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Rabbinic Reflection: Rabbi Yael Splansky

Operation Rising Lion

 

Act One

On Thursday, June 12th, Prime Minister Netanyahu went to the Kotel and wedged a note in the cracks between the ancient stones.  The next day, Israel’s Air Force and Mossad launched their pre-emptive strikes against Iran.  What was written on that slip of paper?  A verse from Numbers 23: “Look, a nation like a lioness will rise up, and like a lion he raises himself.”

Act Two

According to the Torah, these words were first spoken by a foreign prophet, who was hired by the enemy king, Balak, to curse the Israelites.  The idolatrous prophet, Bilaam, intended to curse the people, but God replaced his words with words of blessing instead.  From the hilltop, Bilaam looked down on the Israelite camp in the valley below and offered an unintended blessing over them: “Look, a nation like a lioness will rise up, and like a lion he raises himself.”  This blessing describes how Israel will defend herself with strength and determination when enemies wish her harm, then and now.

Act Three

Now I understand that this daring operation was named “Rising Lion” for another reason.  It is a message to the people of Iran.

I remember offering a prayer at Mel Lastman Square for the first local gathering after October 7th. The thousands who gathered that night, including many congregants, were still in shock and on edge.  Snipers were stationed on the surrounding rooftops, and police were everywhere.  A few people brought flags of Israel and Canada, but the flag that received the most attention that cold night was an enormous flag made of red, green, and white and featuring a lion with a sword.  There was a murmur among passersby, asking one another: What is this flag and who are these people who have come to stand with us in our hour of distress?  They were Persian Canadians who fled Iran before, during, or after the revolution of 1979.  I have seen them and their proud flag at every demonstration and rally for solidarity with Israel since October 7.

Israel is urging the people of Iran to rise up like a lion against Khomeini and his Islamic regime, so they, too, can be free from terror.

Act Four

In 1938, when Holy Blossom Temple moved from downtown on Bond Street to 1950 Bathurst Street, antisemitism was fierce.  They built our grand façade with two lions, guarding the heavy oak doors that lead into our sanctuary.  The lion is the symbol of the tribe of Judah, from which most of today’s Jews descend.  It is the symbol of Jerusalem, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Judah and the capital of today’s Israel. 

How can we take courage now from this ancient symbol of the Jewish People?  What message of strength was the Holy Blossom of the 1930s sending to future generations?

Four Things We Can Do Now

  1. Reach out. It’s time again to reach out to family, friends, colleagues, former Shinshinim or long-ago acquaintances in Israel.  Reach out even to people you haven’t connected with in a long time.  It doesn’t matter how – email, phone call, WhatsApp, or social media. Any expression of care and concern will remind them that they are not alone.  And please tell them that we at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto are keeping them in our constant prayers.  This will help to assure them that we see this history unfolding now is one shared story.  It will help to reinforce the ties that bind us from here to there and back again.
  2. Housing. Click here for the call to action from our Advocacy Committee. Thousands of Israelis can’t get home and are in need of housing.  And similarly, if you have a dear one in need of housing in Israel, please follow the link, so that our sister congregations there can welcome them in.
  3. Tzedakah. Please follow this link to three organizations which are providing rapid response and support for those with immediate and urgent needs.
  4. I hope you’ll join us for Shabbat at Holy Blossom Temple.  We will draw strength from one another and through our prayers, we will create a Sukkat Shalom, a canopy of peace, over Israel and all her inhabitants.  We pray this is not the start of a new war, but the end of an old one.

עושה שלום במרומיו הוא יעשה שלום עלינו ועל כל ישראל
ואמרו אמן

“May the One who makes peace in the high heavens, cause peace to descend upon us and upon all of Israel and all the world. And let us say: Amen.”

 

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Advocacy @ HBT: The week of June 20, 2025

Host Stranded Israelis in Canada

Dear Members and Friends of Holy Blossom Temple,  

As you may have read, when the war with Iran broke out on Thursday, it left 100,000 Israelis stranded abroad. While the Israeli government has begun taking steps to bring stranded Israelis home, Ben Gurion Airport and Israeli airspace remain indefinitely closed.   

