TRANSCRIPT

Interview of M. Goldstein by C. McChesney Aug. 24, 1983

C. McChesney: Were any services held in Kirkland Lake before the Synagogue was built?

M. Goldstein: Yes there were? at the early days, before we had the Capital theatre, and the Strand and the Uptown ? later on?the?LaSalle. There use to be a Lyric theatre, right where Supreme Music is.

That particular building has had a lot of uses it was a grocery store and a lot of other things during the years. But they used to hold services in the theatre. The theatre management would close the theatre for a couple of days for the Jewish holidays and they would hold services there.

Then of course once the synagogue was built the service went up to there. And a couple of years ago when the community dropped to almost zero (there were only about 5 or 6 families left), it was decided to sell the building and as I believe I mentioned before part of the Ark and the important parts went to a synagogue in Toronto where it was put into a special little chapel separate from the main chapel.

I visited that particular synagogue and the people there were really astounded on beauty of the wood and the work that went into that Ark.

C. McChesney: What was the name of the Synagogue?

M. Goldstein: I can't think of the name of it.

C. McChesney: It is one of the larger ones?

M. Goldstein: It is rather amusing; because about four or five people who used to live in Kirkland Lake are members of that synagogue and that's how we ended up giving the unit to them. As I say, members of my family that I have and my aunt's family all belong to that synagogue so; the Ark is at home really with Kirkland Lakers.