Collection consists of records from a wide variety of sources that were acquired by the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (JHC) and its predecessors and that were arranged and described on an item or file level rather than at a fonds level. In addition to the numerous sources of the material, the format, subject matter and function of the records varies. Records creators include individuals, organizations as well as the JHC itself and its predecessors.
Corporate records creators represented in the collection consist of numerous secular and religious Jewish organizations. These are mostly Winnipeg based but also include some from other communities in western Canada. These organization include: Hadassah, Histradut, the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA), Zionist organizations, synagogues, I.L. Peretz school, B’nai Brith lodges, the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council, and Mt. Carmel Clinic.
Individual records creators are equally diverse, including politicians, rabbis, business owners, labour activists and others involved in the Jewish communities of Western Canada. These include Max Steinkopf, Saul Cherniack, Leible Hersfield and others.
Records formats include: correspondence, newsletters, programs, annual reports, handwritten books, minutes and financial statements. Many of the records are photocopies of originals. There are also a small number of artefacts such as pins and buttons.