Background
Jewish immigration into
Calgary began in 1888 when the majority of immigrated Jews who came to Alberta
established themselves in urban centers.
The first settlers were two brothers, Jacob Lyon Diamond and William Diamond. Jacob crossed the country from Ontario as a
peddler and arrived in Calgary in 1888 while his brother went to Edmonton in
1891. Jacob Diamond is a very important
figure to the Jewish community of Calgary.
He led Calgary’s first formal Jewish service in 1894, underwrote
the purchase of a Jewish cemetery in 1904, brought in the first rabbi in 1906
and charted the construction of the first synagogue, Beth Jacob, in 1911. In
1901 Alberta Jewish population included only 17 residents and by 1921 Alberta
was home to 3201 Jewish people who mainly lived in Calgary and Edmonton. Food
Many
religious Jews follow a strict kosher diet.
The laws of Kashrut guide this diet but the strictness is varied depending of
the religious beliefs within Judaism.
Some of the laws forbid the eating of meat and dairy products at the
same meal. Other rules keep people from eating blood, pork, shellfish or
game. If you are looking for Jewish cuisine
within Calgary try some of these places:
Susan’s Kosher Bakery 2525 90th Avenue SW, Izzy’s Kosher Meat and Deli
found right next door. Karen’s Café and Catering at the Jewish Centre caters
for many Jewish parties and groups. Religion
Jews believe in one God and that people are created in
God’s image and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Their sacred
texts are the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings, which Christians know as
the Old Testament of the Bible. The
Jewish religion is practiced at home where daily prayers are said in the
morning, afternoon and after sunset, synagogues are also used in the prayer and
study of the Jewish religion and are often led by a rabbi or a cantor. The Sabbath begins when the sun sets on
Friday evening and this is considered to be the seventh day of the week by
religious Jewish people. On the day of
the Sabbath religious Jews consider it to be a day of rest when they go to the
synagogue for morning and evening prayer.
They are forbidden to write, handle money and also operate machinery on
this day. Jewish festivals
and holidays
The Jewish holidays are
celebrated on days based on lunar months.
The Ten Days of Awe are a time to consider the sins of the previous year
and repent before Yom Kippur. The ten days begin with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish
New Year, and end with the fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur
is the holiest, most solemn day practiced in the Jewish religion. Pesach or Passover celebrates the Jew’s
escape from Egypt. On this day Matzout,
an unleavened bread is eaten to symbolize the Israelites who fled Egypt. The return of Moses from Mount Sinai with
the Ten Commandments is celebrated on Shavout which is the fiftieth day after
Passover. Sukkot, Yom Ha-Atzama’ut and
Purim are also very important days of celebration for Jews. Hanukkah, an eight day celebration of
rededication is symbolic of the Jewish struggle against religious and social
pressures. The Menorah, which is the
symbol used to define this holiday, holds nine receptacles for candles.
One receptacle is for the candle used to light the others. The other
eight are lit for each day of the eight day festival. Jewish Organizations and Synagogues
In
1929 the I. L. Peretz School opened, focusing on Yiddish culture and
activities. The Jewish Ladies’ Aid
Society which is now formally called the National Council of Jewish Women;
Young Men’s Hebrew Association; Zionist Society; Jewish Library; Workmen’s
Circle, and a 12-member Jewish council to coordinate community activities and
provide education services, have also been started by the Jewish community in
Calgary. In 1921, Rose Rabinovitz and Marcia Calmenson Goldberg formed the
Calgary chapter of Canadian Hadassah WIZO which can be found at 1607 90th
Avenue SW. Canadian Hadassah WIZO is an association of Canadian women
dedicated to the support of programs in Israel and to the enrichment of Jewish
life in Canada. The Jewish
community supports four major synagogues in Calgary. Beth Tzedec is the largest of the four and can be found at, 1325
Glenmore Trail, it is home to 800 Conservative families. The Orthodox House of
Jacob-Mikveh Israel was organized in 1911 and can be found at 1613 92nd Avenue
SW. Chabad Lubavitch of Alberta is at 28-523 Woodpark Boulevard SW. Temple
B’nai Tikvah, a Reform congregation, meets at the Calgary Jewish Centre which
is located at 1607 90th Avenue SW. The
Jewish star and the Jewish Free Press are the names of the Jewish newspapers in
Calgary. |
