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Kiever Synagogue [textual record, graphic material, object] – 1913-2013.

Accession Number: 2021-10-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-10-1

Material Format: textual record; graphic material; object

Physical Description: 30 cm of textual records; 5 photographs : b&w & col. ; 30 x 20 cm or smaller; 2 metal award certificates : 28 x 21 cm; 1 key : framed in a wooden box

Date: 1913-2013

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records related to the Kiever Synagogue or had been stored at the synagogue. Included are certificates (1930-[1961?]); a print of the 1913 Officers and Members of the Grand Order of Israel of Canada; a poster of Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (president of Israel) presented by National Committee for Labour Israel for Israel Histadrut campaign; National Synagogue Directory issued by Canadian Jewish Congress Charities Committee (2011-2012); The Jewish Magazine (2006); Baycrest Men's Service Group Honour Roll books (1993-1997, 1999); shabbat, wedding, and bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah benchers (1965-2013); newspaper clippings; blessing guides; and administrative material such as receipt books (1933-1934), Synagogue Laws and Customs (1976), and a memorandum of agreement (1920). Also included are photographs featuring David Pinkus, Nate Leipciger, students of Talmud Torah Eitz Chaim (1936), and the top view of bimah and chuppah of the Kiever Synagogue, which was taken at Samara Kaplan’s wedding (2004); and miscellaneous material such as raffle tickets (1928), invitation tickets from Chevra Kadisha (1928), and record books of Toronto Free Loan Association. This accession also includes the following artifacts: two metal certificates of Recognition of Service Award granted by State of Israel Bond and Canada-Israel Securities Limited (1964 and 1965) and a skeleton key framed in a wooden shadow box, which is possibly the original key to the building. People identified in the photograph of students of Talmud Torah Eitz Chaim (1936) are: Solly Speisman (second row, fourth from left), Myer Orzench (second row, far right), Hymie Reingewietz (second row, sixth from left), Mr. Hoffman (teacher, left-hand side), and Mr. Nobleman (teacher, right-hand side). Myer Orzench was the second vice-president of the Kiever Synagogue; Mr. Nobleman was father of Ben Nobleman, the municipal politician of York Region.

Custodial History: Records deposited by David Moyal of the Kiever Synagogue.

Administrative History: The Kiever synagogue, also known as the Kiever Shul, is a Modern Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Toronto. It was founded in 1912 by a small congregation of Jewish immigrants from the Kiev Gubernia of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) and formally incorporated in 1914 by the granting of the Letters Patent by the Provincial Secretary. The congregation’s formal name is "The First Russian Congregation of Rodfei Sholem Anshei Kiev." According to the earliest congregational records, Max Bossin was president in 1912. At first, services were held in members’ homes and later in a rented house on Centre Avenue in the Ward. Not being able to afford a rabbi, services were led by members, including Cantor Herschel Litvak. In 1917, sufficient funds were raised to mortgage a house at 25 Bellevue Avenue on the outskirts of Kensington Market. The congregation relocated there and the facilities were enlarged in 1921 with the acquisition of a second house. In 1927, a new synagogue, which was built on the site of the two houses and designed by a Jewish architect named Benjamin Swartz in the Byzantine Revival style, was completed to accommodate increasing number of congregants. During the construction from 1924 to 1927, religious services were conducted at the home of Mr. Silverman at 29 Wales Avenue. Equipped with a rabbi and a proper synagogue, the Kiever was able to play a larger role in the Toronto Jewish community. The shul offered Yiddish and bar-mitzvah lessons, a youth minyan led by Fischel Cooper, a credit society, as well as a women’s auxiliary. Several decades later, the Kiever’s membership declined in the 1950s and 1960s due to demographic changes—Jews began leaving the downtown core for the north end of town. The synagogue building deteriorated. In 1973, the Archives Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region decided to help preserve it, and by 1982, sufficient funds had been raised to restore the building. In 1979, the Kiever Synagogue became the first building of Jewish significance to be designated a historical site by the province of Ontario and has been protected under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since then. Some of the founders included: B. B. Smith, Yehudah Leib "Louis" Bossin, Isaac Mosten, Jake Dubin, Harry Cohen, and Wolf Ganz. The congregation's first and longest-tenured rabbi was Solomon Langner, who served from around 1929 until his death in 1973. Sheldon Steinberg served as rabbi from the time of Langner's death until the mid-1990s. David Pinkus served as president of the Kiever Shul from the late 1970s to 2011. His parents, Molly and Isadore Pinkus, were co-founders of the shul. As of 2022, the synagogue president is Adam S. Cohen.

Descriptive Notes: LANGUAGE NOTE: material is in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English.; Availability of other formats: digital preservation copies for some documents have been created and are available in PDF, JPG, and TIF formats.

Subjects: Synagogues

Name Access: Kiever Synagogue (Toronto, Ont.)

Places: Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Helen Marks [graphic material, textual record] – 1908-1985.

Accession Number: 2021-10-11

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-10-11

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records and graphic material; 1 oversized photograph

Date: 1908-1985

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material documenting the family of Helen Marks. Included are two wedding three school photographs, school photographs, personal identity documents, a certificate of naturalization, a letter, a program for a gala evening, and a un untranslated document.; The first wedding photograph was taken at the wedding of Rose Miltz and Nathan Weisblatt on 29 December 1935. Rose and Nathan were part of Helen's father's family.; The second wedding photograph was taken at the wedding of Rose Nimon and Isadore Weisblatt. Rose and Nimon were Helen's parents.; Two school photographs were taken at John Fisher School in the 1930s. Helen attended the school from kindergarten until grade eight.; A third school photograph was taken at North Toronto Collegiate sometime around Christmas 1939. Helen attended the school for one year from 1939 to 1940.; There are several identity documents for Helen's father-in-law, Morris Marks. The first such document is a Romanian passport dated 24 May 1908. The second such document is a deed poll testifying to Morris' change of name dated 23 January 1933. The third document is a document certifying that the latter is a true copy.; The certificate of naturalization is for Harry Schnall. Helen believes Harry was her mother-in-law's father but is not positive.; The letter is from Max Niman and Moishe Fishbaum and is dated 15 August 1985. The letter regards the amalgamation of the Ostrovtzer Congregation and the Shaarei Tefillah Congregation. Helen's mother's family were founders of the congregation.; The program is for a gala evening presented by the Chinese community for the Mount Sinai Hospital Research Centre expansion, which was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on 22 June 1985.; Finally, there is a document in what appears to be Romanian but which has not been translated.

Descriptive Notes: Language: English, Romanian, French

Subjects: Immigrants--Canada; Ketubah; Public schools

Places: Romania

Source: Archival Accessions

Nancy Levy [textual record] – [19--].

Accession Number: 2021-11-4

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-11-4

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records

Date: [19--]

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material documenting the family of Nancy Levy. Included are a biography of the orphan Meir Noss, which was translated from the Yiddish in 1921, and a copy of an undated clipping about the donor's mother, who was the only attendant at her friend Jean Kamarner's wedding. The first item describes events in Z'vil, Ukraine that took place in 1919/1920.

Subjects: Families

Name Access: Levy (family)

Places: Ukraine

Source: Archival Accessions

Lorie Shekter-Wolfson [textual record, graphic material] – 1917-1977, 1992, 2013.

Accession Number: 2021-11-5

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-11-5

Material Format: textual record; graphic material

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records; 19 photographs : b&w and col. ; 44 cm x 32 cm or smaller

Date: 1917-1977, 1992, 2013

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records documenting members of the Shekter and Taylor families of Hamilton, Ontario. Included are three Negev Dinner books honouring Jack Taylor, Samuel Taylor, and Franklin Shapiro; news clippings documenting the viewing of the Hamilton Jewish Community Centre featuring Ben Shekter as well as Ben Shekter's obituary; and photographs depicting Ben Shekter, Harry Taylor, Dorothy (Taylor) Shekter, Jeanette Miller, Rebecca Taylor, Sam Taylor, James L. Shekter, and members of the Temple Players at Anshe Sholom Temple in Hamilton. Other locales featured in the photographs are Palm Springs, Hollywood Beach, and Hamilton. Also included are two oversized childhood portraits of Dorothy Taylor (aged approx. 6 years) and Ben Shekter (aged approx. 1 year).

Administrative History: Dorothy Shekter (née Taylor) (1915-2010) was born in 1915 in Hamilton, Ontario, to Max and Rebecca Taylor. Max and Rebecca moved from Russia to Canada in around 1906 and established a grocery business in Hamilton. Rebecca was a community worker; Max served as president of the Hess Street Shule for many years and was president and also one of the founders of the Ohav Zedek Congregation. Dorothy had four brothers: Jack, Lloyd, Harry and Sam, and a cousin Jeanette Miller, who has raised as a sister after being orphaned at age two. Dorothy married her husband Ben Shekter on 30 Aug. 1942. Dorothy was a social worker, having graduated from McMaster University in 1939 and then with her MSW from the University of Toronto in 1941. Dorothy passed away on 9 Feb. 2010.; Ben Shekter (1915-2013) was born on 6 Aug. 1915 in Hamilton, Ontario, to James and Lillian Shekter. He was an activist, a lawyer, a musician, and an advocate. His father owned the Shekter hotel on James St. North in Hamilton. As president of Hamilton Jewish Federation, Ben was committed to the Hamilton Jewish community and contributed to building and developing the Jewish Community Centre in Hamilton. Ben was one of the founding members of the Beverly Golf and Country Club (est. 1957) and was president of the club several times. Later, Ben initiated the plan for establishing Shalom Village, a Jewish seniors' residence and nursing home in Hamilton, and was its first president. In addition, Ben was also a board member of Hamilton Place, chairman of the Council of Jewish Organizations, and was active in the downtown Businessmen's Association. Ben passed away on 4 July 2013.; Jack Taylor, Dorothy's brother, was born on 5 Sept. 1905 in Russia and immigrated to Canada at the age of six months with his parents. He attended Hamilton public schools and Central Collegiate in his early years. From 1926 to 1928, he moved to New York and attended Columbia University studying playwriting and dramatics. Jack married Florence Cohan in 1929 and had a daughter, Shirley. Jack joined the Grand Order of Israel in 1934 and became the Grand Noble Master of the Grand Lodge in 1949 and 1961. He also served as chairman of the Territorial Division of the United Jewish Appeal, Men's Division in the 1950s. In 1956 and 1957, Jack served as president of the Council of Jewish Organizations. In 1963, Jack was president of Viceroy Reading Lodge of B'nai B'rith and also president of the United Hebrew Memorial Chapel. In the same year, after working at Hamilton Auto Parts for nineteen years, Jack established his own business, Taylor Automotive Supplies. In the 1970s, Jack served as vice-president of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) of Hamilton and was the honouree of the 1971 Hamilton Negev Dinner.; Samuel Taylor, Dorothy's brother, was born in 1916. He became a professional musician at age fifteen and continued in music from age eighteen to twenty-six. During the Second World War, Sam served in the Air Force Central Band and began his studies in the accounting field at the same time. In 1948, he graduated as a chartered accountant and opened the firm of Taylor, Leibow Chartered Accountants in 1950. In the same year, Sam married Anne Klein and had two children, Michael and Robin. From 1974 to 1976, Sam served as president of Hamilton JNF. In 1974 and 1975, he served as president of United Jewish Welfare Fund. Besides, Sam was a member of the Board of the Ontario Association of Licensed Trustees in Bankruptcy and a member of Executive Board of United Israel Appeal of Canada. In 1977 he became president of Hamilton Jewish Federation and was the honouree of the 1977 Hamilton Negev Dinner.

