I0061

UNITED JEWISH PEOPLE’S ORDER. - 1946-1991. - 0.13 metres of textual records.

Administrative History: In 1926, three cities (Montreal among them) formed socialist immigrant organizations after splitting from the Workmen’s Circle. These merged in 1945 to become the United Jewish People’s Order of Canada, founding branches throughout the nation. Described as a “secular and pro-socialist fraternal and cultural organization,” it established choirs, summer camps, Yiddish elementary schools, cemeteries, credit unions, seniors’ clubs, sick benefit funds, drama groups, and various fundraising events. The UJPO runs educational and cultural activities through its centres, conducts itself mainly in Yiddish, commemorates events of the Holocaust, and gives money to “humanitarian causes.” UJPO has been involved in both Jewish and Canadian issues such as unions, old age pensions, medicare, the peace movement, the prosecution of Nazi war criminals (in Israel and elsewhere), and the arms race. The UJPO was excluded from the Committee on Yiddish and the Canadian Jewish Congress (for protesting German rearmament), and was padlocked (1950) during the Duplessis era for suspected Communism. It was initially unsuccessful in its bid to be readmitted to Congress in 1979 but was eventually readmitted in 1995.

Padlock Law information booklet published by the League of Democratic Rights

Scope and Content:
Minutes (1956-1961, 1966-1969, 1975-1977, y). Canadian Jewish Congress minutes, about UJPO (1962). Correspondence (1964). Publications (1950s, 1960, 1980s). UJPO News (1959-1987 with gaps, e/y). Invitations and programs of plays. Choir photo (photocopy). Clippings (1946-1958, 1965-1967, 1981-1991).

Notes:
Language: English and Yiddish.
General Note: Mostly copies.

I0062

UNITED JEWISH RELIEF AGENCIES (UJRA). - 1930-1978. - 37.67 metres of textual records.

Administrative History: The United Jewish Refugee and War Relief Agencies of Canada was established with the assistance of Samuel Bronfman in 1938. Later known as the United Jewish Relief Agencies, or UJRA, it at first helped escapees, evacuees, and interned refugees from England, providing food, shelter, and diplomatic and moral support. There were as yet no Jewish refugee immigrants to aid, due to Canada’s restrictive wartime immigration policies. After the war, UJRA sent supplies and helped trace families for DPs, brought skilled immigrants to Canada, and also sent aid to the new State of Israel. Working with other organizations, it sent Passover supplies to needy Jews in Israel, Europe and Canada and with the Canadian Jewish Congress formed the United Restitution Organization for war reparations. Though its duties have lessened over the decades, the UJRA still exists today. Notes: General Note: Also contains 5 boxes of unprocessed material 1.55 m.

War Orphans Project Post-World War II

I0062,SA
Administrative Files. - 1938-1969. - 0.93 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Includes documents dealing with the formation and operation of the UJRA, such as its charter, budgets and statistics. Other data includes memoranda and minutes, information on relief, immigration, and diplomatic efforts, and correspondence with the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society about the location of families of individual immigrants. There is also documentation on professional licensing, which deals with policies for those immigrants wanting to enter professions.

I0062,SB
Interned Refugees. - 1937-1948. - 6.5 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
These were mainly Jewish Germans and Austrians, interned in Britain as POWs in 1940, then sent to Australia and Canada. Contains case files, nominal lists and a card index, each of which includes personal data such as country of origin, occupation, and release dates. There are also questionnaires filled out by the internees to facilitate release, and administrative files, relating to their welfare, release, and emigration to Canada or elsewhere.

I0062,SC
War Orphans Immigration Project. - c.1947-1953. - 5.3 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Information on UJRA's attempt to settle war orphans in Canada. There are three types of case files: 1) general personal histories of those who applied to Canada. 2) withdrawn applications and 3) referrals, release forms, policy statements and case histories, processed through DP emigration departments of the American Zone Headquarters in Germany and Austria. There are also subject files which contain progress reports, sailing lists, more personal histories, and information on the staff and agencies involved.

