of the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall in Japan.
Custodial History
The records were in the possession of Daniel’s daughter, Irene Henry, before being gifted to the Ontario Jewish Archives on Feb. 9, 2022.
Administrative History
Daniel Zultek (1910-1995) was born in Warsaw, Poland, on 1 September 1910, to Leon and Helena Zultek. Leon owned a large freight shipping company on the Vistula River, between Danzig and Gdynia harbours. Leon was a successful businessman, a community leader, a philanthropist, and a life member of the Jewish Kehilla Congress in Warsaw, which was allegedly the largest Jewish institution in Europe voted by the Jewish public. Daniel had been running the family business since 1932 until 1939 when the Second World War broke out. He was nominated to the board of directors of the company in 1938. In January 1939, Leon died of a heart attack. Daniel's mother Helena, sister Natalia, and most family members were murdered by Nazi Germany in concentration camps. The only survivors were Daniel, his elder brother Rafael, Irene (Rafael's first wife, who lived in Argentina), and four cousins name Daniel (surname unspecified), Rita (surname unspecified), Adam Zultek, and Dorka Zultek. On 6 September 1939, Daniel fled Warsaw, where was heavily bombarded by German troops, and headed for Pinsk, a city near the Soviet border. Half a month later, because Soviet troops invaded Pinsk, Daniel escaped to Vilnius in the neighbouring country Lithuania. In June 1940, the Soviet Union entered Lithuania. During that time, Daniel heard that the Japanese consulate in Kaunas was issuing transit visas. Fortunately, on 1 August 1940, Daniel received his visa from Vice-consul Chiune Sugihara. In the same month, he managed to escape Kaunas and headed for Moscow. With a Russian transit visa, he took the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok; from there, he took a ship for Tsuruga Port, Japan. During his stay in Japan, he learned that the British Embassy in Tokyo was recruiting volunteers to join the Polish Armed Forces in Australia, the United States, and Canada. Daniel volunteered and chose Canada as his destination. On 5 June 1941, he embarked on the ship, Hikawa Maru, in Yokohama and arrived in Vancouver on the 17th of the same month. From there, he headed for the Polish military base in Owen Sound, Ontario. Daniel received eight months of military training in Owen Sound but was honourably discharged owing to a cataract in his right eye. Fortunately, he was allowed to remain in Canada. After being discharged, Daniel worked various jobs to make a living. In 1941, he had jobs with Canada Motor Products and Frankel Engineering; from 1942 to 1945, he served de Havilland Aircraft as an inspector; from 1945 to 1948, he worked as a sales representative of an American milkshake and ice cream company named Mr. Gordon. While working at Frankel Engineering in 1941, Daniel met Mr. Epstein who introduced him to farming. In 1948, Daniel bought a one-hundred-acre farm in Brampton, Ontario. In the same year, he attended an agriculture college in Guelph, Ontario. While running the farm, he also opened Caledon Sand and Gravel, a company located in Caledon, Ontario, supplying sand and gravel for construction. His career also involved business in real estate. Daniel married Molly Mandel in 1943 and had three daughters Helen, Leona, and Irene. Molly (nee Mandel) Zultek (1915-1989) was a Torontonian of Russian descent. Her father, Albert Mandel, was one of the founders of the Congregation Knesseth Israel (also known as the Junction Shul) located on Maria Street in the Junction. Molly grew up in the Junction neighbourhood. In 1957, Daniel sold the farm and moved to Forest Hill Village a neighbourhood and former village in Midtown Toronto with his family. Daniel retired in 1988. In addition to business, Daniel also devoted his time to charity and social work. Daniel was an ardent Zionist and visited Israel twenty-seven times. He was director and a member of the board of governors of the Jewish National Fund. He was also a generous contributor to Jewish organizations and sponsored the Hebrew University and its students.
Descriptive Notes
LANGUAGE NOTE: some of the material is in Japanese and has been translated into English. Translated documents are available at S:\Collections\2022-2-3.
Availability of other formats: digital preservation copies for most documents have been created and are available in PDF, JPG, and TIF formats.
Subjects
Immigrants
World War, 1939-1945
Places
Warsaw (Poland)
Lithuania
Japan
Toronto (Ont.)
Owen Sound (Ont.)
Brampton (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-3-1
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-3-1
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
object
Physical Description
26 cm of textual records
ca. 300 photographs : b&w and col. ; 35 x 28 cm or smaller
2 objects
Date
1912-2009
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Glen Eker's family, particularly the Hurowitz/Horwitz and Strachman/Strathman family lines.
Included are: ca. 300 photographs, mostly of friends and family, but also including numerous photographs of Banff, Alberta; certificates issued to members of the Horwitz family; family trees; letters from Elizabeth Gordon to Glen containing family history; a Pride of Israel Sick Benefit Society member badge; a kiddush cup commemorating Pride of Israel's golden jubilee; print and microform copies of Glen's Jews Resident in ... series of indexes; medical records; a glass measuring cup with the logo of Bayview Pharmacy; and other assorted material.
Photo Caption (001): Joseph Horwitz and Rebecca Strachman, [ca. 1920]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.
Photo Caption (058): [Alice Moon?], 1944. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.
Photo Caption (189):Wanda Louise Gordon, 2 May 1942. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.
Photo Caption (190): [Unknown girl, 194-?]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.
Photo Caption (199): Rosh Hashanah card featuring portrait of Joseph Horwitz, [ca. 1920]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.
