Southern Alberta Jewish history can to some extent be traced by following the sotires of its pioneering and early families. Most Jews came here with family members; for those who came alone, quick family unification was a major goal.

      The family unit was of great importance to our pioneering Jewish ancestors, who toiled in isolation from major Jewish institutions. And it was the needs of the family, for the performance of life cycle events and for educating children, that these communal institutions were begun.

      The family histories that follow were largely written by family members. Some of the stories come from memory, some from records; thus some are more detailed than others and a few may reflect less-than-perfect recall of the distant past.

      They also vary in style. Some are genealogical in format, while others present episodic histories and personal reminiscences. All these forms of family history are equally compelling and valuable.

      They are not presented as a complete range of Southern Alberta's early Jews - he family stories printed here are only those that were submitted to us in response to our requests for this material.

      We thank those who have responded and participated in our family history quest.