American Jewish Archives Journal, Vol 44, No. 01 (1992)

170 American Jewish Archives
ever worship was conducted took place in private homes, led by lay
members or, on special occasions, by a hazzan summoned from New
York.
Even without a building, in 1837 the congregation passed a resolu-
tion to continue the use of "Portuguese Service of Prayers and Cere-
monies from now on." This would seem to indicate an Ashkenazic
counter-effort, which came to fruition in 1846 when members broke
away to establish Montreal's first Ashkenazic congregation.
Meanwhile, the "Portuguese" congregation had completed a new
synagogue in 1838 and engaged Rev. David Piza from London as haz-
zan. He was followed by Rev. Abraham de Sola (1825-1882), who, at
the request of London's Sephardic rabbi, published a new edition of
Sephardic prayerbooks in 1878. On his death, he was succeeded by
his son, Rev. (Aaron David) Meldola de Sola (1853-19181, Canada's
first native-born minister.
Demography caused the congregation to erect a new synagogue on
Stanley Street in 1890. The building fund received a gift from the con-
gregation's New York namesake with the proviso that the Montreal-
ers continue the Orthodox Sephardic rite. At this point, imitating
both London and New York, the congregation changed its corporate
name from "Portuguese" to "Spanish and Portuguese." This may
well have been precipitated by preparations for the 1892 celebration
of Columbus' discoveries.
The years after the hazzanls death in 1917 brought two short-term
successors, but the congregation went into a serious decline in mem-
bership. The westward movement of the city's Jews urged a new syn-
agogue, but it was not until after World War I1 that this proved
feasible. With the completion of its present sanctuary in 1960, the con-
gregation has taken on new growth, largely through the arrival of
Sephardim from the former Ottoman Empire.'7
Richmond
Although occasional Jewish traders visited Virginia as early as the
1650s~ the colony's plantation economy retarded the development of
cities. Richmond, at the head of navigation of the James River, attracted
its first Jewish settlers in 1769. The earliest surviving record of a