Fonds 1074 - Ometz Collection

Ometz, the Hebrew word for courage, was chosen in 2008 as the new name for the merged services of the former Jewish Family Services (JFS), Jewish Employment Montreal (JEM), and Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS). Ometz reflects the wish for those who seek the support of Ometz's services, that they find the courage to move forward with life's challenges.

At present, Ometz offers a continuum of services for the entire family. Employees include clinical social workers, employment, school and immigration counselors, mental health professionals, occupations and speech therapists, and psychologists. Hundreds of volunteers also partake in the work of the agency. The history of Ometz spans over 150 years when including the founding of the Young Men's Hebrew Benevolent Society.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF THE BARON DE HIRSCH INSTITUTE
In 1863, the Young Men's Hebrew Benevolent Society (YMHBS) was formed by young unmarried men with the desire to help Jews in need. The Society also allowed the young Jewish men of Montreal to get to know each other better and care for their social welfare needs. By 1882, the Society could not cope financially with the influx of immigrants arriving from Russia, most who were destitute and had no other means of support. The YMHBS appealed to Baron Maurice de Hirsch and in 1891, the new Baron de Hirsch Institute opened and was dedicated to the purpose of a "Free School for the poor children of the Jewish faith and a home for sheltering distressed immigrants and orphans." In 1900, the Baron de Hirsch Institute enlarged its sphere and, in recognition of their namesake's generous support, obtained a new charter of incorporation under the name Baron de Hirsch Institute and Hebrew Benevolent Society of Montreal. In 1917, because of the overlapping of charitable and philanthropic work in the community, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies (today's Federation CJA) was founded and began operation out of the Baron de Hirsch Institute building. The Baron de Hirsch Institute in turn became one of the agencies of the new organization; continuing its activities with the religious school, a library, cemetery management, family welfare, legal aid and the Hebrew Court of Arbitration.

In 1974, Jewish Family Services Social Service Centre (JFSSSC) was created and incorporated almost all of the programmes and human resources of the Baron de Hirsch Institute. Jewish Family Services encompassed these two organizations by providing joint structure for their complementing mandates. The JFSSSC was a publicly funded agency working alongside JFS, mainly responsible for youth protection, young offenders, adoption and foster care. JFSSSC closed in 1993 due to the cessation of public funding. As a result, JFS of the Baron de Hirsch Institute became a full-service, community-based organization.

JEWISH IMMIGRANT AID SERVICES
In 1919, the Canadian Jewish Congress was organized and in anticipation of renewed Jewish immigration after the war, established Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (JIAS). JIAS' mandate was to lobby the government on behalf of potential Jewish immigration. It acted on a national scale to facilitate the legal entry of Jews to Canada and then to help them adapt and integrate into their new home.

After the war, immigration greatly increased and JIAS had to respond to new needs. Thousands of Jews were received, settled and rehabilitated, many from Displaced Persons camps. A social service committee was formed in 1947 and professional social workers were hired for the first time. Joseph Kage joined JIAS as a social worker in 1947 and remained at JIAS until his retirement in 1983. Under his leadership, JIAS' name changed from "Society" to "Services. Under his role of National Executive Director and national Executive Vice-President, Kage became an authority on issues of Canadian immigration policy and was chair of the Canadian Governmental Advisory Board on Immigrant Adjustment.

JEWISH VOCATIONAL SERVICES (JVS) / JEWISH EMPLOYMENT MONTREAL (JEM)
JVS was created in 1945, immediately after the Second World War. Initially the mandate of JVS was to offer Holocaust survivors housing and jobs. JVS also offered employment support for returning war veterans, orphans, and displaced European Jews entering Canada. The 1950s saw a focus on young people looking for first-time employment or changing careers. JVS also began to offer career counselling during this period. In 1950, a sheltered workshop for people with physical or mental health issues was created and helped many Jewish emigres who were unable to find meaningful jobs. This became what is currently the JEM Workshop. JVS continued to adapt their services based on changing immigration demographics, economic realities, and social climates. After a structural change in 2003, JVS became Jewish Employment Montreal (JEM) and continues to offer programming with this name under Ometz.

In 2008, Jewish Employment Montreal, Jewish Family Services of the Baron de Hirsch Institute, and Jewish Immigrant Aid Services merged to become Ometz.