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Abelson family fonds

https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn101117
Collection
Abelson family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
multiple media
Physical Description
multiple media
Fonds No.
I0005
Date
1913-2002
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records of Wolf and Julia Abelson obituaries; Jess Abelson business life, photographs of his sporting life, Duke (Lawrence) Abelson’s early education and World War II career as a flyer with the Royal Canadian Air Force including his Canadian log book, commission, Certificate of Pr…
Collection
Abelson family fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
multiple media
Physical Description
multiple media
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records of Wolf and Julia Abelson obituaries; Jess Abelson business life, photographs of his sporting life, Duke (Lawrence) Abelson’s early education and World War II career as a flyer with the Royal Canadian Air Force including his Canadian log book, commission, Certificate of Promotion to rank of Pilot Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force - November, 1941 (see 1-992), correspondence of 160 letters as well as telegrams to his family, 1941-1943; Alan Abelson educational, sporting, and married life; 2002; Brief to the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame for induction of Jess Abelson. Artifacts include one Boy Scout uniform (worn by Alan Abelson), 2 of Alan Abelson tennis racquets, 1 velvet jacket (worn by Julia Rosenblum on her marriage to Wolf Abelson), 3 infant dresses and 1 bonnet (worn by Jess and Mollie Abelson's children), 1 sweater with an “O” for Ottawa Football Team, Duke Abelson Officer hat; 4 World War II medals; 4 photograph albums, 1 scrapbook, and 1 siddur donated to Adath Jeshurun in 1950 Later accrual of textiles include 2 baby capes, hand made by Molly Abelson in the 1920's for daughter Sylvia and a pink crochet sweater or coat.
Date
1913-2002
Fonds No.
I0005
Storage Location
4 boxes in OS
Canadian log book and siddur in Rare Books section
Conservation
1. Duke Abelson’s commission to Pilot Officer, February 11, 1942 conserved by Kyla Ubink in 2006. 2. Duke Abelson’s officer’s hat dry cleaned and repaired at Brown’s Cleaners, Champagne Street, Ottawa, Fall, 2006 and exhibited in Duke Abelson exhibit, Remembrance Day, 2006.
History / Biographical
Wolf Abelson married Julia Rosenblum of Toronto and settled in Ottawa in the early 1900's. Both were born in Lithuania. Prior to settling in Ottawa, Wolf lived in Syracuse, New York, and in Cleveland, Ohio. Wolf grew up in Neinstadt, a town near Kovno, Lithuania. According to the Abelson family, Moses Bilsky, the first known Jewish settler in Ottawa, came from the same area in Lituania and encouraged Wolf to also settle in Ottawa. Wolf established the Rideau House Furnishing Company at 180 Rideau Street. He and wife Julia had seven children; sons Jess, Nathan and Sidney and four daughters, Birdie, Helen, Sarah and Sally. The Abelsons were members of the Adath Jeshurun Congregation and Wolf Abelson served as congregation vice-president during A. J. Freiman’s tenure as president between 1904 and 1930. Jess Abelson (1892-1975), born in Cleveland, Ohio, was an outstanding sportsman. He played football in 1913 - 1914 for the Ottawa Rough Riders and played basketball with the Y.M.C.A. He was also a member of the 1913 Canadian Champion War Canoe Team. In 1920, he became the first scoutmaster of the 39th Jewish Boy Scout Troop, one of the first Jewish scout troops in Canada. In 1920 Jess married Mollie Gray from New York. Their children included Sylvia, Lawrence, Stan, Alan (b. August 27, 1928) and Bobby. Jess was a top salesman with the Northern Life Assurance Company and in later years he was active in curling and was the founder of the Tel Aviv Tennis Club. In 1986, Jess Abelson was the first person inducted into the Ottawa Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. His influence on Ottawa and on the Ottawa Jewish community extended well beyond sports, but as a sports personality he was a paragon of excellence for young Jewish athletes. All of Jess Abelsons sons excelled in sports. Tragically, Flying Officer Lawrence "Duke" Abelson died in a training flight in England November 15, 1943 while serving in World War II. Lawrence's nickname Duke came from living on Marlborough Street, Ottawa, (Duke of Marlborough.) Duke went overseas in the fall of 1942 and with R.C.A.F. Mosquito Squadron. Alan became a lawyer, and lives and works in Ottawa.
Acquisition Source
Sylvia Abelson Gellman, Alan Abelson
Notes
1. Alan Abelson provided the details of Wolf Abelson's heritage in September 2006. 2. A note from Shirley Berman is attached to the textile items providing additional information.
Related Material
Material related to Jess Abelson in Tel Aviv Tennis Club fonds and Samuel Caplan fonds. Jess Abelson article in Ottawa Jewish Bulletin & Review, December 12, 1986.
Alan Abelson Interview, located in the Local Social History Project series, Jewish Community Council of Ottawa fonds.
Duke Abelson’s war service is recorded in 'Canadian Jews in World War II: Part II: casualities' and in 'There I was ... a collection of reminiscences by members of the Ottawa Jewish Community who served in World War II.'
Archival / Genealogical
Archival Descriptions
Repository
Ottawa Jewish Archives
Less detail

