Knesseth Israel served more than just a religious purpose for the residents of the west-end of Toronto. The Synagogue also served a social purpose, drawing the Jewish residents of the Junction together in times of both merriment and sorrow. Many immigrant families, beginning their lives anew in a strange land, made the Synagogue the center of their lives.

Shortly after the shul was erected, the First World War began. The Synagogue became a place of refuge, prayer, and mourning. Residents, many of them of Polish and Russian descent, gathered to share stories of their past and of family members left behind in the thick of the fighting. During the War, the shul was used as a site for selling Victory Bonds. After the end of the War, war victims relief fundraising was held in the shul.

After the First World War, the Synagogue returned to a more jovial social atmosphere. For example, the Congregation had outings to High Park for summer picnics. Young boys who attended Shabbat services every Saturday, just as faithfully, met up afterward en route to the “Nickel Shows” to watch the newest movie releases. Many of these boys were also members of the Junction branch of the Jewish Boys’ Club of Toronto, which met at Humberside Collegiate for sports and other social events.

Perhaps the most established social role of the shul was the West Toronto Hebrew Ladies Auxiliary, presided over for most of its years by Lily Nikolaevsky. Fundraising was an ongoing mission for the Ladies Auxiliary who sought donations from congregation members and non-members alike. The Auxiliary held fundraising events for Jewish organizations on a regular basis, such as tea socials or annual bazaars that benefited many Jewish agencies such as: Youth Aliyah, the United Jewish Welfare Fund, or the Moess Chittin Fund. In addition, the Auxiliary contributed to non-Jewish agencies, such as the Red Cross and the Canadian Cancer Society.

Knesseth Israel was therefore not only concerned with the spiritual well-being of its members. The congregation also made sure to provide its members with a comfortable social atmosphere, as an additional support system for new immigrants and long-time residents alike.

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