The Jewish community of British Columbia entered its 100th year as an organized community with services at Congregation Emanuel of Victoria. Only four other congregations in this country–two in Montreal, one in Toronto and one in Hamilton–are older.
The Victoria congregation began when, in the fall of 1858, the Jews of the town gathered in a private home to hold High Holy Day services. It was estimated that there were some 100 Jews in the town when the community was thus organized and it became the first Jewish community in the entire western territory of Canada.
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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.