Photo Caption (200): Irving Howard, [19--]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, accession 2018-3-1.
Administrative History
Glen Eker was born in Toronto, Ontario to Paul Eker and Dorothy Horwitz. He grew up in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of Toronto before moving with his family to Hamilton. He received two master’s degrees (one in sociology, the other in political science) from McMaster University and a third master’s degree (in library science) from the University of Toronto.
Glen's wife, Deborah Pekilis, was born in Montreal and lived there until her parents moved to Toronto. She was the librarian for the Jewish Genealogical Society and sat on the Hamilton Historical Board. She is currently a writer.
Glen has worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant at McMaster and has taught at Ryerson University and Mohawk College. At present, he works as an estate and genealogy researcher.
Glen has published a book on Karl Marx, five indexes of Jews in Canada, and one index of Amish and Mennonites in Canada. His genealogy articles have appeared in various magazines and his short stories and poems have appeared in print as well.
Glen has worked on his family genealogy for a number of years. His paternal family line derives from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland while his maternal line derives from Byelorussia and Romania. He is descended from the Horwitz and Strachman families on the latter.
Descriptive Notes
Associated materials: Other accessions donated by Glen Eker include 2018-4-1, 2018-4-2, 2018-4-16, and 2018-5-1.
Subjects
Genealogy
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
Vacations
Name Access
Eker (family)
Eker, Glen
Horwitz (family)
Hurowitz (family)
Strachman (family)
Strathman (family)
Places
Banff (Alta.)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Level
Item
ID
Item 3511
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
3511
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[between 1915 and 1920]
Physical Description
2 phototgraphs : b&w (1 negative)
Admin History/Bio
Anne Wisotsky was the grandmother of Jack Sillen.
Name Access
Sillen, Jack
Wisotsky, Mrs. Anne
Subjects
Grandmothers
Portraits
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
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
1982-6-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2004-5-54
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2004-5-54
Material Format
graphic material
Physical Description
23 photographs : b&w (11 negatives) 13 x 18 cm or smaller
Date
1915-[ca. 1966]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of copy photographs documenting the military career of Jack Aarons in England, Egypt, and Palestine during the First World War and at military parades in Toronto after the Second World War. There is also a photograph of the inerior of the Murray House catering kitchen on Steeles Avenue about 1966.
Subjects
World War, 1914-1918
World War, 1939-1945
Places
Egypt
England
Palestine
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
1984-5-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
1984-5-7
Material Format
object
graphic material
Physical Description
1 coin
16 photographs : b&w ; 7 x 10 cm
Date
1939-1945
Scope and Content
This accession consists of one Mount Sinai Lodge A.F. & A.M. No. 522 G.R.C. 25th anniversary coin. The coin has the lodge's coat of arms on the recto and a set of tablets with the words "keep these and good fortune will be yours" on the verso.
Also included are 16 photographs of the Allied Forces (including the Canadian Army) at Bergen-Belsen in April 1945 following the liberation of the camp. Pictured are the general grounds, mass graves with sign markers, a group of (local German?) women crowded around the back of an army truck, army personnel observing and taking photographs of a deceased victim, a crematoria, and Sam Pizel (standing right) and other servicemen with a box of human ashes.
Administrative History
Sam Pizel (?-29 Sept. 2004) was married to Lily and was the brother of Irving Pizel.
Use Conditions
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.
Descriptive Notes
Availability of other formats: Digitized material.
Subjects
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
World War, 1939-1945
Name Access
Pizel, Sam
Bergen-Belsen
Places
Germany
Source
Archival Accessions
Level
Item
ID
Item 1497
Source
Archival Descriptions
Level
Item
Item
1497
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1924]
Physical Description
2 photographs : b&w (1 negative)
Admin History/Bio
Sam boxed under the name of Harry Greb and is in the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame.
Scope and Content
Item is a Rosh Hashanah card featuring the Sherman family. Pictured are:
Rear: Sam Sherman.
Middle from left to right: Min Sherman (m. Friedly); Ida Sherman (m. Clarfield); Paul Sherman.
Front: Max Sherman (Alderman of Brantford and former mayor).
Name Access
Clarfield, Ida
Friedly, Min
Gerb, Harry
Sherman family
Sherman, Ida
Sherman, Max
Sherman, Min
Sherman, Paul
Subjects
Families
Portraits, Group
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
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
1977-8-28
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Samuel Sachs fonds
Sermons series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 106; Series 1; File 13
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Samuel Sachs fonds
Sermons series
Level
File
Fonds
106
Series
1
File
13
Material Format
textual record
Date
[192-?]-[194-?]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah sermons
Yom Kippur sermons
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Samuel Sachs fonds
Sermons series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 106; Series 1; File 14
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Samuel Sachs fonds
Sermons series
Level
File
Fonds
106
Series
1
File
14
Material Format
textual record
Date
[192-?]-[194-?]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Subjects
Rosh ha-Shanah sermons
Yom Kippur sermons
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Gordon Melamed fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 7; Item 4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Gordon Melamed fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
7
Item
4
Material Format
graphic material
Date
[ca. 1917]
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 13 x 18 cm
Scope and Content
Item is a photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Goldberg, friends of the Melamed family, taken prior to 1917 at the Empire Studios on Bathurst Street in Toronto. The portrait was originally used for a Rosh Hashanah greeting card.
Name Access
Goldberg, Ben
Subjects
Married people
Portraits
Rosh ha-Shanah cards
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
Bathurst Street (Toronto, Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions