Chapter XXV: Other Religious Denominations (2)

Up to the year 1846 the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation, “Shearith Israel” had remained the only Jewish Congregation in Montreal, but during that year a number of recently arrived German and Polish Jews established a second synagogue, and in consequence of this a joint act of Parliament had been secured for the two congregations. The second congregation, however, existed only for a very short time, as its members were very few in number so that they disbanded and joined the original Spanish and Portuguese Congregation. In 1857-58, however, a number of new arrivals of Jews from Poland, availing themselves of the act of incorporation that had been obtained by their predecessors, organized in 1858, what is now known as the Congregation of German and Polish Jews, “Shaar Hashamoyim.” They gathered regularly for worship about 1860 and erected their first synagogue on St. Constant Street, now known as Cadieux Street. Among the founders of the congregation were A. Hoffmann, M.A. Olandorff, Edward Hymes and Lewis Anthony and were shortly afterwards joined by David Moss, Edward Moss, Lawrence Moss and Solomon Silvermann. The members of the Moss family were long among the most prominent of the leaders in this synagogue and were active here in Jewish communal affairs for two generations. Among those of the younger generation of this family were Samuel D. Moss, Hyman D. Moss and John Moss, who all in turn held office in “Shaar Hashamoyim.” Among others who occupied the office of president of this congregation were Lyon Silverman, Moses Vineberg and D.A. Ansell. In 1887 the congregation built a new synagogue in McGill College Avenue. During recent years it has grown immensely in membership. This has been notably the case under the administration of its late president, Mr. Lazarus Cohen, as well as during the administration of his son, Mr. Lyon Cohen, both of whom have been very active and capable workers in the Jewish community of to-day. So well, indeed, have these men and their associates managed the affairs of the Congregation that they have already acquired land near Atwater Avenue and St. Luke Street to put up a much larger synagogue to meet the demands of its ever-growing membership. The first regular rabbi of Congregation “Shaar Hashamoyim” was the Rev. Mr. Foss and among his successors were the Rev. I.M. Cohen, Rev. E.M. Myers, Rev. L. Friedlander, Rev. Isador Myers and the Rev. B. Kaplan. The present incumbent of the office is the Rev. Dr. Hermann Abramowitz.

Up to the year 1881 the Jewish population of Montreal was not large, and the membership of the two congregations which then existed was, in consequence, limited; but the terrible outbreak of persecution of Jews in Russia in 1881 and the recurrence of these outbreaks periodically in the following decades resulted in immense numbers of Jews immigrating from Russia to Canada and other countries. As a result the Jewish population of Montreal increased by tens of thousands in a very short time, and it is estimated that to-day there are in this city alone fully 60,000 Jews. One of the results was the formation of a large number of new Jewish congregations and the erection of quite a number of commodious synagogues. Among these are the Congregation of “B’Nai Jacob,” which erected a new building on the site of the old one in Cadieux Street. Among its founders were L. Aaronson and L. Lazarus. The Roumanian Jews formed the Congregation “Beth David,” and purchased the Chenneville Street building from its former occupants after they had altered it considerably. Shortly afterwards the Congregation “Chevra Kadisha” was formed, and they erected their present handsome building on St. Urbain Street, while the Austrian Jews erected a large synagogue on Milton Street. The building of new synagogues has continued apace, and the formation of new congregations of Hebrews is a common occurrence.

All the congregations referred to above follow the customs of traditional or orthodox Judaism, but in 1882 a small number of gentlemen who favored the principles of American Reform Judaism met in the old Lindsay Building on St. Catherine Street to form a “Reform” congregation, and thus was founded what is now known as Congregation Temple Emanuel. They held their first services in the autumn of 1882 and obtained an act of incorporation in March, 1883. Among the founders of this congregation were B.A. Boas, B. Kortosk, Leopold Isaacs, L. Abrahams, E. Lichtenhein, S. Fishel, and A. Goldstein. They were soon afterwards joined by Samuel Davis, who for a number of years held office as president and who was a popular member of the reform community. They first rented a building but afterwards erected a temple on Stanley Street, in the rear of the Windsor Hotel. On September 17, 1911, they dedicated their new temple building on Sherbrooke Street, West, near Westmount. This Congregation is up to the present the only one following the Reform ritual in Canada, and although they form but a small minority of the total community, they have adhered to their views in a typical manner. Their present president is Mr. Maxwell Goldstein, K.C. Their first minister was the Rev. Samuel Marks, who was followed among others by the Rev. H. Veld, and Rev. Isaac Landman. Their present rabbi is the Rev. Nathan Gordon.

