looking back

Troop 135 of the Boy Scouts of America learn first aid, c.1950s. This troop was sponsored by the Men’s Club of B’nai David Synagogue •

Courtesy Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives, B’nai David Synagogue Records

From the JN Foundation Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

M

any Michigan citizens have connec-
tions to Canada, including members
of Metropolitan Detroit’s Jewish
community. Thousands upon thousands of
immigrants to Michigan over the past three
centuries have come to the state after spend-
ing some years in Canada. For one example,
as of the 2016 census, nearly 2 percent of the
Mike Smith
state’s population has French-Canadian heri-
Detroit Jewish News
tage (including this author).
Foundation Archivist
Since Detroit was founded in 1701, there
has also been constant movement between
the city and what is now Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Indeed,
one of the interesting aspects of living in Metro Detroit is the
connection to Windsor: shopping, dining out, seeing family
still living on the other side of the Detroit River or watching
Canadian TV shows.
The cross-river connections can also be seen in the pages of
the JN. Over the years, one can find numerous advertisements
for Windsor stores and restaurants. Our esteemed reviewer of
good eats, Danny Raskin, has written about the famed Tunnel
BBQ, located — go figure — near the Canadian end of the

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August 23 • 2018

jn

Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Or check out the ads for Boystown-
Girlstown clothing store on Ottawa Street.
I wondered when the JN or the Detroit Jewish Chronicle
might have first published a story about Windsor Jews. The
Davidson Digital Archives did not disappoint. In the Oct. 10,
1919, issue of the Chronicle, there was an article about Abner
Weingarden, who had just returned from an 18-month enlist-
ment in the Jewish Legion during World War I. Weingarden
had quite the adventure. While on route to Europe, a German
submarine attacked his ship, but the ship survived and
arrived safely in England. With the 40th Brigade of the Jewish
Legion, Weingarden was subsequently stationed in Egypt and
Palestine, including spending time in Jaffa, Ludd and Jerusalem.
“Palestine is teeming with untold possibilities,” he stated when
interviewed upon arrival.
While small in size, the Jewish community in Windsor has
been around just about as long as the community in Detroit.
I’m sure I’ll find other stories of cross-border connections in
the Davidson Digital Archives.•

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives,
available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.