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A Short History of The Toronto Jewish Mission |
The following account of the first 100 years of The Toronto Jewish Mission is taken from a booklet by Lindsay Reynolds entitled A Short History of The Toronto Jewish Mission.
The Vision Launched
Histories have no absolute beginnings. The key event which appears to initiate a movement or enterprise is itself tied to earlier events and can be seen as their consequence. In the economy of Divine Grace, the hand of God may be seen working together for good in several seemingly unrelated prior events. So it has been, that the successful origin of a Gospel witness to the Jews of Toronto can be traced to the life-changing conversions of four Jewish men, two in Canada, one in Germany and one in the United States.
Our story goes back to the year 1855 when Rabbi Karl Freshman of Hungary landed at Quebec City to assume the leadership of the Orthodox synagogue in that city. Three years later, through the study of a German Bible, he was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, whereupon he resigned his office of Rabbi and renounced the Jewish religion. Soon, through the efforts of the local Methodist minister, he was led to faith in Christ as his Saviour. Almost immediately his whole family was converted, baptized and accepted into the Methodist Church. About a year later, he was ordained into the Methodist ministry and for the remainder of his life ministered chiefly to German language churches in Ontario. One of his sons, the Rev. Jacob Freshman, held various Methodist ministries in Ontario until, in 1884, he went to New York where he founded the Hebrew Christian Mission.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, there was a rising tide of public interest in the Biblical prophecies concerning Israel. Rev. Jacob Freshman of New York sent a letter to a "gentleman" in Toronto in which he wrote, "I expect (D.V.) to be in your city June 3rd. I shall preach, of course, on the Jewish question and (if the Lord will), appoint a brother to do a little mission work among the Hebrews of your city. I have written some ministers and if arrangements are confirmed then I will preach Sunday morning and evening and have a meeting or free lecture Monday." The purpose of the visit was clear enough, and it was not surprising that one of the ministers he wrote to was Dr. Kellogg. The other was Rev. Donald Sutherland of Elm Street Methodist Church. Freshman addressed these two congregations on Sunday, June 3rd. It is not known if Freshman had in mind a particular "brother" to head up a mission to the Jews of Toronto, or whether he had hoped that one would respond under the influence of his addresses. In any event, none emerged. Freshman had made it quite clear (perhaps based on his own experience in New York) that he considered the first requirement for starting a Jewish mission to be the appointment of a leader-missionary. Until this was done, it was his policy to recommend the formation of "Bands to pray and labour for the salvation of his brethren."
Our story must revert to the year 1864, when Hermann Warszawiak was born in Warsaw, Poland. As he came from a long line of Rabbis, he was brought up in accordance with the Talmud. At thirteen, he was startled when told by his father that from then on he would be held responsible for his sins. While studying the Pentateuch he took note that in order to receive forgiveness, the blood of a bullock without blemish had to be sacrificed. On inquiring, he was told that as there was now no temple, no such sacrifice could be made, but instead, prayers should be offered. This he could not accept. Then started a long, agonizing search for truth. During a visit from a local Christian pastor he was given a New Testament, which he read. He then began to wonder if Jesus could be the Messiah. After making known his views he suffered severe family opposition and finally rejection. Reaching Breslau, Germany, he met a missionary of the Free Church of Scotland, with whom he studied the Scriptures and through whom he believed, was converted and baptized. He then made his way to Scotland and finally to New York, in 1889, where he founded and led a thriving Jewish mission. Soon he started answering calls to address audiences across the United States, in which he urged the immediate formation of a Jewish Mission in every city that had a significant Jewish population. In this itinerant work he was nick-named, "The Little Messianic Prophet."
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Y.M.C.A. Hall, Toronto 1888-1912 - where the Toronto Jewish Mission was launched in February 1894. |
In February 1894, a large five-day international missionary convention was held in the Toronto Y.M.C.A. hall, then located at the corner of Yonge and McGill Streets. Crowds attended and over-flow accommodation had to be secured in nearby churches. Warszawiak delivered several addresses, including a detailed account of his long search for truth and his conversion to faith in Jesus-Messiah. The newspapers described this as a "fascinating account more enchanting than fiction." The convention ended at 10:45 on the morning of Saturday, February 17th. Immediately a call was made for all interested in "an active Christian work among God's ancient people, "to meet with Warszawiak in the lecture room of the Y.M.C.A. Three hundred ladies "plus men" attended the meeting, at which Rev. J. McPherson Scott presided. Warszawiak explained how his work in New York operated and several from the audience expressed their views on how a work in Toronto should be run. Some held that the first matter of concern should be the appointment of a leader-missionary of God's own choice, and suggested that more prayer was needed to determine this. Others noted that almost six years of prayer since Freshman's visit had not resulted in the emergence of a leader-missionary. They believed that the time for action had come.
