J. B. Salsberg

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Joseph Baruch (J. B.) Salsberg (1903-1998) was a Canadian politician, long time Communist and activist in the Jewish community.

Born in Lagov, Poland, Salsberg emigrated to Canada with his parents in 1913 at age 11, settling in Toronto. He initially studied to be a rabbi in the Orthodox tradition but, at the age of 13, poverty led him to work in sweatshops for $3 a week. This experience led him to labour activism, particularly in the garment workers union where he fought for improved wages and conditions. At age 16, he informed his traditionalist parents that he was abandoning Talmudic studies in favour of a secular humanist philosophy. He joined a Zionist workers' group and quickly rose to leadership, including the editorship of a newspaper in New York City and speaking tours across North America.

By 1926, Salsberg's trade unionism and socialism led him to become an active member of the Communist Party of Canada. He became well known in the Jewish community, many of whose members were workers in the garment district which was concentrated around Spadina Ave. He became vice-president of the International Hatters' Union and a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee. He was active in a number of unionization drives across Canada.

In 1932, Salsberg became the Southern Ontario district organizer for the Workers Unity League, a communist-led group which sought to replace Canada's traditional craft unions with industrial unions. He attained further prominence in this role; Canadian historian Irving Abella later wrote that Salsberg was known as the "Commissar" of Southern Ontario's trade union movement.

In 1938, he was elected an alderman on Toronto's city council representing Ward 4 (which includes Spadina). He was known throughout the city for his work on social issues. Heckled by adversaries as a puppet of Joseph Stalin, Salsberg joked that "Stalin called me this morning and ordered me to move a motion to create a new park in Ward 4".

In the 1943 Ontario provincial election, he was elected from the downtown Toronto riding of St. Andrew as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (or MPP for Member of Provincial Parliament) representing the Labour Progressive Party. The LPP had been founded as the legal face of the Communist Party which had been banned in 1941. Salsberg was elected alongside fellow LPPer A.A. MacLeod who represented the neighbouring riding of Bellwoods.

Salsberg was a popular MPP inside and outside the house and was respected by members of all parties. He was instrumental in the introduction of the Ontario Human Rights Code which he proposed after Jews and Blacks were banned from various swimming pools in Toronto and as a result of other cases of anti-Semitism and racism in the province. Most of his speeches were non-ideological, and he never made reference to the Soviet Union during his time in the legislature. Leslie Frost, the province's Progressive Conservative Premier from 1949 to 1961, respected Salsberg's abilities as a parliamentarian; it has even been reported that Frost was willing to offer Salsberg a cabinet position if he defected to the Progressive Conservative Party.

Salsberg was the sole communist in the Legislature after the 1951 election in which MacLeod lost his seat. Salsberg eulogized Stalin on the house floor when the Soviet leader died in 1953 and this speech was used against him in the 1955 election campaign when he was defeated by Progressive Conservative Allan Grossman.

Salsberg had for several years been concerned with official anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union, and had confronted Canadian Communist leader Tim Buck on the subject as early as 1939. He remained silent on the matter for several years (in part to maintain party unity during World War II), but became increasingly troubled by ongoing anti-Semitism in the 1950s. He travelled to the USSR in 1955 and 1956, and witnessed first-hand the extent of the anti-Semitic campaign that had persecuted Jews in that country.

Salsberg attempted to personally confront Nikita Khrushchev on the matter during his second visit, but his concerns were dismissed. Also disillusioned by Soviet invasion of Hungary and Khrushchev's Secret Speech, he resigned from the Communist Party upon his return to Canada (leading an exodus which included half the national executive).

The late 1950s were a period of tragedy for Salsberg: in addition to losing his belief in communism (and his seat in the legislature), his wife Dora died in 1959. He withdrew from political activity for a time, and sold insurance to make a living. There are reports that he was eventually able to make a small fortune through this practice.

Salsberg later rejoined the Canadian Jewish Congress (which had previously expelled its Communist members), and started a group known as the "New Fraternal Order", made up primarily of former Jewish Communists still interested in promoting social justice. He was also involved in a variety of cultural activities, including Yiddish-language programs.

Salsberg also returned to Labour Zionism and, in his old age, was a long time columnist for the Canadian Jewish News until shortly before his death.

Queen's University professor Gerald Tulchinsky is currently researching a biography of Salsberg.