FROM THE EDITORS
Where We Live From the downtown core to the 905
In most major North American cities, it is very rare that a young Jewish couple ends up living in the same neighbourhood as their parents did. In most cases, those neighbourhoods have long been leſt behind for the suburbs or even another city altogether. Toronto is a sparkling exception to that generality. Te Annex, Forest Hill-Cedarvale and
the Bathurst Strip are as desirable commu- nities today for young families as they were for the previous generation. In fact, Jewish Toronto hasn’t budged too far over the past several decades. Or, as Ted Sokolsky, president and CEO of
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, explains: “Not many cities that tore down one JCC actually replaced it with a new JCC. Tey’re usually expanding and building elsewhere as community migrates.” He is referring, of course, to Toronto’s
Miles Nadal JCC and the new Prosserman Centre on Bathurst Street, just north of Sheppard Avenue, both reincarnations of community centres that once stood on the same sites. On the flip side, we really haven’t stayed
put, either. Proof of our expansion and mi- gration is the Lebovic Campus in Vaughan, a vast communal complex that is well un- der construction. It is an answer to the ever growing Jewish demographic in the 905 created by the influx of immigrants from Russia, South Africa, and Israel, not to men- tion migration from other Canadian cities and young Toronto born Jews gravitating to greater and more affordable space. Sokolsky says the move north represents
a sea change in Jewish life, making Vaughan the second largest Jewish community in Canada. “I bet,” he speculates, “the next census will reveal that the number of Jews living north of Steeles is greater than in all of Montreal.” While Jewish Toronto in the 21st century
still hovers close to the Bathurst corridor, we have indeed returned to the same turf we in- habited several generations ago when shuls, bakeries and delis dominated the Kensington and Spadina landscape. Not to mention the fact that doors with mezuzahs are still com- monplace in areas like St. Clair West and
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Bayview North, which are magnets for our community because of the great schools, services and amenities they offer. Like the other great ethnic enclaves of
our multicultural city, we have made our cultural mark on certain pockets of the GTA, but as much as those pockets have in common, they are each distinctive brands of Jewish life that offer a feel and flavour of their own. Toronto has become the third largest
Jewish population on the continent. Its changing realities, no doubt, provide the impetus for grandiose plans to offer several hubs of Jewish services and cultural life that span downtown, mid-town and Vaughan — a direct response to the sprawling nature of our community, using as Sokolsky puts it, “Architecture and city building to inspire a sense of Jewish community.”
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friday night VOLUME 2, No. 1
Publishers/Editors David Bale
david@fridaynightmag.com Paul Grossinger
paul@fridaynightmag.com
Art Director Adrian Doran
Editorial Intern Angela Rotundo
Advertising Sales Janie Bale
Joni Dulberg
Barb Wiseberg Contributors
Rachelle Bronfman, Jordana Divon, Missy Ezer, Kyle Gordon, Barbara Kay, Maiya Keidan,
Jessica Langer, Aaron Lightstone, Janet Mendelsohn Moshe,
Sarah Chana Radcliffe, Idele Ross, Miriam Streiman, Matthew Sullivan, Dan Verbin, Leonard Wise
Friday Night provides Toronto’s Jewish com- munity with information that is inspirational, thought provoking, entertaining and useful; information that further strengthens and unites. It celebrates Jews making an impact on our great city and the traditions and lifestyles that continue to bond Toronto’s historic, growing, thriving and passionate Jewish community.
David Bale & Paul Grossinger
The views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of Friday Night. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of Friday Night. The content of this publication is provided for the general guidance and benefit of our readers. While efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information at the time of publication, errors and omissions may occur. All rights reserved.
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