- Name
- Isaac Benjamin Kanter
- Material Format
- moving images
- Interview Date
- 14 Jun. 2010
- Source
- Oral Histories
- Name
- Isaac Benjamin Kanter
- Number
- OH 390
- Subject
- Canada--Armed Forces
- World War, 1939-1945
- Interview Date
- 14 Jun. 2010
- Quantity
- 1 reference DVD (WAV file)
- 1 archival DVD (WAV file)
- Interviewer
- Sam Gojonovich
- Total Running Time
- 14:53 seconds
- Notes
- This interview was 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=kanter
- Biography
- Isaac Kanter was born in 1917 and served with the Royal Canadian Army as a gunnery sergeant from 1939 to 1946. Isaac was stationed in Europe and involved in the Normandy and Oldenburg campaigns.
- Material Format
- moving images
- Geographic Access
- Normandy (France)
- Original Format
- DVD
- Transcript
- 00:45: Isaac served as a gunner in the Normandy Campaign during the Second World War.
00:58: Isaac explains how he joined the army.
1:48: Isaac briefly describes the job of a gunner.
2:21: Isaac recalls a disaster that took place on an airfield in Normandy.
5:40: Isaac describes the type of gun – 25 lb. gun-how (Howitzer) with different charges.
6:40: Isaac emphasizes the need to be on the job twenty-four hours a day.
8:38: Isaac mentions that he was aware of one other Jewish officer who was captured and executed because he was Jewish.
9:28: Isaac did not recall any incidents of antisemitism.
9:35: Isaac describes some of his responsibilities as a gun position officer.
11:47: Isaac reports that the war had no impact on his connection to Judaism.
- Source
- Oral Histories
- Passenger Names
- Benjamin, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Benjamin, Isaac
- Page Number
- 728
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Accession Number
- 1976-6-6
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1976-6-6
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- 10 photographs : b&w (5 negatives) ; 18 x 13 cm and 12 x 10 cm
- Date
- [ca. 1912], [ca. 1942]-1955
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of five photographs depicting the Rapaport and Kanter families in Brantford, Ontario. Included is a Rapoport family photograph, a Young Judaea leadership group, and several photographs related to Beth David Synagogue.
- Places
- Brantford, Ont.
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Part Of
- Scenes from The Ward in the early 20th Century fonds
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 43
- Item
- 4
- 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 young boy holding a tin of salmon in the Ward.
- Notes
- Original photo is a glass slide.
- Title taken from writing on original slide.
- Subjects
- Children
- 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
- David Pinkus fonds
- Genealogical research series
- Benjamin Swartz file
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 138
- Series
- 3
- File
- 14
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Date
- 1922-[ca. 2010]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 2 photographs : b&w ; 16 x 9 cm and 16 x 11 cm on sheets 28 x 22 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of records relating to Benjamin Swartz. Included are printed copies of the following items: a 1922 newspaper clipping, two portraits of Benjamin, Benjamin’s Canadian citizenship certificate, and web articles documenting Benjamin’s architectural works. Also present are records documenting Benjamin’s family history, including David Pinkus’ genealogical research notes and documents made by Stephen Zener (Benjamin’s grandchild) and Rhoda Swartz (Benjamin’s daughter).
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2015-3-6
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2015-3-6
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Physical Description
- 5 cm textual records and other material
- Date
- [ca.1890]-[ca. 1940]
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of personal records of Hyman (Ben) Benjamin, and records documenting Arthur Benjamin's military service. Records include ca. 30 photographs of three generations of the Benjamin family, Rosh Hashanah greeting cards, Hyman Benjamin's birth certificate and first aid certificate. Records also include correspondence between several branches of the Canadian government and Arthur's mother, Annie, regarding the circumstances of Arthur's death; his grave site and his army pension.
- Custodial History
- The records were donated to the Archives by Nancy Rose, daughter of the great-nephew of Hyman (Ben) Benjamin.