You can help by offering temporary housing!   

Hosting our brothers and sisters at this moment of crisis is not only an act of generosity and love, but also a mitzvah without compare- הכנסת אורחים, hachnasat orchim.   

We hope that you will get involved, as this is one way in which Canadians can make a significant, personal, and human difference in this ongoing conflict.   

🕊️ Bayit Beyachad Emergency Hosting Network   

✅ Safe, secure, and coordinated with Israel’s Foreign Ministry 
✅ Hosts and travellers fill out a short form 
✅ Volunteers are matched with those in need  

💙 Please share widely and support this urgent act of care!  

CLICK HERE TO GET INVOLVED 

Note: When registering to help, please adjust your response using the drop-down menu to indicate that you are in Canada.  

You can also assist Canadians currently in Israel  

Additionally, we know many of you might have Canadian family or friends in Israel right now, either on programs or visits. Some may be ‘stuck’ there, experiencing the current reality, since there are no outbound flights scheduled at this time.  

The staff and leadership of IMPJ (the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism) can reach out to them personally. Please send their contact information directly to Anna Avital ([email protected]).  If they are Holy Blossom Temple members, please also copy Marni Turner, our Interim Director of Membership and Community Engagement ([email protected]).  Please make sure to include the phone number that your family and friends are using (whether local or international), and IMPJ will try to check in with them, connect them with local congregations and generally just make sure they feel safe in their home away from home.  

We draw strength from our communities, our values, and from you, our friends and partners around the world. We will get through this together.  

  

The Holy Blossom Temple Advocacy Committee   

Click here to learn more about the Advocacy Committee  

 

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Rosh Chodesh Tammuz: Honouring Matilda Bigio z’l

Rosh Chodesh Tammuz: Honouring Matilda Bigio z’l

Thursday, June 26, 7:30 am

Tammuz (Tamuz) is the fourth of the 12 months of the Jewish calendar, counting from Nisan. It means “heat” like a glowing furnace, which is very appropriate (for this season) as the sun is more radiant and at its height. It also signifies “Transformation” and “Redemption.”

Why? Understanding that the previous month, Sivan, which was considered the ‘Giver’ of the Torah, G/d gives the commandments to the Jewish people, and during the month of Tammuz, as Moses went up the mountain, we then represent the “Receiver” of the Torah.

The limb of the month is the Right Hand, which has a practical application used to celebrate Shabbat and to help us love G/d by following the 248 positive commandments.  Zodiac sign, Cancer (Crab) has a shell that hosts a body that grows and when the shell breaks, metaphorically speaking, ‘breaks the mould’. Meaning we too can change and transform.

Tammuz is an appropriate month to honour Matilda Bigio z’l, and as we know more about her life and her accomplishments, she taught us that after all her tragedies, she transformed her life and chose to do as many mitzvoth as she could, which earned her well-deserved recognition.

Join Women of Holy Blossom in sacred worship for Shacharit services followed by a light breakfast on Thursday, June 26, 7:30 am. Worship with us here!

 

A tribute to Matilda Bigio z’l by Linda Neufeld

A Woman of Valour—Who Can Find? From the Book of Proverbs, 31:10:31

Being a woman of valour means faithfully living out her gifts, talents and passions for the good of those around her. Who can find her?

Matilda Bigio was definitely a Woman of Valour!

In preparing to honour Matilda, I reached out to her grandson, Samuel, whom she adored. Samuel wrote, “I think about my Nana often for so many reasons. Kaylyn and I had a baby girl, and we named her Mayla Matilda. Recently, Mayla has been able to fit into many of the beautiful knitted cardigans that my Nana used to make and donate. She had set some aside with the intention that one day she would have a great-grandchild who would wear them. Funnily enough, they are all girl colours. I tell everyone that my Nana KNEW we would have a girl somehow all those years earlier. I am so touched that you and Sisterhood (now Women of Holy Blossom) would think to honour my Nana in this way. She would absolutely have loved that.”

