The Margolis Family Immigration and Leah Shnier

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October 6, 1925 (Image 1 of 56) Akiva Shnier's second wife, Leah, had one daughter, named Chaya. Chaya (who was actually called Bobtsie by her family) married Moses Margolis, and in 1925 Mendel Shnier (Akiva's son from his first marriage) completed an application to bring Chaya and Moses Margolis, their children, and Leah, to Canada. For some reason, in the application, Leah Shnier was said to be Leah Margolis (Moses Margolis' mother), and was therefore not family to Mendel, so her immigration was initially denied. Somehow, Cecil Shnier, in working on the Shnier family tree, was able to get over 50 pages of documents on this effort (and Maury Shnier brought me this file in early 2006, in a large envelope labelled “Immigration Mendel Shnier, Margolis”. Unfortunately, many of these are poor-quality photocopies, but they are readable, and I have re-typed the more interesting ones. I have scanned all the documents, and beside each entry I have a small version displayed. If you click on that small document (or the “Larger Image” icon), you will see a high-resolution image. Reading through these documents shows another dimension to the family and the times, and is a wonderful addition to the introduction to some of these people (especially Leah Shnier) we get from Lisa Cooper's book. Unfortunately, this story has a sad ending; after more than two years of effort to finally get the necessary immigration permit for Leah Shnier, she is by then almost blind and therefore cannot pass the medical examination, and is therefore not allowed into Canada. Her daughter and family have to leave her in Pavolach, where she dies a few years later. The following documents primarily involve the following people: Mendel Shnier, Akiva Shnier's son, and Moishe Shnier's father. He was 63 years old at the time, and lived in Winnipeg. Isaac “I.D.” Rusen, a 29-year old lawyer, and son of David “Dudi” Rusen (who would have been 51 years old) who is Mendel's son-in-law (the Rusens also lived in Winnipeg). A Mr. M. A. Gray of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division, which is in Winnipeg. A Mr. S. B. Haltrecht of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Head Office, which is in Montreal. The Canadian government's Department of Immigration and Colonization, which is in Ottawa. OK, so that was the introduction. To the right (and re-typed below) is a cover letter, written on October 6, 1925, for an application by Mendel Shnier to have his sister (actually, it is his half-sister) Chaya Margolis and her family allowed into Canada. The cover letter is written by Mr. M. A. Gray, the General Secretary of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada, Western Division, and has been given file number 1124. The letter is written to Mr. S. B. Haltrecht, of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada, and reads: #1124. Oct. 6th, 1925. Mr. S. B. Haltrecht, Jewish Immigrant Aid Society MONTREAL, Quebec Dear Sir:- (Re- Applicants – M. Shnier) (Re- Immigrants – Margolis Family) I am enclosing herewith application signed by M. Shnier of Winnipeg, Man. on behalf of his mother, sister, brother-in-law and their children. Kindly acknowledge receipt of same and oblige. Yours very sincerely GENERAL SECRETARY MAG/AK.
October 6, 1925 (Image 2 of 56) Here is the actual immigration application. The form has room for four people, but seven have been written in. It reads as follows: Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada 725 Notre Dame Street West : : : Montreal Application for the Admission to Canada of the Following Described Immigrants Names of proposed immigrants: Moses Margolis Age 42 Chaya " Age 35 Miriam " Age 9 Kiva " Age 8 Aaron " Age 5 Nochem " Age 3 Leah " Age 80 Present address, in full, including street and number: Pavolach, Province of Kiev, Russia Nationality or citizenship: Russian Occupation in own country: Labourer Intended occupation in Canada: Labourer Object in coming to Canada: to join applicant Has immgrant ever lived in Canada or in the United States? If so, between what dates and at what address: Never resided here before I Mendel Shnier of 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Canada desire to bring to Canada immigrants described in the above section by the __________ S.S. Line (If applicant is purchasing a prepaid the number must be shown here.) PREPAID No. _____________ I have resided in Canada 13 years, having arrived at the port of Quebec on the 10th day of September 1912 by the S.S. Nopernamber??. I was born in Pavolach. My age is 63. My citizenship is Russian, I have applied for Canadian citizenship. I am married. My occupation is Merchant Financial resources: Six thousand dollars I hereby assume full responsibility for the intending immigrants and guarantee that they will be properly received, looked after, and will not become public charges. The immgrants above named are related to me, as follows:– My mother, sister, brother in law, and their children (if not related, state whether personally known to applicant and for how long) I have made the following arrangements for a home and employment for the above named immgrants: I have prepared f? employment for the man and will take care of mother (Give length of engagement and rate of wages). Date: October 6th, 1925. Signature: M Shnier The “PREPAID No. _______” is to fill-in the reference number of a prepaid fare on a steamer to Canada. Hand-written at the top it says: “ID Rusen, 803 Union Bank Building”, and after the ages of each person, there appears to be a number which is one higher than the age, written in smaller letters. I believe this was written on this copy of the application as we'll see that later, a second application needed to be prepared, and these notations were the changed information, and whom to send it to. The financial resources of Six thousand dollars would be equivalent to about $90,000 today. Mendel's signature at the bottom is not in his own hand, but we do get to see his signature in Yiddish on other forms below. It would be neat to actually see the ship's passenger list with Mendl's name on it. The Canadian Government's Library and Archives Canada has microfilmed these, and made them available in a few libraries, and here they describe what information they have, and here they show that microfilm reel T-4791 has all the passenger lists for ships arriving at the Port of Quebec from September 3 to 22, 1912. But when I checked the microfilm, the only ship that arrived at the Port of Quebec on September 10, 1912 was the Ionian, and none of the passenger names looked like Shnier. Also, none of the ships on adjacent days (nor any ship names I could find through Internet searches) had names that ended in anything like “...amber”. Also, by searching Library and Archives Canada's ArchiviaNet here, the Ionian is also shown to be the only ship landing at the Port of Quebec on September 10, 1912. From this search, summary information is here, and the 20 pages of the passenger list can be viewed here.
