Sadly neither Leonard Cohen nor William Shatner are Sephardic, but Canada has a rich Sephardic Jewish history, including 20th century immigration from what are now Arab countries.
Historical Timeline of Jewish Canada
1750s: First known Jewish settler in Canada, Esther Brandeau, arrives in New France disguised as a boy.
1760: First permanent Jewish settler, Aaron Hart, arrives in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
1768: First synagogue, Shearith Israel, is established in Montreal. While primarily Sephardic in ritual, it served all Jews.
1832: Jews gain full rights as British subjects in Lower Canada (Quebec).
1850s: Jews begin settling in significant numbers in Upper Canada (Ontario).
1871: Census records 1,115 Jews in Canada.
1880s-1920s: Major wave of Jewish immigration, primarily Ashkenazi from Eastern Europe.
1901: Census records 16,401 Jews in Canada.
1930s: Small numbers of Sephardic Jews from North Africa and the Middle East begin arriving in Canada.
1956: Sephardic Kehila Centre is established in Montreal, marking a significant presence of Sephardic Jews.
1960s-1970s: Larger influx of Sephardic Jews, primarily from Morocco, arrives in Montreal and Toronto.
1970: Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Shearith Israel in Montreal (established in 1768) moves to a new building, continuing its Sephardic traditions.
1980s-1990s: Continued immigration of Sephardic Jews from various countries, including Israel, France, and North Africa.
2001: Census records approximately 329,995 Jews in Canada, with a significant Sephardic minority, especially in Montreal.
2011: Estimated 380,000 Jews in Canada, including both Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities.
Resources for researching Sephardic Genealogy in Canada
Canadian Jewish Records and Archives
- Canadian Sephardic Federation
- Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal The congregation is called Shearith Israel, the same as New York.
- The Canadian Jewish Heritage Network.
- Kissing Cousins: The Early History of Congregations Shearith Israel of New York City and Montreal
- Jewish Public Library Archives (Montreal)
- Ontario Jewish Archives
- JewishGen Canada Database
Auction of documents from the Hart family.
General records for Canadian Genealogical Research
- Library and Archives Canada
- Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
- FamilySearch
- Canadian Genealogy Centre
Canadian Immigration and Naturalization Records
- Library and Archives Canada – Immigration Records. Includes passenger lists (1865-1935) and border entry records (1908-1935)
- Library and Archives Canada – Naturalization Records. Includes naturalization records from 1915 to 1951
- Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
- Provincial Archives. Some provinces maintain their own immigration and naturalization records. For example, the Archives of Ontario has naturalization records from 1858 to 1931.
- Ancestry.ca – Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935. Digitized versions of passenger lists
- FamilySearch – Canada, Ocean Arrivals (Form 30A), 1919-1924. Individual immigrant arrival records
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