B'nai Brith
The Fort William chapter 696 of B’nai Brith received its charter in 1911, and was part of District Six, which included Manitoba, Illinois and parts of Indiana and Wisconsin. At its height in the mid 1940s and 1950s, there were between sixty and seventy members. Most of the Jewish men in the community would have joined when they turned 21 years of age. As members of this charitable and social organization, men would organize fundraising campaigns, get together for special dinners and play cards after the meetings. Conventions were often held in Minneapolis and Chicago, which afforded local businessmen an opportunity to travel and establish important contacts with members in the other district chapters. The B’nai Brith Hall was also an important centre for community events before the new synogogue was built.
Joe Enzer, also the president of the shul, was the first President of B’nai Brith. Joe Kassler, a jewellery business owner, took over in 1912 and was president until 1920, when he moved to Toronto. B’nai Brith Hall was built at the time of the merger of the Fort William and Port Arthur congregations in the late 1920s, near the Shaarey Shomayim Synagogue on Finlayson and MacKenzie. The building of the Hall was financed by the lodge membership. They also raised funds for medical research and for aid to Palestine, later Israel. Their main focus, however, was on local philanthropic service, such as the sponsorship of blood drives, youth activities, senior care and summer camps. An annual picnic was held at Chippewa Park. Finally, B’nai Brith also held an annual public speaking contest and scholarship program for the local high school.
During its height of activity, the members would promote Jewish culture by hosting concerts and a lecture series on Jewish culture in the B’nai Brith Hall or for the wider public, such as the Artists from Israel classical music program held at the Fort William Vocational School in 1950, organized by Alex Devon. Also, B’nai Brith always ran a Jewish float in the annual Canada Day parade.
