Sam Yuchtman (January 15, 1910 – June 26, 1979)[1][2] was a Toronto broadcaster, entertainer and cantor[3] best known for hosting radio shows in Yiddish and English oriented towards the Jewish community in the city.
Sam Yuchtman | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 15, 1910 |
| Died | June 26, 1979 (aged 69) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Musician and radio host |
Yuchtman was born in Lublin, Poland and moved to Winnipeg around 1917, when he was a teenager, to join his father who had emigrated to Canada earlier.[4][5] He moved to Toronto in 1936, where he became responsible for bringing Yiddish actors to the Standard Theatre on Spadina Avenue where he also produced and directed several productions.[5]
After World War II, he became one of Toronto's first "Jewish language" radio producers,[6] first at CKFH,[3] then at CFGM,[7] and finally at CHIN radio, Toronto's first multilingual radio station.[6]
In 1948, Yuchtman brought The Jewish Hour (known in Yiddish as Di Yidishe Shtunde),[7] to CKFH[3] after originating it at CKTB, a radio station in nearby St. Catharines, Ontario.[5] It was one of several Jewish, and for many years predominantly Yiddish-language radio programs broadcasting under that or similar names in Toronto and in Jewish population centres around North America. Sam Yuchtman's Jewish Hour became the longest-running Jewish radio program in Toronto.[8][4] He brought the show to CHIN when it was launched in 1966 and Yuchtman was hired as the station's first producer.[3] Following his retirement in 1976 the show was hosted by his daughter Zelda Young[3][8] and became known as The Zelda Show and broadcast only in English. Zelda Young hosted the show until her death in September 2023 at the age of 73.[9]
Yuchtman ran for council in North York, Ontario in the 1966 municipal election but was lost to Robert Yuill.[5]
References
edit- ^ https://data.jewishgen.org/imagedata/jowbr/CAN-02692/BL03_C69.jpg
- ^ American Jewish Committee Yearbook, 1981
- ^ a b c d e Gottlieb, Sheila, "Zelda Young: Giving it voice", Lifestyles Magazine, undated
- ^ a b "Dad, daughter, works as team on radio show", Toronto Star (1971-2009); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]09 Sep 1976: E3.
- ^ a b c d https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=140571
- ^ a b TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS FOR THE CANADIAN RADIO-TELEVISION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, September 20, 2002
- ^ a b "Zelda Young | Ontario Jewish Archives". search.ontariojewisharchives.org. Retrieved Aug 28, 2021.
- ^ a b About Zelda, zeldayoung.com, accessed on December 31, 2007
- ^ "Sign Offs". Broadcast Dialogue. October 5, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
External links
edit- "Founder Sam Yuchtman". Zelda Young.