Fonds - Archibald and Lillian Freiman family fonds

Lillian Freiman was born in Mattawa, Ontario on June 6th, l885, the daughter of Moses and Pauline Bilsky. At the age of eighteen, she began her charitable and philanthropic career as a Canadian leader by attending her first Zionist Convention in Montreal in 1903. On August 18, l903 she was married to Archibald Freiman in Ottawa. In 1919, Mrs Freiman, as President of Canadian Hadassah, toured Canada on behalf of Hadassah and organized chapters in every province. One of Mrs Freimanâs outstanding accomplishments was the organization of the Jewish War Veteransâ Committee in 1920. Subsequently she went to Europe and brought over 150 of these children to Canada for adoption. In Ottawa she was for many years President of the Ottawa Ladiesâ Hebrew Benevolent Association and active in the Perley Home, the Girl Guides Association and in many other societies, both Jewish and non-sectarian. For her welfare war for war veterans she received the rare distinction of a life membership in the Canadian Legion. In 1934 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.)For âleadership in Jewish charitable organizationsâ. She died in 1940. Archibald Freiman, was born at Wirballen, Lithuania on June 6th, l880 and came to Canada with his parents in 1893. He attended public school and business college in Hamilton, Ontario. At the age of 19, he joined his fatherâs business, the Canadian House Furnishing Company of Kingston, Ontario and in 1902 they moved the business to Ottawa. In 1910 A. J. Freiman & Co. was still a modest business but under his guidance it grew into one of the largest department stores in Canada. Like Mrs Freiman, he began his remarkable career as a Zionist leader during his teenage years. Commencing in the Ottawa Zionist organization, he rose to occupy a position on he World Zionist Organization’s Actions Committee. In 1920, he was elected President of the Zionist Organization of Canada. Between 1905 and 1930, Mr Freiman was president of the Adath Jeshurun Congregation. In 1934 he became the first President of the Ottawa Vaad Ha’Ir and continued in that capacity until his death in 1944. Lawrence Freiman, son of Lillian and Archibald, assumed the presidency of A. J. Freiman Ltd.