|  John Heppner introduced twenty Jewish families to Wapella, Saskatchewan of the Weyburn Gen Web Region in 1886. The philanthropist Baron de Hirsch was the founder of the Jewish Colonizaiton Society and Hirsch's Foundation. 47 families left Czarist Russia to the areas of Oxbow, Oungre, and Hoffer also of the Weyburn Gen Web Region later, 40 more families joined these in 1894.1 The 1800s saw Russia restricting travel, land settlement priveleges were revoked, military service was mandatory and quotas were placed on admission to high schools and higher learning. Czar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881, the Russian government put many Jews to death. "Pogroms in Russia"4 were forced to Canada some migrating through England and South Africa. These early settlers wanted to work the land.
Also in northern Saskatchewan, Prince Albert Gen Web Region were Jewish pioneers at Brooksby, Fairy Glen, Gronlid, Irvington, and Lenvale. Taner and Maxwellton, communities no longer existing, also had Jewish settlements. Other Saskatchewan place names with early Jewish ethnic roots were: White Bear Kindersley Gen Web Region, Theodore Yorkton Gen Web Region, Watrous Saskatoon Gen Web and Kamsack Kamsack Gen Web
The Sephardim are those Jewish descendants of Spain and Portugese origin. Many in the late 15th century settled in the Netherlands.2 Whereas Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants are mostly of Central and Eastern European origin descending from the Turkish Kingdom of Khazaria.3 1907 saw Jewish immigration in Saskatoon. Later in 1978 and 1980 there were Russian Jewish merchants and businessmen to Saskatoon.(Saskatoon Gen Web Region) Many of these later arrivals favored marketing and commercial occupations and many with American English speaking roots rose to executive postions on the east side of Saskatoon.
John Heppner led twenty Jewish families to settle at Wapella, Saskatchewan.
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