Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives to relocate uptown after
40 years at Montreal’s Samuel Bronfman House

 

August 27, 2018, Toronto, ON – The Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives, formerly the Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives, is moving uptown to 4810 Jean Talon West in Cote des Neiges, Montreal. It has been housed for 40 years at the Samuel Bronfman House, which for the past 19 years has been part of Concordia University’s downtown campus.

 

“After years in the Bronfman building which had been the home of Canadian Jewish Congress and then became a part of Concordia University, this move heralds a major change for the archives. In some ways, it is challenging as all moves represent some element of loss. Yet it is also a moment in which we can celebrate a fresh start, with a transition to growth and expanded space. Significantly, as we planned this move we were greeted with enhanced communal participation and support. Clearly, an auspicious beginning.”  - Archives Chair Dr. Norma Joseph

 

The move, which will take place at the end of August, with a public reopening in September, has been possible because of generous financial support by the Azrieli Foundation, the Alex Dworkin fund at the Jewish Community Foundation, Federation CJA Montreal, the Labour Zionist Alliance and the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Quebec.

 

The Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives is a veritable treasure trove for the Canadian Jewish community and the research community at large. It houses over 5000 linear feet of archival material, provides direct reference assistance in response to 1000 inquires per year, welcomes up to 250 onsite researchers each year and directly assists another 750 via mail/phone. The ADCJA has been acknowledged for its help in virtually every Canadian Jewish history and sociology book published since 1980 and appears in the credits of numerous film and television productions.

 

“We were surprised at how enthusiastically our researchers and volunteers reacted to the news that their new consultation area will have light from nearby windows. I had not realized how deprived they felt before! Meanwhile, the archival collections will be better protected yet easier to retrieve.  It was difficult to find a new home for the Archives which fulfilled those conditions and possessed the structural capacity for our heavy shelving and collections. I am very grateful that our Relocation committee and funding partners were able to rise to the challenge to bring this project to fruition.” - Archives Director Janice Rosen

 

-30-

 

About Us:
Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives (www.cjarchives.ca) collects and preserves documentation on all aspects of the Jewish presence in Quebec and Canada. Most of the catalogue descriptions of its holdings can be consulted online, through the database of the Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (www.cjhn.ca). The Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives has operated under the governance of Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA since the formal dissolution of the Canadian Jewish Congress in December 2015.

 

The search for the new property, under the supervision of Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA President and CEO Linda Kislowicz, was led by Archives Director Janice Rosen, Archives Advisory Committee Chair Norma Joseph, JFC- UIA past Board chair Julia Reitman, Real Estate advisor Harvey Elman and Architectural Consultants Gerald Soiferman and Jake Fichten. The advantages of the new facility include: accessibility features, natural lighting and improved climate control. 

Media Inquiries:
info@jfcuia.org

Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA supports Canadian Jewish federations & communities by increasing philanthropic capabilities, national & international influence, connection to Israel (www.jewishcanada.org)