A UNIQUE CITY:

More Than a Century of Continuous Yiddish Theatre - The Montreal Exception

Based on material supplied by theatre historian, Jean-Marc Larrue and from his book The Yiddish Theatre in Montreal/Le théâtre Yiddish a Montréal

One can find traces of the presence of Yiddish theatre over the last 125 years in most large European and American cities. They either took the form of short-lived touring troupes or amateur groups or longer lasting, stable companies with a loyal public. Whatever the model, two facts remain constant: the evolution of Yiddish theatre - its expansion or decline - is closely linked, to the hardships faced by Ashkenazi Jews in their migrations and integration into the host societies.

Montreal Yiddish theatre seemingly lived through essentially the same development as Yiddish theatre in general, but the particular conditions in Montreal produced a singular destiny. Current research shows that Montreal is without a doubt, one of the few places in the world where Yiddish theatre has remained active, without interruption-, for more than a hundred years (actually since 1897).

As may be expected, the causes of this longevity are complex and numerous. The first thing that comes to mind is the extreme dynamism of the city's Jewish community organizations, beginning with the work of Baron Maurice de Hirsch, and the remarkable personalities- among them Dora Wasserman - who took charge of their community's destiny. It was initially a small, impoverished community.

However one should not underestimate the pivotal role played by non-Jewish organizations in the development of Yiddish culture in Montreal and, in particular, in the growth of Yiddish theatre. It is common knowledge that the Jewish community's relations over the years with either the English or French-speaking communities were not always as harmonious as one would have wished. While it is true that the vitality of Montreal's Yiddish theatre is primarily due to the remarkable perseverance of the Jews themselves, it is also true that the non-Jewish contribution to its success and survival is unparalleled. In fact, Yiddish theatre today is as much a part of Montreal's cultural heritage as it is a part of the local Jewish custom. It is even considered one of Montreal's jewels.

After reading in the local press about the atrocities faced by Jews in Russia, a group of influential Montrealers formed refugee relief societies, including the Citizen's Committee Jewish Relief Fund. This culminated in the arrival of 260 Russian Jewish refugees at Montreal's Bonaventure train station in May 1882. The Jewish emigration to Montreal was launched. It lasted until the economic crisis of 1929 and resumed immediately after World War II. Montreal became the second destination, although a distant second to New York, for Jews in the diaspora.

The early waves of Jewish newcomers to Montreal found themselves in very particular circumstances. The two dominant communities, the Francophone and Anglophone, were virtually at war, although it was a symbolic and territorial war. At stake was St Lawrence Boulevard or "The Main" -, the city's major north-south artery. Francophones lived mostly east of St Lawrence and the Anglophones west of it. Quite naturally these Jewish arrivals settled between both communities, along The Main and on adjacent streets. The Main or St. Lawrence Boulevard was unclaimed territory. It was a zone of interethnic contact that served simultaneously as a border and a buffer between the city's two linguistic groups. "The Main" became a welcome haven for the flood of Jewish newcomers. Contrary to what happened in New York and in most other large Western cities, the Jewish district was located in the heart of the city. It was crossed daily by tens of thousands of non-Jews on their way to work or shopping. It was the complete opposite of a ghetto! For the average Montrealer, the Jewish presence was normal and routine. This unusual set of geographic and historical factors played a considerable role in the stability of Yiddish theatre in Montreal.

Let's start at the beginning…

The first Yiddish show was presented in Montreal on February 15, 1897 by a local troupe directed by a presumably professional artist by the name of Isaac (or Isidore) Zolatorevski. Various Jewish groups in the city had hired him to perform at social and recreational events. Zolatorevski even gave some basic lessons to a few young Montrealers who were attracted to the Yiddish stage.

However, it is with Louis Lazer Mitnick that Montreal's professional Yiddish theatre really began. Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1866, he began his theatrical career in London in the early 1880's. Mitnick was not just a man of the theatre; he was a born leader and organizer with an exceptional flair for business. Very soon, he established ties with the St-Jean-Baptiste Society, devoted to the defence and vigour of French culture. This long and valuable collaboration was one of the determining factors behind the emergence, the success and the staying power of Yiddish theatre in Montreal.

The tight bond that Mitnick maintained with the French St-Jean-Baptiste Society was not only based on personal affinity or a mutually beneficial business relationship but also on exceptional circumstances. In fact, to counteract the effects of assimilation and to stop the Anglophone expansion to the east, the St-Jean-Baptiste Society decided to build a large social and cultural complex in the new heart of the city, close to the St Lawrence and Ste-Catherine intersection. This ambitious complex, called the Monument National, would regroup and house all the Francophone community organizations and would also include a large performance hall. This name, the Monument-National (at 1182 boulevard St-Laurent) bears witness to these monumental national aspirations! Design and construction began before the massive Jewish immigration but by the time the Monument-National was inaugurated in 1893, it was located in the heart of the Jewish quarter. That is why the cultural and community centre of French-Canadians was also, for decades, the cultural and artistic home of Montreal's Jews.

Throughout the years, the French Monument National became the largest stage for Yiddish theatre and the most important auditorium for Yiddish culture in America, outside of New York, while remaining a rallying place for French Canadians! And this state of affairs continued, with its ups and downs, until the outbreak of World War II.

This type of coexistence between the Jewish and non-Jewish communities probably has no equivalent in North America, and perhaps even the world. It is undeniable that it contributed to shaping the Montreal Jewish identity. In the theatre sphere, the effects of this coming together were many and deep. One can see the impact created by the almost simultaneous and recurring presence of Francophone and Yiddish troupes on the large stage of the Monument-Nationale throughout the first half of the Twentieth Century, as much through modern experiments in acting as in the burlesque repertoire.