Shaarey Zedek Synagogue ("Gates of Righteousness") is the oldest

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

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, Canada. Formed in 1880, the congregation's first building was constructed by Philip Brown and several others in 1890. Architect Charles Henry Wheeler designed the original Synagogue on King Street (1889–90). The synagogue has been located at 561 Wellington Crescent off Academy Road, on the western bank of the

Assiniboine River The Assiniboine River (''; french: Rivière Assiniboine'') is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River of the North, Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meand ...

, since 1950.

History

Before the synagogues came to be established by Jews in Canada, history of emigration to Canada, very much before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, is replete with the hardships faced due to migration from

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and other countries and living under very trying conditions. The first settlers came to Canada much earlier in 1880. Canada was in need of immigrants and Jews from Russia and other countries fitted the bill. Initially the community established temporary synagogues in rented houses. However, the first congregation of Jews had begun in 1880 when a tiny group of Jewish migrants formed together. By 1891, the Jewish population of Winnipeg had grown to 645 persons, and 1156 persons by 1901, bringing about a demand in the city for synagogues to be built. The community bought a plot (at the corner of King and Common (now Henry) streets) to build a synagogue, in 1887 from William Gomez de Fonseca, at a cost of $1,250. The synagogue was built to the plans of Architect Charles H. Wheeler and by 1889 it was completed and named as “Shaarey Zedek”, meaning “the Gates of Righteousness” It was consecrated on 20 March 1890. Its coloured windows and

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

s were made of finest

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and

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. Additional land of 4 ha was purchased in 1894 to have an exclusive cemetery, named the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery, that serves the community to this day. The original Shaarey Zedek Synagogue was located on Henry Avenue and 315 King Street. Built in 1890, it was the first of many synagogue buildings erected in Winnipeg, built three years before Rosh Pina Synagogue on Henry Avenue. The principal members of the Bethel Synagogue established their own conservative synagogue in 1899 and called it the Shaarey Zedek. The synagogue premises had its own cemetery. A Hebrew school also functioned here for several years. In 1899, it was located on 37 Martha Street, and T. Finkelstein was its president. Rabbi

Solomon Frank Solomon Frank (January 5, 1900October 21, 1982) was an American–Canadian Orthodox rabbi, speaker, and civic and community leader. He served as rabbinic leader of Shaarey Zedek Synagogue of Winnipeg, Canada, from 1926 to 1947, and spiritual ...

occupied the synagogue's pulpit from 1926 until 1947, following Rabbi Herbert J. Samuel. Frank was succeeded by Rabbi Milton Aron. In 1902, the first Canadian

Talmud Torah Talmud Torah ( he, תלמוד תורה, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary educat ...

was opened in a new building next to Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. In 1913, proposals to build a new the synagogue were put off. This was done to absorb a branch congregation which had earlier established its own synagogue at Shaarey Shomayim could not sustain itself due to financial difficulties. Following this merger the main older synagogue was expanded. However, a new building came to be established only in 1950. Aron became the first rabbi of the new synagogue which opened as 561 Wellington Crescent off Academy Road, near the

, in 1950. The synagogue has been used for meetings during important events in its history. In 1982, it was subject to a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

General-by-Law, amended in 1991. The NA has microfilmed records of Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, Winnipeg from 1889-1983, along with

Holy Blossom Temple The Holy Blossom Temple is a Reform synagogue located at 1950 Bathurst Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the oldest Jewish congregation in Toronto. Founded in 1856, it has more than 7,000 members. W. Gunther Plaut, who died on 8 Februa ...

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from 1856-1969. The Shaarey Zedek Synagogue conforms to

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...

and claims to promote spiritual growth, continuing education and the enrichment of life cycle events of its community.

Architecture

The current building was built on Wellington Crescent throughout 1949 it opened in 1950. The building is a long, light grey stone complex, consisting of oblong architectural pieces, overlooking a lawn and the river. It more resembles a university campus or a government building than a synagogue. The synagogue is noted for its beautiful stained glass windows, designed by

Leo Mol Leonid Molodozhanyn, known as Leo Mol, (January 15, 1915 – July 4, 2009) was a Ukrainian Canadian stained glass artist, painter and sculptor. History Born Leonid Molodozhanyn in Polonne, Russian Empire (now Ukraine), Mol learned the art o ...

and documented by the Institute for stained glass in Canada. It has capacity to hold 1,500 members. The synagogue is located north of Munson Park, near the

Maryland Bridge The Maryland Bridge is a bridge that crosses over the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It serves as a major transportation route for Winnipeg. The bridge connects Academy Road with Maryland Street and Sherbrook Street. The current struc ...

, Rehabilitation Centre for Children, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer and First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg, across the river from the

Westgate Mennonite Collegiate Westgate Mennonite Collegiate is a grade 6 to 12 Mennonite private school in Winnipeg, Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada ...

and the

Cornish Library The Cornish Library, is a branch of the Winnipeg Public Library, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Like the St. John's Library, the Cornish is one of two Carnegie libraries in the city. It is a Grade II listed building and a Winnipeg Landm ...

References

External links

Shaarey Zedek Synagogue website
{{Portal, Judaism, History, Canada Conservative synagogues in Canada Jews and Judaism in Winnipeg Synagogues completed in 1890 Religious buildings and structures in Winnipeg Synagogues completed in 1950 Religious organizations established in 1880 Synagogues in Manitoba 1880 establishments in Manitoba Russian-Jewish culture in Canada River Heights, Winnipeg