Jewish Farm School
Canadian Jewish Farm School was established in 1927 by Morris Saxe, president of the Federated Jewish Farmers of Ontario. It was a training school for Polish war orphans brought to Canada after the First World War. It was owned and operated by Morris Saxe on his Main Street South farm in Georgetown, Ontario. Saxe, along with Eli Greenblatt of Detroit, was responsible for bringing the orphans over from Mezritch, Poland. Greenblatt raised the funds for their transportation and Sprovided that they lived and worked on the farm. Their duties involved milking cows, looking after chickens, and harvesting corn and other crops. The Saxe family also owned a creamery business, first in Acton, and then on Guelph Street in Georgetown.The Jewish Farm School was the second attempt by Saxe to assist Jewish immigrants with agricultural training. The first was established a year prior in 1926, to help European immigrants gain knowledge of Canadian farm life. However, it succumbed to several problems, mostly related to Jewish interests in the community using the school as a way of gaining entry for immigrants who would otherwise not be eligible -- a plan which Saxe disapproved of, which created dissention within the community. When Greenblatt became involved the following year, the focus shifted to helping Jewish war orphans.Edmund Scheuer and Ida Siegel were most likely at the school event because of their mutual interest and involvement in aiding Jewish immigrants and in Jewish education and training.photograph of Ida Siegel standing alongside Edmund Scheuer at the Jewish Farm School in Georgetown, Ontario. Edmund is wearing a tuxedo. The photograph may have been taken at the official opening of the school.NOTE, One photograph is a copy of the original.The writing on the copy photograph indicates that the farm was located in Guelph, which is incorrect. The date is also written as 1923, which is also incorrect, since the first school was not established until 1926, with the likely date of the photograph being 1927.The writing on the original photograph states that the photograph was taken in Acton, which is incorrect as the Jewish Farm School was located a short distance away in Georgetown.
Ontario Jewish Archives as the source
Ontario Jewish Archives as the source