Bathurst Strip By Dan Verbin “Te most exciting part of being a Jew-


ish artist is living downtown and all the people that are making culture move,” says Aviva Chernick, a member of the popular Jewish roots band, Jaffa Road, that was nominated for a 2010 Juno Award. She’s right. Jewish culture is on the move


downtown. Both the Ashkenaz Festival and the Toronto Jewish Film Festival emerged from this vibrant neighbourhood, while an- other popular staple includes Sunday brunch at Te Free Times Café, where Jewish musi- cians (e.g., Klezmer bands) play to crowds of all ages. It’s no secret that life for Toronto Jews be-


gan downtown, a little south of the Annex, in Kensington market. At the turn of the century, Jewish immigrants flocked to Victo- rian homes, either opting to sell their ware out of living rooms and front porches or to work for nearby factories. Streets were full of butchers and live animals, bakeries and fresh challah and a community of people who stuck together through hard times. Te Christie-Pits riot in 1933 exemplified


the Jewish spirit in this community, when a five-hour street brawl ensued aſter the op- posing non-Jewish team at a junior soſtball game provoked local Jews with makeshiſt swastikas. Tough this iconic riot brought the Jews and their friends closer together, they gradually abandoned the area for bigger homes farther north. So, it’s only fitting that this downtown


community should be restored to its former glory. According to a report on Canada’s 2001 Census, the downtown core’s Jewish population (5,875) has been slowly increas- ing over the last few decades. As such, it is no surprise that every synagogue, commu- nity centre or restaurant in the neighbour- hood has a unique, yet similar, spirit — one full of hope that the growing and vibrant Jewish culture here will only get bigger.


When the first residents began moving into the newly built Lawrence Manor single fam- ily dwellings along the Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue intersection in 1951, the northwest corner didn’t have much of Jewish presence. But there was a herd of cattle. Globe and Mail food critic Joanne Kates


According to a report on Canada’s 2001 Census, Toronto’s downtown core’s Jewish population has been slowly increasing over the last few decades


has written longingly about her childhood growing up here 60 years ago, saying, “It seemed almost a straight line from a shtetl in Ukraine to Bathurst and Lawrence.” She described Bathurst as having a “gravita- tional” pull on the community. Today, the Bathurst Strip area from


Bathurst and Lawrence to Bathurst and Sheppard boasts numerous community landmarks. It is known far and wide for its vibrant Jewish cultural life. Tere are kosher and Jewish-style delis and bakeries; kosher restaurants and shops and Judaica; ample green space at Earl Bales Park; Shaarei Tefil- lah Congregation, Temple Sinai and many smaller synagogues; and a sizeable Orthodox and Chasidic community attracted by the close proximity to Jewish institutions. “Te rhythm of life on Bathurst Street is like no other in Toronto,” says former longtime city councillor Howard Moscoe, whose Ward 15 includes the southern portion of the area


from Lawrence to Wilson Avenue. Lawrence Plaza, has been a big draw for more than 50 years. When the strip mall opened in 1953 on the corner


of Bathurst and Lawrence, it was one of the first shopping centres in Canada. It at- tracted not only bargain hunters, but also Queen Elizabeth whose post-war visit to the plaza was meant to give hope to a Ca- nadian landscape still scarred by memo- ries of war. Today, it features the renowned United


Bakers Dairy restaurant, a place perfect for having Sunday brunch with friends and family that brings back those warm child- hood memories of bubbie’s delicious old world gefilte fish and blintzes. Te area is also home to one of the oldest


Jewish delis in North America. Pancer’s still prepares its own meat daily from a unique family recipe that dates back generations. Te area’s Jewish character is readily ap-


parent on a Friday evening: “From Friday at sundown to sundown on Saturday, Bathurst becomes a walking street,” says Moscoe, who calls it “a place to meet and schmooze.” Te former councillor even had special


traffic signals installed so that no one has to push a walk button during Shabbat. “It’s the community equivalent of a Shabbat elevator,” he adds. With Bathurst lined by apartment build-


ings and the connecting side street flanked by mid-century housing, property values in the area are soaring now that redevelopment is in the air. Te tiny bungalows of the 1950s are being slowly replaced by monster homes, many purchased by large Orthodox families. Gentrification means that accommoda-


tions are becoming unaffordable for lower and middle incomes. Many young Ortho- dox families are finding no option but to move to New Jersey, according to Moscoe. But with the renewal of Lawrence Heights – the public housing project is slated to be replaced by a mix use neighborhood of af- fordable and market housing combined with retail units – comes a new opportunity for a whole new generation of Jews to expe- rience the sights and sounds of what is truly a unique pocket of the Toronto community. “Te area is bursting at the seams and I hope that relief is in sight,” said Moscoe. fn


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