Accession Number
2017-9-3
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2017-9-3
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
1944
Scope and Content
Accession consists of wartime correspondence between Yolanda Garvin (née Goldberger) and her sisters Maria Zilahy and Etel. In 1944, Yolanda was living in Romania, Maria and her husband Steven Zilahy were living in Hungary, and Etel and her husband were living in Yugoslavia. Yolanda's postcard addressed to Maria and Steven Zilahy was written in German and returned in June/July of 1944 with a note that the recipients had moved to Jewish Camp RTS. Etel's postcard to Yolanda is written in Hungarian. Etel's postcard is revealing of the sadness and anxiety experienced while awaiting one's fate as others were being taken away.
Custodial History
The postcards were originally created and owned by the donor's mother and aunt. Lea kept the letters after her mom passed away.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Descriptive Notes
Language Note: German and Hungarian
Subjects
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Postcards
Sisters
Places
Hungary
Romania
Yugoslavia
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Special events and projects sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 28-18; File 16
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Special events and projects sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
28-18
File
16
Material Format
textual record
Date
1982-1983
Physical Description
1 folder textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of flyers, correspondence, and press releases for the American Holocaust Survivor Gathering in Washington, DC.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Places
Washington (D.C.)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2019-11-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2019-11-7
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
73 cm of textual records and other material
Date
1963–2018
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting Nate Leipciger. Included are records documenting Nate's involvement with the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Holoaust Remembrance Committee, and the March of the Living, as well as thank you letters from students whom Nate addressed.
Administrative History
Nate Leipciger was born in Chorzów, Poland, in 1928. He survived the Sosnowiec Ghetto and the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Funfteichen, GrossRosen, Flossenberg, Leonberg, and Dachau. Nate and his father were liberated in May 1945, and immigrated to Canada in 1948. In Toronto Nate attended high school and eventually obtained a university degree in engineering. He later established an engineering firm with several partners. In 1982, Nate chaired the Toronto Holocaust Remembrance Committee, later becoming an executive member of the Canadian Jewish Congress National Holocaust Remembrance Committee. Nate was a member of the International Council to the Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau for fifteen years and has been an educator on March of the Living trips to Poland and Israel for fifteen years. In 2015, The Azrieli Foundation published Nate's 280-page memoir "The Weight of Freedom" as part of their series of Holocaust memoirs by survivors in Canada. In 2016, Mr. Leipciger guided Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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
Holocaust survivors
Name Access
Leipciger, Nate, 1928-
Places
Canada
Israel
Poland
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Henry Rosenbaum fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 121
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Henry Rosenbaum fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
121
Material Format
graphic material
graphic material (electronic)
textual record
Date
1928-2015
Physical Description
247 photographs : b&w and col. (1 negative); 20 x 25 or smaller
13 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Henry "Hanoch" Rosenbaum (1925-2015) was born in Radom, Poland. He was the second youngest of eight children born to Rachel Rosenbaum (née Katz) and Moshe Rosenbaum.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Herny learned the fate of Radom's Jewish civilian population. Two thirds of Radom's Jewish population were victims of mass murder and perished in the extermination camp Treblinka, immediately following the first liquidation of Radom's large ghetto in August 1942. Henry's parents, two siblings, and their families were among the innocent victims murdered during the Holocaust.
Henry Rosenbaum met his wife Bella Rotbard (1925–2012) while living in an Italian DP camp after the war. Although Bella was also from Radom, she did not know the Rosenbaum family. Bella's parents, her sixteen-year-old sister, and four-year-old brother, as well as most of her parents' extended families, were also victims of the Holocaust.
While in Italy, the Joint Distribution Committee funded "mock kibbutzim," preparing Holocaust survivors for immigration to Palestine and kibbutz life. Bella, a one-time member of the secular Jewish youth movement Hashomer Hatzair, believed that she was destined to be a "kibbutznik," a member of a kibbutz.
In 1946, Bella and Henry immigrated to Palestine as part of the Bricha. The Bricha supported the illegal immigration of Holocaust survivor refugees to Palestine. They spent their first few days in Atlit, a British Mandate detainee camp and soon settled on kibbutz. Bella married Henry in 1946 and moved to an apartment in Ramat Gan. During this time Henry served in the IDF’s motor pool.
Henry, Bella, and their young daughter Brenda (b. 1949) immigrated to Toronto in 1952. With the assistance of a relative, Henry gained employment in a print shop sweeping floors. Henry soon advanced to machine operator and in 1961 opened his own print shop, Trio Press Limited.
Bella worked in the garment industry, sewing collars onto shirts and earned her wages through piece work. She continued working in manufacturing up until the birth of her second child Murray (b. 1961).
Henry Rosenbaum was an active life-long member of the Radom Society and served as editor for their quarterly Yiddish and English journal the Voice of Radom.
Custodial History
Material was in possession of Henry Rosenbaum's daughter Brenda Bornstein.
Scope and Content
Fonds illustrates the family history of Henry Rosenbaum and the life he and his wife Bella Rosenbaum rebuilt in Canada. Photographs document: early life in Poland, displaced persons camp in Italy, immigration to Palestine, military service in the Israel Defense Forces, family life in Israel, immigration and settlement in Canada and many milestone events and celebrations in Toronto, Ontario. Additional photographs of the Radom Society in Toronto. The majority of the photographs were assembled in a scrapbook created by their daughter Brenda Bornstein in celebration of her parents' thirtieth wedding anniversary (1976). In addition, there is a more comprehensive biography written by Henry and Bella's son-in-law Eric Bornstein.