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

Places: Hamilton (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Beverley Schaeffer [textual record] – 1922-2015.

Accession Number: 2021-11-7

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-11-7

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 7 cm of textual records; 1 poster

Date: 1922-2015

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material collected by Beverley Schaeffer. The bulk of the material consists of newspaper clippings documenting Jewish communities in northern Ontario, primarily Kirkland Lake. In addition to the clippings, there are several other items: the first draft of Eddie Duke's "The History of the Jewish Community of Kirkland Lake," a copy of a typed article titled "The Way We Were" by Bettyann Elliott (née Archer), two issues of Beth Tikvah Sisterhood Magazine (spring 1988 and spring 1990), and a typed document titled "Judaica - Canadian" that was prepared by Fred Schaeffer. Of note is an article written by Shelley Duke entitled "Somebody's Somebody: Jews from Small Communities" dated 16 December 1985.

Use Conditions: Copyright is not held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes: Availability of other formats: Textual records available as PDF files.

Subjects: Communities

Name Access: Duke, Eddie; Elliott, Bettyann, 1928-2015

Places: Kirkland Lake (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Ira Noble [textual record, graphic material] – [19--].

Accession Number: 2021-11-13

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-11-13

Material Format: textual record; graphic material

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w; 1 book

Date: [19--]

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material documenting Ira Noble. Included are one oversized photograph of Ira Noble as a baby and a prayer book for Jewish members of His Majesty's Forces.

Custodial History: The items were discovered by a colleague of Ira's, Merven Patey. Merven passed the items on to Marcia Yudin, who in turn donated them to the OJA.

Administrative History: Ira Noble fought in the Second World War as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes: Language: English, Hebrew

Subjects: Great Britain--Armed Forces

Name Access: Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force

Source: Archival Accessions

Forman, Findlay and Olin Families [graphic material, textual record] – 1915-1969.

Accession Number: 2021-11-20

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-11-20

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records; 3 photographs : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller

Date: 1915-1969

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records documenting the activities of members of the Forman, Findlay, and Olin families. Documents include a 1922 Goel Tzedec Synagogue religious school diploma (Minnie Forman); a McCaul Street School class photo, Senior IV (Henry Findlay, back row, second left); Palestine Lodge Masons sheet music and lyrics for the composition "We Have Travelled Fiftee," music by Isha Goodman, lyrics by Jack S. Olin; and “Dimensions of 69 Senior Wardens District No. 7,” music and lyrics by Jim Johnson. In addition, there are two group photographs of Palestine Lodge Masons officers (ca. 1969).

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

Subjects: Music by Jewish composers

Source: Archival Accessions

Bill Gladstone [graphic material, textual record] – 1910-2020.

Accession Number: 2021-10-12

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-10-12

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: ca. 10 cm of textual records; 12 photographs : b&w and col, 25 x 20 cm or smaller; 1 painting : oil on board

Date: 1910-2020

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material from the Agudas Hamishpocha (AH) Rubinoff/Naftolin cousins club, books and an oil painting. Included are photos of the Rubinoff/Naftolin family taken in Russia; copies of postcards from family in Russia written in Yiddish and Russian; notes compiled by Bill Gladstone translating cards sent by Dan & Rose Newman; copies of email correspondence with Dan Newman; copies of photos of Rubinoff/Naftolin family taken in Russia and Toronto; two souvenir booklets marking the 80th and 85th anniversary of AH; Shana Tova postcard from AH; newspaper clippings of obituaries of family members; AH membership fee statements, a copy of the speech written by Bill Gladstone for a book launch, copy of an invitation to 85th anniversary of AH; a copy of AH family tree; AH meeting minutes; lists of AH Philanthropic Fund donations; AH schedule of breakfasts and AH membership lists. Also included is a book commemorating the 75th anniversary of Congregation B'nai Israel in London, ON; a signed copy of "From Rags to Riches" by Dr. Max M Glassman; a signed copy of "My Ninety Years: Confessions of a 14-Year-Old High School Dropout" a biography by Max Beder; a copy of "Borrowed Time : The Life of Russell Norman Gladstone 1918-1988" by Bill Gladstone; a photo of the Gladstone family; an original oil painting of the Kiever synagogue by an unknown artist.

Descriptive Notes: 2 books have been moved to the OJA library: "From Rags to Riches", the autobiography of Dr. Max M. Glassman and "Borrowed Time" by Gill Gladstone.; Related Material Note: See also 1988-2-9; 2011-6-3; 2016-2-1; 2016-2-15; 2018-7-3; 2019-4-5; 2020-1-6; 2020-2-5.

Source: Archival Accessions

Posluns family [textual record] – 1927-1984, predominant 1927-1947.

Accession Number: 2021-11-21

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-11-21

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 13 cm of textual records

Date: 1927-1984, predominant 1927-1947

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material documenting the Posluns family. Included are letters to Sam Posluns written in 1927, when Sam was in New York; letters to Sam Poslun written in 1947, when he was in Europe with the Tailor Project; miscellaneous newspaper articles; and a 1984 Negev Dinner book. Of note is a letter addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Posluns from Abby Fuhrman, whose son, David Fuhrman, went to live with the Posluns during the Second World War.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Subjects: Families; World War, 1939-1945

Name Access: Posluns (family); Posluns, Samuel, 1910-1994

Places: Europe; New York (N.Y.).

Source: Archival Accessions

Bill Gladstone [textual record, graphic material] – 1832-2017.

Accession Number: 2021-12-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-12-1

Material Format: textual record; graphic material

Physical Description: ca. 25 cm of textual records; 15 photographs : b&w and col. ; 20 x 26 cm and smaller

Date: 1832-2017

Scope and Content: Accession consists of the research files of Bill Gladstone. The materials document Bill’s research on various aspects of the Jewish history of Toronto and Canada and are sourced from a variety of newspapers, books, and archival repositories. Most of the newspaper clippings and copies of clippings are from the Canadian Jewish News, Toronto Star, the National Post, and the Globe and Mail; and the copies of archival documents are mainly from the Archives of Ontario, the City of Toronto Archives, and the Ontario Jewish Archives.; Included are Bill’s newspaper articles; documents relating to Bill’s books and a publishing house that Bill established in 2008 named Now and Then Books; genealogy research materials and notes; copies of early Toronto maps; copies of articles written by Ben Kayfetz; research materials documenting Toronto local synagogues such as the Holy Blossom Temple, Goel Tzedec Synagogue, First Narayever Congregation, and McCaul St. Synagogue (Beth Hamidrash Hagadol); copies of Canadian Moving Picture Digest and Canadian Film Weekly that document the accomplishments of Jews in the Canadian film industry; and research materials pertaining to Russian Jews, Yiddish theatres and opera houses, religious education in public schools, and the history of the Jews in Toronto and Canada in general. Also included are research documents relating to Toronto Jewish neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market, The Junction, The Ward, and Bathurst Manor; and materials documenting Toronto local Jewish businesses, organizations, families, and individuals.; Accession also contains a small number of photographs that Bill took or collected during his research, most of which feature the Holy Blossom Temple, Temple Beth Israel (Macon, Georgia), and Congregation Mickve Israel (Savannah, Georgia).

Administrative History: Bill Gladstone is a researcher, journalist, author, publisher, and genealogist living in Toronto. He has written and edited numerous books on Canadian Jewish history and is a frequent contributor to the Canadian Jewish News, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and other publications. He is often asked to give community presentations on a variety of topics related to the history of Jewish Toronto. In 2008, Bill established a publishing company named Now and Then Books. Bill is the former president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto and book review editor for Avotaynu, the international journal of Jewish genealogy.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes: Titles of files were transcribed from their original formal titles; for files that do not bear formal titles, supplied titles were given based on file contents.

Subjects: Genealogists; Authors; Journalists

Name Access: Gladstone, Bill

Places: Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Louise Rotman [graphic material] – 1927,1937.

Accession Number: 2021-12-5

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2021-12-5

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 25 x 70 cm; 1 photograph : b&w ; 37 x 58 cm

Date: 1927,1937

Scope and Content: Accession consists of two photographs documenting the 1927 B'nai Brith Grand Lodge No. 1 convention and the 1927 sixth national convention of the Federation of Young Judaea of Canada, which was held in Toronto.; The B'nai Brith Grand Lodge No 1 Convention took place on 23 May 1937 at the Hotel Statler. Identified in the photograph is Dr. Nicholas Sole and Bertha Minden Sole, the parents of Louise Sole Rotman. The photograph is by Famous Studio, photographer Bob Hauser.; Sole Family history book entitled "Sole Family Legacy Book." The book was created by the donor's daughter, Tami Martino (née Rotman), and is compiled from the collections of all the families across Canada and the United States. We all share a common ancestry, descended from Joseph Nuszen and Regina (Berman Sole), who came to Canada from Hungary. It covers 150 years of our collective history down Joseph Nuszen Sole's line, 6 generations, and every family member is represented to the publishing date (2009). Additional information is provided for 55 family members down the maternal (Regina Berman's) line. Her father was a Rabbi, and most of that side did not get out of Hungary and they perished in the Holocaust, their names are all provided. For those of us whose descendants came to Canada, we have families involved in numerous professions and contributing to the vibrant Jewish life in Canada in many ways.

