In October, the OJA accessioned a small donation documenting Congregation B’nai Israel of St. Catharines. Included in the accession are two commemorative booklets marking the congregation’s fiftieth anniversary in 1975 and centennial in 2025.
The booklets offer more than congratulatory messages; together, they trace the congregation’s development from a small group of Jewish families holding services in private homes to a flourishing community that, in 1925, completed the construction of its synagogue on Church Street. Each booklet includes reflections from members, accounts of the congregation’s founding and activities, historical photographs, a message from Rabbi Israel Freedman, and a timeline of synagogue leadership.
The two booklets document a century of Jewish life in St. Catherines and are thus well worth preserving.