THE SALVATION ARMY

The religious work of the Salvation Army began in Montreal on the 13th of November, 1884, with the following as the first corps of officers: Commissioner T.B. Combs, territorial commander, in charge of the work throughout Canada; Staff Commander Madden, divisional commander; Captain and Mrs. “Happy Bill” Cooper, corps officers; assisted by Lieutenant Eva Lewis. It met initial difficulties, principally in the injunction that forbade the holding of meetings unless they kept moving, which was circumvented by moving around in a circle at the same spot, a necessity which was finally allowed to drop.

The first corps held its meetings for the first two years in Webber’s Hall, which stood on the site of the present Canadian Northern Steamship Company’s building on Dollard Lane and St. James Street. Next the Mechanic’s Hall, on St. James and St. Peter streets was used as a meeting place for six months. The next location was the basement of Leggett’s boot and shoe factory at the corner of Craig and Victoria streets, where the present Greenshield’s building stands, until the St. Alexander Street building was erected.

This was the citadel and training home for officers and the main corps of the army. The fine structure on University Street, the divisional headquarters, was erected in 1903, and the building on St. Alexander Street was altered entirely to become the present “Metropole” for social relief work. The University Street building, in addition to serving as the divisional headquarters of the Army also houses the finance and immigration departments and is the home of Corps No. 1, and includes the Young Women’s Lodge.

Following the opening of the work by Corps No. 1, Corps No. 2 was organized in Point St. Charles on March 15, 1885.

Corps No. 3, the French Corps, opened its work on the 9th of December, 1887, in a little store on St. Lawrence Main and St. Viateur streets. French-speaking officers, brought over from Paris, organized the work and still continue in charge of its affairs. This little home was at first the scene of much turmoil, many serious fights occurring in which chairs and other weapons were freely used, but out of this grew, with the passing of the years, the present strong, harmonious body.

On the 30th of June, 1890, Corps No. 4 was formed in the East End, and on April 5, 1905, Corps No. 5 on St. Alexander Street, which is the Men’s Social Corps. Corps No. 6, the most recent to be organized, began its work on June 25, 1914, in Verdun.

It is difficult to account fully for the origin of other religious bodies in the city. The German Lutherans established their church in 1858 on St. Dominique Street, immediately in the rear of St. Lawrence market. It is now occupied by the “Temple of Labour.” The Swedenborgians were established on Dorchester Street, corner of Hanover, in 1862. The Assembly of Christians, at the corner of St. George Street and Fortification Lane, about the same period. The French Evangelical Church, on Craig Street, was established in 1864. Lovell’s directory of today gives the location of the following churches: Christian Science--First Church of Christ Scientist--41 and 43 Closse Street, Western Square: New Jerusalem Church, corner of Dorchester West and Hanover Street; Lutheran Churches--St. John’s Church (German Lutheran), corner of Mance and Prince Arthur Street; Church of the Redeemer (Evangelical Lutheran), 365 Mountain Street; Catholic Apostolic Church, 314 St. Catherine Street, West; Church of Christ (Disciples), 109 Fairmount, corner of Mance Street; Seventh Day Adventist Church, corner of Villeneuve, West, and Hutchison streets; Montreal Chinese Mission (Protestant), 336 Lagauchitiere Street, West; Undenominational Mission (City), 294-296 Cadieux Street; Desrivières Street Mission; Italian Methodist Mission, corner of Dorchester Street, West, and St. Urbain. The following charts will provide the curious student the religious origins of our population as revealed by the census of 1911.

RELIGIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL, 1911.