Administrative History: Louise Rotman (née Sole) was born in 1942 in Hamilton, Ontario. She is the daughter of Dr. Nicholas Sole (1901–1971), who emigrated from Kisvárda, Hungary in 1927, and Bertha Minden (née Sole, 1909–1994), who emigrated from Zhytomyr, Russia with her family in 1911. Her brother was Dr. Mickey Sole (1938–2018). From the age of a teenager, she was involved as a volunteer for Jewish organizations and assisting as a fundraiser for the United Jewish Appeal. She was a treasurer of the Temple Youth Group and a secretary of the Senior Youth Council. Later, as an adult, she was treasurer of the Hamilton Jewish Community Centre, chair of the Camp Committee, treasurer of the UJA Federation, president of B'nai B'rith Women Hamilton chapter, president of the Deborah Sisterhood of Temple Anshe Sholom, and the first female president of the oldest Reform synagogue in Canada: Temple Anshe Sholom. She continued to watch over the temple's finances for twenty-one years. Louise graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of science degree and married Laurence Rotman (1937–2021). She had a short teaching career at Westdale Secondary School before the birth of her children: Tami Martino (née Rotman), Mark Rotman, and Rachelle McGurrin (née Rotman). She has six grandchildren. She was a stay-at-home mom for thirteen years, and later returned to McMaster University, where she received a master of business administration degree and designation as a chartered accountant from the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants. She specialized in taxation (mainly in corporate tax planning) and US and Canadian personal tax for a forty-year career, twenty-four of which were spent at MacGillivray Partners in Hamilton. During this period, she assisted the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, marking their uniform final exam, and the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants, marking the provincial tax exams. She retired from public practice in 2007. After retirement, Louise maininted her involvement in the Hamilton Jewish community as captain for the United Jewish Appeal and a permanent board member of Temple Anshe Sholom.; Laurence Rotman was born in 1937 in Toronto, Ontario. He was the son of Hyman Rotman and Adele Rotman (née Kaplan). His sister was Marcia Levy (née Rotman). As a youth, he was president of AZA, a youth-led fraternity for Jewish teenagers and the male wing of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. He was also involved in Young Judaea. In addition, Laurence was involved in the Gamma lota Beta Fraternity in high school and was frosh president at Waterloo Lutheran. In later years, he played major roles in the Jewish community. Some of the highlights were that he was president of B'nai B'rith Hamilton and a past recipient honoree of the State of Israel Bonds. When he and Louise co-chaired the State of Israel bond dinner in 1971, they raised $167,000, which (adjusted for inflation) is equivalent to $1.2 million in 2021. He also led a very eclectic business career. A mainstay business was always Reco Distributors and Mfg. Ltd. He also worked on the board of directors for Creative Arts, as Heart Fund publicity chair, and he was director of sales and marketing for the public company Lawn-A-Mat Chemical and Equipment. He was also a co-owner of Feathers Restaurant, a dinner-and-dancing club in Hamilton, which he described as one of his favourite businesses to run. He was a life master in bridge.

Use Conditions: Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.

Subjects: Congresses and conventions

Name Access: B'nai B'rith. New York Lodge No. 1 (New York, N.Y.); Federation of Young Judaea of Canada

Places: New York (N.Y.).; Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Adelman family [textual record, graphic material] – [ca. 1913]-1923.

Accession Number: 2022-2-2

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-2-2

Material Format: textual record; graphic material

Physical Description: 8 photographs : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm or smaller; 1 folder of textual records

Date: [ca. 1913]-1923

Scope and Content: Accession consists of 8 photographs and three letters addressed to Fannie Adelman from Berul Sugarman, as well as one recital program. The photographs depict:; A young child, dressed in white, standing on a large chair and holding and violin and bow, likely Abie Sugarman; An unknown child in a dark sweater with two buttons on the shoulder, standing in front of a small table holding a violin at his side.; A head-and-shoulders shot of a young man, likely Abie Sugarman, perhaps about age 8 or 9. A note in pencil on the back of this photo reads "A MERRY XMAS GREET your father and mother and sister"; A portrait of Abie Sugarman, perhaps about age 10 or 11, holding his violin as if to play, standing beside a seated gentleman who might be his instructor Broadus Farmer; A full-length portrait of Abie Sugarman holding his violin as if to play, about age 13; A portrait of Abie Sugarman standing with his violin tucked under his right arm and his bow hanging from his right hand, about age 13. There is a ring visible on his right hand; A small head-and-shoulders photo of Abie Sugarman, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties; A portrait of Fannie Adelman, taken in 1923 when she was 13 or 14, about two years after these letters were written to her.; The other items are: the programme of a recital given at The Hambourg Conservatory Recital Hall on Tuesday June 21, 1921; a partial letter from Abie Sugarman to Fannie Adelman, dated June 29, 1921; a two-page letter from Abie Sugarman to Fannie Adelman, undated; a four-page letter from Abie Sugarman to Fannie Adelman, undated; a stamped empty envelope. It is believed by the donor that at least one of these letters was in this envelope, and delivered by hand despite the stamp. All three letters were send from 240 Dundas St. West, where the Sugarman family was living at the time.

Administrative History: Berul Sugarman (Abram Berul Sugarman) was born to Jacob (Jake) and Annie (Starkman) Sugarman on 28 May 1908, in Toronto, where he lived for most but not all of his life. The Sugarman family appears to have lived briefly in Welland; the Welland directory for 1919 includes a listing for "Jake Sugarman, restaurant, west side of Main Street, house same." This would have been when Abie (he began calling himself "Berul" later in life; he went by "Abie" in his younger years) met Fannie Adelman, older daughter of Joseph Adelman and Baila (Moschiach, anglicised to Miller). Fannie was born in Montreal in 1909 and moved to Welland with her parents and younger sister Minnie sometime after 1915.

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

Subjects: Musicians; Letters; Portraits

Name Access: Sugarman, Abram Berul, 1908-1982

Places: Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Morris Rose [graphic material] – [19--].

Accession Number: 2022-3-4

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-3-4

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 4 photographs : b&w and col. ; 34 x 34 cm or smaller

Date: [19--]

Scope and Content: Accession consists of four photographs of Morris "Murray" Rose. Three of the four photographs show Murray atop horse. In addition to M. Rose, Mrs. J Chesney (owner) and J. Chesny (trainer) are also identified in the 1929 photograph.

Custodial History: The photographs were donated by Roz Tobias, the daughter-in-law of Morris Rose (the subject of the photographs).

Administrative History: Morris "Murray" Rose was born in Poland and came to Toronto as a child. His love of riding dates back to this time: at the age of ten, he would ride his grandfather's horse up and down the lanes of Kensington. Rose never completed secondary school; instead, he ran away from home at the age of fourteen and became a stable boy at the Woodbine Racetrack. Subsequently, he became a jockey. The high point of his career came on 23 May 1931, when, at the Churchill Downs Racetrack in Kentucky, he ran five winners in a six-card race. Rose retired from riding horses after sustaining a serious head injury during a race.; After retiring from racing, Rose worked at a textile store on College Street. Later, he opened his own store on the south side of College Street at Spadina Avenue. He and his wife ran the store for many years with one or two employees. Rose eventually purchased the building in which his store was located and rented out space to a variety of businesses, including a smoke and confectionary store, a ticket agency, and an eyeglass store.; Rose's entrepreneurial activity extended to purchasing bankrupt businesses and building apartment buildings with a group of friends. In the 1960s, he was a co-partner in Triangle Billiards at Bathurst Sreet and Sheppard Avenue. He also purchased a fifty-acre farm in Buttonville on Woodbine Avenue, which he rented out until his death.; Rose died in July 1989 at the age of seventy-eight. He left behind a wife, Mary; two sons, Bobby and Ken; two daughters, Marjorie Swartz and Elaine Rubinoff; two sisters, Lil and Rae; a brother, Sam; fourteen grand children; and one great-grandchild.

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

Descriptive Notes: Availability of other formats: Also available as digital images.; General note: The information for the biographical sketch was taken from an obituary written by Ben Rose titled "Leading Jockey Rose Dies at 78."

Subjects: Horses; Jockeys

Source: Archival Accessions

Mooney Stitt [graphic material, textual record, object] – [ca. 1900]-[ca. 1943].

Accession Number: 2022-3-11

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-3-11

Material Format: graphic material; textual record; object

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records; ca. 200 photographs (15 negatives): b&w ; 25 x 20 cm or smaller; 1 small metal pendant

Date: [ca. 1900]-[ca. 1943]

Scope and Content: Accession consists of photographs, textual records, and an artifact relating to or collected by Mooney Stitt. Textual records include receipts, correspondence, immigration documents, a trademark certificate issued by the United States Patent Office, material related to Mooney’s municipal election in Sioux Lookout, and Mooney’s British Columbia free miner’s certificate. Photographs make up the majority of this accession, featuring Mooney’s family and personal life. Also included is a small metal pendant with Russian inscriptions.

Custodial History: Records were in the possession of Peter Marcovitz’s mother, Lillian Averson, until her death in 1965. Since then, the records have been stored possibly in the family house until being found and gifted to the Ontario Jewish Archives in 2021 by Peter and his wife, Joyce Borenstein.

Administrative History: Mooney Stitt (1904-1943), also known as Munya Studnitz, was born in 1904 in Poland to Simcha Studnitz and Miriam Woyler. He might also be referred to as Chaim Studnic or Hiame Studnitz. Mooney had four siblings: David, Dina (Dinah/Diana), Dora, and Miron. In 1923, Mooney and Dina Studnitz immigrated to Canada from Poland under the sponsorship of their uncle, Nathan Stitt, who resided in the City of Fort William (now Thunder Bay) and had a clothing store named Stitt & Sons. Mooney and Dina lived in the City of Lemberg (now Lviv) before moving to Canada. By taking the ship Laconia, Mooney landed in Halifax in 1923; then he made his way to Thunder Bay and started working on a farm of David J. Piper in the Township of Paipoonge. Later, he moved to Sioux Lookout, where he presented himself in a municipal election. Mooney relocated to Montreal in the mid-1930s and founded a company called Canadian Art Studios, which manufactured silk scarves. In 1939, he married Lillian Averson (1916-1965). It is possible that Lillian also helped him operate the business. On March 13, 1943, Mooney passed away of heart ailments in Montreal. Upon his death, one of Lillian’s brothers-in-law joined the company, and a children’s wear division was launched shortly afterwards. The company ceased manufacturing scarves in the early 1950s and grew into a successful children’s wear manufacturer under the name Tam O’Shanter (spelling uncertain). Lillian was bought out by her brother-in-law in the late 1950s. The company finally ceased operating in the late 1980s. Mooney and Lillian did not have children together. In 1945, Lillian married her second husband, Joel Marcovitz. Peter Marcovitz was born in 1947 to Lillian and Joel.

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: Availability of other formats: photographs and documents have been scanned and are available in PDF, TIF, and JPG formats.; LANGUAGE NOTE: A small number of records are in Russian and Polish.; RELATED MATERIAL NOTE: See accession 2008-7-13 and OH 308 for additional information on the Stitt family and the Stitt & Sons clothing store.

Subjects: Families

Name Access: Stitt, Mooney, 1904-1943

Places: Fort William (Ont.); Sioux Lookout (Ont.); Thunder Bay (Ont.); Montréal (Québec); Poland

Source: Archival Accessions

Max and Dorothy Lieff [graphic material, textual record] – 1895-[ca. 1979].

