Several I.L. Peretz Institutes arose in Canada in the 1920's. They were named after Isaac Loeb Peretz, a Polish Jewish artist and writer on Yiddish culture. The schools focused on Yiddish culture.

      In 1927, with Yiddish having been dropped from the cirriculum, a small group of parents became dissastisfied with the education being provided by the Talmud Torah. These parents met at the home of Abe and Eva Busheikin to discuss the foundation of a Peretz School. The group included Edythe Rosen (Pearlman), Lou Pearlman, Mr. & Mrs. A. Pearlman, Mr. & Mrs. Leo Paperny, Mr. & Mrs. A. Lavin, Mr. & Mrs. Kredentser, and Charlie Switzer.

      The school began classes in 1927 in a rented room in the Commercial Building at 1st Street and 7th Avenue S.E.. Until 1929 it held classes in various rented rooms. From 1929 until 1958, however, the Peretz School had its own building on 13th Avenue and Centre Street S.

      By 1929 there were 80 students in kindergarten and grades one and two. This was the first Jewish kindergarten and first Jewish day school in Calgary. The curriculum stressed Yiddish language, literature, songs and folk dancing. Neither Hebrew nor religious studies were included. Night classes were arranged for higher grades. The day school grew and soon included kindergarten and grades one through six. The first graduation ceremony was in 1935, with Tanya Volovnik (Sklar) as valedictorian.

      The Peretz School provided much of the cultural activity of the Calgary Jewish community in the 1930's. In 1930 the school held a masquerade ball and later a Purim ball, which became an annual event. There were literary activities (the Yiddish Cultural Society), a dramatic society, a choir led by Gregory Garbavitsky, and a mandolin orchestra.

      The staff and executive of the school were as follows: President, Leo Paperny; Chairman of the Board of Education in charge of curriculum, B. Pearlman (both Mr. Paperny and Mr. Pearlman served in various executive positions for thirty years); Principal, H. Herstein (for the first ten years); Elementary Teacher, A. Serkin; Kindergarten Teacher, Rowena Pearlman (who continued in this capacity for thirty years); Secretary, M. Kredentser.

      The I.L. Peretz Institute was incorporated and the charter issued on September 12, 1939. Abraham Shumiatcher was instrumental in the school's incorporation and was one of its original teachers.