Traces of the Past

Documenting the development of Montreal’s Jewish community from the 1880s until 1945, this investigation meticulously draws from historic city maps and directories, authentic photographs, brittle newspaper articles, and long-forgotten anniversary publications to track the locations of the city’s early synagogues. The result is a fascinating story that describes and defines the social, religious, and economic aspects of a distinct group of people through the architectural traces of its culture. The decades surrounding the turn of the 20th century are explored, chronicling the Eastern European Jews’ mass migration as they fled poverty and persecution, escaping into the refuge of the famed Canadian city. Depicting the people’s determination to retain their familiar traditions and familial connections, this record shows how their beautiful places of worship also became havens where they could meet, exchange concerns, lend support, and resolve to help those left behind.