Accession Number: 2022-5-21

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-5-21

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records; ca. 50 photographs : b&w and col. ; 26 x 20 cm or smaller

Date: 1895-[ca. 1979]

Scope and Content: Accession consists of textual records and photographs relating to Dorothy Lieff (née Brovender) and the Pierce and Brovender families. Textual records include Charles Pierce’s naturalization documents; a short message from William Lyon Mackenzie King to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pierce; a ketubah of Rebecca (Becky) Pierce and Maurice Brovender; newspaper clippings documenting the fire in Charles’ store building; Dorothy’s birth certificate and high school entrance certificate; correspondence and messages to Dorothy and Max Lieff; and material relating to Dorothy and Max Lieff’s marriage, including two marriage certificates, a wedding book, wedding greeting cards, and a Canada forest certificate issued by Jewish National Fund of Canada as a wedding gift. Photographs feature Dorothy and Max Lieff and the Pierce and Brovender families.

Custodial History: Records were in the possession of Dorothy Lieff's nephew, Norman Lieff, until being gifted to the Ontario Jewish Archives on May 26, 2022.

Administrative History: Dorothy Lieff (née Brovender) (1922-2019) was born in 1922 to Rebecca (Becky) Pierce and Morris (Maurice) Brovender. Rebecca and Morris got married in 1917 in Timmins, Ontario. Dorothy had two siblings: Jack and Shirley. Rebecca was born to Charles and Jennie Pierce and had a brother named David Pierce. Charles owned a general store in South Porcupine.; Dorothy married Max Lieff (1911-2002) in 1957.

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

Subjects: Families

Places: Timmins (Ont.); Ottawa (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Pearl Freedhoff [textual record, graphic material, object] – 1922-1997.

Accession Number: 2022-7-6

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-7-6

Material Format: textual record; graphic material; object

Physical Description: ca. 8 cm of textual records; 25 photographs : b&w and col. ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller; 1 medal : bronze

Date: 1922-1997

Scope and Content: Accession consists of textual records, photographs, and a bronze Shekel Medal for Israel’s twenty-fifth anniversary, most of which document Pearl Freedhoff and her Jewish communal and public service activities.; Textual records include public speeches, handwritten notes and short writing pieces, invitation and greeting cards, correspondence, materials relating to the sisterhoods of Beth Tzedec and Goel Tzedec synagogues, Pearl’s 1940 National Registration certificate, materials documenting the Ontario Bicentennial Award and dinner, and the 1981 royal tour of Canada, newspaper clippings relating to Pearl’s Jewish communal and public service activities, and an advertisement that Pearl made for Lido Spa. Also included are newsletters, magazines, and bulletins, which document Pearl’s experience in wedding consultation and her active involvement in Toronto Hadassah-WIZO and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Jewish Home for the Aged; and travel itineraries and promotional materials for Israel and the Orient trips, which were issued by Toronto Hadassah-WIZO, B’nai Brith, and travel agencies they were in co-operation with. Textual records also include a small number of bulletins and magazines as well as a twenty-fifth anniversary book of Baycrest men’s service group, which document the accomplishments of Pearl’s husband, Dr. Samuel Freedhoff.; Photographs feature the Goel Tzedec Sisterhood, trips to Israel organized by Toronto Hadassah-WIZO, the wedding of Linda Greene (Lorne Greene’s daughter), and various social and political events that Pearl attended.; Accession also includes a bronze Shekel Medal for Israel’s twenty-fifth anniversary. It was presented to Pearl to commemorate her inscription as a governor of the Haifa Community College.

Custodial History: Records were in the possession of Judith Golden, Pearl's daughter, until being gifted to the Ontario Jewish Archives on 14 July 2022.

Administrative History: Pearl Freedhoff (née Narrol) (1906-1997) was born on 17 September 1906 in Toronto to Harry Narrol and Esther Narrol (née Newman). She had four siblings: Albert, Gertie, Hilda (m. Spivak), and Mendell (died as infant). Pearl married Dr. Samuel Osias Freedhoff (1903–1973) in 1927 and had two children: Stephen and Judith. Samuel was the son of Harry Freedhoff and Molli Freedhoff (née Bohnen). Pearl graduated from the University of Toronto, School of Social Work, and Samuel graduated from the School of Dentistry. Both were members of Goel Tzedec Synagogue, with Pearl serving as sisterhood president from 1949 to 1950 and Samuel as president of the men's club in 1952.; Pearl was an active member of the Jewish community and served on executives and boards in many Jewish communal organizations, including the Canadian Hadassah-WIZO Toronto Centre, the sisterhoods of Goel Tzedec and Beth Tzedec Synagogues, and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Jewish Home for the Aged. She had a political interest in the Progressive Conservative Party and was active in federal and provincial politics; she served on the boards of the Victorian Order of Nurses and Ontario Housing Commission and was included in special dinners such as dinners for the royal family. In addition, she had an outstanding reputation as a bridal and bar-mitzvah counsellor for over thirty years. In 1984, she was awarded the Ontario Bicentennial Medal in honour of her contributions to the community at large.; Pearl passed away on 18 December 1997.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Subjects: Politicians

Name Access: Freedhoff, Pearl, 1906-1997

Places: Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Forberg and Michalowicz families [textual record, graphic material, sound recording, object] – 1920-2013.

Accession Number: 2022-7-10

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-7-10

Material Format: textual record; graphic material; sound recording; object

Physical Description: ca. 9 cm of textual records; 186 photographs : b&w and col. ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller; 1 album (197 photographs) ; 34 x 25 cm; 1 audio cassette : 1/8 in.; 1 identification tag : metal ; 5 x 5 cm

Date: 1920-2013

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records documenting the Forberg and Michaels (Michalowitz) families. They include family histories, Holocaust documentation, and records pertaining to Bathurst Manor. Accession also includes 186 photographs documenting ancestors, family life, and family celebrations from the early 20th century to the early 2000s, including life in the DP camps and Bathurst Manor, and an album containing 197 photographs documenting Honey and Esther Forberg's 1967 trip to Israel. Additional records include Syma Forberg's metal Jewish identification tag, tributes to the Forberg family, Esther Forberg's school history project, Henry and Pola Michaels' funeral records, among others.

Custodial History: Records were donated by Esther Michaels, David and Syma's daughter, Harry and Pola's daughter-in-law.

Administrative History: David Berel Forberg was born in Czestochowa, Poland, on 1 February 1922. From 1939 to 1942, he lived in the Czestochowa Ghetto, where he worked as a manual labourer and painter. Syma Jurkowska was born in Opatow, Poland, on 5 August 1924. From 1939 to 1942, she lived in the Opatow Ghetto, where she made brushes in a factory and cleaned Gestapo homes and the post office. David and Syma met at the Polish labour camp Hasag-Palcery, where they worked at an ammunitions factory. After the war, they were placed in a DP camp in Lampertheim, Germany, where they got married on 11 September 1947. In July 1948, they left the German DP camp after three years and immigrated to Canada, via Quebec. They had two children, Joseph (born 19 June 1946 in Mannheim, Germany) and Honey Sarah (born 16 January 1948 in Lampertheim, Germany). They had been sponsored by Syma's uncle Cheil Slavny, who lived in Toronto. David and Syma rented rooms in their home, while David worked as an upholsterer and Syma babysat. In the early 1950s, they started making chairs and tables, which they delivered on the streetcar. David and Syma's younger children, Esther and Billy Avraham, were born in Toronto on 23 May 1949 and 26 Sep. 1952, respectively. David died on 9 October 2011. Syma died on 9 April 2021.; Harry Michaels (Hersz Michalowicz) was born in Kalisz, Poland, on 26 May 1918. Pola Lewkowicz was born in Zagorow, Poland, on 28 August 1916. By the end of the Second World War, they were living in the Soviet Union, where their first son, Julius (Jozef) was born, in the city of Gelendzhik, on 8 May 1945. After the war, they lived in Jawor, Poland, before resettling at the Steyr DP camp, in Austria, where their second son, Albert (Abram) was born, on 22 April 1947. In 1948, the family immigrated to Canada, arriving via Halifax on 1 October of that year. In Toronto, Harry worked as a furniture merchant. He died on 27 Sep. 1997. Pola died on 23 Apr. 2003.; David and Syma's daughter Esther married Harry and Pola's son Albert.

Use Conditions: Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA Director prior to accessing the records.

Subjects: Holocaust survivors; Families

Source: Archival Accessions

Sydney and Miriam Bendahan [multiple media] – 1890-2002, predomintant 1956-1977.

Accession Number: 2022-8-3

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-8-3

Material Format: multiple media

Physical Description: 6 cm of textual records and other material

Date: 1890-2002, predomintant 1956-1977

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records documenting the Bendahan and Corcos families, specifically Sydney and Miriam Bendahan (née Corcos), including immigration documents, Corcos family history, Corcos family tree, Sydney's CV and letters of recommendation written on his behalf, among others. Includes records documenting the Magen David Sephardic Congregation, speeches and reference material documenting Sephardic history and the Sephardic community in Canada, oral history tapes recorded by Sydney and Raphael Bendahan for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario (including reports of the interviews), records related to Miriam's career as a fashion designer, and a CBC interview from "Identities".; Interviewees include: A. Bechetrit; Corcos; Bitton; Arnold Oro; Sol Hamouth; Mr. and Mrs. J. Benaim; Benzacar; De Pinto; J. Cohen; Perez; Nahman; Kuessous; and Moryoussef.

Administrative History: Sydney David Bendahan was born on 1 Nov. 1919 in Gibraltar, the son of Raphael and Esther (née Benabu). He was a descendant of a distinguished Sephardic family who immigrated to Gibraltar from Spain over 300 years ago. His father was a civil servant with the British government for many years. Sydney was fluent in English, French, and Spanish, having received formal education in the three languages. He served with the security services of the British armed forces during the Second World War. After the war, he served with the International Police in Tangier and later was a Special Investigator for the United States Air Force in North Africa. He married Miriam in Tangier, and the couple relocated to Casablanca. They had two sons: Raphael and Mark. The family immigrated to Toronto in Mar. 1957, and for a number of years Sydney headed Dominion Furniture Ltd. He was a member of the board of the Canadian Jewish Congress - Central Region, president of the Association sépharade in Toronto, president of Magen David Sephardic Congregation, and one of the founders of the Canadian Sephardic Federation. He died on 18 Dec. 1979 and was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, in North York.; Miriam (Mimi) Bendahan (née Corcos) was born on 25 Oct. 1923 in Mogador, French Morocco (present-day Essaouira, Morocco), the daughter of Albert and Oro (née Hamouth).

