400 Brothers & Sisters

These important books, Four Hundred Brothers and Sisters... by former Montrealer Judy (Gold-Asch) Gordon, fill a void in the Jewish history of Montreal by telling the story - still unknown to the majority of the community - of two Jewish orphanages there, open from 1909 - 1942. I only learned of the orphanages when I remarried, in 1982, to Myer Gordon who was in one of the Homes for ten years.

Renowned authors William Weintraub, of Montreal, and Morley Torgov, of Toronto, have written the Forewords in Book One, and both books are endorsed by Archivists, Librarians, Social Workers, and University Professors. They all agree on the importance of getting this neglected portion of Montreal's history out to local and national archives and libraries, to schools, the Jewish community at large, and most especially, to the surviving Alumni, their families and friends.

At this point in time, our reunions still attract about 25 former residents, spouses and sometimes, children, grandchildren and cousins. Numbers are falling as they age into poor health, and many have passed away in the past 16 years. However, the flavour of the experience is unbelievable... they still think of each other as brothers and sisters, though the Homes closed over 60 years ago.

The elite, and later Federation, of Montreal at the time were on the Boards of the Homes. Shaar Hashomayim Congregation in those days played an active role in the Montreal Hebrew Orphans' Home on Claremont Avenue. Some of the boys sang in the choir, and all had their Bar Mitzvahs there. The other facility was the Montefiore Hebrew Orphans' Home on Jeanne Mance, run by another grouop of caring individuals. Both Homes are now lovingly referred to as MHOH.