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Sylva Gelber fonds

https://www.cjhn.ca/link/cjhn107321
Collection
Sylva Gelber fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 artifacts, 1 plaque, 1 parchment, 1 award
Fonds No.
I0228
Date
1976-1999
Scope and Content
2,000 year old perfume bottle given to Sylva Gelber from the United Jewish Appeal of Ottawa on May 11th 1976, in tribute to her distinguished service to Canada; Ancient oil lamp recieved from the Public Service Division United Jewish Appeal of Ottawa in tribute to Sylva's service to the jewish co…
Collection
Sylva Gelber fonds
Description Level
Fonds
Physical Description
2 artifacts, 1 plaque, 1 parchment, 1 award
Scope and Content
2,000 year old perfume bottle given to Sylva Gelber from the United Jewish Appeal of Ottawa on May 11th 1976, in tribute to her distinguished service to Canada; Ancient oil lamp recieved from the Public Service Division United Jewish Appeal of Ottawa in tribute to Sylva's service to the jewish community; Plaque awarded by the Canadian Labour Congress on March 1976 in recognition of Sylva's service to working women of Canada; Parchment given by the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance on May 25th 1999, conferring upon Sylva the title of honorary trustee of the academy; Award given by the Canada-Israel Foundation, in cooperation with the Embassy of Israel, on November 1996 paying tribute to Sylva Gelber's support of the arts in Israel and Canada.
Date
1976-1999
Fonds No.
I0228
History / Biographical
Sylva Malka Gelber was born in Toronto in 1910, the daughter of Louis Gelber (b.1878 - d. 1968) and Sara Morris (d. 1954). Her father was a successful textile wholesaler who had immigrated from Berezhany. Sylva attended Havergal Ladies College and was rejected from Barnard College in 1929 because "the Jewish quota was already filled." She took courses at Columbia University and the University of Toronto, but did not earn a degree. She was a distinguished Canadian who served Canada in various capacities, most notably as Director of the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labour and Canadian representative on the UN Commission for the Status of Women (1970-1974). She spent 15 years as a medical social worker and government administrator in British-mandate Palestine. She published an award winning memoir, "No Balm in Gilead", based on these events. Sylva was an outspoken advocate of women’s rights who helped to introduce equal-pay legislation, maternity leave and women’s pension benefits into Canadian society. She held many international appointments during her lifetime, including that of the Canadian Delegate to the United Nation General Assembly (1976-1978). Sylva Gelber was a patron of the arts who had a love of music. She established her Foundation, The Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, as a means to help young musicians at the beginning of their professional careers. She was awarded honourary degrees from Queen's University, Memorial University, Guelph University, Trent University, and Mount St. Vincent's University and was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967. She was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1975. She died December 9, 2003 in Ottawa.
Notes
1. See Ottawa Jewish Historical Society fonds for interviews about her life. 2. http://www.sylvagelber.ca/home/ - The Sylva Gelber Music Foundation website 3. http://www.billgladstone.ca/?p=2471 - Globe and Mail obituary.
Archival / Genealogical
Archival Descriptions
Repository
Ottawa Jewish Archives
Less detail