In 2023, we will celebrate 50 years of the Ontario Jewish Archives! We invite you to help us mark this important community milestone.

Throughout the OJA’s special anniversary year, they will be highlighting stories from our rich and vibrant history. Together, we will explore individuals who made a difference, organizations that saved lives and shaped our community, stories of small-town life, summer camps, shul life, and much more.  We will celebrate the vast collection that we steward and will invite you to add to it. 

We will also feature the extraordinary research that is produced using our collections that expands and enriches our understanding of Jewish life. Join us on this exciting journey through 170 years of Jewish life in Ontario. We promise that you will learn something new and discover your own connections to the vibrant vitality of our Jewish world.

Our stories are your stories.

We have great stories to tell, and you can help us continue to tell them by making a donation today. 

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.