Fonds consists of records relating to Henry Rosenbaum and his affiliation with B’nai Radom. Included are programs and souvenir booklets from the 1962 unveiling of a monument in memory of the Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of Radom and Vicinity (Poland), annual Holocaust remembrance (Yizkor) events published in 1987 and 2010; and a 50th Anniversary of Liberation publication. Books include a Yiddish language bound copy of the Voice of Radom from 1963-1965, an English language bound copy of the Voice of Radom 1983–1989 and Henry Rosenbaum’s personal memoir published in 1995. In addition, there are eight photographs of Henry's great-grandchildren, and a photo of Henry with his daughter Brenda.In addition there is a collection of speeches written by Henry Rosenbaum primarily for family milestone events such as weddings, birthdays, bar mtizvahs, and bat mitzvahs. In addition there is a copy of a presentation made to the Radom Congregation on the occasion of Israel's twenty-fifth year of independence, a Hebrew-language letter of congratulations, and several personal letters written by Murray Rosenbaum (the latter are addressed to his parents while travelling to Israel and Europe). The personal speeches written and delivered by Henry were in honour of the following relatives: Rivi Anklewicz, Marshall Lofchick, Murray Rosenbaum, Elana Aizic, Regina Goldstein, Brenda Rosenbaum, Eric "Ricky" Bornstein, Murray Severin, Robin Severin-Weingort, Rachel Bornstein, Susan Szainwald, Daniel Bornstein, Sholom Rosenbaum, Bella Rosenbaum, Linda Goldstein, and Leon Aizic.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Creator
Rosenbaum, Henry, 1925-2015
Places
Poland
Italy
Palestine
Israel
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
2015-10-5
2017-2-13
2019-7-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2022-8-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-8-7
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
graphic material (electronic)
Physical Description
30 cm of textual records and graphic material
Date
[1923]-2021
Scope and Content
Accession consists of photo albums: two family albums, one album titled "Auschwitz: Back to life", one album titled "Journey to Warsaw" in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and one album titled "Poland" documenting Nate's trip to Poland with his son Cary in 1990. The trip was an invitation to the Second Conference of the International Advisory Committee on the Future of Auschwitz. Nate attended as one of 28 representatives from around the world as a delegate of the Canadian Jewish Congress. Also included are textual records that document Nate Leipciger's family and life in displaced persons camps and immigration to Canada and life in Canada post-Holocaust. Also included are records related to Nate's involvement with the March of the Living and the Holocaust Centre in Toronto, as well as clippings, correspondence, speeches and writings, etc.
Administrative History
Nate Leipciger was born in Chorzów, Poland, in 1928. He survived the Sosnowiec Ghetto and the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Funfteichen, GrossRosen, Flossenberg, Leonberg, and Dachau. Nate and his father were liberated in May 1945, and immigrated to Canada in 1948. In Toronto Nate attended Harbord Collegiate and eventually obtained a university degree in engineering. He later established an engineering firm with several partners. In 1982, Nate chaired the Toronto Holocaust Remembrance Committee, later becoming an executive member of the Canadian Jewish Congress National Holocaust Remembrance Committee. Nate was a member of the International Council to the Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau for fifteen years and has been an educator on March of the Living trips to Poland and Israel for fifteen years. In 2015, The Azrieli Foundation published Nate's 280-page memoir "The Weight of Freedom" as part of their series of Holocaust memoirs by survivors in Canada. In 2016, Mr. Leipciger guided Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Descriptive Notes
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: Album of Nate's trip to Poland is in digital format only. The original album was returned to the donor at his request.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Name Access
Leipciger, Nate, 1928-
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-4
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
1948-1952
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting the immigration of Yakob and Szoszana Lipszyc. Included is a certificate issued by The Jewish Agency for Palestine on 20 April 1948 for Shoshana Handelmann's (aka Rose Lipszyc's) entry into Tel Aviv. Also included are: two immigrant identification cards issued by Immigration Canada on 8 Dec. 1952; a letter from the Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration dated 4 Nov. 1951, approving admission for Yakob and Szoszana Lipszyc into Canada; a letter from the Canadian Embassy in Rome on 22 July 1952, regarding a visa and entry into Rome; a document titled Italian Line regarding passage through Rome; a ticket booklet from Haifa issuing passage aboard the vessel Arisa from Haifa to Napoli on 8 Oct. 1952; and a passage ticket for a voyage from Napoli to Halifax on 28 Nov. 1952 on the vessel Saturnia.
Administrative History
Rose Lipszyc was born on 27 May 1929 in Lublin, Poland. In 1940, the Germans forced Rose and her family out of their home, so they temporarily lived near Osmolice in a small shack in the polish countryside, where they survived by working in the fields. On 14 Oct. 1942, the Nazis rounded up Rose and her family and brought them to the town square in Belzyce for deportation. Rose's father was taken to Madjanek. Sensing that they were being sent to their deaths, Rose’s mother pushed her out of the line; her mother and two brothers were then deported to concentration camps and murdered. A friend of the family, Mr. Yabloinska, a Polish farmer, provided Rose with his daughters’ identities. Rose and her 21-year-old aunt used these identities to escape to Germany posing as sisters to find work. Under the identity Helena Yabloinska, at the age of 13, Rose lived out the rest of the war hiding in plain sight, working as a Polish labourer in a German factory making ropes for ships. Rose lost approximately fifty members of her family during the Holocaust and only four survived, among them Rose and her aunt. Rose was liberated in the spring of 1945 and went to Zeilsheim (near Frankfurt) to a displaced persons camp, where she remained until the end of 1946, when she joined the Aliyah Bet Zionist movement and attempted to illegally enter British Mandate Palestine, however, the British intercepted her boat and interned her in Cyprus. In 1948, the British finally granted her entry into Israel. Along the way, she met Jack Lipszyc, another Holocaust survivor. Rose and Jack married in 1949 in Jaffa, Israel where they lived until December 1952, when they immigrated to Toronto. Rose worked at the McGregor Sock Factory. In 2021, Rose received the Order of Canada for her dedication to Holocaust education. She has three children, five granddaughters and one great-granddaughter.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-3-12
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-3-12
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
10 Oct. 1946-12 Nov. 1947
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material documenting the post-war identification of Miriam Friedman. Included is a United Nations DP Identification Card assigned to Mirjam Frydman on October 10, 1946 in Linz, Austria and a Certificate of Identity issued in Zalzburg on November 12, 1947. The certificate documents her immigration to Canada from a children's home in Strobl, Austria with transit through Germany.
Administrative History
Miriam Ziegler (née Friedman) was born in Radom, Poland, in 1935. In 1939, Miriam and her mother Rose travelled to Ostrowiec. Miriam survived in temporary hiding spots until it became too dangerous, and she joined her parents in the Ostrowiec labour camp. In August 1944, authorities deported the family to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration and Death Camp, where they were separated. The Soviet Army liberated Miriam in January 1945. After the war, Miriam learned that her father was killed during a death march. Miriam spent time in a sanatorium and multiple children's homes and eventually reunited with her mother and aunt. In 1946, the family went to Bindermichl Displaced Persons Camp in Austria. Rose, unable to look after Miriam, sent her to the Strobl Children’s Home and in February 1948, Miriam arrived in Canada as a war orphan, settling in Toronto. In April 1958, Miriam married Holocaust survivor Roman Ziegler and had three children.
