Congress bulletin, 1 février 1953, Février

[" oué.7 \u2018ONGRESS BULLETI ti don tondeuse a pe VOL.7 \u2014 No.7 MONTREAL FEBRUARY 1953 Tendencies Behind Iron Curtain Are Causing Concern to Congress A Congress deputation headed by Samuel Bronfman, National President of Congress, and Michael Garber, Q.C., Vice-Chairman of the National Executive, met with the Hon.Lester B.Pearson, Secretary of State for External Affairs, and asked that the Government of Canada censure Soviet Russia for its anti-Semitic tendencies, both in Russia and in its satellite countries.The Congress submission said, \u201cThe Canadian Jewish community is greatly disturbed that Russia should imperil the mental and physical security of the Jewish residents and citizens behind the Iron Curtain.\u201cOur particular recommendations are that: Toronto Meeting A public meeting is being convened in Toronto at Masse Hall by the Canadian Jewist Congress on Feb.15 to alert the Canadian public to the implications of the anti-Jewish policies now becoming apparent in eastern Europe.\u201cThe Canadian Government obtain all the facts so that Canada be able continuously to assess them and be in a position to take such action as may at any given time appertain.\u2018The Canadian Government censure the U.S.S.R.for its actions now and at the appropriate sessions of the United Nations.Canada lend the considerable weight of its influence in the world forum of discussion.It is of the greatest moral importance that Canad& indicate its stand, not only to Russia and its satellites, but also to the western nations so that all may be encouraged to protest the heinous crimes being engineered against the defenseless of the Iron Curtain countries.If the voice of the civilized world is not raised in protest, courage and hope will diminish.It may even be of greater consequence for countries such as Canada to take the lead in censure of the offending actions than for the great powers to do so.\u201cCanada take whatever action it can to give succour and assistance to those who may be allowed to leave that orbit.The western world will surely recognize that such people, as victims of political persecution, are entitled to asylum in any country which will have the moral courage to offer it.Insofar as the Jewish victims are concerned Israel will be the principal couniry of immigration.The countries to which these people may be able to go should be aided in receiving them.\u201d At the same time a submission of the United Zionist Council of Canada placed before the Minister the Canadian Jewish community\u2019s \u201cmost deeply felt concern for the threat to the people of Israel, to the political and military stability of the near East and to the moral and political position of the western powers that arises out of the present and prospective sale or shipment of arms to the Arab States of the Near East.\u201d Montreal Meeting In Montreal a meeting is scheduled for March 8 at Her Majesty's Theatre sponsored bY the Congress in conjunction with the United Zionist Council and the Jewish Labor Committee.Canada Moves Towards Fair Employment Congress Long Urged Such Federal Law The long-heralded federal bill \u201cto prevent discrimination in regard to employment and membership in trade unions by reason of race, national origin, colour or religion\u201d has been introduced into the Canadian House of Commons by the Minister of Labour.It received its first reading and is expected to come up for further debate at an early date.The explanatory notes to the bill stipulate that \u201cthe basic principle of human rights as enunciated by the United Nations Charter is the motivating factor.The bill applies only to works, undertakings and business within the legislative (Continued on page 8) NCI Meeting In Toronto MONTREAL \u2014 The second country-wide meeting of the National Conference for Israel and Jewish Rehabilitation will be held in Toronto March 14-15, according to an announcement by Samuel Bronfman of Montreal, president of the Conference, and Edward E.Gelber of Toronto, vice-chairman.Details of the agenda and the actual meeting place are currently being worked out by representatives from the United Zionist Council of Canada, the Canadian Jewish Congress, Bnai Brith and the Canadian Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.The meeting will be the second held since the NCIJR was founded by Jewish community leaders at a conference held in Montreal in March, 1951 to coordinate fund- raising for Israel and for needy Jews in Europe and Middle East, I ay AE E.il peri pi.4 Opening of Montreal Conference : (left to right) Councilior Max Seigler, Rabbi Samuel Cass, Samuel Harvey, U.J.R.chairman, Haro!d Lande, chairmen of arrangements committee and Monroe Abbey, chairman of sessions.One of the most enthusiastic conferences ever held in Montreal devoted a full day to a consideration of the growth of the Montreal \u201c Jewish community and to the need for planning its future development.