With the Jewish New Year upon us, Holy Blossom, one of Toronto's oldest and largest synagogues in the city, is set to get a major renewal. Founded in 1856, the synagogue at 1950 Bathurst St., is considered to be one of Canada's most influential synagogues and has more than 7,000 families today including: Onex founder and chairman Gerry Schwartz, and wife, Indigo CEO Heather Reisman; businessman Joseph Rotman; and former National Bank co-chairman Lawrence Bloomberg.
Torontonians might remember the controversy a few years back with the proposed $50 million synagogue renovation that never quite happened. The proposal was to shift the main sanctuary's orientation to face east (like they do in most synagogues). Holy Blossom's sanctuary faces west. The restoration project never took place.
The new project will be completed by Diamond Schmitt Architects (a firm who recently won acclaim for their Corus Quay Living Wall Building and voted one of the best workplaces in Canada), and construction is set to begin next year.
New renderings for the proposed synagogue renovations.
· Holy Blossom renewal project [Holy Blossom]
· Sick Kids gets a Bay Street Tower, Diamond Schmitt Architect [Globe]