Shaarei Tzedec
The Shaarei Tzedec congregation was founded in 1902 and is the westernmost of the three Orthodox synagogues left in Downtown Toronto. In 1912, a number of families left Shaarei Tzedec, then on Centre Street, in a dispute over burial rites, and formed a new congregation, Chevra Rodfei Sholem, commonly known as the Kiever Shul.
Shaarei Tzedec has been located in a converted Victorian semi-detached house on Markham Street, near Bathurst Street and College Street, since 1937. The Markham Street Shul is one of the few remaining synagogues and the last remaining shtiebel of what were once dozens of small congregations in the area around Kensington Market, Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street - which was a vibrant Jewish area prior to World War II.
References
- ^ About, Shaarei Tzedec website. Accessed July 17, 2011.
- ^ "History" Archived 2011-10-23 at the Wayback Machine, Kiever Synagogue website. Accessed July 18, 2011.
- ^ "Jews of the old shul; Only three of the many small Orthodox congregations in downtown Jewish neighbourhoods remain - These synagogues are kept alive and often financially assisted by families with historical affiliations", Toronto Star, September 23, 2006.