- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 32
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1976-1979
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- David Pinkus fonds
- The Kiever Shul series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 138
- Series
- 5
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- graphic material (electronic)
- architectural drawing
- object
- Date
- 1912-2016
- Physical Description
- ca. 76 cm of textual records
- ca. 150 photographs : b&w and col. (29 negatives) ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller
- other material
- Admin History/Bio
- The Kiever synagogue, also known as the Kiever Shul, is a Modern Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Toronto. It was founded in 1912 by a small congregation of Jewish immigrants from the Kiev Gubernia of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) and formally incorporated in 1914 by the granting of the Letters Patent by the Provincial Secretary. The congregation’s formal name is "The First Russian Congregation of Rodfei Sholem Anshei Kiev." According to the earliest congregational records, Max Bossin was president in 1912. At first, services were held in members’ homes and later in a rented house on Centre Avenue in The Ward. Not being able to afford a rabbi, services were led by members, including Cantor Herschel Litvak.
- In 1917, sufficient funds were raised to mortgage a house at 25 Bellevue Avenue on the outskirts of Kensington Market. The congregation relocated there, and the facilities were enlarged in 1921 with the acquisition of a second house. In 1927, a new synagogue, which was built on the site of the two houses and designed by a Jewish architect named Benjamin Swartz in the Byzantine Revival style, was completed to accommodate increasing number of congregants. During the construction from 1924 to 1927, religious services were conducted at the home of Mr. Silverman at 29 Wales Avenue. Equipped with a rabbi and a proper synagogue, the Kiever was able to play a larger role in the Toronto Jewish community. The shul offered Yiddish and bar-mitzvah lessons, a youth minyan led by Fischel Cooper, a credit society, as well as a women’s auxiliary.
- Several decades later, the Kiever’s membership declined in the 1950s and 1960s due to demographic changes—Jews began leaving the downtown core for the north end of town. The synagogue building deteriorated. In 1973, the Archives Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region decided to help preserve it, and by 1982, sufficient funds had been raised to restore the building. In 1979, the Kiever Synagogue became the first building of Jewish significance to be designated a historical site by the province of Ontario and has been protected under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since then.
- Some of the founders included: Molly and Isadore Pinkus, B. B. Smith, Yehudah Leib "Louis" Bossin, Isaac Mosten, Jake Dubin, Harry Cohen, and Wolf Ganz. The congregation's first and longest-tenured rabbi was Solomon Langner, who served from around 1929 until his death in 1973. Sheldon Steinberg served as rabbi from the time of Langner's death until the mid-1990s. David Pinkus served as president of the Kiever Shul from the late 1970s to 2011. As of 2022, the synagogue president is Adam S. Cohen.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records documenting the administration and activities of the Kiever Synagogue. Included are financial documents, tax forms, insurance documents, receipts and invoices, the 50th jubilee book, accounting ledger books, address books, membership lists and application forms, printed copies of emails, correspondence, meeting minutes, by-laws and regulations, legal documents, certificates, cemetery deeds, funeral record books, files on construction and restoration, seats arrangement charts, raffle tickets, High Holiday service cards, artworks, and historic papers dating from the 1920s and 1930s. Also included are photographs featuring the Kiever Shul, two architectural drawings, and a wooden gavel.
- Notes
- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 9 architectural drawings, 1 photo collage, 4 sketches, 2 drawings, 1 wooden gavel, and 1 optical disc that contains 225 MB photographs.
- Access Restriction
- Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 30
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1976-1982
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence with Wintario.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2004-1-5
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2004-1-5
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- 86 photographs : col. (26 negatives) ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller
- Date
- 1975-1982
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of photographs of the synagogue interior during the restoration and one exterior view dated 1975.
- Descriptive Notes
- Photographs taken by Michael Shockett, for the Archives Committee.
- Subjects
- Architecture
- Synagogues
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 21
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1976-1985
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of records documenting the Ontario Jewish Archives fundraising activities for the Kiever Synagogue restoration project. Included is correspondence, brochures, contact lists for potential donors, and meeting notices.
