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Ontario Jewish Archives

In celebration of the Ontario Jewish Archives’ 50th anniversary, we invited archivists, community members, educators, historians, journalists, OJA board members, researchers, and Yiddishists to share their perspectives on the value of the Ontario Jewish Archives. Here’s what they had to say!

[Miriam Borden]: At face, the Ontario Jewish Archives is an archive, bit it’s actually it’s so much more than that.

[John Roberts]: It’s an exemplar of what a good community archive should be.

[David Koffman]: It’s a repository of millions of documents and artifacts that allow us to tell the story of this community to the whole world and to ourselves.

[Hadassa Pertman]: And it’s one place where we can all share together in what it is that connects us as Jews.

[David Matlow]: So, it’s both a historical record and it’s a tool to inspire us to do more and to do better.

[Mordechai Ben-Dat]: Archives for us isn’t simply an instrument of research, its’ an instrument of discovery.

[Alex Kay]: What Attracted me to the Jewish Archvies specifically is that it’s a big variety of materials, which I was really interested in working with.

[Ellin Bessner]: And to be able to turn that into a story that can teach new generations about their ancestors.

[Jodi Block]: It’s just incredible to have an institution that can delve into thousands of documents and pull out these gems that really tell a beautiful story.

[Mordechai Ben-Dat]: People may want to say, well, what was it like in Bathurst Manor 50 years ago? The archives, they say come, we’ll show you.

[John Roberts]:  That balance between the professional curation, the community engagement, but also the public programs, and the outreach, I think has been a characteristic of the archives’ work.

[Miriam Borden]: Every week I have posted a Yiddish word of the week, which features a document or photo to really expose this incredible Yiddish collection to a wider audience.

[Hadassa Pertman]: I love being able to connect the Orthodox community to the work of the Ontario Jewish Archives. We forget that we share a history and it’s all connected.

[Jodi Block]: Immigration is the story of this community. And to look back and see when our community started to really diversify and look different and have people from different parts of the world contributing and shaping us, is really amazing and a gift.

[David Koffman]:  It’s particularly gratifying for me as a history professor to bring non-Jewish students into the archives and research something about Canadian Jewish life that they can intersect with.

[John Roberts]: It really is a remarkable collection now for studies, not just of the Jewish community, but of the growth of Ontario society.

[Miriam Borden]: I see the archives continuing to help us understand the lessons we have to learn, as well as the lessons we have to teach.

[Ellin Bessner]: We need to know stories from the newer arrivals, the ones that have come in the last few years that are going to continue to come, and how they change Canada’s Jewish population, how they change society.

[David Matlow]: There’s always more to collect and there’s always more things being created. And 50 years into it, we’re still here doing it, and that’s worth celebrating.

Thank you to the thousands of record donors, researchers, volunteers, staff, board members and supporters of the last 50 years for your enduring investment in our shared heritage.

Archivist Notes

Founded in 1973, Ontario’s Jewish community was among the first in Canada to establish a dedicated community archive. Over fifty years later, the Ontario Jewish Archives (OJA) remains the largest repository of Jewish life in the country. The OJA is dedicated to acquiring, preserving, and providing access to the rich history of Ontario’s Jewish communities.

Its extensive collections, which range from personal to public and from ordinary to extraordinary, capture the experiences, traditions, contributions, and lives of community members. The OJA’s records span all segments of Ontario’s Jewish community. There are records from businesses, families, labour unions, clubs, Jewish community centres, organizations, and synagogues. These records date from the community’s earliest days to its present.

This vast collection serves as a vital resource for education, historical research, and enjoyment, preserving the stories of the past for generations to come.

There are many ways to engage with the archives: you can search our holdings online, meet with an archivist, explore your ancestral connections, visit our virtual and public exhibitions, or contribute your family’s history and preserve their stories alongside our growing collection.

Each year, the OJA responds to over 600 research requests from academics, curators, educators, family historians, filmmakers, scholars, students, and journalists. An additional 60,000 users accessed our online catalogue from regions around the world. The OJA also collaborates with a variety of organizations, both within and beyond the Jewish community, to showcase various aspects of the community’s history and ensure that the Jewish narrative is woven into the broader local story of our city and province.  The Ontario Jewish Archives, with support from UJA, is responsible for preserving our legacy and local Jewish heritage by safeguarding it for future generations.

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