\u2026 - The .conference convened by the Canadian Jewish Congress under the chairmanship of Monroe Abbey heard a paper prepared by Saul Hayes which outlined the measure of services planning now in effect in the community and urged extension of this planning in the fields of education and sy- \u2019fhagogue \u201cconstruction.A special afternoon session under the chairmanship of S.D.Cohen was devoted to public relations.Abraham Harman, formerly consul general of Israe] in Canada, addressed the luncheon session.A report on finances by Joseph H.Fine, Q.C., national treasurer of the Congress, was also a feature of the luncheon meeting, Amon others who took part in the conference were Harold Lande, Lavy M.Becker, Rabbi Samuel! Cass, Harvey Golden, Rabbi S.Herschorn, Donald B.Hurwitz, Louis Rosenberg, F.R.Econ.S., Jos.Shapiro, Q.C., Michael Garber, Q.C., Councillor Max Seigler, Michael Rubinstein, Chas.Wolfson Nathan Gaisin, Bernard Shane, Prof.Maxwell Cohen, Mrs.H.J.Freedman, Rabbi Solomon Frank, Kalmen Kaplansky, Samuel Mos- kovitch, Q.C., M.H.Myerson, Benjamin Robinson, Q.C., Abraham H.J.Zaitlin, Leon Cresthol, Q.C., M.P., Melech Ravitch, J.Gross- man and S.Rosenberg.Montreal Conference Studies Trends In his statement Mr.Hayes postulated a number of facts about the educational problems of the community: \u201cThe Jewish parents of Montreal are interested in giving their children the benefit of a Jewish education.\u201cThe growth of school facilities suggests that we will soon have an aggravated situation relating to the supply of Jewish teachers adequately prepared for the task.\u201cThe Jewish Teachers\u2019 Seminary must be strengthened and activated to make certain that Jewish teachers will he trained not only for Montreal, which is our specific interest, but for the general community of Canada.\u201cThe congregational schools are taking a lead in the enrollment of children.Will this mean that contributors who now give to such congregational schools will be less likely to contribute to the community schools?\u201cThere is a growth in parochial schooling and this trend may continue since Montreal, in the sociological milieu in which it findg itself, is particularly hospitable to this development.But the matter of costs becomes seriously involved and the tax situation must be studied.\u201cWith the growth of Jewish Education, with the congregational school development, with fund raising problems uppermost, certainly for the future it would appear to be most useful to have a Bureau of Jewish Education or some such organization \u2014 without any powers, if you will, hut certainly as a means of trading information, of assembling data \u2014\u2014 so that the Jewish community of Montreal will not be caught in a chaotic position because mor Page 2 of its failure to foresee the end results of the developments now taking place.\u201cThe growth of the synagogues in the community is very heartening but also leads {o a considerable number of problems.\u201cThere is a disfranchisement, if you want to call it that, of areas of large Jewish population while others have innumerable synagogues.These are all crowded for a few days a year but nn thought is given to the best use of resources including the physical facilities for education.\u201cThere does not appear to be much planning in the development of the svnagogual facilities.There is a shift of synagogues from one area to another but this shift is not simply that of buildings.Many synagogues east of Hutchison were designed for the particular set of religious and cultural values inherent among the population using such synagogue.In many cases this meant no officialdom but simply a House of Prayer.When these synagogue move to the west, a whole new set of values comes into being and a large apparatus is required for the functioning of the same synagogue where none wag required hefore.\u2018There will be ample facilities for the High Holydays but unless some plan is given to proper use of physical facilities, this will be about all.\u201cI'inally, there is a need for a Council of Synagogues, again without any power to be given to it, but simply as a means whereby the Canadian Jewish Congress, let us say, can bring facts and studies to the attention of those interested in the development of synagogual facilities.It is hoped that this will prevail and that as a result, of the maintaining of such a Council of Synagogues a more orderly develop- - CONCRESS BULLECIN FEBRUARY 1953 Amey Gelée Ra ment of the community can take place than is apparently taking place now.\u201cThere is much to be said for the laissez-faire attitude and an overscien- tific development can be very sterile, but surely there is a point between reckless abandon and a strict controi.Spiritual Values Vital Mr.Abbey spoke on the cultural assets of Montreal Jewry and urged that as careful attention be given to the spiritual development of the coni- munity as to the \u201cphysical plant required for its services.In his remarks he stated: \u201cWe are told by polite visitors \u2014 and I like to accept this literally\u2014that the Jews of Canada are distinct from other Jewries of the western world in a very positive manner and that Montreal in Canadian Jewry exceis in this regard even above other Canadian communities, We are told that there is a greater measure of Jewish creativity in this city than in other centers.We are told that Jewish cultural values are accorded greater dignity and more general respect.Certainly our schools, our library, our press can bear comparison with those of any other center of the same size or even considerably larger.\u201cIf this is true, I would like to kuow to what extent this is reflected in the daily life of how many Jewish citizens of our city; or, per contra, to what extent our progress and our status in the cultural area results from this more profound rootedness of Jewish values in the thinking of our citizenry.\u201cIf it ig true that Montreal Jewry is culturally distinct from other Jewish communities, I think we should all be interested to know whether the trend is toward the strengthening of these formative elements or whether they are in danger.