Musée du Montréal juif - Museum of Jewish Montreal — Attraction in Montreal

I took two of the tours that the Museum offered, Rabbis, Writers and Radicals with Lucien and Making Their Mark (I either missed the guide's name at the beginning or she did not actually say it). Both of the tours were very good although I enjoyed the Rabbis, Writers and Radicals a little more. However, you cannot go wrong with either tour. As an ex-Montrealer, it was really fascinating to walk through the areas that I had visited in my youth but had never really explored. It was amazing to see the buildings where Jewish institutions used to be so vibrant and it was also a bit depressing to see that they were not preserved. If the Museum could ever figure out a way to include people who used to live in the area back in the 1940's and 1950's, it would be pretty amazing (this would be pretty tough since the people would be in their 60's and 70's but I also suggested that they record some oral testimonies and play the recordings during the tours so that would really bring the area to life). Both tours lasted about 2 hours and the walking was pretty easy. The first tour ended on Fairmont Street (bagels and Wilensky's) while the second tour ended back at the Museum on St. Laurent. If you are interested in Jewish history in Montreal, both of these tours are excellent ways to get some history on what life was like for Jews living...

The information shared on this tour was interesting but a few things could be improved upon to allow for a more positive tour experience. We were not allowed to go into the various shops that we stopped in front of. The reason that was repeatedly stated by our guide is that we are a big group and couldn't go in. Maybe groups should be limited in booking size. Since we all paid almost $100 each for the tour there should be enough items to taste from each business. For instance my friends and I numbered 4 and we paid for 4 people yet we had to share 2 items while other people in our group received one each. Each business should provide the exact amount for the number of paying tour participants. Items like hand wipes and ziploc bags should be provided for each participant.

The actual route was interesting and provided great insight into the history of the neighbourhood. Our guide was friendly and enthusiastic about the Jewish history in the...

We had a great history and food walking tour with Samara on Sunday. She was really knowledgeable about the history of the Mile End and the Jewish families who built these businesses. She also had lived experience in the area that she referenced as we visited each location. We saw a number of classic places - the St Viateur and Fairmount bagel shops of course - but also some we wouldn’t have noticed, like a 1930s era corner store diner that feels like a time machine to that era. Also a bakery that was out of this world good. We stopped at various points in the Mile End to just get some history of the people who lived here. For instance learning about the development of grocery stores and backyard food production. It’s clear the museum and staff like Samara put a lot of effort into these tours, and we appreciated the care she put into this one! Tips: wear walking shoes, as you will walk almost the whole time, and bring an umbrella or jacket in...