Ottawa Jewish Archives
Lillian Freiman.When choosing between a telephone and a maid as a wedding gift from her husband in 1903, Lillian Freiman, a prominent Jewish philanthropist, surprised many by choosing the phone. After all, she needed methods to communicate with others to organize her various initiatives in the Ottawa area.
Freiman’s charitable efforts will be recalled in a local history lecture at the Bytown Museum on Oct. 2.
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, Robin Etherington, executive director at the Bytown Museum, says she wants to highlight the importance of remembering a local historical figure who played a hand in helping the city during wartime.
“Our mandate is the history of Ottawa, and Lillian contributed greatly to our city,” Etherington says.
Freiman, née Bilsky, was born in 1885 in Mattawa, Ont., but spent the majority of her life in Ottawa. At 18, she married Archibald J. Freiman, a founder of Freiman’s department store, and the two moved into a house on Somerset Street. The couple was fairly wealthy from the family businesses, so Lillian found ways to give money back to the community.
Emily Leonoff, the archivist from the Ottawa Jewish Archives, describes how Freiman understood that the veterans returning from war would need a dependable support network.
She says Freiman spearheaded a campaign to start a veterans’ society that merged with others across Canada, leading to the creation of the Royal Canadian Legion.
“I think it was a wonderful initiative on her part,” says Leonoff. “Lillian knew she needed to provide for all soldiers and their families.”
Leonoff adds that Freiman’s name is rarely remembered when discussing the Royal Canadian Legion, but her efforts in helping the soldiers were significant.
“She was sending packages, letters, blankets to the soldiers,” Leonoff says. “And she wanted a system to help them heal.”
Hagit Hadaya, a heritage consultant and presenter at the lecture, says she suspects community members know about Freiman, but don’t understand the depth of her commitment to her city and its people.
“Freiman’s contributions to the war were incredible,” says Hadaya. “She opened her house and let people come in.”
Freiman’s dedication extended far beyond her efforts during the wartimes, adds Hadaya. Freiman was also known for starting the Ottawa poppy campaign after the war and nursing the ill during the influenza outbreak the following year.
Although Anna Bilsky, a local author, never had the chance to meet her “great-aunt Lil,” she says she has fond memories of the family member from stories recounted by her father.
Bilsky describes an incident from the 1900s when a man walked up to Freiman in the street and boldly asked for a job. Bilsky says her great-aunt set the man up with work almost immediately.
“The highest level of charity is to give someone a job, and that’s what aunt Lil did. Helping someone have their own dignity is the greatest gift,” Bilsky says.
When the lecture is finished next month, Etherington says she hopes people leave the museum “absolutely amazed” with Freiman’s contributions.
“She was just a person who loved her community, and fearlessly contributed on many fronts,” says Etherington.
Bilsky describes Freiman as having a truly remarkable heart, one that never stopped giving until the day of Freiman’s death in 1940, at the age of 55.
“When I think of her, I think about her kindness,” Bilsky says.
“She always thought about other people. If there was something she could do, she never hesitated.
“I really wish I had met her. She had the quality of making people feel special, helping them out. Because that’s what you do as a human. You help people.”