Since its establishment in 1912, the Kiever shul has had an important religious role in the Toronto Jewish community. Both the services that the Synagogue offered as well as the contributions of the congregation have strengthened the community’s Jewish identity.

In its infancy, the Kiever had no formal religious leader. As a result, members of the congregation led religious prayer services. Although none of them had any formal cantorial or rabbinical training, these members had the basic experience necessary to conduct the Ashkenazic Orthodox services. One of the members, Herschel Litvak, who owned a furniture store on College Street, became the cantor for the shul. Rabbi Solomon Langner was the first ‘official’ rabbi to lead the Kiever. Nevertheless, although Rabbi Langner served the congregation from about 1929 until his death in 1973, he was never truly hired. He did not receive a salary, but rather supported himself and his family from donations and compensation that he received for specific services he performed, such as bris milot, marriages, and funerals. Between 1973 and the mid-1990s, Rabbi Sheldon Steinberg took over the role of religious leader of the Kiever.

Over the years, the Kiever provided many religious services. Rabbi Langner and Rabbi Steinberg had officiated numerous bnei-mitzvah and weddings at the Synagogue. In the 1930s and 1940s, Fischel Cooper led a youth minyan in the social hall in the basement of the shul. In 1924, the congregation also established a burial society, or chevra kaddisha, that was responsible for the religious rituals involved in preparing the body for burial. The congregation also purchased a burial section in the Dawes Road cemetery, so that Jews would be buried according to Jewish laws and traditions.

In addition to the importance of the rabbis of the Kiever, the cantors played an integral role in contributing to the services through song. Herschel Litvak was the first cantor for the Kiever, but only served for a few years. Since then, other cantors have included J. Rosenberg (1950s), Yitzak Weiss (1960s), and Harry Federman (1970s).

Furthermore, the members of the Kiever made great contributions to the Jewish community. Most members were involved in some way in promoting Judaism, whether it was by giving their children a religious education or by personally helping with Jewish causes. The Kiever and its individual members have certainly made a tremendous contribution to the Toronto Jewish community.

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