27

Class photograph for the Hebrew school 1952 and 1953
1952
Adath Israel Synagogue, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Photograph courtesy of Eddie Duke

28

This picture, you know, all of these, all of these . . . Pearly Jacks, for instance if you start, start at the bottom row for example. The girl at the bottom Sheila Moscoe, her father was the town lawyer. Allan Garshon, uh his, his father ran a huge dry goods and tailoring shop. He made clothes. He was a wonderful tailor. Adrienne Scott, was Joe Scott's uh, Joe Scott's daughter and Joe Scott built the synagogue virtually, and of course was in real, in real estate up to his ears. Sharon Finkelman, the Finkelman family had a store on, on Second Street and uh, it was a large secondhand and new furniture store, which they ran. They were here, they were probably here in the twenties. Uh, she was born here. Sidney Sukerman, his father was the founder of Seymour's Stores. He was, Sukerman was Seymour. Lorne Duke, well I was, he was my son. Vivian Spiegelman, her father, her dad actually hauled fruit from Toronto to Kirkland Lake and Timmins and points north and was a fruit wholesaler and had, she had a couple of brothers also. Harriet Kokotow, uh, Harriet was Albert Kokotow's daughter and he was a prominent lumberman uh, wholesaler uh, pop manufacturer. He was Kirkland Lake's top businessman. Lawrence Kokotow is the son of Irving Kokotow, who, who's father worked with, with Albert Kokotow and he, their, that family were very prominent and also in the lumber business. Pearly Jacks was the daughter of Bill Jacks the furrier and he was right on the main street and made fur coats for everybody. Trudy Kaplan was the daughter of Nathan Kaplan.
Sorena Kokotow was a daughter of, of uh, Irving Kokotow. The rabbi came to us from Toronto actually, was here for a couple of years and went back to Toronto and opened a bookstore in Toronto. Did very well. Eleanor Langer, her father was Sam Langer and Sam ran an automotive business, which was very prominent in town. They called it Northern Auto Supply. Maureen Kokotow was a daughter of Irving Kokotow. Allan Atkins was, Allan Atkins was Harry Atkins' son. Uh, Paul Jacks was Bill Jacks' son. Gary Scott was Joe Scott's son. Herbert Kokotow was uh, Albert Kokotow's son. Stanley Sukerman was Seymour Sukerman's son. Paul Steinberg, the Steinberg's ran the Toronto Bargain Store, which was located at the corner of uh, Government Road and Kirk . . . and uh, Lebel. Irving Brown was, was the son of, of Al Brown who is now a doctor in Toronto and quite well-known. And he uh, won several scholarships in Toronto in medical school, actually ended up one of the first people to be working on DNA, when they first discovered DNA. And Sam Mallin, I'm not sure, I'm sure he's a university grad now but I am not sure just where he is.

29

Chedar class room at the Adath Israel Synagogue
1950
Adath Israel Synagogue, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Museum of Northern History Collection

30

Chedar class room at the Adath Israel Synagogue

31

Examinations in the Synagogue Hall
1950
Adath Israel Synagogue, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Photograph courtesy of Eddie Duke

32

This is in the synagogue on the stage of the synagogue hall. And the children are obviously being presented after their examinations. And the Rabbi, the Rabbi sitting here is Rabbi Rabinovitch. Rabbi Rabinovitch was the main Rabbi for the synagogue. He came here about nineteen thirty or thirty-one. Yeah and uh but this is not of that, that, this is not of that early period. These are children that came later. But he is sitting with Mrs. Sam Davis. This is Mrs. Sam Davis and her name actually was Esther.

33

Children at the cheder (Hebrew class) held in the synagogue
1950
Adath Israel Synagogue, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Photograph courtesy of Eddie Duke

34

This is a picture of the children at the chedar, the Hebrew class. And the children are all being taught the significance of lighting the Hanukkah candles. And the boy who is lighting the candles, lighting that candelabra, is the young Ross that we were talking of a minute ago whose mother, whose mother appears in the earlier picture and whose father at one time had been the station agent at Swastika. He became a, evidently quite a good doctor they tell me. He is now, he takes care of a lot of elderly people living in Arizona. He lives in Tucson. And uh, the last time I heard about him as a matter of fact, Mr. uh, the dairy . . . Archer's, Mr. Archer was going to Tucson in the wintertime and this is the doctor who was taking care of him and he thought the world of him. Of course he was just a lad here, probably ten. (Marlene asked, "Is this is the synagogue?") This is in the synagogue hall, on the stage in the synagogue hall.

We have the flag of Israel. We have the King and Queen and we have the Canadian ensign. (Marlene chuckled and commented, "You're covering all the bases.") Yes.

35

Many Rabbis and teachers have led the congregation at Adath Israel over the years. Initially, the congregation engaged Rabbi Rabin. He was replaced by Rabbi Rabinovitch who led the congregation for 19 years.

36

Rabbi Rabinovitch oversaw the expansion and renovation of the synagogue.

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The Rabbis of Kirkland Lake
11 July 1980
Adath Israel Synagogue, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Courtesy of the Ontario Jewish Archives

38

S. Speisman: Now these . . .one thing about Kirkland Lake is it had, it was able to hold on to its Rabbi longer than anybody else - right because Rabbi Rabinovitch was?

F. Schaeffer: They had a great deal of trouble - there was a disaster early on. They hired a Rabbi and his name came up somewhere again, who deserted them, went to Ottawa in Rosh HaShanah. Somebody went and he died fairly very recently. They hired somebody . . . there again, you would have to find out and I am sure it is not that difficult. Some where in the early thirties, they brought over from Russia a Rabbi Rabinovitch. I don't even know his first . . .Is it Israel?

S. Speisman: I don't remember what this name was.

F. Schaeffer: Who apparently, by the time I got up North had passed away. His children, maybe his widow still live in Detroit. Apparently, he was quite a distinguished, learned Rabbi. Why he stayed in Kirkland Lake for so many years; I really do not know, because as I understand it the congregation was not all that nice to him either. But, he stayed there and he certainty was, was a rock for the community.

And then after, after Rabinovitch there were Rabbis until but 1968, but I do not think anyone ever stayed more than a year or two - It was . . . It was a dead end there. The last rabbi was circa '67, '68. Incidentally, he was not a rabbi he was only a melamed who was looking for a job. Because he taught my kids who had nothing to do in the summer. Anyway. Neither had, my kids had nothing to do and he had nothing to do - so he took my kids and gave them their first Hebrew lessons. His name was Winternitz. And my wife and his family still exchange Rosh HaShanah cards.

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Rabbi E. Rabinovitch (Photo 2523)
1931
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Courtesy of the Ontario Jewish Archives

40

For a short time Rabbi Halpern (1938 to 1940), who had also taught cheder, assisted him.