Holy Blossom Temple strives to be welcoming and accessible to all. If you need something to fully participate in the Temple that is not listed below, please be in touch with Marni. Please also share any feedback with us; we are committed to growing and becoming more and more welcoming and accessible to all. Questions about the administration of AODA policy can also be directed to Marni.
Contact Marni Turner, Director of Membership and Community Engagement at [email protected]; at (416) 789-3291 x 232, or by stopping by her office.
Please put in 1950 Bathurst St as your destination/pick up address, and then add the instruction “Please use Ava Road parking lot and entrance.” If you are waiting for a Wheel-Trans pick-up, please feel free to wait at our Welcome Bench right inside the Ava Road entrance by the Welcome Desk. If you choose to wait in the Holy Grounds Cafe or the Atrium, please introduce yourself to the front desk staff so they can notify you when your vehicle has arrived.
TTC Bus #7 (the Bathurst bus) makes stops at both Ava Road and Dewbourne Road. The Ava Road bus stop is about 100 meters from Holy Blossom’s accessible Ava Road entrance. Additionally, we are 1.2 km from the Eglinton West subway station.
We have multiple reserved spaces for people with Accessible Parking Permits in our Ava Road parking lot. These spaces are about 15-25 feet from an entrance to the Temple. During the High Holidays, all parking spaces in both the Ava and Dewbourne parking lots are reserved for people with Accessible Parking Permits.
ASL Interpreters may be available upon request. Please be in touch with Marni.
Assistive listening devices are available in the Main Sanctuary. Please ask the greeters for help if needed.
Large print versions of current flyers are available. Please contact Deanna Levy at [email protected] to request this. Magnifiers are available inside of the Main Sanctuary, next to the prayerbooks.
Holy Blossom Temple strives to be an accessible facility, with wheelchair access throughout. There is an elevator that serves all four floors of the Temple, and there are accessible washrooms with on the lower level, first, and second floors. These washrooms have automatic door openers, are single-stall and not gender-specific, are large enough for someone using a wheelchair and an attendant, and contain changing tables (one second floor washroom has a changing table made to support an adult). The washrooms on the third floor are not accessible and are gendered.
Many doors throughout the building have automatic door-opening buttons. Not all doors currently do, but more are being added. One workaround to get through heavy doors without buttons is to cross through the elevator (i.e. go from 3 to 3R).
There are glass windows and doors throughout the building that can be a challenge to navigate. They have small decals on them, but these decals are sometimes not clear enough. We are aware of this and working to fix it. If the glass presents an issue for you, please ask for help at the front desk and we will have someone help you navigate the building.
Children are a welcomed and cherished part of our community. There are books and toys available throughout the building, including in prayer spaces. There are also highchairs available on the lower level (these can be moved to other floors upon request).
Parents are welcome to breastfeed at all events and activities. Additionally, the lifecycle room is often available as a private room. If you need assistance finding a private place to nurse, please ask the front desk staff.
Holy Blossom Temple will make every reasonable effort to ensure that its policies, practices, and procedures are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity by:
Holy Blossom Temple shall provide congregants and members of the public with the opportunity to provide feedback on the service provided to people with disabilities. Feedback forms along with alternate methods of providing feedback such as verbally (in person or by telephone) or written (handwritten, delivered, website, or email), will be available upon request.
Cantor Sheldon Merel z”l
Dear Holy Blossom Community,
It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Cantor Sheldon Merel Z”l. Cantor Merel served our beloved Holy Blossom Congregation with tremendous dignity and honour for 10 years from 1969-1979. While I did not have the pleasure of knowing Cantor Merel well, I did meet him earlier this year on a Zoom call. He was truly a sweet singer of Israel, he was known for his majestic voice and menschlichkeit personality. He elevated the music of our congregation for almost a decade and was succeeded by our Cantor Emeritus, Benjamin Maissner.
I want to share with you some words posted by the President of the American Conference of Cantors along with a reflection from Cantor Maissner.
The family has requested a private Funeral and Shiva and I have been informed that there will be a public memorial service in the near future. We will provide details as they become available.
May his memory forever be for a blessing.
Zichrono livracha,
Cantor David Rosen
President of the American Conference of Cantors:
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Reflection from Cantor Benjamin Maissner
Dear Friends and Congregants,
It is with great sadness that I have to bare the heartbreaking news that our former beloved Cantor Sheldon Merel passed away last night. I arrived at Holy Blossom Temple shortly after Shelley left to return to the west coast. I succeeded a giant in the field. Shelly was really a sweet singer of Israel. He embodied the highest level of our calling in the Art of the Shaliach Tzibur; the emissary of our people.
Cantor Merel served this congregation with love and devotion. He was a hard “act” to follow as his glorious voice, calming temper and sweet personality endeared him to the entire congregation. He was learned, musical and had excellent taste as he catered the sacred song of our people and elevated the prayer text to a very high level.
Shelley had an extremely busy and dignified career for over forty years since he left our congregation and returned to the west coast in San Diego. In his advanced age, well into his 90’s he still sang like a bird every High Holiday in his beloved home congregation. Many of our members still remember Shelly with great love and admiration. Shelly came back to our Temple for concerts. It was an honour for me to sing with him and stand beside him as I listened to his sweet Neshama shine through as he put his heart into our sacred song.
May his memory be for a blessing to all who knew him
Both Cantor Rosen and I sadly mourn his passing.
Yehi Zichcon Baruch,
Beny
1950 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5P 3K9
(416) 789-3291
[email protected]
Emergency Funeral Contact
Cell: 416-565-7561
Founded in 1856, Holy Blossom Temple is Toronto’s first synagogue with a rich history of tradition and modernity in our religious and spiritual expression.