Ben Karp fonds

https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn101133
Collection
Ben Karp fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
multiple media
Physical Description
multiple media
Fonds No.
I0029
Date
1930-1946, 1991-1992
Scope and Content
Fonds consists Yiddish Bar Mitzvah speech delivered November 16, 1930; Benjamin Kapinsky’s News Vendor’s Licenses, (1934,1935); photocopy of newspaper clipping "Five Ottawa brothers are in armed services" July, 1942; Canada Club, Paris registration, 1945; Canadian Army (active) discharge certifica…
Collection
Ben Karp fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Material Type
multiple media
Physical Description
multiple media
Scope and Content
Fonds consists Yiddish Bar Mitzvah speech delivered November 16, 1930; Benjamin Kapinsky’s News Vendor’s Licenses, (1934,1935); photocopy of newspaper clipping "Five Ottawa brothers are in armed services" July, 1942; Canada Club, Paris registration, 1945; Canadian Army (active) discharge certificates, 1946; two small membership pins; Agudath Israel Sisterhood Certificate and Kiwanianne tributes to Mrs. Ben Karp, 1964; memorial tributes, 1991-1992.
Date
1930-1946, 1991-1992
Fonds No.
I0029
History / Biographical
Ben Karp (b. 1918 d. 1991) was one of nine sons of Dora and Max Kapinsky. All, except one brother Nap Kapinsky, shortened their surname to Karp. To help with the family finances after the death of his father, Ben sold newspapers on the best location in Ottawa, Union Station and the Chateau Laurier. After graduation from the High School of Commerce where he met his future wife Etta Shulman, he worked briefly for the Government of Canada. He enlisted in the Canadian Army and was part of the infantry which liberated Holland. After a brief period of operating an IGA store, he entered the real estate business and formed his own company, Acadian Realty Co. Ltd. In 1990, Ben Karp received the Jewish Community Centre Volunteer of the Year Award for his outstanding achievement in volunteer involvement with the centre. He also was past president of Agudath Israel Congregation, a member of B’nai B’rith Ottawa Lodge since 1949 and a 36 year association with Rideau Kiwanis Club. He also served as president of the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society between 1986 and 1992.
Acquisition Source
Ben Karp, August 17, 1989. News Vendor Licenses donated by Mrs Ben Karp (Etta), September 23, 2002 and military material on October 3, 2002.
Notes
1. One pin has the initials H.Y.M.A., the numbers 35 and belonged to Etta Karp’s father, Harry Shulman. The other pin has the word JAFFA and the number 37. 2. All Kapinsky boys, except Nap, changed their name to Karp as a simplification. Nap maintained the family Kapinsky name as he was heavily involved in the Ottawa Jewish community. 3. Of the nine sons born to Dora and max, eight survived infancy.
Related Material
Related material in Biographical files, Ottawa Jewish Historical Society fonds, Agudath Israel Congregation fonds.
Archival / Genealogical
Archival Descriptions
Repository
Ottawa Jewish Archives
Less detail