Montefiore Club
Encyclopedia
The Montefiore Club was a private social and business association, catering to the Jewish community, located in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
.
, the British
-Jewish philantropist. It was established by 11 people, all quite young, with ages ranging from 15 to 23, as a social club for young Jewish people. It held fundraising
ball
s to help Jewish refugee
s, and play
s that were produced to fund welfare programs for immigrants. Later renamed the "Montefoire Club", and modelled on upper class
gentlemen's club
s of London
, it functioned as a private social and business association, catering to members of the Jewish community.
Among its members, were "well-to-do" members of the Jewish community, who were excluded from elite
Anglophone
clubs such as the St. James and the Mount Royal.
In the early 1990s, the club had more than 600 paying members.
In the mid-1990s, $500,000 was spent on renovations to the building.
In 2005, after experiencing a decline in membership, new policies were introduced:
In its final years, the building was used frequently by Concordia University
, usually for social events.
In the summer of 2010, after experiencing years of financial difficulties, the club closed.
The location of the Montefoire Club itself changed locations three times, the last being its 1195 Guy Street
address, where it remained for 104 years, until its closure. The Guy Street location displayed no sign, with only a green canopy identifying it. The building is a large, three-storey Victorian
greystone.
The Guy Street location had a luxurious interior, with high ceilings, and a lobby built with large oak
beams in a Dutch style
. The rooms were carpeted, with deep-cusioned chairs and sofas, and walls of fine carved wood. Card rooms were located on the second floor, with bedrooms on the third floor that were made available on a temporary basis for members. Wives and children were forbidden access to the second and third floors.
The club was open seven days a week, and often rented out its facilities for community events. The cuisine was considered among the finest in the city, and although having a Jewish clientelle, the club was never kosher.
At the time of its closure, the club had used all of its financial reserves, and was operating at a deficit of approximately $25,000 per month. With an annual operating budget of about $750,000, and full fees being only about $2,000 (among the lowes for Montreal's private clubs), the club was unable to remain operation.
The organization sold the building to Concordia University. It will be renovated, and then used for meetings, events, and academic conferences.
The proceeds from the sale of the premises will be used to pay costs and staff severances. Remaining funds, expected to amount to approximately $1.5 million, will be donated to the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal for Jewish education, and to Concordia University to fund a Jewish studies endowment.
The contents of the building, which includes artwork, will be auctioned to members, with remaining items made available to the general public.
The club plans to donate its substantial archives to the Jewish Public Library.
graduate students, an endowment has been established. Recipeints will be "Moses Montefiore Fellows".
A plaque commemorating Moses Montefiore will be attached to the Guy Street building with the enscription:
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
Founded in 1880, the club was originally called the "Montefoire Social and Dramatic Club", named for Sir Moses Haim MontefioreMoses Montefiore
Sir Moses Haim Montefiore, 1st Baronet, Kt was one of the most famous British Jews of the 19th century. Montefiore was a financier, banker, philanthropist and Sheriff of London...
, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-Jewish philantropist. It was established by 11 people, all quite young, with ages ranging from 15 to 23, as a social club for young Jewish people. It held fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
ball
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
s to help Jewish refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s, and play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
s that were produced to fund welfare programs for immigrants. Later renamed the "Montefoire Club", and modelled on upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
gentlemen's club
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
s of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, it functioned as a private social and business association, catering to members of the Jewish community.
Among its members, were "well-to-do" members of the Jewish community, who were excluded from elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
Anglophone
English Canadian
An English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...
clubs such as the St. James and the Mount Royal.
In the early 1990s, the club had more than 600 paying members.
In the mid-1990s, $500,000 was spent on renovations to the building.
In 2005, after experiencing a decline in membership, new policies were introduced:
- Annual fees were reduced
- Women were admitted as full members
- The dress code was relaxed
- New activities were introduced including luncheon speakers and wine workshops
In its final years, the building was used frequently by Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
, usually for social events.
In the summer of 2010, after experiencing years of financial difficulties, the club closed.
The club
To obtain membership, a contribution to the life of Montreal's Jewish community was prerequisite.The location of the Montefoire Club itself changed locations three times, the last being its 1195 Guy Street
Guy Street
Guy Street is a north-south street located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Concordia University's Integrated Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex is located on this street, as is the John Molson School of Business building. The street is home to the Guy-Concordia metro station...
address, where it remained for 104 years, until its closure. The Guy Street location displayed no sign, with only a green canopy identifying it. The building is a large, three-storey Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
greystone.
The Guy Street location had a luxurious interior, with high ceilings, and a lobby built with large oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
beams in a Dutch style
Architecture of the Netherlands
Dutch architecture has played an important role in the international discourse on architecture in three eras. The first of these was during the 17th century, when the Dutch empire was at the height of its power. The second was in the first half of the 20th century, during development of modernism...
. The rooms were carpeted, with deep-cusioned chairs and sofas, and walls of fine carved wood. Card rooms were located on the second floor, with bedrooms on the third floor that were made available on a temporary basis for members. Wives and children were forbidden access to the second and third floors.
