Beach Hebrew Institute
Encyclopedia
The Beach Hebrew Institute (also known as Beth Jacob Congregation or in Hebrew as Beit Knesset Beit Ya'akov) is a :synagogue in The Beaches
neighbourhood of Toronto
, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1919 as an Orthodox Jewish
congregation, the members purchased their current building—a former church—in 1920, and renovated it in 1926.
Following World War II
the congregation declined. The members considered selling the building in the 1970s, but a campaign to save it led to its receiving much needed repairs, and the 1982 designation of the building as a site of historical importance by the City of Toronto. An influx of younger, more liberal families, led to the congregation becoming an unaffiliated egalitarian Conservative
synagogue.
residents in The Beaches
neighbourhood of Toronto
, Ontario, Canada, which was then a largely Anglo-Saxon area in the east part of Toronto far removed from the Jewish neighbourhoods further to the west in The Ward
and around Spadina Avenue. The forty or so Jewish families living in The Beaches at the time tended to be more prosperous and had either been born in Canada or immigrated at an early age and so spoke English as their first language, compared to the Yiddish
speaking, impoverished, recent immigrants who predominated in the city's main Jewish neighbourhoods. Many of them either owned local shops in the area or summer homes.
$1,500 (today $) was raised towards the purchase or construction of a synagogue building and, in 1920, the old Kenilworth Avenue Baptist Church, originally built in 1895, at 109 Kenilworth Avenue (at Queen Street) was acquired with a $4,500 (today $) mortgage. In 1926, the synagogue was renovated; a new facade was added, electrical features were installed, an upstairs gallery was installed to serve as a school, and a new basement layout provided more space. The red brick front facade was built to make the building look less like a church and more like a synagogue. It features a round top, a large Star of David
, and five stained glass windows.
The Beach Hebrew Institute was located in not only a largely Anglo-Saxon area, but also one that in the 1930s exhibited antisemitism with the creation of "Swastika Clubs" that organized anti-Jewish marches, and signs on the Boardwalk reading "No Dogs or Jews Allowed". It therefore tried to maintain a low, inconspicuous profile, and its unconventional name, which avoided using the word "synagogue", was "due to the lack of Jews in the area, as well as the anti-Semitic atmosphere at some points."
when many of the congregants followed much of the rest of Toronto's Jewish community as it migrated north up Bathurst Street
to Forest Hill
and further north. The decline in membership forced the synagogue to cancel its Hebrew and Sunday schools and disband the Beach Sisterhood. However, there was a brief revival caused by a new wave of Jewish families in the 1950s, followed by two decades of further decline. By the 1970s, older members considered selling the building until an influx of young more liberal Jewish families moving into the neighbourhood, some of whom were intermarried couples or recent converts, led to the synagogue's revitalization. A major campaign to raise money to restore the synagogue was conducted including charity auctions, bazaars and the involvement of high-profile politicians such as the mayor and Members of Parliament. Media interest followed as well as the 1982 designation of the building as a site of historical importance by the City of Toronto. The congregation's fundraising goal was met resulting in needed repairs to the walls, plumbing and furnace as well as the renovation of the basement to enable it to operate as a function hall.
Originally Orthodox
, the congregation is now unaffiliated and egalitarian, and describes itself as “liberal Conservative
” or "Conservative egalitarian". Services are conducted in Hebrew
with occasional prayers in English. Women play an active role in services, are welcome to read from the Torah
and may receive an aliyah
. , the synagogue had no rabbi
; the president is Rosalee Monk, and the cantor
is Moshe Saadon.
The Beaches
The Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
neighbourhood of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1919 as an Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
congregation, the members purchased their current building—a former church—in 1920, and renovated it in 1926.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the congregation declined. The members considered selling the building in the 1970s, but a campaign to save it led to its receiving much needed repairs, and the 1982 designation of the building as a site of historical importance by the City of Toronto. An influx of younger, more liberal families, led to the congregation becoming an unaffiliated egalitarian Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
synagogue.
Early history
The Beach Hebrew Institute was founded in 1919 by JewishJews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
residents in The Beaches
The Beaches
The Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
neighbourhood of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario, Canada, which was then a largely Anglo-Saxon area in the east part of Toronto far removed from the Jewish neighbourhoods further to the west in The Ward
The Ward
The Ward can refer to:*Ward *The Ward , a horror film by John Carpenter*Children's Ward, a British children's television drama series...
and around Spadina Avenue. The forty or so Jewish families living in The Beaches at the time tended to be more prosperous and had either been born in Canada or immigrated at an early age and so spoke English as their first language, compared to the Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
speaking, impoverished, recent immigrants who predominated in the city's main Jewish neighbourhoods. Many of them either owned local shops in the area or summer homes.
$1,500 (today $) was raised towards the purchase or construction of a synagogue building and, in 1920, the old Kenilworth Avenue Baptist Church, originally built in 1895, at 109 Kenilworth Avenue (at Queen Street) was acquired with a $4,500 (today $) mortgage. In 1926, the synagogue was renovated; a new facade was added, electrical features were installed, an upstairs gallery was installed to serve as a school, and a new basement layout provided more space. The red brick front facade was built to make the building look less like a church and more like a synagogue. It features a round top, a large Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
, and five stained glass windows.
The Beach Hebrew Institute was located in not only a largely Anglo-Saxon area, but also one that in the 1930s exhibited antisemitism with the creation of "Swastika Clubs" that organized anti-Jewish marches, and signs on the Boardwalk reading "No Dogs or Jews Allowed". It therefore tried to maintain a low, inconspicuous profile, and its unconventional name, which avoided using the word "synagogue", was "due to the lack of Jews in the area, as well as the anti-Semitic atmosphere at some points."
Post World War II
The synagogue remained popular until after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when many of the congregants followed much of the rest of Toronto's Jewish community as it migrated north up Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street is a main north-south thoroughfare in Toronto. It begins at the Lake Ontario shoreline and continues north to the Toronto boundary of Steeles Avenue...
to Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Toronto
Forest Hill is an affluent neighbourhood in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Along with Lawrence Park, Rosedale, and The Bridle Path, it is one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.-History:...
and further north. The decline in membership forced the synagogue to cancel its Hebrew and Sunday schools and disband the Beach Sisterhood. However, there was a brief revival caused by a new wave of Jewish families in the 1950s, followed by two decades of further decline. By the 1970s, older members considered selling the building until an influx of young more liberal Jewish families moving into the neighbourhood, some of whom were intermarried couples or recent converts, led to the synagogue's revitalization. A major campaign to raise money to restore the synagogue was conducted including charity auctions, bazaars and the involvement of high-profile politicians such as the mayor and Members of Parliament. Media interest followed as well as the 1982 designation of the building as a site of historical importance by the City of Toronto. The congregation's fundraising goal was met resulting in needed repairs to the walls, plumbing and furnace as well as the renovation of the basement to enable it to operate as a function hall.
Originally Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, the congregation is now unaffiliated and egalitarian, and describes itself as “liberal Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
” or "Conservative egalitarian". Services are conducted in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
with occasional prayers in English. Women play an active role in services, are welcome to read from the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and may receive an aliyah
Aliyah (Torah)
An aliyah is the calling of a member of a Jewish congregation to the bimah for a segment of reading from the Torah. The person who receives the aliyah goes up to the bimah before the reading and recites a blessing. After the reading, the recipient then recites another concluding blessing...
. , the synagogue had no rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
; the president is Rosalee Monk, and the cantor
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
is Moshe Saadon.
External links
- Beach Hebrew Institute website
- Beach Hebrew Institute, Ontario Jewish Archives