October 6, 1925 (Image 3 of 56) The reverse side of the above application.
October 7, 1925 (Image 4 of 56) This is a receipt from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division, acknowledging receipt of $20.00 from M. Shnier, of 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Man “To cover cost of maintenance for one month of passengers under Prepaid No. _____”. It is signed by M. A. Gray, General Secretary. The $20 would be equivalent to about $300 today.
October 9, 1925 (Image 5 of 56) Here is the cover letter for the above receipt. It is written by M. A. Gray, the general secretary of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division (which is in Winnipeg), to Mendel Shnier. It reads: Oct. 9th, 1925. Mr. M. Shnier, 125 Euclid Ave. WINNIPEG, Man. Dear Sir:_ Enclosed herewith please find our Official Receipt No. 289 for $20, being your remittance in connection with the application made out by you on behalf of your mother, sister, brother-in-law and their children. Your application will be given the usual attention. Yours very truly GENERAL SECRETARY MAG/AK. $20 in 1925 would be equivalent to about $300 in 2006.
October 13, 1925 (Image 6 of 56) Here is the acknowledgement from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada, Head Office (at 725 Notre Dame Street West, Montreal). Some interesting things are: The hebrew at the top of the letterhead says the same thing, ending with “Canada” (in hebrew). The letterhead also notes that S. B. Haltrech, B.A. is the General Manager, and that there are 13 vice-presidents living across Canada, including in Timmins, Ontario. They have “30 Branches all over Canada”, and Offices at the ports of St. John, Halifax, and Quebec and “Society's Representatives meet every Steamer”. Their phone number is “MAIN 5386-7” (that is, they have two six-digit telephone numbers). Also, their “Cable Address” is given as "IMMIGRANT" MONTREAL. The letter is as follows: October 13, 1925. Mr. M. A. Gray, 796 Main St., Winnipeg Man., Re: Your file #1124 – Margolis family Dear Mr. Gray: This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 6th inst, with enclosed application for the admission to Canada of the above names. Yours very truly, (signed)S. B. Haltrecht_R General Manager MR/RS I don't know what the “_R” after the writer's surname means, but the initials of the person who actually wrote the letter are MR, perhaps because a routine letter such as this would be handled by a more junior person than the general manager of the branch. The “inst” (an abbreviation of instant) is a formal term referring to the current month.
February 19, 1926 (Image 7 of 56) The above flurry of letters occurred within a week, and now a bit more than four months later we have a response from the Canadian federal government to S. B. Haltrecht, Esq., General Manager, Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Montreal. It reads: DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND COLONIZATION Ottawa, February 19, 1926 Dear Sir, Referring to the application of Mendel Shnier, 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Man., for the admission to Canada of his brother-in-law, Moses Margolis, the latter's wife, Chaya, and four children, Mirian, Kiva, Aaron and Nochum, also for the admission of Leah Margolis, a widow, aged 80 years, I beg to advise that it is evident that Leah Margolis is the mother of Moses Margolis and not the mother of Chaya Margolis, nor would she appear to be in any way related to the applicant or his wife. She therefore does not come within the classes specified in the quota agreement and I regret that no action can be taken by the Department to facilitate her entry into Canada. I am attaching hereto a letter on behalf of Moses Margolis, wife and four children. Yours truly, (SGD) J. S. Fraser Division Commissioner “Esq.” is an abbreviation for Esquire, and is a title of respect (of british origin). It is used in many of the letters in this exchange.
February 19, 1926 (Image 8 of 56) This is a duplicate copy of the special permit referred to in the above cover letter. It is dated February 19, 1926, and is stamped received by the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society February 23, 1926. It is to be sent to the immigrants and presented to the Canadian Immigration officer before they board the steamer for Canada. No. 221758 DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND COLONIZATION Ottawa, February 19, 1926 Dear Sir, Referring to the application of Mendel Shnier, 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, for the admission to Canada of his brother-in-law, Moses Margolis, aged 42 years, the latter's wife, Chaya, aged 35 years, and four children, Mirian, aged 9 years, Kiva, aged 8 years, Aaron, aged 5 years, and Nochum, aged 3 years, citizens of Russia, presently residing at Parrlach, Province of Kiev, Russia, "JIAS." In view of the representations made to the Department that the settlement arrangements are as described in the application and the assurances are bona fide, entry will be allowed, provided the above-mentioned aliens can pass medical inspection, comply with the literacy and continuous journey regulations, are of good character and in possession of a valid passport properly vised by a Canadian Immigration Officer stationed on the continent of Europe. This letter is only valid for five months from the date of same and must be presented within such period by the proposed immigrants to the Canadian Immigration Officer by who they are examined before leaving Europe and from whom vise is to be obtained; also to the Canadian Immigration Officer at the port of arrival in Canada, where the letter will be lifted by the latter official and returned to the Department. Yours truly, (sgd.) J.S. Fraser, Division Commissioner. I assume that the “(sgd.)” indicates that the original was so signed. The use of the terms “vised” and “vise” seems to imply authority or authorization. This is either an old usage or specific to this application, the closest my dictionary defines this use of vice is as a person who serves as a deputy to another.
