In 1952, Edell married Dolly Weinstock, the daughter of Moishe and Sylvia Weinstock. They lived in the newly developed suburb of North York with their four children: Ethel, Simcha, Malka and Joseph. After 10 years of marriage, Dolly died and in 1966, he married Celia Rogen Hoffman.
Address
494 Spadina Avenue
Time Period
1948
Scope Note
In 1952, Edell married Dolly Weinstock, the daughter of Moishe and Sylvia Weinstock. They lived in the newly developed suburb of North York with their four children: Ethel, Simcha, Malka and Joseph. After 10 years of marriage, Dolly died and in 1966, he married Celia Rogen Hoffman.
History
Sol Edell was a founding member and first president of the Clanton Park Congregation. He was actively involved in the construction of the synagogue and its development. He continued to be affiliated with Shomrai Shabbos where his grandfather Rabbi Yosef Weinreb had been the rabbi. He was also involved with Adas Israel, the synagogue in Hamilton where his wife Celia had been an active member. He was chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region -- Toronto Jewish Congress Archives Committee, which subsequently became the Ontario Jewish Archives.
Leon Koffler was born in Romania. He moved to Canada and settled in the Toronto area at the age of fifteen with his mother and his three sisters. He graduated from the Ontario College of Pharmacy in 1921, and two years later, opened his first pharmacy at 376 College Street. Leon lived in the apartment above his store with his wife Tiana [née. Reinhorn] and their son Murray.
Address
376 College Street
Time Period
1923
Scope Note
Leon Koffler was born in Romania. He moved to Canada and settled in the Toronto area at the age of fifteen with his mother and his three sisters. He graduated from the Ontario College of Pharmacy in 1921, and two years later, opened his first pharmacy at 376 College Street. Leon lived in the apartment above his store with his wife Tiana [née. Reinhorn] and their son Murray.
Item is one advertising ink blotter announcing the arrival of a complete prescription service at Sol Edell's Drug Store at 494 Spadina Avenue in Toronto.
Repro Restriction
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Item is a wooden cigar box with a hinged lid. The drugstore was at 594 Dundas Street West and was owned and operated by Sarah Harris (née Ruben)'s nephews, Israel and Max Rothbart.
Physical Condition
The object has been repaired by a conservator and it is currently in good condition. It is fragile and should be handled with care.
Item is a wooden ruler. On verso is inscribed: Rothbarts Drug Stores; phone us for your drugs and prescriptions; 679 Queen St. W. Trinity 1487-7171; 594 Dundas W. Trinity 0208-7116. The Rothbart Drug Store was owned and operated by Sarah (née Ruben) Harris' nephews, Israel and Max Rothbart.
3 photographs : b&w (2 negatives) ; 21 x 26 cm and 28 x 28 mm
Scope and Content
File consists of one photograph and two negatives depicting members of the Pharmacy Division. Identified on the back of the photo (L to R) are Izzy Snyder (co-chairman; holding pledge cards), Norman Stern, and Oscar Goodman.
6 photographs : b&w (4 negatives) ; 20 x 25 cm and 28 x 28 mm
Scope and Content
File consists of two photographs and four negatives depicting two women and four men identified in the first photo as Paul Waisberg, Helen Ostro, Shirley Gold, Herb Binder, David Bloom, Seymour Wilder, and ?? Victor. A work order note included with the negatives reads. "Photos at 255 Yorkland Shoppers Drug Mart group." In the second photo Izzy Snyder is identified.
Notes
Photos by Graphic Artists Photographers, Toronto.
Availability of other formats: Also available as digital images.
22 technical drawings : 18 blueline drawings and 3 brownline drawings ; 63 x 120 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
File consists of correspondence with the architects, Bregman and Hamann, and the contractors relating to the cost of the construction of the plaza. Also included are floor plans, site plans, elevation drawings, electrical drawings, and a presentation sketch.
File consists of correspondence and legal documents relating to the purchase of the property by Sol Edell and its subsequent purchase by Elmdale Developments, a holding company controlled by Sol Edell.
File consists of correspondence regarding possible discrimination in the acceptance of Jewish students to the Pharmacy College of Dalhousie University.
File consists of Hotel Edell certificates, which were given to guests who stayed at the Edell's home at 15 Ericka. Also included are thank you letters from past guests.
