Toronto's Historical Plaques
at torontoplaques.com
Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques
Knesseth Israel Synagogue
Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted March, 2004
An Ontario Heritage Trust plaque can be seen in front of this building on the northeast corner of Maria Street and Shipman Street. The plaque gives us this information:
Plaque coordinates: 43.666383 -79.47545 |
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"The Junction Shul" was founded early in the 20th century in a building at the corner of Maria Street and Runnymede Road, with a congregation primarily of Polish and Russian Jews. As the congregation grew, construction of this building began in 1911 and it appears that services were first held here about 1913. Designed by the architectural firm Ellis and Connery, the exterior is simple and the interior evokes the splendour of Eastern Europe. Typical of orthodox synagogues, the hall of worship faces toward Jerusalem. The circular windows are divided into eighteen segments, the numerical value of the Hebrew word for life, "chai". This is now the oldest purpose-built synagogue building in Ontario still in use as a synagogue.
Related web pages
History of Jews in Poland
History of Jews in Russia
synagogue
Hebrew language
Related Toronto plaques
The Beach Hebrew Institute
The Federation of the Jewish Philanthropies of Toronto
First Jewish Congregation in Canada West
The Kiever Synagogue 1927
Original Site of Toronto Hebrew Congregation Holy Blossom
Pape Avenue Cemetery
Riot at Christie Pits
Young Men's-Young Women's Hebrew Association
More
Religious buildings
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