- Access Restriction
- Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director (and whomever else) prior to accessing the records.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 24
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1978-1980
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of proposed and revised budgets from MGG Construction Consultants Limited and the architect Martin Mendelow.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 26
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- [ca. 1982]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of lists and reports outlining work completed and remaining on the Kiever Synagogue restoration as well as lists of contractors hired.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 27
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1981-1983
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of quotes submitted by contractors for work to de done on the Kiever Synagogue.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 28
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1982-1983
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence and invoices from contractors who were hired for the Kiever Synagogue restoration.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- David Pinkus fonds
- The Kiever Shul series
- Photographs of the Kiever Shul file
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 138
- Series
- 5
- File
- 2
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1935-[201-?]
- Physical Description
- 122 photographs : b&w and col. (2 negatives) ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs featuring the Kiever Shul from different periods of time, including before and after the restoration that took place in the 1980s; photographs of 1935 Kiever outing; and those that depict a Torah reading at the Kiever. Also included are photographs featuring Sydney Bossin and Morris Cohen at the Kiever. Sydney Bossin was Max Bossin’s son.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
-
Item 474-475
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 474-475
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Responsibility
- Kayla Armel
- Date
- 1975
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : col. ; 9 x 8 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photographs of Kiever Synagogue, Toronto, during restoration and sandblasting.
- Notes
- Acquired June 11, 1975.
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Architecture
- Synagogues
- Places
- Kensington Market (Toronto, Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 20
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1975-1981
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of meeting notices and a meeting agenda.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 22
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1976-1989
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence and legal agreements regarding the legal title to the Kiever Synagogue and the OJA's half-interest in the property.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 23
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1979
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence and by-law notices for the designation of the Kiever Synagogue as a heritage site.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 29
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1978-1983
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence, pages from a financial ledger, and balance sheets.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 25
- Material Format
- textual record
- architectural drawing
- Date
- 1980-1982
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 1 technical drawing : blackline print ; 76 x 111 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence and invoices from the architectural firm Martin Mendelow and Partners. Also included is one floor plan of the Kiever Synagogue.
- 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
- 1316
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- [between 1965 and 1975?]
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm
- Scope and Content
- File consists of four photographs of a bar mitzvah at the Kiever Shul. They depict a young man at various points in the temple.
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Bar mitzvah
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
-
Item 620-622
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 620-622
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Dec. 1975
- Physical Description
- 6 photographs : (3 negatives)
- Scope and Content
- Left to right: Martin Mendelow (architect); Stephen Speisman (CJC archivist); Samuel Ross (president of the Kiever Synagogue).
- Notes
- Negative: 2:5:20A; 2:5:21A.
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Mendelow, Martin
- Ross, Samuel
- Speisman, Stephen A., 1943-
- Subjects
- Meetings
- Synagogues
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 31
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1976-1987
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence, a Wintario grant application, and Wintario grant payment applications.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- The Shuls Project fonds
- Reference series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 5
- File
- 81
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1979
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File contains a newspaper article, "Shul has historical interest" from The Canadian Jewish News (1979).
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- David Pinkus fonds
- The Kiever Shul series
- Construction and restoration file
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 138
- Series
- 5
- File
- 20
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- graphic material (electronic)
- architectural drawing
- Date
- 1927-[ca. 2009]
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 29 photographs : col. (27 negatives); 10 x 15 cm and 35 mm
- Other material
- Scope and Content
- File consists of records documenting the construction and restoration of the Kiever Shul. Included are architectural drawings; textual records such as correspondence, notes, price lists, fundraising speech, and Toronto building permit; and graphic material such as photographs, sketches, and a printed copy of a photo collage.
- Notes
- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE: Also included are 1 optical disc; 1 collage : col. photographs; 4 sketches; and 9 architectural drawings. The optical disc contains 225 MB of photographs and comes with 27 negatives.
- STORAGE LOCATION NOTE: Eight of the nine architectural drawings are stored in box 8 on shelf 124-5; the optical disc is stored in drawer 4 on shelf 147.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2010-6-3
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2010-6-3
- Material Format
- graphic material (electronic)
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w (jpg)
- Date
- [194-]
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of a scanned photograph of a bar mitzvah celebration at the Shedlover Synagogue. The photograph was taken from the balcony where the women would sit during services. The man standing in front of the leaded window in the centre is Max Fruchtman, who was president of the shul at that time.
- Custodial History
- Linda Fruchtman, the secretary of the Shedlover Young Men's Society, brought in the photograph. She retains the original.