Sol Edell (1919-2000) was a prominant member of the Toronto Jewish community who initially pursued a career as a pharmacist and was later founder and president of the property development company, Elmdale Investments. He held positions as board member or chair in a wide variety of religious, educational and social service organizations and institutions both in Canada and Israel. In Toronto, these included: Clanton Park Synagogue, Adas Israel Synagogue, Jones Avenue Cemetery, Canadian Jewish Congress and the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto (formerly Toronto Jewish Congress, and now the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto).
Edell was born in Toronto on 5 March 1919, the son of Pesach and Molly Edell. He attended Harbord Collegiate and graduated from the Toronto College of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, in 1943 while on leave of absence from the army. He was enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War and served in the signal corps.
After he completed his army service, he opened Edell’s Drug Store at 1978 Queen Street in Etobicoke in 1948, the first shomer Shabbat drug store in the city. He operated a second store at 494 Spadina Avenue in the late 1940s. In 1955 the Queen Street location was expropriated by the City of Toronto. Subsequently, Edell founded Elmdale Investments, the company which built and managed the Elmhurst Plaza in Etobicoke. He reopened the drug store, which was renamed Elmhurst Drugs in the plaza. He also invested in two retail textile stores, Deltex Drapery and Dodd’s Drapery which had been founded by group of businessmen including his cousin Israel Edell.
In 1952 he married Dolly Weinstock, the daughter of Moishe and Sylvia Weinstock. They lived in the newly developed suburb of North York with their four children: Ethel, Simcha, Malka and Joseph. After 10 years of marriage, Dolly died and in 1966, he married Celia Rogen Hoffman.
Sol Edell was a founding member and first president of the Clanton Park Congregation. He was actively involved in the construction of the synagogue and its development. He continued to be affiliated with Shomrai Shabbos where his grandfather Rabbi Yosef Weinreb had been the rabbi. He was also involved with Adas Israel, the synagogue in Hamilton where his wife Celia had been an active member.
He was chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region -- Toronto Jewish Congress Archives Committee, which subsequently became the Ontario Jewish Archives. During his tenure, the archives was responsible for the reconstruction of the Kiever Synagogue which had been built in the early 1900s but had fallen into a state of disrepair by the 1960s.
Sol Edell was also involved in a number of Zionist organizations. He was the founding chair of the Aliyah Support Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, whose mandate was to assist Torontonians who had moved to Israel and ease their transition into Israeli society. He was also an active member of the Mizrachi organization and its affiliated institutions. Another one of Sol Edell’s interests was ensuring the preservation of local cemeteries. He was president of the Jones Avenue Cemetery and on the board of Pardes Shalom and the Bathurst Lawn Cemetery, Clanton Park section.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records documenting Sol Edell's business activities, community involvement and personal life. Included is correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, financial records, legal records, publications, audio-visual material, invitations, newspaper clippings, artifacts, lists, reports, speeches, and architectural drawings.
The fonds is organized into the following eleven series: Personal; Edell's Drug Store and Elmhurst Pharmacy; Elmdale Investments; Deltex Drapery and Dodd's Drapery; Adas Israel Synagogue; Clanton Park Synagogue; Shomrai Shabbos; Aliyah; Cemetery and funeral home; Historical materials; and, Activities and organizations.
Notes
Physical description note: includes 739 photographs, 232 architectural drawings, 11 audio cassettes, 9 audio reels, 13 film reels, 7 videocassettes, 4 slides, 1 plaque, 4 badges, and 1 key.
Name Access
Edell Solomon, 1919-2000
Clanton Park Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)
Edell, Dolly
Edell, Celia
Edell's Drug Store
Elmhurst Pharmacy
Jones Avenue Cemetery
Canadian Jewish Congress/ Toronto Jewish Congress Archives
Aliyah Support Committee
Subjects
Business
Pharmacists
Access Restriction
Partially closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing some of the records.
Physical Condition
The bulk of the architectural drawings are currently being stored rolled up. They should be flattened and encapsulated in melinex.
Film and sound reels should be digitized.
Related Material
See fonds #5 for material related to Paul Edell.
See accession #2012-10/9 for material related to the Edell family.
Paul Edell (1882-1966) was the owner of a Toronto printing business and a prominent member of Shomrai Shabbos Congregation.
