01In brief
Congregation Knesseth Israel, also known as the Junction Synagogue, is a Jewish congregation historically recorded on Maria Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It established Lambton Hills Cemetery in 1910 at 1293 Royal York Road. The cemetery later developed into independently operated sections serving 13 synagogues and organizations, and JewishGen lists 379 burials in the section associated with the congregation.
02Overview and Location
Historical records place Congregation Knesseth Israel on Maria Street in Toronto. A 1954 study lists Knesseth Israel at 52 Maria Street, in census tract 3 and Area A, which the study defines as the older area of Jewish settlement south of St. Clair Avenue.[1] JewishGen's cemetery registry identifies the congregation as the Junction Synagogue.[2]
03History and Address Records
The available sources provide only limited institutional history. The Jew in Canada lists K’nesseth Israel Congregation at 350 Maria Street and names M. Greenblatt as president, but gives no founding date, membership figure, or further history.[3] A 1954 geographic study instead lists Knesseth Israel at 52 Maria Street, in census tract 3 and Area A.[1] The cited sources do not explain the difference between 350 and 52 Maria Street, so the discrepancy remains unresolved.
04Notable Site: Lambton Hills Cemetery
Congregation Knesseth Israel established Lambton Hills Cemetery in 1910 at 1293 Royal York Road in Toronto's Etobicoke district.[2] Parcels were later sold to other synagogues and Jewish organizations, and the cemetery came to comprise separate sections serving 13 synagogues and organizations, each independently owned and operated.[2]
The Knesseth Israel section lies at the north end of the cemetery roadway, north of the congregation's entrance gate, and consists of two areas.[2] A building beside the gate, at the southwest anchor of the original area, was erected on August 25, 1913.[2] JewishGen's registry lists 379 burials in the section.[2]
Sources
- 1Berman Jewish DataBank, Canadian Jewish Population Studies: Geographic Distribution Changes, Toronto, 1851–1951, accessed on October 1, 2026.
- 2JewishGen, The Global Home for Jewish Genealogy, accessed on October 1, 2026.
- 3Internet Archive, Full text of "The Jew in Canada, a complete record of Canadian Jewry from the days of the French régime to the present time", accessed on October 1, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is Congregation Knesseth Israel in Toronto?
Congregation Knesseth Israel, also known as the Junction Synagogue, is a Jewish congregation historically recorded on Maria Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is associated with Lambton Hills Cemetery, which it established in 1910, and with a section of that cemetery in which JewishGen lists 379 burials.
Where was Congregation Knesseth Israel located in Toronto?
Congregation Knesseth Israel was located on Maria Street in Toronto, in an area the sources describe as the older area of Jewish settlement south of St. Clair Avenue. Available records list two different street numbers — 350 and 52 Maria Street — and the sources do not explain the discrepancy, leaving it unresolved.
When did Congregation Knesseth Israel establish Lambton Hills Cemetery, and where is it?
Congregation Knesseth Israel established Lambton Hills Cemetery in 1910 at 1293 Royal York Road in Toronto's Etobicoke district. Over time, parcels of the cemetery were sold to other synagogues and Jewish organizations, and it grew to comprise separate sections serving 13 synagogues and organizations, each independently owned and operated.
What is the layout of Congregation Knesseth Israel's section at Lambton Hills Cemetery?
The Knesseth Israel section lies at the north end of the cemetery roadway, north of the congregation's entrance gate, and consists of two areas. A building beside the gate, at the southwest anchor of the original area, was erected on August 25, 1913.