A Little About Our "Pride"...

You are wondering, as you consider joining our Synagogue, what exactly is the Pride of Israel Sick Benefit Society? Are we not just another Synagogue, with its beginnings in a shtebl, a small basement type shul, somewhere downtown?

Not exactly. So, to understand what we are, we have to take you back to a time very different from the one that we live in today. A time of harshness, a time of loneliness, a time of ardent individuality. When it was survival of the fittest, and every man for himself. The time was the turn of the century. As the waves of immigrant Jews approached the shores of this land, they encountered obstacles every step of the way. Life was difficult in a world filled with anti-Semitism. They came to a land full of potential, but so many of them were poor and destitute. Making a living was no simple matter.

As the 1920's closed off and the 1930's began with a worldwide depression, life was harder than ever. Without help or intervention, a family would be left to fend for themselves. Unlike today, this was a world without social safety nets, a world without OHIP and unemployment insurance. In this backdrop, we can see the roots of the Pride of Israel Sick Benefit Society.

The society was founded in 1905 in a house on Chesnut St. (McCaul and Dundas) by a group of caring Jews who looked to aid their fellow Jew in time of need. If a person was ill, the society would provide a doctor and send the patient money to tide them over until they recovered. As time progressed and the society grew, an Actzia, or Credit Society, was formed to give its members access to money in order to start a business or simply pay for groceries.

There are literally hundreds of stories out there from people who will tell you that without the Pride of Israel Credit Society they would have gone hungry, or even homeless. At one time, millions of dollars was on loan until the Credit Society disbanded in the 1980's. But in an era of easy credit, it was no longer a viable instrument to help people. The society cared for and fed the ill, looked after the orphaned, buried the dead, financially backed the community, and provided a networking group to help immigrants. It also became a recognized leader in the city, and its members developed strong attachments with each another. Groups such as the Young Woman's Group, the Young Men's Group, the Sisterhood and many other special interests generated activity from all over.

In the 1940's, as the Jewish community began its move up north, the Pride went too. First to Spadina Avenue where the Sick Benefit Society (or SBS) formed a Synagogue so its members could pray together. Then to Wilson Avenue, and finally, in 1969, a building was completed on Bathurst Street just south of Steeles Avenue to provide a Synagogue and a home for the Society. It is this very building that is still in use today.

We take tremendous pride in our roots. It is a foundation that was built upon Chesed, kindness and caring, the spirit of which is very much alive and well today in the organization. With our innovative programs such as a Kosher Food Bank for the needy, and a Summer WorkFare program for poor Jewish children, we continue on with the unique message and tradition of our ancestors - to care, to love and to provide. This is what the Pride of Israel is all about.

The Pride of Israel Synagogue is a Traditional Conservative Synagogue that is not affiliated in any way with the United Synagogue Conservative movement. We are a growing 750+ family community that has pioneered the existence of Canada's only year round Kosher Food Bank to aid those less fortunate. Additionally, we sponsor an interesting Adult Education program, Hebrew School of 100 students (and growing!), counseling, scholarships and diverse singles programming. Our synagogue's community is both young and communicative, and understands the unique challenges that face Judaism and Jewish Toronto in the coming millennia.

Why not come and join us for a service or a class?