Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Ontario Jewish Archives sous-fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
ID
Fonds 67-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Ontario Jewish Archives sous-fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
Fonds
67-1
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Date
1971-2008
Physical Description
2.1 m of textual records and other material
Admin History/Bio
The Ontario Jewish Archives (OJA) was established in 1973 and remains in operation today. The OJA’s mandate is to acquire, preserve, and make available records documenting Ontario’s Jewish community. The Archives became a legal corporation on 24 February 1977 with authorization from the Federal Corporations Act and the Provincial Letters Patent.
The Toronto Jewish Historical Society (TJHS) established an Archives Committee in 1971, to preserve the records of Toronto’s Jewish community. This prompted the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) Central Region to work with the TJHS to establish an organization that would preserve records of Jewish communities across Ontario. At a CJC Central Region Officers’ meeting in 1973, TJHS president Victor Sefton proposed that the Historical Society’s Archives Committee become an official arm of the CJC. After approving the proposal, the CJC Central Region allocated a budget for operation of the Archives, and the two Committees merged, forming one archival organization that operated under the umbrella of the CJC Central Region.
After the Toronto Jewish Congress (TJC) formed in 1976, the Archives became accountable to the TJC but continued to report to the CJC Central Region. In 1992, the TJC and CJC transferred responsibility for the Archives to the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation, and the Archives remains part of that organization today.
The OJA’s administrative structure includes a Board of Directors, the director of the archives, archivists, an assistant archivist, contract employees, and volunteers. The Board of Directors consists of six to twelve members, each approved by UJA Federation and current Board members. Meetings are held a minimum four times per year and are presided by a Chair or the Vice Chair in the Chair’s absence. The Archives Director manages daily operation of the Archives. From 1973 to around 2000, Stephen Speisman acted as Director of the Archives. Ellen Scheinberg served as Archives Director from October 2002 to January 2011. Dara Solomon began as the OJA's Director in May 2012.
Since 1973, the Archives has undergone unofficial and official name changes. When first established in 1973, the Archives was called the “Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region Archives.” After the Archives became accountable to the TJC, OJA letterheads and publicity material occasionally bore the name “Toronto Jewish Congress / Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region Archives.” When the Archives became a legal corporation in 1977, the corporation was named the “Ontario Jewish Archives Foundation” but the Archives’ public name remained unchanged. In 1992, the Archives’ public name officially became the “Ontario Jewish Archives.”
Scope and Content
This sous-fonds documents the formation, administration, and operation of the OJA. Records relating to the establishment of the Archives date from 1971-1973, while those relating to administration and operation date from 1973-2008.
This sous-fonds consists of Archives Committee meeting minutes, memoranda, policies, communications with parent organizations (mainly TJC), financial records, correspondence, records documenting the development of the OJA website, and a small amount of acquisition files. Records in the sous-fonds relate to Archives programs and projects, including tours, exhibits, presentations, workshops, and services. Activities of employee and volunteer work are also documented. Also present are budgets and posters from the Oskar Asher Schmidt Museum, which the Archives operated.
Notes
Access restriction note: The financial records, personnel and competition files and grant files are restricted to the public.
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
Additional records related to this sous-fonds can be found in the Sol Edell fonds, Victor Sefton fonds, accession 2006-7/7 and Cyrel Troster's records.
Arrangement
Correspondence was originally organized in chronological order and remains in the original order. Other records have been arranged according to function or activity.
Creator
Ontario Jewish Archives (Toronto, Ont.)
Accession Number
This sous-fonds is comprised of accessions 2005-8/2, 2004-5/99 and 2004-6/5 along with MG8J and materials from the Sol Edell fonds.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 86-1; Series 10; File 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
Fonds
86-1
Series
10
File
1
Material Format
textual record
Date
1932-1936
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of general correspondence between the JCB and the Bureau for Jewish Children in Philadelphia.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 86-1; Series 10; File 5
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
Fonds
86-1
Series
10
File
5
Material Format
textual record
Date
May 1936
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of general correspondence between the JCB and the Jewish Children's Bureau of Chicago.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds
Board of Management series
Personnel study sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 66; Series 13-2; File 7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds
Board of Management series
Personnel study sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
66
Series
13-2
File
7
Material Format
textual record
Other Title Information
Part 4 of 10
Date
1934
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of the report segment concerning the Jewish Children's Bureau. This is part four of ten of the report.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
ID
Fonds 9-1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds
Level
Sous-fonds
Fonds
9-1
Material Format
textual record
Date
1926-1982
Physical Description
51 cm of textual records
14 photographs : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada was organized into a national office in Montreal and regional offices in Winnipeg (Western Region), Toronto (Central Region) and Halifax (Eastern Region). The national office was responsible for directing and managing all the affairs of the organization, including defining national and international policy; administration of regional offices; national budget; fundraising; external relations with other organizations, such as the United Jewish Relief Agencies (UJRA) and Jewish Family & Child Services (JF&CS); and publicity. It also organized the annual meeting, special events and conventions.
Membership in JIAS was open to individuals, organizations or companies who paid an annual fee. General meetings of the membership were held at least once every two years, where reports were presented and considered, nominations and elections held for national officers and the national executive committee, policies, programs and problems discussed, and decisions taken.
The National Executive Committee of JIAS was composed of the following members: national president; three vice-presidents (the presidents of the Western, Central and Eastern regions), with the addition in the 1950s of a vice-president at large; three regional treasurers, eventually reduced to one national treasurer; secretary; and twelve members comprising four representatives from each region. In 1929 the ‘executive secretary’ position was renamed ‘executive director.’ According to the 1943 constitution, the executive was required to hold meetings at least three times a year, in alternate cities. In 1954 this was amended to twice a year.
During the early stages of JIAS's operations, it had to face the difficulty of being overstretched financially, as it sought to respond to and to change the often oppressive living conditions of new immigrants and the situation of those held in federal detention centres. The organization’s principled approach to immigrant welfare won JIAS much of its early success, as it became the preferred contact for government officials who had formerly dealt with numerous independent agencies, many of which had profited from the exploitation of desperate immigrants. This situation also profited the government, however, as the responsibility for establishing the priority of applications reverted increasingly to JIAS as it had to limit its appeals by the quotas imposed by the federal government.
JIAS was one of the founding organizations responsible for the establishment of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) in 1978, which has since operated as a non-profit umbrella organization to coordinate the efforts of immigrant and refugee advocacy groups. JIAS continues to operate offices across Canada in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Windsor and Winnipeg. The JIAS National Office moved from Montreal to Toronto in 1989, with the appointment of Susan Davis to National Director, and is now located at 4580 Dufferin St., Suite 306, Toronto, Ontario.
Scope and Content
Sous-fonds consists of National Office records retained by the Toronto JIAS office as reference copies. Records include meeting minutes, speeches and reports from annual meetings, and the published annual reports produced from the annual meetings. The sous-fonds covers the years 1926 to 1982 and is divided into the following series: 1. National Executive meeting minutes; 2. National annual meeting proceedings; 3. National annual reports; 4. Publications; and 5. Photographs.
Name Access
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada (creator)
Subjects
Immigrants--Canada
Nonprofit organizations
Access Restriction
Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 87
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
87
Material Format
textual record
architectural drawing
Date
1928-1943
Physical Description
67 cm of textual records
1 architectural drawing
Admin History/Bio
Sometime around 1919, the Family Welfare Committee was set up within the newly created Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (FJPT) to perform social welfare work with Jewish families. Around 1931, the Committee was reorganized as an independent member agency of the FJPT and renamed the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau (JFWB). At the same time, Dora Wilensky (1902-1959), a professionally-trained social worker, was hired as the agency’s executive director. Throughout its existence, most of its funding came from the FJPT (later the United Jewish Welfare Fund).
Located at 179 Beverley Street, the JFWB’s core activities included: relief provision; helping families meet basic needs, such as medical care, heating and clothing; housekeeping assistance; counseling; and case work. The JFWB’s major concerns shifted over time from a rise of immigration and desertion cases in the 1920s to the dramatic increase of wife abuse, suicide, and unemployment cases during the Great Depression of the 1930s. After the outbreak of the Second World War, the JFWB sought ways of assisting soldiers and their families, such as, investigating special government grants to soldiers.
