Advertisement
Food & Drink

What’s the story on that tiny cemetery on the east side of Pape, south of Gerrard?

Dear Urban Decoder: What’s the story on that tiny cemetery on the east side of Pape, south of Gerrard?—Elizabeth Hubert, Cabbagetown

Kensington Market is often thought of as the earliest hub of Hebrew immigration in Toronto, but in the mid–19th century, the city’s first Jewish community was focused further east. In 1849, Abraham Nordheimer, a piano maker with a burgeoning business on King Street East, and Judah G. Joseph, a jeweller and optician, purchased a 122-by-18-metre property on the outskirts of Leslieville for £20, creating Toronto’s first ever Jewish cemetery. About 200 interments would be carried out there in subsequent decades. By the turn of the 20th century, the community had moved on to other neighbourhoods, and there were few burials at Pape and Gerrard after 1930. But the little cemetery (now maintained by Holy Blossom Temple) remains, a last, poignant relic of Toronto’s earliest Jewish settlers.

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

"This movie is about the overlooked": K'naan Warsame on his first feature film, Mother Mother
Culture

“This movie is about the overlooked”: K’naan Warsame on his first feature film, Mother Mother