Descriptive Notes
Availability of other formats: Digitized material.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Pamphlets series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 17; Series 51; File 97
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Pamphlets series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
51
File
97
Material Format
textual record
Date
[1945?]
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of a fundraising pamphlet that shares the story of Paul Hodess. Born in Lodz, Poland, Paul, now aged fifteen, is an orphan and survivor of Nazi concentration camps. His autobiography is included alongside a solicitation to support United Jewish Relief Agencies (UJRA) with their relief and rehabilitation services.
Subjects
Orphans
Holocaust survivors
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Pamphlets series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 17; Series 51; File 100
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Pamphlets series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
51
File
100
Material Format
textual record
Date
1950
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of a booklet written by Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg of Holy Blossom Temple, published by Canadian Welfare. Rabbi Feinberg summarizes the activities of Canadian Jewish Congress and the various projects it initiated to support Jewish-European orphan immigration to Canada before, during, and after the Second World War. Feinberg goes on to describe the continued support from organizations such as the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (JIAS) and the YMHA to aid in the continued rehabilitation of these orphans through programs including night school, work projects, and activities.
Name Access
Canadian Jewish Congress
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto (creator)
Subjects
Orphans
Holocaust survivors
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2022-7-10
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-7-10
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
sound recording
object
Physical Description
ca. 9 cm of textual records
186 photographs : b&w and col. ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller
1 album (197 photographs) ; 34 x 25 cm
1 audio cassette : 1/8 in.
1 identification tag : metal ; 5 x 5 cm
Date
1920-2013
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records documenting the Forberg and Michaels (Michalowitz) families. They include family histories, Holocaust documentation, and records pertaining to Bathurst Manor. Accession also includes 186 photographs documenting ancestors, family life, and family celebrations from the early 20th century to the early 2000s, including life in the DP camps and Bathurst Manor, and an album containing 197 photographs documenting Honey and Esther Forberg's 1967 trip to Israel. Additional records include Syma Forberg's metal Jewish identification tag, tributes to the Forberg family, Esther Forberg's school history project, Henry and Pola Michaels' funeral records, among others.
Custodial History
Records were donated by Esther Michaels, David and Syma's daughter, Harry and Pola's daughter-in-law.
Administrative History
David Berel Forberg was born in Czestochowa, Poland, on 1 February 1922. From 1939 to 1942, he lived in the Czestochowa Ghetto, where he worked as a manual labourer and painter. Syma Jurkowska was born in Opatow, Poland, on 5 August 1924. From 1939 to 1942, she lived in the Opatow Ghetto, where she made brushes in a factory and cleaned Gestapo homes and the post office. David and Syma met at the Polish labour camp Hasag-Palcery, where they worked at an ammunitions factory. After the war, they were placed in a DP camp in Lampertheim, Germany, where they got married on 11 September 1947. In July 1948, they left the German DP camp after three years and immigrated to Canada, via Quebec. They had two children, Joseph (born 19 June 1946 in Mannheim, Germany) and Honey Sarah (born 16 January 1948 in Lampertheim, Germany). They had been sponsored by Syma's uncle Cheil Slavny, who lived in Toronto. David and Syma rented rooms in their home, while David worked as an upholsterer and Syma babysat. In the early 1950s, they started making chairs and tables, which they delivered on the streetcar. David and Syma's younger children, Esther and Billy Avraham, were born in Toronto on 23 May 1949 and 26 Sep. 1952, respectively. David died on 9 October 2011. Syma died on 9 April 2021.
Harry Michaels (Hersz Michalowicz) was born in Kalisz, Poland, on 26 May 1918. Pola Lewkowicz was born in Zagorow, Poland, on 28 August 1916. By the end of the Second World War, they were living in the Soviet Union, where their first son, Julius (Jozef) was born, in the city of Gelendzhik, on 8 May 1945. After the war, they lived in Jawor, Poland, before resettling at the Steyr DP camp, in Austria, where their second son, Albert (Abram) was born, on 22 April 1947. In 1948, the family immigrated to Canada, arriving via Halifax on 1 October of that year. In Toronto, Harry worked as a furniture merchant. He died on 27 Sep. 1997. Pola died on 23 Apr. 2003.
David and Syma's daughter Esther married Harry and Pola's son Albert.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Families
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-8
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-8
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Physical Description
ca. 18 cm of textual records
207 photographs : b&w and col. ; 28 x 32 cm or semaller
Date
[ca. 1890]-2016
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records related to Clara and Sándor Rosenbaum, and their extended families. Included are documents and photographs documenting their lives in Hungary prior to the Holocaust, as well as their lives after immigrating to Tangier and, subsequently, Canada. Also includes Holocaust accounts and restitution papers, immigration documents, vital documents, correspondence, paper money, a late 19th- or early 20th-century prayer book, and a book of Shabbat songs.
Administrative History
Clara (Klára) Szabó was born in Bölcske on 28 Nov. 1920, the daughter of local lawyer Imre Szabó (born on 2 Jun. 1893 in Bölcske) and Vilma Szabó (née Stern, born in Bölcske in 1892). She had three siblings: Elizabeth (Erzsébet), born on 30 Dec. 1913; Anna, born on 10 Jan. 1915; and András, born on 5 Dec. 1916. The family lived in Paks, where she spent most of her youth. She went to elementary school in Paks, but moved to Budapest in 1935 to attend boarding school, returning to Paks in 1939. Her father committed suicide on 3 Mar. 1940. She married Sándor Rosenbaum in Paks on 14 Jan. 1941. While visiting her sister in Békéscsaba, the whole family were deported to Auschwitz: Clara, her mother, her brother, her two sisters, and her two-year-old niece. From Auschwitz, Clara and her sister Elizabeth were sent to Ravensbrück, and from there to Neustadt bei Coburg, where they worked as forced labourers at a Siemens factory. The rest of her family were killed in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. On 15 Apr. 1945, Clara and Elizabeth escaped from a forced march and headed towards the American advance. After the war, Clara and her husband reunited, and in 1946 relocated to Tangier, where Sándor's brother, Nikolas, had been living since 1940. There, they had two children: André (born on 27 Aug. 1949) and Anique (born on 1 Oct. 1950). They lived there until 1956, when the family relocated to Montreal. There, she was the president of the Dayan Chapter of Hadassah-WIZO from 1980 to 1982. She moved to Toronto in 1997 to be closer to her children. Clara died on 6 Feb. 2016 in Toronto.
