Name

J. B. Salsberg

Number

OH 71

Subject

Labor movement

Labor unions

Women

Demonstrations

Interview Date

Sep. 1985

Quantity

1

Total Running Time

OH71_001: 44:50 minuets OH71_002: 35:55 minuets

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Joseph Baruch Salsberg (1902–1998) was a labour leader, political activist, politician, newspaper columnist, and a man who dedicated his life to Yiddishkeit and the advancement of social justice. He was active in various Jewish organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto, and the New Fraternal Jewish Association. In 1938, he was elected as alderman on Toronto’s City Council; in 1948, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He is well remembered by contemporaries, such as Sam Lipshitz, as a "champion of the people," committed to social justice, the plight of the working-class, and the preservation of Jewish culture.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union

Salsberg, J. B.,1902-1998

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 71 - Salsberg\OH71_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 71 - Salsberg\OH71_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the events that led to the birth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) in America and the ILGWU's influence on the Canadian garment industry.

In this clip, Joseph Salsberg discusses the first sit down strike by tailors in Canada in recognition of women

Name

Kalmen Kaplansky

Number

OH 109

Subject

Antisemitism

Human rights

Immigrants--Canada

Labor

Labor unions

Refugees--Canada

Interview Date

20 Sep. 1985

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

109A: 60 minutes 109B: 6 minutes

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Kalmen was born on 5 January 1912 in Poland. He worked in Montreal as a typesetter and linotype operator. He was active in the labour and human rights movements in Canada. Kalmen served as the director of the Jewish Labour Committee in 1945. In collaboration with the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canadian government, and trade unions, the Jewish Labour Committee helped Jewish displaced persons immigrate to Canada by securing them employment. Kalman sat on the Refugee Status Advisory Committee for the federal government.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Kaplansky, Kalmen

Platnick, Phyllis

Jewish Labour Committee

Geographic Access

Toronto

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 109 - Kaplansky\OH109_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 109 - Kaplansky\OH109_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Kalmen Kaplansky discusses some of the obstacles to the relocation of displaced Jews to Canada after the Second World War. He describes a tripartite proposal involving consultation and cooperation among trade unions, management, and government, which enabled the immigration project.

In this clip, Kalmen Kaplansky explains that bribery, corruption, and perjury were a way of life after the Second World War. He relates anecdotes as an example.

Name

Al Hershkovitz

Number

OH 111

Subject

Immigrants--Canada

Labor

Labor unions

Refugees--Canada

Zionists

Interview Date

19 Nov. 1985

Quantity

1 cassette (1 copy)

1 WAV file

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

40.30 minutes

Conservation

November 2006

Digitized in 2014

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Al Hershkovitz was a fur union representative who helped organize the project that brought furriers from the displaced persons camps of Europe to Canada in the late 1940s. As a union representative, Al was granted temporary military rank in order to enter the displaced persons camps in Europe. He became part of the selection committee responsible for determining which displaced persons could come to Canada.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Hershkovitz, Al

Federman, Max

Kerbel, Joe

Silver, Harris

Jewish Labor Committee

Canadian Jewish Congress

Jewish Immigrant Aid Society

International Fur and Leather Workers Union

American Federation of Labor

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Europe

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 111 - Hershkovitz\OH111_Log.wav

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Joseph Klinghofer

Number

OH 112

Interview Date

3 Dec. 1985

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Notes

Second interview

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Dr. Joseph Klinghofer worked for the Polish underground in Warsaw during the Second World War. He owned a German-Polish identity card under the false name of a Roman Catholic, Yadeuz Cyryl Dabrowski and his wife, Gisela Klinghofer had a similar one under a false name. There is also a UN Displaced Persons identity card issued for Joseph Klinghofer in Salzburg, Austria in 1945.

Dr. Joseph Klinghofer, worked with the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) from 1949 to 1972, and was its Educational Director in the 1960s and 1970s. He visited North Bay and other communities to supervise the progress of pupils and the education standards in the community programs as well as recommending candidates to teach the programs.

The Joseph and Gisela Klinghofer Scholarship in Jewish Studies exists at the University of Toronto and is awarded to a graduate student in the Jewish Studies collaborative program based on academic merit, and also on financial needs.

Material Format

sound recording

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Esther Segal

Number

OH 188

Subject

Synagogues

Zionism

Talmud Torah (Judaism)

Peddlers

Interview Date

30 Jul. 1985

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV file

Interviewer

Nancy Draper

Total Running Time

43:08 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitized October 2014

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Esther Segal was born in New York City. She moved to Saint Stephen, New Brunswick, and then to Toronto in 1911. Segal was influential in the National Council of Women’s attempt to repeal the law prohibiting women from jury duty. She served as secretary of the Anshe Shalom Synagogue in Hamilton, Ontario, and was on the Council of Jewish Women and Hadassah.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

Dunkelman, Rose, 1889-1949

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Hamilton (Ont.)

