Jewish Families predominantly from eastern Europe reached The Porcupine gold camps and established themselves early on, creating for themselves a small but very close-knit community.
A Jewish wedding ceremony was noted in the Porcupine Advance in the first year of its publication in 1912. Ms. Rosie Felderman and Mr. Hyman Fenkleman were wed in the spartan surroundings of Pottsville on July 12. The column reads; " A great crowd assembled to tender their congratulations" and in the absence of any temple or hall the guests gathered at the home of the bride's father, Mr. M. Felderman. It was common for the Hebrew congregation in the early years to worship or celebrate together in their own homes.
In October 1917, one such peaceful prayer gathering was interrupted by a rowdy group of boys. One bold youngster hurled a large stone at the home, startling those gathered inside. This affront threw local merchant Mr. Charles Pierce who was in attendance at the time into a blind rage! He managed to grab one of the naughty boys and throttled him, as the rest of the unruly gang fled the scene. The establishment of a permanent gathering place for the congregation was set in motion that year.
On Sunday, Aug. 12, 1917, a very important meeting was held by Jewish community leaders and prominent merchants, among them Charles Pierce himself. It was determined that a synagogue should be built in Timmins as soon as possible. By July of 1919 for the first time since the birth of The Porcupine camp the entire Jewish populace of Timmins and surroundings gathered and feasted under one roof, their very own Zion Hall. An important guest speaker was invited to the proceedings, Mr. Kadeshevitz, of central Zionist Federation. He gave a rousing speech on a very contentious topic of the time, the desire of his organization to help establish a Jewish Homeland in Palestine.
On Jan. 29, 1928, the new and improved synagogue on Cedar Street was formally opened. A sumptuous banquet followed by a dance was held in the greatly enlarged accommodations, which had doubled in size and were perfect for large gatherings. The dedication of a new Torah took place that same year. This auspicious event was enthusiastically celebrated by the entire B'Nai Israel congregation, who cherished their beautifully updated centre of worship and invaluable community hub.
The Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre regularly provides TimminsToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
Find out more of what the Timmins museum has to offer here and read more Remember This columns here.
