Our History
Anyone who is exploring their Jewish faith and looking for a place that is authentic, unpretentious and accommodating, yet strong in its belief system and deep in its convictions, should experience Congregation Habonim.
Most of our early members were refugees from Central Europe. Their stories were varied: some were Holocaust survivors; some were part of the Kindertransport. All arrived in Canada after WWII and began to frequent the New World Club, an organization that was dedicated to helping these newcomers settle into Canadian life.
In 1953, they organized High Holiday services, and in 1954, they began to hold regular religious services with a distinctive style. This style preserved the ritual of Liberal Judaism, which was a mainstream religious force in Germany and Central Europe, positioned between Reform and Conservative.
In 1955, the Congregation was officially chartered. We began holding services in rented premises at 44 St. George Street, Toronto and then moved to the Borochov Centre on Lippincott Street. In 1958, the present building was rented, and then purchased in 1968. The building was demolished in the spring of 2018 and the new building plans to be completed in the fall of 2019.