\u201cThe study of facilities and resources in the community leads to a basic conclusion \u2014 Montreal is growing fast but all of us may not like too much the way in which it is developing.It would, therefore, be useful before we are loaded with projects which are not carefully planned, to have the abundant advantage of full discussion.\u201d \u2014 Abbey i wish it were possible vo know more exactly the extent and the manner in which the cultural traditions of our people actually enter into the daily nome life, into the thinking and into the social relationships of our citizenry.To what extent is the daily life of each one of us affected by our affiliation with the Jewish community?We may even make so bold as to ask ourselves which areas of our living should properly be affected by this our Jewish heritage and which are properly the area of influence of other traditions to which we owe loyalties.\u201cI have asked many questions which do not permit of easy answers and which perhaps could not be usefully discussed at a confenrence such as this at the present stage.However, I ain anxious to draw to your attention a question that is nearer the ultimate issue of this conference and of others like it which I am confident will follow iu the months and years to come.The couviction grows upon me that we have grown well beyond seeking definitions of what it is that united us as Jews.Now we are prepared for a more deliberate fostering of the proper and germane elements of our coni- mon heritage, \u201cIn addition to the studies of how many Jews we have in our city, I think that we shall soon be able to consider the question of what kind of Jews how creative they are, how active, how rich they are Jewishly and how they respond rationally and emotionally to the call of the Jewish spirit.\u201cIn addition to the location and the sponsorship of our schools, the time \"has already come to examine the quality and- the subject matter of their teaching, what it is that we shall teach to our children.se \u2018In addition to the number of our synagogues and to the quality of the brick and the mortar that we are pilng up in beauty and in dignity, the time may soon be coming when we shall examine critically and construc- tiveiy the quality of our rabbis, the measure of inspiration which we derive from our centers of worship and the extent to which they enrich the cons tantly growing organic religious heritage of our people to which our community will also have to add its portion, \u201cMontreal had for many years been a center of Jewish literary and scientific creativity of a high order.Unfortunately, only too often the makers of our poetry and the researchers in our vineyards have had to work on a system of private initiative.This is a polite way of saying that they have been neglected by their fellow-citizens and have been left to do.the.work with relatively little interest from their neighbours.I believe that these men of spirit, of esprit and of spirituality will come into their own in the time to come as our community will learn its own importance and its duty to itself, to its children and to their children and to the totality of Jewry.\u201cFrom my personal observation of the Montreal Jewish scene in my\u2019 private capacity and as president of the Congress here, from what I have séen of the leadership of this community organizationally, intellectually and financially, from the little reading which I have done in the history \u2018of Jewish communities \u2014 and perhaps to some extent from the inspiration of this conference itself \u2014 I dare conclude that my confidence in Montréal Jewry and in its future is not misplaced.\u201d Among the experts who were called upon for guidance by the Montreal Conference: Rabbi S.Herchorn, Harvey Golden, A.H.J.Zaitlin, Nathan Gaisin, Michael Rubinstein and Charles Wolfsen.FEBRUARY 1953 CONCRESS BULLECIN Page 3 EMERGENCE OF COMMUNITY Growth of Montreal Jewry In 1853 there were not more than 40 Jewish families in this city.One congregation, the Spanish and Portuguese [Shearith Israel, served all their needs.Their spiritual leader was the distinguished Sephardic Ha- ham Abraham de (Sola.Even by 1900 there were not 7,000 Jews living in Montreal.Since those days, the community has grown to 80,788 in 1951.PERIOD OF GROWTH The period of great increase in population was from 1901 to 1921, largely as the result of the immigration of Jews fleeing pogroms and politie- al persecution in Russia.After 1921, this immigration slowed down considerably because of government policy restricting all immigration to Canada.Since 1941, there has again been a considerable increase in Jewish population \u2014 more during the 10-year period of 1941-51 than during the 20- year period of 1921-41.The increase during the past deec- ade has been due as much to the natural increase \u2014 that is, the excess of births over deaths \u2014 as to immigration.Montreal now has the second largest Jewish community in the British Commonwealth, second only to London.Among the Jewish communities on this continent, it is in the same category as Detroit, Cleveland and Baltimore.THE COMMUNITY MOVES Before 1901 the Jewish population of Montreal was largely concentrated in the area south of Duluth Street and between Bleury Street and San- guinet Street.As.the community grew the area of Jewish settlement advanced northward within the same eastern boundaries, first to Mount Royal Avenue, then to Fairmount and Bernard Avenues and, having passed the barrier of the mountain by 