In an attempt to meet community needs, the JFWB initiated various programs, such as a Homemaking Club to teach women house management skills, and a Clothing Centre to provide families with inexpensive household goods. It also partnered with other local Jewish organizations in the early 1940s in the Liaison Project for troubled Jewish youth. In the 1930s, the Jewish Employment Service and Hebrew Free Burial Society became departments of the JFWB and, in 1941, the JFWB began guaranteeing loans for clients through the Hebrew Free Loan Association. In the same year, the Jewish Big Sister Committee became affiliated with the agency and the Jewish Big Brother Movement followed soon after.
In 1936, the JFWB became one of the first unionized social agencies in Canada when it formed the Staff Association with the Jewish Child Welfare Association (JCWA), another member of the FJPT. Although the JFWB’s focus was work with families and the JCWA’s focus was work with children, both agencies found it necessary at times to work with both children and families. In order to prevent service duplication and reduce confusion over casework responsibility, the Joint Application Bureau was set up within the FJPT to review all case work applications and determine the appropriate agency to provide assistance. However, a merger between the agencies was still believed necessary to improve service to the community and ease confusion. Discussions regarding the co-ordination of services between the JCWA and the JFWB began as early as 1935 and in February 1943, the JCWA and JFWB merged to form the Jewish Family and Child Services (JF & CS).
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of textual records and one architectural drawing documenting the programs, operation, finances, and special studies of the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau as well as its relationships with other organizations. Included are reports, meeting notices, agendas and minutes, correspondence, memos, budgets, statistics, theatrical scripts, newsclippings, and one architectural blueprint. A number of the records relate to special short-lived committees and projects that the JFWB participated in with other agencies, such as the Jewish Big Sister Committee, Jewish Big Brother Committee, Jewish Child Welfare Association, the Jewish Community Centre Association, the Young Men's and Women's Hebrew Association, and the Jewish Old Folks' Home.
Records have been arranged into the following 19 series: 1. Board of Directors; 2. Executive Director; 3. Jewish Federation Communal Council; 4. United Jewish Welfare Fund Men's and Women's Service Council; 5. Case Committe; 6. Joint Meetings and Committees; 7. Joint Application Bureau; 8. Homemaking Club; 9. Clothing Centre; 10. Liaison Project; 11. Operational statistics; 12. Finance and accounting; 13. Human Resources; 14. Special projects and studies; 15. Publicity; 16. Liaison with other social welfare organizations; 17. Canadian Association of Social Workers; 18. Welfare Council of Toronto; and, 19. Conferences.
Notes
Associated material note: for related records held at the City of Toronto Archives, see also: Welfare Council of Toronto records in the University Settlement House fonds (fonds 1024, series 658); and, Department of Public Welfare records in the Former City of Toronto fonds (fonds 200).
Name Access
Jewish Family Welfare Bureau
Jewish Community Centre Association
Young Men's-Young Women's Hebrew Athletic Association (Toronto, Ont.) (subject)
Jewish Old Folks Home (Toronto, Ont.)
United Jewish Welfare Fund (Toronto, Ont.) (subject)
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (subject)
Wilensky, Dora, 1902-1959
Subjects
Charities
Children
Families
Nonprofit organizations
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director and the head of Jewish Family and Child prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
See also: Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds (fonds 86); Jewish Family and Child Services fonds (fonds 79); Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds (fonds 66); and, United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds (fonds 67).
Arrangement
Records relating to programs, committees and liaison with other organizations that continued after the formation of JF & CS are arranged with that fonds.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Client agency correspondence series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 18; File 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Client agency correspondence series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
18
File
6
Material Format
textual record
Date
1962-1963
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence with the Bureau of Jewish Education
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Client agency correspondence series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 67; Series 18; File 7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Client agency correspondence series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
18
File
7
Material Format
textual record
Date
2 Aug. 1963-18 Dec. 1963
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence with the Bureau of Jewish Education
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 28-1; Series 7; File 31
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
28-1
Series
7
File
31
Material Format
textual record
Date
1963-1967
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
The file consists of correspondence.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Ida Lewis Siegel fonds
Level
File
ID
Fonds 15; File 19
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Ida Lewis Siegel fonds
Level
File
Fonds
15
File
19
Material Format
textual record
Date
1955
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of an invitation to the Bureau of Jewish Education Fifth Annual Education Dinner, 1955 in honour of Ida Lewis Siegel and the speech of dedication presented by Dr. Joseph Diamond, Executive Vice President of the Bureau of Jewish Education that honours Ida Lewis Siegel.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 48; Series 4; File 28
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
48
Series
4
File
28
Material Format
textual record
Date
1952-1961
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2014-12-3
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2014-12-3
Material Format
graphic material
Physical Description
1 poster ; 8 cm (diam.)
Date
[195-?]
Scope and Content
Accession consists of a large printed poster on heavy paper of the Hebrew alphabet in print and script. The poster bears a Bureau of Jewish Education stamp in the bottom left-hand corner. It was likely given out to affiliated schools to hang in their classrooms.
Custodial History
There is no acquisition information for this accession. The accession number has been assigned by the archivist.
Subjects
Education
Name Access
Board of Jewish Education (Toronto, Ont.)
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Yeshivah Torath Chaim Theological Seminary of Canada fonds
Level
File
ID
Fonds 21; File 12
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Yeshivah Torath Chaim Theological Seminary of Canada fonds
Level
File
Fonds
21
File
12
Material Format
textual record
Date
1953-1962
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
This file contains correspondence documenting the relationship between Yeshivah Torath Chaim and the Bureau of Jewish Education between 1953 and 1962. Most of the correspondence is from the bureau to the yeshivah.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Board of directors and executive committee series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 48; Series 1; File 7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Board of directors and executive committee series
Level
File
Fonds
48
Series
1
File
7
Material Format
textual record
Date
1949
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Executive Committee series
Executive director sub-series
Executive director's correspondence sub-sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
5-5-1
File
83
Material Format
textual record
Date
9 Mar. 1954-18 Nov. 1954
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Executive Committee series
Executive director sub-series
Executive director's correspondence sub-sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
5-5-1
File
84
Material Format
textual record
Date
13 May 1954-26 Nov. 1954
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 28-1; Series 7; File 141
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
28-1
Series
7
File
141
Material Format
textual record
Date
1963-1966
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
The file consists of correspondence concerning a series of lectures by Dr. Mordechai Caplan.
Name Access
Mordechai Caplan
Source
Archival Descriptions
Address
336 Annette Street
Source
Landmarks

The Jewish Orphanage was established in 1909 in a rented house in the Ward, later moving to 218 Simcoe St. In 1921 the name was changed to Jewish Childrens' Home, and in 1922 a stately house at 336 Annette St. was purchased, called "Oakland". It had been designed by James Ellis. The house could accommodate 35 children.
Address
336 Annette Street
Time Period
1922-1935
Scope Note
The Jewish Orphanage was established in 1909 in a rented house in the Ward, later moving to 218 Simcoe St. In 1921 the name was changed to Jewish Childrens' Home, and in 1922 a stately house at 336 Annette St. was purchased, called "Oakland". It had been designed by James Ellis. The house could accommodate 35 children.
History
The children went to local schools and attended Jewish Sunday School, as well as having Bar Mitzvah training. They were provided with clothing and meals, and had the opportunity to enjoy activities taking place within the home, such as cooking and drama. The Home was closed in 1935 due to disagreements between the newly established Jewish Children's Bureau's (JCB) and the Jewish Childrens' Home (JCH) around child welfare policies, as well as a need for the Federation to cut costs.
