Halifax was founded in 1749 for strategic reasons by the British Government. By the spring of 1750, there were already Jewish people living in Halifax. By 1752, there were approximately thirty Jews in Halifax . Some Jews had come from the colonies to the south, whereas others had come from Europe. Many years passed before there was a settled, stable Jewish community in Halifax due to a slowing of immigration, assimilation and an economic depression which forced some families to emigrate to other parts of Canada.