Beach Hebrew Institute | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Conservative Judaism |
Rite | Nusach Ashkenaz |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
Leadership | Moshe Saadon (Cantor) |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | 109 Kenilworth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, |
Country | Canada |
Location in Toronto | |
Geographic coordinates | 43°40′10″N 79°18′06″W / 43.669323°N 79.301592°W |
Architecture | |
Type | Church |
Style | Vernacular |
Date established | 1919 (as a congregation) |
Completed |
|
Specifications | |
Direction of façade | East |
Materials | Brick |
Website | |
beachhebrewinstitute |
The Beach Hebrew Institute, also known as Beth Jacob Congregation (transliterated from Hebrew as "Beit Knesset Beit Ya'akov"), is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in The Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, in Canada. Founded in 1919 as an Orthodox Jewish congregation, the members purchased their current building—a former church—in 1920, and renovated it in 1926.
Following World War II the congregation declined. The members considered selling the building in the 1970s, but a campaign to save it led to its receiving much needed repairs, and the 1982 designation of the building as a site of historical importance by the City of Toronto. An influx of younger, more liberal families, led to the congregation becoming an unaffiliated egalitarian Conservative congregation.