Collection

VAAD HA'IR = Jewish Community Council of Montreal.

Description Level

Fonds

Physical Description

Env. 13 metres of textual records.

Scope and Content

See the subseries.

Date

1920s-1991.

Fonds No.

J0001

History / Biographical

The Jewish Community Council, also known as the Vaad Ha'ir was founded during the last quarter of 1922 and is regarded as the successor of the old Vaad Hakashruth, whose functions and problems it inherited.Mr. H. Wolofsky, publisher of the Keneder Adler and the Canadian Jewish Chronicle urged the Jewish community of Montreal to create a special organization for the purpose of supervising kashruth, which includes the preparation of kosher meat, poultry, and other kosher foods, and for the creation of a united rabbinate. He also drew attention to the fact that there was no representative organization in the community to speak on behalf of the entire community as their bona fide representative.A general assembly was called for October 8, 1922, and Mr. Wolofsky chaired the meeting. The immediate result of that meeting was the convocation of a conference on October 29, 1922, attended by 164 delegates who represented 73 different organizations and groups. That conference called the Vaad Ha'ir into being.The main tasks of the Va'ad Ha'ir may be defined as follows: - (1)To organize the different segments of Jewish life into one unified central body dedicated to the religious, spiritual and social needs of the Jewish community of Montreal. (2)To establish and maintain the orthodox Rabbinate as the highest Torah authority in the city, its decisions being considered binding in all spiritual and halachic problems. (3)To subsidize the local educational and institutions and Yeshivoth.The Va'ad Ha'ir represents the synagogues, educational institutions, fraternal and social organizations. To the annual conference, which usually takes place in the month of December, all the above mentioned organizations are invited to send their representatives. The conference elects a council, which is comprised of at least one delegate from each organization. The newly elected council then convenes, and elects a presidium, a treasurer, an honourary secretary, an executive board of honourary officers and Mishpat Hashalom committee (Jewish Arbitration Board).

Custodial History

The collection is on permanent loan from the Jewish Public Library of Montreal. It was transferred to the archives in 2001.

Notes

Physical condition :Some documents are fragile.Language :Yiddish, English, Hebrew, and Russian.Finding aids :The finding aid was compiled by Beverly & Eiran Harris for the Jewish Public Library of Montreal.General note :The Administrative History of the collection is from the finding aid of the JPL.

Archival / Genealogical

Archival Descriptions

Repository

Canadian Jewish Archives

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