Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Location: 45°24′N 71°54′W.
Sherbrooke is situated 100 miles east of Montreal and 25 miles north of the Vermont border at the confluence of the Saint-Francis and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie or Eastern Townships.
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Brief History of the Jews of Sherbrooke
The first Jewish family moved to Sherbrooke in 1860. They were part of the Hart family who were the original Jewish settlers of Canada who moved to Trois Rivieres, Quebec the 1700's . In the 1880's to 1920's the Jewish population of Sherbrooke increased ten fold through emigration from Eastern Europe. A synagogue was built and expanded. Soon, many if not most of the stores on the main street were owned by Jewish members of the Sherbrooke community. During the first half of the 20th century the community thrived. From the arrival of the first Jewish families to the late 20th century it has been documented that over 1700 Jews called Sherbrooke home.
Then, in the 1960's, the younger generation left to seek work and educational opportunities in the larger cities. The community began to dwindle. In 1987 the Synagogue was sold. Today few people remain of the original immigrant families. However new migration of another Jewish generation has begun to join them. In 2005 the Agudath Achim Synagogue was reestablished and the community is beginning to grow once more with a influx of Jewish families, many of whom work for the areas Universities.
Sherbrooke Jewish Community History Project:
The Sherbrooke Jewish Community History Project consists of group of people interested in documenting, preserving, and disseminating the history of the Jewish Community in Sherbrooke from its beginning in the late 19th century until the final sale of the Synagogue in the 1987. This website is part of that project. If you are interested in more information or supporting our efforts, please contact us at: info@sherbrookejewishcommunity.org
Current activities of the Sherbrooke Jewish Community History Project:
- Maintaining the Sherbrooke Jewish Community History Project website with photos, stories, histories, mailing lists etc
- The collection and preservation of documents, photos, and ephemera of the community though the registered archives of and in association with the Sherbrooke Historical Society.
- The documentation of the over 1700 Jewish residents of Sherbrooke, their origins and destination etc. on ancestry.com
- The translation and publication of the bilingual edition of the "The Echenbergs of Sherbrooke and Ostropol: A Tales of Two Shtetls"
- The ongoing collection of stories from the community and others for publication and preservation.
- The collection and archiving of Oral Histories from members of the community in conjunction with the Sherbrooke Historical Society.
- Helping with an in depth academic study of The History of the Sherbrooke Jewish Community by Elizabeth Moorehouse-Stein and Pierre Anctill from University of Ottawa
- A walk through Jewish Old Sherbrooke organised by U Sherbrooke...
Sherbrooke Agudath Achim Synagogue Society:
This organization is directly connected to the congregation established in 1907 by the first Jewish settlers of Sherbrooke They have been the recognized representatives of the Jewish Community of Sherbrooke for over 100 years. They built a synagogue, (since sold) brought in Rabbi's, teachers and provided religious services. Its membership today is much smaller than it was but they continues to be active. Today most of the religious needs of the community are provided by Chabad Sherbrooke especially with the university. They hold weekly and holiday services with an onsite Rabbi.
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