Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks
11818 Bathurst Street L6A 1S2 Vaughan, ON, Canada

Our virtual dedication event last Sunday was a hit! It was an honour to pay tribute to THMP founder, Sidney Freedman + previous president, William C. Draimin, z’l, and their families. Freedman and Draimin expected no recognition for their contributions to our organization and the GTA Jewish community. They were motivated only by delivering the mitzvah of burial to Jewish families from all streams of Judaism. Speaking from our Assembly Building and Hall, Freedman reminded us ...that #cemeteries are full of life stories, marked by granite stones that ask us to remember. As we visit ancestors and speak to [their] stones, Freedman remarked, they speak back to us. The poignancy of his words and what both men provided multiple #Jewish generations will forever be felt. Thank you to all who participated in making Sunday so special. We hope to share more highlights next week. Photos: Left, Draimin and Freedman, 1991; Right, Draimin and Freedman, 2016. Horst Herget Photography.

Tomorrow, THMP Executive Director, Howard Mammon, moderates Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals panel Grave Disputes: The Law of Dead Bodies in Ontario, on who has the authority to direct funeral and burial arrangements. It’s not as straightforward as you think! We love participating in education opportunities and we’re looking forward to hearing from speakers Barry Corbin, THMP Board Member and Chair of our Rules Committee, and Jason Ward of WARDS Law...yers PC. #cemeteries Bereavement professionals and others can register here: https://bit.ly/3eVSYbN. Photo: OACFP Cemetery Administration Training, November 14, 2019, Cambridge, ON. Panel included Michael D'Mello Bereavement Authority of Ontario, John O'Brien https://m.facebook.com/HamiltonCathCem/, Laura Eccles Arbor Memorial Inc., and Howard Mammon Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks.

THMP mourns the loss of Emeritus Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, ztz’l. Rabbi Sacks embodied hope and humanity and believed every person can make a positive impact. This message resonates for us since #cemeteries propel us to self-improve as we consider how we will be remembered. We think #RabbiSacks would have liked how THMP guides young people in considering legacy at our youth education workshops. One of the Rabbi’s daughters writes that her father encouraged her to craf...t her own obituary in order to forge my path in life, so that I should be suitably remembered after it. He encouraged that in all of us to ask, what do we live for? For what will we be remembered? Rabbi Sacks will be remembered as an extraordinary leader, thinker, and unifier within the #Jewish community and beyond and leaves behind a legacy for all to learn from. May the Rabbi’s memory be for a blessing for always. The Office of Rabbi Sacks Read more from Dina Sacks here: https://bit.ly/36wyGl6.

Staff spotlight! Meet THMP Site Operations Manager, Jim Emery. Jim joined us in 2009 with 21 years of facilities management experience and an educational background in athletics. At first, Jim says cemetery operations was a whole new world, but it quickly became fulfilling work. His biggest reward is knowing it’s a mitzvah to facilitate interment and maintain cemetery grounds. Jim emphasizes the importance of maintaining Jewish burial and visiting gravesites. He sees techno...logy like THMP’s grave-finding app as a way to continue these traditions and support the future of cemeteries, allowing people to visit virtually and in new ways. We are extremely fortunate to have Jim’s professional expertise and safety-driven leadership. Keeping everyone safe is his priority and we see him meet this challenge head on as he implements safety protocols in the constantly evolving, high-stress situation of Covid-19. Jim says education and continued vigilance are key as the sector navigates the second wave. Although he doesn’t expect recognition for his work, we’re calling itJim is a frontline worker who stays on the job to maintain our cemeteries and provide safety and respect to families in need. Thank you, Jim, for the significant and positive impact you make on our organization every day and in service of the GTA Jewish community. Learn about THMP’s grave-finding app: https://bit.ly/32uF3UV.

Let’s remember Canadian Jewish war veterans. We remember the late Lieutenant Myer Tutzer Cohen. Here’s a photo of his monument at Pape Avenue Cemetery, Toronto’s first Jewish cemetery, established in 1849. Cohen was a Jewish officer from Toronto who died in 1917 at Passchendaele. He was 23 and awarded the Military Cross for bravery. He is among hundreds of Jews in the Canadian Armed Forces who served and offered their lives. His monument honours this sacrifice with a red pop...py on its back side + Star of David for King David, who led Israel’s army. Cohen was outlived by his mother, Anna, and father Moses, who was an optician. We learned about his story on a walking tour of Pape Cemetery, co-designed and led by THMP Communications Committee Chair, Susan L. Brown, run by the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centrebut paused due to the pandemic. We look forward to joining again when it is safe to gather and pay respect to those who established our Toronto Jewish community and defended our freedoms. Pardes Shalom has a military organization section for this purpose and our Memorial Garden is another way to commemorate veterans who are buried elsewhere or have no known burial site. Lest we forget. #rememberanceday #rememberanceday2020 For information about our Memorial Garden, visit: https://bit.ly/3kQi9ib.

We’re looking forward to our virtual dedication event on November 15. Presented through an innovative digital platform, we will celebrate Sidney and Dawn Freedman, and William (z’l) and Judi Draimin, for their monumental contributions to our community. Please let us know, by messaging us by November 9th, if you would like to join us! Photo credit: William Draimin (z’l) (left) and Sidney Freedman (right), November 2016. Horst Herget