Rotenberg Ledger

From evidence in the annually published city directories, Louis Rothenberg arrived in Toronto about 1899, and first earned a living as a junk dealer, at 145 Elizabeth Street.In 1902, his eldest son, Henry joined him in the family business. Presumably, on Henry’s initiative, the firm of L. Rothenberg & Son, junk dealers, increased its scope in 1904, operating as L. Rottenberg & Son, steamship agents, at 157 Queen Street West.

About 1908, in a short-lived partnership with Samson and Charles J. Garfunkel, the firm of Garfunkel & Rottenberg, steamship agents, opened at 141 Queen Street West, while Louis continued to operate the junk dealership.

Listed at the Queen Street address in the 1911 city directory simply as Louis Rottenberg & Sons, insurance agents, the firm had further diversified; and also expanded with the inclusion of sons Max and Louis Jr. in the business. By 1916, they were advertising themselves as L. Rotenberg, bankers, steamship and insurance agents, apparently with the departure of son Henry. However, in the following year the Rotenberg family abandoned their steamship agency.

The surviving Rotenberg Ledger is a register of steamship passengers who had their tickets purchased for them by relatives in Canada—generally living in the Toronto region. The majority of the names are of Jews who were emigrating from Eastern and Central Europe.  Thanks to Cyril Gryfe for providing the above provenance to the Rotenberg Ledger.