Location: Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Sherman Campus, 4600 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M2R 3V2
Telephone: 416-635-5391
Access: Contact to schedule an appointment for a visit
Website address: http://www.ontariojewisharchives.org/
The Ontario Jewish Archives includes thousands of historic photographs and archival documents related to the history of Ontario’s Jewish community. This includes the records of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, which began in the early 20th century as an Old Folks’ Home. The Archives also contains oral histories, including a sound recording of Dr Coleman Solursh, who was involved in the Toronto Jewish Lodge Doctors Association and was Chief of the Department of Family Practice at Mount Sinai Hospital. The Archives has the Dworkin Family records, an influential family who helped establish Mount Sinai Hospital; Dorothy Dworkin studied nursing and midwifery. Another prominent member of the community, Dora Till, was vice-president of the Hebrew Maternity Aid Society, and her records are also at the Archives. The Archives holds the records of Sol Edell, a pharmacist, who was active in preserving local Jewish cemeteries. The Archives also has material related to fundraising and building of the current Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Jewish Child Welfare Association fonds (1932-1943).
The Archives also offers the Dr. Stephen Speisman Bursary.