Rome Among the Bishops: A Reflection on David Rome and His Contributions to Dialogue

The Lithuanian-born David Rome (1910-1996) immigrated to Canada in 1921 and settled in Montreal in the 1930s. In 1942 he was hired as press officer by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC). From 1953 to 1972, he was Director of the Jewish Public Library; thereafter he served as archivist at the CJC. The author’s intention is to offer an intimate view of Rome and what motivated him in his pursuit of dialogical and other activities, starting with an outline of David Rome’s early life and the formation therein of his values and vulnerabilities. Next, the author provides a look at Rome in action at the Canadian Jewish Congress. After this author turns from Rome’s personal path to the broader context, to give a sense of the political/historical stage onto which this liminal figure walked. The next section tells the story of "Rome Among the Bishops", a story which illustrates what the author offers about Rome's character and context; this section also presents new information about Rome's accomplishments on Quebec's first Arts Council. Finally, the author cites examples of Rome’s impact, based interviews with several people who knew and were influenced by him.

[Working Papers in Canadian Jewish Studies, no. 1]

August 27, 2012

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