- Administrative History
- Hyman "Ben" Benjamin (ca. 1884-1969) was born in Leeds, England to Lazuras and Annie Benjamin. He married Hilda (Holds) Benjamin, and they immigrated to Canada in 1911. He worked as a car mechanic. They had two daughters, Laura (b. 1911) and Florence (b. 1912).
- Arthur "Abraham" Benjamin (ca. 1882-1917) was Hyman Benjamin's brother. He immigrated to Toronto from Leeds some time after 1911 and worked with Hyman as a car cleaner. He joined the 198th Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in 1916, and was killed in the First World War.
- 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
- Canada--Armed Forces
- World War, 1914-1918
- Name Access
- Benjamin, Arthur, 1882-1917
- Benjamin, Hyman, 1884-1969
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2016-5-14
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2016-5-14
- Material Format
- architectural drawing
- Physical Description
- 1 drawing : pencil ; 46 x 43 cm
- Date
- [ca. 1911]
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of a demonstration drawing by architect Benjamin Brown of a synagogue, that bears some resemblance to a later design proposal for Beth Jacob Synagogue. The drawing is of the synagogue's facade. This drawing was likely done when Brown was a student at the University of Toronto, School of Practical Science.
- Custodial History
- This drawing was part of the larger Benjamin Brown collection, but was not part of the original donation in 1987. It was framed and hanging in Jay Levine's office for many years.
- Subjects
- Architecture
- Synagogues
- Name Access
- Brown, Benjamin
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Passenger Names
- Goldhar, Benjamin
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Goldhar, Benjamin
- Page Number
- 688
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Usprech, Benjamin
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Usprech, Benjamin
- Page Number
- 203
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Part Of
- Koffler Centre of the Arts fonds
- Art exhibitions series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 100
- Series
- 8
- File
- 45
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1995-1996
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of a catalogue entitled Power of the Dead.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
- Subject files series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 28
- Series
- 5
- File
- 71
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1970-1971
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- The file consists of correspondence concerning the death of Lyle Isaacs, Programming Director at Camp Biluim. The file also contains correspondence concerning insurance claims and payments.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Scheuer family fonds
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 47
- Item
- 3
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [187-?]
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 16 x 11 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a photographic portrait of Isaac Scheuer taken in a studio in Europe.
- Notes
- Albumen print mounted on cabinet card.
- Studio: St. Johann A/D Saar H. Leonhard Bahnhofstr. 139.
- Subjects
- Portraits
- 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.
- Physical Condition
- Good.
- Places
- Europe
- Accession Number
- 1989-4-2
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2021-10-4
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2021-10-4
- Material Format
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 1 letter
- Date
- 19 Jun. 1945
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of one letter to Nathan "Sonny" Isaacs from Rabbi Jacob Eisen. The letter is dated 19 June 1945. In it, Jacob congratulates Nathan on getting engaged and expresses his regret he could not have been in Toronto when Nathan was welcomed home. He also mentions that Nathan's best friend, Percy, was sad to learn that Nathan had departed Europe just as he arrived.
- Administrative History
- Nathan Isaacs (né Isaacovitch) was born on 20 November 1922. He enlisted on 5 August 1942. After training, Nathan worked in the kitchen at a Royal Canadian Air Force base in Aylmer, Ontario, while awaiting deployment to Europe. After being flown to Yorkshire, England, Nathan went on to fly thirty-five missions. He was twenty-one when he flew his first.
- Following the war, bombers like Nathan received little in the way of recognition on account of the heavy civilian casualties caused by bombing. In 2013, Julian Fantino, minister of veterans affairs, gave out the Bomber Command bar to recognize Second World Bombers, including Nathan. That same year, thanks to a photograph that accompanied a Toronto Star article about Second World War bombers, Nathan was reunited with John Mulholland, the pilot with whom he flew his final mission.