Category
Social Service
Source
Landmarks
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 28-1; Series 7; File 267
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Central Region sous-fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
28-1
Series
7
File
267
Material Format
textual record
Date
1975
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
The file consists of correspondence concerning the creation of a national speakers bureau.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 48; Series 4; File 413
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
48
Series
4
File
413
Material Format
textual record
Date
1950-1951
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 87; Series 16; File 23
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
Fonds
87
Series
16
File
23
Material Format
textual record
Date
1936-1938
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence between the JFWB and the Jewish Social Service Bureau of Chicago.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 28; Series 5; File 85
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Zionist Organization of Canada fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
28
Series
5
File
85
Material Format
textual record
Date
1970-1975
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
The file consists of a confirmation of booking for a lecture by Leonard Slater, promotional information for the "Here Is Israel" programme, and correspondence regarding potential lectures.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Board of directors and executive committee series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 48; Series 1; File 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Board of directors and executive committee series
Level
File
Fonds
48
Series
1
File
6
Material Format
textual record
Date
1969
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds
Board of Management series
Personnel study sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 66; Series 13-2; File 10
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds
Board of Management series
Personnel study sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
66
Series
13-2
File
10
Material Format
textual record
Date
1934
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of the report segment concerning the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau. This is part seven of ten of the report.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Joint Committee with the Bureau of Jewish Education series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 67; Series 12
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Joint Committee with the Bureau of Jewish Education series
Level
Series
Fonds
67
Series
12
Material Format
textual record
Date
1957-1963
Physical Description
4 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
The Joint Committee with the Bureau of Jewish Education was established in order to study the relationship of the Bureau to the Welfare Fund and the relationships of both subsidized and non-subsidized schools to both organizations. Beyond establishing these precise formal relationships, its major accomplishment was to create a standard for the subsidizing of Jewish schools in Metropolitan Toronto
Scope and Content
Series consists of one sub-series: Meeting Minutes. Included within these records are correspondence and a final report of the Committee. Files are arranged chronologically within the sub-series.
Notes
Access restriction note: Records documenting the meeting minutes and activities of this committee are CLOSED until they are more than ten years old.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 48; Series 4; File 29
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
48
Series
4
File
29
Material Format
textual record
Date
1963-1995
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family and Child fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 79
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family and Child fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
79
Material Format
multiple media
Date
1933-2011
Physical Description
ca. 4.8 m of texutal records and other material
Admin History/Bio
Jewish Family & Child was established in 1943 from the amalgamation of a variety of different social agencies formed as early as 1868. These included the Ladies Benevolent Fund, the Free Burial Society, Jewish Family Welfare Bureau, Jewish Children’s Bureau, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and the Ladies Maternal Aid Society. Much of its funding and support after its inception came from the United Jewish Welfare Fund.
The first executive director of the agency was Dora Wilensky. She was a trained social worker who served for twenty-eight years, until her untimely death from cancer in 1959. Jerome Diamond took over in 1960 and Gordon Wolfe succeeded him in 1981. Ron Levin briefly replaced Wolfe after his retirement in 2003, and was succeeded in 2006 by Dr. Richard Cummings who then retired in 2015. As of 2017, Brian Prousky is the organization’s current executive director.
During the early years, fees were established, but the agency never refused to assist clients because of their inability to pay. JF&CS became one of the first agencies to rely on trained social workers. It was also the first social agency in Canada to become unionized.
Over the years the agency’s role has changed and it has expanded significantly, in terms of its staff and services. After the Second World War it played a pivotal role supporting the Holocaust orphans who came to Canada as refugees, particularly in the area of locating foster parents for these children. By 1957, the agency hired its first counsellor and became a member of the United Community Fund of Greater Toronto. The year 1968 marked the start of JF&CS’ new program involving the use of a mobile treatment centre to reach out to Jewish street kids and in 1974 they established the Jerome D. Diamond Adolescent Centre.
In 1981, JF&CS was mandated by the Province of Ontario as a Jewish children’s aid society responsible for the care and protection of all Jewish youth in the GTA. In 1983 they established the Just-A-Second Shop at 3101 Bathurst Street, which took in used goods from the community to pass on to needy families. Two years later they established the Henry G. Goodman Home for developmentally challenged children on Wilmington Avenue. The following year marked the opening of the Elm Ridge Group Living Residence for elderly people. In 1988, they opened a special shelter for abused women and children, and in 1994, they introduced their Homework Club for kids.
The current mission of Jewish Family & Child is to support the healthy development of individuals, children, families, and communities through prevention, protection, counselling, education, and advocacy services, within the context of Jewish values. Their services include counselling, rehabilitation and support, foster care, family services, and community services. These services are offered in a host of different languages including Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, French, and English.
JF&CS is an independent organization that receives its funding from a variety of different sources such as UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, United Way Toronto and York Region, the Government of Ontario, and individual donations.
As of 2017, JF&CS has nearly 130 staff providing more than thirty community services with a budget of almost $20 million. Their main office is located in the Lipa Green Centre for Community Services at 4600 Bathurst Street. They also maintain offices and run services out of their downtown branch at 35 Madison Avenue, their York Region branch inside UJA’s 1 Open Door at the Lebovic JCC, and their Jerome D. Diamond Adolescent Centre in midtown Toronto.
Name Access
Jewish Family and Child
Wilensky, Dora, 1902-1959
Wolfe, Gordon
Diamond, Jerome D.
Subjects
Charities
Children
Families
Nonprofit organizations
Access Restriction
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director and head of Jewish Family and Child prior to accessing the records.
Related Material
See also: Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds (fonds 86); Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds (fonds 87); Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds (fonds 66); and, United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds (fonds 67).
Creator
Jewish Family and Child (Toronto, Ont.)
Accession Number
2004-5-101
2004-1-8
2002-10-38
2006-6-7 (Shelf 03-6,Orphan index cards)
2009-12-9
2010-4-1 (Shelf 34-1)
2010-10-5
2015-8/11
2015-9/1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 48
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
48
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
Date
1936-2001
Physical Description
21.5 m of textual records
ca. 180 photographs : col. and b&w (ca. 165 col. negatives) ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller
Admin History/Bio
Established in 1949 as the Bureau of Jewish Education, the Board of Jewish Education (BJE) is the central Jewish agency in Toronto whose mandate is to preserve, enrich, and promote Jewish education in the Greater Toronto area. Its primary tasks are to coordinate and provide leadership in teacher training and professional development, curriculum development, school administration, and inter-school activities, and also to allocate funds to affiliated Jewish schools raised through the annual UJA Federation fundraising campaign.
The BJE was established following the recommendations of a 1948 study of Jewish education in Toronto undertaken by Dr. Uriah Z. Engelman of the American Association for Jewish Education, and sponsored by the United Jewish Welfare Fund (UJWF; now, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto) and the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), Central Region. In its constitution, the bureau was described as having the dual characteristics of being an autonomous agency of the UJWF and also as acting for the UJWF in the field of Jewish education. The bureau was governed by a board of governors with representatives from affiliated schools, the UJWF, CJC Central Region, and from the community at large. The inaugural meeting of the board took place on 20 March 1950.
The organizational structure of the Bureau of Jewish Education mirrored that of the UJWF, with a board of directors and executive committee, standing comittees, and a professional staff. Samuel Posluns was the first president of the BJE and Dr. Joseph Diamond was its first executive director, serving in this position for 18 years. In the 1950s, the staff consisted of the executive director, an administrative assistant, and a school consultant. Over time, the staff was expanded to meet the increased demand for BJE services as the number of affiliated schools grew. For example, the position of director of school finances was created in 1976 to oversee school budgets, monitor tuition fees and teacher salary profiles, and perform other duties relating to financial management.
The BJE's offices were located with those of the United Jewish Welfare Fund, first on Spadina Avenue and then on Beverley Street, until the 1960s, when the board moved to offices in the Jewish Public Library on Glen Park Avenue. The board remained there until 1983, when the BJE moved into the newly built Lipa Green Building, on Bathurst Street, along with the other departments of the Toronto Jewish Congress, as the UJWF was renamed in 1976.