Use Conditions: Conditional Use. Researchers must receive permission from the donor prior to publication. Please contact the OJA for more information.

Descriptive Notes: Physical Description note: Contains 6 cm of textual records, 27 audio cassettes (ca. 24 hr., 34 min.), 1 photograph (b&w ; 8 x 12 cm), 1 family tree (60 x 90 cm), and 4.28 GB of electronic records.

Subjects: Sephardim; Jews, Moroccan

Name Access: Bendahan, Sydney, 1919-1979; Bendahan, Miriam, 1923-; Magen David Sephardic Congregation

Places: Morocco; Tangier (Morocco); Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Nate Leipciger [textual record, graphic material, graphic material (electronic)] – [1923]-2021.

Accession Number: 2022-8-7

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2022-8-7

Material Format: textual record; graphic material; graphic material (electronic)

Physical Description: 30 cm of textual records and graphic material

Date: [1923]-2021

Scope and Content: Accession consists of photo albums: two family albums, one album titled "Auschwitz: Back to life", one album titled "Journey to Warsaw" in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and one album titled "Poland" documenting Nate's trip to Poland with his son Cary in 1990. The trip was an invitation to the Second Conference of the International Advisory Committee on the Future of Auschwitz. Nate attended as one of 28 representatives from around the world as a delegate of the Canadian Jewish Congress. Also included are textual records that document Nate Leipciger's family and life in displaced persons camps and immigration to Canada and life in Canada post-Holocaust. Also included are records related to Nate's involvement with the March of the Living and the Holocaust Centre in Toronto, as well as clippings, correspondence, speeches and writings, etc.

Administrative History: Nate Leipciger was born in Chorzów, Poland, in 1928. He survived the Sosnowiec Ghetto and the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Funfteichen, GrossRosen, Flossenberg, Leonberg, and Dachau. Nate and his father were liberated in May 1945, and immigrated to Canada in 1948. In Toronto Nate attended Harbord Collegiate and eventually obtained a university degree in engineering. He later established an engineering firm with several partners. In 1982, Nate chaired the Toronto Holocaust Remembrance Committee, later becoming an executive member of the Canadian Jewish Congress National Holocaust Remembrance Committee. Nate was a member of the International Council to the Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau for fifteen years and has been an educator on March of the Living trips to Poland and Israel for fifteen years. In 2015, The Azrieli Foundation published Nate's 280-page memoir "The Weight of Freedom" as part of their series of Holocaust memoirs by survivors in Canada. In 2016, Mr. Leipciger guided Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Descriptive Notes: SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: Album of Nate's trip to Poland is in digital format only. The original album was returned to the donor at his request.

Subjects: Holocaust survivors

Name Access: Leipciger, Nate, 1928-

Source: Archival Accessions

Harvey Freeman [graphic material, textual record] – 1914-1996.

Accession Number: 2023-1-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-1-1

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder textual records; 7 photographs : b&w and col. ; 22 x 28 cm or smaller

Date: 1914-1996

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material documenting Harvey Freeman. Included are seven photographs (both black and white and colour) and a small number of textual records.; The first photograph, possibly taken in the 1940s, shows the workers of the Model Fur Co., which was located on Adelaide Street West; Morris Freeman is shown in the front centre. The second photograph, possibly taken in the 1960s, shows Max Schecter, Lord Samuel, Harvey Freeman, and Phil Givens at the mayor's office. The third photograph is a group portrait, taken in 1914, of Morris Freeman and other members of the military arsenal in Austria. The fourth photograph, date unknown, shows Harvey Freeman with a bag pipe. The fifth photograph is a family portrait in which the following individuals are identified: Abe Brown, Leah Brown, Rose Brown, Sidney Brown, Morris Freeman, Abe Golden, Fradel Goldman, and Sam Golden. The sixth photograph, taken in 1948, shows F/Sgt. Harvey Freeman at Camp Borden. The seventh photograph, taken in 1996, shows Harvey Freeman with bagpipes at the opening of Darchei Noam's new chapel.; Also included are newspaper clippings; meeting minutes of the 63rd Semi-Annual Conference of the Eastern Canadian Council, B'nai Brith, which was held in Ottawa, Ontario, in November 1955; volume 1, number 4 of the Sheaf. Annotated on the October 1943 issue of the Sheaf, published by the employees of Canadian Breweries Limited, is the following: “uncle Lou’s picture here on page 9.” Annotation refers to a photograph of Lou Krugel selling victory bonds in 1916 from the steps of Toronto’s city hall.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Name Access: Freeman, Harvey

Source: Archival Accessions

Gilbert Seltzer [textual record] – [19--].

Accession Number: 2023-2-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-2-1

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records; 1 photograph : b&w ; 34 x 29 cm

Date: [19--]

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material that belonged to the late Gilbert Seltzer. Included are handwritten copies of a Camp Yungvelt paper, the Whoosis, and a photograph of a Yiddish youth group, the Yiddisher Kunst-Tsenter (Yiddish/Jewish Art Centre). The Whoosis issues are undated, while the photograph is from 1929/30.

Custodial History: Richard Seltzer discovered the material after his father's death and donated it to the Ontario Jewish Archives.

Administrative History: Gilbert Seltzer was born on 11 October 1914 in Toronto, Ontario, to Julius Seltzer and Marion Seltzer (née Liss). Gilbert's parents were both Russian immigrants. Julius owned a knitting mill, and Marion was a homemaker. Julius was also an anarchist, and he and Marion had a cottage in the Workmen's Circle Colony in Pickering, Ontario. As a child, Gilbert attended Camp Yungvelt, a Yiddish summer camp for Jewish children. His son, Richard, would later recall that Gilbert "sang songs from there and vaguely spoke of the Whosis," the camp's publication.; Gilbert studied architecture at the University of Toronto, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1937. After graduating, he worked for an architectural firm in Manhattan. During the Second World War, he served with the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a secret army unit that would become known as the Ghost Army. According to Gilbert's obituary in the New York Times, "The unit fooled German forces with inflatable tanks, dummy airplanes, fake radio transmissions and sound effects." In later years, Gilbert would serve as an ambassador for the unit's veterans.; After the war, Gilbert resumed work as an architect. His projects included the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, New York; buildings at West Point and the US Merchant Marine Academy; and the East Coast Memorial in Battery Park, Lower Manhattan. He worked as an architect until January 2020.; Gilbert met his future spouse, Molly Gold (m. Seltzer), in New Jersey. The couple had two children together: Joan Seltzer and Richard Seltzer. Molly died in 1994, and Gilbert died on 14 August 2021. He was 106.

Use Conditions: Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.

Subjects: Architects; Camps; Portraits, Group

Name Access: Camp Yungvelt; Seltzer, Gilbert, 1914-2021

Places: Ontario

Source: Archival Accessions

Andre Rosenbaum [textual record, graphic material] – [ca. 1890]-2016.

Accession Number: 2023-2-8

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-2-8

Material Format: textual record; graphic material

Physical Description: ca. 18 cm of textual records; 207 photographs : b&w and col. ; 28 x 32 cm or semaller

Date: [ca. 1890]-2016

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records related to Clara and Sándor Rosenbaum, and their extended families. Included are documents and photographs documenting their lives in Hungary prior to the Holocaust, as well as their lives after immigrating to Tangier and, subsequently, Canada. Also includes Holocaust accounts and restitution papers, immigration documents, vital documents, correspondence, paper money, a late 19th- or early 20th-century prayer book, and a book of Shabbat songs.

Administrative History: Clara (Klára) Szabó was born in Bölcske on 28 Nov. 1920, the daughter of local lawyer Imre Szabó (born on 2 Jun. 1893 in Bölcske) and Vilma Szabó (née Stern, born in Bölcske in 1892). She had three siblings: Elizabeth (Erzsébet), born on 30 Dec. 1913; Anna, born on 10 Jan. 1915; and András, born on 5 Dec. 1916. The family lived in Paks, where she spent most of her youth. She went to elementary school in Paks, but moved to Budapest in 1935 to attend boarding school, returning to Paks in 1939. Her father committed suicide on 3 Mar. 1940. She married Sándor Rosenbaum in Paks on 14 Jan. 1941. While visiting her sister in Békéscsaba, the whole family were deported to Auschwitz: Clara, her mother, her brother, her two sisters, and her two-year-old niece. From Auschwitz, Clara and her sister Elizabeth were sent to Ravensbrück, and from there to Neustadt bei Coburg, where they worked as forced labourers at a Siemens factory. The rest of her family were killed in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. On 15 Apr. 1945, Clara and Elizabeth escaped from a forced march and headed towards the American advance. After the war, Clara and her husband reunited, and in 1946 relocated to Tangier, where Sándor's brother, Nikolas, had been living since 1940. There, they had two children: André (born on 27 Aug. 1949) and Anique (born on 1 Oct. 1950). They lived there until 1956, when the family relocated to Montreal. There, she was the president of the Dayan Chapter of Hadassah-WIZO from 1980 to 1982. She moved to Toronto in 1997 to be closer to her children. Clara died on 6 Feb. 2016 in Toronto.; Sándor (Alexander) Rosenbaum was born in Paks on 28 Jul. 1906, the son of Mihály (Michael) Rosenbaum (merchant, born on 1875 or 1876) and Regina Freund (1882-1932). He had three siblings: Hedvig (married to Oskar Barotti), Sari (married to Zoltan Barotti), and Nikolas. During the war, from May 1943 to Sep. 1943, he served at the Jewish labour service squadron No. 104/3, in Budapest, at the post office No. 70 labour service. The squadron was then moved to the Carpathians, and Sándor worked as a farm labourer in the region. He served as a yellow armband labour serviceman in the Carpathians until the end of Oct. 1944. He escaped from the labour camp with a friend, hiding in the Carpathian forests for a few weeks. After the war, Sándor changed his last name to Rostás to sound more Hungarian, later changing it back to Rosenbaum. He immigrated with his wife Clara to Tangier, and later to Montreal with their two kids, having worked most of his life as a businessman. He died in Montreal on 6 Jul. 1987 and was buried at Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery in Outremont.

Subjects: Holocaust survivors; Families

Name Access: Rosenbaum, Clara (Klára), 1920-2016; Rosenbaum, Alexander (Sándor), 1906-1987

Places: Hungary; Tangier (Morocco); Montréal (Québec); Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Judith Cohen [textual record, object, text, philatelic record] – [ca. 1910]-2013.

