Hugo Levendel (Nov.8, 1904-Aug.28,2000), native of Satu-Mare, Hungary, arrived in Ottawa in 1928, shortly after his brother, Alex Levendel. He achieved basic English and the skill of retouching photographs before leaving Satu-Mare. Within two weeks of his arrival, he had a position with Castonguay Photography Studios. Later he worked with Morris Stein of Parisienne Studios. Then he worked for Yusof Karsh performing dark room and printing work. In 1937 he opened his own studio at 74 Sparks Street. At the beginning of World War II he gave up photography and entered the Federal Government. He did translation work with his proficiency in Hebrew, Yiddish, Rumanian, Magyar and German. Hugo Levendel worked as a volunteer for many Jewish causes. Between 1930 and 1934 he was the president of the Young Jewish People’s Association of Ottawa. For three years he was youth chairman of the United Palestine Appeal, 1933-1935. His interest in adult education led him to also support the Jewish Folke Shule in the 1930s. Culturally he promoted Yiddish theatrical performances. He acted as co-chairman of the Jewish Community Council of Ottawa’s Holocaust Committee in the 1970s. Between 1980 and 1986, he was President of the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society and worked closely with Archivist Shirley Berman. An active Zionist all his life, he was heavily involved in all Zionist activities in the Ottawa Jewish community, including attendance as a delegate to numerous Canadian National Zionist Conventions. In 1936 he married Ruth Davis, one of Mrs. Lillian Freiman’s 108 1921 Ukranian orphans. She was a founder of the Na’amat Pioneer Women in Ottawa. They had two children, Lewis David, Margaret Ann. He is remembered as “an old world gentleman” and as a “unique, involved personality”.