- Administrative History
- The Shedlover shul was located at 134 D’Arcy. It was a small synagogue of immigrants from Szylow, Poland. It has been completely torn down.
- Use Conditions
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Descriptive Notes
- The synagogue is sometimes referred to as the Shidlower shul.
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Clanton Park Synagogue series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 6
- File
- 85
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Feb. 1973
- Physical Description
- 79 photographs (negatives) : col.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs of an inauguration celebration for Clanton Park Synagogue. Included are images of speakers delivering speeches, guests seated at their tables, musicians playing their instruments and people dancing.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Clanton Park Synagogue series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 6
- File
- 91
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1974
- Physical Description
- 39 photographs : col. (negatives)
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs of an event at the Clanton Park Synagogue.
- Notes
- Title transcribed from envelope.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Heritage series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 10
- File
- 49
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1977-1981
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of correspondence, a brochure, and a list of Toronto synagogues up to 1938.
- Name Access
- Ontario Jewish Archives
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Yeshivah Torath Chaim Theological Seminary of Canada fonds
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 21
- File
- 31
- Material Format
- textual record
- Date
- 1942-1946
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- Scope and Content
- This file contains: two statutory declarations in the matter of the 1942 sale of premises 399 Markham Street, Toronto to Yeshivah Torath Chaim the Deed of Land for 399 Markham St.; and an Offer to Purchase made by Yeshivah Torath Chaim to the Iwansker Mutual Benefit Society in 1946.
- Name Access
- First Hebrew Roumanian Congregation
- Iwansker Mutual Benefit Society
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
-
Item 619
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 619
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- Dec. 1975
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs : (1 negative)
- Notes
- Negative: 2:5:18A.
- Acquired 1975.
- Name Access
- Canadian Jewish Congress
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Meetings
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- The Shuls Project fonds
- Ontario synagogues series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 2
- File
- 83
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1979
- Physical Description
- 10 photographs : col. ; 13 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- File contains colour photographs courtesy of Joey Silver, of various Toronto synagogues: Chevra Shas; Bet Haknesset Talmud Torah Divnei Israel Hamezrachim (?) - Eastern Children's Congregation; and Chevrah Tefferet Israel Anshei New York.
- Name Access
- Chevra Shas (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- The Shuls Project fonds
- Level
- Fonds
- Fonds
- 64
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1859-1980, predominant 1977-1979
- Physical Description
- ca. 5178 photographs and other material
- Admin History/Bio
- The “Shuls Project” was the work of three University of Toronto architecture students, who in 1977 wrote a research paper on the eight Toronto synagogues built before World War II. Concerned at the lack of resources on these synagogues, Sidney Tenenbaum, Lynn Milstone and Sheldon Levitt foresaw the loss of communities’ recorded history as membership dwindled and elders passed on. The students conceived a project that would photograph and document every synagogue in Canada, gathering visual evidence, memorabilia, plaques and stories before they disappeared and history was lost. The students’ goal was to document synagogues’ architecture, art, and historical development through research, interviews and site visits.
- The students secured a large portion of the required funding for the project from the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation in Montreal, funding which was matched by the Canadian Jewish Congress. This financial support enabled Levitt, Milstone and Tenenbaum to begin their study, named “Shuls… A Study of Canadian Synagogue Architecture.” They began in the summer of 1977, traveling through the Western provinces. The next summer, they visited eight Maritime cities, Montreal and other Quebec communities. Financial support in the project’s second year was again provided by the Bronfman Family Foundation, along with the Canadian government and donations in kind from businesses, including Benjamin Photo Finishers in Toronto, and Polaroid. The summer of 1979 was spent in Ontario, with an added grant from Wintario. In total, the Shuls project team traveled over 24,000 kilometres, taking thousands of photographs and conducting several hundred interviews. Photographs were taken by Tenenbaum, with Levitt and Milstone assuming primary responsibility for researching synagogues’ history and gathering historic records. Interviews were conducted by all three researchers, in both English and Yiddish.
- With no handy index of every shul in Canada, the researchers located small shuls by word of mouth. They spread word of their project and solicited assistance using press releases, letters to known communities, and slideshow presentations as they traveled. They would first examine a building to get an idea of a community’s character and heritage, then conduct interviews with designers, architects, rabbis and other prominent community members.