Accession Number: 2023-2-2

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-2-2

Material Format: textual record; object; text; philatelic record

Physical Description: 10 cm of textual records; 1 sheet of postage stamps; 8 artifacts; 1 prayer book; 1 plaque; 8 photographs : b&w and col ; 10 x 18 cm or smaller

Date: [ca. 1910]-2013

Scope and Content: Accession consists of two scrapbooks containing emails, letters of thanks, articles and program materials related to Judith's various speaking engagements and presentations as a survivor speaker. Also included are eight photos of family members, a prayer book, plaque, a spice box and eight kiddush cups, two certificates affirming completion of English language courses at McGill University, two certificates of recognition of commitment to Holocaust Education from the Ontario Government and the Government of Canada, one sheet of stamps remembering the Holocaust issued by Canada Post, and a labour discharge certificate from the Tailor's Immigration project.

Administrative History: Judith Cohen was born in 1928, in Debrecen, Hungary. Cohen was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration and Death Camp, and to other labour camps. Cohen lived in a displaced persons camp in Germany following liberation where she reunited with her remaining siblings. In 1948, Cohen arrived in Canada as part of the Tailor Project, originally settling in Montreal and later moving to Toronto. She chaired the Holocaust Education Centre and is a committed Holocaust educator and speaker as well as a human rights activist.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Source: Archival Accessions

Steve Goldman [graphic material, object] – 1923-1931.

Accession Number: 2023-5-8

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-5-8

Material Format: graphic material; object

Physical Description: 1 trophy : metal, cup shape; 1 photograph : sepia ; 20 x 25 cm on matte 31 x 35 cm

Date: 1923-1931

Scope and Content: Accession consists of a 1931 JCSSL Championship trophy. The inscription on the trophy reads "J.C.S.S.L 1931 Champs. Yolles-Herzls. Pres. by Harry Tait to J. Goldman." Also included is a group photograph of the YMHA 1923–24 Midget basketball team. Individuals identified include J. Benjamin, E. Sniderman, Captain B. Goldman, Coach, Manager I. Gold, S. Ramm (top row from left); M. English, H. Lister, W. Garbe (bottom row from left). Photograph by Alexandra Studios, Toronto.

Custodial History: Material received through Steve's wife, Merle Goldman.

Use Conditions: Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.

Subjects: Sports

Places: Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Willi Holz [graphic material] – 1928-1943.

Accession Number: 2023-6-3

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-6-3

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 4 photo albums

Date: 1928-1943

Scope and Content: Accession consists of material documenting Willi Holz. Included are four photo albums that belonged to the same. The first three albums consist of photographs taken in Germany between the years 1928 and 1936. The fourth album consists of photographs taken in Germany between the years 1936 and 1939 and Canada circa 1943. The photographs primarily depict individuals (family members, friends), but street scenes, airplanes, and landscapes are also depicted.

Custodial History: Records were in the possession of Camille Norton, Willi Holz's stepdaughter, prior to Camile donating them to the Ontario Jewish Archives.

Administrative History: Willi Israel Holz was born on 6 April 1912 in Breslau, Germany (today Wroclaw, Poland). From 1919–27, he attended elementary school in the same city. Starting in 1927, he attended technical high school. In 1929, he joined the Kommunistischer Jugendverband Deutschlands (Young Communist League of Germany). In 1931, he received his electrician's license. Apart from a period of unemployment in 1932, he worked from 1931–38 with several firms, acquiring experience in electrical installations. In 1933, he lost his membership in the German Metal Workers' Union (Deutscher Metallarbeiter-Verband) on racial grounds.; In 1938, Willi was put in a Nazi concentration camp. In January 1939, he was released from the concentration camp. He nevertheless had to report to the Gestapo headquarters on a monthly basis until he was able to leave Germany. This proved difficult, as Willi tried and failed to immigrate to a number of countries, including Palestine, Bolivia, and China. (In the latter case, the Republic of China granted Willi and his mother visas, but there were no ship tickets available.) In February, Willi applied to be accepted for a transit camp for Jewish emigrants that was located in Richborough, England; in July, he was accepted. He arrived in Richborough on 8 August 1939. Willi's mother was unable to come with him.; From Richborough, Willi was moved between several locations before departing from Liverpool, England, on the SS Ettrick. He arrived in Quebec, Canada, on 13 July 1940 at Internment Camp "L." (He was interned as an enemy alien.) From there, he was transferred to Internment Camp "N" in Sherbrook. In January 1941, he was provided with an affidavit for immigration to the United States, but he was unable to enter owing to an unspecified condition. In 1942, Willi's mother was deported to eastern Europe (she died in Auschwitz). In November of that same year, Willi was transferred to yet another camp.; In February 1943, Willi was released from internment for work at Stark Electrical Instrument Co. in Toronto, Ontario. In 1944, Willi started working as foreman of the machine shop for the same company. In 1946, the plant at which Willi was working ended up moving to a different location, and Willi started work on the production line. That same year, Willi appeared before a county court judge to take the oath of allegiance. He became a Canadian citizen on 4 May 1946.; Willi died on 10 October 1979. His funeral took place at Benjamin's Park Memorial Chapel.

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: Language: Captions are in German.; Availability of other formats: Digitized material.

Subjects: Electricians; Holocaust survivors; Immigrants--Canada

Name Access: Holz, Willi, 1912-1979

Places: Canada; Germany

Source: Archival Accessions

Jewish World Relief Conference [textual record] – [1921 or later].

Accession Number: 1975-016

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1975-016

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 1 book

Date: [1921 or later]

Scope and Content: Item is a book published by the Jewish World Relief Conference that relates the story of the victims of the pogroms.

Administrative History: The Jewish World Relief Conference (JWRC) was created in August 1920 at the Conference of Carlsbad. The latter was organized by the Committee of Jewish Delegations. One hundred representatives of sixty Jewish organizations, themselves representing twenty-eight countries, were assembled. The JWRC's aim was to centralize the relief work carried out by Jewish associations.; The organization was represented by a central council, which consisted of thirty-seven members, who in turn elected twelve members to an executive committee. The latter directed the work of the JWRC. Its seat was in Paris.

Descriptive Notes: Physical condition: Fragile.

Source: Archival Accessions

Barbara Kaufman [textual record] – 1926.

Accession Number: 2023-10-6

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-10-6

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 1 book

Date: 1926

Scope and Content: Accession consists of a book named "The Jews in Canada," published by Jewish Publications Ltd. in 1926.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Subjects: Jews--Canada

Places: Canada

Source: Archival Accessions

Beta Sigma Rho [textual record, graphic material, object] – 1922-1994.

Accession Number: 2023-11-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2023-11-1

Material Format: textual record; graphic material; object

Physical Description: 18 cm of textual records; 11 photographs : col ; 10 x 15 cm or smaller; 91 slides : col ; 35 mm; 54 negatives : col. ; 35 mm

Date: 1922-1994

Scope and Content: Accession contains material related to the Beta Sigma Rho Fraternity, Eta Chapter at the University of Toronto. Included in the material is a 1922 constitution and ritual book, pledge and introduction manuals, rushing guidelines, records of initiation and interviews with pledges, programmes and invitations to annual balls, dinner dances, conventions and reunions, revenue reports, invoices and receipts, legal documents relating to the house sale and dissolution of the chapter, meeting minutes, membership lists, ETA and Grand Chapter newsletters, newspaper clippings, personal correspondence and memorabilia, photographs and slides, songbooks and correspondence. Also included is material relating to the Beta Sigma Rho Grand Chapter, New York, New York. The included object is a wooden case with a glass door, presumably used to hold information or announcements.

Custodial History: Records were in the possession of several individuals in the following order: Barney Dales, Marvin Pearl, Ed Bogolmy, Richard Stein.

Administrative History: The Beta Sigma Rho fraternity was founded in 1910 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by four Jewish veterinary students who were unable to obtain membership in existing fraternities because of their religion. Originally named Beta Samach, the purpose of the fraternity was to promote fraternal spirit and good fellowship among its members, to diffuse a liberal culture, to advance scholarship, and to further equity in college affairs. Although not formally stated in its constitution, the fraternity also served a social function allowing its members to develop friendships and to take part in social events, such as dances.; The fraternity began to expand nationally in 1914, and in 1920 the fraternity’s name was changed to Beta Sigma Rho. The fraternity expanded into Ontario in 1930 with the Eta Chapter at the University of Toronto. In 1944 a second Canadian chapter was opened at the University of Western Ontario, known as the Iota Chapter.; Membership in Beta Sigma Rho began to decline in the late 1960s, and in 1972 its national office merged with the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity for financial assistance. The chapter at Pennsylvania State University chose not to take part in the merger and became an independent fraternity under the new name Beta Sigma Beta.

Subjects: Greek letter societies

Name Access: Beta Sigma Rho Fraternity (Toronto, Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Ulrike Groppler [textual record] – 1915-1952.

Accession Number: 2024-3-11

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2024-3-11

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 1 book; 2 booklets

Date: 1915-1952

Scope and Content: Accession consists of propaganda from Nazi Germany. Included are one propaganda book book from 1935 titled "Adolf Hitler" and two booklets, one for workers and one for army members.

Custodial History: Records originally possessed by Ulrike Groppler's father. Ulrike inherited them from her parents.

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes: Language: German.

Subjects: Antisemitism; Nazis; Propaganda

Places: Germany

Source: Archival Accessions

Danson family papers [graphic material, textual record] – 1908-1990.

Accession Number: 1990-12-9

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1990-12-9

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records; 14 photographs

Date: 1908-1990

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records created and collected by the Danson family. The records include a family history written by Bertram Danson, newspaper clippings, family portraits, a marriage certificate, an obiturary, correspondence and a brochure for Camp Winnebagoe, which was run by the Danson family.; The photographs are housed in scrapbook sheets with some notations. They depict members of the Danson family

Administrative History: Barnett Danson emigrated to Canada from Russia in 1874. He returned to Russia in 1878 or 1879, divorced his wife and remarried to a Bertha Brase. Together they returned to Canada and had their first child, Rose, in 1885. The Dansons also had two sons, Joseph and Leo, who helped with their clothing and men's wear store in the west end of Toronto. There was another daughter named Flo.; The Danson family belonged to the Toronto Hebrew Congregation--later to be know as Holy Blosson Synagogue. Barnett Danson was a charter member of the Bond Street Congregation.; Bertha Danson died in 1914 and Barnett Danson died in 1919.; Joseph B. Danson, along with his wife Sadie, was the founding director of Camp Winnebagoe in Muskoska, Ontario. The camp catered to the Jewish community and provided a variety of different athletic and social programmes.; Joseph and Sadie had a son named Bertram Wolfe Danson in 1916 and two younger children named Marilyn and Barney.

Source: Archival Accessions

Danson family papers [graphic material] – [ca. 1892]-1946.