New Brunswick

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

Side 1: 1:35-2:50: Segal discusses her involvement with the National Council of Women in their attempt to change the law prohibiting women from serving on jury duty. 2:51-4:29: Segal discusses being summoned to serve on jury duty. 4:30-6.25: Segal discusses the United Hebrew Charity of Hamilton and the administration of its public funding. 6:26-7:45: Segals discusses donations made to Hadassah of Hamilton. 7:45-8:24: Segal discusses the reasons for her resignation as secretary of the Anshe Shalom Synagogue of Hamilton. 8:25-9:10: Segal discusses moving to Toronto after resigning from the Anshe Shalom Synagogue and joining the University Avenue Synagogue. 9:15-9:52: Nancy Draper speaking: “The previous portion of Esther Segal’s interview about her early life was unfortunately unrecorded and may be tried to be recorded at a future date.” 9:53-11:05: No audio Personal History 11:06-12.45: Esther Segal was born in New York City to Mendel Kovelesky and Rebecca Freidberg. After Mendel’s passing in 1898, Rebecca married Emmanuel Isaac Canon in 1903. They moved to St. Stephen in New Brunswick and then to Toronto in 1911. 12:46-17.50: Segal recalls her early school days in Toronto and discusses her various jobs working as a bookkeeper. 17:51-18:20: Conversation back and forth between Segal and Draper. 18:21-18:32: Segal discusses her memories of Toronto during the First World War. 18:33-20.25: Segal recalls her sister Anna Selig (née Segal), founder of Canadian Hadassah, who, together with and Rose Dunkleman, organized Hadassah chapters across Canada 20:26-22.40: Segal recalls her father as an ardent follower of the Zionist principle and the main influence on the family’s community mindedness. 22:41-23:03:Segal recalls the family home at 50 Bernard Avenue. 23:04-23.55: Segal recalls her brother who passed away of leukemia at the age of eighteen. 23.56-25:12: Segal recalls her brother Isiah Leo "Cy" Canon, a journalist and also author of “All My Causes.” 25:13-26:18: Segal recalls the Canon family's involvement in the Toronto community. 26:19-28:19:Segal discusses how she met her husband, her marriage in 1924, and the son born to them in 1925. 28:20-29:44:Segal discusses her organizational work in Hamilton with the Talmud Torah, the Council of Jewish Women, and Hadassah, as well as secretary of her temple. 29:45-30.32: Segal recalls an unpleasant situation between herself and Rabbi Baskin of Hamilton’s Anshe Shalom Synagogue. 30.33-31.07:Segal is asked if she remembers Louis Rosenberg of Hamilton. Segal says she does not remember him. Side 2: 0:00-2.30:Side 2 begin mid conversation, Segal recalls a childhood experience while growing up in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. 2.31-5.40: Segal tells the story of how her parents got their start in the peddling business in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. 5.41-5.59: Segal discusses one of her first jobs in Toronto prior to her marriage in 1924. 6.00-11.59: Segal tells the story of her ship voyage to Europe 1918 and meeting with her father in England.

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Lillian Gordon

Number

OH 209

Subject

Lawyers

Antisemitism

Discrimination

Interview Date

1 Jan. 1985

Quantity

2 cassettes (1 copy)

2 WAV files

Interviewer

Phyllis Platnick

Total Running Time

60 min.

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Digitzed September 2014

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Lillian Gordon was born in Toronto in 1908. She was one of three women to graduate from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1928. Gordon opened her own real estate law practice in Toronto and continued her practice until she retired in 1981.

Material Format

sound recording

Name Access

University of Toronto

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

0:00-6.56: Lillian Gordon was born in Toronto in 1908 to Annie and Aaron Sandler. In this portion of the interview, Gordon discusses her parents, the family catering business, and her father’s work as a union organizer in the needle trade. 7:15-8:59: Gordon discusses the requirements for entry into the Osgoode Law School in 1926. 9:00-10:19: Gordon discusses her fellow students at Osgoode Hall from 1926–1929. 10:20-11:48: Gordon discusses looking for a job within the legal profession after graduating from Osgoode Hall in 1929. 11:49-13:10: Gordon discusses looking for a location to open her own law office. 13:11-14:20: Gordon discusses being hired as an investigator for Eaton’s and being dismissed when it was learned she was Jewish. 14:21-15:34: Gordon discusses looking for a real estate office in which to open her own practice. 15:35-16:56: Gordon discusses antisemitism within the legal profession. 16:57-19:24: Gordon discusses her move to California in 1936. 19:25-20:34: Gordon discusses how the scarcity of male lawyers during the Second World War resulted in increased business within her own legal practice. 20:35-22:05: Gordon discusses the problems of being a woman within the legal profession (discussion strays). 22:06-24:45: Gordon discusses the challenges she faced as a female lawyer during the 1930s. 24:46-28:40: Gordon discusses her professional and personal dealings with financial institutions. 28:41-28:54: Gordon discusses how she came to be accepted as a woman and a Jew by her colleagues and clients. 28:55-29:42: Gordon discusses the reaction by colleagues to the hiring of the first Black person to work in the office. 29:43-31:13: Gordon discusses her choice of wardrobe for the office and the courtroom. Side 2: 0-9:20: Gordon discusses early childhood memories. 9:21-11:32: Gordon discusses the diversity of her fellow students at Jarvis Collegiate. 11:33-13:32: Gordon discusses learning to skate and to ride a bicycle. 13:33-16:10: Gordon discusses learning to drive a car. 16:12-22:30: Gordon talks about the early years of her marriage to Sandy Gordon. 22:31-24:30: Gordon reminisces about her law career from her student days until her retirement from law. 24:31-29:00: Gordon discusses working for J. L. Cohen at the beginning of her law career. Photo: Item 1216 Osgoode Hall graduation 1928