Samuel continues, “I would just say that, despite the many tragedies of losing her children and her husband, Matilda pushed ever forward in life with a sense of resilience and strength to be reckoned with. She poured herself into her community through volunteerism—through Temple, friendships, and groups like Sisterhood. She understood the importance of belonging, community, and religion, and never questioned her faith. She was loved and missed dearly by many and especially her two grandsons, who think of her often. Thank you for honouring and remembering her in this way.”

Matilda was born in Cairo, Egypt, to European parents. She grew up with three brothers in a villa with servants. Her first language was French, but she would later learn English, Italian, Arabic, Yiddish, and a little Greek. She was seventeen years old when she met Henry, who was fourteen years her senior. It was love at first sight, and they married. The family— including ten-year-old Nancy and eight-year-old Andre—immigrated to Canada in 1956. They were fleeing from Egypt following a revolution in the country.

Matilda’s life was about to come crashing down. At the age of sixty-two, Henry died of a brain tumour. Just eight years later, Nancy died of brain cancer. Then, ten years later, a brain tumour killed Andre, who left behind two young sons, Samuel and Benjamin.

Matilda used to say, “I have had a hard life, believe me, but volunteering and bringing comfort or a smile to people in distress makes my life worthwhile.” Matilda was strong-willed and painfully honest.

At a time of life when most people would be taking it easy, she had no intention of slowing down.  Every week, she visited patients at Villa Colombo, where she comforted them by speaking Italian; she also visited Baycrest Hospital in the palliative care ward because she spoke Yiddish.

Because she volunteered more than 1,700 hours, Matilda received the Provincial Ministry of Culture and Citizenship Senior Achievement Award on Oct 28, 2009.

At Holy Blossom, every week for many years, Matilda sang in the Temple choir and volunteered in the Judaica Shop and Out of the Cold. She also knitted cardigan sweaters for baby namings, led weekday evening worship services, and was the Sisterhood Correspondence Coordinator, sending handwritten greetings, birthday, and get-well cards!

Matilda also volunteered at Mount Sinai Hospital and travelled to Israel to teach English to new immigrants.

Matilda was my friend and a true role model for many of us. She exemplified strength and courage. For someone who had experienced so much loss and grief in her life, her ability and commitment to giving so much to others and to her community were remarkable. She is missed by many and will be remembered by us all. Matilda was the epitome of a Woman of Valour.

May Matilda Bigio’s Memory be for a Blessing.

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Advocacy @ HBT: The week of June 11, 2025

Advocacy @ HBT: Nova Festival Exhibit Extended

A Call for Reflection and Connection 

We’re pleased to share that the Nova Festival Exhibit in Toronto has been extended! This extraordinary exhibit has touched hearts and opened minds, providing a profound space to reflect on resilience, community, and the strength of the human spirit. 

The Nova Festival Exhibit sheds light on the tragic events of recent history, offering a sobering yet inspiring view of the impact of hate and the power of hope. Through its thought-provoking displays, it emphasizes the importance of standing together against division, ignorance, and bigotry.  

This exhibit isn’t just a moment for personal reflection—it’s a chance to create meaningful dialogue. Inviting non-Jewish friends, colleagues, or neighbours to experience the exhibit is a powerful act of advocacy. By sharing these stories, we foster understanding and deepen connections across communities, reminding others of the importance of unity in the face of adversity. 

The extension of the Nova Festival Exhibit is a unique opportunity, but it won’t last forever. Make plans to visit, bring a friend, and share in the transformative power of this experience. Together, we can use this exhibit as a tool for education, empathy, and solidarity. 

Learn more about the exhibit here 

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Rabbinic Reflection: Rabbi Yael Splansky

I am writing to you today to ask that you join your voice to mine in the World Zionist Congress elections. Founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, the WZC is the parliament of the Jewish People. This is the most important election you likely never heard of.

Until June 15th, we, Canadian Jews, can help allocate five billion dollars over the next five years. These funds will help to shape future directions for the State of Israel, for Jewish life throughout the world, and for our own community here in Canada.

How? By voting #2 ARZA REFORM.

