Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre

Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre Our stories are your stories. The Ontario Jewish Archives is a place where you can discover who you are and where you came from.

Established in 1973, the UJA Federation's Ontario Jewish Archives is responsible for acquiring, preserving and making accessible documentary sources related to the Ontario Jewish community. The OJA represents the layered cultural fabric of Ontario’s Jewish communities since the earliest days. The collection includes records from community organizations, prominent individuals, synagogues, unions, s

chools, leisure and entertainment, athletes, businesses, artists, and many other areas of Jewish life. Through exhibitions, research assistance, walking tours, and outreach initiatives, the OJA tells the stories of the Jewish community. Research appointments are available (Mon-Fri) by appointment only. Call 416-635-5391 or email: [email protected]

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Morley Torgov at the age of 98. An exceptionally humorous and gifted w...
07/21/2026

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Morley Torgov at the age of 98. An exceptionally humorous and gifted writer, Morley understood the importance of preserving not only his stories, but also his creative process. His ideas could literally not be confined to the page: doodles, sketches and notes often extended beyond the margins and onto the file folders containing his vast creative output.

Over more than three decades, Morley donated his records to the OJA, one box at a time, with his final donation received in 2018. His remarkable records were recently featured in the OJA’s 50th-anniversary exhibition and remain available for future study through the Morley Torgov fonds. We are grateful for his foresight to preserve this extraordinary legacy. May his memory be a blessing.

View the collection: https://oja50.org/19-morley-torgov/

Captions:
1: Portrait of author and humorist Morley Torgov, Apr. 1980. Ontario Jewish Archives, CJN fonds 107
2: Cover of the original master file for St. Farb’s Day, [Aug. 1978]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Morley Torgov fonds 108
3: Cartoon sketch by Morley Torgov, [ca. 1954]. Ontario Jewish Archives, Morley Torgov fonds 108

Celebrating Father's Day. Tucked away in the files of a 1977 Baycrest programme celebrating Mother’s and Father’s Day is...
06/19/2026

Celebrating Father's Day. Tucked away in the files of a 1977 Baycrest programme celebrating Mother’s and Father’s Day is this photograph of Leo Barkin and Beth Emeth’s long-serving and beloved Cantor Louis Danto.

Whether you are researching family history, exploring Toronto’s Jewish past, or simply curious about the stories preserved in our collections, you never know what treasures you might uncover.

Explore the collection: https://ontariojewisharchives.org/Research

📷 Mother's and Father's Day program, photographs, [ca. 1972]-1978. Ontario Jewish Archives, fonds 14, series 4-5, file 7

/ here with another : חבֿרה | KHEV-reh = association, society, fraternity; also a gang, group of friendsThe Toronto He...
06/16/2026

/ here with another : חבֿרה | KHEV-reh = association, society, fraternity; also a gang, group of friends

The Toronto Hebrew Benevolent Society was founded in 1899 by a group of 35 cloakmakers. Its purpose: to provide sick benefit allowances and visits, and money to observe the shiva mourning period. In 1903 the Society purchased burial grounds in Roselawn Cemetery, and in 1917, at Dawes Road. Pictured here: the Society’s Khevra Kadisha (literally, “sacred society”), the group of men and women who see to it that the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tradition. Burial is a sacred duty in Jewish tradition, and to be a member of this group is considered a great honour.

Hebrew Benevolent Society Chevra Kadisha, Toronto, 2 June 1918. Ontario Jewish Archives, item 2563.

After inheriting her grandfather Jack Leve's photographs and artifacts, PhD candidate Liz Feld began exploring the histo...
06/12/2026

After inheriting her grandfather Jack Leve's photographs and artifacts, PhD candidate Liz Feld began exploring the history of Jewish traders and merchants in Northern Ontario. Her research now seeks to uncover the experiences and relationships of Jewish fur traders and merchants in rural communities between 1880 and 1939.

Do you have family photographs, business records, or stories connected to rural Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, or the fur trade? Liz is seeking participants to help document this little-studied chapter of Canadian Jewish history.

Read more and learn how you can participate: https://ontariojewisharchives.org/Blog/Jewish-Traders-and-Merchants-in-Northern-Ontario

Caption: Fur trader Jack Leve, North Bay, ON, ca. 1930. Photograph courtesy of Liz Feld.

This playful advertisement appeared in the Canadian Jewish News in 1968, promoting Levitt's kosher salami from Montreal....
06/11/2026

This playful advertisement appeared in the Canadian Jewish News in 1968, promoting Levitt's kosher salami from Montreal. Long before social media, community newspapers such as the Canadian Jewish News were filled with food advertisements and recipes, both of which are revealing of contemporary food trends.

Did this meal make an appearance at your childhood breakfast, lunch or dinner table? Share your family memories in the comments.

Caption: Advertisement for Levitt's kosher salami, distributed in Toronto by Groman's Foods Ltd., Canadian Jewish News (The CJN) , 1968. OJA, fonds 107.

Yiddish Theatre Returns to TorontoA century ago, Toronto audiences enjoyed live theatrical performances in Yiddish at th...
06/04/2026

Yiddish Theatre Returns to Toronto

A century ago, Toronto audiences enjoyed live theatrical performances in Yiddish at the purpose-built Standard Theatre. The current production of Fiddler on the Roof harkens back to that era with the addition of Yiddish supertitles, operated by Miriam Borden ( / ), curator of OJA's .

