The Community Today

Many of the members of the Thunder Bay Jewish community now reside in Winnipeg. In 2001, some of these former residents began a project to document the history of the Jewish community in Thunder Bay. The Jews in Thunder Bay Exhibit Planning Committee opened the exhibit at the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada in Winnipeg on 3 September 2003. The display documents the growth of the Jewish community in the region through memorabilia and recorded oral histories from residents.

In 2005, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba held an endowment fundraiser to maintain the Shaarey Shomayim cemetery. A gala was attended by about 200 people, including ex-Thunder Bay resident Paul Shaffer, at the Berney Theatre at the Asper Jewish Community Campus in Winnipeg on the 26th of September. The fund was supported by extensive donations from expatriates of the city now resident in Winnipeg. Larry Hurtig, the President of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, delivered the opening remarks. Others involved in the planning committee included former residents Pat Brody, Harvey and Lou Cogan, and Michael Helper.

On 15 June 2008, The Shaarey Shomayim congregation held a special community event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Thunder Bay Jewish community. The event included a cemetery service, a local exhibit on the history of the community featuring artefacts from the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada and the Ontario Jewish Archives, and a dinner with live entertainment at the Thunder Bay Airlane Hotel.

• Religion
• Population
• The Community Today