VOTE NOW

Twelve leaders from Holy Blossom Temple, including me, are represented on this slate. When you vote for ARZA (Association for Reform Zionists of North America), you are voting for your own Jewish values.

  • If you want Israel to recognize the Jewish status of Reform Jews and to recognize our marriages and conversions, VOTE REFORM.
  • If you want Israel to provide funding for Reform congregations and Reform rabbis, as it does for Orthodox congregations and rabbis, VOTE REFORM.
  • If you want Israel to protect the rights of women, of non-Jewish citizens of Israel, of LGBTQ+ individuals and families, VOTE REFORM.
  • If you want Israel to prioritize funding for community-based development within the Green Line, VOTE REFORM.
  • If you want the WZC to invest in strengthening the bridges between Israel and the Diaspora, VOTE REFORM.
  • If you want to ensure that synagogues, schools, and summer camps like ours continue to welcome Shinshinim (young Israeli ambassadors), VOTE REFORM.

This election is very important. The stakes are high. I hate to say it, but it’s true…If you do not vote, you are forfeiting your vote to Jewish extremists who do not share our vision for the Jewish future.

When you ask yourself: “What can I do for Israel and the Jewish People?” This is it. Please do two things TODAY.

  1. Go to arzacanada.org for instructions on how to vote. 2 minutes and 2 dollars is all it takes to make your voice heard.
  2. Then tell your family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues to do the same. ANYONE who is Jewish, Canadian, and over 18, is eligible and invited to participate. Please share a “Get out the vote!” message on social media and every way you can to broaden our reach.

Nearly three thousand years ago, when the First Temple stood in Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah dreamt of a Jewish future and was willing to work for it. He said:

לְמַ֤עַן צִיּוֹן֙ לֹ֣א אֶחֱשֶׁ֔ה וּלְמַ֥עַן יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם לֹ֣א אֶשְׁק֑וֹט
For the sake of Zion I will not be silent.
For the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still.

Thank you for joining me in working for our shared commitment to Israel and for our shared Jewish values. Am Yisrael Chai!

Rabbi Yael Splansky
Senior Rabbi
Baskin-Garson Senior Rabbinic Chair
Holy Blossom Temple

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Advocacy @ HBT: The week of June 6, 2025

Advocacy @ HBT: Standing Strong for Jewish Students and Campus Inclusion

This week, join us in advocating for the rights of Jewish students in schools and on campus, and advocate for the reform values by voting in the World Zionist Congress Elections  

  • Support Hillel’s Petition to Address Antisemitism on Campus
  • Demand Action for Jewish Students: Call for Accountability from the TDSB (Note: email link is Mobile only)
  • Your Vote Matters in this upcoming WZC

Support Hillel’s Petition to Address Antisemitism on Campus

Hillel Ontario is urging the community to address a troubling increase in antisemitism at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). These incidents jeopardize the safety and inclusion of Jewish students on campus. Despite this, TMU has gone ahead and appointed an interim dean of undergraduate students who has a repeated history of antisemitic posts. Dr. El-Masri has repeatedly engaged with and spread extreme antisemitic content on his X profile and has referred to Hamas as a “Palestinian Resistance”. Sign the petition and stand with us in demanding immediate action to stand against this hiring. Sign the petition today! 

Demand Action for Jewish Students: Call for Accountability from the TDSB

Jewish Educators for Fairness and Accountability (JEFA) has issued a critical call to action regarding the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). While antisemitism in TDSB schools continues to reach record levels, with 15% of all reported hate incidents targeting Jewish students, the board has deferred its antisemitism strategy for years. 

Instead, the TDSB has fast-tracked its response to anti-Palestinian racism, despite no documented cases in the last school year. This glaring disparity in priorities leaves Jewish students vulnerable and unsupported, forcing families to remove their children from public schools. 

We must demand better. Jewish students deserve action, not empty promises. Stand with JEFA and send a message to the Minister of Education, urging intervention to ensure TDSB decisions are data-driven and student-focused. Click here to take action now!  

