Abraham Freedman
Abraham Freedman was one of the first immigrants from Dorbian, Lithuania, arriving in Saint John in 1899. He arrived without language, luggage or money. When his ship docked at Long Wharf, he noticed that a friend from his home village of Dorbian was working on the dock as a longshoreman. The friend convinced Abraham Freedman to stay in Saint John. Five years later, he brought his wife, Mary, and son, Jacob (J.J.) and his father, Marcus to join him. The women in the village told Mary that her husband would never send for her because many men, after arriving in the “New World”, did not send for their wives and children. However, true to his word, he did send for his wife and child and the family grew and prospered. Abraham and Mary had four more children in Saint John: Ben, Rube, Ida and Anne. Members of the extended family also settled in the city including Abraham’s four sisters – Lena Baxt, Sarah Lampert, Katie Lampert, and Ada Rosenwieg, and Mary’s two brothers – Morris and Max Guss.
A. Freedman and Sons, Long Wharf – photograph courtesy of Heritage Resources, Saint John
Abraham Freeman started as a peddlar and was later the founder and first president of A. Freedman and Sons Ltd., a scrap metal business on Long Wharf. This was one of the first scrap metal businesses in the city. As their circumstances improved, they moved from a flat near the waterfront, to a home at 79 Summer Street in the 1920s. Summer Street was a quiet tree lined street in the “valley” area of Saint John, which was home to many Jewish families.
Mary Guss Freedman arrived in Saint John five years after her husband and became involved in community affairs, assisting with immigration and women’s organizations in the Jewish community.
Ben and Ida Goldstein
Benjamin Freedman (1906-1967)
Benjamin Freedman (1906-1967) worked at A. Freedman and Sons with his father Abraham and brother Jack. He had also been secretary of the board of Congregation Shaarei Zedek. He married twice, first to Norma Tanzman (1907-1947) and had two children – Melvin and Ellen, and then married Naomi Ellman.
Ida Freedman Goldstein (1907-1983)
Ida Freedman Goldstein (1907-1983) married Benjamin Goldstein and they had two daughters – Roslyn (Avery) and Janet (Stern). She worked alongside her husband in Ben Goldstein’s Music Centre which sold sheet music, instruments and records to several generations of customers from 1933 to 1975.
Rube Freedman (1911-1956)
Rube Freedman (1911-1956) worked as a scrap metal dealer in Halifax, as part of his father and brother’s business. He was married to Lillian Gelb and they had two children – Mark and Eleanor.
Anne, Norman and Harry Holtzman
Anne Freedman Holtzman (1915-1986)
Anne Freedman Holtzman (1915-1986) left school early to help her father in his scrap metal business after he suffered a heart attack – this included doing the bookkeeping and driving a truck through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. She married Harry Holtzman in 1939 after they met through Young Judaea and they raised two children – Norman and Myra – in a home on King Street East. She was an active member of the local Hadassah chapter and of Sisterhood, serving terms as president of both organizations. Anne also organized weddings in the Synagogue by planning the seating arrangements and the order of the processionals. She helped her husband at her husband’s furniture store – mostly in the office and was well-known as a problem-solver.
John “Jack” Freedman (1899-1963)
John “Jack” Freedman (1899-1963) came to Saint John with his mother, Mary Guss Freedman in 1905. They were travelling to Saint John from Dorbian, Lithuania to join Abraham Freedman who had arrived six years before. In 1918 he went into business at Eastern Iron and Metal Ltd., with his father, who was the founder and become manager of A. Freedman and Sons in 1944 after his father’s death.
During the Second World War, Jack Freedman was an advisor to the Canadian government. He was the Salvage Chairman for Saint John, and as such, organized the collection of materials for Canada’s war efforts. He was also the founder of the Canadian Secondary Metals Association and served as the Association’s president and board chairman.
He was the youngest president of Congregation Shaarei Zedek when he was elected in 1929, serving for three years. He was able to bridge the cultural gap between the Yiddish and English-speaking members of the congregation. He was re-elected as congregation president from 1944 to 1947. Mr. Freedman was president of the Saint John Branch of the Canadian Jewish Congress and chairman of the State of Israel Bond Drive for 1961 to 1962.He was active in fundraising for State of Israel Bonds for many years and was given special recognition by the organization in 1961.
His joined a number of service organizations. As a member of the Kiwanis Club, Jack Freedman served as chair of the program committee, vice-president in 1946 and 1947, president in 1948 (the first Jewish person in Saint John to hold that office) and Lieutenant-Governor in 1951. The Kiwanis Club was devoted to the betterment of the community, and in particular, to offering opportunities and facilities to the city’s underprivileged children. The Kiwanis Club, along with the Rotary Club, established a Community Chest Fund, which later became known as the United Way and Jack Freedman served as a director.
Rose Selick Freedman (1904-1996)
Rose Selick Freedman (1904-1996) was born in Hillsborough, New Brunswick She was the daughter of Isaac and Bessie Selick. She married Jack Freedman in 1923.