I0062,SD
Skilled Labourers Immigration Projects for Displaced Persons. - 1947-1957. - 2.5 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
This was a program to bring needed craftsmen to Canada. Includes employment and financial records, list of arrivals by ship and date, repayment records for transportation costs and loans, some subject files, and several personal histories. The records cover furriers, milliners, garment and domestic workers.

I0062,SE
Canadian Jewish Congress Special Immigration Cases. - 1943-1960. - 0.31 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Information on settlement of escapees (to Spain, Portugal, Tangier and Japan), refugees with extreme disabilities ("Hard Core Cases") and cases of deportation, inheritance, and Nazi war crimes. Also includes participants in the family unification program, and various subject files by Dr. Saalheimer.

I0062,SF
UJRA Refugee Case Files. - 1939-1947. - 0.62 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Contains files on evacuated British mothers and children and Sudetanland farmers and their relief. Also records of assistance, vocational placement, loans, etc.

I0062,SG
JDC Refugee and Relief Program. - 1940-1964. - 6.5 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Case files of Holocaust survivors provided with assistance and location services, also financial and subject files. Immigrants' files dealing with relief, vocational placement, JDC repayment, personal problems, sponsorship (including name file), transportation costs, correspondence, and press releases and clippings.

I0062,SH
Overseas Relief Shipments. - 1930-1962. - 1.24 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Includes statistics, correspondence and documentation on the purchase, collection and shipping of goods, press clippings, publicity, and shipment records of UJRA and other organizations (JDC, landsmanschaften, etc.).

I0062,SJ
Transmission of Funds. - 1945-1976. - 1.86 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Records of immigrant repayments to the JDC, sponsors' trust accounts, organizations that sent funds to Europe, transmissions to Israel, Shanghai immigrants, and allocations to Canadian Jewish schools.

I0062,SK
Financial Records. - 1936-1978. - 4.96 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content:
Includes budgets, statements, fundraising information, minutes, correspondence, loan documentation, and sponsors' trust accounts for war orphans (contains names file) and others.

I0063

UNITED JEWISH TEACHERS SEMINARY OF CANADA. - 1929-1979. - 4.66 metres of textual records. - 1 photograph.

Administrative History: The United Jewish Teachers Seminary of Canada, located in Montreal, was established in 1949 by the merger of two seminaries (both founded in 1946). Its aim was to train Canadian-born Jewish teachers properly, so that they in turn could provide their Canadian students with a relevant Jewish education. European or Israeli-born teachers, to do likewise, would at least be trained in Canada. Subsidized for many years by the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Seminary offered classes in Yiddish and Hebrew language and literature, Bible, Jewish history and religion, as well as education courses. It provided student loans, asked no tuition, and tried to place its students after graduation. With teachers such as S. Dunsky, M. Ravich, S. Wiseman, and L. Tencer, the Seminary produced such future educators as D. August, L. Cohen, H. Eliashiv, Z. Ettinger and N. Wilchesky. Scope and Content: Meeting memos and minutes (1954-1956). Reports (1947, 1951-1958, 1974). Budget and financial statements (1955-1958). Payroll, bills, accounts. Board members (1958). Teachers lists and records (1954-1959). Student lists (1947-1979). Correspondence (1950-1977). Canadian Jewish Congress memos (1954-1957). UJTS memos (1955-1959). Files on applicants and applications (1950s-1964). Files on graduates. Copies of exams (1954-1955). Attendance lists, marks (1948-1978). Curriculum information and schedules

(1954-1978). Practice teaching records, textbooks. Periodicals. Press releases (1955-1968). Publications, ads, pamphlets. Graduation invitations and programmes (1952-1971). Federation of Teachers in Jewish schools material. Cover of Bialik School magazine (1929). One graduation photo (no date). History booklet (1950). Clippings (1942-1967).

Notes:
Finding Aid: MSFA.

I0064

UNITED RESTITUTION ORGANIZATION (URO). - 1927, [1953]-. - 110 metres of textual records and other documents. - 10 maps. - 7 artefacts. - 4 photographs.