Your Voice in the World Zionist Congress Matters 

The upcoming World Zionist Congress (WZC) elections are your chance to make a lasting impact on the future of the Jewish people. The WZC shapes policies, allocates resources, and ensures that Jewish values remain at the forefront of global priorities. 

By voting, you advocate for issues that matter to our community—combating antisemitism, supporting Jewish education, and strengthening the connection between Jews in Canada, Israel, and worldwide. Please click here and vote for the ARZA Reform slate.  

Learn more about Advocacy @ HBT and how you can make an impact here 

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Holy Blossom & Cantor Maissner Music Archives

Holy Blossom Temple & Benjamin Z. Maissner Music Archives Update

As the summer approaches, I am thrilled to share with you an update regarding Holy Blossom Temple & Cantor Benjamin Maissner Music archives.

Over the past six years, a dedicated team of volunteers has been working diligently to categorize, scan, and organize an immense amount of material, some dating back well before Cantor Maissner’s tenure. The committee overseeing this effort has been led by Jill Kamin and Gillian Rosenberg, whom I want to publicly acknowledge and thank for the tremendous number of hours they have devoted to this initiative.

A major milestone has just been reached: we recently received a letter from Dr. Amalia Kedem, Music Curator at the National Library of Israel (NLI), officially accepting the Cantor Beny Maissner and Holy Blossom Music Collection. This extensive archive includes digital music copies, commissioned works, posters, manuscripts, and much more. As Dr. Kedem expressed in her letter:
“The close cooperation of Holy Blossom Temple and NLI was instrumental in creating a shared understanding of the importance of the collection itself as well as of its significance for the preservation of Jewish liturgical tradition at large.”

This vast collection will soon be accessible not only to those who visit the National Library in person but also to ethnomusicologists and Jewish music enthusiasts worldwide via digital access. Once the files are fully integrated and made available, we will continue to share updates as our collaboration with the NLI progresses.

Meanwhile, the Holy Blossom Archives Committee has retained select materials to remain in-house. These will be curated for access by our congregation and the broader community. Any additional materials will be shared with institutions such as the Abraham Geiger College in Germany or other deserving recipients. We expect this portion of the work to be completed by the end of the summer.

As we transition to the next phase of this project, I am very excited to share with you the latest addition to the archive collection…
In 2020, there were 8 Cantors and Cantorial Soloists who gifted Cantor Maissner with a commissioned piece of music in honour of his 41 years of service to Holy Blossom Temple and to the Cantorate and Jewish Music at large. We commissioned Cantor Jonathan Comisar, who is a wonderful cantor, composer and teacher at the DFSSM at HUC. The piece was intended to be performed at the retirement celebration of Cantor Maissner, and of course, Covid put a harsh stop to an in-person celebration, and at the tim,e there was not enough time or resources to make a recording happen in real time. The recording of this masterful piece finally became a reality this past month.

I would like to share with you a link to an audio recording of the piece as well as a short excerpt about the piece from the composer, Jonathan Comisar himself. The piece is entitled “L’Dor Vador”-from Generation to Generation

Listen Here

“When I first spoke to Cantor David Rosen over five years ago about commissioning a choral work in honour of Beny, we decided on L’dor Vador: from the Kedusha section of the Amidah. (“To all generations, we will declare Your greatness; we will sanctify Your greatness with triumphant praises. Your praise, our God, shall never depart from our mouths forever and ever– because You are God and a Kind, great and holy. Blessed are You, Adonai, the holy God.

This text’s inherent message of transmitting Torah to the next generations would be a fitting tribute to Beny–especially as a gift from 8 Cantors whom Beny mentored and supported and kvelled over. So the core text is L’DOR VADOR, but I wanted to include quotations from other sacred texts to reflect the diversity of Beny’s professional career and role as Cantor, Choir Director, Teacher of Torah, and Jewish leader in the world. To reflect these different roles, I included the texts:

  1. “V’shinantam l’vanecha v’dibarta bam” from V’ahavta
    (And you shall teach (words of Torah) to your children and speak to them….
  2. “Shiru LAdonai chadash, shiru LAdonai kol ha-aretz” (from Psalm 96)
    (Sing to God a new song, sing to God all the earth)
  3. “Kol ha-n’shama t’haleil Yah” (from Psalm 150)
    Every soul (everyone who has breath) praises God

THE MUSICAL TEXTURE:
I intended to bring together the 8 voices of the singers who commissioned the piece: Three women and 5 men (Two sopranos, one alto, three tenors, a baritone, and a bass). Because Beny has been a proponent and lover of choral music, I also endeavoured to create a piece that would have melodic accessibility together with compositional sophistication.’

