Abramowitz, Herman, 1880-1947

Rabbi Doctor Herman Abramowitz was born in Russia in 1880, and came to America in 1890. He was educated at the public schools, the College of the City of New York (from which he graduated in 1900 with a Bachelor of Arts) and at the Jewish Theological Seminary. From 1900 to 1903, he took a post-graduate course in philosophy at Columbia University. In 1907 he received the degree of Doctor of Hebrew Literature from the Seminary, being the first graduate to receive this honour. In 1903, he accepted a call from the Shaar Hashomayim Congregation, Montreal. Dr. Abramowitz developed the congregational Sunday School, and Hebrew Day School; the Women's Auxiliary; the Young Peoples' Society and other activities. He was active in all communal enterprises ofa philanthropic and educational character and in 1910 personally raised from subscriptions the entire cost of the building of the Mount Sinai Sanatorium for tubercular patients. He was also in charge of the organization which raised annual subscriptions for the maintenance of the Sanatorium. His part in the Plamondon case was as a key witness in this infamous anti-Semitic libel case in Quebec City in 1913. In 1909, Dr. Abramowitz visited the Jewish agricultural colonies in the western provinces of Canada to establish religious schools and other institutions. He was invited to become a member of the Canadian Committee and in 1913 was sent to Paris to confer with the Jewish Colonization Association heads. He also represented Canada at the Congress held later that year in Vienna. Shortly after the outbreak of the World War I, Dr. Abramowitz was appointed Jewish Chaplain in the Canadian Army with the rank of Captain. He was also active on the speakers' team in all the Victory Loan campaigns and relief drives held during the war. He was Vice-President of the United Synagogue of America; Director, Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Montreal; Director, Montreal United Talmud Torahs; and a life Governor of the Montreal General Hospital. Dr. Abramowitz married in 1911 to Theresa Bokar and had one son, David Lester and one daughter, Judith.