Shearith Israel Congregation, Canada’s oldest synagogue, has ended a week-long celebration of the 185th anniversary of its founding. The synagogue was set up by the first Jews to come to Canada and traces its traditions to the family chapel of the family of Aaron Hart established in Three Rivers in 1763, 190 years ago.
The first members of the Montreal synagogue, which was founded in 1768, were mostly Sephardic Jews who came to the colony with the British forces after the French and Indian wars. Among the founding families were names such as: Judah, de Cordova, Miranda and Franks. Now the overwhelming majority of the synagogue’s membership is made up of East European Jews.
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