Accession Number: 1990-12-11

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1990-12-11

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 24 photographs : b&w ; 5 x 7 cm

Date: [ca. 1892]-1946

Scope and Content: Accession consists of twenty-four black-and-white photographs with negatives. The photographs are of three generations of the Danson family. Some of the photographs depict family members at home, on holiday, and in group shots with friends.; Included in the accession are photocopies of the original prints with notes indicating the names of the people, location and dates

Source: Archival Accessions

Danson family papers [graphic material] – [ca. 1903]-1946.

Accession Number: 1990-11-11

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1990-11-11

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 4 photographs : b&w (2 negatives)

Date: [ca. 1903]-1946

Scope and Content: Accession consists of two black-and-white photographs depicting Joseph Danson. One photograph depicts a group of young men with Joseph Danson in the front row. It was taken in approximately 1903 at Red Feather Camp in Munro Park, Scarborough. The second photograph is of Joseph Danson canoeing at Camp Winnebagoe and is dated 1946.; Included are negatives for both photographs

Administrative History: Barnett Danson emigrated to Canada from Russia in 1874. He returned to Russia in 1878 or 1879, divorced his wife and remarried to a Bertha Brase. Together they returned to Canada and had their first child, Rose, in 1885. The Dansons also had two sons, Joseph and Leo, who helped with their clothing and men's wear store in the west end of Toronto. There was another daughter named Flo.; The Danson family belonged to the Toronto Hebrew Congregation--later to be know as Holy Blosson Synagogue. Barnett Danson was a charter member of the Bond Street Congregation.; Bertha Danson died in 1914 and Barnett Danson died in 1919.; Joseph B. Danson, along with his wife Sadie, was the founding director of Camp Winnebagoe in Muskoska, Ontario. The camp catered to the Jewish community and provided a variety of different athletic and social programmes.; Joseph and Sadie had a son named Bertram Wolfe Danson in 1916 and two younger children named Marilyn and Barney

Source: Archival Accessions

Bernstein family [sound recording, graphic material, textual record] – [ca. 1922]-1992.

Accession Number: 1992-7-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1992-7-1

Material Format: sound recording; graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1.5 cm of textual records; 2 audio cassettes; 1 audio disc; 12 photographs (6 negatives)

Date: [ca. 1922]-1992

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records created and collected by Marc Bernstein. Included are the following records: audio cassettes; a Sacred Service record by Ernest Bloch with Leonard Bernstein conducting; and some individual scrapbook pages, photographs, and textual files from Cantor Bernstein's Summer Hotel at Lake Shore House and Cabins in Orillia.; The audio cassettes contain recordings of Cantors Akiba Bernstein, Pinchos Borenstein, and Haynach Borenstein; a recording of Mary Simmons in early broadcasts; plus Cantors Akiva, Haynach, Hershal, and Archie Borenstein.; Photographs include some portraits of family members and several group portraits

Use Conditions: Copyright may not be held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission prior to use.

Descriptive Notes: Availability of other formats: Digitized material.

Subjects: Cantors (Judaism)

Name Access: Bernstein, Akiva

Places: Orillia (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Lawrence Cherniak [textual record, graphic material] – [ca. 1915]-1992.

Accession Number: 1992-3-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1992-3-1

Material Format: textual record; graphic material

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual materials; 2 photographs

Date: [ca. 1915]-1992

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records created and collected by Lawrence Cherniak. They include photographs, an American passport, naturalization papers for David Korinfelt, a marriage return form for Isaac Raefsky and Mollie Cornfield, and death certificates for both Isaac and Mollie Ray.; The photographs are of a group of boys standing outside on Baldwin Street in 1915 and of the Jewish Boys' Club, Central Branch Senior Council for the years 1935-1936

Administrative History: Accession includes the records of the Raefsky family. Isaac Raefsky was born in Poland in 1896 and immigrated to Canada where he met Mollie Cornfeld, who was also from Poland. They were married in Toronto, Ontario in 1916 and had a son.

Source: Archival Accessions

Rosemary Lewis [graphic material, textual record] – 1887-1946.

Accession Number: 1992-2-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1992-2-1

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 38 cm of textual records; 15 photographs: b&w

Date: 1887-1946

Scope and Content: Accession consists of the following records: photographs, newspaper clippings, greeting cards, invitations, postcards, marriage records, immigration documents, receipts, correspondence and a 1841 edition of The Jewish Chronicle.; The photographs depict members of the Fine family, and in particular Albert Fine's dry goods store; Alpha Sigma - Phi Delta Epsilon fraternity, University of Toronto in 1934; members of the Gardstein family, including a class picture with Pearl and David Gardstein, and several photographs taken at the Gardstein farm.; Also here are several Jewish New Year greeting cards that are three dimensional pop-up cards and some birthday cards. This style of three dimensional card was painted by the Hebrew Publishing Company of New York between 1903 and 1912 and then sent to Germany to be printed.; Accession also Includes marriage certificates for Albert Fine and Jennie Brinn and for Rosie Black and Max Gardstein. There are naturalization papers, death records and early correspondence dating from 1887

Administrative History: The Gardsteins and Fines were related with the marriage of Pearl Gardstein and Irving Fine.

Source: Archival Accessions

Bernard Papernick [graphic material] – [ca. 1916]-1920.

Accession Number: 1986-3-7

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1986-3-7

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 3 photographs: b&w ; 20 x 25 cm

Date: [ca. 1916]-1920

Scope and Content: Accession consists of black-and-white photographs of the Papernick family. One photograph is of Henry Papernick graduating from the University of Toronto Law School in 1920. There is a photograph of the Papernick house on Henry Street in Toronto with Henry Papernick, Jack Engel, and David Papernick sitting on the front porch. The last photograph is of food stand at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1919

Descriptive Notes: There are corresponding negatives for the photographs.

Source: Archival Accessions

Sally Greisman Brenzel [graphic material, textual record] – [ca. 1898]-1965.

Accession Number: 1988-12-3

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1988-12-3

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 12 cm of textual records; ca. 100 photographs

Date: [ca. 1898]-1965

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records that document the Greisman, Brenzel and Mehr families. As well, the photographs record significant members and associations within the Toronto Jewish community. The following types of records are included: photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings, a Bishop Strachan exercise book, and a Holy Blossom certificate of confirmation for Ethel H. Mehr in 1916.

Custodial History: Sally Greisman Brenzel collected and stored these records until the time of donation to the Ontario Jewish Archives in 1988

Administrative History: Sally Greisman married Larry Brenzel on June 25, 1950 at Goel Tzedec Synagogue. She and her husband are active members of the Jewish and arts communities in Toronto.; Sally Brenzel was appointed to the Ontario Arts Council in 1998. She is an active volunteer and fundraiser for a variety of arts organizations including the Royal Ontario Museum, where she has held several senior volunteer positions and where she is an Honorary Trustee. Ms. Brenzel’s volunteer service also includes working on fund raising campaigns of the Canadian Cancer Society, United Jewish Appeal, and the Ontario Heart Fund

Descriptive Notes: Related material note: Ethel Mehr fonds 68.

Source: Archival Accessions

Shomrai Shabbos Synagogue (Chestnut Street Synagogue) [graphic material] – 1926.

Accession Number: 1975-4-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1975-4-1

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 2 photographs : b&w

Date: 1926

Scope and Content: Accession consists of two photographs of the Chestnut Street Synagogue. One photograph is of the exterior of the synagogue with Yankel Jessel and Shlomo Dov Jessel standing in front. The other photograph is of the interior and shows the front arch.

Administrative History: The Shomrai Shabbos Synagogue, also known as the Chestnut Street Synagogue, was located at 109 Chestnut Street in Toronto.

Use Conditions: Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.

Subjects: Architecture; Synagogues

Name Access: Shomrai Shaboth-Chevra Mishnayoth Congregation (Toronto, Ont.)

Places: Chestnut Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Freda Charles [graphic material, textual record] – 1920-1945.

Accession Number: 1990-11-4

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1990-11-4

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records; 3 photographs

Date: 1920-1945

Scope and Content: Accession consists of records created and accumulated by Freda Charles. Included are three photographs taken at the banquet in honour of Joshua Singer held at the Chudleigh House on October 12, 1941. Mayor of Toronto Nathan Phillips attended along with Dave Sussman, Samuel Bayefsky, the Bennetts, the Singers, the Shapiros, Adolph Wantroff and possibly Mr. Feigleman.; There is also a hebrew satirical magazine called the Jester (2 Jul. 1920); a report written by Louis Rosenberg titled 'Jewish Mutual Benefit and Friendly Societies in Toronto: The First Fifty Years, 1896-1945; an issue of the Daily Hebrew Journal (12 Oct. 1941); and agreements between Kehilla and Shochetim (20 Jul. 1937) and between Kehilla and Charles Wagman (Jul. 1937).

Administrative History: Freda Charles' maiden name was Shapiro. Mr. S. M. Shapiro was the editor-in-chief of the Daily Hebrew Journal.

Source: Archival Accessions

Phyllis Platnick [graphic material, textual record] – 1919-1959.

Accession Number: 1984-1-7

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1984-1-7

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 2 cm of textual records; 19 photographs

Date: 1919-1959

Scope and Content: Acession consists of school records, certificates, correspondence, photographs, and a postcard for the Canadian Jewish Congress Service Men's Club.; The school records include report cards, diplomas, commencement programmes, and public school certificates of honour. There are also certificates of service for the Ladies Auxiliary Canadian Legion, Cadets, Sigma XI, and first aid and home nursing certificates.; In addition, there are appointment papers for the Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps in 1945 addressed to Michael Sandler.; The photographs are of the school classes at Grace Street School, Clinton Street School, Mr. Robinson's Hebrew School, Huron Street School, Brunswick Talmud Torah, Harbord Collegiate and a panoramic photograph of the graduating class in 1931 from Osgoode Hall Law School.; There are photographs of the Canadian military organizations of which Michael Sandler was a member, including the Jarvis Collegiate cadets, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Canadian Army.

Administrative History: Phyllis Esther Platnick was born in Toronto on February 21, 1932 to Michael and Clara Toby Sandler. She was educated at Harbord Collegiate; University of Toronto, Bachelor of Arts; and Syracuse University, Master of Library Sciences. She married David Platnick on June 22, 1952 and had three children: Deborah, Howard and Brian.

Name Access: Platnick, Phyllis

Source: Archival Accessions

Raxlen family [multiple media] – [192-?]-1975.

Accession Number: 2003-5-5

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2003-5-5

Material Format: multiple media

Date: [192-?]-1975

Scope and Content: The records in this accession document the Raxlen family and the Raxlen Clinic and Doctor's Hospital that was set up by the Raxlen brothers. The records also include personal correspondence between Katie Cherney and her mother, family photographs, greeting cards, press clippings and a booklet of articles written by Rabbi Fine of Peterborough. This booklet includes translated documents that he produced as rabbi from 1926 to 1934. Finally, there are three historic postcards documenting Holy Blossom's building on Bond Street, Jarvis Collegiate, and the Doctor's Hospital

Custodial History: Records were collected by Karen Fejer, the daughter of Alexander Raxlen.

