The 1920's saw accelerated grouth of the Jewish population. The 1,233 Jews in Calgary in 1921 grew to 1,604 by 1931. A Hebrew School building was acquired in 1920. Jewish communal groups began to flourish during this decade. There were Zionist groups, an immigrant aid society, B'nai B'rith, a flourishing Yiddish-culture group, Jewish Boy Scouts, Jewish athletic teams; in short, nearly every expression of Jewish communal life was represented in the young city.

      The I.L. Peretz School building, housing a full-time Yiddish day school, opened in 1929. The Jewish community centre, the House of Israel, opened part of its new building in 1930. The Beth Israel Congregation began there in 1935.

      Meanwhile, growing Jewish participation in the business, cultural and professional life of the city was taking place. The 1930's, however, greatly slowed immigration and community development. Calgary's Jews maintained their faith, helped each other survive the Depression, and worried about the gathering clouds of war and anti-Semitism in Europe.

      As in 1914-1918, young Jewish men enlisted in the Canadian armed forces in great numbers during World War II. Several Jews from Southern Alberta died in uniform and many more were wounded. Local Jews actively supported the war effort.

      The opening of the concentration camp gates at war's end brought a new wave of Jewish immigratns to Calgary. Helping and assimilating the survivors was followed by concern for the new State of Israel. Alberta's Jews gave

their time, their resources and their young people to help build the new land.

      Post-war prosperity meant a flurry of building activity. In a few brief years, the face of Calgary's Jewish landscape was changed. In 1959 both Jewish schools moved into new south-west buildings, a reflection of growing numbers and of a population shift away from the city's central areas.

      The Beth Israel Congregation moved to a large new building in 1960, and that year the Shaarey Tzedec Congregation was opened. The Chevra Kadisha dedicated a modern funeral chapel.

      Regrettably, the era coincided with the decline of Jewish communities in the province's small cities.

      The Calgary Jewish community has been enriched in the last two decades by the arrival of many Jews from Eastern Canada and the United States, as well as from the Soviet Union, Israel, South Africa and other points.

      About 7,000 Jews now live in Calgary. There is a new community centre (1979) and a variety of synagogue groups and other vigorous organizations, both old and new.

      The result has been continuing diversity, challenge, and joy.

      This book covers the era between the first permanent Jewish family of 1889 and the end of Worl War II in 1945. It embraces a multitude of names and details, and extensive time and effort were devoted to the cause of accuracy. If, however, any errors have intruded they are deeply regretted.