February 23, 1926 (Image 9 of 56) So, the good news is that only five months, the Canadian government has allowed the Margolis family in to Canada. The bad news is that this does not include Leah. Here is a cover letter for the immigration permit letter, from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal to their Western division in Winnipeg. The letter is written by S. B. Haltrecht to M. A. Gray. It reads as follows: February 23, 1926 Mr. M. A. Gray, 872 Main St., Winnipeg, Man. Re: Your file #1124 – Margolis Dear Mr. Gray, I am enclosing you herewith original permit (and duplicate copy thereof) for the entry into Canada from Russia of Moses Margolis, age 42 years, his wife, Chaya, age 35, and four children, Miriam, age 9 years, Kiva, age 8 years, Aaron, age 5 years, and Nochum, age 3 years. The application was signed by Mr. Mendel Shnier, 125 Euclid Ave., Winnipeg. The transportation is to be purchased from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. I am also enclosing you a copy of a letter which I received from the Department attached to the original permit advising that the entry of Leah Margolis cannot be allowed due to the fact that she is no relative to the applicant. Will you kindly acknowledge receipt of this permit, and oblige, Yours very truly, (signed) S. B. Haltrecht_R General Manager MR/RP
March 2, 1926 (Image 10 of 56) The Department of Immigration has forwarded the permit to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal, and they have forwarded it to their Winnipeg office. But before the Winnipge office will release the permit to Mendel Shnier, they are requesting a “ donation of $30.00, as we have had considerable expense in connection with this permit.&rdquo The $30 donation they request would be worth about $450 in 2006. Strangely, they letter states that the permit includes his “mother”, but does not mention his sister. March 2, 1926. Mr. M. Shnier 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. Dear Sir:- RE: MARGOLIS FAMILY We beg to advise you that we have secured a permit for your mother, brother-in-law, and his family. Before submitting same, it will be necessary to sign the enclosed form by yourself, and two other reliable parties, in the presence of a witness, and return it to us with a donation of $30.00, as we have had considerable expense in connection with this permit. We have a number of refugees to look after, and in addition, we are responsible for all immigrants coming under these special permits. In view of the above, we feel that we are compelled to ask for a donation from you, in order to enable us to give the public the services it requires in connection with these permits and other immigration work, for the upkeep of the port offices where the immigrants are met and looked after, and also to support the refugees who are as yet depending on us. Yours truly, General Secretary. MAG/N.
March 3, 1926 (Image 11 of 56) The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division is acknowledging receipt of the special permit. March 3, 1926. S. B. Haltrecht, Esq., Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Montreal, P. Q. Dear Mr. Haltrecht:- RE: YOUR FILE #10745 This is to acknowldege receipt of your letter of the 23rd ulitmo, enclosing original permit #221758, in favour of the Margolis family, for which we thank you. Very sincerely yours, General Secretary MAG/NB. “ultimo” means of the previous month.
March 10, 1926 (Image 12 of 56) And here is the form which Mendel has to fill out before the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society will release the immigration permit to him. It is a Bond of Indemnity. It is just a week after the above letter was mailed to him, and this form is already (mostly) completed. It begins as follows: Know All men by These Presents, that we, Mendel Shnier of Winnipeg in Manitoba, David Rusen, and Isaac D. Rusen, of City of Winnipeg, and each of us are held and firmly bound to His Majesty King George the Fifth, His Heirs and Successors, in the sum of three hundred dollars of lawful money of Canada, for which payment well and truly to be made we bind ourselves and our and each of our heirs, executors and administrators firmly by these presents, sealed with our seals and dated this Tenth day of March A.D. 1926 The form continues: Now the condition of the above written bond or obligation is such that if the above named boundens Mendel Shnier, David Rusen and Isaac D. Rusen or any of them, their or any of their heirs, executors or administrators do and shall from time to time and at all times hereafter save harmless and keep indemnified His Majesty King George the Fifth, His Heirs and Successors, and the Government of Canada or of any Province in Canada and every municipality, municipal corporation, village, city, town, county and charitable institution with the same, from any expense or charge, for the maintenance and support of the said imigrant... It continues like this for a while, and then has signatures of a witness and the principal and sureties: Signed and sealed in the presence of Diana Rusen. The second and third of the subsequent signatures are certainly D. Rusen and I.D. Rusen, but the first (which must be Mendel's) appears to be in Yiddish, so may be the only writing in his hand on this entire web site. The form continues with an assurance from the sureties that they each have unencumbered assets of at least $600 (which would be about $9,000 in 2006). The family tree shows that I.D. Rusen had a sister Deena Rusen (who would have been about 18 years old at the time), perhaps this is the Diana.
March 10, 1926 (Image 13 of 56) This is a second copy of the above form, and Mendel's signature is a bit different.
March 10, 1926 (Image 14 of 56) Here is the second page of the form.
March 24, 1926 (Image 15 of 56) The immigration permit is valid for only five months, and the request for the $30 donation was made three weeks earlier, and apparently has not yet been received. Here is a letter from M. A. Gray of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division, asking I.D. Rusen to guarantee that payment. March 24th, 1926. Mr. I. D. Rusen, 803 Royal Bank Bldg., Winipeg, Man. Dear Mr. Rusen:- The matter of your "Zaides" permit was taken up at the meeting held Tuesday, March 23rd, and the executive committee is holding me responsible for the balance of the donation, originally asked, in connection with the securing of the said permit. Will you please let me have your letter, guaranteeing that the balance will be paid at the earliest date possible. At the same time, please be advised that in the future we must have a very good reason in case of requesting for an extension on a permit, and I would therefore urge that transportation be arranged as soon as possible. Very truly yours, General Secretary. MAG/N.
March 26, 1926 (Image 16 of 56) Two days later, I. D. Rusen has replied on his letterhead, Rusen & Tobias, Barristers, Solicitors, Etc. His address is 803 Union Bank Building, and phone number is A 8134. His response seems to be a bit flippant. March 26th, 1926. Mr. M. A. Gray Secretary Jewish Immigrant Aid Society 782 Main St., City. Dear Mr. Gray:- I am happy to see that the Organization guards its finances so well even to the extent of holding you responsible for the Permit mentioned in your letter. The Organization need not fear that the balance will not be paid. I do not see any reason why I should guarantee this Permit. I will, however, see that the balance is paid by the applicant and will do all I possibly can at all times to assist your organization in collecting this account. Yours truly, (signed) I. D. Rusen IDR/PA It is interesting that the address could simply say “City.”.