1921, moved westward into Outremont.During the period from 1901 to 1921 the Jewish population of suburban Westmount had increased from 8 to 1,002 and Jews began to settle in the adjoining suburb of Notre Dame de Grace.The development of new residential areas in the Snowdon, Côte des Neiges and western Notre Dame de Grace areas began after 1931 and gathered momentum in the post-war period.With it the area of Jewish settlement has spread westward through Mount Royal Ward and Notre Dame de Grace to the most westerly boundary of the city of Montreal.THE COMMUNITY DISPERSES With this population movement has come a change from concentration to dispersion of the Jewish population.In 1901 approximately 42% of the total Jewish population of Montreal lived in St.Louis Ward and 31% lived in St.Lawrence Ward, while in 1951 no more than 17% of the Jewish population lived in any one ward or suburb of metropolitan Montreal.With the exception of a small group of 1,000 in Westmount and 450 in Notre Dame de Grace practically the entire Jewish population of metropolitan \u2018Montreal in 1921 lived within a narrow strip half a mile wide from Hutchison to Elizabeth Streets and two miles long from Sherbrooke Street northward to the Clana- dian Pacific Railway tracks, and in adjoining Outremont.By 1951, while the Jewish population in the older eastern area of settlement had increased by approximately 10 percent, the Jewish population of Montreal had developed and spread into a new residential area extending westward 4 miles from the Outremont boundary, and two miles northward from Sherbrooke Street to the C.P.R.tracks.In 1921, 87.5% of the total Jewish population of mertopolitan Montreal lived in the older area of settlement east of Hutchison Street.Only 12.5% lived west of that street.Even as late as 1941, the proportion of the Montreal Jewish population living east of Hutchison Street was 65.1% WEST OF HUTCHISON ST.To-day, ten years later, only 54.7% of the total Jewish population of Montreal live east of Hutchison Street and approximately 36,600 Jews forming 45.3% live west of that street in Mount Royal Ward and Notre Dame de Grace.There are approximately 13,000 Jews now living in Mount Roval Ward and 7,000 in Notre Dame de Grace.The Jewish population of Ou- tremont has increased from 10,338 in 1941 to 11,566 in 1951.The loss in Jewish population of the area east of Hutchison Street caused by removal to the new eastern residential area has been more than counterbalanced by the influx of new Jewish immigrants into the older, eastern of settlement.Statistics indicate that of the 6460 students at MeGill University, 1205 are Jewish, or over 189.Where Montreal Jews Live Jewish Population of Metropolitan Montreal in its main wards and suburban areas Proportion of Total Jewish Population of Montreal living in each.of the Principal Wards and Suburbs Ward or Suburb 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 St.Louis 1.202202 00 0001101 a à 41.8% 40.0% 26.T% 16.79% 16.49% 13.6% 8t.Louis .ca uas 000061000000 2,899 11,523 12,224 9,671 10,481 11,000 Laurier 200204200000 a 000 00e \u2014 5.9- 14.1 15.9 13.0 Laurier .Cet eeerasantananane \u2014_\u2014 1,211 7,289 8,198 10,188 10,500 St.Michel .c \u2014 \u2014 \u2014 17.0 19.9 17.3 St, Michel .EI \u2014 \u2014 \u2014 9,871 12,741 14,000 St.Jean Baptiste .1.9 10.2 25.5 17.7 7.9 6.8 St.Jean.Baptiste PP 124 2,954 11,712 10,828 5,073 5,500 St.Lawrence .30.8 26.8 11.6 2.3 1.7 1.5 St.Laurent een e a 0 cn 0000000 2,131 7,733 5,342 1,360 1,127 1,200 Sundry Eastern .5.4 6.9 7.8 8.1 3.3 2.5 Sundry Eastern .\u2026.\u2026.371 1,989 3,561 3,560 1,996 2,000 Total.Rastern, Section .5,525 25,410 40,128 43,488 41,606 44,200 Total Eastern Section .79.9 88.1 87.5 74.9 65.1 54.7 Outremont .\u2014_\u2014 41 1,196 6,783 10,338 11,566 Outremont .c.ccvuunn.\u2014 0.2 2.6 11.7 16.2 14.3 Westmount .8 381 1,002 1,780 1,625 1,675 Westmount 120240000000 00 0.1 1.3 2.2 3.1 2:5 2.1 Notre Dame de Grace .\u2014_\u2014 4 449 3,290 4,267 7,000 Notre Dame de Grace .\u2014 * L057 6&7 8.7 Meunt Royal: Ward .\u2014 \u2014\u2014 \u2014\u2014 320 3,610 13,000 Mount Royal Ward .+707 77 05 57 161 Lachine «.vvveeennnnennn.26 342 536 266 155 69 Lachine 20.200000 00 ea 00e» 0.4 1.2 1.2 0.6 0,2 0:1 Verdun .0.i.u.22 67 149 344 471 465 Verdun .202000000 00 0e neue 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.6 Hampstead.& Cote 8t.Luc .\u2014\u2014 - 24 47 98 658 Hampstead & Cote St.Luc .\u2014 \u2014 = 0.1 0.2 0.8 Mount.Royal Town ._\u2014 \u2014 1 4 12 298 Mount Royal Town .\u2014 ; : > 04 Sundry Western .1,337 2,593 2,376 1,709 1,706 1,857 \u2018Sundry Western .19.3 9.0 5.2 2.9 2.7 2.2 Total.Metropolitan Montreal 6,918 28,838 45,860 58,031 63,888 80,788 Total Metropolitan Montreal .100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Page 4 CONGRESS BULLEN \"FEBRUARY 1953 (utes © sers Jr The UT il children protest tant ?or Manor ay § schools attended 12.490 WET schools EF di Jewish | dis dt | attening | fly decln ei sûr i) Ne 0 ! today they The où some type city of À Continuous cept for à years of satay populatior This conti ing good in the nu in the cor Before wag giver dori\" ©: Today or thls type tend gr Enrollme- 1901 ty Abo; Jevish | (aroch dep g The î Sundey trom 4, Ing; \u20181e Jag Tera in; ll I Note Wing hog] Hong, fl Cag Uh Ka A EU À 5 A EDUCATION Jewish Children in Montreal Schools Tax-Supported Jewish School In Montreal In The 1890\u2019s Figures prepared by the research bureau of the Canadian Jewish Congress for the Montreal Conference show that more than a fifth of the Jewish