Most of the early Jewish settlers who immigrated to Western Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were fleeing persecution and pogroms in Eastern Europe. They were also leaving behind the harsh life of the "shtetl," the small towns and villages that arose as a result of forced segregation.

      In that life the Jews had set up barriers to protect themselves, and thus developed the strong social codes and strict rules governing Jewish life.

      In particular, the rigid observance of dietary laws insulated and protected these people from the outside world. This ingrained a way of life governed by the lifestyle of the newly arrived Eastern Europeans. It took many years before these pioneers could become comfortable with the more relaxed way of living that was possible in North America.

      The Pioneer Families were those who arrived in Southern Alberta before World War I.