April 9, 1926 (Image 17 of 56) Apparently, I.D. Rusen's assurance was not good enough, and Mendel didn't pay the $30 donation, so the Jewish Immigrant Aid Socity, Western Division has not released the immigration permit (it was issued about six weeks earlier). Here is a letter from M. A. Gray of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division, to Mendel Shnier, escalating the request that the permit be taken, and the corresponding transportation be arranged. April 9th, 1926. Mr. M. Shnier, 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. Dear Sir:- RE: MARGOLIS FAMILY For your own good, I would strongly urge that you take your permit out at once, as it has been here since February 19th, and it is very difficult to get an extension. I have been instructed to return all permits if they are not taken out within a certain time after receipt of same. Your permit has been overdue long, and for your own good I would suggest that you arrange transportation at once, or I will return your permit for cancellation. Yours very truly, General Secretary MAG/N.
April 16, 1926 (Image 18 of 56) A week has passed, and perhaps because he has left making the donation for so long, the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society is asking Mendel Shnier for an additional $20 donation.
May 18, 1926 (Image 19 of 56) More than a month has passed, and here is a registered letter from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society to Mendel Shnier saying they will need to cancel the permit by May 25 (which is another week). It reads: May 18th, 1926. REGISTERED Mr. M. Shnier, 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. Dear Sir:- RE: PERMIT OBTAINED FOR MARGOLIS FAMILY OF 7 If the above permit is not cancelled by May 25th, 7 souls will be charged against the quota, irrespective of whether the permit will be used or not. I am therefore, instructed to notify you by this registered letter that if the permit is not made use of before that date, it will be returned for cancellation, in order to give a chance to other applicants who are waiting for their next to obtain permit for their relatives. Kindly govern accordingly. Yours truly, General Secretary. MAG/N.
June 17, 1926 (Image 20 of 56) It is more than three weeks after the May 25 deadline, and this is the letter from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Region to their head office in Montreal, and copied to Mendel Shnier, requesting that the immigration permit be cancelled. The letter reads as follows: June 17th, 1926. S. B. Haltrecht, Esq., Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Montreal, P. Q. Dear Mr. Haltrecht:- Re: Your file 10745–Margolis The applicant of this matter has failed to comply with our instruction that transportation be arranged, and I am therefore, compelled to have the permit cancelled, and submit another one in its place. I am mailing a registered copy of this letter to the applicant, so that there should be no complaints registered from him. Kindly acknowledge receipt of the enclosed permit, and oblige, Very sincerely yours, General Secretary. MAG/N. Interestingly, this letter only states that the applicant (Mendel Shnier) failed to arrange transportation, not that there was a donation solicited and that donation was not made (which seemed to be the bigger issue in the previous letters). Perhaps it was understood that the donation could be waived in case of hardship, but that not arranging (that is, pre-paying) transportation would mean that that immigration permit would not be used.
June 29, 1926 (Image 21 of 56) Less than two weeks later, here is the response letter from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal to their Winnipeg office acknowledging cancellation of the immigration permit (which is apparently done by returning it to the Department of Immigration and Colonization). This letter notes that the cancellation is for a family of six, even though the Winnipeg office still thinks the permit was for seven (as stated in their May 18, 1926 letter above).
August 4, 1926 (Image 22 of 56) It is less than two months later, and Mendel Shnier has prepared another application to bring everybody over to Canada. This time the application is typed. All the details are the same, except all the ages are one year older. This likely explains the second age hand-written for each person on the first application (dated October 6, 1925), as the copy was likely marked-up with what was to be typed onto this second application. In fact, note that the Immigrants' present address is typed as “Parrlach” which is what the Department of Immigration and Colonization interpreted the handwriting (of Pavolach) as also. So the typing of this application was likely done from the initial hand-written application, for I. D. Rusen, which explains that his address was also hand-written on the initial application. It appears that after duplicating the names of the first application (with a “ditto” mark indicating the same last name for everyone), Leah's last name has been typed over her ditto mark Shnier (this change was not hand-written on the first application, so was not initially made by the typist), and she is now listed as married. According to Lisa Cooper's book, Leah Shnier was the second wife of Akiva, so was Chaya's step-mother, not Moses Margolis' mother. Perhaps this was not understood by Mendel Shnier at the time (mind you, Chaya was Mendel's half-sister, not sister, and he must have understood that). For the “arrangements for a home and employment”, Moishe has stated “I'll provide a home for them until they are established”. Unlike the first application (which was neatly signed M Shnier), it looks like Moishe himself has signed this application himself (in Yiddish).
August 4, 1926 (Image 23 of 56) Here is a receipt from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada, Western Division, for $10.00. It is listed as a “Contribution towards the Maintenance Fund of the Immigrant Aid Society of Canada.” The receipt notes file #1124, same as for the first application, and is signed “M A Gray Per WS” (or something similar to that).
August 12, 1926 (Image 24 of 56) Here's another receipt for $10.00 from the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, making a total of $20.00, same as was required for the first application.
August 1, 1926 (Image 25 of 56) Mendel is doing everything promptly for this application. Here is a receipt from Alloway & Champion, Limited, Bankers, North End Branch, Winnipeg. It reads: Credit M. Shnier $50 Cash Deposit on Cunard Line Tickets. This man has bought two tickets already and will buy 3½ more.
August 12, 1926 (Image 26 of 56) A few days later (and ten months after the initial immigration permit application), and here is the cover letter from M. A. Gray of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division, to the Montreal head office, for the second immigration application. This time Leah's last name is stated as Shnier. August 12, 1926. S. B. Haltrecht, Esq., Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Montreal, P. Q. Dear Mr. Haltrecht:- RE: APPLICANT – MENDEL SHNIER RE: IMMIGRANTS – MARGOLIS FAMILY (6) and LEAH SHNIER I am enclosing herewith an application signed by one Mendel Shnier, of 125 Euclid Avenue, this City, on behalf of his brother-in-law, and his family, and the applicant's mother, Leah Shnier, presently residing at Parrlach, Province of Kiev, Russia, which has been approved by our Committee. Please refer to your file #10745. This is one of the cases where a permit had been secured and returned for cancellation, but this time we did not accept his application until we had sufficient proof that the transportation had been arranged. Kindly acknowledge receipt of same, and oblige. Very sincerely yours, General Secretary MAG/N.
