Steeles Memorial Chapel

Located on the border of North York and Vaughan, this funeral home has been in business for over 86 years. They do not use a lot of fancy graphics, communicating clear information about the services they offer and so forth. 

They break down the elements of a Jewish Funeral by translating the Hebrew and providing some context…

1. Shmirah - “Watching”. The departed are never left alone, instead observed by someone Torah-observant. He will recite Tehillim (Psalms) while performing his duty, accompanying around the clock until the time of burial. 

2. Tahara - “Purity”. Organized by the Chevra Kadisha, community members come together to wash and dress the departed. This activity is segregated by gender, with males taking care of males and females taking care of females. Jews are dressed in a simple burial shroud, tied in a series of symbolic knots. There are no pockets, foreshadowing the Next World (Olam Haba) that does include any sort of materialistic exchange. 

3. Wooden Casket - Simple enough, ensuring that everyone has exactly the same regardless of economic position. Funerals are not a time to prioritize luxuries, instead focusing on memory of the deceased. If someone wants to honour the memory of someone, the best bet is to ask the family for a preferred charity. 

4. Earth Burial - The Torah instructs us that we originally came from dust, and to dust shall we return. Like our beloved fore-parents, Jews too are instructed to obtain a burial plot, to serve as a reminder to future generations. The headstone is not to give pleasure to the Soul but instead inspire future generations to follow suit. “Dor Le Dor” Jews continue where their fathers left off, ensuring that the Light of the Almighty will shine whenever His People come together. 

They discuss grief counselling, something that should be seriously looked into. While we all experience the death of loved ones, we can choose to process the grief in different ways. Not everyone grieves the same way, each a reflection of the person and their unique relationship with the departed. It is important to find someone that you trust, someone that understands where you are coming from. This is not the time to give “lessons'' to someone, necessitating finding someone who shares the same ethno-religious background. When people are at their “weakest” they need people who can quickly understand what is going on, even if everyone isn’t spelt out. 

Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel

This is perhaps the most well known of the Jewish funeral homes in Toronto. I have been here several times, starting from a very young age. My father would perform the prayers for the deceased, discussing their story while integrating core Jewish prayers. I remember sitting in the family room, adjacent to the chapel. I later returned to this room as an adult, sitting with my family mourning the loss of my Zaydie. The decor is pleasant (and not overbearing), hosting a variety of comfortable seats and couches. 

Please take note that they are not using the chapel at this time, instead offering gravesite funerals only. I will change this article once it is made available.

It was founded at the turn of the last century, with Russian-immigrant Henry Benjamin migrating to Toronto. He found success as a grocery vendor, securing himself a transport wagon, a relative luxury at the time. An early member of the Chevra Kadisha, he volunteered his wagons to transport the departed, en route to their burial. This set the tone for the Benjamin family, now celebrating their fourth generation serving the Toronto Jewish Community. It is run by Michael Levitt, the husband of Barbi Levitt (nee Benjamin). Together with their two brothers–Marc & Jordan–they continue to serve the same community that Henry did, so many years ago. 

As rightly noted, Toronto is not only one of the most religious Jewish communities, it is also one of the most diverse. Jews come in all shapes, sizes, shades, heights, flavours, accents, and so forth. 

Without wasting your valuable time, let me give you some context.

Jewish people are people who originate in the Middle-Eastern region of Judea. When the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, many were slaughtered but many made it out. Some Jews joined the Roman trade routes and found themselves migrating from Israel-Rome-Germany/France-Eastern Europe-The West. Other Mispucha went with the Spanish explorers, conquering new lands and building meaningful relationships. The same goes for Ethiopia, Iraq, Morocco and so forth.

We were forced to flee, sometimes finding local people to assimilate into our community. We accept all true converts, those who join us in good faith and dedication. It provides me so much value, words cannot convey the rigor of this sentiment. If someone is interested in the Torah, this is a good thing. We have so many enemies, people that wish us harm and misery. The matara is to spread the Torah, not keep it secluded or hidden.

The Torah is True.

For All Time.

For It’s Giver is Truth.

Pursue Truth.

Chase Justice.

Find Peace.

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Hamilton has a sizeable Jewish community, hosting three different synagogues from different Jewish streams. There are quite a few Jewish cemeteries in Hamilton, some closed off and others open. 

For deaths in Hamilton (Niagara and surrounding region) contact the United Hamilton Memorial Chapel.