The club was open seven days a week, and often rented out its facilities for community events. The cuisine was considered among the finest in the city, and although having a Jewish clientelle, the club was never kosher.
Notable meetings
Throughout its history, the club was as a venue for many notable meetings involving prominent members of the Jewish community.- The establishment of the forerunner of the Federation CJAFederation CJAFederation CJA aims to be the driving force in a vibrant and caring Montreal Jewish Community. In partnership with an effective network of organizations, builds and sustains the community by providing principled leadership, by raising and distributing funds, and by facilitating, incubating and...
. - The planning of the Jewish General Hospital.
- A meeting of Canadian Jewish leaders was convened by Samuel BronfmanSamuel BronfmanSamuel Bronfman, was a Canadian business magnate and philanthropist. He founded Distillers Corporation Limited, and is a member of the Canadian Jewish family dynasty, the Bronfman family.-Early life:...
and Sam SteinbergSam SteinbergSamuel Steinberg, OC was a Hungarian immigrant to Canada who transformed the grocery store founded by his mother, Steinberg's Supermarket, into one of the largest chains in the Province of Quebec....
during the Six Day War. In that single afterooon, $13 million dollars was raised.
Closure
In the summer of 2010, after operating for 130 years, and with only 72 paying members, the club closed. It had been experiencing financial difficulties, and had insufficient membership to remain open.At the time of its closure, the club had used all of its financial reserves, and was operating at a deficit of approximately $25,000 per month. With an annual operating budget of about $750,000, and full fees being only about $2,000 (among the lowes for Montreal's private clubs), the club was unable to remain operation.
The organization sold the building to Concordia University. It will be renovated, and then used for meetings, events, and academic conferences.
The proceeds from the sale of the premises will be used to pay costs and staff severances. Remaining funds, expected to amount to approximately $1.5 million, will be donated to the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal for Jewish education, and to Concordia University to fund a Jewish studies endowment.
The contents of the building, which includes artwork, will be auctioned to members, with remaining items made available to the general public.
The club plans to donate its substantial archives to the Jewish Public Library.
Members
Notable members included:- Leo KolberLeo KolberErnest Leo Kolber, is a Canadian businessman, company director, philanthropist and former Senator.Born in Montreal, Quebec, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949 and a Bachelor of Law in 1952 from McGill University. He was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1952...
- Harry BlankHarry BlankHarry Blank was a Canadian politician from Quebec and a seven-term member of the National Assembly of Quebec.-Early background:Blank is Jewish. He was born on May 24, 1925 in Montreal, Quebec and was the son of Udel Blank and Molly Zinman. He served in active military duty during World War II,...
- Samuel BronfmanSamuel BronfmanSamuel Bronfman, was a Canadian business magnate and philanthropist. He founded Distillers Corporation Limited, and is a member of the Canadian Jewish family dynasty, the Bronfman family.-Early life:...
- Charles BronfmanCharles BronfmanCharles Rosner Bronfman, is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. With an estimated net worth of $US 2.0 billion , Bronfman was ranked by Forbes as the 15th wealthiest Canadian and 595th in the world....
- Sam SteinbergSam SteinbergSamuel Steinberg, OC was a Hungarian immigrant to Canada who transformed the grocery store founded by his mother, Steinberg's Supermarket, into one of the largest chains in the Province of Quebec....
Presidents
Some past presidents include:- John Michaels: 1880-1882; 1892-1894
- Maxwell Goldstein: 1882-1885; 1886-1891; 1905-1906
- Lyon Cohen: 1891-1892
- Bernard Goldstein: 1894-1896
- J. Goldstein: 1896-1898
- Michael Hirsch: 1885-1886; 1896-1902; 1908-1910; 1911-1934
- Abraham Michaels: 1902-1905
- Emanuel Blout: 1906-1908
- Jacob Levi: 1910-1911
- David Kirsch: 1934-1936
- A. L. Mailman: 1936-1938
- Jack L. Klein: 1938-1943
- Joel B. Saxe: 1943-1945
- William Gittes: 1945-1947
- Samuel Moscovitch: 1947-1949
- Harry Benjamin: 1949-1951
- Arthur N. Friedman: 1951-1953
- Norman Genser: 1953-1955
- Bernard J. Lande: 1955-1957
- Arthur Pascal: 1957-1959
- Harry Wolfe: 1959-1961
- Saul E. Moscovitch: 1961-1963
- J. B. Becker: 1963-1965
- Phillip Meyerovitch: 1966-1968
- Dr. André Aisenstadt: 1968-1970
- Henry S. Weiser: 1970-1973
- Sidney Schwartz: 1973-1975
- James D. Raymond: 1975-1977
- Manuel Shacter: 1977-1979
- Nicki H. Lang: 1979-1981
Legacy
To support scholarships for Concordia UniversityConcordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
graduate students, an endowment has been established. Recipeints will be "Moses Montefiore Fellows".
A plaque commemorating Moses Montefiore will be attached to the Guy Street building with the enscription:
"In memory of Sir Moses Montefiore for his lifelong philanthropy and service to world Jewry”.