- 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
- Related groups of records in different fonds external to the unit being
described: A photograph of Rabbi Jacob Eisen in uniform can be found
in the Military photographs series of the William Stern fonds. A photograph of Rabbi Eisen alongside other Jewish chaplains can be found in the Harry Moscoe fonds.
- Subjects
- Letters
- Rabbis
- World War, 1939-1945
- Name Access
- Isaacs, Nathan, 1922-
- Places
- Europe
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1983-1-2
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1983-1-2
- Material Format
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Date
- 1978-1982
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of material documenting Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak, also referred to as the North East Hebrew Congregation. The records consist of a history of the Congregation, high holiday service schedules, a membership list, a list of projected plans and activities, and financial statements
- Administrative History
- The North East Hebrew Congregation was a small and informal entity that was established during the mid-to-late 1970s. Bernard Isaacs was the vice-president of this congregation. They met for High Holidays and special events and rented facilities to accomodate their members.
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1979-11-9
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 1979-11-9
- Material Format
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 1 photograph
- Date
- [ca.1915]-[ca.1942]
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of poetry and speeches written by Isaac Goldfield in Yiddish. Some have been translated into English.
- Administrative History
- Isaac Goldfield was born in Poland in 1888. He came to Canada in 1912 and worked here as a grocer. He was a member of the Rachiver Friendly Help Society and Warshaver-Lodzer Society. He passed away in Toronto in 1942.
- MG_RG
- MG 6 D
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2009-3-10
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2009-3-10
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 10 x 12 cm
- Date
- 1945
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of one photograph of Jewish members of the Royal Canadian Air Force at a seder in London, England. Standing at the head of the table is Rabbi I. Eisen of Holy Blossom Temple. Seated on the far right with his head bowed is Squadron Leader Al Glazer. The photograph was taken by the donor.
- Subjects
- Fighter pilots
- Portraits, Group
- Seder
- Name Access
- Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force
- Glazer, Al
- Isaacs, Nathan
- Places
- London (England)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2019-5-13
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2019-5-13
- Material Format
- textual record
- object
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- 7 cm of textual records and other material
- 3 objects
- Date
- [194-]-[201-]
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of material documenting Nathan Isaacs. Included are letters, photographs, service records, a sight log, a book with photographs of fighter planes active in the Second World War, and telegrams congratulating Nathan's family on Nathan coming home. Also included are a number of objects: Nathan's dog tags, navigator wings, and crest; a flask with Nathan's initials on it; another item with Nathan's initials that he received upon enlisting in 1942 and which would have held a mirror, nail file, and possibly a comb; a cigarette lighter made from an empty shell by ground crew; and, finally, a Bomber Command bar that was issued to Nathan in 2013.
- Administrative History
- Nathan Isaacs (né Isaacovitch) was born on 20 November 1922. He enlisted on 5 August 1942. After training, Nathan worked in the kitchen at a Royal Canadian Air Force base in Aylmer, Ontario, while awaiting deployment to Europe. After being flown to Yorkshire, England, Nathan went on to fly thirty-five missions. He was twenty-one when he flew his first.
- Following the war, bombers like Nathan received little in the way of recognition on account of the heavy civilian casualties caused by bombing. In 2013, Julian Fantino, minister of veterans affairs, gave out the Bomber Command bar to recognize Second World Bombers, including Nathan. That same year, thanks to a photograph that accompanied a Toronto Star article about Second World War bombers, Nathan was reunited with John Mulholland, the pilot with whom he flew his final mission.
- Descriptive Notes
- Availability of other formats: Six of the photographs and four of the textual records have been scanned and are available as JPEG, TIFF, and/or PDF files.
