Harry Cohen was a renowned Jewish philanthropist whose work significantly impacted the development of the local community and the Jewish faith. Together with his wife, Cohen worked, supported his fellow Calgarians, and raised a family. In this article on calgaryski, we’ll explore the life of Harry Cohen and his contributions to the growth of Calgary.
Life Story
Harry Cohen was born in Winnipeg to Alexander and Rose Cohen (née Diamond). He was born into a large but poor immigrant family and was the second of six children. At the age of 15, after finishing school, he had to start working various jobs immediately to help support his family. For a time, he worked as an usher at a Winnipeg theatre before landing a job as a film inspector for Warner Brothers. In 1932, Cohen moved to Calgary.
He fell in love with the city and convinced his entire family to join him. In Calgary, he worked alongside his brothers. Together, the Cohens embraced the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and launched several highly successful businesses.
While still working at Warner Brothers, Cohen met his future wife, Martha Block. They were married in 1945 at the Palliser Hotel. Block also came from an immigrant family. She was the daughter of Rebecca Diamond Block and Peter Block, and the granddaughter of Canmore’s first Jewish settler, Philip Diamond.
Harry Cohen’s Career Path
Harry Cohen was a natural-born entrepreneur. His love of cinema led him to purchase the Crescent and Plaza movie theatres. He also ventured into commercial real estate. After the war, Harry Cohen and his business partner, Ralph Callen, opened Calgary’s first army surplus stores.
The partners gradually began to expand their business. They started with a small retail shop and, in 1939, founded the import firm General Distributors, Ltd., through which they acquired the distribution rights for Paper Mate pens, various toys, and other goods. The firm grew steadily. Under the leadership of Samuel Cohen, they successfully launched the SAAN chain of discount stores across several provinces. They also managed to expand the Metropolitan chain of department stores.
Community Involvement
Harry Cohen and his wife were deeply involved in community affairs, focusing on philanthropy and the performing arts. For Harry, it was important to give back to the community and the city where he had lived and found success. Harry Cohen used to say that Calgary was a wonderful city, but for it to stay that way, everyone needed to be part of the community and take an active role in civic life.
He participated in the work of many community organizations, including the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, the Calgary Stampeder Football Club, and the Boy Scouts of Canada. Harry Cohen also served as the president of the Calgary B’nai Brith Lodge No. 816.
For his work, he received numerous awards and honours. In 1960, he was named Calgary’s Citizen of the Year, and in 1970, he received the State of Israel Medal from Golda Meir. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary in 1973.
His wife, Martha, was also heavily involved in philanthropy. Her love for the arts inspired her to lead a major fundraising campaign to build the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts. This centre continues to thrive and was later named the Epcor Centre. It houses the Martha Cohen Theatre, which became the main stage for Theatre Calgary.
Martha Cohen was also a pioneer in the development of the Calgary Jewish Family Service and broke the gender barrier by becoming the first woman in Alberta to sit on the board of directors of Mount Royal College. Martha balanced all of this while raising four children.