Ben Zion Hyman

Ben Zion Hyman
Ben Zion and Fannie Hyman, circa 1932
Born	October 22, 1891 Mazyr, Belarus
Education	Odessa Polytechnical Institute, University of Toronto
Occupation	Engineer, Teacher, Bookseller
Spouse(s)	Fannie (nee Konstantynowski)
Children	Gurion Hyman (1925)
Parent(s)	Rev. Mendel and Bella Hyman

Ben Zion Hyman (1891 - 1984) was a Canadian Jewish bookseller. Originally from Mazyr in what is now Belarus, Hyman graduated from the Odessa Polytechnical Institute. After coming to Canada (settling first in Guelph, Ontario), he graduated in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto. Hyman and his wife, Fannie (née Konstantynowski), (in Polish, Fela; in Yiddish, Faigel), opened Jewish Toronto's most prominent book store, Hyman's Book and Art Shoppe (later known as Hyman's Booksellers, and still later known as Hyman & Son) at 412 Spadina Avenue in 1926.

During his life, Hyman was active as a member, founder and/or president of a number of organizations. These included: Hadassah, JIAS, Toronto Zionist Council, Toronto JNF, Keren Hatarbut, Poale Zion, and Farband. Hyman was an elected delegate to the first Canadian Jewish Congress in 1919. He also founded the Toronto Jewish Public Library in 1941. In 1953, his son Gurion Hyman opened a branch at 1032 Eglinton Avenue West in the Cedarvale/Forest Hill area of Toronto.

Hyman closed the store in the early 1970s after the death of his wife.

References

• Gasner, Cynthia. "Hyman's provided sforim for every occasion." The Canadian Jewish News, August 26, 1999, p. B5.
• Goldstein, Bonnie and Shulman, Jaclyn, eds. "Voices from the Heart: A Community Celebrates 50 Years of Israel." Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1998. (See section "412 Spadina: From a Conversation with Gurion Hyman." p. 90-91).
• Abella, Irving. "A Coat of Many Colours: Two Centuries of Jewish Life in Canada." Toronto: Lester & Orpen Dennys Ltd., 1990, p. 125.
• Metro Page. "Little Jewish library moves its 30,000 books." The Toronto Star, October 28, 1983, p. A6.
• Speisman, Stephen. The Jews of Toronto. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1979.^[1]
• Gottesman, Eli. Who's Who in Canadian Jewry, 1967. Page 275. Montreal: Central Rabbinical Seminary of Canada. Compiled by The Canadian Jewish Literary Foundation.
• Canadian Jewish Review, January 28, 1927 (http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/cdm_item/mcc_cjr/5899/100/20)
• Canadian Jewish Congress (Organizational Records 1919-). CJC0001,SA Administrative Records. CJC,SB Minutes. (http://www.cjccc.ca/national_archives/archives/arcguideCJC.htm)
• Regarding Ben Zion Hyman's father, the Rev. M. Hyman see: Ontario Jewish Archives on Toronto Synagogues: (http://www.ontariojewisharchives.org/exhibits/TorontoSynagogues/synogogues/Minsk/images/Early%20history/06.html)