Religion


During the last forty years of the 20th century, Owen Sound’s Jewish community faced serious challenges. The community was shrinking. After 1963, it was no longer able to afford a resident rabbi. During the 1970s, the synagogue hired Rabbi Meir Uri Gottesman as a part-time rabbi. This turned into a very positive experience for the community. Gottesman was content with his work there; he found the community “inspiring” and remembered his experience with warm nostalgia. This, even though he had to “take his life in his hands” driving through snow, fog and rain during his commute from Toronto to Owen Sound. Gottesman went on to author a number of books and stories, including The Birdsong, which was inspired by the Owen Sound community.

During this period, another challenge the community confronted was that the elders were beginning to die off. In addition, the baby boom generation headed out of town to go to university and, for the most part, did not return. As a result, it was increasingly difficult to gather a minyan for a yahrzheit. The synagogue building was in jeopardy due to declining membership. Maintaining it was expensive. Filling it with Jews seemed like an impossibility. Some in the community thought it best to gracefully admit defeat. Others wanted to hold on to the synagogue as long as possible. At the end of the 20th century, prospects were dim for the survival of this Jewish community. However, hard work, determination and winning strategies have paid off and Owen Sound beat the odds. As a result, Owen Sound’s Jewish community has been renewed and is flourishing.