Sándor (Alexander) Rosenbaum was born in Paks on 28 Jul. 1906, the son of Mihály (Michael) Rosenbaum (merchant, born on 1875 or 1876) and Regina Freund (1882-1932). He had three siblings: Hedvig (married to Oskar Barotti), Sari (married to Zoltan Barotti), and Nikolas. During the war, from May 1943 to Sep. 1943, he served at the Jewish labour service squadron No. 104/3, in Budapest, at the post office No. 70 labour service. The squadron was then moved to the Carpathians, and Sándor worked as a farm labourer in the region. He served as a yellow armband labour serviceman in the Carpathians until the end of Oct. 1944. He escaped from the labour camp with a friend, hiding in the Carpathian forests for a few weeks. After the war, Sándor changed his last name to Rostás to sound more Hungarian, later changing it back to Rosenbaum. He immigrated with his wife Clara to Tangier, and later to Montreal with their two kids, having worked most of his life as a businessman. He died in Montreal on 6 Jul. 1987 and was buried at Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery in Outremont.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Families
Name Access
Rosenbaum, Clara (Klára), 1920-2016
Rosenbaum, Alexander (Sándor), 1906-1987
Places
Hungary
Tangier (Morocco)
Montréal (Québec)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 28-22; File 11
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
28-22
File
11
Material Format
textual record
Date
1956-1988
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence, clippings, and programs related to the performances of folk singer and Holocaust survivor Jenny Eisenstein.
Name Access
Eisenstein, Jenny
Subjects
Folk singers
Holocaust survivors
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 117; Item 13
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Bella Diamant fonds
Level
Item
Fonds
117
Item
13
Material Format
textual record
Date
3 Aug. 1945
Physical Description
1 letter
Scope and Content
Item is a letter written in Polish, sent to Bella Hershenhorn from her sister Esther, who is living in a DP camp in Bergen. Included is a hand-written and typed translation.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Refugee camps
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2023-3-10
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-3-10
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
1967-1978
Scope and Content
Accession consists of a pilot's log book belonging to Gerda Frieberg, documenting flights taken between 1967 and 1978. Also included is an accompanying form from the Department of Transport regarding the issuance of Gerda's licence and log book. On the inside cover, there is a newsclipping of a poem entitled High Flight taped to the inside front cover of the book. Notations made by Gerda include: her first solo flight on 24 Oct. 1967; completion of her government approved course in flying following her flight test on 15 Feb. 1968; and her last flight on 25 April 1978, logging a grand total of 978 hours and 45 minutes in the air.
Entries include dates, aircraft type and registration, names of first pilots and second pilots or passengers, routes flown and instrument notations. Airtime totals are tallied at the bottom of each page. Of note are flights taken as part of derbies as well as flights in Israel in 1973. Aircraft included both Cherokee and Cessna single-engine aircraft.
Administrative History
Gerda Frieberg (1925-2023) was a Holocaust survivor and educator born in 1925 in Bielschowitz, Poland to the sole Jewish family in the largely German speaking village. Her father was taken in October 1939. In 1940, Gerda, her mother Elfrieda and sister Hana were deported to the Jaworzno Ghetto. In 1942, Gerda was sent to the Oberaltstadt concentration camp where her sister was already interned. Their mother joined them in 1943. Gerda worked in the machine shop of a spinning mill until she was liberated on May 9, 1945. For four years after liberation Frieberg, her sister and mother were in displaced persons camps in Landserg, near Munich. There, she became a proficient seamstress and met her husband, Louis Frieberg. After moving to Canada in 1953, Gerda devoted herself to Holocaust education and various human rights causes. She began speaking of the Holocaust in 1962, first in local schools, then across Canada. Frieberg served as chair of the Ontario region of the Canadian Jewish Congress in the early 1990s and led fundraising efforts for the Toronto Holocaust Centre. Gerda Frieberg had three children, Josey, Jack, and Sandra, eleven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Gerda passed away on January 3rd, 2023, at the age of 97 in her home in Toronto.
Use Conditions
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Air pilots
Name Access
Frieberg, Gerda, 1925-2023
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-5-20
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-5-20
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
1943-1945
Scope and Content
Accession consists of a birth certificate issued in November 1943 under the name of Roman-Jan Domanski, which was used by Marian Domanski to survive the Holocaust. Accession also includes an identity card with Marian's photograph and the same falsified name, issued in Radzyn on 25 Jan. 1944 (the notes section of the identity card is separated, with an illegible Polish stamp on the back, dated 23 Nov. 1945).
Custodial History
Records were donated by Marian Domanski's daughter Beata Domanska.
Administrative History
Marian Domanski (1928-2012) was born Moshe Finkielman on 20 June 1928 in Otwock, Poland, south of Warsaw. His father, Abraham Finkielman, died in 1939 as a soldier in the Polish army, and his mother, Brucha Rotenberg Finkielman, passed away in late 1941 from typhus in the Otwock Ghetto. In 1941, Marian began to regularly sneak out of the ghetto to search for food until his mother's death. In April 1942, he escaped the ghetto and posed as a Polish Catholic youth. He worked as a farm labourer in Eastern Poland for some time, until he was told that in order to get a permanent position he would have to register, which would require his birth certificate. In October 1942, in the town of Komarowka, he was caught and deported to the Treblinka extermination camp. He managed to jump off the transport, run away, and hide, eventually finding work as a farm labourer once again. In 1943, he managed to obtain a falsified birth certificate using information about a fellow herdsman, Roman-Jan Domanski, without his knowledge. He was also able to obtain identity papers, working at farms as a Polish Catholic boy until the end of the war. After the war, he traveled to the recovered territories in Western Poland, where he found work and resumed his education by attending evening school and specializing in aerial photography. He opened his own photography business in Wroclaw and was awarded the degree of Master Photographer in 1963, the same year he married his wife, Cesia. In 1968, Marian and his wife and daughter Beata left Poland for Denmark to escape the anti-Jewish campaign that was underway by the government, and in 1970, they emigrated to Canada. He attended a program in Graphic Arts at George Brown College and, after graduating, worked in several printing establishments for many years until retirement. He kept the name Marian Domanski for the remainder of his life. Marian Domanski passed away in 2012.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Refugees
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Name Access
Domanski, Marian, 1928-2012
Places
Poland
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-7-6
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2018-7-6
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Physical Description
62 photographs : b&w and col. ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
4 cm of textual records
Date
1920-2018
Scope and Content
Accession contains material documenting Gabriella Szanto and her family. Included are family photographs, vital records, correspondence, and a 2018 Baycrest calendar that features a portrait and short biography of Gabriella.
