Funding & Awards

For over 45 years, the OJA has been ensuring that the history of Ontario Jewry is collected, preserved, and shared back with the community it represents.

When a community preserves its history, it demonstrates that its heritage is valued and essential to its collective present and future. For over 45 years, the OJA has been ensuring that the history of Ontario Jewry is collected, preserved, and shared back with the community it represents. The OJA seeks to provide equitable access to information, to represent a diversity of voices and experiences from the entire community, to ensure the Jewish experience is part of the larger local, provincial, and Canadian narrative, and to provide a space for the Jewish community to connect to its history in an inclusive setting. This is accomplished through collection development initiatives, research assistance, public programs, school and university partnerships, exhibitions, online resources, and walking tours.

The Penny Rubinoff Fellowship

The OJA serves as a model to other communities exploring ways of preserving their histories and assembling and building their archives. Today, the field of study on community archives is growing and as a result, students graduating from archives programs are choosing to specialize in this area. The Penny Rubinoff Fellowship provides a 4-month paid fellowship to a recent graduate of a Master’s-level archives program who has a demonstrated interest in community archives. This fellow has the opportunity to dive into a deeply meaningful archival role gaining experience in all components of the archival field, with a lens on the community archives. They will put into practice the archival theory they have studied and see up close how a community archives engages with its researchers, donors and other stakeholders. In addition to mentoring the next generation of young archivists, this reciprocal learning opportunity directly benefits the OJA through the fresh perspectives and insights brought by the fellow, inspiring new ways of thinking about our work.

The OJA is so special because…. insert a nice quote here

Penny Rubinoff

Goal

Approach

Collection Development

  • Promote accessibility to our collections
  • Contribute to our backlog
  • Gain new perspectives

Mentorship

  • Dive into a deeply meaningful archival role gaining experience in all components of the archival field, with a lens on the community archives.
  • Put into practice the archival theory they have studied and see up close how a community archives engages with its researchers, donors and other stakeholders.
  • Develop hands on experience
  • Learn from experienced archivists
Contact us

Become our next fellow

This opportunity is available periodically and usually targets a specific collection.

You can reach out to us with your resume and availability.

this is how you can become our next fellow

Contact us
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Renée Saucier

2019 Fellow

Renée Saucier

Starting this week, instead of biking past the Miles Nadal JCC on my way to the University of Toronto’s St George campus, I’ll be taking the Bathurst bus north to the Ontario Jewish Archives. I recently graduated from the University of Toronto’s Master of Information program, where I specialized in archives and records management. I spent the past two years working at the University of Toronto Libraries’ web archiving program, and the past year volunteering at The ArQuives (formerly the Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives), where I am currently processing the Inside Out LGBT+ Film Festival fonds. As an archivist with a special interest in web archiving and community archives, I’m particularly concerned with the preservation of the very recent past and present. I was immediately drawn to the Penny Rubinoff Fellowship as an opportunity to continue to do this work, as well as to further develop my skills and acquire a deeper understanding of the operational aspects of a community archive. Having become familiar with Toronto’s early Jewish community while conducting research for the History of the Hospital for Sick Children project, I am curious to learn more about Jewish history throughout Ontario, and how this community archive works to build relationships with and preserve the histories of these many diverse communities. Over the next four months, I will be engaged in all aspects of the Ontario Jewish Archives: accessioning materials, assisting researchers with reference requests, planning community collaborations, spotlighting materials on the website, and gaining insight into the operational aspects of the OJA. I am particularly excited to be on board to observe how the archive team plans and prepares to adopt a new digital preservation system. I have been warmly welcomed into the organization, and look forward to all that the next few months have to offer.
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Jordi Nackan

2026 Fellow

Jordi Nackan

This position is generously-supported by OJA board member and friend, Penny Rubinoff.

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