Our Collections

The OJA’s records span all segments of Ontario’s Jewish community. We have records from businesses, families, labour unions, organizations, and synagogues. These records date from the community’s earliest days to its present. What’s more, they come from all over Ontario and in every format you can think of. If you were to lay out all of our boxes, they would stretch from the foot of Yonge Street to Dundas Square!

Below you can find highlights from our newest acquisitions as well as collections that have recently been processed and added to our website search.

Do you have records to donate to the OJA? Click here to learn how.

Acquisition of the Month

May 2025

This month, we are pleased to highlight the donation of materials from the Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue. The accession consists of a photocopy of the synagogue’s 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee publication from 2005 plus a concert program from 2018 supporting Reclamation, a cultural initiative.

Beth Emeth began as modest home gatherings before its synagogue building was constructed in 1959. Just a few years later, in 1963, it merged with Bais Yehuda to form the Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue, expanding its facilities to include a sanctuary, chapel, and additional classrooms. These materials provide insight into the synagogue’s rich communal history and its evolving role in Toronto’s Jewish life.

This accession preserves key moments in the synagogue’s history and continues to build our understanding of the dynamic institutions that shape Jewish communal identity in Canada.