school children of this city are attending parochial schools (day schools) where they receive a general education and special instruction in Jewish lore within regular school hours.The survey shows that 11,128 Jewish children attend the schools of the Protestant School Commission in Greater Montreal and 3,094 attend Jewish day schools.In 1931 only 28 students attended the Jewish schools while 12,890 were enrolled in the Protestant schools.Even though the total number of Jewish children attending school in this city has increased, the number attending Protestant schools has actually declined in the past 21 years.The survey also show that whereas 60 years ago school children formed 20% of the total Jewish populatiou, today they constitute only 17.3%.The number of children receiving some type of Jewish education in the city of Montreal has been increasing continuously from the beginning (except for a drop during the depression years of 1932-39).The number today is at a peak of 6,655 out of a total population of school age of 14,264.This continuous increase has been holding good in spite of the fluctuations in the number of the Jewish children in the community.Before 1925 most Jewish education was given in privately-sponsored \u2018\u201cCha- dorim\u2019\u2019 or at home by private teachers.Today only a small proportion receive this type of education; all the rest attend organized schools.This school enrollment has increased from 923 in 1901 to 6,555 at present.About half of the children receiving Jewish education attend day school (parochial school) and the other half are in afternoon sehools.The number of children attending Sunday schools only has been reduced from 964 twenty years ago to 300.In Canada, unlike the United States, the parochial schools or the day schools were introduced first by the Hebrew- Yiddish type of folk schools which were followed by the Talmud Torahs and, in more recent years, by the congregational schools.The ultra-orthodox schools, which in the United States pioneered parochial school education, in Canada are the latest to develop such schools.The Baron de Hirsch Day School established in 1890 on Elizabeth Street by the Young Men\u2019s Hebrew and Benevolent Society was a Jewish \u201cparochial\u201d or day school; it gave instruction to Jewish children in English in all the elementary secular subjects of the common school curriculum, as well as in Hebrew and in Jewish religious subjects.Instruction in Hebrew was given only one hour each day and was on a very elementary standard.The Baron de Hirsch Day School was also the first free school in Montreal conducted in the English language.It did not even charge nominal tuition fees.The Baron de Hirsch Day School received an annual subsidy from the Montreal Protestant School At the beginning of the century 42%e of all children attended some type of Jewish school but the percentage fell to 11.5 in 1911.It has since increased to 46.7% which is the highest in any Jewish community of equal or greater size on this continent.Moreover, when we take boys alone into consideration, we see that 68.6% attend Jewish schools, which is probably higher than in many European countries before the War.Unlike American and other centres, Montreal Jewish school pupils receive a much more intensive education in that they spend over 8 hours a week in class instead of the 2 or 3 hours a week which is common elsewhere, Number of Jewish Children attending Protestant and Jewish Day Schools in Montreal: Jewish 9% attending Protestant day Jewish Schools Schools Total Day Schools 1891 269 227 496 45.89 1901 1,543 373 1,916 19.4\u201d 1911 6,090 \u2014 6,090 \u2014 \" 1921 12,777 \u2014 12,777 \u2014 \" 1931 12,890 28 12,918 0.2\u201d 1941 9,272 426 9,798 44°\u201d 1948 9,024 1,933 10,957 19.2\u201d 1951 10,493 2,795 13,288 21.0\u201d 1952 11,128 3,094 14,222 21.8\u201d FEBRUARY 1953 Board of $8 per annum for every child attending the schoo! from the time of its establishment as a \u201cFree school for the Poor Children of the Jewish Faith\u201d in 1890.The subsidy was discontinued, and the school became an afternoon supplementary Hebrew school, in This annual subsidy from the Montreal Protestant School Board reached a peak of $2,795.20 in 1898.After that date it was fixed at $2,000 per annum.Even before the establishment of the Baron de Hirsch Day School in 1890, the Montreal Protestant School Board granted an annual subsidy to the Congregational Hebrew Schools of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation Shearith Israel and the Shaar Hashomayim (German and Polish) Congregations to pay the salaries of 2 teachers of Hebrew and of the Jewish religion from 1874 to 1882.Taxes Paid for Hebrew Teachers These subsidies, paid out of school taxes received from Jewish property owners to the Protestant School Board, ranged from $154 in 1874 (when there were only 409 Jews resident in Montreal and only 89 Jewish school children) to a peak of $1,232.40 in 1880, when there were 811 Jews in Montreal.In 1882, when the Montreal Protestant School Board discontinued its subsidy to the Hebrew and Religious Schools of the Jewish congregations, the Protestant Sehool Board undertook to admit all Jewish children to the Protestant schools on the same conditions as Protestant children and to exempt them from Protestant religious instruction and exercices.At that time the Protestant School Board also offered to provide room and time for Hebrew and for Jewish religious instruction to Jewish children attending the Protestant schools, and to pay the salary of a