Community History
OJHS & Ottawa Jewish Archives Timeline
1969
The Ottawa Jewish Historical Society (OJHS) is founded by Dr. Abraham Slone
1970
First OJHS meeting held
1971
A History and Archives Committee established by the Ottawa Vaad Ha’Ir (JFO), both groups begin collecting and preserving Ottawa’s Jewish History; a small room is set aside at the Chapel St. JCC where for working with archival materials
1972
Shirley Berman is appointed as the Ottawa Jewish Archives first Archivist
1974
The History and Archives Committee merged with the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society to create one historical collecting organization
1984
Society receives an official office and a larger storage space in the JCC for records
1998
The Vaad (Jewish Federation of Ottawa), assumes responsibility for the Ottawa Jewish Archives begins to organize its holdings to archival standards; Shirley Berman retires as Archivist
1999
The Ottawa Jewish Archives moves to its new home in the Soloway JCC with a purpose-built room and vault
In Depth History of the OJHS & Ottawa Jewish Archives
The Ottawa Jewish Historical Society (OJHS) was founded in 1966, when Dr. Abraham Slone began collecting short memoirs of local Jewish people.
Three years later, the Society held its first meeting. In this same year, a History and Archives Committee was established separately under the Ottawa Vaad Ha’Ir. In 1971, an OJHS executive committee was formally created under the auspices of the Ottawa Vaad Ha’Ir.
Beginning in the early 1970’s both the OJHS and the History and Archives committee began to actively collect and preserve the general archival material of the Jewish community of Ottawa. Initially the OJHS did not serve as an archival repository; rather it served as a collecting agency for records, depositing the bulk of their holdings with the Public Archives of Canada, now known as Library and Archives Canada. In 1971, a small room was set aside at the Jewish Community Centre at 151 Chapel Street where material was identified and organized before deposit with the Public Archives of Canada.
Shirley Berman was appointed Archivist by the Ottawa Vaad Ha’Ir in 1972, a role which she maintained until her retirement in the fall of 1998. In this role Mrs. Berman and the OJHS saved important documents, collected and copied early photographs, and recorded oral histories. These materials would become the foundation of the Ottawa Jewish Archives collections.
In May 1974, the History and Archives Committee merged with the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society to create one historical collecting organization. This space was eventually upgraded in Spring 1984, when the Society received an official office and a larger storage space in the JCC for records.
At this time, the Historical Society’s primary purpose was to collect, preserve and make available for use the documents and archival material of the Jewish community in Ottawa. This mission would eventually become the basis for the mandate of the Ottawa Jewish Archives.
On October 7, 1998, the Vaad (Jewish Federation of Ottawa), assumed responsibility for the Ottawa Jewish Archives. With the support of the OJHS, Vaad, Archives Association of Ontario, and a dedicated group of volunteers, the Ottawa Jewish Archives was able to expand and organize its holdings to archival standards.
In the fall of 1999, the Ottawa Jewish Archives moved to its new location in the Jewish Community Centre in the Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building in the west end of Ottawa. Archival facilities are modern with convenient shelving in a new vault. The Society’s transfer was completed by October 2000.
Today, the OJHS and the Ottawa Jewish Archives are two separate organizations that work closely in order to preserve Ottawa’s Jewish history. The OJHS provides financial and individual support to the Archives, including funding a number of digitization projects.
Chairs/Presidents of the OJHS
1969 - Max Bookman
1969 - Dr. Abram Slone
1970 - Michael Freedman
1974 - Sid Green
1980 - Hugo Levendel
1986 - Ben Karp
1992 - Lawrence Freedman
2006 - John Holzman
2011 - Ian Sadinsky
2016 - Anna Bilsky
2018 - Teri Levine, current President