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.
The early history of Toronto's Jewish community through mass immigration of the late 19th-early 20th century.
Original character of the neighbourhood. Establishment of Jewish institutions, absorption of immigrants.
Government immigration policies, Jewish reaction to them.
You will make your own way to the meeting points