teacher of Hebrew nominated by the Jewish congregations.CONCRESS BULLECN Page 5 PE TT EE AE PTE HISTORY A Great Private Library By Lillian Nelson One of the best private libraries in Canada\u2019s history was assembled by a member of the country\u2019s oldest Jewish families, Gerald E.Hart, in Montreal in the middle 1800's.This library was dispersed at a wide- ly-heralded auction held by C.A.Libbie & Co., in Boston from April 15th to April 19th, 1890.The sale attracted hundreds of buyers.When the auctioneers\u2019 hammer struck for the last time and the last \u2018\u201c\u2018sold\u201d was heard, this remarkable accumulation of rare books was no more.Very few of the books returned to Canada at that time.The Canadians of 1890 were not yet bibliophiles.Gerald Hart was more than a book collector.A deeply erudite man, he was deeply interesfed in Canadian history.He strove to preserve for Canada her historical documents.He tried to create a temple for books, maps and engravings, which portrayed the rise of Canada from wilderness to Dominion.He attempted to bring to the young country the book-culture of other nations and other ages.As president of the Society for Historical Studies the author of \u201cThe Quebec Act,\u201d \u201cRebellion Notes of.1837,\u201d and \u201cThe Fall of New France,\u201d had access to rarities of all kinds in the world of books.His fine taste was amply shown in the library he assembled, It is no wonder that the 300-page catalogue of the sale listing 3,189 items is prefaced: \u201cThe true bibliophile will recognize in the Hart Library, even from a casual perusal of the catalogue, a collection of great importance, containing treasures seldom found, even in great European private libraries, and it would seem superfluous to call attention to any of the many desirable items.The collection is rich in artistic and literary treasures which appeal to the taste, not only of the biobliophile and bibliopegist, but also the collector of objects of true art, and to the seeker after rarities in general.\u201d Hart was not a collector of Judaica and Hebraica.Nevertheless there were a number of books of specific interest to Jews.Thus for example, we have item 1138: \u201cHistory of the Five Wise Philosophers; or, the wonderful relation of the Life of Jehosaphat, the hermit;\u201d This was printed in London in 1704.Item 1139 was the \u2018\u2018History of the Hebrew Monarchy from the administration of Samuel to the Babylonish Captivity.\u201d Item 1266 was \u201cJewish and Eastern Customs, or an illustration of the sacred scriptures, by an explanatory application of the customs and maners of the Eastern Nations.\u201d The Library contained a rare edition of Josephus.Amorz the most beautiful books were Du Seuil\u2019s \u2018La Sagesse de Solomon\u2019 published in 1635 and the \u2018\u2018Psal- mi Davidis\u201d\u2019 published in 1581.Of the former the catalogue said \u2018\u2018The Panels on the back are tooled in a geometrical pattern, surrounded by dotted gold, the sides are in compartments formed by gold fillets and dotted lines, with small pointille ornaments in the corners, the edges are gauffered gilt, and painted in an exquisite manner.\u201d A special place in the collection is held by the exquisite \u2018I Salmi di David\u2019 by Eve.Thig is a copy formerly owned by Marguerite de Valois.On the leaf of this book there was an autograph motto in the handwriting of Catherine de Medicis, wife of Henry II, and mother of Marguerite de Valois, In this section of the collection were many maps of Palestine and there were engravings of various scenes of interest to Jews.There was a Hebrew Bible printed in 1550, a 1755 \u201cPsalms of David\u201d and many others.If the Hart Library was not so rich in specific \u2018Jewish and Hebrew\u2019 books, it was exceedingly rich in rare chronicles, incunabula and original] manuscripts on vellum, Here is the Jewish gem of the collection: item 1533, a manuscript of Maimonides done in the 15th century.Other manuscripts on vellum includ- A Magen David forms one of the decorative motiffs in the design of an important Protestant church in down-town Montreal.Page 6 RE RR ARAN ed the exceedingly rare and wonder- fully-illustrated \u2018Heures de la Reine Marguerite de Navarre.\u201d This manuscript alone is worth many thousands of dollars.There were eight other Books of Hours.Among the manuscripts was one made in 1150 by Lawrence of Durham.And a manuscript by Egidio Colonna copied in 1300.Among the very great rarities of the library were its shakespeare volumes.There was the second folio now valued at $3,000, the fourth folio valued at the same amount and the \u201cTragedy of Othello\u201d which is so rare that there is no auction record for it in America in the past 10 years.Of such writers as Boccaccio there were no less than seven copies, The best of these was published in Paris in 1531.The library's Froissart, the famous \u2018\u2018Cronycles of Eng- lande, Fraunce, Spayne, Portyngale, etc.