Journey into our Heritage: the Story of the Jewish People in the Canadian West by Harry Gutkin (review)

228 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW Australian materials, whereas hischapters on Upper Canadaaddlittlethatis newandbega numberof importantquestions. In a reviewwritten twenty-seven yearsago,Professor Shawcondemned M.C.I. Levy's Governor George Arthur: a Colonial Benevolent Despot as 'too uncritical.' But,whilehisownstudyismuchmorethoroughly researched and muchmore sophisticated than Levy's,it is essentially an apologia. He has chosen (asthedust jacketproclaims) totellmuchofthestory 'inArthur'sown words,'andattimesthenarrativedegenerates intolittlemorethana stringof quotations from Arthur'slettersand despatches. Professor Shawdoesnot ignoreArthur'sfailingsbut he frequentlyappliesa doublestandard.The members of theUpperCanadian Assembly aredenounced aslandspeculators butArthur'sownspeculations inAustraliaareexcused because 'Contemporaries (unless theywerepoliticalpartisans) sawnothingwrongin gubernatorial investments of thistype'(•54). In hisreviewof Levy's studyProfessor Shaw declared thatArthur'streatmentof thenatives of PortPhillipshowed neither 'greatenlightenment or benevolence.' Nowhe argues that'theGovernorwas certainly worried byaspects ofaproblem thatpassed hissubjects by;itwas his misfortunerather than hisfault that it wasinsoluble' (•34). SinceProfessor Shawissoreadyto takeArthur'spointof view,hisconclusion thatArthur's policies were'always well-intentioned andgenerally judicious' (285)mustbe viewedwithconsiderable scepticism. Professor Shawseems to adhereto the theory- currentlyfashionable amongimperialhistorians - that colonialgovernors exercised considerable freedomof actionin the first half of the nineteenthcentury.Yet hisown evidence couldbeusedto refutethat assumption. Asa careercivilservant, Arthur'sprimaryconcern wastowintheapproval of hissuperiors in London andheevolved hispolicies withthatgoalin mind.Unfortunately, Professor Shawdoesnot provideuswith a sustained analysis of the development of policies inLondonandsoonecomes away fromthisstudy without aclearsense of Arthur'ssignificance in thelargerimperialcontext. Onealsocomes away wishingthat the author had beenbetter servedby hiseditor.The bookis litteredwithtypographical errorsandtheproseisverylaboured. I,I-nLLU, •t•c• University ofNewBrunswick Journey intoourHeritage: theStory ofthe Jewish People intheCanadian West. I-I^RR¾ •VTK•S.Toronto,Lester& OrpenDennys,•98o.Pp.264,illus.$24.95. This portraitby Harry Gutkin, a Winnipegbusinessman and community activist, ofWestern Canadian Jewish history includes acollection offascinating photographs andvignettes on manyimportantaspects ofJewish life onthe Prairies.An impressive folio-sizedvolumecontaininghundredsof photographs drawnfromthematerialcollected for several travelling exhibitions, it REVIEWS 229 provides fascinating pictorial evidence ofthevarietyandrichness oftheJewish experience in theCanadianWest.The photographs arepresented chronologically inthematic groupings andtheauthorhaswrittenahistory intheformof accompanying topicalessays. The volumecovers theentirespanof theJewish presence therefromthelateeighteenth century, whenseveral Jews wereactive in thefur trade,to thepresent. Virtuallyallmajoraspects ofJewish cultural andsocial life in manycommunities havebeentouchedupon,includingthe tinyfarmsettlements, likeMoosomin andEdenbridge, andvillages, wherethe Jewishgeneralstorewasas ubiquitousas the Chineserestaurant,to the 'metropolis' of Winnipegand the importantcommunities in other western cities. However,thebookisdevotedlargelyto Winnipeg,theheartofJewish life on the Prairies,wherea richandvibrantculturallife flourished. Among these institutions wereseveral parochial dayschools, fromthe'radical' tothe traditional,which were probablyamongthe bestof their kind in North Americaand helped to give Winnipeg a reputationas the 'Jerusalem of Canada.'Other aspects of the city'sreligious,cultural,and sociallife are covered in considerable detailandseveral majorWinnipegJewish figuresget substantial coverage. Altogether thisisaninteresting, rich,andusefulvolume. Butithasmanyof theweaknesses of similarpictorialworkswithsuchbroadscope. Muchof the information,fascinating thoughit maybe, ispresented in the form of brief vignettes, mostof it relateddirectlyto the photographs, whilea few of the lengthierchapterssuchasthoseon I.L. Peretz,the PolishYiddishwriter,and theJewishannualholidaycycleseemoutof place.More extensive treatment andsustained analysis of themessuchaswesternZionistactivity, Winnipeg's Jewishworkingclass, the farmingvillages, andon the communities in other western citieswouldhavebeenmoreappropriate.But Mr Gutkin'sachievementisnevertheless an impressive one;hiscollection of photographs in this book makesthe Jewishexperiencein the CanadianWest comealive, his discussion ofmajorpersonalities addsdepthandcolourtothathistory, andhis inclusion of otherwise inaccessible materialfromtheJewish Historical Society of WesternCanadaarchives makethisvolumeausefuladditiontothehistory of theJewishpeopleon the Prairies. GERALD TULCHINSKY Queen's University Landof Pain, Land of Promise: FirstPerson Accounts by Ukrainian Pioneers •89•-•9• 4. Translationby a,•RR¾ PINIUTA. Saskatoon, WesternProducer PrairieBooks, x978.Pp.225.$xx.oo. Dr Harry Piniuta's goal,asoutlinedin thepreface,isto showthatUkrainians haveplayedanimportantpartin thebuildingof Canada.To dothis,hehas selectedthirteen personsand presentedsixteen 'first person'accounts, ...