The front of Shearith Israel – the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue
Sarina Roffé
My husband and I decided to take a few days and visit Montreal, a place he always wanted to go. It’s an easy city to go when you are Jewish, lots of synagogues and kosher restaurants to choose from. It was an easy trip; we had no plans. We took a tour of the old Jewish part of Montreal and the guide mentioned that the first Jews in Montreal were Sephardim. As we were walking, I googled the Sephardic synagogue and sent a quick message to Rabbi Yehoshua Ellis, the rabbi of the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue in Montreal. I identified myself as a Sephardic historian who was the cousin of Rabbi Sam Kassin.
Imagine my surprise when within minutes I got a call from Rabbi Ellis, praising Rabbi Kassin, as he had been a student at Shehebar Sephardic Center (SSC) in Jerusalem and had received his semicha from the yeshiva. Rabbi Ellis had heard of me and set aside time in his day to provide David and I with a Surprise in Montreal tour of the synagogue as well as information about the community.
Shearith Israel – the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue began in Montreal in 1768 and is over 250 years old. The current building opened in 1947 and is the fourth building location. The synagogue has a coat of arms. The current location is part of a complex that includes a day school, community center, Jewish public library and Jewish hospital.
The synagogue has over a hundred Sefer Torahs, one of which is from Sedon (Lebanon) and is hundreds of years old. Many are family Torahs from Baghdad and other places. The synagogue has one Sefer Torah that is over 300 years old from Iraq and it came to the synagogue after the second Iraq war.
The Spanish Portuguese Synagogue has a main sanctuary and Bet Midrash, which has an Aron Kodesh that dates to 1835 and is used by the Lebanese congregants on Shabbat. They have minyans three times a day. The congregation has about 600-700 member families. There are other Sephardic synagogues in Montreal. Shearith Israel – the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue may be the biggest Sephardic congregation in Canada. Rabbi Ellis estimated that 30 percent of Montreal’s Jewish community was Sephardic, yet they consumed 70 percent of the kosher food
I asked Rabbi Ellis, who is Ashkenazic and born in Kansas City, how he came to attend the SSC. Rabbi Ellis said “I was a volunteer in Poland for the JDC where I met my wife. I saw they needed a rabbi. I was looking for a yeshiva and a friend was studying at the SSC. I met with Rabbi Kassin and he said ‘Why are you here?’ I said I want to be a rabbi in Poland. And he said “ok, you’re in, but you have to start tomorrow.’ We had the exact same vision, which was to go out and be a rabbi who can keep Jews Jewish. Thank G-d, all of us who got to learn from Rabbi Peretz are in awe of how blessed we are, his Emunah, and his amazing depth of Torah knowledge. So after I got my semicha, I went to Poland for 13 years.”
Rabbi Ellis lived in Jerusalem for six years in Nahalot and got to go to many synagogues. He said every synagogue is a jewel in the crown of the king. As the rabbi for one year in Montreal, the father of two feels the Kehilla has a very unique synagogue, both emotionally and spiritually very warm.
Rabbi Ellis told us the history of the congregation. He showed me the portraits of several important rabbis of the congregation. Rabbi Abraham De Sola was the rabbi from 1847-1882. He was also a professor of Oriental Studies at McGill University. He opened a session of Congress in the United States with a prayer. Originating from a large renowned family of rabbis and scholars, De Sola was recognized as one of the foremost leaders of Orthodox Judaism in North America during the latter half of the nineteenth century. His son Meldola De Sola was the rabbi from 1882 – 1918.
In 1970, the Iraqis began moving here and it changed the culture of the congregation. The presidents that lined the walls included Bitton, Mohgraby, Levy, Benchimol, Elbaz, Shemie and Mann, many of them Iraqi. Many Moroccan Jews also came.
Regarding Rabbi Kassin and the SSC, Rabbi Ellis noted “The institution he built at Midrash Sephardi, is a wonderful institution. He gave me an opportunity. As students we were all inspired to make Jewish life livable for Am Israel. We spread Judaism and do what we can to teach Torah. We learned to spread Judaism of the middle path, making life livable and meaningful, yet staying true to tradition. We keep Am Israel a bit holier and more connected and to bring Judaism to more Jews.”
As to Rabbi Kassin, he said “He’s not interested in setbacks. He is only interested in how to move forward. We had the same vision and I am thankful for the opportunity he gave me.”
A genealogist and historian, Sarina Roffé is the author of Branching Out from Sepharad (Sephardic Heritage Project, 2017). She is researching a new book: Syria – Paths to Freedom. Sarina holds a BA in Journalism, and MA in Jewish Studies and an MBA.