August 18, 1926 (Image 27 of 56) Less than a week later, the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Head Office in Montreal acknowleges the immigration permit application forms, submitted in triplicate, and replying that the “application will be given our due attention.”
August 24, 1926 (Image 28 of 56) The Canadian Pacific Railway Company's Steamship Passenger Department (from their Winnipeg building at the corner of Main and Portage, and with spelling mistakes for both “Shnier” and “Margolis”) writes M. A. Gray at the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (also in Winnipeg) that their Montreal office informs them that travel for an immigration permit was to have been arranged through them, and the Steamer people had written Mr. Shnier more than once, but that they had not received a reply. The Steamer people “would appreciate if you will advise me by return mail whether or not you have any record of any transportation been issued for this family; if so, by what line.”
August 27, 1926 (Image 29 of 56) M. A. Gray of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society informs W. C. Casey, General Agent for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Co. that the initial immigration permit has been cancelled, but that a new application has already been submitted “for the same family, and our Montreal office, having a record of all permits, will no doubt allow the new permit to you.”
November 3, 1926 (Image 30 of 56) The Department of Immigration and Colonization, having received the second immigration permit application replies to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal asking whether Leah is Chaya Shnier's mother (as the second application indicated), or Moses Margolis mother (as the original application stated). DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND COLONIZATION OTTAWA, November 3, 1926. Dear Sir, Referring to the application my Mendel Shnier, 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, for the admission to Canada of his brother-in-law, Moses Margolis, the latter's wife, Chaya, and their four children, also his alleged mother, Leah Shnier, aged 81 years, all of whom are presently residing in Russia, I beg to advise that when the appplicant previously applied for the admission of his brother-in-law and family above named, he included one, Leah Margolis, aged 80 years, who was presumed to be the mother of Moses Margolis. Under date of February 19th, last, you were advised that entry of the latter could not be facilitated, as she does not come within the classes specified in the quota agreement. In view of the above, I would ask you to be good enough to advise me if Leah Shnier and Leah Margolis are one and the and same person, and if so, whether she is the mother of Mendel Shnier or Moses Margolis. I should also be glad to know if she is a widow. Yours truly, (sgd.) J. S. Fraser, Division Commissioner.
November 9, 1926 (Image 31 of 56) The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal passes the above letter on to their Winnipeg office (who receives it November 12 or 13, 1926).
November 10, 1926 (Image 32 of 56) Before the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Winnipeg receives the above request from their Montreal office, the Winnipeg office sends a request to their Montreal office asking whether the permit has been obtained (that is, this and the above letters crossed in the mail).
November 16, 1926 (Image 33 of 56) The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Winnipeg replies to their Montreal office, indicating that it was the Winnipeg's office which made the mistake about Leah's last name (and also makes a humourous plea for a quick response): November 16th, 1926. S. B. Haltrecht, Esq., Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Montreal, Que. Dear Mr. Haltrecht: RE: YOUR FILE #10745 – MARGOLIS Referring to your letter of the 9th inst. re above subject. Please advise the Department of Immigration, Ottawa, that in our first application there was an error on our part, giving the name of Leah Margolis which should be Leah Shnier the mother of the applicant, 80 years of age widow. Will you kindly endevour to obtain the necessary permission for the above, as he is calling at this office every time he goes to "Shul", and being a religious man he goes to Shul four times a day. Very sincerely yours, General Secretary. MAG/M
November 23, 1926 (Image 34 of 56) It is a week later, and the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society Montreal office replies to their Winnipeg office that they have forwarded that update to the Department of Immigration and Colonization.
November 27, 1926 (Image 35 of 56) The Department of Immigration and Colonization replies to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal that written evidence is required, showing that Leah's last name is Shnier, as follows: DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND COLONIZATION OTTAWA, November 27th, 1926. Dear Sir:- I have your letter of the 23rd instant, file No. 10745, with accompanying enclosure from your Winnipeg Secretary, in which it is intimated that the name of Leah Margolis as given in the form of application, dated October 5th, 1925, is incorrect. I further note that this woman is now represented as being the mother of the applicant, Mendel Shnier, and that her correct name is Leah Shnier. In reply, I may say that the Department considers it somewhat strange that a mistake of this nature should have occurred at the time the original forms of application were completed. Before the application can be given the desired attention it will be necessary for the applicant to submit satisfactory documentary evidence to the Department showing that the correct name of this woman is Leah Shnier and that she is actually his mother as represented. Yours truly, ( sgd. ) J. S. Fraser, Division Commissioner.
November 30, 1926 (Image 36 of 56) Just three days later, and the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal passes the above letter on to their Winnipeg office.
December 6, 1926 (Image 37 of 56) A week later, and I.D. Rusen, who is a lawyer, replies to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Winnipeg, with a signed affadavit from Mendel (this affadavit was not in the file I received).
December 9, 1926 (Image 38 of 56) Another three days, and the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Winnipeg forwards the signed affadavit to their Montreal office.
December 15, 1926 (Image 39 of 56) Less than a week later, and the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal replies to their Winnipeg office that they have received the affadavit (which they call a Statutory Declaration) signed by Mendel Shnier, and that “this matter has again been taken up by the Department [of Immigration and Colonization], and just as soon as I am in receipt of further information I will communicate with you again.”
December 20, 1926 (Image 40 of 56) Less than a week later (wow, this is almost as fast as e-mail), and the Department of Immigration and Colonization in Ottawa replies to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society Montreal office that the affadavit submitted is not satisfactory, and that they require “documentary evidence from the Russian authorities”.
December 23, 1926 (Image 41 of 56) Just another three days, and the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society Montreal office forwards to their Winnipeg office this rejection of the affadavit. Someone has hand-written on this letter “Cannot be left alone, only daughter”. This likely refers to Chaya being Leah's only daughter (in fact, only child), as there must have been some discussion of hoping for a compassionate response from the Department of Immigration and Colonization, since there would be noone else to take care of Leah if she was not allowed to immigrate with her daughter.
