Local pair creates book about former synagogue
In the summer of 1954, representatives of the Downsview and Winston Park communities got together and each contributed $1 to get the ball rolling. �After several months of door knocking, more than 200 families expressed interest in forming a congregation.
At the first general meeting held in October 1954 at Downsview Public School, more than 100 families contributed $5 and named themselves The West Wilson Jewish Community Centre.
The congregation voted 80 per cent in favour of a Conservative synagogue and renamed themselves Beth Am.
The next order of business was finding a property to house the congregation. The Ness Estate at Keele Street and Maryport Avenue, now the Rameses Temple Shrine Club, was bought for $35,000.
In 1976, after declining membership left the synagogue with only 258 families, the decision was made to close and merge with another congregation.
Beth Am joined with Beth David B'nai Israel in the Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue area in the spring of 1977, creating the Beth David B'nai Israel Beth Am.
The official sanctuary closure of Beth Am took place on Jan. 28, 1978, with the ceremonial transfer of Beth Am Torahs to Beth David.
About a year ago, Alan and Rosalyne Federman, two original Beth Am members, decided to piece together the history of the former congregation through old photographs and bulletins and created a 66-page book titled The Beth Am Story.
"I was looking through old bulletins and I became engrossed in it," Rosalyne told The Mirror from her Keele Street and Grandravine Drive home. "Alan was looking through old slides and we said you know, we should do something about this."
After speaking with some former members of the old congregation, the Federmans collected a pile of photographs to fill dozens of pages.
Rosalyne's colleague, Gerardo Patino, scanned all the material and designed the book.
"It kept growing from something that was supposed to be a leaflet," Patino said. "I am very excited about it."
Alan and Rosalyne received the first - and only - copy of The Beth Am Story last month and now they are hoping to raise $6,000 by the fall to print 150 to 300 copies.
"The old nucleus (synagogue membership) is slowly disappearing," Alan said, adding the book might appeal to children and grandchildren of original Beth Am members. "We want to preserve our history."
Beth Am also had an active drama group, The Beth Am Players, which performed 35 years of shows, including My Fair Sadie and The Mishikado, which is featured in the book.
"I feel we had the best years," said Rosalyne, who wrote and directed many of the productions. "When I look at the pictures, I think 'All these people gone'..."
For book inquiries, call the Federmans at 416-635-0563 or Beth David B'nai Israel Beth Am at 416-633-5500.
