Welcome
2025 marks the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto. As Dr. Rolf Lederer z”l recalled on the occasion of the society’s tenth anniversary in 1995:
The first meeting of our Society was held on a cold and wet evening in March 1985 at Temple Sinai. Seven dedicated genealogists attended that historic event. They were: Sandi Enchin, Rolf Lederer, Rayzel Robinson [now Rabbi Rayzel Robinson Raphael], Lillian Rosenthal, Selma Sacrob, Toby Trumpeter and Goldie Wallonsky. … Our dedicated band took on various committee responsibilities under the expert leadership of Rayzel Robinson, who was elected co-ordinator (and later President). The other tasks were decided as follows: Selma Sacrob (Secretary), Toby Trumpeter (Programme), Sandi Enchin (Canadian Jewish News Liaison), Lillian Rosenthal (Resource), Goldie Wallonsky (Communications), and Rolf Lederer (Treasurer). By the second meeting the following were added: Michael Sternberg (Legal), Jules Samson (Computers) and Linda Weiss (Library).
Most of these original volunteers are, regrettably, no longer with us, but the legacy of what they started remains strong, and they no doubt would be incredibly proud of what has been accomplished.
The number of people who have contributed to the success of the society during the past forty years is far too difficult to calculate, let alone to try and name them all. Records exist of those who have served as president or on the board of directors. And, thanks to the continuous publication of our newsletter, Shem Tov, it may be possible to compile a list of those who have presented at our monthly programs, or led a workshop, or made a significant contribution to the society’s activities.
But the success of any organization depends not only on those who are visible, but also to the many, many people who often operate behind the scenes and make small (or large) contributions every day. Those who brainstorm or suggest topics for presentations; make arrangements with or for presenters; reserve rooms for events; arrange for coffee and refreshments; print name tags; greet attendees at the door; set up and test audio-visual equipment; host and support Zoom meetings; publicise events (today on social media, yesterday in newspapers, and in the early days, via phone trees!); check our mail; answer the phone line; maintain our website; take photographs (at our events, of synagogue memorial plaques, of headstones); compile records; transcribe and translate; answer questions; provide one-on-one assistance; share their expertise; teach classes; track registrations and memberships; process donations and contributions; write and edit articles; and so much more!
To all those who have played a role, however small or large, in our organization we offer our grateful thanks. It is due in large part to your efforts that we exist today to be able to celebrate our fortieth anniversary. And we welcome and encourage anyone to offer their time and skills as a volunteer for the society, even those who are not local to the Toronto area. There is always work to be done, and as the saying goes, many hands make light work.The original stated goals of the society were to promote an awareness among Jewish community members of the possibilities of tracing ancestors, to foster an ongoing interest in our heritage, to encourage the sharing of research techniques, and to disseminate information on genealogical research to family historians and professional genealogists alike.
While the text of our mission may have changed over the course of the past four decades, our core objective remains the same: to assist Jewish genealogists in conducting their research. We do that by providing them with opportunities to learn from experts and from each other as well as by assembling information from local sources that contributes to the worldwide collection of Jewish genealogical data. We encourage you to explore the Resources pages of this website to view the results of some of these efforts.
Our role as genealogists and family historians is to preserve the stories and the knowledge which we have gathered from and about our ancestors and pass this on to our children and future generations. In doing so, we “remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask your parent and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.” (Deuteronomy 32:7)
May we continue to go from strength to strength.
Howard Goldstein
President