OUR HISTORY
1952 | Pre-establishment meeting held at Holy Blossom |
1954 | May: First meeting to organize a new temple is held at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Grosberg Summer: Student Rabbi Jordan Pearlson z”l is hired Fall: Members worship at the Asbury and West United Church and 3450 Bathurst St.Apartment serves as school and offices Apartment serves as school and offices Sisterhood is founded; Vera Pollock is first president Brotherhood is founded; Irving Seigal is first president Holy Blossom donates a Torah and offers $25,000 loan |
1955 | May: Land purchased and building fund established Fall: High Holy Day services held at Earl Haig Collegiate and Glendale Theatre First cantor, Irv Cramer, volunteers until 1960 |
1956-1958 | 198 members are signatories to first mortgage |
1957 | April: Ground-breaking ceremony is held June: Rabbi Jordan Pearlson z”l is ordained August: Cornerstone is laid; Harry Pollock is first President |
1958 | May: Membership reaches 367 families October: New building is dedicated |
1960 | July: Leo Kahane is hired as Director of Education Alan Blye is hired as Cantor for Shabbat and Holy Days and serves until 1966, Ray Jessel is Director of Music |
1962 | February: Tova Diamond becomes Director of Music March: First Bat Torah, Barbara Skulko April: Ed Goldfarb appointed Director of Education |
1963 | October: Temple Sinai section at Dawes Road Cemetery is dedicated December: Dedication of new school wing |
1964 | October: Membership at 536 families |
1966 | July: Nelson Spector is hired as first Executive Director |
1967 | Spring: Cantor Severin Weingort z”l is hired |
1968 | May: Holy Blossom loan of $25,000 is repaid |
1969 | Fall: New Chapel is dedicated |
1970 | September: Ben Steinberg becomes Director of Music |
1973 | January: Chevrat Torah begins to meet each Shabbat |
1975 | Michael Herzbrun is appointed Asistant Rabbi (1975-1978) |
1977 | Mortgage with Manulife retired New organ is purchased and installed |
1979 | Ben Kamin is appointed Assistant Rabbi (1979-1981) September: Temple Sinai’s 25th Anniversary celebrations |
1981 | July: Jeff Ablesser becomes Assistant Rabbi (1981-1986) |
1984 | May: Micki Brudner appointed Executive Director (1984-1994) |
1986 | July: Ned Soltz becomes Associate Rabbi (1986-1992) |
1988 | Dedication of new Social Hall and school facilities |
1989 | July: Dr. Ira Schweitzer hired as Director of Education (1989-2013) |
1990 | November: Temple ’s 36th Anniversary celebrations |
1992 | July: Michael Dolgin becomes Assistant Rabbi |
1994 | March: Rayner Conway is hired as Executive Director |
1995 | August: Commemorative weekend and tribute dinner honouring Rabbi Jordan Pearlson’s z”l forty years of leadership; named Founding Rabbi Rabbi Lawrence Colton appointed Interim Rabbi (1995-1997) |
1996 | April: Ben Steinberg retires as Director of Music and is named Composer-in-Residence November: Cantor Severin Weingort z”l retires and is named Cantor Emeritus |
1997 | July: Rabbi Michael Dolgin appointed Senior Rabbi August: Daveen Litwin appointed Assistant Rabbi (1997-2001) |
1999 | July: Donna Faye Dower appointed Cantor (1999-2000) |
2001 | July: Lori Cohen appointed Assistant Rabbi (2001-2008) |
2002 | August: Cheryl Appleby Jackson appointed Director of Development (2002-2003) |
2003 | April: Jack Kugelmass appointed Director of Programming and Leadership Development (2003-2006) July: Gershon Silins appointed Cantor and Director of Music (2003-2011) September: Debby Kassoy appointed Director of Development |
2004 | July: Erin Polonsky appointed Associate Rabbi (2004-2011) 50th anniversary celebrations begin |
2008 | Eleanor Steinman appointed Assistant Rabbi (2008-2011) |
2009 | Katie Oringel appointed Cantor (2009-2019) |
2011 | Ilan Emanuel appointed Assistant Rabbi (2011-2014) Daniel Mikelberg appointed Assistant Rabbi (2011-2019) Tamar Havilio hired as Interim Cantor (2011-2012) |
2012 | Charles Osborne appointed Cantor and Director of Music |
2013 | Daryl Chiang hired as Interim Director of Education (2013-2014) |
2014 | July: David Cohen hired as Director of Congregational Learning (2014-2017) 60th anniversary celebrations begin |
2017 | Carrie Swartz hired as Director of Congregational Learning April: Rabbi Michael Dolgin was honoured with a Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for 25 outstanding years of commitment, dedication, and service. |
2019 | May: Rayner Conway, Executive Director, was honoured for 25 years of service. Jordan Shaner appointed Assistant Rabbi Sharon Brown-Levy appointed Cantor (2019-2021) December: UJA Volunteer Excellence Awards |
2022 | February: Cantor Charles Osborne was honoured with an honorary Doctor of Music degree from The Jewish Theological Seminary. The honorary doctorate is awarded for many years of distinguished service and in recognition of outstanding cantorial achievements and dedication to an evolving Jewish musical legacy. |
“It started as a dream in the hearts of a few, and few were strong enough and dedicated enough to implement that dream so that it would be a reality for their children and their children’s children.” — Saul Wolfe z”l and Geri Wolfe
For over 60 years, Temple Sinai has been a dynamic Jewish centre located in mid-town Toronto. In October 1954, Temple received its first Torah and as membership started to grow, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) recommended a promising student rabbi, Jordan Pearslon z”l. Temple meetings were held in a second floor apartment over a hardware store on Avenue Road. It was there that members started actively talking about the need for a building. The building was completed in 1958.
Today Rabbi Michael Dolgin and Cantor Charles Osborne head up our team of skilled clergy, inspiring educators, and dedicated administrators. Temple Sinai has approximately 1,600 member families — from single households to large families. It is considered one of the leading Reform congregations in the country, not for its size, but for its moving worship services, challenging educational opportunities, pioneering music program, and above all, its warmth.