At
the turn of the nineteenth-century, a small group of Jewish
residents in the Junction held services at 305 Maria
Street, a modest house situated on the most
densely populated Jewish street in the Junction. As the
congregation grew, the need for a proper synagogue became
a pressing issue. To many Junction residents, an erected
site of worship was viewed as a measure of success for
a neighborhood of working-class Jewish immigrants. Once
built, the Knesseth Israel synagogue became the center
of religious life for the area’s Jewish families
during the early decades of the twentieth-century.
Adherence
to religious law was a concern to the new Jewish residents
of the Junction. Although language and ethnic differences
existed within the community, the Jewish residents’
commonality lay with their adherence to Orthodox traditions.
As such, the Synagogue not only served a religious purpose,
but a social and communal one as well. The Synagogue’s
multiple role was clear during the opening ceremonies
of the Knesseth Israel synagogue in 1912, when several
members of the congregation shared in the honour of parading
the Sefer Torahs
around the neighbourhood amidst music and friends.
Initially,
the shul functioned under the part-time and voluntary
guidance of Rabbi Jacob Gordon, one of the most prominent
and well-respected rabbis in Toronto. Rabbi Gordon was
on hand for the dedication ceremony in 1912 and later
oversaw the religious painting of the Synagogue. Rabbi
Gordon showed great interest and enthusiasm for the shul.
However, as membership grew and its coffers increased,
the Executive of Knesseth Israel decided to hire a full-time
spiritual leader to handle the daily religious needs of
the congregation.
Rabbi
Mordecai Langner
had migrated to Maria Street from his native Poland in
1924, with his wife Anne, whom he had married five years
prior. That same year, Rabbi Langner became the first
and only full-time rabbi of the Synagogue. In addition
to his rabbinical work, Rabbi
Langner also acted as cantor during the High
Holidays.
He served as Knesseth Israel’s rabbi until 1939,
at which time he left the Junction and began a new synagogue
on College Street. Rabbi Langner was never replaced by
the Synagogue following his departure.
Knesseth
Israel celebrated many important religious ceremonies
over the years, some festive and some mournful. Every
week the congregation would gather for Shabbatservices,
unlocking the siddurim
and tallisot
from the pews on which they sat. bar mitzvahs,
aufrufs,
and weddings punctuated the weekly observances that brought
the congregation together, and gave reason for special
celebration. On some occasions, the congregation would
show their goodwill by showering the persons being honoured
with candies and nuts.
In
contrast, death was also an ever-present aspect of congregational
life and those attending early morning services at the
Synagogue often witnessed the pegging together of wooden
coffins. Representatives of Congregation Knesseth Israel
purchased the cemetery, located at the Lambton Mills Memorial
Park on Royal York Road in Etobicoke, one year prior to
the land for the Knesseth Israel synagogue. The Burial
Committee of the Knesseth Israel Executive administered
the cemetery, which was an essential component to the
proper functioning of the shul. Full members of the Synagogue,
each paying monthly dues, had claim to a plot in the Synagogue’s
cemetery and a cost-free burial service. The cemetery
was also used to bury religious artifacts; in the 1920s,
when a fire had damaged the Sefer Torahs,
the burnt sections were gathered together and taken to
the cemetery for burial. Knesseth Israel hired a Soifer to replace the missing sections of the Torahs. Many of
the replaced pages’ letters were outlined but left
unfilled, so that members could participate in this mitzvah,
donating money to the shul for the honour of filling in
a phrase, a word, or a letter.
Today
Congregation Knesseth Israel remains true to its Orthodox
traditions. The congregation continues to perform services
in Hebrew and still relies on Orthodox siddurim.
In addition, a different congregant sponsors a Kiddush
after each service. While following these traditions,
Knesseth Israel is also unique in many ways. For instance,
the Synagogue has operated for more than 70 years without
a rabbi, the last being Rabbi
Mordecai Langner. Instead, the cantor and some
members lead the services. Currently, Cantor Howard Kamen
leads the services during the High Holidays.
In turn, husbands and wives are permitted to sit together
during many services outside of the High Holidays
at the Knesseth Israel synagogue.
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Rabbi Jacob Gordon (1924)
Rabbi Mordecai Langner with his wife Anne (c. 1930s)
Bar Mitzvah
invitation for Larry Marcus (March 26, 1950)
Financial ledger book (April 25, 1946)
Pincus
containing a Chevra Kaddisha
certificate (1910)
Receipt book for the Synagogue (September 20, 1950)
High Holiday seat ticket for male congregants (c. 1950)
High Holiday seat ticket for female congregants (c.
1950)
Advertisement in the Canadian Jewish News for Knesseth
Israel synagogue (August 29, 1975)
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