Beth Itzchak

1917 - 1957
3880 Clark

(Traduction à venir)

Historic outline

The congregation known as Beth Itzchak was located at 3880 Clark Street. It is unlikely that the congregation worshiped at this address since its inception in 1904 as that address was quite far north of the Jewish community in the first decade of the 20th century. In 1959 it amalgamated with the Beth David, now part of the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem located at 6519 Baily Road in Côte-St-Luc.

The building at 3880 Clark was the home of Abraham Yizchak Lutterman. Mr. Lutterman named the synagogue after his own Biblical namesake. This was rather a common practice. Synagogue names that appear to refer to Biblical figures were more likely that of a benefactor, providing, nevertheless, a double honour: recognizing the generosity of a founding member while linking the benefactor to an important Biblical character.

Physical description

The Lutterman family lived in the home/synagogue until the decision was made to break through to the second floor to add a women’s gallery. A stairway was created on the outside wall of the building and enclosed in a protruding box still visible on the building today.

A commemorative article in the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem bulletin described the interior as follows: “The Sanctuary had three unique features. The bimah was a raised platform in the center of the shul. It had seats on its front for the officers of the congregation. Between the bimah and the ark there were seats for the kohanim to sit while they were waiting to go up to the ark for the Priestly Benedictions. The ladies sat upstairs in a horse shoe shaped balcony around the ark which extended upwards almost to the top of the balcony.” This ark is now in the Beth Hillel Synagogue.

Written by Sara Tauben

Links

Liens

Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem
Traces of the Past

Sources

Tauben, Sara Ferdman. "Aspirations and Adaptations: Immigrant Synagogues of Montreal, 1880s-1945." Masters Thesis. Concordia University, 2004.

Tauben, Sara Ferdman. Traces of the Past: Montreal's Early Synagogues. Montréal: Véhicule Press, 2011.

*Images courtesy of Sara Tauben.

Media

Media