P.R... 2004-2005 by Janice Arnold,
Canadian Jewish News;
Mike Cohen,
The Suburban / Jewish Tribune;
Marilynn Vanderstay, Westmount Examiner; Loreen
Pindera, CBC Radio News; Leslie Lutsky,Radio
Centre Ville.
|
Plaques Honour Montreal's Jewish Orphans
In
September 2004, the MHOH Alumni decided to honour all the children who
lived in the Montefiore Home on Jeanne Mance (and in that facility over
the namy years.
As part of the annual reunion, for
mer residents of the Home prepared a plaque to be installed in
the front hall. The reception was run by Sue Bronson,
Montreal architect and her itage activist, and the Director of
the French day-care now housed in the building.
at right: Max Matt holds the plaque presented at the dedication
ceremony September 2004 at the former Montefiore Home.
In September 2004, Janice Arnold wrote the
following in the CJN (excerpted here):
“Moe Adelstein remembered
flooding the yard in the winter to make a rink when he was a
resident of the Montefiore Home for two years in the 1920s... He was
among a handful of now elderly men and women who recently
returned to the site of their childhood… joined by a few
alumni of the city's other Jewish orphanage, the Montreal Home on
Claremont Avenue in Westmount. Approximately 400
children, aged 3-16, who passed through these doors between
1921-1936 are finally being recognized. A dedication and
reception preceded the plaque presentation.
The plaque - in English and French
- gives a brief history of the Home - constructed between
1909-1911 in what was then Mile End. Originally the Mount
Royal Brethren Church, later
occupied by the V.O.N., it was purchased by the Jewish community
for the orphans who lived there from 1921-1936... then occupied
by a number of its social service agencies until the late
1980s. Current occupants are
L'Hirondelle, an organization
helping immigrants integrate, and the Centre de la Petite Enfance Villeneuve, a day-care centre.
The plaque notes: “The well-being of these 'brothers and
sisters', most of whom had lost one or both parents, was
ensured by Max Matt, the orphanages' devoted director. They
attended Bancroft School, played in Fletcher's Field (now
Jeanne Mance Park), received free memberships rto the YMHA at
the corner of Mount Royal Avenue, and participated in the life
of the neighbourhood which at the time had a large Jewish
population.”
Following its closure in
1936, the Federation of Jewish
Philanthropies used the building
for the Herzl Hospital and
Dispensary, a welcome centre for
young war refugees, and a day-care centre for Neighbourhood House.
After the Jewish population moved westward, the building
was rented to a nursery serving the growing Portuguese and
Greek population. From 1977 to the late 80s, it was
occupied by the CLSC Saint-Louis du
Parc.
Among the guests on hand:- Mary Hoffman, whose
late father Moe Feldman was president of the Montefiore Home; Roz Raginsky Liverant whose grandfather Abraham was 1st vice president, and her uncle Dr. Bernard Illievitz - medical director; Emanuel
Weiner, Jewish Community Foundation; Loreen Pindera, CBC Radio.
above: Irving Layton
attended our second combined reunion in Montreal in 1990 still
dispensing advice! He passed away early 2006... below with one
of Max Matt’s sons. Photos by Myer Gordon
So, throughout its history, the building
housed many children and organizations 'which contributed to the well-being and cultural
enrichment of the community'…
to today.”
at right, Montefiore ‘kids’ at
the 1989 1st combined reunion.
MHOH
Judy Gordon: e-mail:
mjnodrog@sympatico.ca