- Subjects
- Bomber pilots
- Veterans
- World War, 1939-1945
- Name Access
- Isaacs, Nathan, 1922-
- Places
- Canada
- Europe
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Passenger Names
- Davidowitch, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Davidowitch, Isaac
- Page Number
- 512
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Elkind, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Elkind, Isaac
- Page Number
- 219
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Handelman, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Handelman, Isaac
- Page Number
- 334
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Handelman, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Handelman, Isaac
- Page Number
- 280
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Schatz, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Schatz, Isaac
- Page Number
- 616
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Wegman, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Wegman, Isaac
- Page Number
- 550
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Zakow, Isaac
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Zakow, Isaac
- Page Number
- 248
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- 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
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 2
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1898, [192-?]-1997
- Physical Description
- 80 cm of textual records and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- Benjamin Dunkelman (1913–1997) was a successful businessman and president of Tip Top Tailors. He had a distinguished military career in both the Canadian Army during the Second World War and in the Haganah during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
- Benjamin was born in Toronto to David Dunkelman (1883–1978) and Rose (née Miller, 1889–1949). He had three sisters and two brothers: Joseph, a movie executive; Ernest, a manufacturer; Zelda; Veronica; and Theodora. His father, David, was a successful entrepreneur who established Tip Top Tailors in 1910. Both David and his wife Rose were fervent Zionists.
- Benjamin attended Upper Canada College and, at the age of eighteen, visited Palestine for the first time. While in Palestine, he worked for a year on a kibbutz, mostly as a guard. During the Second World War, he served as a major in the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada; as major, he gained respect for his knowledge of mortars. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1945 for his role in the final Allied assault on Germany. Two years later, Benjamin returned to Palestine to join the Haganah in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. As a commander, he captured Nazareth and brought northern Galilee under Jewish control. Near the end of the war, he met and married Yael Lifshitz (m. Dunkelman), a corporal in the Israeli army. Benjamin was elected national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada in 1977.
- In addition to his work as a soldier, Benjamin was a successful businessman. He served as president of Tip Top Tailors after his father stepped down; he was also director of Colonial Finance Corporation, president of Cloverdale Shopping Centre, and president of Renforth Developments. Besides operating the Dunkelman Gallery, Benjamin and his wife, Yael, ran the Constellation Hotel and Dunkelman’s Restaurant.
- Dunkelman later wrote of his experiences in both wars in his autobiography "Dual Allegiance" (published by MacMIllan). As well as the DSO, Dunkelman was awarded the Fighter’s Decoration of the State of Israel (1970), and an Israel Bonds Award Dinner in Tribute to Ben Dunkelman (1977). He was a guest of honour both at a reception hosted by the Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science and the veterans of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (1976) and at a 7th Brigade Reunion in Israel (1991).
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records documenting Benjamin Dunkelman's personal, business, and military activities. Included is personal and business correspondence and other records, maps, photographs, news clippings, and scrapbooks assembled by Dunkelman. The bulk of the records relate both to Dunkelman’s autobiography Dual allegiance and to his military career in the Second World War and in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Other records relate to his business work with Tip Top Tailors, the Constellation Hotel, Dunkelman’s Restaurant, and the Dunkelman Gallery, as well as to his Zionist actvities, his writing and public speeches, and his personal life.
- The fonds is organized into the following series: Personal records and correspondence, Zionist materials, Businesses, Second World War, Arab-Israeli War, Dual Allegiance, and Speeches.
- Notes
- Physical description note: Includes 218 photographs, 60 maps, 7 postcards, 5 architectural drawings, and 3 albums.
- Associated material note: see the Ben Dunkelman fonds at Library and Archives Canada.
- Name Access
- Dunkelman, Benjamin, 1913-1997
- Subjects
- Authors
- Israel-Arab War, 1948-1949
- World War, 1939-1945
- Related Material
- See fonds #39 (Rose Dunkelman fonds).
- Creator
- Dunkelman, Benjamin, 1913-1997
- Accession Number
- 2000-3-4
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Dunkelman fonds
- Speeches series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 2
- Series
- 7
- File
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1976-1977
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains two speeches, one a lecture given to the Adath Israel Synagogue in Toronto and the other entitled "On the Brink". Both relate to Israeli politics.
