Alberta Jews had much to celebrate, even in the early decades of this century.

      They were free of the terror and oppression of Eastern Europe, largely removed from the slums and poverty of the new world's big cities, and were beginning to thirive economically in a region enjoying growth and opportunity.

      Photos of Alberta Jews at play and at leisure reveal a great deal about the Jewish experience in Southern Alberta. Jews here were well-enough off to have earned leisure time, were comfortable in outdoor and rural environments, and were quickly absorbing the cultural trappings of the majority community.

      It is notable that these activities took place largely among other Jews. Even if Alberta's Jewish youth were behaving in ways not tradiionally considered as "Jewish," they were continuing to socialize mainly within Jewish contexts.