| rabbiwhitman@adathcongregation.org |
ADATH ISRAEL was born in 1930. Our humble birthplace was a rented hall above a delicatessen on Van Horne Avenue in Outremont. This was our home for ten years. In 1932, Reverend Myer Mandelcorn joined us and served as Hazzan for over thirty years. Also during this time, the first religious classes were organized. In 1936, Joel Sternthal became our President. He served as President and Honorary President until his passing in 1979. Mr. Sternthal’s years of leadership brought creativity and dynamism to our synagogue, its school, and community center. In 1939, we began construction of our synagogue building in Outremont, and in 1940 it was dedicated. Also in 1940, Rabbi Charles Bender began his tenure. He served as Rabbi and Rabbi Emeritus until his passing in 1993. Rabbi Bender had previously served as Rabbi of the Spanish and Porugese Congregation. Thus, Rabbi Bender was a rabbi in Montreal for sixty-five years.
We pride ourselves on our close-knit family environment, on our warmth to all newcomers, and on our innovative programming. Recent events include Cooking for the Soul (a participatory cooking class and Torah learning), Klez-tic (a musical celebration of cultural distinctiveness and harmony featuring a concert combining Klezmer and Celtic music), Mussar Vaad, annual men’s Wilderness Retreat Shabbaton, “Jewish Texts, Jewish Music, Jewish Healing,” and monthly meetings of JACS (Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others).
In 2007, ADATH ISRAEL POALE ZEDEK ANSHEI OZEROFF celebrates Adath’s 76th year, Poale Zedek’s 96th year, Anshei Ozeroff’s 84th year, and our 26th year in Hampstead. We are a vibrant and active modern orthodox synagogue community. We recall our past with pride and we look to the future with confidence and anticipation.