During the 1950s and early 1960s, the BJE sponsored adult education programs in Toronto through the Institute for Jewish Studies, in collaboration with the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) and CJC. The BJE also provided assistance and advice to the CJC in support of Jewish education in the smaller Jewish communities in Ontario. The BJE's role in adult education diminished significantly after its reorganization in 1968, but this again became a responsibility for the BJE in the late 1990s.
The BJE has gone through several periods of reorganization since it was founded: in 1968, when the bureau became the Board of Jewish Education and its board was reduced in size significantly; in the late 1970s, with the implementation of recommendations of the 1975 UJWF Study Committee on Jewish Education; in the early 1990s, following the development of a strategic plan for the BJE; and in the late 1990s, following the recommendations of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto Commission on Jewish Education (1996). The 1968 reorganization was the most significant of these, with the BJE Board of Directors reduced from over 80 members to just 20 members approved by the UJWF, and the number of standing committees was reduced to two. Stephen Berger was appointed as first chairman of the Board of Jewish Education in 1968, and in 1969, Rabbi Irwin E. Witty became the second executive director of the BJE. Later reorganizations typically involved alterations to the number and responsibilities of BJE committees.
Although its primary function is to support existing educational institutions, the BJE has also participated in establishing several new instititions in Toronto. In 1953, to meet the need for qualified teachers in affiliated schools, the BJE and CJC Central Region founded a Jewish teachers' seminary (Midrasha L'Morim) in Toronto, which was jointly funded by the BJE and CJC for many years. In 1960, the BJE and UJWF sponsored the establishment of a non-denominational Jewish high school, the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto (CHAT), with the BJE Executive Director as its director. In 1978, the Orah School for Jewish Children from the Soviet Union was established by the BJE, to meet the special needs of the large numbers of recent immigrants from the Soviet Union.
At its founding, the BJE served a total of 21 day and supplementary schools. When it ceased functioning in 2012, the BJE served more than 70 day and supplementary schools in the Greater Toronto area, with the position of chair held by Baila Lubek and the position of executive director held by Dr. Seymour Epstein. The Board was replaced by the Mercaz and later, the Centre for Jewish Education.
Custodial History
The BJE records in accession 1995-8-2 were in the possession of Harvey Raben, formerly a school consultant with the BJE, for several years prior to his donation in 1995, while Raben worked on his Doctor of Education thesis on the history of the BJE.
Scope and Content
The fonds documents the interactions of the BJE with affiliated schools, the UJWF and its successors -- the Toronto Jewish Congress (TJC), Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto (JFGT) and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto -- and the community in its work of facilitating and financing Jewish education in Toronto. The bulk of the records consist of the files of the executive director, associate director and director of school finances, and minutes of the BJE Board of Directors and its committees. As well as meeting minutes, these records include memoranda, correspondence, committee reports, budget and financial statements, and a small number of photographs of individuals and of BJE events.
The fonds is arranged into eighteen series defined by the BJE's organizational units, projects and programs, institutions established by the BJE or its officers, and by record form. These series are as follows: Board of directors and executive committee, Executive director, Director of school finances, Subject files, School files, Chronological correspondence and memoranda, Newsletters and other publications, Midrasha L'Morim, Bible contests, Canada-Israel Secondary School Program, Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, Orah School for Russian Jewish Children, Dr. Abraham Shore She'arim Hebrew Day School, Toronto Jewish Media Centre, Meyer W. Gasner Memorial Scholarship Fund, Principals councils, Association of Jewish Day School Administrators, and Parents Council of Hebrew Day Schools
Name Access
Board of Jewish Education
Subjects
Education
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
The records of the Educational and Cultural Committee in the Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region fonds document the CJC's involvement in the establishment of the BJE and the operation and funding of the Midrasha L'Morim. The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto fonds, accessions 2002-10-54, 2004-6-4 and 2004-6-9 contain records on the establishment of the Bureau of Jewish Education, the appointment of UJWF representatives to its board, the reorganization of the bureau as the Board of Jewish Education in 1968, the various studies conducted of the BJE, and the annual review and approval of allotments for Jewish education in Toronto by UJA Federation and its predecessors. Accession 2004-6-4 also contains records on the funding of Jewish education in Toronto by the UJWF in the late 1930s and the 1940s, prior to the establishment of the BJE.
Arrangement
Files at the BJE were typically organized alphabetically by subject with no clear division by function or program. While some files were kept in a central filing system maintained by an administrative assistant and shared by all professional staff, staff members also kept their own series of alphabetical subject files. Since staff responsibilities for programs and support of board committees shifted over time, records relating to these programs and activities became dispersed across several sets of files. The archivist has extracted files relating to programs, committees, and areas of activity from these various sets of subject files and defined series according to these activities, programs and functions. The remaining alphabetical subject files have been integrated into one subject file series. File titles have been edited to bring together records relating to similar topics, events and activities within this series.
The other two common filing methods employed at the BJE were to store correspondence, memoranda and committee minutes chronologically (often in 3-ring binders), and in series of "School files" -- files organized alphabetically by school name, containing correspondence and other records relating to the school. The school files have been brought together into one school file series. The chronological series have been left in their original order.
Creator
Board of Jewish Education (1949-2007)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Vocational Board series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 86; Series 8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Vocational Board series
Level
Series
Fonds
86
Series
8
Material Format
textual record
Date
1938-1942
Physical Description
4 folders of textual records
Admin History/Bio
The Jewish Children’s Vocational Board was likely established in the early 1930s by the Jewish Children’s Bureau to provide youth with scholarships for vocational and educational training. The Board met regularly to review scholarship applications, discuss the management of funds and arrange publicity. Until 1939, gifts were also provided to wards of the agency on their bar mitzvah.
In 1938, The Kate Josephi-Amelia Davis Scholarship Fund of the Big Sisters Committee became affiliated with the Jewish Children's Vocational Board. Although the Board continued to operate after the formation of the Jewish Family and Child Services, it likely ceased to function sometime in the 1940s possibly due to financial difficulties or to the fact that other organizations were offering the same service.
Scope and Content
Series consists of textual records documenting JCWA's Jewish Children's Vocational Board. Included are meeting notices and agendas, correspondence, client lists and a case presentation.
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director and head of Jewish Family and Child prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
For records of the Kate Josephi-Amelia Davis Scholarship Fund see the Jewish Family and Child fonds 79.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 86; Series 14; File 4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
Fonds
86
Series
14
File
4
Material Format
textual record
Date
1934-1937
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence between the JCWA and the Jewish Children's Society of Baltimore. Liaison with this agency began with the Jewish Children's Bureau and was continued by the JCWA.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Building administration series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 86-1; Series 7; File 1
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Building administration series
Level
File
Fonds
86-1
Series
7
File
1
Material Format
textual record
Date
1934-1935
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence between the Board of Management of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and the JCB regarding the closing of the Jewish Children's Home.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds
Joint Application Bureau series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 87; Series 7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds
Joint Application Bureau series
Level
Series
Fonds
87
Series
7
Material Format
textual record
Date
1935-1937, 1940
Physical Description
3 folders of textual records
Scope and Content
Series consists of reports, meeting minutes and staff memos documenting the activities of the Joint Application Bureau (JAB), which was set up to centralize the intake of all case working agencies of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies (later the United Jewish Welfare Fund). Agencies served by the JAB include: the JFWB, the Jewish Children's Bureau (later the Jewish Child Welfare Association), the Jewish Big Brother Movement, the Jewish Big Sister Committee, the Federation Employment Service and the Toronto Hebrew Free Burial Society.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
Toronto Section series
Service Portfolio sub-series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 38; Series 7-11; File 6
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
Toronto Section series
Service Portfolio sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
38
Series
7-11
File
6
Material Format
graphic material
textual record
Date
1963-1982
Physical Description
9 photographs : b&w and col. ; 27 x 22 cm or smaller
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of photographs, newspaper cuttings, magazine articles, handbooks, and flyers on NCJW volunteers and the work they perform. Included is a handbook: "A Blueprint of a Volunteer Service Bureau for the Toronto Section National Council of Jewish Women of Canada".
