Highlights from the Shaar Wedding Collection: The Earliest Wedding Memories

Since beginning work on the Shaar’s archives five years ago, we have made some fascinating discoveries. But as we came to know the contents of our rich archival materials, we also noticed what was absent. In archival language these are known as ‘collection gaps’ — important parts of our history, community, and heritage which are lacking in documentation. One of these gaps was material related to weddings. And so, over the course of this summer, the Shaar Archives has embarked on one of our most ambitious collecting projects to date: documenting the long history of Shaar Hashomayim weddings.  

The response from the Shaar community has been tremendous. Throughout the summer we have received hundreds of your photographs and heard many of your stories. This has been a true collaboration between the the Shaar family and the Archives, and has significantly enriched our collections.  In this article, we highlight some of the earliest wedding-related archives in our collections, from the 1910s to the 1920s. This article is the first in a series in which we will be showcasing Shaar weddings through the years.

A Shaar Bride  

This photograph of a Shaar bride was taken in the 1910s. The picture was originally taken in black and white, with colour added at a later date (as can be seen on the bride’s cheeks and flowers). The bride in this picture is not identified.  

The Engagement of Rabbi Herman Abramowitz 

When Rabbi Herman Abramowitz was hired by the Shaar in 1902, he came to the synagogue as a bachelor. Some years later, in 1911, after officiating at numerous weddings, it was finally his turn. Rabbi Abramowitz became engaged to Theresa Bockar of New York. In honour of his upcoming marriage (which took place on June 22, 1911), on June 11 the Shaar the held special ‘presentation’ (an engagement party) for Rabbi Abramowitz in the McGill College Synagogue (invitation below).

A Double Wedding 

The two brides Sadie Brown and Celia Levin photographed for their weddings on December 7, 1921. Photo courtesy of Anne Kugler (granddaughter of Celia Levin).  

On December 7th, 1921, a wedding of particular note took place at the Shaar (in the previous building on McGill College): the double wedding of sisters Celia and Sadie Freedman, who married Leon Levin and Moses A. Brown respectively in ceremonies which took place within one hour of each other. The weddings were co-officiated by Rabbi Dr. Herman Abramowitz and by Montreal’s Chief Rabbi, Hirsch Cohen. A reception was afterwards held at the Ritz Carleton to which more than 600 people were invited (see side panel for the newspaper clipping from The Montreal Star.  

A Wedding for Doda Leba 

Known to generations at the Shaar as ‘Doda Leba’ who served as organist and accompanist for a half century at the Shaar, playing at many Shaar weddings, Leba Fineberg (née Livingstone) herself had her own Shaar wedding. On May 16, 1922, at a ceremony officiated by Rabbi Herman Abramowitz, she married Dr. Moe N. Fineberg.