Custodial History
Shirley Worth served as the executor of Gabriella Szanto's estate. Following Gabriella's death, Shirley donated the records that make up the accession to the Ontario Jewish Archives.
Administrative History
Gabriella "Gabi" Szanto (née Lazlo) was born in Budapest, Hungary on 26 January 1916. Gabriella's parents, Arnold and Ilonka Lazlo (née Diamenstein), were women's clothing manufacturers who employed twenty-five people. Their skills complemented each other: Arnold had studied design in Berlin for two years while Ilonka was a dressmaker. On 18 May 1919, Arnold and Ilonka had their second child, George.
During the Second World War, Gabi and her mother moved to the outskirts of Budapest where they passed as Catholics, rarely leaving their house. Miklos Szanto—the man Gabriella married after the war—was sent to the Mauthausen concentration camp. Gabriella's brother, George, was sent to a camp in Siberia and did not survive. It is not known where or how Gabriella's father survived the war.
After the war, Gabriella, her mother and father, and her husband Miklos reunited in Budapest. The four lived in the family apartment near the city opera house.
During the period of Communist rule, Gabriella and Miklos bribed their way out of Hungary and travelled to Vienna. From Vienna, they travelled to Australia, where they lived for five or six years, working as a short order cook and a seamstress respectively.
At some point, Gabriella and Miklos made the decision to immigrate to Canada. Their first stop—most likely in the 1950s—was Montreal. There, Gabriella worked for a high-end retailer before moving with her husband to Toronto one year later. In Toronto, Miklos worked again as a short order cook at the Noshery Restaurant on Eglinton, holding this job until he retried. Gabriella, meanwhile, worked as a seamstress until she was in her mid-80s.
In their retirement, Gabriella and Miklos spent two months each winter in Florida. Gabriella died in 2018.
Use Conditions
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing some of the records.
Descriptive Notes
LANGUAGE NOTE: English, Hungarian, German.
Subjects
Families
Holocaust survivors
Immigrants--Canada
Name Access
Szanto, Gabriella, 1916-2018
Places
Australia
Austria
Canada
Hungary
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2020-10-4
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2020-10-4
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
4 cm of textual records
Date
1955-2004
Scope and Content
Accession consists of speeches and other textual records primarily written by Gangolf Herman in his role as president of Congregation Habonim Toronto. Included are mostly speeches, addresses, and sermons (1955-2001) that Gangolf wrote for Friday night services; tribute dinners; memorial services; the congregation’s anniversaries; and Jewish festivals such as Yom Kippur, Shavuot, Passover, and Hanukkah. Also included are correspondence (1974, 1992, 2003), one copy of Mrs. Hildegard Herman’s address to the Sisterhood of Congregation Habonim in 1955, one poem, one play script, president messages that Gangolf wrote for Congregation Habonim’s bulletins (1958-1996), and the Congregation’s bulletin for June 2004.
Administrative History
Gangolf Herman (1921-2004) was one of the founding members of Congregation Habonim of Toronto—a liberal reform synagogue founded in 1954 and also one of the first Holocaust refugee/survivor congregations to develop in Canada. Gangolf served as secretary, treasurer, board member, and president of the Congregation and was one of the Congregation’s most active members for more than half a century. Gangolf was born in 1921 in Berlin, Germany, to Georg and Rosa (née Wolff) Herman and was a Holocaust survivor. He had a younger sister, Ruth, who did not survive the Holocaust. Georg owned a boiler-making factory in Niederschönhausen and was trying to sell his business before leaving Berlin; however, he was taken from home with his wife Rosa, mother-in-law Therese, and daughter Ruth in 1942 to Riga. Georg died in Treblinka extermination camp [or in Kaiserwald concentration camp near the Riga suburb]. Gangolf left Germany in 1937 and went to school in Holland. Around 1939 and 1940, he left school and went to England where his family had friends. While in England, he was classified as an “enemy alien” and got shipped on HMT Dunera to Australia where he interned for three years. Gangolf had been writing letters to his family until 1942 when they were taken to Riga. Around 1944, Gangolf was brought back to London, England. Afterwards, he moved back in with friends and joined the Montefiore Circle, where he met his wife, Hildegard (Hilde) Stern. Gangolf and Hilde got married in 1946 and had two children born in London—Gavin (born in 1948) and Ruth (born in 1951). Hilde Stern (1920-1990) was born to Martin and Flora Stern in Frankfurt, Germany. Martin survived the Holocaust and escaped to London during 1937 and 1938. Martin gave up his shoemaking factory and received restitution afterwards. In 1951, Gangolf and his family bounded a ship from Southampton, England, to Halifax, Canada. After moving to Canada, Gangolf worked as a mechanical engineer, while Hilde was a homemaker. Hilde set up a nursery school inside Downsview United Church and worked at Holy Blossom Junior School. She was also active in the Sisterhood of Congregation Habonim. After the war, Gangolf received restitution from the West German government for properties owned in Berlin.
Descriptive Notes
Pages of Testimony (issued by Yad Vashem) that filled out by Gangolf Herman containing information about his family members as victims of the Holocaust were discovered on MyHeritage’s website and are available at S:\Collections\2020-10-4_Herman
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Speeches, addresses, etc
Name Access
Congregation Habonim of Toronto
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2023-2-7
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
7 cm of textual records
Date
1933-1982
Scope and Content
Accession consists of material, mostly correspondence, documenting Willi Holtz. Included are: a letter to Willi from the German Metal Worker's Union (20 November 1933); Willi's German Reich passport (1936); a postcard from Palestine (1938); a confirmation regarding application for certificate of entry into Palestine (2 January 1938); a letter to the Reich Interior Ministry from Willi (15 April 1939); a certification of good character for Willi (6 June 1939); a letter to the American consul in Canada from Leon L. Berkowitz regarding Willi Holz's internment in Camp "N" (17 February 1941); and a letter to F. C. Blair, director of the Immigration Branch of the Department of Mines and Resources, from Willi (8 January 1943).
