Adath Israel Congregation, Conservative synagogue in North York, Toronto, Canada
Adath Israel Congregation is a Conservative synagogue in North York, Toronto, located on Southbourne Avenue and serving the community with prayer services and religious education. The building functions as a gathering place and center for religious practice for families in the area.
The congregation was founded in 1903 by Romanian Jewish immigrants and relocated to its current North York location in 1957. This move reflected the growth and development of Toronto's Jewish community in the post-war period.
Founded in 1903 by immigrants from Romania as the First Roumanian Hebrew Congregation Adath Israel, the synagogue keeps that origin in its name and in its Conservative ritual. Cantor Eli Kirshblum served the congregation for 42 years before retiring in 2009, when Australian-born Cantor Alex Stein took the role.
The synagogue stands at 37 Southbourne Avenue in North York, north of the Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue area. Visitors should arrange a visit in advance with the office, since entry is controlled for security. The building is served by Toronto Transit Commission buses on nearby Bathurst Street.
In March 2018 Adam Cutler became the first Toronto-born rabbi to lead the congregation, a shift from decades of leaders who came from elsewhere. He followed Steven Saltzman, senior rabbi from 1989 until his death in September 2014.
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