At the turn of the nineteenth-century, a small group of Jewish residents in the Junction held services at 303 Maria Street, a modest house situated on the most densely populated Jewish street in the Junction. As the congregation grew, the need for a proper synagogue became a pressing issue. To many Junction residents, an erected site of worship was viewed as a measure of success for a neighborhood of working-class Jewish immigrants. Once built, the Knesseth Israel synagogue became the center of religious life for the area’s Jewish families during the early decades of the twentieth-century.

Adherence to religious law was a concern to the new Jewish residents of the Junction. Although language and ethnic differences existed within the community, the Jewish residents’ commonality lay with their adherence to Orthodox traditions. As such, the Synagogue not only served a religious purpose, but a social and communal one as well. The Synagogue’s multiple role was clear during the opening ceremonies of the Knesseth Israel synagogue in 1912, when several members of the congregation shared in the honour of parading the Sefer Torahs around the neighbourhood amidst music and friends.

Initially, the shul functioned under the part-time and voluntary guidance of Rabbi Jacob Gordon, one of the most prominent and well-respected rabbis in Toronto. Rabbi Gordon was on hand for the dedication ceremony in 1912 and later oversaw the religious painting of the Synagogue. Rabbi Gordon showed great interest and enthusiasm for the shul. However, as membership grew and its coffers increased, the Executive of Knesseth Israel decided to hire a full-time spiritual leader to handle the daily religious needs of the congregation.

Rabbi Mordecai Langner had migrated to Maria Street from his native Poland in 1924, with his wife Anne, whom he had married five years prior. That same year, Rabbi Langner became the first and only full-time rabbi of the Synagogue. In addition to his rabbinical work, Rabbi Langner also acted as cantor during the High Holidays. He served as Knesseth Israel’s rabbi until 1939, at which time he left the Junction and began a new synagogue on College Street. Rabbi Langner was never replaced by the Synagogue following his departure.

Knesseth Israel celebrated many important religious ceremonies over the years, some festive and some mournful. Every week the congregation would gather for Shabbatservices, unlocking the siddurim and tallisot from the pews on which they sat. bar mitzvahs, aufrufs, and weddings punctuated the weekly observances that brought the congregation together, and gave reason for special celebration. On some occasions, the congregation would show their goodwill by showering the persons being honoured with candies and nuts.

In contrast, death was also an ever-present aspect of congregational life and those attending early morning services at the Synagogue often witnessed the pegging together of wooden coffins. Representatives of Congregation Knesseth Israel purchased the cemetery, located at the Lambton Mills Memorial Park on Royal York Road in Etobicoke, one year prior to the land for the Knesseth Israel synagogue. The Burial Committee of the Knesseth Israel Executive administered the cemetery, which was an essential component to the proper functioning of the shul. Full members of the Synagogue, each paying monthly dues, had claim to a plot in the Synagogue’s cemetery and a cost-free burial service. The cemetery was also used to bury religious artifacts; in the 1920s, when a fire had damaged the Sefer Torahs, the burnt sections were gathered together and taken to the cemetery for burial. Knesseth Israel hired a Soifer to replace the missing sections of the Torahs. Many of the replaced pages’ letters were outlined but left unfilled, so that members could participate in this mitzvah, donating money to the shul for the honour of filling in a phrase, a word, or a letter.

Today Congregation Knesseth Israel remains true to its Orthodox traditions. The congregation continues to perform services in Hebrew and still relies on Orthodox siddurim. In addition, a different congregant sponsors a Kiddush after each service. While following these traditions, Knesseth Israel is also unique in many ways. For instance, the Synagogue has operated for more than 70 years without a rabbi, the last being Rabbi Mordecai Langner. Instead, the cantor and some members lead the services. Currently, Cantor Howard Kamen leads the services during the High Holidays. In turn, husbands and wives are permitted to sit together during many services outside of the High Holidays at the Knesseth Israel synagogue.

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