First Jewish Settlers
Among the first families to come to Owen Sound were David and Sarah Goldblatt. He arrived in Canada 1891 from Germany and married his intended in London, Ontario in 1893. They eventually had six children. Other early families who arrived during the late 19th century included the Topps, Bernsteins and Fishkins. Harry Topp came to Canada from Austria in 1889, followed two years later by his wife Minnie. He set up a second-hand store in town. The Topps had three children during that time and their household also included a nephew, a brother-in-law and a boarder. This pattern, in which pioneers were later joined by family members, friends or relations from the old country, was common among Jewish immigrants.
Joel Fishkin also ran a second-hand store. He arrived from Russia in 1892 and was followed by his wife, Rebecca, and their son Lewis two years later. The couple established themselves nicely in town and had three more children. The Bernstein family also came from Russia about the same time, but arrived via the United States. Louis and his wife Bertha settled south of the boarder and had their first child there. They relocated to Owen Sound in 1896, where they had their remaining three children. He worked as a merchant and they lived close to the Goldblatt family.
In this period, Owen Sound was booming, but there was no formal Jewish community. The Goldblatts and others would host Shabbat services in their homes. A social note from 1908 mentions the circumcision of Abraham Goldblatt. A Rabbi Berkowitz came from Toronto to officiate. The event was attended by friends and family from far and wide. The guests came from Toronto and New York as well as from the small town of Tara in south-western Ontario.
A number of the early settlers stayed for a few years and then moved on. The Goldblatts eventually moved to Toronto. The Topps later moved to Collingwood, Ontario, shortly after the immigration of brothers Emanual and Nathan Topp and their families.
