About Us / Our History

Origins and Early Years

Our roots trace back to 1905, when a small group of Jewish families gathered for the first religious service in Belleville, held at a Jewish workers’ boarding house. From these humble beginnings, the Sons of Jacob Congregation was born.

By the 1911 Census, Belleville counted six Jewish families; by 1921, there were 61 Jewish residents. Many were new immigrants from Eastern Europe, making their living as peddlers, laborers, or in the scrap metal trade. Among them was Abraham Albert, who arrived from Russia in 1914, founded a furniture store in Trenton with his wife Lilly, and became the congregation’s first president.

As numbers grew, services moved from private homes to larger spaces. For Shabbat and the High Holy Days, the congregation rented the Orange Hall on Front Street, while a minyan in Trenton met above the Courier Advocate newspaper office.

In 1927, the congregation purchased a house at 122 Pinnacle Street, converting it into a synagogue by 1929. The dedication was a joyous event: Belleville’s first Torah, gifted by Julius Samuels, was carried in procession through the streets with decorated automobiles, accompanied by the Salvation Army Band — a memorable display of interfaith goodwill.

Community Growth and Wartime Years

By 1942, a city-wide survey recorded 98 members of the Sons of Jacob Congregation. The Jewish community was further bolstered during the Second World War by Jewish servicemen training at the nearby RCAF base in Trenton.

In 1947, the congregation purchased land on Highway 2 to establish the Sons of Jacob Memorial Park, a dedicated Jewish cemetery west of Belleville, ensuring that families no longer had to rely on burial grounds in Kingston or Toronto.

The Move to Victoria Avenue

By the 1950s, the Pinnacle Street synagogue was no longer sufficient for the growing community. The decision was made to build a new, modern synagogue.

The dedication ceremony for the new synagogue at 211 Victoria Avenue took place on June 10, 1956. The property cost $6,000, and the total cost of construction was just over $70,000 — financed through a mortgage and sustained by countless acts of generosity from members. The old Pinnacle Street building was sold to the Canadian Legion for $16,000 and became the Royal Canadian Legion Hall.

The entire community contributed to the new synagogue: furnishings and sacred items were donated by families, with ark covers provided by Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Safe in 1958. Leaders such as Abraham Safe, J. Albert, and F. Gitelman played key roles in the Torah processional at the opening. To pay down the mortgage, community members — including Norm Albert — worked weekly bingo nights at Tobe Country Gardens for many years.

In 1957, Joel Mazer, a local manufacturer of costume jewellery, succeeded S. Safe as synagogue president, helping guide the congregation in its new home.

Hebrew School

The first Hebrew teacher in Belleville was Vova Vechter, with children attending daily cheder and Sunday school. In the 1940s, as many as 40 students were enrolled, and by the mid-1950s, the community counted 55 families with 72 children under 21. Older students often helped teach the younger ones. By the 1960s, enrollment had declined to 16 children, though efforts by Samuel Mandell, Rabbi Deutsch, and dedicated volunteers like Sylvia Schwab and Debbi Shulman expanded the program to include youth from Cobourg and Trenton.

Religious Life and Conservative Affiliation

On November 12, 1961, Sons of Jacob formally joined the Conservative movement under the United Synagogue of America, affirming its commitment to tradition and continuity.

The 1960s and 1970s were vibrant decades, with fundraising dances, bazaars, lectures, and social events. In 1973, the congregation commissioned twelve stained-glass windows representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel, blending beauty with religious symbolism.

Challenges and Resilience

Like many small Jewish communities across Canada, Belleville’s Jewish population began to decline in the latter half of the 20th century as younger generations moved to larger cities. By the early 2000s, membership had dropped to fewer than thirty paying members.

Maintaining High Holy Day services has sometimes been difficult, requiring service leaders and teachers to travel from Toronto. In recent years, High Holiday services have occasionally been suspended due to these challenges. Yet the synagogue remains active, continuing to host Shabbat gatherings, lectures, and communal celebrations.

In 2005, the community gathered for a reunion celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Victoria Avenue synagogue, bringing together past and present members to honor our shared heritage and ensure the preservation of our sacred space.

Today

Today, Sons of Jacob Synagogue continues to serve as the spiritual home for Jews across Belleville, Trenton, Prince Edward County, and the wider Quinte region.

Though our numbers are small, our commitment remains strong. While membership in other congregations declines we here at Sons of Jacob have seen a major increase in memberships over the last couple of years. We now run Erev Shabbat services every 2nd week, and in the last year we have started to run Shabbat morning services on a monthly basis with a guest service leader from Toronto.