In June1974—for the first time in its history—the Toronto Board of Education allowed liquor to be served at one of its schools. The occasion was a bang-up homecoming weekend for Harbord students flocking back to celebrate their beloved collegiate.
A stellar barbershop quartet of Louis Weingarten and Frank Shuster (Wayne and Shuster); Sam Shopsowitz (Shopsy’s Delicatessen and Restaurant chain) and Sam Sniderman (Sam the Record Man) entertained the crowd.
Three thousand exuberant dancers formed a conga line around the school to the strains of “Hava Nagila.” The Israeli folk song (translates as “Let us rejoice”) was a special nod to the school’s 1920s to 1950s population which had at times been ninety percent Jewish. Many students were the children of recent eastern European immigrants. Tough times. A solid education was the lifeline.
The kids at Harbord had to prove something to themselves and their parents. In addition, they had to compensate for a degree of anti-Semitism that was around at that time. Many of them aimed very high and they scored. Philip Givens (formerly Givertz) mayor of Toronto (1963-1966) judge; politician; Harbord alumnus
During the time Philip Givens described, there were university quota systems for the number of Jews accepted into Canadian universities and the professions. Many businesses and organizations—including hotels and Muskoka resorts—openly or discreetly refused to admit “outsiders” into what was still a predominantly British society.
Harbord’s Jewish students learned to strive—and thrive—against the odds of the day, and to find places in the community and the world beyond.
As the 1950s drew to a close, much of Harbord’s Jewish population moved to more prosperous parts of the city. The school then adjusted to waves of Italians, Portuguese, Poles, Ukrainians, Greeks, Asians, recent arrivals from the West Indies—in short, all cultures—becoming the no-dominant-ethnic-group mix now commonplace in Toronto’s public schools.
When Harbord celebrated its 125th anniversary in April 2017, Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee aptly described the school as “Toronto’s famous immigrant launching pad.”
Many Harbord students, whether Canadian-born or from other countries, volunteered for for king and country in their shared homeland. (Reflecting Harbord’s early years, our “Search the database” feature will show that more than half the names on the WWII memorial indicate Jewish roots.)
Thank you to volunteer Marg McCann, who made a special effort to re-take and gather photographs and arrange meetings at Harbord’s busy archives. Murray Rubin (class of 1950), Marvin Katz, Harbord alumnus and artist who produced Harbord’s distinctive Second World War memorial, and an active group of school historians welcomed us. Harbord’s special history goes on day to day under skilled hands.
Harbord’s “happy ghosts” of the 1974 homecoming showed future students how to cheer their old school, but look beyond their origins. To aim high and score.
For King and Country is pleased to add Harbord Collegiate Institute to our collection of Toronto schools.
2 thoughts on “School for an Immigrant Neighbourhood: Harbord Collegiate’s happy ghosts”
I am seeking information re Martha Borkovitz born in 1915. She attended Harbord Collegiate. In 1930, at age 15, she was a child prodigy on the piano. By the late 30’s she worked with Bert Niosi at The Palais Royale. She married a Bostonian in 1937, Hyman Mintz. She became an orchestra leader in Boston and played with Mickey Alpert at The Coconut Grove in Boston. In 1942 she gave birth to a little girl and subsequently left the Alpert band. That same year, 500 perished in The Coconut Grove Fire, Nov. 1942. Martha ultimately divorced her husband and in 1945 married Benjamin Levin, a survivor of the fire. His late wife and extened family jad perished in the fire. He was a widower with 2 daughters.. Martha and daughter moved into Ben’s house and sometime in the early 50s Martha was diagnosed with breast cancer. She passed in 1954 at age 39.
I need any info about my aunt because her daughter, Fern Mintz is writing a screenplay about her mother’s life.
Hi Fern. Thank you for this information about a fascinating Harbord Collegiate student! Please subscribe to comments so you can see if someone responds.