December 24, 1926 (Image 42 of 56) It has been 15 days since forwarding the affadavit, and the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Winnipeg office asks their Montreal office for an update (this letter and the above reply crossed in the mail).
December 28, 1926 (Image 43 of 56) Just five days after the rejection of the affadavit was forwarded, the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Winnipeg office has received the request for written evidence, and replies this is not possible in the time allowed (presumably, the five months for the immigration permit), and requesting that due to the applicant being well-known, having a large family, and having provided a sworn statement, that the Department be approached again: December 28th, 1926. S. B. Haltrecht, Esq., Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Montreal, P.Q. Dear Mr. Haltrecht: RE: YOUR FILE # 10745 – MARGOLIS This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant, enclosing a copy of a letter received from the Department in connection with the above application. The applicant has been residing in Winnipeg for about thirteen years, he has a large family known to everybody, and I am sure that his statement is absolutely correct, especialy when a sworn statement has been submitted to the Department. It is impossible to get the information requested by Mr. Gelley as it will take considerable long time. I will appreciate very much if you would take this matter up with the Department endeavouring to obtain a permit on his behalf. Sincerely yours, General Secretary. MAG/M We'll see Mr. Gelley's name in the April 5, 1927 letter below, even though all Department of Immigration and Colonization responses until now appear to have been from a J. S. Fraser (perhaps it was known who actually was making these decisions).
January 3, 1927 (Image 44 of 56) The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society Montreal office acknowledges receiving this request to just approve Leah's immigration based on Mendel being a long-time resident, and well-known, and will relay the response from the Department of Immigration and Colonization.
January 10, 1927 (Image 45 of 56) The Department of Immigration and Colonization replies to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Montreal that they they don't care about Mendel being well-known and all, they require written evidence: DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND COLONIZATION OTTAWA, January 10th, 1927. Dear Sir,- I have your letter of the 3rd instant, (your file #10745), with accompanying enclosure from your Winnipeg Secretary, relative to the application by Mendel Shnier, 125 Euclid Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, for the admission to Canada of the Margolis family, also his alleged mother, Leah Shnier. In reply, I may say that the case has been given very careful consideration but, in view of all of the circumstances, the Department is not disposed to show favourable consideration until shuch time as satisfactory documentary evidence is forthcoming showing that Leah Shnier is the mother of the applicant as represented. Yours very truly, (sgd.) J. S. FRASER Division Commissioner.
January 14, 1927 (Image 46 of 56) A week later, and the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society Montreal office forwards the above letter from the Department to their Winnipeg office.
January 21, 1927 (Image 47 of 56) The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society Winnipeg office forwards the letter to Mendel Shnier.
March 31, 1927 (Image 48 of 56) While all the previous correspondence (even responses from the government) occurred in a time span of days or perhaps up to two weeks, it is now more than two months later, and I.D. Rusen, the lawyer, replies on his letterhead to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society that it was The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society's mistake that caused all this, so they should fix it. March 31st, 1927. Mr. M. A. Gray Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, 796 Main St., City. Dear Sir:- We enclose herewith a letter received from the Department of Immigration with reference to the Shnier application. In so far as the first paragraph is concerned, we are inclined to believe that the party mentioned in the paragraph is the same party who is the applicant in this matter. With reference to the second paragraph, it would appear that the Manager of the Society misinformed the Department as stated in this letter and it appears that this is something which should be taken up by the Organization, since the damage was apparently done by them. Kindly therefore look after this matter immediately and greatly oblige. Yours truly, RUSEN & TOBIAS Per (signed) I.D. Rusen IDR/PA Assuming this letter refers to the January 10, 1927 reply from the Department of Immigration and Colonization, things are getting confusing: Firstly, obviously there is no need to return a copy of the Department's letter to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society's Winnipeg office, since that is who forwarded it in the first place. Secondly, there is no confusion about who the applicant is, so the second paragraph makes no sense. Putting the responsiblity for fixing the problem back onto the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society is a shrewd move (given there wasn't much else that could be done), apparently I.D. Rusen was a well-off and very smart guy. However, it is strange that the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society Winnipeg office never informed Moishe Shnier (for example, in their March 2, 1926 letter to him) that the immigration permit did not include Leah, yet they asked for a donation as if nothing was wrong. However, since they were both in Winnipeg, and Mendel apparently visited the office regularly (as noted in the November 16, 1926 letter), perhaps this was understood verbally.
April 5, 1927 (Image 49 of 56) The Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Winnipeg office promptly replies to I. D. Rusen, and they're rather shrewd too, not taking any responsibility for anything. April 5th, 1927. Messrs. Rusen & Tobias, Barristers, Solicitors, etc., 803 Union Bank Building, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dear Sirs: Please refer to your letter of March 31st in connection with application for Shnier. I do not understand why you forwarded Mr. Gelley's letter to us. You have taken this matter up personally and I would suggest that you continue to act in the matter. I am prepared to give you all the assistance necessary. Regarding the second paragraph. I do not think that the Manager of the Society misinformed the Department. The fact was that Mr. Shnier did not take care of the permit for a very long time, and as we were not sure whether it was going to be made use of, substituted it for another application. As the matter stands now our Society is prepared to guarantee this application in the same way as all the application submitted under JIAS quota but I think all misunderstandings and discrepancies will have to be adjusted by yourself. The Department has a great deal of correspondence on file recommending this application and giving full explaination to the questions raised in their letter to you. Yours very truly, GENERAL SECRETARY MAG/MK.
February 8, 1928 (Image 50 of 56) There was nothing else in the file I received (from Cecil Shnier's files) until this receipt more than ten months later. It is for $13.00, again to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society, Western Division, and signed by M. A. Gray. The file number does appear to end with a “4”, but it does not seem to be the file number 1124 of all the previous correspondence. The receipt does appear to include a reference to “Re: Margolis”. As the next letter indicates, there must have been correspondence to clarify that Leah Shnier is Mendel's step-mother, and considerable time must have been spent establishing that, and this fee must have been required to keep the permit available.