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region fonds
Community Relations Committee series
Research Records sub-series
Advocacy, General sub-sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
17
Series
5-4-9
File
6
Material Format
textual record
Date
1939
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence and documents regarding the Central Medical Bureau and its association with various Sick Benefit Societies and any impact on non-Jewish doctors.
Notes
Previously processed and cited as part of MG8 S.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 48; Series 4; File 27
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
48
Series
4
File
27
Material Format
textual record
Date
1991-1997
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 48; Series 4; File 30
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Subject files series
Level
File
Fonds
48
Series
4
File
30
Material Format
textual record
Date
1962-1963
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 75
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
75
Material Format
textual record
graphic material
moving images
Date
1947-2006
Physical Description
5.1 m of textual records and graphic material
1 DVD
Admin History/Bio
The Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) was established on 16 June 1947. After the Second World War thousands of survivors arrived in Canada in search of homes, education for their children and jobs. The returning servicemen, in turn, were also in need of employment. For the first two years of its existence, JVS catered exclusively to these two groups. By 1949, it had expanded its mandate to become a community-wide agency.
Max Enkin, the founder of the post-war "tailor scheme" became its first president and chairman of the board. Under this scheme, he and other members of his delegation were able to bring over 2,200 displaced persons to Canada as skilled tailors. Other members of the JVS board included Lipa Green, Sydney Harris, Dr. Albert Rose and Louis Lockshin. The executive director was Norman Stack. He served for a few years and was replaced by Milton Freidman in 1949. Freidman was a social worker who relocated to Toronto from Buffalo and spent close to 40 years in this position, retiring in 1985.
JVS's early mandate was to serve as a placement service for applicants and employers and to provide individual counselling services to its clients. Its office was situated above the original Tip Top Tailors building at 455 Spadina Avenue. It later moved its office to 152 Beverley Street and then in the 1960s to Tycos Drive. By the 1960s, JVS began to expand its services to all segments of society including newcomers, people with disabilities and from all sectors of life. The staff included social workers, psychologists, job counsellors and clerical staff.
During the 1980s, Bernie Berger became the new executive director. He served in that capacity until 1991. He was replaced by Ed Segalowitz. During this period, JVS set up a seniors' program called ATLAZ on the grounds of the Baycrest Home for the Aged. It was funded by the Bick family and was intended to create programs to keep seniors engaged. Today, this program is called the Al Green Resource Centre and provides employment, placement, training and volunteer opportunities to adults of all ages and with developmental disabilities. JVS also launched a youth program called Youthinc and a women's program.
Karen Goldenberg became executive director in 1998 and was replaced by Frank Markel in 2011 after her retirement. JVS has expanded its clientele, helping people from all backgrounds with diverse needs to identify their strengths and goals, develop skills, and achieve success in school, work and life. By 2009, it offered an expansive range of over 40 employment-related support programs and services throughout the Greater Toronto Area to thousands of unemployed and underemployed individuals and served 23,000 people. They operated out of 12 locations and have approximately 200 professionals on staff.
Kim Coulter became president and CEO in 2013.
Custodial History
The case files were located in the vault with no accession number. They were likely transferred to the OJA during the 1970s or 1980s. They were assigned accession number 2002-10/34.
The remaining records were in the possession of Amanda Batchelor of JVS, who had acquired the material from various past board and committee members for the creation of the 60th anniversary book.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records documenting the activities, programs, finances, operation and history of the Jewish Vocational Services. Included are meeting minutes, photographs, correspondence, surveys, reports, financial statements, certificates, bulletins, newsletters, newsclippings, press releases, anniversary books, and one DVD. The fonds is arranged into the following series: 1) Formation and history; 2) Board of Directors; 3) Executive board; 4) Annual general meetings; 5) Special and general meetings; 6) Committees; 7) Career, employment and training services; 8) Disability services; 9) Immigrant and newcomer services; 10) Women in New Roles (WINR); 11) Youth services; 12) Volunteer program; 13) Studies and reports; 14) Finance; 15) Personnel; 16) Planning and operations; 17) Publications and publicity; 18) Fundraising; 19) United Way; 20) Events; 21) Conferences and workshops.
Name Access
Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto
Subjects
Charities
Immigrants--Canada
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Creator
Jewish Vocational Services of Toronto (1947-)
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
2002-10/34
2008-9/6
2010-11/7
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 86
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
86
Material Format
textual record
Date
1932-1943
Physical Description
23 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
The Jewish Child Welfare Association (JCWA) was formed in 1936 through the amalgamation of the Jewish Children’s Bureau, the Jewish Big Brother Movement, and the Jewish Big Sister Committee. This merger was intended to improve service to families in the community by making one agency responsible for all cases dealing with children and adolescents. The JCWA’s funding primarily came from the Federation for Jewish Philanthropies (later the United Jewish Welfare Fund) and municipal and provincial grants.
The JCWA’s chairman was Bertram N. Davis and first executive secretary was Anne Gussack. Gussack was succeeded by Freda Manson in 1939 and Aaron B. Feld in 1941. Soon after its formation in 1936, the JCWA became one of the first unionized social agencies in Canada when it formed the Staff Association with the Jewish Family Welfare Bureau (JFWB).
Located at 179 Beverley Street, the JCWA’s core activities included placing children in foster homes, arranging adoptions, supervising children in their own homes, providing housekeeping services to families, and providing supervision and guidance to unmarried mothers. The JCWA paid for the foster children’s room and board, clothing, and medical care; supervised their religious education; and supplied scholarships for vocational training through its Jewish Children’s Vocational Fund. The JCWA also ran the Foster Mothers’ Parent Education Group, initiated a foster day care program to allow foster mothers to work, and arranged for the placement of children in summer camps. A constant problem for JCWA was the lack of appropriate foster homes. In order to secure more homes, the agency regularly engaged in a foster homefinding publicity campaign.
The Child Welfare Committee of the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society assisted the JCWA with finding and visiting foster homes, arranging adoptions, and attending to chronic clinical cases. The Hebrew Maternity Aid Society also participated in a Car Corp program with the JCWA by providing its social workers with volunteer drivers to help them travel to different locations.
The JCWA’s Big Brother and Big Sister Departments provided guidance for delinquent, troubled, and developmentally disabled adolescents through individual and group work. Both departments assisted troubled youth with employment, vocational training, school adjustment, and recreational activities. In 1941, the Big Sister Committee left the JCWA to become affiliated with the JFWB.
Discussions regarding the co-ordination of services between the JCWA and the JFWB began as early as 1935. Since both agencies worked with children and families, a merger was believed necessary to improve service to the community and ease confusion. In February 1943, the JCWA and the JFWB merged to form the Jewish Family and Child Services (JF & CS).
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of textual records documenting the programs, operation, finances and special projects and studies of the Jewish Child Welfare Association and its predecessor the Jewish Children's Bureau. Included is correspondence, reports, surveys, memos, meeting notices, agendas and minutes, financial records, questionnaires, speeches, client and membership lists, case presentations, news articles, theatrical scripts, event invitations and statistics.
Fonds has been arranged with one sous-fonds, which contains the records of the Jewish Children's Bureau. In total there are 25 series. The Jewish Child Welfare Association (main fonds) series are: 1. Board of Trustees; 2. Executive Director; 3. Committees; 4. Adoption; 5. Foster care; 6. Summer camp program; 7. Nursery school; 8. Jewish Children's Vocational Board; 9. Finance and accounting; 10. Human Resources; 11. Operational statistics; 12. Special studies and surveys; 13. Publicity; 14. Liaison with other social welfare organizations; and 15. Welfare Council of Toronto. The Jewish Children's Bureau (sous-fonds) series are: 1. Board of Trustees; 2. Executive Director; 3. Adoption; 4. Foster care; 5. Finance and accounting; 6. Human resources; 7. Building administration; 8. Special studies and surveys; 9. Publicity; and, 10. Liaison with other social welfare organizations.
Notes
Associated material note: for related records held at the City of Toronto Archives, see also: Children's Aid Society of Toronto fonds (fonds 1001); Welfare Council of Toronto records in the University Settlement House fonds (fonds 1024, series 658); and, Department of Public Welfare records in the Former City of Toronto fonds (fonds 200).
