Series 3 - Jewish Vocational Service (JVS)/Jewish Employment Montreal (JEM)

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) was created in 1945, immediately after the Second World War, initially with the mandate to offer Holocaust survivors housing and jobs. Dr. Jacob Tuckman was the first Executive Director of JVS Montreal. They also helped to find work for returning war vets, orphans and displaced European Jews entering Canada. The 1950's saw a focus on young people looking for first-time work or changing careers and JVS began offering career counselling to their clients. In 1950 a sheltered workshop for people with physical or emotional disabilities was created and helped many Jewish emigrees who were unable to find or maintain meaningful jobs. This became what is currently the JEM Workshop Inc. As the Montreal community continued to receive waves of immigrants from different countries, JVS adapted to their needs and the economic realities of the times and created various programs and services that would benefit their clients and the community. After a structural change in 2003, JVS became Jewish Employment Montreal (JEM) and continues to offer the same opportunities to a wide variety of clients.

In 2008 Jewish Employment Montreal merged with Jewish Family Services of the Baron De Hirsch and Jewish Immigrant Aid Services to become Ometz.