The 1960s
In 1963, the adjoining synagogue was built and the original Madison Avenue shul, visible on the hill above the new building, was sold to the Zion Mennonite Brethren Church. Thanks to the generosity of the congregation members, the building project was completed mortgage-free. Mania Kay came to Kitchener from Europe as fundraising began. In describing the building she said it was “beautiful… It’s not big. But when you walk in, it’s like warmth takes you in.”
In 1965, a group of individuals met to discuss the creation of a Reform congregation in Kitchener-Waterloo. The group included Dr. Jack and Mrs. Roz Adelberg, Dr. Derek and Mrs. Mavis Wyse, and, joining soon after, Cyril Taylor. The result was the formation of the Kitchener-Waterloo Jewish Fellowship. At the end of the year, the new group chose for its name Temple Shalom and created a constitution. In 1966, they affiliated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
Temple Shalom’s first Shabbat evening service was held on 5 March 1965. The congregation started in quarters on College Street and briefly rented space at the Breithaupt Centre at Breithaupt Park. In 1967, they dedicated a new place for worship at 350 King Street West. They purchased a Torah, erected an Ark designed by one of the members, set up a Bimah and formed committees to oversee the administration of the shul’s affairs.
Temple Shalom’s first accredited rabbi, David Powell, joined the community in 1967. The religious school was set up at the time of the founding of the congregation in 1965. The first principal was Dr. Gerald Berman, a mathematics professor at the University of Waterloo. The teacher and later principal was Mrs. Aubrey Diem. The school began with only six students, but its enrolment grew steadily over the years, peaking at more than 50 in the late 1990s.
