With the appointment of David A. Croll, member for Windsor, to the portfolio of Municipalities and Public Welfare, in the Hepburn Cabinet of Ontario, a new leaf was inscribed in the Jewish History of Canada.
Notwithstanding the fact that Jewish members were elected to the Federal House and Legislatures of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, it is the first time in Canadian Jewish life that a Jew has been sworn in as Cabinet Minister.
David A. Croll who is still acting as Mayor of Windsor, Ontario, without remuneration on his own request, is the youngest member in the Hepburn Cabinet of Ontario. He is 36 years of age. He migrated with his parents from Russia thirty years ago. In his youth he was a newsboy. He made his way through University and Law School, practiced only for a few years before he entered the political field and was elected Mayor of Windsor.
It was intimated by Premier Hepburn that with the appointment of Croll in his Cabinet, he was not only wanting to demonstrate that he does not discriminate as to race and religion, but that his Government will not tolerate any such discrimination.
The Jews of the Province and of Canada view the appointment of Mr. Croll with great satisfaction, especially since the anti-Semites are so active in the Province of Quebec.
Since Mr. Croll was sworn in by the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario on Tuesday night, he is being showered with congratulations from all parts of the country. Delegations and well-wishers are since parking at his door to congratulate the first Jewish Cabinet Minister of Canada.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.