\u201d is now worth more than $2,000.But one cannot even begin to list the great rarities of the collection.Still, it is in its Canadiana that one marvels at the library.There is no rare Canadian book that it lacked.It had wonderfully preserved copies of Capt.Vancouver's Voyages, of the Voyages of Mackenzie and all the rare books on Indians.There were 18 volumes on Indian languages alone, The total amount realized by the sale of this remarkable library is not known.In today\u2019s terms the value would be very great.A chosen fifty items priced at today\u2019s catalogue values would bring more than $15,000.A librarian hag estimated that the total collection if sold today would bring no less than $500,000.In addition to this collection of books Mr, Hart also possessed an important numismatical collection and medals comprising coins of \u2018Greece, Rome and Judea, medieval] and modern coins, chiefly of France and England, historical] medals of America, ete, This collection wag catalogued by E.Brossard and was auctioned off at Boston by Geo.A.Lensitt & Co., in 1888.The catalogue of the collection ran to 118 pages.It is a great pity that these collections did not remain in Canada as a foundation for a national library, but whatever the case the bookplate of Gerald E.Hart, Esq., has gone far and wide to proclaim the great intellect and the world-mindedness of the extraordinary Canadian Jew.CONCRESS BULLETIN FEBRUARY 1953 CT Te re a TH, School tial ar Ing of The Means this 1 and it comm any 0 [he distine NEW HOMES The New Centre of À new area of settlement, cover ing some eight square miles, extending westward from Ortr>- mont, is now the home of approximately 25,000 Jews, or approximately 31% of the total Jewish population of Metropolitan Montreal.Prior to 1941 there was only one synagogue (the Shaare Zion) in this area, and no Jewish commu- uity institutions with the exception of the Jewish General Hospital.There were no facilities for Jewish education in this area.Within this new residential area there are now 4 Orthodox and 2 Conservative synagogues, and plans are already far advanced for 2 additional synagogues.Three parochial schools are operated by congregations in this area and building sites have been purchased by the United Talmud Torahs and by the Jewish People\u2019s Schools.Classes are now conducted in YMHA, Van Horne and Iona Schools.Within this new residential area is also the Snowdon building of the YM and YWHA.The Jewish population is by no means uniformly distributed in this new western residential area, and it is too large to be serviced by community buildings grouped in any one center.\u2018The area may be divided into 7 distinct geographic sub-districts, 1) Snowdon: Queen Mary to Cote St.Catherine, Cote des Neiges to Decarie.2) Van Horne West: Cote St.Catherine to McKenzie, Cote des Neiges to Decarie.3) Van Horne East: Cote St.Catherine to Bedford Road, De Vi- my to Cote des Neiges.4) Iona-Cote des Neiges: Queen Mary to Westmount, Circle Road to Cote des Neiges.5) Macdonald-McLynn: Decarie to Dufferin, Queen Mary to Pla- mondon, 6) Eastern N.D.G.: Decarie to Grand Blvd, Queen Mary to Cote St.Luc to Sherbrooke.7) Western N.D.G.: Grand Blvd., Cote St.Luc to Sherbrooke.Two of these sub-districts are al- Montreal Jewry most compete in their develooment as residential districts: Eastern Notre Dame de Grace and Snow- don.The remaining five are only partly developed, and a great deal will devend upon the extent to which they become built up in the next few years, and the extent to which Jewish residenis move into the areas at present undeveloped.Educational Facilities The following Jewish educational facilities are already available or planned for the various sub-dis- tricts: 1) Snowdon Congregational Parochial School of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation.Talmud Torah Kindergarten at Y.M.H.A, (Planned) Talmud Torah site at Victoria and Dupuis Avenues.2) Van Horne West Jewish People\u2019s School, afternoon classes in Van Horne School (Planned) Jewish People's School at Van Horne and Westbury Talmud Torah Classes in Beth Hamedrash Hagadol (Mackenzie and Lajoie) 3) Van Horne East Congregational Parochial School of Young Israel Congregation.The New Synagogues 4) \u2018ona-Cote les Neiges Jewish People\u2019s School, afternoon classes at Iona School.Synagogues Facilities There are 51 Jewish congregations in Montreal.In additions two are planned for the near future in western Notre Dame de Grace and Town of Mount Royal.These 51 are situated in the following districts.Old area of settlement (East of Hutchison St.) 37 Outremont 4 Westmount 2 Verdun and Lachine 2 N.D.G., Cote des Neiges and Snowdon 6 Total 51 Of these synagogues only the one in Park Extension is a new congegation.All the other new synagogue buildings have been erected by congregations which have been established for a number of years and had moved to new areas.The 37 synagogues in the older area of settlement are situated on 12 streets, and there are as many as 9 synagogues on one street (St.Urbain Street), and 4 in one city block.The following synagogue facilities are already available or are planned for the various sub-dis- tricts within N.D.G.\u2014 Mount Royal Wards.No.of Jewish Jewish Families Pop.1) Snowdon Area, Spanish and Portuguese Congregation Shearith Israel (Development practically completed) 3,229 11,300 2) Van Horne West Area, Beth Hamedrash Hagado! (Lavoie and Mackenzie) (Situation fluid.District incomplete and growing rapidly) .1,515 5,200 3) Van Horne East Area vius Western portion of Outremont a) Young Israel (Hillsdale Ave.) (Situation fluid.District incomplete and growing rapidly) 3.884 13,600 b) Shevet Achim, Cote des Neiges (Situation fluid.District incomplete and growing rapidly) 1,237 4,300 4) Eastern Notre Dame de Grace psssconsseareneessnne ncnnneneenserenenenne 1,594 5,000 a) Shaare Zion (Cote St.Luc) b) Shilo Congregation (Clanranald St.) (Deveiopment nf this area practically complete) 5) Western Notre Dame le Grace Proposed Western N.D.G.Synagogue (Mariette St.) FEBRUARY 1953 CONGRESS BULLETIN RR SEE CN ET TE ON FN ERTS pe SE Mate a N BRL Ct 000 ETD EN AANA, Bill Outlaws Job Bias (Continued from page 1) authority of Parliament to regulate and to crown corporations .The proposed bill relies largely on conciliation for its effectiveness.However, provision is made for resort to the courts should concilia- ticn process fail.