Social reformer, philanthropist.
Born in Russia on 10 March 1873, he and his family came to Canada in 1906 and settled on a farm at Bird’s Hill. He was active in every Winnipeg Jewish welfare organization, particularly the Jewish Orphanage and Jewish Old Folks Home. In the 1930s he was a member of the Refugee Settlers’ Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress and travelled extensively to assist in bringing refugees to Canada.
He and wife Clara ? (?-?) had seven children: Rebecca “Reb” Spivak (1899-1967, wife of John Jacob Weidman), R. Philip “Phil” Spivak (1900-1993), Malick David Spivak, Fanny “Fan” Spivak (1905-1999, wife of Joseph Lyon Dorfman), Bessie Spivak (1910-2001, wife of S. S. Peikoff), William S. Spivak (?-?), and Mary Leah Spivak (?-?, wife of Percy Samuel Robinson).
He died at Richmond, British Columbia on 19 April 1961, while boarding an airplane to return to Winnipeg. He was buried in the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery.
Marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registration, British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 20 April 1961, page 30.
Obituary [Rebecca Weidman], Winnipeg Free Press, 1 September 1967, page 26.
Obituary [Phil Spivak], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 July 1993, page 22.
Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.
Obituary [Fanny Dorfman], Winnipeg Free Press, 21 September 1999.
Obituary [Bessie Peikoff], Winnipeg Free Press, 16 June 2001.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 27 December 2022
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