How many stories lie buried beneath our feet in Cimetière Shaare Zion? This cemetery is more than just a final resting place. It is a testament to Montreal’s Jewish community. It reflects their journey. It echoes their hopes.
Cimetière Shaare Zion is associated with the Shaare Zion Congregation. This congregation formed in the early 1920s. At that time, only about 100 Jewish families lived in Montreal. They legally incorporated the congregation in March 1926.
But the story of Jewish Montreal extends back further. The Back River Memorial Gardens Cemetery started in 1883. Temple Emanu-El congregation bought the land. Some members were not pleased with the land. They thought it was too damp and too far from the synagogue. The Back River Cemetery became the Jewish community’s main burial ground. There were about 5000 gravesites.
A century ago, this part of Montreal was where common Jews were buried. They were hardworking. They were immigrants. The Spanish and Portuguese Congregation established a gravesite in 1797. Cholera and other plagues made Montrealers wary of gravesites. They were too close. In 1854, the plots were unearthed. They were relocated to the Mount Royal Cemetery.
The Shaare Zion Congregation grew. Victoria Hall in Westmount became the synagogue. It was improvised. They held Shabbat and Holiday services there. A fire in 1939 destroyed the synagogue. They purchased the present site shortly thereafter. The first High Holyday services took place in September 1947. They were held at Shaare Zion’s present home on Cote St. Luc Road.
Eternal Gardens Memorial Park has sections for various congregations. These include Shaare Zion. Eternal Gardens is located in the west of Montreal. Burials date back to the mid-1950s.
In 1976, Shaare Zion instituted family seating. This commenced on the High Holydays of 1976. The membership overwhelmingly endorsed it. In 2000, Shaare Zion became the first Conservative congregation in Montreal. Women were counted in the Minyan. They were permitted to have Aliyot. They could read from the Torah and chant the Haftarah. Shaare Zion remains the only Conservative congregation in Montreal with this practice.
Charles Davis Goodman originally designed the Shaare Zion Congregation. He was the architect of prominent structures in Montreal. These included the Jewish General Hospital. In 1996 and 1997, there was a major renovation. Ted Yudelson of YZ Architects oversaw it.
The Cimetière Shaare Zion connects us to generations past. It reminds us of community and faith. It stands as a symbol. It embodies resilience in the face of adversity. It is a chronicle etched in stone.