Private Jewish Walking Tours in Toronto

More than just a recitation of facts gleaned from books or the internet, this tour goes behind the facades to talk about what went on in the buildings that we'll see, how the people who lived and worked in them dealt with one another and the larger, non-Jewish world. The tour guide lived in the area as a young man. He’s davened (prayed) in its synagogues, patronized its shops and restaurants, explored its past, lived some of its history, and even performed on some of its stages. He's a world class authority on Yiddish language and culture who has appeared on NBC’s Today show and NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

1. 1

   Art Gallery of Ontario

   10 min

   The early history of Toronto's Jewish community through mass immigration of the late 19th-early 20th century.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   7 min

   Original character of the neighbourhood. Establishment of Jewish institutions, absorption of immigrants.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   3 min

   Government immigration policies, Jewish reaction to them.

4. 4

   Stop 4

   4 min

   Formerly Eitz Chaim school. Colourful characters in the school's history.

5. 5

   Stop 5

   3 min

   George Brown House. Some non-Jewish Canadian context. The Jewish history of the public school next door.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   Pass by

   We'll learn some interesting details about the commercial history of the street as we walk through it to Henry St.

7. 7

   Stop 7

   10 min

   Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, formerly the Henry Street synagogue. Synagogue architecture. Early synagogues and Toronto's first Jewish architects.

8. 8

   Stop 8

   24 min

   Rabbi of the Henry Street Synagogue. 206 and 207 Beverley: Introduction to Cecil Street as institutional hub of the older Jewish community. 24 Cecil Street: Labour Zionist HQ and school. Its later political history. 33-58 Cecil Street: An overview of the Jewish organizations and institutions once housed here. Cecil Street Community Centre: The building's past as a synagogue and centre of traditional entertainment.

9. 9

   Stop 9

   26 min

   Northbound from Cecil St to the El Mocambo: The less traditional side of the neighbourhood. Spadina Avenue cowboys of the 1930s and '40s. Southbound, back to Cecil Street: Grossman's Tavern, commercial development on the street and the Spadina music scene. Spadina Avenue, west side at Baldwin Street: How Kensington became a market. Spadina, between Dundas and St. Andrew St: Yiddish theatre, delicatessens, dairy restaurants, and the history of the hat trick.

10. 10

    Stop 10

    5 min

    The Minsker Synagogue. St. Andrew St. as the neighbourhood in miniature. Labour Lyceum across the street. History of the synagogue, the first in the kensington area

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.