Name Access
Jewish Child Welfare Association
Jewish Children's Home
Jewish Children's Vocational Fund
Davis, Bertram N.
Gussack, Anne
Manson, Freda
Feld, Aaron B.
Jewish Big Sisters Committee
Jewish Big Brothers Movement
Jewish Family and Child Services
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies
United Jewish Welfare Fund
Department of Public Welfare
Welfare Council of Toronto
Children's Aid Society
Subjects
Charities
Children
Families
Nonprofit organizations
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director and the head of Jewish Family and Child prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
See also: Jewish Family Welfare Bureau fonds (fonds 87); Jewish Family and Child fonds (fonds 79); Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds (fonds 66); and, United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds (fonds 67).
Arrangement
Records of the Jewish Big Sisters Committee, the Jewish Big Brothers Movement and records documenting programs of the JCWA that continued after the formation of JF & CS, such as the Foster Homefinding Campaign and the Foster Mothers' Parent Education Group, are arranged with the JF & CS fonds 79.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 66
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
66
Material Format
textual record
object
Date
1917-1939
Physical Description
49 cm of textual records
1 ruler : 6 in.
Admin History/Bio
For many years prior to 1917, Toronto Jewish community leaders had recognized the need to centralize fundraising for all local Jewish charities. The 1912 creation of the Associated Hebrew Charities was a partial improvement, but it proved unable to cope with the rapid growth in pre-war immigration, the effects of the 1916 economic recession, and the funding requirements of many still-unaffiliated agencies. The positive experiences of newly-established Jewish community federations in several American cities did, however, offer a better example for Toronto, where prominent Jewish leaders Edmund Scheuer, Abraham Cohen, and Ida Seigel provided the leadership that finally resulted in the establishment of a Toronto federation.
The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto was chartered as a charitable organization under the laws of Ontario in September 1917. Its central goal was to end the frequent, uncontrolled, and competitive fund soliciting by a wide range of individual Toronto Jewish philanthropic and social service institutions and instead substitute a single, coordinated, city-wide community fundraising effort. This would ensure adequate and accountable funding for all its affiliated organizations and agencies in Toronto.
Original affiliated agencies of the FJPT were: the Ladies Co-operative Board, the Jewish Orphans' Home, the Jewish Girls Club, the Junior Council of Jewish Women, the Hebrew Ladies Maternity Aid and Sewing Circle, the Hebrew Young Ladies Boot and Shoe Society, the Jewish Branch of the Big Brotherhood Movement, the Hebrew Free Loan Society, the Jewish Dispensary, and the Hebrew Burial Society.
The original officers were: Edmund Scheuer (president), Joseph Singer (first vice-president), Jay J. Allen (second vice-president), Moses Gelber (third vice-president), Charles Draimin (forth vice-president), Eli Pullan (treasurer), and Abraham Cohen (honorary secretary). A board of trustees consisting of forty-five members was also constituted, one-third of whom were to be replaced each year.
Final decision powers of the federation were originally vested in the board, which met monthly and was responsible for funds distribution and the nomination of officers of the federation. The board also had the power to change, by a two-third vote, any federation bylaws, rules, or regulations. The president chaired all board meetings and had, along with the treasurer, signing authority for orders and cheques. In his absence, the president's responsibilities were transferred to the first or other vice-presidents, in order. The treasurer was responsible for receiving all donations and depositing them in the bank. He also had signing authority for disbursals.
A system of committees was also established in order to deal with individual issues such as annual meetings, fundraising, budgets, day-to-day administration, and policy, constitutional, and regulation changes. Recommendations from these committees were sent to an executive committee. When vetted, they were then forwarded to the board of trustees for final approval. By 1924, a new position of executive director was added to the list of officers in order to provide better management of the FJPT administration and to head up the executive committee. Also, by this time, six further agencies had become affiliated: Mount Sinai Hospital, the Jewish Boys' and Girls' Camps, Jewish Big Sisters, the Family Welfare Bureau, the Federation Health Clinic, and the Federation Employment Bureau.
The first office of the FJPT was at 206 Beverly Street, but by 1924 it was headquartered at 218 Simcoe Street. By 1928, it had moved to 179 Beverley Street, which was renamed Scheuer House after the FJPT's first president.
The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 created unprecedented and ever-growing service and monetary demands on the FJPT. Unable to cope, a major change was urgently required. In 1938, the FJPT was thus absorbed into a new and larger organization with an expanded mission and reorganized fundraising operations, the United Jewish Welfare Fund.
Although the FJPT was absorbed into the UJWF in 1938, meetings of the FJPT Board of Management (responsible for funds redistribution to the FJPT's affiliated agencies) continued to January 1939, when these responsibilities were finally transferred to the UJWF.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records documenting the incorporation, public reporting, planning, financial, administration and operational records of the FJPT. Included are: the incorporation certificate, committee meeting agendas and minutes, correspondence, budgets, annual reports and special reports. FJPT operational records document fund-raising, fund re-distribution and ongoing dialogues with member agencies. Records of specialized, short-lived committees document specific subjects such as salaries, a new community centre, funding of camps, and policies concerning the future of the organization are also included.
Series within this fonds are; 1. Incorporation, 2. Annual Meetings, 3. Annual Reports, 4. Board of Trustees, 5. Constitution Committee, 6. Executive Committee, 7. Budget Committee, 8. Sub-Committee Studying Salaries, 9. Policy Study Committee, 10. Fund-raising Campaign, 11. Federation and Camp Representative Group, 12. Committee on the Community Centre, and 13. Board of Management.
Name Access
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto
Subjects
Charities
Related Material
For records of the United Jewish Welfare Fund, successor to the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, see Fonds 67.
Creator
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (1917-1939)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 67
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
67
Material Format
multiple media
Date
1936-2010, predominant 1938-1976
Physical Description
14.3 m of textual records
5593 photographs, 25 x 20 cm and smaller, and other media
Admin History/Bio
The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto (FJPT) was incorporated in Ontario in March 1917 to coordinate the fundraising activities of Jewish charitable, philanthropic, and social service agencies in Toronto. In 1918, ten separate agencies were funded by the FJPT. By 1937, fourteen agencies were funded. The Great Depression of the 1930s and the development of several newer Jewish aid, education, and medical care organizations created both increased need for resources and growing competition for ever-more scarce dollars. Within a very few years, this funding crisis forced a major review of the organization.
During 1936, a series of special meetings of leading individuals were held to examine the income and expenditures of all Toronto Jewish agencies and also to speculate about the need for a new Toronto Jewish "community chest" as the sole fund-raising organization for a federation of all Jewish agencies, including the FJPT. In 1938, the new United Jewish Welfare Fund was formally constituted. Added to the FJPT's previous list of Toronto client agencies in 1938 were: the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Hebrew National Association, the Jewish Immigrant Aid Association, the Mizrachi Society, the Toronto Free Loan Association, the Geverkshaften, and Old Folks Home, and the United Palestine Appeal, raising the total number of agencies to twenty-two.
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, the UJWF's annual fundraising campaign was combined with the CJC's United Palestine appeal to form a new, combined campaign named the United Jewish Appeal (UJA). In 1967, the UJA name was legally changed to the United Jewish Appeal of Metropolitan Toronto.
In mid-1976, the organization's public name was changed to the Toronto Jewish Congress. Although initially thought of as a merger between the UJWF and the CJC, the actual result was the expansion of the UJWF responsibilities to include local education and welfare services previously shared with the Canadian Jewish Congress, Central Region. The UJWF, however, remained the legal senior entity.
In 1991, the public name was again changed to the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto and, in 1999, to UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. By this date, over thirty beneficiary and affiliated agencies, forty-nine affiliated schools and five federation departments were fully or partly funded by the federation.
