History of Jewish presence in Klondike on display at MacBride Museum

When Sid Grauman left the Klondike in the early 1900s he moved to California where he eventually became the founder of the famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

He had learned how lucrative the entertainment business could be when he helped stage concerts and boxing matches in Dawson City during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush.

Grauman was one of roughly 200 Jews who called the Dawson City area home during the Gold Rush. The Jewish Cultural Society of Yukon has spent two decades researching and cataloging their stories. 

 "It's unique." said society president Rick Karp.  "I never thought of a Jewish presence during the Gold Rush. It's a small piece of Yukon history this is very exciting to a lot of people."

The society received $55,000 from the Yukon government's Community Development Fund, last year.  Part of that money was used to create a display of three panels that explores and celebrates the role of the Jewish community in the Klondike. It also explores what happened to those people after they left the Yukon.

Jewish groups from as far away as Chicago and Montreal have expressed interest in showcasing the display in their cities, Karp said.

The exhibit is on display at the MacBride Museum in Whitehorse until May 11.