This post is brought to you by Briana I., a volunteer at the Ottawa Jewish Archives. Secret lovers, a rendezvous, and a gunshot. That is how the night of Jacob Horwitz’s murder began. Jack Horwitz, owner of Horwitz Jewelry shop in Downtown Ottawa was rivaled by many shops, including that of Edelson's Jewellers, owned by … Continue reading An Affair to Remember: The Edelson/Horwitz Murder →

This post is brought to you by Jan Kurman, a volunteer at the Ottawa Jewish Archives. Portrait of Lillian Freiman, 1923. OJA 1-005 Women’s contributions to history often go unrecognized. This is despite the fact that a lot of the key players in Canada’s history were women. From Laura Secord to Viola Desmond, women have … Continue reading Ottawa’s Greatest Philanthropist: Lillian Bilsky Freiman →

This post is brought to you by Jan Kurman, a volunteer at the Ottawa Jewish Archives. Immigrating to Canada in the early 1900s was a daunting task for many newcomers. As most of the immigrants were arriving from Europe, people travelled thousands of kilometres in an extensive journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Once they came, … Continue reading A Loan For Tough Times: The Ottawa Hebrew Free Loan Association →

This post is brought to you by Jan Kurman, a University of Ottawa student volunteer at the Ottawa Jewish Archives. The city of Ottawa today hosts a variety of people from a long list of different ethnicities and backgrounds. Associations, businesses, clubs, and other organizations have been formed to welcome and provide inclusiveness to newcomers. … Continue reading Lending A Hand: The Ottawa Hebrew Benefit Society →

This post is brought to you by Jan Kurman, a University of Ottawa student volunteer at the Ottawa Jewish Archives. Silversmithing is an ancient art form which involves the crafting of fine objects from silver or silver alloys. The art that is created by silversmiths has been used throughout history as money, jewelry, silverware, and … Continue reading Aaron and Bertha Rosenthal: An Extraordinary Tale of Silversmithing and Philanthropy →

This post is brought to you by Jan Kurman, a University of Ottawa student volunteer at the Ottawa Jewish Archives. The summers in Ottawa are known to be notoriously hot and humid. Ottawans usually take the time to cool down by taking a dip in the Ottawa river, staying indoors, or by opening a cool … Continue reading From Ginger Ale to Cream Soda: The Story of Ottawa’s Very Own Soft Drink Company →

With everyone being at home we thought this would be a great opportunity to share some fun learning activities for kids! Below is a collection of archives based activities for families to do together. Word Search Puzzle This archives themed word search is the perfect way to teach kids what kinds of items can be … Continue reading Fun activities for kids! →

This post is brought to you by Jan Kurman, a University of Ottawa student volunteer at the Ottawa Jewish Archives. Moses Bilsky as a young man in 1860. OJA 1-167 The Jewish community of Ottawa today is large, thriving, and a source of pride for its members. However, this was not always the case. 150 … Continue reading Moses Bilsky: The Legendary Life of Ottawa’s First Jewish Settler →

This post is brought to you by Teigan Goldsmith, Archivist of the Ottawa Jewish Archives. As some of you may have seen, we updated our display case outside of the Greenberg Families Library this week. When trying to decide what the next display should be I stumbled upon an item in our collection that captured … Continue reading Arie Van Mansum →