Hirsch History

Hirsch, Saskatchewan, Canada

Apr 28, 1892, Through the efforts of Baron Hirsch, the members of the Young Men's Hebrew Benevolent Society, and the Baron Hirsch Colonization Alliance, a new era, as far as Canada was concerned, was begun in Jewish colonization on this day. At 9 o'clock that night, 100 heads of Russian Hebrew families left Montreal for Oxbow, (Hirsch actually) in the Souris coal district of the Canadian Northwest, to form a colony of farmers.

On Arrival at Oxbow, the emigrants were expected to put in seed and then start the building of their houses. 100,000 francs was given as a subsidy. 286 heads of families were chosen to participate. The money was given as a loan, and had to be paid back in 12 years. If this scheme was a success the next year 10,000 families, were to be located on the plan outlined.


Norman Abood home, former Jewish Synagogue

The Hirsch Colony Synagogue was built around 1929 by the Jewish Colonization Organization of Montreal. It was a white building with blue trim. It used to be four feet higher with a gallery which had no windows. There were three windows on the east side of the main level. There was a coal furnace in the basement and a brick chimney on the exterior of the east wall. The cornerstone was the tombstone of an Annie ?oak. (name not readable) There was a Mogen David 1) on the west wall, near the top of the gable.

The FIRST Jewish Synagogue in Saskatchewan was built in Hirsch

In 1986 the Mikvah (Ritual Bath) still existed, it was the only one in Canada where the water came from a windmill.

Hirsch ca 1920-1921

Census Results

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx

http://www.ancestry.ca/cs/census

http://automatedgenealogy.com/index.html

Genealogy

http://genealogy.ehealthsask.ca/vsgs_srch.aspx

Book written about life at Hirsch and Hoffer SK, by Clara Hoffer and her daughter F. H. Kahan
about her husband Israel Hoffer's life, in the Sonnenfeld colony.

Land of Hope- Mr. Irwin Kahan owns the rights to the book

EXT Links below are NOT my Sites Remember to use your Back button to Return Here

GenWeb Jewish Roots

Sask Wheat Pool Map

Western Land Grants (1870-1930)


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1)
Mogen David= A six-pointed star, a symbol of Judaism, that is formed by placing two triangles together, one inverted over the other or interlaced. Also called Shield of David, Star of David.