In June 2010, the organization altered its legal structure, with the senior legal entity becoming the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 25 series: Annual Meetings, Annual Reports, Board of Directors, Constitution Committee, Executive Committee, Officers Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Administration Committee, Social Planning Committee, Committee on Capital Needs and Planning, Central Committee on Scholarships in Aid, Joint Committee of the BJE and UJWF Study on Jewish Education, Nominations Committee, Pension Fund Committee, Coordinating Committee, Special Ad Hoc and Temporary Committees, Annual Campaign, Client Agencies, Joint Committee of the CJC and the UJWF, Committee on Community Organization, Sub-Committee on Construction and Administration of Community Schools, Joint Committee on Fundraising, Personnel Committee, Community Leadership Development Council, and Israel at Fifty Community Celebration.
Over 4500 photographs and a variety of other media are managed within Series 17, Campaign records.
Notes
For exact details about the contents of individual series and sub-series, please review their scope and contents notes.
Name Access
United Jewish Welfare Fund
Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto
United Jewish Appeal
Toronto Jewish Congress
Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Subjects
Charities
Fund raising
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Related Material
For records of the predecessor of the UJWF, see Fonds 66, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto fonds.
Further detailed documentation of the proposed merger between the UJWF and the CJC (creation of the TJC) may be found in Fonds 67, Sub-sub-series 5-5-1, Files 171 and 221.
Further documentation on the United Jewish Welfare Fund may be found within Fonds 9, Series 7, records of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society.
For further detailed records of a key community leader's involvement with the UJWF see Accession 1982-8-8, the records of Samuel Godfrey, 1943-1972.
Creator
United Jewish Welfare Fund (1938-)
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 61
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
61
Material Format
multiple media
Date
[ca. 1920]-1994
Physical Description
3 m of textual records (19 v.) and other material
Admin History/Bio
The Schwartz-Reisman Jewish Community Centre, the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre (formerly the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre or BJCC) and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNJCC) in Toronto are the current incarnations of what began, in 1919, as the Hebrew Association of Young Men's and Young Women's Clubs, later known as the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association of Toronto (YM-YWHA). The YM-YWHA, in turn, began as a merger between several other small athletic clubs operating in the city. The original mandate was strictly athletic, but soon broadened to include other areas of interest, in order to provide a sense of Jewish identity and camaraderie through physical, educational, cultural and community based programming. During the 1920s, the 'Y' became known simply as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) – the name under which it was incorporated in 1930.
For close to two decades, the ‘Y’ had rented rooms in the Brunswick Avenue and College Street area, including the basement facilities of the Brunswick Avenue Talmud Torah. By the mid-1930s, these facilities were overcrowded and unable to support the growing membership, particularly when the young women’s programming was reintroduced in 1936.
As a result, in 1937, the YM-YWHA constructed its own athletic building at 15 Brunswick Avenue, next door to the Talmud Torah, to ease the overcrowding. However, the ‘Y’ still had to make use of five scattered buildings to meet its needs, including the Central YMCA gym for its basketball teams. The early ‘Y’ was staffed by volunteers who were granted free memberships in exchange for their time and expertise.
On 3 February 1953, a new Jewish Community Centre was dedicated at the corner of Bloor Street and Spadina Avenue. By the end of the 1950s, the ‘Y’ was providing services for all ages, ranging from a nursery school to their Good Age Club for seniors.
As the Jewish community moved northward, so too did the ‘Y’, with the dedication of a new northern branch on 1 May 1961. This new branch, located at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue, was created in order to address the athletic, educational, cultural and community needs of the expanding Jewish community in the north end of the city. Fourteen years later, an improved cultural and physical education wing was added as part of the completion campaign. This included the addition of the Leah Posluns Theatre and the Murray Koffler Centre of the Arts. In 1978, the YM-YWHA changed its name to the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto, in order to better reflect its broader role in the community. A new Northeast Valley branch was also established in Thornhill in the early 1980s and later closed in the late 1990s.
In 1994, the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto took over the operation of the northern branch, due to financial difficulties. At this point, all three branches became independent of one another and were no longer constituted as the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto. They each had independent boards of directors, while still receiving some of their operating funds from the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of the records created and accumulated by the Jewish Community Centre of Toronto -- which included the Bloor branch and the northern Bathurst Jewish Community Centre -- and its predecessor, the YM-YWHA. The records include textual records maintained by the office of the executive director, financial reports, architectural plans, Y-Times newsletters, program material, photographs and oral histories.
The records have been arranged into the following series: Executive director, Jewish Community Centre Archives Committee, Publication Committee, Communications Department, Sports Celebrity Dinner, and Combined Building Campaign Committee.
Notes
Includes 2539 photographs, 42 architectural drawings, 13 sound recordings, 4 artifacts, and 2 posters.
Name Access
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
Subjects
Community centers
Related Material
See photo #2369-2646, 3412, 3519, 3804, 4201, 5004, 6125, accession #1986-7-8, MG2 N1a
Creator
Jewish Community Centre of Toronto (Toronto, Ont.)
Places
Toronto (Ont.)
Accession Number
2004-6-6
2004-5-13
2004-5-2
1988-11-7
1988-4-9
1984-7-2
1983-12-1
1982-12-2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
1994-1-7
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
1994-1-7
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
1930-1973
Scope and Content
Accession consists of records from the Bureau of Jewish Education, including a pamphlet and memorandum. There are also bulletins from the Canadian Jewish Congress Youth Division Bulletins (1938, 1939) and several Yiddish journals including Bascheiden (1930), Heftn (1929), and two copies of In Gevirbl a monthly journal for literature and art (1930). Some of the topics and authors included in the 1938 Youth Division bulletin include: Editorial by Percy Kaplan, A Report on the Hamilton Conference of the Central Division of the Jewish Congress by Harry Steiner; The Youth Rally by Bertha Freed; The Youth Division of the United Jewish Welfare Fund by Boris Adelberg; Jewish Youth and Palestine by M. Kraicer; The Refugee Problem by Dr. James Parkes, (CBC broadcast 12. Nov. 1938).
Custodial History
The records were in the possession of Eiran Harris who was a member of the CJC National Archives committee and is an archivist at the Jewish Public Library in Montreal.
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 86-1; Series 10; File 4
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Jewish Children's Bureau sous-fonds
Liaison with other social welfare organizations series
Level
File
Fonds
86-1
Series
10
File
4
Material Format
textual record
Date
1935-1936
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of general correspondence between the JCB and the CJC regarding German-Jewish children. Also included is a statement from the German-Jewish Children's Aid Inc. regarding the education and training of German Jewish children in the United States.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Special studies and surveys series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 86; Series 12; File 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds
Special studies and surveys series
Level
File
Fonds
86
Series
12
File
2
Material Format
textual record
Date
1939-1940
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence documenting JCWA's survey of the types of Jewish education given to foster children by other Jewish social welfare organizations. Included is correspondence with the Jewish Child Placement Bureau of Detroit, the Welfare Association for Jewish Children of Cleveland, the Sommers Children's Bureau of St. Louis, and the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society of New York.
Accession Number
2004-1-8
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds
Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series
Level
File
ID
Fonds 103; Series 1; File 122
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Rabbi Nachman Shemen fonds
Canadian Federation to Aid Polish Jews in Israel series
Level
File
Fonds
103
Series
1
File
122
Material Format
textual record
Date
1959
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence regarding the initiative to rehabilitate Polish Jewish children in Switzerland.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Orah School for Russian Jewish Children series
Level
Series
ID
Fonds 48; Series 12
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Board of Jewish Education fonds
Orah School for Russian Jewish Children series
Level
Series
Fonds
48
Series
12
Material Format
textual record
Date
1979-2000
Physical Description
40 cm of textual records
Admin History/Bio
Established in November 1978 as the Orah School for Jewish Children from the Soviet Union, the school was intended for children who recently arrived from the Soviet Union with no previous Jewish education. Funding for the school came from special grants from the Toronto Jewish Congress (TJC; now, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto), from community fundraising for the school, and from tuition fees. The school was managed by a board of directors, with a staff consisting of a school principal and vice-principal, and as many as eight teachers and junior teachers. The number of teaching staff varied over the years with fluctuations in enrolment and funding. The bulk of the administrative work for the school was carried out by BJE staff, and the school was considered a special project of the BJE and its parent body, the TJC. The executive and associate directors of the BJE were ex-officio members of the Orah board.
