Cleric.
Born at Wolpa Grodna, Poland on 8 October 1872, son of Joshua Kahanovitch and Chana Minces Goldin, he was educated at Grodno Yeshiva College and Slabodka Shovno College. He served as Rabbi at Suvaeki, Poland from 1900 to 1905 then emigrated to America in the latter year. He was Rabbi at Scranton, Pennsylvania from 1905 to 1906. He was called to Winnipeg in 1906, becoming Chief Rabbi by agreement of all the Synagogues which then existed. He held lectures in both Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and House of Jacob and preached. He organized slaughter houses, Kosher killing, under the management of a committee of which Moses Finklestein was Chairman. He also organized Hebrew classes on the corner of Dufferin and Charles Streets. He started the United Charity, the Chairman of which was L. Abramovitch.
In April 1909, a small building was bought for a Hebrew School on the corner of Aikins and Dufferin Streets. In 1912, he organized the Jewish Community under the management of Reuben Simon Robinson to build the Hebrew School on the corner of Charles and Flora Streets. The Jewish Orphanage and Old Folks Home were soon founded. Before the coming of Rabbi Kahanovitch to Winnipeg, Rabbi Berman was the Resident Rabbi of the Jewish faith, 1900 to 1903. From that time to the coming of Rabbi Kahanovitch, the Jewish people of this city were without a Rabbi.
On 5 July 1896, he married Chiah Rachel Kleiman (?-?) and they had eight children: Fred Kahanovitch (?-1978), Fanny Kahanovitch (?-?, wife of Sholem Wohlgelernter), Sophie Kahanovitch (?-?, wife of Nathan Helman), Nellie Kahanovitch (1906-?), Goldie Liebe Kahanovitch (1910-?), Esther Kahanovitch (1912-2000, wife of Nathan Harris and Morris Wolinsky), Moses Elijah “Moe” Kahanovitch (1915-1983), and Herich Fivil “Harry” Kahanovitch (1918-1997).
He died at his Winnipeg residence, 281 Flora Avenue, on 22 June 1945 and was buried in the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Agricultural College / Asper Jewish Community Campus (Tuxedo Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Hebrew Free School / German Society Building (121 Charles Street, Winnipeg)
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Birth registrations [Nellie Kahanovitch, Goldie Liebe Kahanovitch, Esther Kahanovitch, Moses Elia Kahanovitch, Herich Fivil Kahanovitch], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
Marriage registration [Fannie Kahanovitch, Sholem Pinohas Wohlgelernter], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration [Sophie Kahanovitch, Nathan Helman], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration [Moses Elijah Kahanovitch, Esther Cooper], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registration [Israel Isaac Kahanovitch], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Israel Kahanovitch, Dean of Rabbis, dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 23 June 1945. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9]
Obituary [Fred Kahanovitch], Winnipeg Free Press, 29 July 1978, page 243.
Obituary [Moses Elijah Kahanovitch], Winnipeg Free Press, 7 September 1983, page 40.
Obituary [Harry Kahanovitch], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 October 1997, page 35.
Obituary [Esther Wolinsky], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 January 2001, page 49.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 April 2024
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