- With the research and photographs created, the team compiled three catalogues of the Western, Eastern/Quebec, and Ontario phases of the project. These catalogues have entries on each synagogue that include historical summaries highlighting the founding, growth, mergers and decline of Jewish communities, their changing needs, changing architectural expressions and trends, and the evolving uses of synagogues over the course of the twentieth century. There are also building descriptions, some with critical comments by the authors, and lists of the photographs and slides produced.
- The compilation of materials and preparation of these catalogues took place at the Project’s offices at 26 Ava Road in Toronto, and continued through the summer of 1980 when the Ontario catalogue was completed. In 1985, Tenenbaum, Milstone and Levitt published a book highlighting their work, called Treasures of a People: The Synagogues of Canada.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of the records created and collected by the team of students conducting the Shuls study from 1977 to 1980. The majority of the fonds is made up of graphic material, in the form of 35mm colour slides and black-and-white Polaroid prints and (print-size) negatives. There are approximately 5110 photographs in the fonds. Fonds also consists of notes and inventory forms of buildings' architectural features. There are no interview transcripts, but the fonds does include three audio cassettes with recorded interviews and shul tours. Reference materials used in researching the history of the shuls include dedication and anniversary commemorative books and programmes, newsletters, articles and newspaper clippings. In addition the fonds contains 47 blueprints, the majority from Montreal synagogues. The fonds is arranged in the following series: 1. Quebec synagogues; 2. Ontario synagogues; 3. Western Canada synagogues; 4. Eastern Canada synagogues; 5. Reference.
- Notes
- Physical description note: includes 92 cm of textual records, 42 architectural drawings, 3 audio cassettes, and 1 drawing.
- Physical extent note: many of the slides were culled because they were felt to be reproductions. Some of the synagogue images in the research book may therefore not be included in the fonds.
- Name Access
- Shuls Project
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Creator
- Levitt, Sheldon
- Milstone, Lynn
- Tenenbaum, Sidney T.
- Places
- Canada
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2004-2-1
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2004-2-1
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 1 folder of textual records
- 34 photographs : col. ; 26 x 21 cm and 10 x 15 cm
- Date
- 1980
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of 33 photographs of the interior of the Kiever Synagogue at 28 Denison Square, Toronto, and one exterior view of the shule, as well as a letter from the Toronto Historical Board to Dr Stephen Speisman, Director of the Ontario Jewish Archives.
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2008-11-9
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2008-11-9
- Material Format
- graphic material
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 29 photographs : col. ; 10 x 15 cm
- 2 folder of textual records
- Date
- 1988-1989
- Scope and Content
- This accession consists of photographs taken at the Kiever Synagogue and two pieces of correspondence regarding services at the shul. The photographs depict people inside the sanctuary during a service, possibly a bar mitzvah, as well as people seated outside at patio tables. The photographs were taken on 15 July 1989.
- Custodial History
- There is no acquisition information for these records. This accession number has been assigned by the archivist.
- Use Conditions
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the Archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Level
- Item
- ID
-
Item 48
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 48
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1959
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item consists of one black-and-white photograph of a sketch by Aba Bayefsky of the Kiever Synagogue.
- Notes
- Credit: Aba Bayefsky
- Name Access
- Bayefsky, Aba, 1923-2001
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- David Pinkus fonds
- The Kiever Cemetery series
- Level
- Series
- Fonds
- 138
- Series
- 6
- Material Format
- textual record
- architectural drawing
- graphic material
- Date
- 1919-2016
- Physical Description
- ca. 27 cm of textual records
- 76 photographs : col. (27 negatives) ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller
- 1 architectural drawing
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records documenting the cemeteries of the Kiever Synagogue located at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and the Dawes Road Cemeteries. Included are cemetery plot maps, cemetery record books, burial plot cards, occupant location lists, statements, financial documents, meeting minutes, correspondence, legal documents, photographs, and architectural drawings.
- Access Restriction
- Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2016-3-48
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2016-3-48
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Physical Description
- 15 photographs : b&w and col.
- Date
- [196-?]-1985
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of photographs of the Kiever Synagogue. There are 12 images in black and white of both the exterior and the interior. These photos appear to be from the 1960s. There are also three colour photographs, two of which are of the exterior and one of which is of the interior during a service.
- Custodial History
- There is no information on the acquisition of this material. There is a name on the envelope that holds the photographs but the name cannot be deciphered.
