The First Minyan and Synagogue
The Shaarey Shomayim congregation incorporated in 1908, but previously held services informally in the homes of members. The name translates from Hebrew as “Gates of Heaven.” At the time of its incorporation, the Orthodox congregation already had twenty-four members. Joseph Enzer was the shul’s president. Services were held in a small wooden building on Prince Arthur Boulevard in Fort William. One of the congregation’s first activities was to raise the funds to build a new synagogue.
In 1913, the congregation relocated to the corner of Finlayson and Mackenzie Street. The new synagogue was designed by the architectural firm Hood and Scott and was a much larger building with a separate women’s gallery on the second floor. Shortly after this move, Joe Kassler, a local jewellery business owner, took over as president in 1914.
In the early years, there was another congregation in Port Arthur on Lincoln Street at Cumberland. This smaller congregation also met in private homes, including that of its president David Rosenthal, before merging with Shaarey Shomayim in the late 1920s. Presidents of the amalgamated congregation in the late 1920s and early 1930s included Harry Gurevich, Moses Spector and Joseph Shaffer. Among the shul’s cantors were Nathan Swartz, Herb Cohn and Herman Redlich.
The Synagogue was an important centre for the community and was remembered as a busy, loud building. The Rabbi reportedly had to remind people not to talk during the services. The B’nai Birth hall was down the street and the shul’s basement could also be used for meals and special events. The congregation also maintained a small house for the Rabbi’s residence. In the Finlayson Street Synagogue, seating was purchased at a premium, with the seats nearest the Bimah going to the members who could afford to pay the highest dues. Sometimes the male children would sit with their mothers in the upper gallery, but they were also permitted to sit with their fathers on the lower level.
