Part 4: The Move to Westmount, the 1920s-30s

The new building was officially dedicated on September 17, 1922.

A black-and-white photograph of the exterior of the newly-constructed Congregation Shaar Hashomayim Building in Westmount in the 1920s.

Congregation Shaar Hashomayim Exterior, 1920s.

The dedication service, which was attended by over 1,500 people, included a procession to carry the Torah scrolls from the old building on McGill College to the new one in Westmount. There, the elders of the synagogue handed the scrolls to younger congregants to be placed in the Torah ark. The ceremony concluded with the singing of Hatikvah and God Save the King.

A black-and-white photograph of the interior sanctuary of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in 1927

Sanctuary of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, 1927.

A beige booklet with black writing, the front cover of the service booklet for the dedication of the Shaar Hashomayim building in Westmount.

Service booklet for the dedication of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim’s new building.

A souvenir booklet was compiled to mark the occasion. It included a complete historical sketch of the Congregation from its founding until then, written by Ben Bernstein.

Though the Congregation had officially moved, the settling-in process was far from over: the newly completed building almost totally unfurnished. To remedy this situation, the Women’s Auxiliary, founded in 1921, organized a bazaar under the leadership of its first president, Annie Saxe. This endeavour successfully raised over $23,000, all of which was allocated for the purchase of synagogue furnishings.

A black-and-white photograph of a middle-aged woman with pulled back hair and earrings.

Annie Saxe, first Women’s Auxiliary President.

Yellowed cover of the souvenir program for a Bazaar put on by the Shaar Hashomayim's Women's Auxiliary, featuring drawing of the synagogue building's exterior.

Souvenir program for Bazaar organized by the Women’s Auxiliary.

As the Congregation settled into its new neighbourhood, it quickly developed a close relationship with the Westmount community. For instance, in the mid-1920s, when Westmount’s Victoria Hall burned down, the Shaar gave the city use of its facilities until a new building could be built.

The synagogue moreover drew many notable visitors from across the Jewish world, including the first Chief Rabbi of Palestine—Abraham Isaac Kook—who visited the synagogue in 1924.

Rav Kook, Chief Rabbi of Palestine, stands with large group of Men outside of City Hall

Rav Abraham Isaac Kook (front row, centre) visited Montreal in 1924 as part of a fundraising campaign for institutions of Torah Learning in both Palestine and Europe. Standing just two from his left is then Shaar president, Lyon Cohen.

A black-and-white photograph of Cantor Nathan Mendelson in front of a synagogue ark. He is wearing a black cantor's hat, black robes, and a tallit, and is holding a prayer book.

Cantor Nathan Mendelson, synagogue cantor, 1938-1973.

A black-and-white photograph of a man wearing cantorial robes and a prayer shawl.

J. Segal, synagogue cantor, 1918-1938.

Lyon Cohen remained synagogue president all through the decade. For several years his ailing health prevented him from attending Annual General Meetings, yet the Congregation continued to renew his presidential term unanimously. He was finally relieved of the presidency in 1932. He passed away five years later.

In 1937, the synagogue’s cantor, J. Segal, retired after twenty years of service, leading to a search for a replacement. The following year, Cantor Nathan Mendelson was hired. Mendelson would go on to usher in an era of musical innovation at Shaar Hashomayim.

The 1920s and 30s also saw an explosion of youth activity in the synagogue. Enrolment in the synagogue’s Hebrew school steadily increased. New educational programs were instituted for teenagers, a Junior Congregation program was founded, and the Congregation’s Boy Scouts, Wolf Cubs, Girl Guides, and Brownies troops were established.

A black-and-white photograph of a Hebrew school graduation class from the 1930s.

Shaar Hashomayim Hebrew School Graduation, 1931.

Part 3: Growth, Construction, and the 1910s Part 5: The War Years, The Synagogue from 1939 to 1945