|Total
|Population
| |Adventists
| | |Anglicans
| | | |Baptists
| | | | |Brethren
| | | | | |Christians
| | | | | | |Congregationalists
Districts | | | | | | | |Disciples
and | | | | | | | | |Friends
Sub-districts | | | | | | | | | |Greek
| | | | | | | | | | Church
| | | | | | | | | | |Jews
MONTREAL-STE. ANNE | 21,676| --| 2,385| 174|--|--| 67| --| --| 122| 841
Centre ward | 458| --| 7| -- |--|--| --| --| --| 22| --
Ste. Anne ward | 20,992| --| 2,334| 173|--|--| 67| --| --| 100| 833
West ward | 226| --| 44| 1|--|--| --| --| --| -- | 8
| | | | | | | | | | |
MONTREAL-ST. ANTOINE | 48,638| 6|10,653| 840|18| 9|453| 10| 4| 111| 1,247
St. Joseph ward | 17,879| --| 2,241| 340|--| 1| 40| --| 1| 61| 483
St. Georges ward | 13,844| 1| 4,373| 241|18| 8|186| 2| 3| 45| 419
St. Andrews ward | 16,915| 5| 4,039| 259|--|--|227| 8| --| 5| 345
| | | | | | | | | | |
MONTREAL-ST. JACQUES | 44,057| 1| 429| 45| 2| 3| 15| --| --| 188| 547
East ward | 3,561| --| 17| -- |--|--| 1| --| --| 118| 1
Lafontaine ward | 25,026| --| 348| 37|--| 3| 11| --| --| 13| 409
St. James ward | 15,470| 1| 64| 8| 2|--| 3| --| --| 57| 137
| | | | | | | | | | |
MONTREAL-ST. LAURENT | 55,860| 2| 4,109| 280|23|14|205| 2| 4| 411|19,193
St. Laurent ward | 25,039| 2| 3,342| 197|12| 1|170| 2| 4| 165| 7,712
St. Louis ward | 30,821| --| 767| 83|11|13| 35| --| --| 246|11,481
| | | | | | | | | | |
MONTREAL-STE. MARIE | 54,910| --| 1,651| 113|--|11| 12| --| --| 42| 326
Papineau ward | 39,079| --| 1,409| 67|--|--| 12| --| --| 39| 292
Ste. Marie ward | 15,831| --| 242| 46|--|11| --| --| --| 3| 34
| | | | | | | | | | |
HOCHELAGA | 75,049| 3| 9,302| 954|48|--|698| 3| 1| 44| 580
Ste. Cunégonde ward | 11,174| 3| 658| 44| 1|--| 31| --| --| 9| 102
St. Gabriel ward | 18,961| --| 2,855| 278| 8|--|323| --| --| 11| 54
St. Henri ward | 30,335| --| 1,560| 113| 4|--| 19| 3| --| 15| 50
Westmount | 14,579| --| 4,229| 519|35|--|325| --| 1| 9| 374
| | | | | | | | | | |
JACQUES-CARTIER | 65,023| 4| 8,905| 511|63| 8|201| 2| --| 236| 541
Côte St. Paul | 3,421| --| 732| 16| 4|--| 10| --| --| -- | 6
Notre-Dame des | | | | | | | | | | |
Neiges | 912| --| 46| -- |--| 4| --| --| --| -- | 8
Présentation de la | | | | | | | | | | |
Ste. Vierge | 221| --| -- | 3|--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
Saints-Anges de | | | | | | | | | | |
Lachine | 828| --| 106| 18|--|--| --| --| --| -- | 13
Ste. Anne du Bout de| | | | | | | | | | |
l’Ile | 813| --| 98| 1|--|--| --| --| --| -- | 8
Ste. Geneviève | 1,075| --| -- | -- |--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
St. Joachim de la | | | | | | | | | | |
Pointe Claire | 805| --| 91| 4 |--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
St. Laurent | 2,228| --| 258| 10 | 7|--| --| --| --| -- | 9
St. Raphaël de l’Ile| | | | | | | | | | |
Bizard | 586| --| 1| -- |--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
Summerlea | 161| --| 33| -- |--|--| --| --| --| -- | 3
Beaconsfield | 375| --| 70| -- |--|--| 2| --| --| -- | 2
Dorval | 1,006| --| 184| 6 |--|--| 12| --| --| -- | 11
Lachine | 10,699| --| 1,600| 43 |--| 4| 4| 2| --| 57 | 322
Montréal | 703| 1| 205| 6 |--|--| 14| --| --| -- | --
Notre-Dame de Grâce | 5,217| --| 978| 64 |--|--| 17| --| --| 80 | 2
Outremont | 4,820| --| 917| 129 |21|--| 57| --| --| -- | 41
Pointe Claire | 793| --| 116| 2 |--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
Ste. Anne de | | | | | | | | | | |
Bellevue | 1,416| --| 76| 9 |--|--| 7| --| --| -- | 9
St. Laurent | 1,860| --| 24| -- |--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
Verdun | 11,629| --| 2,309| 154|15|--| 67| --| --| 8 | 67
Ville Emard | 6,179| --| 418| 24|--|--| --| --| --| 1 | --
Youville | 2,394| 3| 134| 6|16|--| 5| --| --| 2 | 2
Cartierville | 905| --| 1| -- |--|--| --| --| --| -- | 10
Côte des Neiges | 2,444| --| 254| 3|--|--| 6| --| --| -- | 23
Côte St. Luc | 303| --| 22| -- |--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
Ste. Geneviève | 612| --| -- | -- |--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
St Pierre aux Liens | 2,201| --| 192| 12|--|--| --| --| --| 88 | 5
Senneville | 418| --| 40| 1|--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
| | | | | | | | | | |
MAISONNEUVE |170,978| 33|11,642|1,176|52|21|309| 5| 1| 272| 5,227
De Lorimier ward | 10,453| --| 745| 232|--| 6| 2| --| --| 1| 3
Duvernay ward | 13,445| 1| 188| 4|--| 4| 5| --| --| 12| 37
Hochelaga ward | 20,986| --| 1,236| 133|--|--| 7| --| --| -- | 42
Laurier ward | 37,000| 17| 4,608| 379|48| 6|190| 5| 1| 23| 1,204
Maisonneuve | 18,684| 2| 970| 51|--| 5| 2| --| --| 45| 8
Rosemont ward | 1,319| --| 58| 51|--|--| --| --| --| -- | --
St. Denis ward | 40,364| 13| 2,284| 187| 4|--| 69| --| --| 31| 1,015
St. Jean Baptiste | | | | | | | | | | |
ward | 21,116| --| 1,121| 123|--|--| 26| --| --| 30| 2,918
Ste. Marie ward | 7,611| --| 432| 16|--|--| 8| --| --| | --

RELIGIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF MONTREAL, 1911.

|Lutherans
| |Mennonites
| | |Methodists
| | | |Mormons
| | | | |Presbyterians
| | | | | |Roman Catholics
Districts | | | | | | |Salvation Army
and | | | | | | | |Protestants
Sub-districts | | | | | | | | |Pagans
| | | | | | | | | |Various Sects
| | | | | | | | | | |Unspecified
--------------------+---+---+-----+--+-----+-------+---+---+--+---+----
MONTREAL-STE. ANNE |101| 8| 526|--|1,719| 14,835| 28|799|11| 33| 27
Centre ward | --| --| 3|--| 17| 409| --| --|--| --| --
Ste. Anne ward | 99| 8| 507|--|1,675| 14,318| 24|798| 5| 33| 18
West ward | 2| --| 16|--| 27| 108| 4| 1| 6| --| 9
| | | | | | | | | | |
MONTREAL-ST. ANTOINE|294| --|2,305|--|7,117| 24,774| 46|399| 8|255| 89
St. Joseph ward | 76| --| 467|--|1,030| 13,029| 6| 37|--| 53| 14
St. Georges ward |110| --| 825|--|2,732| 4,489| 30| 78| 8|202| 74
St. Andrews ward |108| --|1,013|--|3,355| 7,256| 10|284|--| --| 1
| | | |--| | | | | | |
MONTREAL-ST. JACQUES| 39| 1| 108|--| 349| 41,832| --|315| 9| 63|111
East ward | --| --| 11|--| 41| 3,311| --| |--| 13| 48
Lafontaine ward | 26| --| 84|--| 252| 23,601| --|165|--| 23| 54
St. James ward | 13| 1| 13|--| 56| 14,920| --|150| 9| 27| 9
| | | | | | | | | | |
MONTREAL-ST. LAURENT|178| 1|1,412|--|2,772| 25,831| 30|754| 6|426|207
St. Laurent ward |149| --|1,149|--|2,166| 9,272| 25|202| 6|334|129
St. Louis ward | 29| 1| 263|--| 606| 16,559| 5|552|--| 92| 78
| | | | | | | | | | |
MONTREAL-STE. MARIE | 33| --| 366|--|1,130| 50,082| 46|995|--| 39| 64
Papineau ward | 23| --| 238|--| 796| 35,454| 30|644|--| 28| 47
Ste. Marie ward | 10| --| 128|--| 334| 14,628| 16|351|--| 11| 17
| | | | | | | | | | |
HOCHELAGA |226| --|3,598|--|7,677| 50,745|112|637| 5|375| 41
Ste. Cunégonde | 23| --| 230|--| 424| 9,498| 8| 88|--| 52| 3
St. Gabriel ward | 68| --|1,206|--|2,104| 11,815| 94| 71|--| 61| 13
St. Henri ward | 12| --| 535|--| 723| 26,828| 8|417| 4| 34| 10
Westmount |123| --|1,627|--|4,426| 2,604| 2| 61| 1|228| 15
| | | | | | | | | | |
JACQUES-CARTIER |127| --|2,441|--|5,073| 46,085| 41|592| 3|173| 17
Côte St. Paul | 31| --| 235|--| 30| 2,331| --| 26|--| --| --
Notre-Dame des | | | | | | | | | | |
Neiges | 1| --| 9|--| 22| 822| --| --|--| --| --
| | | | | | | | | | |
Présentation de | | | | | | | | | | |
la Ste. Vièrge| --| --| --|--| 1| 217| --| --|--| --| --
Saints-Anges de | | | | | | | | | | |