- Name Access
- Adath Israel Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)
- Adath Israel Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Brown fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 49
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1902-1949
- Physical Description
- ca. 1500 architectural and technical drawings
- 6 photographs : b&w ; 38 x 30 cm or smaller
- 16 cm of textual records
- Admin History/Bio
- Benjamin Brown (ca. 1888-1974) was the first practicing Jewish architect in Toronto. Born in what is now Lithuania, he arrived in Toronto at an early age and soon after, quit school to take a job in a garment manufacturing factory to help out his impoverished family. Not finding this career to his liking, Brown enrolled in the Ontario School of Art and Design with the intention of becoming an artist. When this profession proved financially unfeasible, Brown decided to pursue a career in architecture. After completing his high school equivalency, he enrolled in the University of Toronto architectural program, graduating in 1913. Soon after, Brown opened up a practice with fellow architect Robert McConnell, which lasted until the early 1920s. After the partnership ended, Brown set up an independent practice, which he maintained until his retirement in 1955.
- Scope and Content
- The fonds documents Brown’s design work and renovations of existing buildings through his original drawings, renderings, and building blueprints. The fonds consists of approximately 1500 drawings that are organized into about 150 projects. These projects include single-family residences, apartment buildings, commercial and industrial buildings, as well as synagogue and other community buildings. Many of Brown's buildings were designed in the Art Deco style, with some containing Georgian, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Tudor and Romanesque elements.
- Brown's most important commissions include the Beth Jacob Synagogue located on Henry Street, which was one the largest synagogues in Toronto, and the Balfour Building, an office tower built in the Art Deco style. The designs of Mendel Granatstein’s mansion, which contained a retractable roof for Sukkoth, and a colour sketch of the Primrose Club, which is currently the University of Toronto Faculty Club, may also be of interest to researchers. The fonds also includes some of Brown's files containing articles and illustrations from architecture and design journals of the early twentieth century, which he used as a resource to assist him with his work.
- Fonds includes six photographs, one of the Balfour Building, one of Cumberland Hall, and four of Brown as a young man.
- Notes
- Architectural plans of a lead mine in Burnt River Ontario have been sent to the Kawartha Lakes Archives.
- Name Access
- Brown, Benjamin, 1890-1974
- Subjects
- Architects
- Creator
- Brown, Benjamin, 1890-1974
- Accession Number
- 1975
- 1987-9-3
- 1989-10-6
- 2004-5-109
- 2004-5-139
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Benjamin Brown fonds
- Level
- Item
- Fonds
- 49
- Item
- 1
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1902
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : b&w ; 17 x 25 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a family portrait of Benjamin Brown (aged about twelve) with his father Meyer, mother Tema, brothers Manny and Peter and sister Sophie. The photograph was taken in Toronto in 1902.
- Notes
- One image is a photocopy. See image of photocopy for identification information of Brown and his family.
- Subjects
- Families
- Portraits, Group
- 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.
- Related Material
- See photo #1709.
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Passenger Names
- Benjamin, Ben & Abe
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Benjamin, Ben & Abe
- Page Number
- 670
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Weinberg, Benjamin & Dina
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Passenger Names
- Weinberg, Benjamin & Dina
- Page Number
- 534
- Date Range
- June 6, 1911 to January 19, 1915
- Photographer
- Harvey and Adena Glasner
- Source
- Rotenberg Ledger
- Part Of
- Isaac Matenko fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 89
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Date
- 1911-1971, predominant 1911-1935
- Physical Description
- 6 cm of textual records
- 17 photographs
- Admin History/Bio
- Isaac Matenko (1874–1960) was a founder, teacher, and principal of the I. L. Peretz School. He worked tirelessly to preserve and promote secular Jewish culture and the Yiddish language in Toronto. He was also a prominent member of local Jewish organizations, such as the Socialist-Territorialist Club and the Yiddish Kultur Gesellshaft.
