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Offered languages
- English
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.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Outside the main entrance
The tour concludes in the heart of Kensington Market at the corner of Kensington Ave. and St. Andrew St.
Itinerary
-
1Art Gallery of Ontario
The early history of Toronto's Jewish community through mass immigration of the late 19th-early 20th century.
10 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
2
Original character of the neighbourhood. Establishment of Jewish institutions, absorption of immigrants.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
Government immigration policies, Jewish reaction to them.
3 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
Formerly Eitz Chaim school. Colourful characters in the school's history.
4 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5
George Brown House. Some non-Jewish Canadian context. The Jewish history of the public school next door.
3 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
We'll learn some interesting details about the commercial history of the street as we walk through it to Henry St.
Admission ticket free -
6
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, formerly the Henry Street synagogue. Synagogue architecture. Early synagogues and Toronto's first Jewish architects.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7
Rabbi of the Henry Street Synagogue. 206 and 207 Beverley: Introduction to Cecil Street as institutional hub of the older Jewish community. 24 Cecil Street: Labour Zionist HQ and school. Its later political history. 33-58 Cecil Street: An overview of the Jewish organizations and institutions once housed here. Cecil Street Community Centre: The building's past as a synagogue and centre of traditional entertainment.
24 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8Spadina Avenue
Northbound from Cecil St to the El Mocambo: The less traditional side of the neighbourhood. Spadina Avenue cowboys of the 1930s and '40s. Southbound, back to Cecil Street: Grossman's Tavern, commercial development on the street and the Spadina music scene. Spadina Avenue, west side at Baldwin Street: How Kensington became a market. Spadina, between Dundas and St. Andrew St: Yiddish theatre, delicatessens, dairy restaurants, and the history of the hat trick.
26 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9
The Minsker Synagogue. St. Andrew St. as the neighbourhood in miniature. Labour Lyceum across the street. History of the synagogue, the first in the kensington area
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
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Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Show more
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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