Lecture | Four major ideas that led to the founding of Montréal’s Jewish community (1904-1914)

This lecture is presented by the Société historique de Montréal.

Journey back to the early 20th century to go behind-the-scenes of Jewish immigration to Montréal.

Large-scale Jewish immigration to Montréal began at an exceptional time, both politically and culturally, during the Russian insurrection of 1905. At the same time, the government of Wilfrid Laurier opened Canada’s doors to a great wave of new citizens to populate the Canadian West.

From 1904 to 1914, Jews settling in Montréal introduced new ideas, like the revolutionary movement in Russia, class struggle, and dazzling modernity. They created a very successful Yiddish cultural and literary scene. For a half-century, these Yiddish speakers were the city’s largest immigrant community, and their influence is still palpable today.

Pierre Anctil

Pierre Anctil is Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Ottawa, where he has taught Canadian contemporary history and Canadian Jewish history since 2004. In 2013, he was awarded the Luc-Lacourcière Medal for his book Jacob-Isaac Segal (1896-1954), un poète yiddish de Montréal et son milieu (Jacob Isaac Segal (1896-1954): A Montreal Yiddish Poet and His Milieu) published in 2012 by Presses de l’Université Laval. He has written several other books, including his most recent, published in the fall of 2021, which traces the influence of doctrinal teaching.