- Isaac was born on 1 February 1874 in the town of Makariv, located in the Kyiv Oblast (province) of Ukraine. He married Elke Yelia Moshkevitch (1878–19 November 1953) on 4 August 1900 in Yekaterinoslav (today Dnipro). They immigrated from czarist Russia to Toronto in 1906, passing first through New York with their two children, Percy (30 June 1901–May 1987) and Theodore (1903–1906, died of measles at Ellis Island), and Yelia’s three sisters, Dvora, Bracha, and Celia, and Isaac’s younger half-brother, Paul Frumhartz. They had two more children after arriving: Abraham (14 August 1908–October 24, 1989) and Shoshana (Sue) (1911–2001). Although he had been a teacher in Russia, Isaac worked as an operator in a cloak factory in Toronto, where he was instrumental in forming the union (likely the Cloakmakers’ Union of Toronto, which later affiliated with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union).
- As a child, Isaac received a traditional Jewish education. This, combined with his self-taught secular education and the teachings of Yiddish nationalist Dr. Chaim Zhitlovski, informed his future career and philosophies. He was described as an idealist by his friends, whose dedication to Yiddish culture and language motivated him to bring this knowledge to a younger generation.
- On 11 July 1911, Isaac and his fellow Socialist-Territorialist members established the Toronto Yiddish National-Radical School. By 1916, it had been taken over by the Workmen’s Circle and renamed the I. L. Peretz School, after the well-known Yiddish author and playwright. The school began in a rented room at the Zionist Institute on Simcoe Street, moving to larger locations on Richmond Street West, then Beverley Street as it grew. Eventually, several more branches opened, such as the Maria Street school that Isaac was affiliated with. He taught at the school for free in the evenings after working during the day in a shop. His brother Paul was also a founding teacher at the school.
- Isaac was described by family, friends, and community members as a passionate teacher with an iron will. He was well-versed in Jewish knowledge, with a desire to pass it on to a younger generation and his fellow union members. He remained involved in the school and in teaching, even after retirement. He died on 2 June 1960 at the age of eighty-six.
- Custodial History
- These records were donated to the OJA by Sue Levy, daughter of Isaac Matenko.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records documenting Isaac Matenko's involvement with the Workmen's Circle and other Jewish organizations. Included are photographs, programmes, certificates, I. L. Peretz School jubilee books, a songbook, a yearbook, articles, and newsclippings.
- Fonds has been arranged into one series for the Workmen's Circle. There are also two files attached to the fonds-level. The records are described at the series and file-level, with some item-level descriptions.
- Name Access
- Arbeiter Ring
- Arbeiter Ring Schools
- Arbeter Ring
- Camp Yungvelt
- Frumhartz, Paul
- I.L. Peretz
- Matenko, Isaac, 1874-1960
- Matenko, Percy
- National Radical School
- Peretz Shule
- Workman's Circle
- Workmen's Circle
- Subjects
- Schools
- Teachers
- Yiddish language
- Related Material
- For additional Workmen's Circle records, see: accessions 1979-4-4, 1980-2-2, 1983-6-3, 1984-10-1, 1986-4-1, 1992-1-2, 1997-2-1, 1998-3-32, 2004-5-41, 2004-5-105, and fonds 30.
- For additional Camp Yungvelt records, see: accessions 1979-4-4, 1986-4-1, 1991-12-4, 1993-6-6, 1999-5-1, 2004-5-37, 2005-6-4, 2006-12-3, photographs # 2964, # 4014, # 6021, MG2N1K, Benjamin Brown fonds 49, and Dorothy Dworkin Fonds 10 (item 14).
- Creator
- Matenko, Isaac, 1874-1960
- Accession Number
- 1987-11-4
- 1991-4-2
- 2007-5-3
- 2007-6-28
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