Custodial History
Records were in the possession of Camille Norton, Willi Holz's stepdaughter, prior to Camile donating them to the Ontario Jewish Archives.
Administrative History
Willi Israel Holz was born on 6 April 1912 in Breslau, Germany (today Wroclaw, Poland). From 1919–27, he attended elementary school in the same city. Starting in 1927, he attended technical high school. In 1929, he joined the Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutschlands (Young Communist League of Germany). In 1931, he received his electrician's license. Apart from a period of unemployment in 1932, he worked from 1931–38 with several firms, acquiring experience in electrical installations. In 1933, he lost his membership in the German Metal Workers' Union (Deutscher Metallarbeiter-Verband) on racial grounds.
In 1938, Willi was put in a Nazi concentration camp. In January 1939, he was released from the concentration camp. He nevertheless had to report to the Gestapo headquarters on a monthly basis until he was able to leave Germany. This proved difficult, as Willi tried and failed to immigrate to a number of countries, including Palestine, Bolivia, and China. (In the latter case, the Republic of China granted Willi and his mother visas, but there were no ship tickets available.) In February, Willi applied to be accepted for a transit camp for Jewish emigrants that was located in Richborough, England; in July, he was accepted. He arrived in Richborough on 8 August 1939. Willi's mother was unable to come with him.
From Richborough, Willi was moved between several locations before departing from Liverpool, England, on the SS Ettrick. He arrived in Quebec, Canada, on 13 July 1940 at Internment Camp "L." From there, he was transferred to Internment Camp "N" in Sherbrook. In January 1941, he was provided with an affidavit for immigration to the United States, but he was unable to enter owing to an unspecified condition. In 1942, Willi's mother was deported to eastern Europe (she died in Auschwitz). In November of that same year, Willi was transferred to yet another camp.
In February 1943, Willi was released from internment for work at Stark Electrical Instrument Co. in Toronto, Ontario. In 1944, Willi started working as foreman of the machine shop for the same company. In 1946, the plant at which Willi was working ended up moving to a different location, and Willi started work on the production line. That same year, Willi appeared before a county court judge to take the oath of allegiance. He became a Canadian citizen on 4 May 1946.
Willi died on 10 October 1979. His funeral took place at Benjamin's Park Memorial Chapel.
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.
Descriptive Notes
Language: A significant portion of the material is in German.
Subjects
Electricians
Holocaust survivors
Immigrants--Canada
Name Access
Holz, Willi, 1912-1979
Places
Breslau (Germany)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Research Records sub-series
War Crimes and Criminals sub-sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
5-4-7
File
32
Material Format
textual record
Date
1971
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consist of documents related to the twenty-fifth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Also included is correspondence related to threats against an Auschwitz survivor in Toronto.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Subjects
Anniversaries
Concentration camps
Holocaust survivors
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Patricia Joy Alpert fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 77
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Patricia Joy Alpert fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
77
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
sound recording
Date
[ca. 1907]-2001, predominant 1990-2001
Physical Description
1.2 m of textual records and other material
Admin History/Bio
Patricia Joy Alpert (1931-2001) was an internationally-acclaimed artist, teacher, and dynamic community leader, most notably serving as national president of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO from 1996 to 1999. Pat was born in Toronto in 1931 to parents Oscar and Gertrude Pattenick. Oscar Pattenick, the son of Benjamin Pattenick and Pauline Goldenberg, was born in 1892 in Galicia and immigrated to Canada with his brother as a young man. The brothers ran a retail clothing business that expanded to several locations around Ontario, including Toronto and Bowmanville. Oscar married Gertrude Breslin (1896-1988) in 1917. She was one of fourteen children of Hyman Breslin and Sarah Pearl Papernick and had been raised in Toronto. Together the couple raised three children: Bernard (Boon), and twin girls Patricia and Pearl.
Pat and her sister showed artistic talent from an early age. After graduating from Oakwood Collegiate Institute, Pat enrolled at the University of Miami and graduated with a BA in art history in 1956. She started her career as a designer and display artist at the Simpson department store, doing freelance artwork and volunteering at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Pat married Herbert S. Alpert in 1958 and they had two daughters, Lisa and Nancy. Pat went back to school at Toronto Teacher's College and then taught kindergarten for eleven years for the North York Board of Education. She also earned a supervisor's art certificate and taught art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, North York Public Library, and Associated Hebrew Schools. Her artistic career took off in the 1970s, when her drawings were exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around North America. She typically drew human figures using ink.
Pat Alpert’s volunteer work began soon after her marriage, when she joined Toronto's Carmel chapter of Hadassah as a way to make new friends. In 1983, she became president of Toronto Hadassah-WIZO, serving until 1985. She continued with Toronto Hadassah as vice-president and corresponding secretary. Pat was deeply committed to Jewish life and to the State of Israel. Choosing Hadassah as the focus of her passion, she left her professional career in the 1990s to become a full-time volunteer. She served as chair of the Canadian Hadassah-WIZO Foundation, vice-president of National Hadassah, national president from 1996 to 1999 and president of Toronto Jewish National Fund from 1992 to 1994. Pat also held positions for Israel Bonds, Jewish Women’s Federation, B’nai Brith League for Human Rights, the Holocaust Centre of Toronto, Baycrest Women’s Auxiliary and board of governors, and Reena Foundation. Pat Alpert died on October 4, 2001, at the age of seventy.
Custodial History
Donated by Herbert Alpert in late 2001 or early 2002. No documentation for this donation could be found when it was assigned an accession number in October 2002 during an inventory of the vault. Pat Alpert's daughter Nancy Spring was contacted in 2009 to sign a deed of gift.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains records documenting Patricia Joy Alpert's personal, professional and volunteer-related activities. The records include textual material, photographs, and a sound recording of a radio show announcing an exhibit of Alpert's work. The records of Alpert's professional career as an artist and a teacher are comprised of curriculum vitae and brief biographies, exhibit records and correspondence. Samples of Alpert's drawings are included, dating from the 1940s to the 1970s. The records relating to Alpert's community leadership include a large number of speeches, clippings, articles, correspondence, cards and letters, meeting minutes, and unique diary entries meticulously detailing Hadassah business, conversations and controversies. There are minutes from the following entities: Hadassah National Officers, Hadassah National Executive Board, World WIZO Executive and Canadian Hadassah Foundation. Other organizations represented in the records include the Jewish National Fund, Baycrest Women’s Auxiliary, Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation, and State of Israel Bonds.
