Mr. Carl Keyfetz

This oral history interview with Carl Keyfetz (born 1907) covers his life from childhood through his legal career in Toronto. Born to Russian immigrant parents, Keyfetz grew up in a large Jewish family and attended Osgoode Hall Law School’s 5-year program in the 1920s. Unusually for Jewish students of that era, he articled with Cameron, Nesbitt & Gordon, a non-Jewish firm, highlighting the discrimination Jewish lawyers faced in accessing opportunities at established firms.

During World War II, Keyfetz served in the Judge Advocate’s Branch, including commanding officer duties in Nova Scotia and defending court martial cases. After the war, he returned to Toronto legal practice, forming the law firm Gordon, Keyfetz and Hall with partners including Ernest Goodman and Lou Baker. The firm eventually dissolved due to internal conflicts. The interview concludes with anecdotes from his practice, including a successful marriage reconciliation case that earned him a rare seven-sevens serial number dollar bill as payment.

Keyfetz’s account provides valuable insights into the experiences of Jewish lawyers in mid-20th century Toronto, the challenges of wartime military legal service, and the evolution of legal practice in Ontario during this transformative period in Canadian legal history.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.