March 5, 1928 (Image 51 of 56) It has been about a month since the above $13.00 receipt, and it has been ten months of getting the “documentary evidence” or other clarification needed by the Department of Immigration and Colonization, and it has been a total of two years and five months since initiating the immigration permit, and finally here is the cover letter (actually a form letter, with the details typed-in) for the immigration permit. This cover letter from the Department of Immigration and Colonization is addressed to the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Winnipeg, not Montreal as all previous correspondence from the Department has been. The Department of Immigration now has real letterhead (or perhaps the copies in the file until now were simply not made on letterhead), and reads as follows: DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND COLONIZATION Winnipeg, Man., March 5th, 1928. Dear Sir, Referring to your letter of the – relative to the application by Mendel Shnier, Winnipeg, for the admission to Canada from Russia of his step-mother, brother-in-law and family, I am enclosing herewith a letter addressed to the applicant outlining the conditions of entry. Yours truly, (signed) Thomas Gelley Division Commissioner For the first time, here is correspondence from the Department of Immigration and Colonization which is signed by the Mr. Gelley referred to in previous correspondence.
March 5, 1928 (Image 52 of 56) Here is the actual immigration permit (including the transposed digits of Leah's age), addressed to Mendel Shnier (“Esq.” no less!). This immigration permit is dated March 5, 1928, and five months later (apparently by which time it must be used) would be August 5, 1928. Department of Immigration and Colonization Winnipeg, Man., March 5th, 1928 Sir: Referring to your application for the admission to Canada of your step-mother Leah Shnier, aged 18, a widow, your brother-in-law, Moses Margolis aged 43, his wife (your sister) Chaya, aged 36 and their children Miriam aged 10, Kiva 9, Aaron 6 and Nochum aged 4, citizens of Russia, presently residing at Parrlach, Kiev, Russia, I beg to advise that in view of the bond of indemnity on file as a guarantee that the said Leah Shnier will not at any time become a public charge in Canada, and in view also of the representations made to the Department, it has been decided to permit the entry of the above named, provided they can pass inspection in the matter of mental and physical health, are in possession of a valid passport endorsed by a competent Russian official to the effect that the same is valid for the return to Russia at any time of the holders thereof should they later be found subject to deportation for cause arising within five years of the date of admission to Candada, such passport to be taken up by the Canadian Immigration Officer at the Canadian port of entry and forwarded to the Department, and can otherwise comply with the Immigration regulations applicable in their case, other than that covering occupation which will be waived. This letter is only valid for five months from the date of same, and must be presented within such period by the proposed immigrants to the Canadian Immigration Officer by whom they are examined before leaving Europe and from whom vise is to be obtained, also to the Canadian Immigration Officer at the port of arrival in Canada, where the letter will be lifted by the latter official and returned to the Department. Your obedient servant, Thomas Gelley, Division Commissioner. Mendel Shnier, Esq., 125 Euclid Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. Another copy of this letter in the file I received had a hand-written correction for Leah Shnier's age to be 81. Even though it has been more than 19 months since the second immigration application was submitted, they have not updated the listed ages. The remark about “occupation” perhaps means that the Canadian government would not deport them back to Russia (even if they had a good reason to), if Russia was to be occupied by another power.
March 9, 1928 (Image 53 of 56) Just four days after the mailing of the above permit, the following letter from the Steam Ship company was sent (they have the name and address of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society in Winnipeg right, but have incorrectly listed the organization's name). The letter confirms that Mendel Shnier has purchased the additional Steam Ship tickets. The Cunard Steam Ship Company Limited Anchor Line and Anchor-Donaldson Line 270 Main Street, Winnipeg, Canada March 9th, 1928. Mr. M. A. Gray, Manager, Baltic American Line, 796 Main St., Winnipeg, Man. Dear Sir: Re: Proposed Russian Immigrants–Shnier and Margolis Confirming previous conversation, prepaid transportation has been purchased via our Line for Lea Shnier and three adult members of the Margolis family from Russia. To the other three children, our Prepaids 24421 and 24422 have been transferred, at the rate paid without any additional collection of passage money. We understand you hold a Permit for this family and are willing to turn same over to us. We thank you in advance for your kind co-operation, and await its receipt at your earliest. Yours truly, THE CUNARD STEAM SHIP COMPANY LIMITED Per (signed) Copy to Alloway & Champion, Ltd., 667 Main St., Winnipeg, Man. The August 1926 receipt from Alloway & Champion Limited, Bankers confirmed that Moishe had deposited $50 for two tickets (referred to here as Prepaids 24421 and 24422), and that he'd buy 3½ more (presumably, children under some age travelled at half-fare, and children younger still did not require a fare). The above letter said that in addition to the ticket for Leah Shnier, three adult tickets were required, presumably because Miriam would have been 12, so perhaps then required an adult ticket. The other three children only required the two Prepaid fares, no doubt again, due to their ages.
