Private Jewish Walking Tours in Toronto

4.7 (10 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

10 reviews

4.7

Minsker Synagogue — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Explaining the neighbourhood — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

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.

Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Cultural Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Short term availability Weather Dependent - Low Agent Low Quality Product

At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–12
Guide: English
Operated by: Toronto Jewish Walking Tours

Ages: Infants (0–2 years) · Adults (3–100 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Occasional Yiddish language instruction

Itinerary

Art Gallery of Ontario

10 min Admission not included

The early history of Toronto's Jewish community through mass immigration of the late 19th-early 20th century.
Stop 2

7 min

Original character of the neighbourhood. Establishment of Jewish institutions, absorption of immigrants.
Stop 3

3 min

Government immigration policies, Jewish reaction to them.
Stop 4

4 min

Formerly Eitz Chaim school. Colourful characters in the school's history.
Stop 5

3 min

George Brown House. Some non-Jewish Canadian context. The Jewish history of the public school next door.
Stop 6

Passing by

We'll learn some interesting details about the commercial history of the street as we walk through it to Henry St.
Stop 7

10 min

Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, formerly the Henry Street synagogue. Synagogue architecture. Early synagogues and Toronto's first Jewish architects.
Stop 8

24 min

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.
Stop 9

26 min

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.
Stop 10

5 min

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

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Outside the main entrance

End point

The tour concludes in the heart of Kensington Market at the corner of Kensington Ave. and St. Andrew St.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.