The school operated as a Sunday school, with six hours of classes every week. The curriculum was designed to suit families with little familiarity with Judaism, many of whom found the greater time requirements of the day schools and other supplementary schools too onerous. The school also provided children with bar and bat mitzvah training. The school's location varied over the years, moving between branches of the Eitz Chaim schools and the Hurwich Branch of Associated Hebrew Schools.
In recent years, the Orah school's affiliation with the BJE came to an end. Now called the Orah School for Children, the school is currently located in Thornhill at the Spring Farm branch of Eitz Chaim Day School, with Rabbi Yosef Michalowicz serving as principal.
Scope and Content
The series documents the BJE's involvement in founding the Orah school and assisting in its operations. The series also documents studies of the school conducted by the TJC and BJE in the early 1980s and again in the early 1990s. The series contains meeting minutes of the board of directors and study committees, memoranda and correspondence relating to the school's operations, and records relating to the school's budget, fundraising activities, and enrolment. Files in the series are organized alphabetically by subject.
Subjects
Children
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Accession Number
2004-5-39
Source
Archival Accessions
Accession Number
2004-5-39
Material Format
textual record
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Date
1945-1949
Scope and Content
The records include 23 case files documenting orphans who survived the Holocaust. They were all inmates of the orphanage in Otwoc, Poland. The case files were likely sent to a Jewish organization in Toronto who found local sponsors to support the individual orphans. At the bottom of each case file includes the name of the Toronto sponsors, which ranged from individuals to labour unions and women's auxiliaries. The file also includes English translations for each file (since the information is all in Polish), along with thank you letters from the children to their sponsors written in Yiddish. Photographs of the children are attached to the case files.
Custodial History
The case files had been in the custody of Estelle Tambak, a Harlem, New York teacher and activist who had travelled to Poland to volunteer at the orphanage in the late 1940s. All translation work was done by Ann Szedlecki (1925-2005), a Holocaust survivor from Lodz who had herself been orphaned after the war. This custodial history has been confirmed by Miriam Borden, the granddaughter of Ann Szedlecki, who has a photograph depicting Ann and Estelle viewing the records within this file.
Use Conditions
Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.
Source
Archival Accessions
Part Of
Solomon Edell fonds
Clanton Park Synagogue series
Purim celebrations file
Level
Item
ID
Fonds 4; Series 6; File 50; Item 2
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
Solomon Edell fonds
Clanton Park Synagogue series
Purim celebrations file
Level
Item
Fonds
4
Series
6
File
50
Item
2
Material Format
graphic material
Date
1980
Physical Description
1 photograph : b&w ; 9 x 13 cm
Notes
Photograph is by Paul Brown.
Subjects
Children
Costume
Purim
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
Part Of
United Jewish Welfare Fund fonds
Executive Committee series
Executive director sub-series
Executive director's correspondence sub-sub-series
Level
File
Fonds
67
Series
5-5-1
File
164
Material Format
textual record
Date
1965-1973
Physical Description
1 folder of textual records
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence.
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
Level
Fonds
ID
Fonds 38
Source
Archival Descriptions
Part Of
National Council of Jewish Women of Canada fonds
Level
Fonds
Fonds
38
Material Format
multiple media
Date
[190-]-2002
Physical Description
2.6 m of textual records and other material
Admin History/Bio
The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (NCJWC) was the first national Jewish women's organization in Canada. The council had its beginnings among the urban elite, and played a strong role over the years in influencing public policy in such areas as relations with Israel, national unity, and the plight of world Jewry. The NCJWC is dedicated, in the spirit of Judaism, to furthering human welfare in the Jewish and general communities -- locally, nationally and internationally. It operated around three main pillars: service, education, and social action.
The National Council of Jewish Women was founded in the United States in 1893 by activist Hannah G. Solomon. In 1897, its first Canadian chapter was established in Toronto. In 1925, with seven chapters in Canada, a Canadian liaison position to the National Council of Jewish Women was created. A full-fledged “Canadian Division” of the NCJW was formed in 1934, with rules drafted at the first conference in Winnipeg three years later. Irene Samuel served as the Canadian Division’s first national president. In 1943, the division was renamed the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, and was officially incorporated in 1944, though it did not receive its letters patent until three years later. Even so, the NCJWC still retained some affiliation with the NCJW, whereby they paid per-capita dues to the Americans in return for program and administrative materials. In 1967 the NCJWC ceased these payments altogether, thereby separating from NCJW completely.
The early NCJWC focused on providing service to young girls and immigrants. They also involved themselves in contemporary politics through support for the war effort; the council donated vehicles to the Red Cross, turned Council House into a servicemen's centre, and even built several libraries at Canadian army camps. A national office opened ca. 1950 in Toronto, but until 1966 it moved to the national president's home city with every election. That year the office was permanently anchored in Toronto. In the 1950s and 1960s the council established Good Age clubs, the Irene Samuel Scholarship Fund, and developed the national Higher Horizons child-care and Newer Horizons elder-care programs. It expanded its overseas programs with support for the Israel Family Counseling Association and Ship-a-Box. The Soviet Jewry projects in the 1970s and 1980s reflected the council’s increasing emphasis on social action. Since the late 1990s, the council has focused on women's issues with efforts such as the Breast Self-Examination (BSE) program.
The NCJWC was governed by an executive council, led by a president. Vice-presidents were each responsible for one portfolio, such as membership, public affairs, etc., which were in turn made up of a number of national committees. The national executive was responsible for producing by-laws, guidelines, policies and procedures, as well as developing national service and social action programs. National also provided support and program materials to the sections, and held biennial meetings every other year from 1937 in cities across Canada. Its decentralized structure meant that while the national office remained in Toronto, officers of the executive have resided right across the country.
As of 1997, the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada was an affiliate member of the International Council of Jewish Women, a member of UNESCO Canadian Subcommission of the Status of Women, and a member of the Coalition of Jewish Women Against Domestic Violence and the Coalition for Agunot Rights. Prominent past presidents include Mrs. Harry (Irene) Samuel, Mrs. Lucille Lorie, Dr. Reva Gerstein, Mozah Zemans, Mina Hollenberg, Sophie Drache, Thelma Rolingher, Helen Marr, Bunny Gurvey, Sheila Freeman, Penny Yellen, and Gloria Strom. The council’s national office moved to Winnipeg in November, 1993. As of 2006, the council still had 5 active sections in Canada: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.
Custodial History
NCJWC donated these records to the OJA after they had finished a historical exhibit and catalogue in 1997 called "Faith and Humanity," celebrating 100 years of NCJWC.
Scope and Content
The fonds documents NCJWC’s fundraising, social service and social action work in Toronto, in other cities across the country, and overseas. Records include conference and meeting programs, minutes, hand-written correspondence, speeches and reports, national newsletters, published histories, by-laws and policies, photographs, publicity material, historical subject files and artifacts. The records have been arranged into nine series: National biennial conventions and annual meetings; National Executive Council; National portfolios and committees; National program and event materials; National history research and subject files; International Council of Jewish Women; Toronto Section; Photos and audio-visual material; and National Council of Jewish Juniors, Toronto Section.
Notes
Physical description note: includes ca. 2470 photographs, 13 architectural drawings, 2 artistic drawings, 3 badges, 3 medals, 1 pin, 28 audio cassettes, and 1 videocassette.
Name Access
National Council of Jewish Women of Canada
Subjects
Women
Related Material
See also: photographs 3207, 3192, 4140, 4067, 4066, 4434; Accession 1977-8-7 for National Council of Jewish Women of Welland; National Council of Jewish Juniors, photographs 458, 459, 460, 463, 464, 465, 466, 468; MG2 B-1K
Arrangement
Records have been arranged by function, in accordance with information gleaned from NCJWC's organizational charts and annual reports
Creator
National Council of Jewish Women of Canada
Accession Number
2001-8-4
Source
Archival Descriptions