Lachine | 5| --| 22|--| 108| 556| --| --|--| --| --
Ste. Anne du | | | | | | | | | | |
Bout de l’Ile | --| --| 3|--| 76| 587| --| 40|--| --| --
Ste. Geneviève | --| --| --|--| --| 1,063| --| 12|--| --| --
St. Joachim de la | | | | | | | | | | |
Pointe Claire | --| --| 8|--| 38| 662| --| 2|--| --| --
St. Laurent | --| --| 35|--| 224| 1,670| 8| 6|--| --| 1
St. Raphaël de | | | | | | | | | | |
l’Ile Bizard | --| --| --|--| --| 585| --| --|--| --| --
Summerlea | --| --| 9|--| 39| 77| --| --|--| --| --
Beaconsfield | 2| --| 36|--| 20| 225| 3| 10|--| 5| --
Dorval | 1| --| 18|--| 179| 585| --| 8|--| --| 1
Lachine | 9| --| 373|--| 673| 7,288| --|287|--| 33| 4
Montréal | 3| --| 119|--| 272| 74| --| --|--| 9| --
Notre-Dame de | | | | | | | | | | |
Grâce | 3| --| 254|--| 432| 3,344| 1| 16|--| 26| --
Outremont | 11| --| 389|--| 768| 2,425| --| 16| 3| 39| 4
Pointe Claire | 3| --| 6|--| 70| 580| --| 15|--| 1| --
Ste. Anne de | | | | | | | | | | |
Bellevue | --| --| 43|--| 73| 1,188| --| 7|--| 4| --
St. Laurent | --| --| 1|--| 19| 1,812| --| 1|--| 3| --
Verdun | 40| --| 723|--|1,530| 6,631| 27| 26|--| 29| 3
Ville Emard | 6| --| 86|--| 77| 5,526| --| 37|--| --| 4
Youville | 5| --| 1|--| 117| 2,102| 1| --|--| --| --
Cartierville | --| --| 4|--| 20| 838| --| 32|--| --| --
Côte des Neiges | 6| --| 41|--| 122| 1,971| 1| --|--| 17| --
Côte St. Luc | --| --| --|--| --| 245| --| 36|--| --| --
Ste. Geneviève | --| --| --|--| --| 612| --| --|--| --| --
St. Pierre aux | | | | | | | | | | |
Liens | 1| --| 26|--| 156| 1,720| --| --|--| 1| --
Senneville | --| --| --|--| 7| 349| --| 15|--| 6| --
| | | | | | | | | | |
MAISONNEUVE |289| 1|3,550|--|7,300|139,708| 53|767| 2|486| 84
De Lorimier ward | 10| --| 346|--| 654| 8,289| 6|116| 2| 39| 2
Duvernay ward | 1| --| 36|--| 94| 13,003| --| 40|--| 15| 5
Hochelaga ward | 40| 1| 268|--| 445| 18,604| --| 35|--| 47| 1
Laurier ward |121| --|1,546|--|3,073| 25,447| 20|102|--|179| 31
Maisonneuve | 24| --| 288|--| 861| 16,277| 3| 77|--| 61| 10
Rosemont ward | 2| --| 52|--| 152| 988| --| --|--| 16| --
St. Denis ward | 63| --| 522|--|1,266| 34,627| 12|227|--| 40| 4
St. Jean Baptiste | | | | | | | | | | |
ward | 21| --| 335|--| 587| 15,749| 11|104|--| 60| 31
Ste. Marie ward | 7| --| 157|--| 168| 6,724| 1| 66|--| 29| --

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The sketch by the Rev. J.A. Gordon written in 1906 has been used.