Recently Processed

The OJA is pleased to announce that the following collections are now processed and available for consultation by researchers.

United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds. Founded in 1924, the Ostrowtzer Hilfs Farein was named after the town of Ostrowiec in Poland. The society’s mission was to provide support to Ostrovtzers who had immigrated to Toronto, offering small loans, medical assistance, and a fostering a sense of community. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the society extended its relief efforts to surviving Ostrovtzers around the globe and became known as the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee. This collection comprises over three hundred letters sent to Max Hartstone in his role as secretary of the committee. These letters document the efforts of the United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee, in collaboration with Ostrovtzer societies worldwide, to aid and support to Holocaust survivors from Ostrowiec. They also offer insight into the immediate, postwar experiences of Holocaust survivors. The letters have been digitized and can be found here.

Samuel Crystal fonds. Ken Crystal, son of Sam Crystal, donated his father's photographs from a 1967 mission to Israel. Taken some six months after the Six-Day War, the photographs document some of the locations that were conquered by Israel during the war, including Jerusalem, Nablus, and the Golan Heights. The photographs also depict a number of well-known individuals, including former Toronto mayor Nathan Philips, the then Israeli prime minister Levi Eshkol, and the then Israeli president Zalman Shazar. All 149 of the photographs have been digitized and can be viewed here.

Thelma Harris Rose Family fonds. This rich collection of over 1000 photographs, documents and artifacts offers a glimpse into the everyday and the extraordinary lives of the Rose, Harris and Geldzaeler families, as well as their connected branches, the Perlman, Ruskin, Ruben, Shumer, Shayne, Spiegel, and Rothbart families. Documenting Jewish life in Toronto beginning in 1880 through the lens of one extended family, this collection will surely provide endless research opportunities for those interested in Jewish family life. Discover the collection

Canadian Association for Ethiopian Jews fonds. The Canadian Association for Ethiopian Jews was a non-profit organization that operated between 1980 and 1992 for the sole purpose of assisting Ethiopian Jews. Its main work consisted of rescue and relief, rescue taking the form of a visa program and relief taking the form of monthly stipends delivered to Ethiopians in need. The collection consists of records documenting the organization's work, including letters, meeting minutes and agendas, newspaper clippings, reference materials, audio records, an office manual, and an event poster. Ndali Ugboma, a former practicum student at the Ontario Jewish Archives, processed the collection. Discover the collection

John J. Glass fonds. John Judah Glass was the son of Morris and Pearl Glass. He was born in England in 1897 and came to Canada in 1907 (two years after his father). In the First World War, Glass served overseas in the 58th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was awarded the Military Medal for bravery. After the war, he atended Osgoode Hall Law School and became a practicing barrister and solicitor. With his law degree in hand, Glass went on to have a fifteen-year political career that included serving as a trustee for the Toronto Board of Education, alderman at Toronto City Council, and Liberal MPP in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He left the world of active politics in 1943. This collection consists of records documenting Glass' involvement in the military, politics, and the Jewish community. Of note is a signed photograph of Vladimir Jabotinsky given to Glass when Jabotinsky was in Toronto in the 1920s. Discover the collection

Bella Diamant fonds. Bella Diamant (m. Hershenhorn) was the daughter of Moishe and Sarah Diamant. She was born in Ostrowiec (Ostrovietz), Poland and had five siblings: Esther, Chaim Myer, David, Baruch, and Ruth. Bella met her future husband, Samuel Hershenhorn, in Poland. He was the son of Mendel and Miriam Hershenhorn from Drildz. The family arrived in Toronto sometime during the early 1920s; Mendel arriving first followed by Miriam and Samuel. The marriage between Bella and Samuel was arranged by their families and so Bella was sent to Toronto to be with him in 1927 and they married on 13 Nov. 1927. Many of Bella's relatives perished during the Holocaust, including both her parents, her brother David who died with his wife and daughter on a forced march, and her sister Ruth who was murdered by the Nazis alongside her young daughter. Chaim Myer was sent to live with Bella and Samuel in Toronto prior to the onset of the war and therefore survived. Baruch and Esther both survived the Holocaust and eventually moved to New York City. This collection consists of letters written to Bella from her father , siblings and cousins prior to the Second World War as well as letters from her surviving siblings in Frankfurt after the Holocaust. Discover the collection