Two other highlights to the piece are that Eric Abramovitz, principal clarinetist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, plays the clarinet part for this recording, and the second is the ending or chatimah.

He adds: “The chatimah — the final seal of the prayer — quotes from ‘O Canada’– the nation’s National Anthem. Since Beny has had a huge impact on the Jewish community of Toronto and, by extension, the larger Canadian Jewish community, it is the final jewel in the crown of Beny’s legacy expressed in the work.”

I am also pleased to share with you that Cantorial soloist Lindi River and I personally visited with Beny a few weeks ago to present him with the recording. He was very touched by it, and it brought
him great joy and an uplift as he continues to endure aggressive treatments for his battle with cancer.

I hope you enjoy the recording, and may we continue to make and create beautiful music at Holy Blossom for many generations to come.

B’shira
Cantor David Rosen

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Joyful Connections at Dunfield Place

Joyful Connections at Dunfield Place

Dena Perlmutar, Holy Blossom Bikur Cholim Committee

On May 5th, representing the Holy Blossom Bikur Cholim Committee, Gwyneth’s Girls (TheGG’s) performed for residents of Dunfield Place, where several HB members reside. This is the second time the GG’s have sung at the Dunfield.

The musical repertoire included a vintage Yiddish lullaby, “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav”, and many pieces from the big band era, such as “Chattanooga Choo Choo” as well as Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “I’ve Got a Crush on You.”

One of the highlights of the concert took place when Gwyneth turned her music stand around and encouraged the audience to join the GG’s in a sing-along. This received an enthusiastic response from the audience, as did the whole performance, evident from the smiles and toe tapping.

Many thanks to Gwyneth Sestito, who you will recognize as a long-time member of the Holy Blossom professional choir, and often as conductor of Temple Singers during services.

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🌈Pride at Holy Blossom: Sacred Celebration

🌈 Pride at Holy Blossom: Sacred Celebration

By Rabbi Eliza McCarroll

 

June is Pride Month. As we affirm the place of LGBTQIA+ individuals and families in our sacred community, we recall the notion from the Book of Genesis that we are all created “B’tzelem Elohim,” in the image of the Divine. 

 To me, this means it is incumbent upon us to learn about, respect, and support one another, that we may live in a world of greater love and understanding. 

With that in mind, we are happy to share a number of online events and resources from our partners at the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) in honour of Pride Month.

Please feel free to take a look and to share with your networks and communities:

  • Six Ways to Support Your Trans and Non-Binary Grandkids: Practical guidance for affirming and supporting your nonbinary grandchild.
  • Pride & Joy Live (June 4, 8pm ET): A vibrant virtual celebration of LGBTQ+ Jewish life, featuring artists, musicians, storytellers, and drag performers.
  • Special Topics in Being a Parent (June 11, 8pm ET): A conversation with S. Bear Bergman on parenting insights with a queer lens, open to all.
  • Queer Torah with Joy Ladin (June 18, 7pm ET): Explore Torah through a trans perspective in this beginner-friendly session.

 All registrations and further details can be found at: https://reformjudaism.org/beliefs-practices/lgbtq-inclusion 

Whilst we stand with our queer Jewish community every day, we are excited for our own Pride event at Holy Blossom, as we celebrate our annual Pride Shabbat! 

Join us on Friday, June 20th, at 6 pm, for a vibrant evening celebrating the joy, resilience, and spirit of queer Jews in our community. Featuring the fabulous Canadian-Israeli drag queen Gila Munster, the energy will be high, and our spirits will be uplifted.

More details and registration HERE

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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.

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