Read Miriam’s blog to learn why this production is a must see: https://ontariojewisharchives.org/Blog/Tevye-in-Yiddish-An-Archival-Approach-to-Fiddler

🎭Tickets at Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company: https://hgjewishtheatre.com/2025-2026-Fiddler-on-the-Roof.html

Image 1: Postcard of Sholem Aleichem, Warsaw, Poland, [between 1909 and 1912]. OJA, 1983-3-11.

Image 2: Supertitle operator Miriam Borden in the control booth, Elgin Theatre, Toronto, May 2026.

Image 3: Promotional poster for the 1928 production of Sheindele from Slabodke, starring Mischa and Lucy German. The play was also known as Papirosen-makherin (Cigarette Maker) and Reizele from Slabodke. OJA, 1982-7-6.

/ here bringing you another : DAKH | דאַך | ROOF. As in, "Fidler afn dakh”! Perhaps better known as "Fiddler on the Ro...
05/28/2026

/ here bringing you another : DAKH | דאַך | ROOF. As in, "Fidler afn dakh”! Perhaps better known as "Fiddler on the Roof," the beloved musical about love, family, and Jewish life that premiered on Broadway in 1964 and was adapted as a film in 1971. Since the premiere in 1964, there hasn’t been a single day that Fiddler hasn’t been in production somewhere in the world: at a school, a university, a community theatre, on the professional stage. Who doesn’t know “Tradition, Tradition!” or “Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match”?

The musical is based on the well-known stories of the Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem. And in the 1960s, a brilliant actor and writer named Shraga Friedman translated the musical into Yiddish. "Fidler afn dakh” premiered in New York in 2018 and is fast becoming a global sensation—with a two-week run in Toronto on NOW through June 7!

Don’t miss the Drama Desk award-winning Yiddish Fiddler (with English subtitles) at the Elgin Theatre, May 25-June 7! Brought to Toronto by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (the longest-running Yiddish theatre company in the world) and an exceptional all-Canadian cast. Laugh, cry, and bring your mother! Tickets through Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company

Toronto has long been a city where the spirit of "Fiddler on the Roof" lives on. Pictured here, two community productions from 1980 and 1986. TRADITION!

🎭Ruth Gorbet playing Yenta in Fiddler, Little Theatre Production, 1980. OJA, accession 2007-6-35.

🎭Director Sharyn Stein Hurwitz shows Associated Hebrew School grade nine students how to impress the matchmaker at "Fiddler" rehearsal, Toronto, 1986. Ontario Jewish Archives, item 4205. Identified in photograph: Sharyn Stein Hurwitz, far left, and Tevye's daughters, from left Natalie Riback; Joanna Levitt; Leora Erez.

Discover the rich stories of Spadina Ave at a new exhibition “A Block of Jewish History: 285-366 Spadina Avenue.”Learn a...
05/26/2026

Discover the rich stories of Spadina Ave at a new exhibition “A Block of Jewish History: 285-366 Spadina Avenue.”

Learn about the "Hat Trick," the Corned Beef King & more! The exhibition explores the rich Jewish history of Spadina Avenue and examines a single block of the street’s buildings, businesses, and stories.

📍 Metro Hall Rotunda (55 John St)
📅 May 25–29, 2026
🎉 Reception: May 28 at 10:30 AM

Sponsored by the City of Toronto’s Legal Services Diversity Committee in celebration of Jewish Heritage Month.

Caption: Luzer, Herman, and Aaron Ladovsky in front of United Bakers Dairy Restaurant , 1926. Ontario Jewish Archives, fonds 83, file 9, item 39.


By the mid-1940s, Sylvia Schwartz had carved out a niche in child portraiture. This part of the collection is particular...
05/15/2026

By the mid-1940s, Sylvia Schwartz had carved out a niche in child portraiture. This part of the collection is particularly delightful, featuring sitters playing “dress-up” while earnestly performing for the camera.

📸 Caption (1): Girl (Berger family), 1944. OJA, fonds 80, series 3, item 4.
📸 Caption (2): Girl (Freedman family), 1944. OJA, fonds 80, series 3, item 11.
📸 Caption (3): Girl (Fruitman family), 1953. OJA, fonds 80, series 3, item 12.
📸 Caption (4): David Winters, 1945. OJA, fonds 80, series 3, item 38.
📸 Caption (5): Allen Schwartz, 1945. OJA, fonds 80, series 3, item 29.

This we are featuring photographs from the Ontario Jewish Archives collection in celebration of Jewish women and their...
05/14/2026

This we are featuring photographs from the Ontario Jewish Archives collection in celebration of Jewish women and their important role in shaping our community’s history.

Photographer Sylvia Schwartz (1914–1998) began her career in the 1940s, capturing images of Jewish servicemen, families, brides, and children. Now housed at the OJA, her collection vividly narrates the history of Toronto’s Jewish community, creating a unique connection between our community’s past and present.

📸 Caption: Sylvia Schwartz, 1950. Ontario Jewish Archives, fonds 80, series 5-1, item 18.

Learn more: https://oja50.org/20-sylvia-schwartz/

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