Letters Home

Over 17,000 Canadian Jews enlisted in the military during the Second World War. Through their personal collections, preserved at the Ontario Jewish Archives (OJA), we can learn about these Canadian Jewish servicemen and women and the Jewish organizations that aided them.

From each letter home, diary entry, photograph, newsletter, telegram, badge, and medal, the weight of duty and sacrifice of a community is clear. View the exhibition here.

The Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre (OJA) is the largest repository of Jewish life in Canada. Founded in 1973, the OJA, a department of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, acquires, preserves and makes accessible the records that chronicle our province’s Jewish history. The collection documents organizations, individuals, synagogues, schools, summer camps, leisure, athletes, and businesses.

There are many different ways to explore the OJA’s collection and learn about the province’s Jewish past. You can make an appointment to look at photographs, films, Yiddish newspapers, hand-written correspondence, and even an original Superman drawing! Through exhibitions, programs, research assistance, and walking tours, the OJA tells the stories of Ontario’s Jewish community.