September 20, 1928 (Image 54 of 56) This is the last letter in the file, and is from the Department of Immigration and Colonization to the Cunard Steam Ship Co., and copying M. A. Gray at the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society. The letter is dated September 20, 1928, which was six weeks after the five-month deadline by which the immigration permit was previously said to expire. DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND COLONIZATION WINNIPEG, Manitoba, September 20, 1928. Sir: Referring to your files 60460, P24421, and P24422 regarding an application of Mendel Shnier for the admission to Canada of his step-mother, Leah Shnier, as well as his brother-in-law, Moses Margolis, the latter's wife, Chaya, and their four children. It is noted that the applicant desired to know were vise granted to the Margolis family should they be forced to proceed on their trip to Canada without Mrs. Leah Shnier, the latter being practically blind, her left eye having been removed after an operation for cataract, and her right eye being only one per cent normal. If this elderly lady's optical disability is as outlined above, her movement to Canada cannot be authorized. However, if satisfactory settlement arrangements are made for her in Russia, there would appear to be no reason why Moses Margolis and family cannot come forward if they are in a position to comply with the regulation set forth in my letter of June 12th. Our overseas office is being advised accordingly. Your obedient servant, (signed) Division Commissioner. This is heart-breaking. Obviously much has transpired, and this is the only letter I have. It has been almost three years since Mendel initiated the first immigration permit application, and after all the transportation has been pre-paid by Mendel, they have delayed, perhaps due to Leah's health. Mendel has inquired whether the Margolis family can proceed without Leah, as she is now practically blind, and therefore would not pass the physical examination required by the Canadian government for immigration to Canada. The Department of Immigration and Colonization here says that yes, the family can immigrate without Leah. The family tree shows that Leah died in 1931, three years after this letter. And also that Chaya had two more children, Lillian (born in 1931) and Betty (born in 1933). From the names chosen, I assume they were born in Canada.
February 10, 1929 (Image 55 of 56) Penny Margolis (Paula Rochelle Margolis on the family tree, and born in Winnipeg, but now of Nova Scotia – and the granddaughter of Moses Margolis, and daughter of Aaron, later called Harold) found the ship's Passenger List entries for the arrival of the Margolis family at the Port of Halifax, which was on the Cunard ship Antonia, that sailed from Liverpool on February 10, 1929. Many Canadian government archives are available on-line at the web site for Library and Archives Canada. Under Genealogy and Family History \| Ancestors Search you can search for Immigration Records by surname. Searching for “Margolis” returns many records. Clicking on “Moses Margolis” returns this. Also, as shown at Library and Archives Canada's Canadian Geneology Centre's web page of Passenger Lists, 1865–1935, there is a list of Microfilm reels for the Passenger Lists. Landings from November 24, 1928 to February 15, 1929 are on Microfilm reel T-14817, which is available in a few libraries in Canada (and at the Pier 21 National Historic Site in Halifax – at which you can also look up and print out a page like this). At the right (click on it for a larger image, which you can click on to get an even larger image) is page 86 of Volume 2 of the 1929 Registry (the odd shadows are because when I printed the microfilm it was on several pages, which I had to scan separately and then merge into a single image – and the lighting on the microfilm readers is very uneven). The page heading shows that the ship is the S.S. Antonia, sailing from Liverpool on February 2, 1929, and this is the Canadian Government Return Canadian Immigration Service sheet for Third Class passengers arriving at Halifax on February 10, 1929. There is one row of information for each passenger (even 1-month-old babies). Information is typed, with updates or corrections in hand-writing. The details for the Margolis family is as follows: Given Name and Family Name: Moses Margolis, age 41 (a hand-written note above the name indicates that Moses later applied to be a Naturalized Citizen on August 11, 1939). Chaya-Rissia (his wife) is 37. Miriam, Kiva, Aaron, and Nuchim are 14, 13, 9, and 6 years old. The children were later called Marion, Clifford, Harold, and Norman (respectively). Moses Place of Birth is M-Ko Kutelnia Gov. Volynsk. Chaya-Rissia was born in M-Ko Pavolotch. Miriam, Kiva, and Aaron were born in M-Ko Chodorkov, and Nuchim was born in Kiev. Relationship: the typed entry for Moses says “Brother-in-Law”, but this was corrected to say “Head”. Similarly, Chaya-Rissia originally had Relationship as “Sister”, but this was changed to “Wife”. The childrens' was changed from “Niece” and “Nephew” to “Daughter” and “Son”. Country of Birth and Nationality are Russia, and Race or People is Hebrew for all. All report that they have not been in Canada before, that they have not been previously been refused entry to Canada or been deported from Canada, that they intend to permanently reside in Canada, and that they can read (except for Nuchim, who was six at the time). What language: the typed entry shows that their language is Russian, but hand-writing above that indicates they also speak Yiddish. By whom was passage paid: Chaya-Rissia's brother. An untitled column seems indicates Religion. For all it is reported as “Mosaical” – my dictionary defines this as of or relating to Moses or the laws and traditions ascribed to him. Entries for other passengers on this page are Mennonite, Catholic, and Gr. Cath. What trade or occupation did you follow in your own country? and What trade or occupation do you intend to follow in Canada? both say “Watch-maker” for Moses. For Chaya-Rissia it says “H'wife”, and the children all report “Scholar”, except Nochim who reports “Child”. Destination: If destined to relative, friend or employer state which and give name and full address. If not joining any person in Canada, give the address in Canada to which you are going: Moses reports “Brother-in-Law, Mendel Shmir, 125 Euclid Ave. Winnipeg, Man.” Give name, relationship and address of your nearest relative in the country from which you came. If a wife or children are to follow you later to Canada give names and ages: Moses reports “Mother, Ruchel-Leah Margolis, Kiev, Sudnovskaja 13, KW.43. Russia, Mother-in-Law”. Chaya-Rissel reports “Mother-in-Law”. This is odd, since the multi-year delay in their immigration was largely due to Leah being referred to as Moses Margolis' mother, when in fact she was Chaya-Rissel's mother. Or maybe Moses had a mother Ruchel-Leah Margolis and his wife Chaya-Rissel's mother was Leah Shnier. Have you or any of your family ever been: Mentally Defective, Physically Defective, Tubercular: all report “No”. Passport, Number, Place and Date of Issue: For Moses is “158339/585729, Kiev, August 18, 1928”. For Chaya-Rissia is “158340/585730, Kiev, August 18, 1929” (those are sequential numbers, so they applied for their passports at the same time). Money in possession belonging to passenger: “$30” (this would be about $360 in 2007 dollars). It looks like Moses had originally reported $75, but this was updated with hand-writing. Action Taken and Civil Examiner: It is stamped “LANDED Immigrant”, and initialed “am”.
February 10, 1929 (Image 56 of 56) Here is a close-up of part of the above page, showing their names.