The personal records in the fonds include letters written by Pat to Herbert when he was working in England during parts of 1968-1970, letters exchanged between Pat and her daughters when the girls were at camp in 1971 and 1973, and a collection of clippings spanning twenty years in which Alpert appears. As well, there is a notebook of Pat's Torah observations, thoughts and quotations. The personal series also contains records of Gertrude Pattenick's: a handwritten homemaker's guide and recipe book, ca. 1907, and several letters exchanged between Gertrude and Oscar before and during their marriage. One file contains the obituary of Gertrude and the condolences received by Pat.
There are approximately 3175 photographs (218 negs and 45 slides) in the fonds. These are of Hadassah conferences and annual conventions, meetings, social events, Hadassah projects in Israel (contact sheets) and images of Alpert's drawings. Many of the photographs were originally in four scrapbooks Alpert created: three to highlight the events of her Hadassah presidency and one she titled "Important Moments" that spans the 1980s and 1990s. The scrapbook files (in box 3) contain photographs, clippings and a number of event programs. The photographs include images of Alpert at special events and conventions, as a speaker, meeting people, socializing and travelling in Israel and to international Hadassah events around the world.
The poster in the fonds is for an event organized by the Women's Auxiliary of Baycrest Centre in 1981, the second annual Camerata concert and gala reception.
The fonds is arranged in 6 series: 1. Personal; 2. Professional; 3. Toronto Hadassah; 4. Hadassah-WIZO Canada; 5. Jewish National Fund; 5. Hadassah-WIZO of Canada Foundation; Other organizations.
Notes
Physical description note: Includes ca. 3175 photographs (218 negatives and 45 slides), 1 cassette tape and 1 poster.
Name Access
Alpert, Patricia Joy, 1931-2001
Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Canada (Subject)
Subjects
Artists
Teachers
Volunteers
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Arrangement
The arrangement of the fonds was constructed by the archivist. The scrapbooks were taken apart and the captions for each event provided the titles for the files.
Creator
Alpert, Patricia Joy, 1931-2001
Accession Number
2002-10-65
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 148
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
148
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
object
Date
[1940?]-1952, predominant 1946-1947
Physical Description
56 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Founded in 1924, the Ostrowtzer Hilfs Farein was a landsmanshaft society named after the town of Ostrowiec in Poland. Initially a function of the Ostrovtzer Shul, the society’s mission was to provide support to Ostrovtzers who had immigrated to Toronto, offering small loans and medical assistance and fostering a sense of community. The society began with thirty-eight members, offering assistance to Ostrovtzers arriving in Toronto. Over a decade, membership grew to one hundred, enabling the society to hire a doctor for medical services.
While immigration policies and the outbreak of war slowed membership growth, it surged again with the arrival of Holocaust survivors. Postwar, the Ostrowtzer Society extended relief and aid to refugees in displacement camps, Europe, and Israel. Around this time, it became known as the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee.
In 1946, the society organized a landmark conference in Toronto, leading to the formation of the Central Committee of Ostrowtzer Hilfs Fareinen in North and South America. Max Hartstone served as the committee's executive secretary.
The society expanded its reach, creating a young men's branch and evolving into the Ostrovtzer Independent Mutual Benefit Society. In recent years, it has provided support for Israel, the Baycrest Foundation, UJA Federation, and more. It also owns cemetery land, ensuring that each of its members receives a proper Jewish burial. The society also established an endowment fund through the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto.
Custodial History
The records were donated by Nancy Freeman, Max Hartstone’s daughter, on 17 October 2017. A subsequent donation was made on 19 April 2022. Nancy recalls that the letters, received by her father Max Hartstone in his capacity as secretary of the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee, were stored in large bakery boxes in their garage.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records documenting the activities of the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee. The fonds primarily contains correspondence from other Ostrovtzer societies and Holocaust survivors from Ostrowiec, Poland, located throughout North and South America, Europe, and Palestine. Photographs are included with some of the correspondence. Other materials include minutes, notices of meetings, financial records, invitations, events memorabilia, speeches, and newspaper clippings. The materials document the efforts of the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee, in collaboration with Ostrovtzer societies worldwide, to provide assistance and support to Holocaust survivors from Ostrowiec. These records also offer insight into the immediate, postwar experiences of Holocaust survivors
The fonds is arranged into five series. The series are: 1. Letters from individuals; 2. Letters from organizations; 3. Administrative; 4. Events; and 5. Newspaper clippings.
Name Access
Hartstone, Max, 1907-1982
Subjects
Fraternal organizations
Holocaust survivors
Jews--Poland
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Physical Condition
Some of the textual records are fragile and are enclosed in plastic.
Arrangement
Nancy Freeman had bundled the correspondence upon donation; however, given that there did not appear to be a specific order to the bundles, the archivist rearranged the materials to improve accessibility.
Creator
United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee
Places
Ostrowiec (Sokolów Podlaski, Poland)
Accession Number
2017-10-5
2022-4-5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2022-5-15
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2022-5-15
Material Format
textual record
object
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
1 armband : white fabric ; 18 x 5 cm
Date
1947-1948
Scope and Content
Accession consists of Leslie Mezei's certificate of identity in lieu of passport, issued on 2 Dec. 1947 by the Office of the Military Governor, US Zone of Germany. It contains Leslie's picture and signature, as well as the 13 Jan. 1948 Canadian stamp of arrival in Halifax. Also included is the armband worn by Leslie on his way to Canada, which says, "Sponsored by the Canadian Jewish Congress. Chief Welfare Officer Ethel Ostry-Genkind."
Custodial History
Records were donated by Leslie Mezei himself.
