See map caption below by William D. Reid When Lord Durham, the Governor-General, refused to honor the contemplated autumn meet of the City of Toronto and York County Races of 1838 with his presence, the sponsors considered it advisable, for some unknown reason, to postpone the races altogether for the year. The author of the…
About the Joint-Stock Russian-Canadian-American Passenger Company (RUSCAPA) The Joint-Stock Russian-Canadian-American Passenger Company, also known as RUSCAPA, was established in the early 1920s as a joint-stock company involving Russian, Canadian, and American passenger carriers. Its primary purpose was to facilitate the emigration of Soviet citizens—particularly Jews, but also Ukrainians, Germans, Poles, and Russians—from the USSR to…
One good thing about matzah is that even after the passage of many months, it often tastes no more stale coming out of the box than when it was first baked. In a parallel vein, I hope the following tales concerning an early matzah factory in Toronto won’t seem too stale even if they go…
◊ Note: The following obituary was found on a single typewritten sheet, among the papers of Shmuel Meyer Shapiro, late editor of the Hebrew Journal of Toronto. THE LATE MRS. SARAH BLOOM The late Mrs. Sarah Bloom was born in Warsaw, Poland, in the year 1861, having spent most of her life in New York…
From The Canadian Jewish News, December 2, 1960 Beirut, Lebanon – The turbulent Arab world was shaken by a new controversy this week over – of all people – that “dangerous Zionist” Elizabeth Taylor. The United Arab Republic, leader in the unrelenting Arab assault against the state of Israel, was painted as a culprit for…
by Ben Lappin (from Commentary, 1955) Spadina Avenue, the main street of the needle trades in Toronto, looks very much the same as it did ten, twenty, thirty years ago. The same kind of old-fashioned haggling still goes on between the employers and the handful of tense harassed business agents – former pressers, operators, and…
The number of Jews who fought in the First World War has always been difficult to tally because Jews fought on both sides and in multiple armies involved in the conflict. On the Allied side, at least 500,000 Jews served in the Russian Army, about 250,000 served in the United States Army, roughly 50,000 in…
From The City Magazine (Toronto Star), 1978 Nat Taylor emits a throaty laugh and his eyes twinkle when he is asked about his latest venture, a mammoth, 18-theatre cinema complex now under construction in the Eaton Centre. When completed in January, the complex will boast three times as many screens as any other Toronto movie…
Notorious Criminals Whom the Detectives Have Arrested at the Request of Distant Authorities From the Toronto Star, December 5, 1903 The work of the Toronto police authorities is not confined to the depredations committed within the city limits. A generous portion of their work consists in ferreting out and apprehending criminals who have committed offences…
