Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

70 | MAY 12 • 2022 

The Windsor-Detroit 
Jewish Connection
T

his week and next, intrepid JN 
reporter Danny Schwartz is fea-
turing Congregation Beth El and 
Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, both of 
Windsor, in his weekly “Synagogue Spotlight.” 
As most of us know, many Michiganders 
and Detroiters currently have Canadian rel-
atives or, at the least, Canadian 
ancestors. This is certainly the 
case for Jewish Michiganders 
(or Michiganians, depending 
upon your personal taste in state 
monikers).
Inspired, I decided to explore 
the nature of Windsor-Detroit 
Jewish relationships in the 
William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History. In short, the pages of 
the Detroit Jewish Chronicle and JN provide 
indisputable proof of close communal ties 
between Jewish Detroiters and Windsorites. 
By the way, Congregation Beth El and 
Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, Windsor, 
are mentioned on more than 2,000 pages in 
the Archive.
Jewish communities in both Windsor and 
Detroit have long histories. The first Jew 
to settle in Sandwich was Moses David in 
1790 (Sandwich was one of several villag-
es incorporated into the city of Windsor 
in 1935). Chapman Abraham, a fur trad-
er from Montreal, was the first recorded 
Jew in Detroit in 1762. This was one year 
after the first Jew in Michigan, Ezekiel 
Solomon, another fur trader, arrived at 
Fort Michilimackinac, now Mackinaw City, 
Michigan.
Beginning in 1916, “Windsor” is men-
tioned on 14,100 pages of the Archive. 
Whew! Of course, many citations relate to 
Windsor Street in Metro Detroit (there is 
a Detroit Street in Windsor), stores and 
restaurants in Windsor (the JN’s Danny 
Raskin loved the Tunnel BBQ) and Windsor 
shoes (I must admit — fashion-horse that I 
am — that I did not realize England’s Duke 

of Windsor inspired such stylish shoes). 
Beyond those types of references, however, 
the Davidson Archive holds a lot of stories 
about Windsor’s Jewish community.
The first mention of Windsor was in the 
April 21, 1916, Chronicle, the newspaper’s 
eighth issue. It was an announcement for the 
“decided success” of a “Maccabean play” pre-
sented at a benefit for Jewish War Sufferers. 
From that time forward, the Society Pages of 
the Chronicle and JN hold thousands of items 
regarding synagogue and societal news from 
Windsor. 
Over the years, the Archive also published 
thousands of advertisements for Windsor 
businesses and products. Sometimes, the 
ads provided evidence of cross-river busi-
ness partnerships. For example, see the 
1917 ads for Royal Salad Dressing from 
Horton-Cato Mfg. Co. based in Windsor 
and Detroit. Many of us have shopped 
in Windsor stores such as the famous 
Freed’s, featured in the Dec. 1, 2005, JN.
Hundreds of marriages between Detroiters 
and Windsorites have been announced in 
the Chronicle and JN. For a more in-depth 
look at love across the Detroit River, see 
“Cross-Border Bliss” by Ronelle Grier. It 
states that: “Wedding a Windsorite can be 
‘the best of both worlds’ (Aug. 1, 2003).” An 
earlier article, “Tunnel of Love,” discusses 
how “Windsorites like Allen Feur look for 
people to date across the border and else-
where (July 10, 1987).” 
The JN also holds stories about other 
cross-border events. Jewish Detroiters have 
attended “Windsor Reunions” (June 28, 
2018). The Jewish Historical Society of 
Michigan has sponsored tours of Jewish sites 
in Windsor (Aug. 1, 2013).
Jewish Detroit has a historic, intimate 
relationship with Windsor. It’s been a love 
affair since the 18th century. 

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

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