Administrative History
Leslie (Laszlo) Mezei was born in Budapest, Hungary, on 9 July 1931. After the war, he and his siblings stayed at the Leipheim DP camp, in Germany, and at a children's camp in Prien am Chiemsee, in Southern Germany. After going on the Exodus 1947 illegal immigration to then Mandatory Palestine, they were sent back to Prien, where a Canadian social worker signed them up for immigration. They arrived in January 1948 on board the USS General SD Sturgis, an American troop carrier that had been used for carrying refugees. They landed at Pier 21, in Halifax. Then, they took a train to Montreal, and, after spending some time at the YMHA, Leslie was taken in by the Winkler family, with whom he stayed with for five years. After completing his basic education, he enrolled at McGill University for a BSc in mathematic and physics followed by an MA in meteorology in Toronto, where he got married in August 1953 to his fiancée, Annie Wasserman, a Holocaust survivor from Poland. Leslie became a computer programmer in 1954 and a systems analyst in 1958. His wife, Annie, with whom he had two children, Frances and Michael, developed a brain tumor and died in January 1977. After Annie's death, Leslie started to work with the interfaith movement. He later married Kathy, a seventh-generation Canadian of English, Irish, and Scottish background. Between them, they have five children, ten grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. In 2021, Leslie was awarded a certificate of recognition signed by the mayor of Toronto, the president of the Interfaith Council, and the head of the Toronto Sufi Order International. In 2019, the Azrieli Foundation published the Holocaust story of his family in a book titled "A Tapestry of Survival."
Descriptive Notes
Physical Description note: Armband has been measured in flattened position.
Subjects
Holocaust survivors
Refugee children
Immigrants--Canada
Name Access
Mezei, Leslie (Laszlo), 1931-
Places
Germany
Halifax (N.S.)
Montréal (Québec)
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
General office subject and correspondence files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 17; Series 2; File 1109
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
General office subject and correspondence files series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
2
File
1109
Material Format
textual record
Date
1996
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Subjects
Holocaust denial
Access Restriction
Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
Accession Number
2005-2-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 28-22; File 16
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
28-22
File
16
Material Format
textual record
Date
1983-1989
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of clippings and correspondence related to Holocaust denial in Canada.
Subjects
Holocaust denial
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 277
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
277
Material Format
textual record
Date
1991
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of records documenting the activities of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier. Included is correspondence, copies of the appellant's factum in Zundel's appeal trial to the Supreme Court of Canada, and newspaper clippings.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 278
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
278
Material Format
textual record
Date
1991
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newspaper clippings documenting the activities of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 279
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
279
Material Format
textual record
Date
1991-1993
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newspaper clippings, correspondence and press releases documenting the activities of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Research Records sub-series
War Crimes and Criminals sub-sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
5-4-7
File
27
Material Format
textual record
Date
1968
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consist of a brochure for the unveiling of memorial at Mount Sinai Cemetery to victims of the Holocaust.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Subjects
Holocaust victims
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Research Records sub-series
War Crimes and Criminals sub-sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
5-4-7
File
36
Material Format
textual record
Date
1976
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consist of a notice of a memorial meeting for Holocaust victims.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Subjects
Holocaust victims
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
General office subject and correspondence files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 17; Series 2; File 1283
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
General office subject and correspondence files series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
2
File
1283
Material Format
textual record
Date
1995
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Subjects
Holocaust denial
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Access Restriction
Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
Accession Number
2005-2-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Special events and projects sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 28-18; File 29
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Special events and projects sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
28-18
File
29
Material Format
textual record
sound recording
Date
1990
Physical Description
1 folder textual records
1 audio cassette
Scope and Content
File consists of speech notes, correspondence, invitations, greetings, and an audio recording from the unveiling and dedication of the "Righteous Among the Nations" panels at the Holocaust Centre.
Subjects
Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 28-22; File 10
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
28-22
File
10
Material Format
textual record
Date
1977-1979
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence and clippings regarding the Righteous Among the Nations designation for Lambertus Hendrik de Groot.
Subjects
Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 28-22; File 12
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
28-22
File
12
Material Format
textual record
Date
1978-1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence, clippings, and programs related to the commemoration of Righteous Among the Nations Janusz Korczak.
Name Access
Korczak, Janusz
Subjects
Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 28-22; File 22
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Toronto Holocaust Museum series
Subject files sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
28-22
File
22
Material Format
textual record
Date
1977-1981
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of clippings that reference Victor Kluger.
Name Access
Kugler, Victor, 1900-1981
Subjects
Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Na'amat Canada Toronto fonds
Publications series
General interest articles file
Level
File
ID
Fonds 130; Series 1; File 4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Na'amat Canada Toronto fonds
Publications series
General interest articles file
Level
File
Fonds
130
Series
1
File
4
Material Format
textual record
Date
2001
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of articles on the Archives Department of the Women's League of Conservative Judaism and the Whitwell, Tennessee Holocaust project.
Notes
Responsibility: Includes essays by Selma Weintraub and Dita Smith.
Subjects
Archives
Holocaust memorials
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
2019-3-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Anti-Semitism cases sub-series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 17; Series 5-3; File 298; Item 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Anti-Semitism cases sub-series
Level
Item
Fonds
17
Series
5-3
File
298
Item
2
Material Format
textual record
Date
10 Jan. 1985
Physical Description
2 newspaper clippings
Scope and Content
Item is a newspaper clipping with photographs about Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel's trial. The article was written by Paul Lungen.
Notes
Availabilty of other formats: Also available as a PDF file.
Name Access
Zündel, Ernst, 1939-2017
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
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.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Anti-Semitism cases sub-series
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 17; Series 5-3; File 298; Item 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Anti-Semitism cases sub-series
Level
Item
Fonds
17
Series
5-3
File
298
Item
6
Material Format
textual record
Date
1 Mar. 1985
Physical Description
3 newspaper clippings
Scope and Content
Item consists of newspaper clippings with photograph from the 1 March 1985 edition of the Winnipeg Sun about the outcome of Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel's trial.
Notes
Availabity of other formats: Also available as a PDF file.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
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.
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 290
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
290
Material Format
textual record
Date
Jan. 1985-Mar. 1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of CJC reports of the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 291
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
291
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of media reports regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 292
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
292
Material Format
textual record
Date
1984
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence and documents regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 293
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
293
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence, press releases, and reports regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 294
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
294
Material Format
textual record
Date
1983
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence and reports regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 296
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
296
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of printouts of Wire Service reports of the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 297
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
297
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of publications regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 298
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
298
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newpaper clippings regarding outcome of the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 299
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
299
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newpaper clippings regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 300
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
300
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newpaper clippings regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 301
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
301
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newpaper clippings regarding the trial of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 302
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
302
Material Format
textual record
Date
1982
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newpaper clippings regarding loss of mail service by Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions
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 307
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
307
Material Format
textual record
Date
1985
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of newspaper clippings analyzing the conviction of Ernst Zundel, a Holocaust denier.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Name Access
Ontario. Supreme Court
Zundel, Ernst, 1939-
Subjects
Holocaust deniers
Trials
Source
Archival Descriptions