8
CANADIAN   JEWISH   REVIEW
September 25, 1959
Two Hundred Years Of Jewish Immigration To Canada
Include The Heart's Response
by george hollinger, of montreal, national president of jewish immigrant aid services of canada (j i as)
The year 1959 marks the bicentenary of Jewish settlement in Canada. Under the leadership of the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Jewish community of Canada will inaugurate a series of festivities to mark this auspicious occasion. In a joint statement issued by Samuel Bronfman, president of the Canadian Jewish Con-
creating and guaranteeing a Jewish homeland. The statement also asserts that the bicentenary is "an occasion too of celebration and prayer to commemorate its history in the hope that Canadian Jewry will continue to flourish as an important segment of the Canadian people, aiding in the building of a  Canadian nation,
gress, and Lavy Becker, chairman of the bicentenary committee, it is indicated that Canadian Jewry will celebrate this occasion by recalling the history unfolded in
-two centuries.�__�- ,    � �
It will recall its early trials; the courage and venturesomeness of early settlers who pioneered in
and creating an inheritance for its children and the children's children."
All Canadians are either immigrants or the offspring of im-migrants^4n this sense-Canada is-indeed a nation of immigrants. This truism is even more applic-able to the Jewish community _of_
in the life of the Jewish commu-, nity of Canada can be gleaned from the following. About a century ago, in.. 1851, the Jewish population of Canada numbered 354 persons; today, in 1959, the Jewish population of Canada is estimated to be about 250,000 persons. Much of this increase is largely due to immigration. Thus, for example, between 1901 and 1956 the total increase of the Jewish population in Canada was 232,512 persons. Of this number 86,065 was due to natural increase and 145,847 due to net im-
j shipping,  transportation,  indus-trial  development,  and trading;
migration, that is, excess of immigration over emigration. The significance  of   immigration   in
the role played by Canadian Jews in bringing rescue, relief, and rehabilitation to the many victims of the two devastating wars of this century; the participation of Jewish citizens, many of whom received coveted awards for their heroism in the defense of their land; the great part played, and which continues to be played, in
Canada. In a study, "Jewish Im-migration And Immigrant _Ai<L Effort In Canada 1759-1959", recently completed by Dr. Joseph Kage, national executive director of Jias, the Jewish Immigrant
shaping the Jewish community of Canada �4>ecomes     immediately-
of Jewish migration can be distinguished: the German period, extending from 1850 to the 1870's; the East European period, extending from 1870 to 1920; and the Central European period which began about 1920. The last period may be considered as still continuing, though to all intents and purposes after 1939 it should be designated as the Displaced Persons and Refugee Era.
During the German period Jewish immigration was directed primarily towards the United Sta-tes, to other countries in the Americas, and in a smaller measure also to England and France. This period was ^ather^brii almost  completely   ceased  about
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clear.
The first Jewish settlers in Canada came from the thirteen American colonies. For almost a
Aid Services, the above is clearly explained and analysed and the following remarks are based on some of the conclusions of Dr. Kage's study: The importance of immigration
century, from 1760 to 1850, the Jewish population of Canada was rather small and immigration was hardly perceptible. During the era of contemporary history from about 1850, the following periods
The East European flow of Jewish immigration which began about 1870 came largely from the Russian Empire, Galicia, Ruma-
nia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, etc. It was directed at first largely towards the United States and subsequently towards Canada, South American countries, South Africa, and Palestine. The
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