\u201d The bill specifically includes within the application of the act works or businesses in connection with navigation, shipping, railways, canals, telegraphs, aerodromes, ferries, radio stations and banks.It specifically prohibits any employer to refuse employment or to refuse to continue employment or otherwise discriminate against any person because of his race, national origin, colour or religion.No employer shall use in the hiring of persons any employment agency that discriminates on this basis.No person shall publish any advertisement in connection with employment that expresses directly or indirectly any limitation, specification, or preference as to race, national origin, colour or religion.The bill provides for fines up to $500 for violation of the act.The measure is the latest in a series urged by the Canadian Jewish Congress and other bodies to render antisemitism illegal in this country.Peretz Record Issued in Canada By JACOB SISKIND The centenary of J.L.Peretz, great figure of Hebrew-Jewish literature, celebrated this past year has been most effectively marked by the release of two of his songs sung by the well known Montreal cantor Eugene Gold- berger, with Herbert Ruff at the piano.The songs, \u2018Dog Gebet\u2019 (The prayer) with music by Roskin, and \u2018Drei Nei- torins\u2019\u2019 (Three Seamstresses), effectively arranged by Mr.Ruff, are sung in a manner that realizes the full significance of the words and the music.The unusually fine studio recording has captured every detail of the artistry of both performers.Cantor Goldberger\u2019s long familiarity with traditions of this genre has made these records definitive presentations.It is obviously a labor of love for both artists.Their enthusiasm is forcetully transmitted by the recording.The disc has been released in a specially prepared centenary cover with a saort oilographical note and with the text of the songs in both Yiddish and Euglisn.nA Page 8 fé Ë | JAR 25 19844 \\ -\u2014 -: 04 -y yt 77 CONGRESS BULLETIN ; 7 ASAT LL % The Signatures That Set Off the Bond Drive Signing the agreement which made possible the flotation of the Israeli bond issue in Canada: Saul Hayes (centre) signing for the directors of the Canada Israel Securities Ltd.; Henry Montor, vice-chairman of the American finance corpartion responsible for the sale of the issue in the U.S.(left) and Sydney Green, advisor to the Israeli Treasury in New York.The sale the bond issue has already commenced in Montreal.The national sales organization is headed by Samuel Bronfman and Edward E.Gelber.The Montreal organization is being led by Hyman Grover.Maritimes Notes Noah Heinish of Halifax participated in a panel discussion on \u201cCitizen Varek\u201d over the CBC Maritime network on the invitation of the National Film Board.Michael Baig of Moncton was the guest of the Jewish Community of St.John\u2019s, Newfoundland at its annual United Jewish Appeal dinner.Matthew Ram of Halifax took part in the panel on \u2018Racial and Religious Discriminations\u201d before the Nova Scotia Society for Mental Hygiene.PR.SINGER HEADS WELLAND JEWRY Dr.H.O.Singer was reelected president of the Welland Jewish community.In the course of his address at his installation into office, Dr.Singer said, \u201cI sincerely feel that our community is alive, vibrant, progressive.We work under difficulties at times, we lack numbers, perhaps funds; but on the whole, we are no different from other Jewish communities.\u201cJewish community life today is in a, process of evolution.The past 25 or 30 years have seen tremendous changes wrough.in the warp and fabric of Jewish life everywhere.As in the past, religion is still the predominant basis of Jewish interest and association.The changes which modern life has produced x.y, OUR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL The number of Jewish children in Metropolitan Montreal attending all schools has increased from 496 in 1891 \u2014 when they formed 20 percent of the Jewish population of all ages \u2014 to 14,222 in 1952, 17.3 percent of the Jewish population.There has been a great growth of enrollment in congregational schooks, up from 1.6% of all Jewish children in 1911 to 16% in 1952, The proportion attending Yeshivah-type schools has increased from less than 1% twenty years ago to 7.6%.A third of all parochial school pupils attend congregational schools, a quarter attend the Talmud Torah, a quarter attend the Peretz and Jewish People\u2019s Schools and one sixth attend ultra- orthodox schools.All the congregational day schools are situated in the newer residential area and many of the pupils of the other parochial schools live there and come to schools which are located in other parts of the city by buses.Harry Moscoe of Kirkland Lake was elected president of the Te- miskaming Law Association.Samuel Wahl has been elected mayor of Palmerston in west central Ontario.in the scope and functions of religious organization have made it necessary for Jews (as -well as for people of other faiths) to develop and to participate in many different kinds of voluntary associations now essential for meeting important needs of day to day living.\u201d ! 4 ! x \u201cay mt RON 72 MATE PO PIS SN RIO SO OBS OO PRIE FEBRUARY 1933 ny "]