Honouring and Exploring Ontario’s Southern African Jewish Community

The Southern African Legacy Project was launched by the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre in 2014 to document the fascinating stories of Ontario’s Jewish immigrants from South Africa and Zimbabwe. This website features the rich material collected as part of this project. Explore oral history clips by choosing a theme below, or visit the Profiles page to discover individual stories, photographs and documents.

Their Legacy Will Last for Generations

The Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre (OJA) has been documenting, preserving and sharing the history of Ontario’s Jewish community for over 40 years. The OJA launched the Southern African Legacy Project in 2014 to proactively fill a gap in its holdings related to the experiences of Jewish immigrants from South Africa and Zimbabwe. This material is now available for researchers and will be preserved as part of Ontario’s rich Jewish heritage for future generations.

Learn more about OJA