A Brief History
of Beth Ezekiel Synagogue
There has been a Jewish presence in Owen Sound for as long as there has
been a town here. At the turn of the 20th century Jewish merchants and
tradespeople, fleeing the pogroms of Eastern Europe, found their way to this
bustling commercial centre. Regular services were being held by 1904, first
in homes, then in various rented accommodations including the Scropes
Building on 3rd Avenue East, above what is now the Ritz Cafe on 10th
Street, and later above what is now Channing's Restaurant at the corner of
10th Street and 2nd Avenue East.
In 1945 the congregation found the resources to purchase a small house on
3rd Avenue East, just south of the present location. Two years later, in
1947, the Calvary church was purchased and named in honour of Isaac Ezekiel
Cadesky, a driving force in the establishment of the present synagogue. A
full-time Rabbi soon took up residence with his family on the top floor of
the new synagogue, and for many years regular services were held in the
sanctuary below.
In 1991 the synagogue was designated a heritage building, but by then the
congregation had dwindled to fewer than twenty families and the top floor
apartment had fallen vacant.
Today the synagogue continues as the hub of our close-knit community.
Every week our Hebrew teacher makes the journey here to provide
instruction for our six children, and the High Holidays routinely draw
capacity numbers to services led by a cantor, also from Toronto.
Every few weeks finds another excuse for our little community to gather
for a pot-luck meal and to observe the traditions of the festivals. And
every fall, amid much kibitzing and a little chaos, we manage to erect a
Sukkot.
Nearly a century after the establishment of Owen Sound's first
synagogue, Beth Ezekiel endures as the centre of Jewish life for the region
and a source of pride for our congregation. |