Edell was born in Poland and emigrated to Toronto in 1910. He married Molly Weinreb in 1915 and they had 5 children: David, Sol, Ethel, Connie and Sara. When he arrived in Canada he found work as a clerk and salesman. He later apprenticed as a printer and in 1921, he opened his own business, Royal Printing, at 113 Elizabeth Street in Toronto. Edell continued to work at the business until his retirement in the 1960s. His customers included many Jewish businesses, institutions and organizations. Edell was also involved in a number of community activities, mostly centered around religious matters. He served as president of Shomrai Shabbos Congregation for many year and was also involved in the maintenance of the Jones Avenue cemetery. He passed away in 1966.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of records related to Paul Edell's business and community activities. Included is business and synagogue correspondence, property documents, certificates and a ledger book.
Name Access
Edell, Paul, 1882-1966
Royal Printing
Shomrai Shabbos
Subjects
Businesspeople
Immigrants--Canada
Synagogues
Physical Condition
Ledger book is in poor condition and requires conservation work.
Related Material
For records related to Paul Edell's son, please see the Solomon Edell fonds 4.
For further records on the Edell and Weinreb families, see accession 2012-10-9.
Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
Biography
Anne Edell grew up in Toronto. She worked as a bookkeeper in several local Jewish businesses. During summer vacation, Anne would travel to Port Dalhousie, Crystal Beach, and Jackson's Point. I. S. Edell grew up in Toronto. He graduated in education from OCE but was unable to find a teaching position. He worked at the post office for a short time and later in his father-in-law's business.
Material Format
sound recording
Name Access
Edell, Anne
Edell, I.S.
Platnick, Phyllis
Geographic Access
Port Dalhousie
Crystal Beach
Original Format
Audio cassette
Copy Format
Audio cassette
Digital file
Source
Oral Histories
In this clip, Anne Edell shares memories of summer vacations.
In this clip, I. S. Edell discusses the antisemitism encountered by Jewish graduates in the field of education in Ontario in the 1930s.
Photograph of a woman standing outside of the entrance to a general store in the Ward. On the awning is printed the number 84 and the words "Flour and Feed".
Notes
Original is a glass slide with a black tape border.
Title taken from label on the slide.
Subjects
Storefronts
Repro Restriction
Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.
Accession consists of material documenting the Edell family, Rabbi Weinreb, Paul Edell's printing company, the She'arim Hebrew Day School, and the Edell family's involvement with the Mackziki Hadas Congregation. Accession also includes records documenting Rabbi Kelman's involvement with the Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda synagogue. Records include photographs of family gatherings and family members participating in a Balfour Declaration march in 1917, correspondence, flyers, invitations, and genealogical information and family reminiscences collected by Sara Kelman. Also included are two printing blocks from Paul Edell's printing company and one stamp used by Rabbi Weinreb. Of note, is a flyer and correspondence documenting the Husiatyner Klaus Beth Israel synagogue and its closure. The bulk of the material is in English, but a small amount is in Yiddish or Hebrew.
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
Includes 9 photographs (tiff), 2 photographs, 1 stamp, and 2 printing blocks.
The Clanton Park Sisterhood established a synagogue library in memory of Sol Edell's wife, Dolly.
Scope and Content
File consists of a tribute pamphlet in memory of Dolly Edell as well as an invitation to the dedication of the Dolly Edell Memorial Library. Also included are contribution cards and lists of people who have made donations to the library.
Clanton Park sponsored a tribute dinner in honour of Sol Edell's dedicated service to the synagogue. The dinner also commorated the 50th yartzheit of his grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Weinreb.
Scope and Content
File consists of an invitation to the Sol Edell Tribute Dinner and correspondence soliciting advertisements for the commemorative journal. The file also contains a list of people who attended the dinner, notes for Sara Edell Kelman's speech about Sol, and other stories written for the commemorative journal. Also included is a video recording of various synagogue members speaking about Sol and his contributions to the community.
11 technical drawings : 7 blueline prints and 4 brownline prints ; 54 x 86 cm or smaller
Scope and Content
File consists of technical drawings for the construction of Sol Edell's two storey house at 15 Ericka in North York. Included are floor plans, elevation drawings, cross sections, and heating system design drawings.
Physical Condition
Records have a lot of tears along the edges and are in general poor condition. They should be stored flat and encapsulated in melinx to protect them from further damage.