Deputy Peter Bercovitch, who is being mentioned in prominent quarters for the post of Provincial Treasurer in Quebec and has the support of the English press, announced to-day that he would not accept the post if it is offered him because of the anti-Jewish prejudice which dominates the political life of the Province.
There were Jews in this Dominion long before Wolfe arrived, Deputy Bercovitch said, and if you go back to 1786, you will find traces of original Jewish colonies, to say nothing of the Jews who came over here during the French regime. Surely the time has arrived for recognition and for the bestowal of the rights that belong to us as a definite minority. The Dominion Government should appoint a Jew as a member of its Cabinet, he urged, if it wanted the best talent available.
At present, there is too much race and religious prejudice, he said, not only in Quebec, but throughout the Dominion of Canada. It is sad that one must belong to a particular religion in order to merit reward.
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.