Administrative History: The United Restitution Organization is a world-wide legal aid organization which assists those victims of Nazi persecution who otherwise would be unable to submit claims against the German and Austrian governments. The URO headquarters are in Frankfurt, Germany. Dr. Nahum Goldmann, Chairman of the World Jewish Congress, led the negotiations with Dr. Konrad Adenauer, West-German Chancellor, prior to the formulation and passing of the BEG (Federal Indemnification Law). In order to assist potential claimants, the URO was established in 1953. In Canada, the URO was founded in 1953 under the aegis of the Canadian Jewish Congress, with head office in Montreal, offices in Toronto and Winnipeg, and facilities in Vancouver to assist applicants with the documentation of their claims. The URO offices in Vancouver and Winnipeg were closed in the 1970s. The Toronto office and the Montreal head office later closed as well. Claims assistance is now given to survivors in the context of these cities’ Jewish federations in survivor assistance offices. The information in this collection constitutes a valuable resource for studies of the Holocaust period. Custodial History: In 1989 the URO Montreal office deposited non-current administrative records and settled cases in the National Archives of Canadian Jewish Congress. Additional non-current files were deposited in 1997, 1998, and 2000, and further accruals are expected.

URO Health Claim Form

Notes:
Language: The majority of the records are in German.
Restrictions: Names of clients are restricted.
Finding Aids: There is a finding aid and computer listings.
General Note: This is a semi-active collection which is added to at intervals - most recently in 1998. The fonds also contains Jewish money from Theresienstadt concentration camp (7 bills).

See a detailed description of the URO Collection

I0065

UNITED TALMUD TORAHS OF MONTREAL. - 1896-1991. - 0.225 metres of textual records.

Administrative History: With the influx of massive Jewish migration to Montreal in the 1880s, the need for Jewish schools became urgent. The few Sunday and private schools in existence were not considered up to Eastern European standards, and so in 1896 Rabbi A. Ashinsky founded the Talmud Torah. Through the years, the school moved, purchased buildings, opened new branches, and increased its size from its original 20 students. Classes were first conducted in Yiddish, but eventually Hebrew was emphasized. In 1917, the six individual Talmud Torah schools merged as the United Talmud Torahs of Montreal. Other changes, such as a Hebrew kindergarten (1934), day schools (1935), and a high school (1946), followed. Despite financial struggles and the need for constant expansion the U.T.T. system, with a recognized high standard of Jewish education, is nearly a century old, comprising two elementary and two high schools and nearly 2000 students.

United Talmud Torahs information pamphlet 1953

Scope and Content:
Minutes (1974). Reports (1930-1987, with gaps). Pamphlets (1943-1974 with gaps). Financial reports (1901-1902, copy; 1949). Officers list (1896-1956). Correspondence (1930s-1970s, h/e). Student statistics (1901-1945, 1971-1972). Campaign information (1924-1990, with gaps). Volunteers kit (1930s). Fundraising article (Keneder Adler 1908 copy). Dinner speeches (1956, 1975). Sample report card. Textbook. Hebrew Educational Institute program (1931). Curriculum information and reports (1940, 1970s). Reports on U.T.T. or Jewish education in Montreal 1906 (Jewish Times typed copy, 1910, e/y, 1925, 1956, 1979, 1986). Copies of Bill 38 and Legislative Assembly Debates (1904). Act 62 (1932). Student and school magazines (1940-1955, with gaps, E/H; 1967-1973, with gaps). Programs and invitations. Clippings (1898-1913, copies, with gaps, 1922-1991, with gaps, e/y).

Notes:
Language: English, Yiddish, and Hebrew.

P0149

USHER, Moses L.. - c1940-1946. - 0.09 metres of textual records.

Biographical Sketch: Pilot Officer Moses L. Usher was a World War II air force gunner in the Canadian Armed forces. The collection documents his army career and his reactions to the experience up until he was killed in action, and the subsequent reactions of his family and friends. Scope and Content: Documents and photographs, primarily letters addressed to family members. The development of this Jewish serviceman's attitude towards the war is discernible in the course of the collection. Notes: Alpha-Numeric Designation: P95/18.

Moses Usher

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