Administrative History: The Raxlen brothers were born in Toronto in Cabbagetown, where their father operated a grocery store. The four brothers were Saul, Benjamin, Alexander, and Sam. All of the brothers graduated in medicine during the 1930s, except for Sam, who became a dentist. Together, they opened up the Raxlen Clinic in 1937, which was located on Carleton Street.; In 1953, the brothers opened their own private hospital, the Doctor's Hospital, which was located on Brunswick Avenue. The hospital started in a ninety-year-old building that was owned by a religious order. The brothers modernized and expanded it from a facility accomodating 59 patients to one that could hold up to 168 beds by 1955. It soon became the largest privately-held, non-profit hospital in North America. By the time the brothers sold it during the late 1970s, it had 554 full-time staff and five hundred hospital beds.; The other family documented in this accession is the Cherney family from Peterborough. The patriarch and matriarch were Abraham and B. Cherney. They had two children, Katie ("Kaye") and Meyer. Abraham and B. divorced, and Abraham remarried and had three more kids: Harry, Helen, and Louis. The family remained in Peterbough, but the ex-wife moved to Toronto. Kaye married Dr. Alexander Raxlen, and they had three children. Karen Fejer, their daughter, is the donor.

Use Conditions: Correspondence is restricted. Researchers must contact donor for permission to access them. The rest of the collection is open.

Descriptive Notes: Restrictions on access, use, reproduction, and publication: Some of the photographs are the property of the City of Toronto Archives.

Subjects: Families; Hospitals; Rabbis

Name Access: Doctor's Hospital (Toronto, Ont.); Fine, Abraham

Places: Peterborough (Ont.); Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Joseph H. Fox [textual record, graphic material]

Accession Number: 1999-10-6

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1999-10-6

Material Format: textual record; graphic material

Physical Description: 5 photographs : b&w ; 11 x 15 cm on matte 21 x 25 cm or smaller; 8 photographs : b&w ; 21 x 15 cm or smaller; 1 folder of textual records

Scope and Content: Accession consists of photographs and records relating to the Fox, Goldberg, and Dennis families, with the bulk of the materials relating to Joseph H. Fox, a storekeeper in Orillia and Toronto. Accession includes a photograph of the Canadian Hebrew Benevolent Society picnic at Port Dalhousie Park on July 23, 1939. Documents include translations in English of birth registrations for Chaim Fuchs and Rose Bleich, an affadavit by a police magistrate in Orillia, Ontario for Joseph Fox, deed of sale for a seat in the University Avenue Synagogue (Goel Tzedec) by Z. Shore to Joseph Fox, and a biography of Joseph Fox by his grandson Melville Goldberg. In addition there is a military passport in German for Chaim Frichs.

Name Access: Fox, Joseph H.

Source: Archival Accessions

Sol Shiner [graphic material, textual record] – [ca. 1925]-1986.

Accession Number: 1997-11-3

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1997-11-3

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm; 1 folder of textual records

Date: [ca. 1925]-1986

Scope and Content: Accession consists of one black-and-white photograph taken of a group of campers at Camp Kindervelt in Rouge Hill. Identified in the photograph is Rae Watson (standing at the far left).; Also included were several newspaper clippings from 1976–1986, which have been integrated into the clipping files.

Administrative History: Camp Kindervelt was a Labour Zionist League camp in Rough Hill, in the east end of Toronto in the Rouge Valley.

Subjects: Camps; Labor Zionism

Name Access: Camp Kindervelt; Shiner, Sol

Places: Toronto, Ont.

Source: Archival Accessions

Cantor Ronald E. Graner [graphic material] – 1928-1930.

Accession Number: 1993-12-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1993-12-1

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 40 photographs; b&w; 12.5x17.5 cm

Date: 1928-1930

Scope and Content: Accession consists of black-and-white photographs depicting unidentified people at Port Carling, Bala, Lake Couchiching, and Clear Lake.

Name Access: Graner, Ronald

Source: Archival Accessions

Rose Freidman [graphic material, textual record] – 1910-1959.

Accession Number: 1980-11-2

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1980-11-2

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 69 photographs; 3 cm of textual records

Date: 1910-1959

Scope and Content: Accession consists of photographs, a marriage certificate, a notebook and several pocket books. The photographs are of Rose Freidman's family and friends, including the Solomon family. Some of the photographs are pasted into a scrapbook that has been annotated to include the names of the photograph subjects and some additional commentary. The notebook contains goodwill messages from Rose's friends prior to her wedding. There is a marriage ceritificate for Harry Solomon and Dora Rogowitch dated August 23, 1907.; In addition, there several small pocket size books including a Jewish calendar from the Jewish National Fund of Canada, six annual hebrew calendars from the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home, and an abridged five year calendar from the Hebrew National Kosher Sausage Company. Finally, there is a booklet entitled "Afikim: The Story of a Kibbutz" by Lionel Feitelberg.

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.

Name Access: Freidman, Rose

Source: Archival Accessions

Sid Caplan [graphic material, textual record] – 1929-1942.

Accession Number: 2003-9-1

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 2003-9-1

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 1 folder of textual records and graphic material

Date: 1929-1942

Scope and Content: This accession consists of material donated by Sid Caplan. The records document Sid as a child, his parents, and their barbershop, which was located at 468 College Street. The records consist of the wedding ketubah of his parents from 1928 as well as photographs of Sid Caplan and his classmates at King Edward Public School, and finally, photographs of the family barbershop.

Administrative History: Alexander Caplan and Fannie Gangbar married in Toronto in 1928. They had a son named Sid Caplan. The Caplan's ran a barbershop located on College Street near Bathurst Street from the 1930s until the 1970s. The couple both worked there along with their employee, Sid Sugarman.

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

Subjects: Barbershops

Places: College Street (Toronto, Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Anshel Wise [textual record] – 1923-1971.

Accession Number: 1991-1-3

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1991-1-3

Material Format: textual record

Physical Description: 12 cm of mainly textual material

Date: 1923-1971

Scope and Content: Accession consists of materials created by Anshel Wise which document his family and travel business. It consists of genealogical information on his family, two ledgers from his business which document transactions and shipping dates, one scribbler which includes information on steamship sailings, one blank letterhead with his company's logo, and a photograph of his fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Administrative History: Anshel Wise emigrated from Poland in 1910 and established his home in Toronto. He opened up a cigar store on Dundas street, which later turned into a travel agency called A. Wise Travel Bureau.; During the course of his career, Anshel helped bring in hundreds of Jews from Europe, primarily Poland using the shipping lines. He spoke many languages and was able to assist the community by providing advice and services in this area. Later in his career after the establishment of the welfare state, he began helping residents of the St. John's Ward by providing advice, finding the required documents that they needed and helping them apply for retirement benefits.

Subjects: Business; Immigrants--Canada

Name Access: Wise, Anshel

Source: Archival Accessions

Edythe Meilach [graphic material] – [1921?].

Accession Number: 1988-2-8

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1988-2-8

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 14 x 9 cm

Date: [1921?]

Scope and Content: This accession consists of one photograph in the form of a postcard. This item documents a streetcar with Peter Kozinetz the motorman at the side along with the conductor, Bob Mercer. The photograph was taken in Toronto in 1921.

Administrative History: Peter Kozinetz was born in Crimea, Russia in 1879. He spent his early life on his parents farm in Russia. At the age of 21 he joined the Imperial Russian Army and served for four years. In 1905 he came to Canada and operated a cheese factory near Dorchester for several years. He was naturalized in 1911 and joined the Toronto Transit Company in 1916 as part of the Dundas Division. He continued working there until 1931. He passed away in 1968.

Subjects: Transportation

Name Access: Toronto Transit Company; TTC; Peter Kozinetz; Bob Mercer

Source: Archival Accessions

Yankel Jessel [graphic material] – [192-?].

Accession Number: 1977-5-8

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1977-5-8

Material Format: graphic material

Physical Description: 36 photographs (1 vol., 10 negatives) : b&w ; 21 x 26 cm or smaller

Date: [192-?]

Scope and Content: Accession consists of one photo album that belonged to Yankel Jessel. This album was presented to him in 1927 by his friends as a going away gift before he left for Palestine. The album consists of sixteen photographs depicting synagogues from Toronto including: Shomrei Shabbos, Goel Tzedec, the Shaw Street Synagogue, Holy Blossom, the McCaul Street Synagogue, Beth Jacob, the Ostrovtzer Synagogue, the Russian Synagogue on Centre Avenue, and the Hebrew Men of England Congregation. Also included in the album are photographs of the auditorium of the Hebrew Free School Temple Emanuel and Shearith Israel Synagogues in New York City, a synagogue in Brooklyn, New York; and the Englewood Synagogue in New Jersey. There are copy prints and negatives of the photos depicting Toronto institutions as well as an additional print and copy negative of staff standing in front of United Bakers on Spadina Avenue.

Use Conditions: Copyright is in the public domain and permission for use is not required. Please credit the Ontario Jewish Archives as the source of the photograph.

Subjects: Synagogues

Places: New Jersey; New York (N.Y.).; Toronto (Ont.)

Source: Archival Accessions

Bossin family [graphic material, textual record] – 1900-1967.

Accession Number: 1986-3-2

Source: Archival Accessions

Accession Number: 1986-3-2

Material Format: graphic material; textual record

Physical Description: 6 photographs : b&w ; 20 x 25 cm or smaller; 1 folder of textual records

Date: 1900-1967

Scope and Content: This accession consists of 6 photographs that document the Bossin Family. They include photographs of Hye Bossin, Sally, Bessie, Zossman and a friend, Mike Morrison. Other documents in this accession include publications such as: "If You Will It, It is No Fairy Tale: Theodore Herzl Fifty Years after his death," "A Saint in Street Clothes: Willie Frankel his Life and Loyalties," written by Hye Bossin, as well as three newsletters published by United Jewish People's Order (UJPO), Canadian Film Weekly and The Barker, and two editions of The Jewish Standard. There is also a Judean Glee Club programme for their third annual Kibitz under the direction of Hye Bossin. Finally, there is a copy of a certificate from the Jewish Colonial Trust made out to Sussi Bossin in 1900, and a Jewish Community Senior Softball League, Toronto programme and scorecard from 1932.

Administrative History: The Bossin family lived in Toronto. Hye Bossin (1906-1964) was editor, publisher, and columnist with the Canadian Film Weekly. He received many commendations and awards for his contribution to the motion picture industry and the promotion of the Canadian Film Archive.

Source: Archival Accessions