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Dr. Meyers Stitt

Number

OH 39

Subject

Port Arthur and Fort. William (Thunder Bay)

Family history

Interview Date

10 Oct. 1985

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

001: 31.20 minutes 002: 10.09 minutes

Conservation

Copied to cassette in August 2003

Copied to digital file on 9 Dec. 2014.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Dr. Meyers Lawson Stitt graduated in dentistry from the University of Toronto in 1927. A scholarship in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto was established in honour of his memory by his son, Mr. Bert Stitt, and his family. These awards are to be given to the students with the highest overall academic achievement in the work of first-year dentistry and were first awarded in 1998.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Fort William (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 39 - Stitt\OH39_001_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

Name

Dr. Coleman Solursh

Number

OH 40

OH 41

Subject

Physicians

Societies

Occupations

Medical care

Interview Date

3 Jan. 1985

Quantity

2

Interviewer

Morris Silbert

Total Running Time

040A: 34 minutes 040B: 31 minutes 041A: 11 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Coleman Solursh was born in Toronto in 1906. He graduated as a physician in 1932. He worked as a lodge doctor. He was involved in the Toronto Jewish Lodge Doctors Association. He worked in the field of family medicine and was appointed chief of the Department of Family Practice at Mount Sinai Hospital. He was appointed associate chief of medicine at Baycrest, Jewish Home for the Aged. He married Zelda Singer, a third-generation Canadian. Zelda's maternal grandfather was appointed colonization chairman in 1897 for Baron de Hirsch settlement for Jewish immigrants. Zelda's father, Manny Singer, was the first Jewish pharmacist in Toronto. Zelda's uncle, Fred Singer, was the first Jewish member of parliament for Ontario.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Solursh, Coleman

Silbert, Morris

Mount Sinai Hospital

Singer, Zelda

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care

Geographic Access

Toronto (Ont.)

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH40_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH40_002_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 40, OH 41 - Solursh\OH41_001_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Dr. Coleman Solursh describes a meeting between executives from the Toronto Jewish Lodge Doctors' Association and representatives from various Jewish Lodges. The meeting resulted in significant changes to the way medical services and payment were provided to the physicians.

In this clip, Dr. Coleman Solursh describes his role as Chief of the Department of Family Practice in the new Mount Sinai Hospital in 1953. He explains how this department pioneered the model for family practice within a hospital setting across Canada.

Name

Edna Jacobs

Number

OH 125

Subject

Families

Travel

Education

Occupations

Antisemitism

Girl Guides

Religion

Volunteers

Interview Date

Dec. 1985, Mar. 1986

Quantity

1

Interviewer

Nancy Draper

Total Running Time

Side 1: 36 minutes Side 2: 46 minutes

Conservation

Copied August 2003

Use Restrictions

Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.

Biography

Edna Jacobs (née Frankel) was born on 20 March 1904 in Toronto. Her parents, Sigmund and Paula Frankel, were early immigrants from Germany. Edna attended Havergal from kindergarten through high school. She studied general arts for two years at the University of Toronto. She married Arthur Jacobs, the son of Rabbi Solomon Jacobs, in 1936. Together, they had one daughter, Patsy, and a baby who died during infancy. Edna was involved with the Girls Club and the Junior Council of Jewish Women.

Material Format

sound recording

Language

English

Name Access

Toronto Girl's Club

Toronto Council of Jewish Women

Geographic Access

Toronto

Germany

Original Format

Audio cassette

Copy Format

Audio cassette

Digital file

Transcript

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 125 - Jacobs\OH125_001_Log.pdf

G:\Description\Oral Histories\OH 125 - Jacobs\OH125_002_Log.pdf

Source

Oral Histories

In this clip, Edna Jacobs shares memories from a trip she and her family took to Biblis, Germany to celebrate her grandparents’ golden anniversary.

In this clip, Edna Jacobs reminisces about several prominent Toronto Jewish families.