1 Founding of Knesseth Israel Synagogue

Established in 1909 by Russian Jewish immigrants, Toronto’s Knesseth Israel Synagogue initially held services in a private home on Maria Road. The congregation was founded by Jewish refugees of anti-semitic pogroms in Russia (1903-06) who settled in The Junction neighbourhood of Toronto due to its busy commercial activity. In 1910, the trustees of the congregation purchased a plot of land in an existing cemetery on Royal York Road, and construction of the Maria Street synagogue was begun in 1911. The establishment of Knesseth Israel, known locally as The Junction Schule, fuelled a rise in Jewish settlement in the area, with nearly 200 Jewish residents in The Junction by 1920. From 1924-39, Rabbi Mordecai Lagner led the congregation and was Knesseth Israel’s only fulltime rabbi. Following the Second World War (1939-45), many congregation members left the area and relocated north of the city; services were only offered on high holidays. Knesseth Israel continues today, albeit on a smaller scale, as one of the oldest operating synagogues in Toronto.

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