The 1940s
During the 1940s, the Jewish community rose to its peak numbers in Port Arthur and Fort William. As the members of Shaarey Shomayim began to attain greater financial security in their businesses, they began to move away from the immediate vicinity of the shul into larger homes across the two cities. The decline in manufacturing led to a number of families moving to large Jewish centres such as Toronto and Winnipeg. The membership, informed by the Jewish experience of the Second World War, began to focus its fundraising efforts on domestic social issues, and towards the end of decade, on the support of a Jewish state. Simultaneously, there was an increased integration between Jews and non-Jews in the local community, as the second generation became increasingly secular in their beliefs, a trend often seen as stemming from intermarriage. In the shul, Rabbi Polansky was assisted in prayer services by Shmuel Shaffer, who was the Cantor for High Holiday services and also assisted with teaching at the Talmud Torah. Presidents of the shul included Dr. M.L. Stitt and Herbert Cohn.
