Herman Ladovsky, restaurateur par excellence, whose hallmark smile and friendly greetings to patrons at United Bakers, many of whom became friends and part of his extended family, died January 6 (2002). He was 89. Now in its third generation, United Bakers Dairy Restaurant has been an important landmark in the history and growth of the…
Tag: JEWISH TORONTO
Eaton Centre, office towers, replaced ‘shtetl’ of 1911
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Today it has office towers, swank restaurants and hotels, the main bus terminal, city hall and the Eaton Centre but in 1911 it was where most of Toronto’s 18,000 Jews lived — in fact it was the one district in the city where Jews outnumbered any other people. And as Stephen Speisman reminded a conference…
Tikkun Olam: Ve’ahavta intent on ‘repairing the world’
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Representatives of Ve’ahavta, a Canadian Jewish humanitarian and relief organization, are being credited with pioneering a method of treatment that drastically reduces HIV transmission from infected mothers to newborn babies in sub-Saharan Africa. Ve’ahavta medics in field clinics in Zimbabwe have devised a system for administering the anti-HIV drug AZT that costs about (US) $5…
Obit: Rabbi Jacob Mendel Kirshenblatt (c1904 – 2002)
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Rabbi Jacob Mendel Kirshenblatt, a spiritual leader and longtime teacher who taught thousands of bar and bat mitzvah students, died in Toronto on March 6, 2002. He was 98. Rabbi Kirshenblatt was honoured in February by Beth Sholom Synagogue and Congregation Beth Haminyan at a tribute dinner attended by many of his former students. Leslie…
Obit: Edmund Scheuer (1847-1943)
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Father of Reform Judaism in Canada dies at 93 Well-known philanthropist, educationist passes after street-car collision Edmond Scheuer, 95, one of Toronto’s oldest and best known citizens, died Friday (July 2, 1943) in St. Michael’s hospital following a collision with a street car at MacPherson Avenue and Yonge Street. Mr. Scheuer retired from the jewelry…
Fighting to get married: two Jewish marriages
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The course of true love never did run smooth, as the Bard said, a sentiment confirmed by these two articles from Toronto newspapers in the pre-WWI era. The first story below appeared in The Globe of December 25, 1907: * * * Bells Did Not Ring Free Fight in Synagogue instead of Wedding Detectives and Policemen…
J. S. Granatstein runs for alderman, 1906
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The following article, which appeared in the Toronto Star of December 8, 1906, highlights the fact that Toronto Jews did indeed get involved in municipal politics, even in the relatively early period of their citizenship in our free and democratic Canada. In an interview with the Star, aldermanic candidate J. S. Granatstein presented his views…
Obit: Rabbi David Ochs (1905-1985)
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Horav David Ochs who died recently (1985) in Toronto after a prolonged illness, will be remembered for his unfaltering dedication to halacha and his commitment to outreach in the community. Rabbi Ochs was active in the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Jewish Vocational Service and many other organizations but believed in the separate integrity of Kashruth…
Toronto Jewish community celebrates 100 years (1956)
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When Judah Joseph, an English-born Jew, settled in Muddy York in 1838 and set up shop as an optician and watchmaker, little did he dream he was the forerunner of a vigorous community of 75,000, the third largest Jewish community in the British Commonwealth. It is now (in 1956) celebrating its 100th anniversary as an…
Clanton Park’s rabbi set to retire after 30 years
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Clanton Park Synagogue will honour Rabbi Yitzchok Kerzner and his wife Rebbitzen Bash Kerzner at a tribute dinner on May 7 (2002) at Paradise Banquet Hall. Well known for his knowledge of halachah and for his many contributions to this city’s Jewish community, Rabbi Kerzner is retiring from his pulpit duties at Clanton Park after…