As a young bride, Rose soon settled into the Jewish community in Saint John. She was often recruited to accompany Jenny Harris, who was president of the Sisterhood, on visits to new immigrant families and to provide help for those in need. Over the years, she held leadership roles in many organizations. She served three terms as president of the Sisterhood of the Congregation Shaarei Zedek and was instrumental in linking this organization to the Eastern Canadian Branch of the Women’s League of the United Synagogue of America. As part of her duties as a member of the Sisterhood organization, she coordinated the preparation of many dinners held in the synagogue. Rose Freedman was later named as honourary president of Sisterhood.
She was a member of Hadassah-WIZO, of which she made a life member on February 4, 1957 and presented with a 50-years of membership certificate when the organization celebrated its 70th anniversary of existence in November 1987. Her Zionist zeal was also represented in her involvement, often alongside her husband, in the promotion and sale of State of Israel Bonds and in the early 1960s she was the chair of the Ladies Division of the Israel Bonds organization. At the Israel Bonds dinner held in 1961, she was recognized for her service.
As she grew older, Rose Freedman saw the need for some sort of organization to provide a social outlet for the seniors in the Saint John Jewish Community. This led to the founding of the Shomer Club in 1974, of which she was the first president. She was later honourary president. The organization met monthly and provided many opportunities for the community members to gather.
Her volunteer activities were not confined to the Jewish community. Rose Freedman was among those who organized shelter on the west side of the city for post-war immigrants to Saint John including those fleeing the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. As a volunteer with the Red Cross, she sewed curtains used for the blood donor clinics, canvassed for funds and served as a vice-president of the local branch. She would also canvass for the Heart Fund, an activity she pursued until well on in years. Rose Freedman was the founder of the Kiwanis Ladies organization and served as its president. One of their activities was establishing a school for those who had Cerebral Palsy. She was a founding member of the Big Brothers organization and a driver for Meals on Wheels, an organization providing hot noontime meals to shut-ins.
Aside from her volunteer activities, Rose Freedman also led the way in the introduction of weight loss programs. She formed Calories Anonymous in 1967, which was an early version of a weight loss program where members were weighed in at each meeting and then discussed weight loss and healthy eating. She operated the Saint John franchise from her home.
She was recognized by the United Nations Association of Canada’s New Brunswick branch for her volunteer work in 1992. She was honoured twice by the Congregation Shaarei Zedek – first in 1972 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Congregation and again in 1990 at a testimonial dinner to recognize her nearly life-long contributions to her community.
Jack and Rose Freedman had four children
Jack and Rose Freedman had four children: Dr. Lewis Freedman (1925- 2018), Marcia Freedman Koven (1926-2022), Bernard Freedman (1928-2005) and Edythe Freedman Steinberg.
Lewis, Jack, Bernard, Marcia, Rose and Edythe Freedman, 1930s
Dr. Lewis Freedman
Dr. Lewis Freedman graduated from Saint John High School and Dalhousie University and returned to Saint John where he was a family doctor for more than 40 years. As a physician and community leader, he devoted his life to his family and the Saint John community. Dr. Freedman was Chief of Family Medicine at the Saint John Regional Hospital, a consultant for occupational health and President of Shaarei Zedek Congregation. In 1948 he married H. Ita (Bernstein) Freedman, who he met when she came from Montreal to visit her university friend Ethel (Garson) Miller. They had three children – Mary Ann, John and Robert.
Marcia Freedman Koven
Marcia Freedman Koven graduated from Saint John High School and trained in nursing at the Saint John General Hospital. She enrolled as a mature student at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John campus and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. She was an active member of Sisterhood and Hadassah, and was at times presidents of both organizations. She was also a dedicated member of the Shomer Club and the Chevra Kadisha (burial society). She volunteered and fundraised for many organizations in the city. Her biggest accomplishment was the founding of the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum in July 1986 and ensuring that the history of the Jewish community she loved would be preserved. On August 29, 1948, she married Jerry Koven and they had four children: Diane, Charlotte, Andrew and Sherry.
Bernard Freedman
Bernard Freedman graduated from Saint John High School and Dalhousie University before working for a number of years in his father’s scrap metal business. After his father’s death, he opened Bernard Freedman Insurance in 1961. He was very active in the Jewish community and was president of the YMHA and B’nai B’rith groups and was Congregation President from 1968-1970. As a strong supporter of Israel, he chaired a number of State of Israel Bond and Jewish National Fund campaigns. He was very active in the Saint John community including as chair of the United Way fundraising campaign in 1969 and as a member and president of the Saint John Kiwanis Club. Bernard married Natalie Naimer in 1958 and they had three children – Richard, Michael and Cheryl.
Edythe Freedman Steinberg
Edythe Freedman Steinberg was trained as a registered nurse at the Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn School of Nursing. She married Dr. Barry Steinberg in the Shaarei Zedek Synagogue on December 20, 1959. They moved to Massachusetts and had two sons – Adam and Jacques.
See also: Goldstein Family, Guss Family and Holtzman Family
References:
Louis I. Michelson Archives and Research and Exhibition Files, Saint John Jewish Historical Museum
Marcia Koven – Weaving the Past Into the Present (Saint John: 1989 and 2008)
The Evening Times Globe / The Telegraph Journal (Saint John newspapers)
This project is made possible with funding from the Archaeology and Heritage Branch, Province of New Brunswick through their Exhibit Renewal Digital Component program and the unwavering support of the Jewish families who made Saint John their home.