A decision was reached to appoint a "committee" of seven clergymen and four laymen, who were charged to meet on Thursday, February 22nd, to take whatever action they deemed necessary to effect a ministry to the Jews. The "committee" met as scheduled on Thursday afternoon in the Y.M.C.A. library, at which time a new organization was formed, and a Council for its administration elected.
So, the Toronto Jewish Mission was launched.
The Vision Achieved
The formation of the Toronto Jewish Mission in February 1894 was certainly an accomplishment. However, there remained some gnawing questions. "When would a leader-missionary be found and who would he be?"
In July 1894 Hermann Warszawiak visited the Council to see if a leader-missionary had been appointed yet. Warszawiak returned to New York promising to find a leader-missionary for Toronto.
We must now revert to the year 1890, when Dr. E.S. Niles opened a mission house for Jews in Boston. One day a young Jewish man, by the name of Henry Singer, having responded to an invitation given at a street meeting, went to the hall where he heard more of the Gospel and soon openly confessed Christ as his Saviour. In a short time he had proven himself and was made chief assistant at the mission house. By 1895, Singer's reputation had become known to Warszawiak. With the blessing of Dr. Niles, Singer was offered the job in Toronto. He accepted, and arrived in Toronto with his wife in January 1896. At last, after an eight year struggle, a leader-missionary had been found for Toronto.
Singer's arrival in Toronto coincided with the renting of the first Mission headquarters on Bay Street. During the first six months, one hundred and two meetings were conducted as well as much "diligence in household visitations, in ministering to the relief of the needy, and the visiting and conversing with Jews in prison and hospitals."
In the two locations on York Street it was found difficult to attract Jews to services in the halls. However, street meetings were well-attended. His work also extended beyond Toronto. As early as 1899, active assistance was given to start a Jewish work in Hamilton. Similar assistance was given two years later to start a work in Ottawa and again a little later in London. When the hall on Centre Street was secured, although money had been given to purchase the property, the Mission, being unincorporated, could not own property. Steps to secure incorporation were taken. A year later, a Charter of Incorporation was obtained and the property purchased.
The hall on Centre Street was in the heart of the Jewish area. Sandwiched between a synagogue on one side and a Jewish used clothing dispensary on the other, it was no wonder that some opposition was experienced, particularly at the beginning. This largely subsided when the neighbours observed how concerned Singer was with the physical needs of the Jews. During the first year on Centre Street he started English instruction classes for the recent immigrants as well as conducting four hundred and seven Gospel meetings in the hall and numerous street meetings. In 1906 an arrangement was made with the Missionary Board of the Presbyterian Church of Canada whereby Miss Florence Tasker was placed with the Mission to visit women and children. She was given the title of "Bible Woman" and Singer was from then on known as Superintendent-Missionary.
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Henry Singer (tallest man in back row) poses with Jewish men about 1906. |
From about 1905 until the onset of the first World War, unemployment in Toronto was exceptionally high especially among recent immigrants. Using his contacts and devoting much of his time, Singer was able to find jobs in 1906 for six hundred and eighty-seven of his protégés. For the next eight years this figure never dropped below one hundred and twenty-five. This means that, among the many ways Singer devised to minister to the Jews, he earned a good name for the Mission.
After twenty-three years of service to the Toronto Jewish Mission, the Singers left the City in May 1919, to commence a Jewish work in Detroit, Michigan.
The work now entered an anxious fourteen year period of general decline, characterized by the absence of a superintendent, except for two brief interludes.
The year 1933 opened with a Conference in a Jewish district, lasting for three weeks, which featured former Mission Superintendent, Rev. Henry Singer of Detroit. Many Jews attended including an old Rabbi who thirty years previously had refused to walk on the same side of the street as Singer. His attitude had mellowed.
The Conference breathed new life into the Mission staff, who at once began to think of advance. While engaged in door-to-door visitation on Dundas Street, an empty store building (previously a tavern) was discovered at the corner of Dundas Street and Augusta Avenue. Complete with two upper floors of apartments, it was secured as the new Mission headquarters, and named "Peniel Hall" (where Jacob met God).
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New Covenant House, Wilson Avenue; Headquarters 1963-1972. |
The work progressed favourably at "Peniel Hall" until, in 1942, the continuing migration of the Jewish population in a general north-westerly direction necessitated another move, to the College Street location. This time, the new facility was named "Covenant House". However, for the same reason, this location would in time prove to be temporary. Twenty-one years later, in 1963, the Mission relocated to a Wilson Avenue store in North York, which was to bear the name of "New Covenant House". In 1971 the present ideal building, on Sheppard Avenue, was generously donated to the Mission by its former congregation, Victory Gospel Church. The ministry of The Toronto Jewish Mission continues to be faithful to the original mandate. Current methods have been incorporated into the present ministry in order to maximize the distribution of God's Word (Old and New Testaments).
