Larry Lavitt
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you can't find your answer here please send your question to Larry Lavitt.
How can I find out anything about my ancestry besides taking an ancestry test? I'm not certain how an ancestry or DNA test would tell you much other than you're Jewish going all the way back to Moses. The best places to start to find out your family history are to:
And, of course, you could try the Ancestry web site to seek out relatives (known or unknown) who may have already researched your family tree and would be pleased to make your acquaintance. Good luck in your researches! JEWISH COLONIZATION ASSOCIATION (JCA or ICA). - 1884-1978. The Jewish Colonization Association (JCA, in Yiddish ICA) was created
in 1891 by the Baron Maurice de Hirsch. Its aim was to facilitate the
mass emigration of Jews from Russia and other Eastern European countries,
by settling them in agricultural colonies on lands purchased by the committee,
particularly in North and South America. A Canadian Committee of the JCA
was established in November 1906 to assist in the settlement of the thousands
of Jewish refugees fleeing Russia, and to oversee the development of all
the JCA settlements in the country. Colonies were established prior to
1906 throughout the west and in Quebec. These colonies included: in Saskatchewan
- Hirsch (1892), Qu'Appelle or Lipton (1901), Cupar near Regina (1901),
Edenbridge east of Prince Albert (1906), and Sonnenfeld west of Estevan
(1906); in Manitoba - Bender Hamlet or Narcisse north of Winnipeg (1903);
in Quebec - La Macaza (1904) and Ste-Sophie (1904), both north of Montreal;
and Trochu (1906) and Rumsey (1906), halfway between Calgary and Edmonton
in Alberta. After the establishment of the Canadian committee the JCA
founded several others: Pine Ridge (1907), not far from Winnipeg; Eyre
(1910), and Montefiore (1911), near Alsask in Saskatchewan; Bird's Hill
(1911), east of Winnipeg; Camper or New Hirsch (1911), 150 kilometres
north of Winnipeg; and Rosetown (1911), near the town of the same name
in Saskatchewan. Economic factors, notably the Great Depression, led to
the dissolving of all the western colonies by the end of World War II.
Thereafter concentrating its work in the east, the Canadian JCA purchased
farms or made loans to farmers in Ontario and Quebec: the Niagara Peninsula,
the regions of Brantville-Woodstock, Spencerville-Kemptville, and Beamsville
in Ontario, and Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Damase, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Frelighsburg,
and Clarenceville, in Quebec. The JCA Canadian Committee made no more
loans after 1970 and ceased all legal existence in 1978. The JCA deposited
the major part of its papers at the National Archives of the Canadian
Jewish Congress in 1978, and the remainder of its documents (the "S" collection)
there in 1989. JEWISH IMMIGRANT AID SERVICES (JIAS). - 1920- The Jewish Immigrant Aid Services was established during the first Plenary
Assembly of the Canadian Jewish Congress in 1919. The need to settle Jewish
post-World War I immigrants became apparent at this time, but the community
organizations established in part for this purpose, such as the Baron
de Hirsch Institute, were overwhelmed by the flow of Jews into Montreal
and the rest of Canada. Thus JIAS, an organization solely devoted to helping
immigrants, was founded. Since 1919, Jewish immigrants to Canada have
depended on this organization during their period of adjustment to this
country. The JIAS intervenes with the government on behalf of current
and prospective immigrants, helps to locate housing and jobs, and organizes
language and citizenship classes. JIAS assists new immigrants in following
the proper application procedures, provides counselling, and offers a
directional service to community resources. JIAS also makes submissions
to the authorities on all matters affecting Jewish immigration to Canada,
jointly with the Canadian Jewish Congress. Do you want my bubbie's or zaydie's story for your web site? I certainly do! There are numerous examples of this already on the web site. If you or a member of your family wants a place to tell their story and it is relevant to this web site then I will be more than happy to provide a place here to publish it. I provide all the HTML/web formatting and the author of the article retains ownership of the materials. Will you do research for me or look something up for me? Sorry, but no. This is a hobby for me, not my occupation. And if it was my occupation you probably couldn't afford me because I work really slow! I can point you in the right direction but you'll have to spend the time yourself. Where can I see passenger lists and immigration records? You may wish to try the Web site of the National Archives of Canada: ArchiviaNet. Where did the name "Narcisse" come from? Narcisse was named by the residents of Bender Hamlet for Narcisse Leven, then the president of the ICA. Could you tell me if Camper Manitoba and Bender Hamlet are the same
place? Camper and Bender are definitely two different locations. Page Created: June 29, 2001
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