Youth Groups
Peterborough’s earliest recorded youth group was called the Sons of Zion. Its first meeting was held on on 28 February 1915, at the Knights of Pythias Hall on Simcoe Street. Philip Black was the Honourary President. D. Feinburg was chosen as President, Louis Sukloff was Secretary, C. Reinberg was Treasurer, and R. Florence and S. Shakter were assigned to “Committee.” It is not clear how long this group remained active. Other youth groups – both Young Judaea and B.B.YO. – were organized at different periods.
Whether or not there was a youth group at a given time probably depended both on the desire of the young people for such activity and on the presence of adults willing to supervise. In 1938, a Peterborough Young Judaea group wrote to Ruth Moldaver to express their thanks for her “splendid services” as their first leader and organizer. In the same letter, reproduced in the Beth Israel Diamond Jubilee Book, the young people humbly asked Ruth to accept the title of Honorary Leader of their Club.
In 1962, a chapter of the B’nai Brith Youth Organization, or B.B.Y.O. was established. This group was still active in 1965, when its presidents were Anita Gishman and Larry Black. The Treasurer was Eleanor Zacks and Secretary Arlene Abramsky. Sylvia Mack, Harry Silver and Mort Golumbia acted as advisors. One of the attractions of being part of the B.B.Y.O. was the opportunity to travel beyond Peterborough for meetings and gatherings, for example to Toronto or Oshawa. In addition to the B.B.Y.O., there was a Jewish Scout unit, to which a number of the Peterborough boys belonged.
