History

Since Jewish immigration was not officially encouraged in New France, there is no proof today as to the existence of a Jewish community in Québec City during that period. Nevertheless, we can still make the hypothesis that some Jews came to Québec City under the French regime without necessarily declaring their origins. There is proof that in 1738, a young Jewish woman arrived at the port under a false identity, named Esther Brandeau. She was sent back to France the following year after an attempt at conversion.

At around the same time, in 1748, a shipowner of Sephardic origin living in Bordeaux, Abraham Gradis, formed a company aimed at ensuring a supply of soldiers and arms for New France, the Société du Canada. He continued his work until Québec City fell, but without ever coming to the colony. His merchant ships were the only ones to make it to America during the last days of the French colony. Gradis was the last person to personify France's determination to maintain its American colony

 

The beginning of the British regime made the official arrival of Jews in Canada possible for the first time. Among the first to come was the merchant, Samuel Jacobs, who came to Québec City in 1759, and Aaron Hart. Mr. Hart joined General Amherst in Montréal in 1760, and then settled in Trois-Rivières the following year. Overall, the few Jews who came to Canada took on the role of suppliers for British troops, and later merchants in the new colony. Representing very small numbers, many of these people were of Ashkenazi origin and emigrated from England or the British colonies where they were either born or had lived for a long time. These Jews, such as, such as John Franks,  were quick to start a family and a good number of them converted by marrying Francophone Catholic women.

Over the course of this period, carrying on the Jewish tradition relied on-in the absence of established community institutions-each Jewish family's respect of precepts and traditions. Although a first organized congregation was established in Montréal in 1777, the members of the Hart family had mainly to rely on their own efforts to remain practicing Jews. This period ends with the election of Ezekiel Hart, the son of Aaron Hart, to the Assembly of Québec in 1807. Although he was the first Jew to be elected in Canada, he was subsequently prevented from sitting by means of various political maneuverings under the pretext of his religious origins. With the support of Louis-Joseph Papineau, an Act was passed in Lower Canada in 1832, which, for the first time, granted Jews in the British Empire the same civil and political rights, thus correcting the wrong done to the Hart family a generation earlier..

 

Following the earlier examples of Montréal and elsewhere in Canada, the Jews who settled in Québec City created an institutional structure that met the needs of an emerging community made up of approximately one hundred people, starting in the middle of the 19th century. A first synagogue appeared in the upper town in 1852 called Bais Israel (the house of Israël), followed by a second synagogue in 1907 called Ohev Sholom (the peace tent) in the Saint-Roch quarter. A Jewish cemetery was founded in Québec City around 1850 in Sainte-Foy and activities in other areas of interest began to develop, including children's education, philanthropy and cultural activities.

During this period, the status of the Jews in Québec City was no longer that of recent immigrants, but rather that of more established and fortunate members of society. They were largely well-educated in English-language institutions and sympathized with the British, although this did not prevent them from having good relations with the French-speaking part of the population that helped them achieve their good standing. Among the more notable figures of the community was Abraham Joseph, a descendent of English Jews who settled in the 18th century, who was a grocery store owner in addition to making a name for himself in finance and banking. Later, there was Sigismund Mohr, a German Jew, who was an engineer who was active at the end of the 19th century in establishing electricity throughout the city and creating a telephone communications network.

 

The political events in Russia in the very beginning of the 20th century gave way to massive numbers of Eastern European and Yiddish-speaking Jews coming to Canada. In Québec City, the Jewish population for the first time reached nearly 400 people. These new arrivals were mostly poor and set themselves up in small businesses or became traveling salesmen. They were also in sharp contrast with the Jews of British origin who already lived in the city. Among these new arrivals was a Romanian Jew named Maurice Pollack, who founded a store in 1906 that would become one of the most important in the city. On rue Saint-Joseph, where many of them lived, the Jewish merchants offered credit and attracted a less wealthy clientele from the country. Additionally, the Russian Jews brought with them new ideas and fought for socialism. One of Québec's main labour leaders, Lea Roback, grew up on the Côte de Beauport in early 1900s. A number of Jewish feminists can be found, including Sadie Lazarovitz who graduated from McGill University  in 1928.  She was amongst the vanguard of women to obtain a law degree.

This period is rich in events of all sorts, including some that had repercussions beyond the Jewish community of Québec City. In 1910, the notary Plamondon gave an anti-semitic speech at the church in Saint-Roch and the hoodlums broke windows all down rue Saint-Joseph. Outraged, two Jewish merchants from Québec City sued the notary for defamation and, after long legal proceedings, won their case in 1914. The Plamondon case constituted a tremendous victory for Canadian Jews. A Jewish deputy from Montréal, Peter Bercovitch, sat in the Assemblée législative from 1916 to 1938, where he proposed progressive social measures. Meanwhile, the Jews in Québec City wanted to build a synagogue in the upper town that would represent their degree of advancement in society and demonstrate the wealth of their religious traditions. They finally succeeded after numerous obstacles, but on the eve of its inauguration, in May 1944, arson destroyed the building and disturbed the complacency of the Quebec City community.

 

The social upheavals of the 1960s and the nationalist affirmation of French-speaking Quebeckers placed the Jewish community of Québec City in a new situation, facing new challenges. Despite a decrease in the population, especially at the expense of Montréal and Toronto, Jews throughout North America-from Europe, North Africa and Israel-converged upon Québec City to take up positions in the newly created public service, at Université Laval or within cultural institutions. New business opportunities presented themselves in which Jews occupied important positions and influenced the evolution of the city. After having been largely eastern European and Anglophone in the beginning of the 20th century, the community become increasingly diversified both linguistically and culturally, creating a different portrait. A new undercurrent is now driving the Jews of Québec City, who are discovering new possibilities and exploring the future with greater confidence.

The Jewish people's long interaction with the Quebec City

Quebec City has had Jewish citizens since the 18th century. Originating from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, bringing with them a wide range of cultures, the Jews of Quebec City are active in many fields. They have brought fresh ideas and bold new ways of doing things, making an exemplary contribution to Quebec City’s coming of age.