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Places
- Toronto, Ontario
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2021-10-1
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2021-10-1
- Material Format
- textual record
- graphic material
- object
- Physical Description
- 30 cm of textual records
- 5 photographs : b&w & col. ; 30 x 20 cm or smaller
- 2 metal award certificates : 28 x 21 cm
- 1 key : framed in a wooden box
- Date
- 1913-2013
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of records related to the Kiever Synagogue or had been stored at the synagogue. Included are certificates (1930-[1961?]); a print of the 1913 Officers and Members of the Grand Order of Israel of Canada; a poster of Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (president of Israel) presented by National Committee for Labour Israel for Israel Histadrut campaign; National Synagogue Directory issued by Canadian Jewish Congress Charities Committee (2011-2012); The Jewish Magazine (2006); Baycrest Men's Service Group Honour Roll books (1993-1997, 1999); shabbat, wedding, and bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah benchers (1965-2013); newspaper clippings; blessing guides; and administrative material such as receipt books (1933-1934), Synagogue Laws and Customs (1976), and a memorandum of agreement (1920). Also included are photographs featuring David Pinkus, Nate Leipciger, students of Talmud Torah Eitz Chaim (1936), and the top view of bimah and chuppah of the Kiever Synagogue, which was taken at Samara Kaplan’s wedding (2004); and miscellaneous material such as raffle tickets (1928), invitation tickets from Chevra Kadisha (1928), and record books of Toronto Free Loan Association. This accession also includes the following artifacts: two metal certificates of Recognition of Service Award granted by State of Israel Bond and Canada-Israel Securities Limited (1964 and 1965) and a skeleton key framed in a wooden shadow box, which is possibly the original key to the building.
People identified in the photograph of students of Talmud Torah Eitz Chaim (1936) are: Solly Speisman (second row, fourth from left), Myer Orzench (second row, far right), Hymie Reingewietz (second row, sixth from left), Mr. Hoffman (teacher, left-hand side), and Mr. Nobleman (teacher, right-hand side). Myer Orzench was the second vice-president of the Kiever Synagogue; Mr. Nobleman was father of Ben Nobleman, the municipal politician of York Region.
- Custodial History
- Records deposited by David Moyal of the Kiever Synagogue.
- Administrative History
- The Kiever synagogue, also known as the Kiever Shul, is a Modern Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Toronto. It was founded in 1912 by a small congregation of Jewish immigrants from the Kiev Gubernia of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) and formally incorporated in 1914 by the granting of the Letters Patent by the Provincial Secretary. The congregation’s formal name is "The First Russian Congregation of Rodfei Sholem Anshei Kiev." According to the earliest congregational records, Max Bossin was president in 1912. At first, services were held in members’ homes and later in a rented house on Centre Avenue in the Ward. Not being able to afford a rabbi, services were led by members, including Cantor Herschel Litvak.
In 1917, sufficient funds were raised to mortgage a house at 25 Bellevue Avenue on the outskirts of Kensington Market. The congregation relocated there and the facilities were enlarged in 1921 with the acquisition of a second house. In 1927, a new synagogue, which was built on the site of the two houses and designed by a Jewish architect named Benjamin Swartz in the Byzantine Revival style, was completed to accommodate increasing number of congregants. During the construction from 1924 to 1927, religious services were conducted at the home of Mr. Silverman at 29 Wales Avenue. Equipped with a rabbi and a proper synagogue, the Kiever was able to play a larger role in the Toronto Jewish community. The shul offered Yiddish and bar-mitzvah lessons, a youth minyan led by Fischel Cooper, a credit society, as well as a women’s auxiliary.
Several decades later, the Kiever’s membership declined in the 1950s and 1960s due to demographic changes—Jews began leaving the downtown core for the north end of town. The synagogue building deteriorated. In 1973, the Archives Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region decided to help preserve it, and by 1982, sufficient funds had been raised to restore the building. In 1979, the Kiever Synagogue became the first building of Jewish significance to be designated a historical site by the province of Ontario and has been protected under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since then.
Some of the founders included: B. B. Smith, Yehudah Leib "Louis" Bossin, Isaac Mosten, Jake Dubin, Harry Cohen, and Wolf Ganz. The congregation's first and longest-tenured rabbi was Solomon Langner, who served from around 1929 until his death in 1973. Sheldon Steinberg served as rabbi from the time of Langner's death until the mid-1990s. David Pinkus served as president of the Kiever Shul from the late 1970s to 2011. His parents, Molly and Isadore Pinkus, were co-founders of the shul. As of 2022, the synagogue president is Adam S. Cohen.
