JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF MONTREAL
Founded in 1994.
A member of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies
Baron de Hirsch - De la Savane Cemetery Online Now
The Baron de Hirsch Cemetery Inc. and Affiliates have gratiously provided the full database of over 45,000 burials at the de la Savane cemetery. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal has submitted them to the JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR) and they are now online.
Back River Cemetery Online
The Back River Memorial Gardens Cemetery has graciously made a full index of all burials available, and this index is now searchable online at the Jewish Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR). See more information on the cemetery and project as well as a Surname List for all burials.
1911 Canadian Census Indexed!!!!!
The 1911 Canadian census is now fully indexed by name. See http://jgs-montreal.org/census-1911.html for details.
Jewish vital records of Montreal/Quebec, 1841 - 1942
The JGS of Montreal has indexed over 75,000 vital records for the Jewish Community in Montreal and Quebec. Copies of these records are available from the Society. Read a description of the project and review the Surname List. The full story of the project was published in the Summer 2002 edition of Avotaynu. The project won the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies' Outstanding Project of the Year award in 2003.
Canadian Naturalization Records - 1914-1951
The JGS-Montreal has completed the first phase of the project to index Canadian Naturalizations from 1914 to 1932. This phase indexes nearly 200,000 people (both Jewish and non-Jewish). The index is now online on the Canadian Genealogy Centre's web site. The full history of this JGS of Montreal led project, was published in Avotaynu's Fall 2002 edition. We are now in the process of scanning and indexing the 400,000 naturalizations from 1932-1951 (partially funded by the IAJGS Stern Award).
MEETINGS
Meetings of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal are usually held except July, often on the third Monday of each month,. Guests welcome at all meetings. Most meetings are held in the Federation CJA Building which also houses The Jewish Public Library, The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre and the Gelber Conference Centre.
SUNDAY MORNING FAMILY TREE WORKSHOPS
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal offers Sunday Morning Family Tree Workshop (formerly Scholar-In-Residence) in conjunction with the Jewish Public Library of Montreal. Experts in the JGS of Montreal are available to answer research questions from society members and the general public on a one-on-one basis. There is no charge to attend. Workshops are normally held on the first Sunday of each month from October to June (except when there are conflicts with Jewish holy days) from 10 am to Noon at The Jewish Public Library.
JGS of Montreal Sunday Morning Family Tree Workshop
SOCIETY OBJECTIVES
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
- To promote awareness of the resources available within and beyond your own community for tracing Jewish ancestors.
- To encourage the sharing of research techniques.
- To disseminate information on genealogical research to family historians and professional genealogists alike.
- To foster ongoing interest in Jewish heritage and provide learning experiences related to Jewish family history and Jewish life in different regions and periods.
RESEARCH SERVICES
- A networking forum for personal research and a bridge to Jewish genealogists around the world.
- Monthly meetings: featuring guest speakers, workshops, field trips, and hands-on research.
- Extended access to genealogical resource collection and computer facilities (Multimedia Centre) of the Jewish Public Library.
On-site visits are required at most research venues in Montreal. There are no professional genealogists in the JGS of Montreal. However, the Quebec Family History Society (QFHS) will provide names of experienced researchers who can access the "open" items, newspaper announcements, etc. Contact the Quebec Family History Society at P.O. Box 1026, Pointe Claire, Que. H9S 4H9. Telephone: (514) 695-1502 or see list of researchers on the QFHS website <http:/www.cam.org/~qfhs/index.html>. Mail inquiries must include a stamped self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) or letters will not be answered. When Canadian stamps are not available, include a U.S. dollar bill.
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal serves a city with one of the oldest Jewish communities in North America. The first Jewish settlers arrived in 1760 and the first synagogue (in Canada), the Shearith Israel, was founded in 1768. Today, Montreal has a thriving Jewish community of over 100,000. It is in honour of these forebears and those who came after that we introduce our society and research in Montreal and Quebec to the Jewish genealogical community around the world.
HOW-TO GUIDES AND SEARCH ENGINES
- JewishGen: Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
- How to start your research
- How to Find a Burial in Montreal
- Guide to Jewish Vital Records Research in Quebec
- Montreal and Quebec Jewish Birth/Marriage/Death records - JGS_Montreal Drouin Database and Surname List.
- Stephen Morse' super search pages - enhanced Ellis Island searches, 1930 US Census, Social Security Death Index, Birthdays, and more
- Lovell's Montreal City Directories - 1842-1992 (and soon to 1999)
- Search for Canadian Naturalization Records
- Requesting Canadian Naturalization Records
- Locating and requesting pre-1916 Montreal Naturalization records
- Canadian 1940 National Registration
- Search the 1911 and 1901 Canadian Census by Name
- 1901 Canadian Census Page Images
- 1911 Canadian Census - NOW AVAILABLE!!!
- 1911 Canadian Census - Montreal District Finding Aid and Map
- Canadian Immigration (ship arrival) records - Indexed by name - 1925-1935
- Canadian Border Crossing Records (1908-1918)
- Canadian Divorce Index - 1841-1968
- inGeneas inc. Canadian Genealogy & Searchable Databases Website
- Canadian Telephone Directory (Canada411)
- Italian Genealogical Group - New York Natualizations (1899-1986), Deaths (1891-1936), Marriages (1895-1936)
OTHER LINKS
- JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy
- JGS Montreal Mailing List
- Quebec Family History Society
- Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives
- Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives - timeline of genealogical related holdings
- Canadian Immigration (ship arrival) records - 1717-1935
- City of Montreal
- McGill University
- Concordia University
- Library and Archives Canada
- Montreal Gazette
- Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (Archives)
- List of Jewish Genealogical Societies
- Montreal Association of Independent Libraries
- Jewish Community of Sherbrooke, Que. (Ostropol on the St. Francis)
- Canadian Jewish History - a Partial Bibliography
- Canadian Jewish History - a Partial Bibliography (MS WORD format)
Growth of the Montreal Jewish Community
Between 1760 and 1763, perhaps up to 20 Jewish families spent time in the Montreal area, about half of whom may be considered long-term residents. By 1768, when about a dozen families founded the first Jewish congregation in Canada, they chose the Sephardi minhag and the name Shearith Israel. The congregation remains to this day a vibrant component in the life of Jewish Montreal.Source: Joseph, Anne. Heritage of a Patriarch: A fresh look at nine of Canada's earliest Jewish families. 1995. Sillery (Quebec): Éditions du Septentrion.The Jewish community grew slowly: 107 by 1831, and 451 by 1851, etc. The next 100 years saw a big increase to 83,458. The new arrivals were mostly Ashkenazim from Europe, many pogrom and some Nazi escapees. The years from 1951-71 saw another increase: many were holocaust survivors, but here were also a large number of Sephardim from North Africa and the Middle East. Fluctuations over the next quarter century have now stabilized at just over 100,000.
Site last updated April 28, 2008
Web site maintained by Alan Greenberg
