Today (Jan. 2), the world marks the end of Hanukkah, which began on Dec. 25 last year.
This is only the fifth time since 1900 that Hanukkah began on Christmas Day.
Many a blue and white light have twinkled in our community this year, with some businesses making specific effort to recognize the various faiths and traditions that make this time of year special around the world.
Kootenay Savings Credit Union did a lovely job with their lights, specifically marking Hanukkah with a blue and white scheme over the holidays.
Trail had a substantial Jewish community, which really started to grow following the stock market demise in 1928.
We are fortunate for a comprehensive history written by former Trail resident, Leo Levey, who, with his wife Pearl, arrived in Trail in 1936.
The Leveys eventually became the co-owners of the Famous Style Shop, purchased from Max Woogman, another familiar Jewish name to Trail.
At one time, roughly 50 Jewish families called Trail home.
And they were active members in the community, as well.
Leo, for example, was chair of the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis, and even earned Citizen of the Year in 1967, just prior to his departure for Vancouver.
The 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s in Trail were indeed boom years for the city.
With massive immigration post-war, from all over Europe mainly, Trail was an industrial and economic hub in the interior.
Businesses thrived here, and Trail’s Jewish community made their mark, most arriving here from other parts of Canada.
Familiar shops included Woogman’s, Zagin’s, People’s Credit Jewellers, Horlick’s Furs, Dollar Cleaners, and Wise‘s Grocerteria, the popular corner shop near Butler Park that became Joffe’s.
Greg Nesteroff has written a comprehensive history of the Joffe building in his “Kutnë Reader” blog. It’s well worth the read.
In the 1930s, the Jewish Benevolent Society was formed.
A minute book of the organization exists in the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC; the document is digitized and entirely accessible to learn more about how the organization supported Jewish initiatives here and around the world.
Of the organization, Mr. Levey wrote:
“The Jewish Benevolent Society was created to look after all activities in general. The Lillian Freiman Chapter of Hadassah was formed and installed by Lil Shapiro from Vancouver.
"The community was Zionist-oriented and actively supported all campaigns for funds. In addition, the men gave enthusiastic support to Hadassah and helped them to raise their objectives. The community was praised nationally for its endeavours and earned the greatest respect in our area.
"Every business was closed on Yom Kippur when they had their own religious services which Leopold Levey conducted, his early cantorial training as a choir member in England making it possible.
"On Passover they had community Seders. Several Jewish leaders visited, including the national president of Hadassah. Above all, every parent tried to give their children a grounding in Jewish education, even though there was no Jewish teacher.”
Trail’s Jewish community began to dwindle in the 1950s, most leaving for larger cities.
Remarkably, Mr. Nate Joffre was the only death of a Jewish person in Trail, which happened in May 1961.
The Leveys, the last Jewish family, left for Vancouver in 1968, with Leo lamenting their departure as the end of an era.
Sarah Benson-Lord, manager, Trail Museum and Archives and Visitor Centre.