- Descriptive Notes
- LANGUAGE NOTE: material is in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English.
- Availability of other formats: digital preservation copies for some documents have been created and are available in PDF, JPG, and TIF formats.
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Name Access
- Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Adas Israel Synagogue series
- Building sub-series
- Level
- Sub-series
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 5-1
- Material Format
- multiple media
- Date
- 1958-1961
- Physical Description
- 3 cm of textual records and other material
- Scope and Content
- Sub-series consists of material relating to the construction of Adas Israel synagogue's new building at 125 Cline Ave. South. This includes publicity brochures and financial records about the building campaign and correspondence, programmes, and a film of the turning of the sod. As well there is correspondence, programmes, photographs and audio recordings of the laying of the cornerstone and dedication of the synagogue. There is also a key to the synagogue which was presented at the dedication ceremony.
- Notes
- Physical description note: includes 27 photographs, 14 architectural drawings, 3 audio reels, 1 film reel, and 1 key.
- Name Access
- Adas Israel Congregation (Hamilton, Ont.)
- Subjects
- Building
- Synagogues
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
-
Item 1748-1767
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 1748-1767
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 29 Jul. 1975
- Physical Description
- 20 photographs
- Notes
- Credit Lou Kernerman.
- Name Access
- Canadian Jewish Congress. Central Region
- Subjects
- Fund raising
- Synagogues
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- ID
-
Item 954
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Level
- Item
- Item
- 954
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 23 Nov. 1941
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w ; 13 x 18 cm
- Scope and Content
- Item is a copy photograph of a wedding at the Hebrew Men of England Synagogue (the Londoner Shul), Toronto, Nov. 23, 1941.
- Name Access
- Londoner Shul
- Subjects
- Weddings
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Accession Number
- 1975-12-1
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- The Shuls Project fonds
- Ontario synagogues series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 64
- Series
- 2
- File
- 14
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1979
- Physical Description
- 4 photographs : col. slides, b&w prints ; 35 mm and 12 x 9 cm
- Scope and Content
- File contains photographs of the shuls of Belle Ewart and Jackson's Point.
- Subjects
- Synagogues
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Places
- Belle Ewart (Ont.)
- Jackson's Point (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Part Of
- Solomon Edell fonds
- Clanton Park Synagogue series
- Level
- File
- Fonds
- 4
- Series
- 6
- File
- 87
- Material Format
- graphic material
- Date
- 1980
- Physical Description
- 37 photographs : b&w (26 negatives) ; 9 x 13 cm or smaller
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photographs of an unidentified Clanton Park Synagogue event. Included are images of a choir performing and speakers making speeches. Identified in the images is Sol Edell.
- Notes
- Photographs are by Paul Brown.
- Repro Restriction
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Source
- Archival Descriptions
- Accession Number
- 2022-11-3
- Source
- Archival Accessions
- Accession Number
- 2022-11-3
- Material Format
- textual record
- Physical Description
- 1 book
- Date
- 2022
- Scope and Content
- Accession consists of material documenting City Shul, a Reform synagogue in downtown Toronto. Included is "Siddur Shirat HaLev: The City Shul Community Prayerbook." The siddur was designed by Baruch Sienna and edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein. Baruch described the siddur thus: "A contemporary, illustrated, liberal siddur for Shabbat, weekday, and festivals." The siddur features content from Canadian poets (e.g., Leonard Cohen, A. M. Klein) and artists. According to the donor, the siddur was "the product of many volunteer congregants over several years of effort."
- Use Conditions
- Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.
- Descriptive Notes
- Availability of other formats: Three pages of the siddur are available as digital files: page 80 (available as a PDF file), and page 98 (available as a JPEG file), and page 160 (available as a PDF file).
- Rights: Copyright © 2022, City Shul. Translations, readings, and commentaries from Mishkan T'filah, World Union Edition: A Progressive Siddur, copyright © 2010 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
- Subjects
- Reform Judaism
- Siddurim
- Synagogues
- Name Access
- City Shul (Toronto, Ont.)
- Places
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Source
- Archival Accessions
