TRACES OF THE PAST

The architectural traces of a culture.

To document the movement and development of Montreal’s Jewish community from the 1880s until 1945, much like a detective, Sara Ferdman Tauben has pored over historic city maps and directories, sepia-coloured photos, brittle newspaper articles and long forgotten anniversary publications to track the locations of Montreal’s early synagogues. Her quest results in a fascinating story that describes and defines the social, religious, and economic aspects of a distinct group of people through the architectural traces of its culture.

Traces of the Past includes two walking tours, archival photographs, and a full-colour 12-page portfolio of photographs by David Kaufman documenting the remnants of Montreal’s early synagogues.

"Traces of the Past is an important contribution to the history of Quebec." — Montreal Review of Books