THE LANDSCAPE OF SEWSH TORONTO: AN EXAMINATION OF LANDSCAPE AS A REFLECTION OF COMMUMTY A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Guelph by ANNE KAROLYN RENNERT Ln partial fulfüment of requirements for the degree of Master of Landscape Architecture December, 1998 O Anne Karolyn Rennert, 1998 National Library Bibliothèque .nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Billiographic Services senrices bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A OIJ4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de rnicrofiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in thïs thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author' s ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. THE LAN-DSCAPE OF JEWISH TORONTO: AN E-NATION OF LANDSCAPE AS A REFLECTION OF COMMUNITY Anne Karolyn Rennert Advisor: University of Guelp h, 1998 Professor N. Pollock-EUwand This nudy presents a mode1 for the examination of landscape as a reflection of conununity and explores the distinctiveaess of Toronto's Jewish landscape in order to gain insight into the Life of the city's Jewish community. The study focuses on two centres of Jewish life in Toronto: 'the Ward' and the neighbourhood of Spadina Avenue. the hean of Jewish Toronto during the early 20~century: and the neighbourhood of Bathurst Street. the cwrent centre of Jewish population. Using mapping, archival documents and photographs, hinorical accounts, and direct observation, the study identifies the distincti\.e landscape characteristics of the old and new Jer~ishenclavx and compares the landscape characteristics of the two periods. It demonstrates that the early community of East European Jewish immigrants and the contemporary Jewish community have much in common and niggeas that the landscapes of the old and new Jewish enclaves reflect a shared meaning olcommunity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 would like to thank Nancy Pollock- Eliwand for her enthusiasm, thoughtfuln ess, care, and patience throughout al1 stages of this project. I wouid also iike to thank GiI Stelter for his valuable input and encouraging e-mail messages, Stephen Speisman for his the and assistance, Bob Brown For encouraging me to foilow rny instincts, and my classrnates in the MLA program for their understanding and ficndship. A big thank you must be extended to Neil Stemthal for his eagemess in taking on the roles of photographer and pro~~reader,and for his tremendous entbusiasm insight, and confidence in my ability to succeed. Finally, 1 would like to express my moa sincere appreciation to my parents, brother, and grandrnother for their never-endhg encouragement and support. Anne Rennert Toronto December 1998 When at &st 1 undenook to document the landscape history of Jewish Toronto, I felt somewbat sorry that, as a new resident in the city, this hiaory is not my own. My great-grandparents and grandparents migrated fi-om Eastern Europe to Brooklyn. New York and to Shawinigan, Sherbrooke, and Montreal Quebec. My history is Mbedded in the landscapes of those places. Upon hrther reflection it occurred to me that 1 am in fact, pan of a relatively new wave of Jewish migration to the City of Toronto. 1 am but one of so many young Jewish Montrealers who, unsettled by the threat of Quebec's separation fiom Canada, are drawn to a large and thriving Jewish community that is not too Far away fiom Montreal. Seeu in this light, 1 am a part of Jewish Toronto's recent hiaory, poised to leave my mark, if only a nick or a scratch. on its landscape. It is our shaping perception that makes the dgerence be~eenraw matter urd lurmkcape. Simon Schama Landscape and Mernory, 1 99 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ...................... ...... ........................................................................... Vti PREFACE ................................... .......... *.*.*...............*..*..*.....................................*.....*..*.........X 1. LNTRODUCTION............. ........................ ....................................................................... 1 1 . 1. READING -mURBAN LA~WSCPLPE.................................................................................. 1 1 . 2. THE CONSTRUCTION OF MEANINGIN THE LANDSCAPE ....................................................4 1 . 3. RELEVANCETOTHE PROFESSIONOF LAWSCAPE MCHITEC~E................................... 5 1.3.1. Posrnlociernisn~mci rhe Re-evtlltrnrion of Ehnic Places ............................................ 5 1.3.2. Coniniirnip Planning anci Design ............................................................................. 7 1 .4. C0NTRLBüTION TO THE JEWISH COh,MWlTY ................................................................. 10 1 . 5. ~RODUCTORYNOTES ................................................................................................. 1 1 1.6. OVERVEWOFSECTIONS~-9 ...................................................................................... 14 2.1 . FROM POS~IODET~'\(?S~ITO IEU?SH TORO~TO ............................................................... 15 3.1.1. Modernisnr ............................................................................................................. 15 2 . 1.2. Postmoderrrjsn~................... .. ............................................................................... 16 21.3. Place ...................................................................................................................... 1 7 2.1.4. Urban Enc Ime ....................................................................................................... / 8 2.1.5. Jewish Toronto....................................................................................................... 19 3. CONCEPTUAL CL-4RiF'ICATION .QND MODEL DEVELOPMENT ..o...o *.O**............ .22 3 3 . THE LANDSCAPE-COMMUNITYMODEL .......................................................................... 30 4.1. THECASESTUDY......................................................................................................... 34 4.1.1. Reading the Old Jewis h Enclave ............................................................................ 34 4.1.3. Reading the New Jewish Enclave ......................................................................... 36 4.1.3. Seeing LanBIrcrrpe Elenlents os Comrnitniy Chrncteristics ....................................36 5. BACKGROLTND OF STUDY ............................................................................................38 ..................................................................................................................................... 5.2.NOTESABOUTTHE WARD ...................................................................................... 5.3.NOTES ABOUT THE SüBüEU3AN DEVELOPMENT OF THE BATHURSTSTREET NEIGHBOüRHOOD .................................................................................................................. 46 6 . TELE OLD SEWISE ENîLAVE............ ..., .................................................................... -18 7. THX NEW JEWISB ENCLAVE .......................................................................................79 8. CONTiN-üITY AM) CHANGE iN TEE LANDSCAPE OF JEWISH TORONTO ....... 112 9. CONCLUSIONS ........................................ ...................................................................... 122 9.1 . RELEC~ANCETO THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ............................... 123 9.1.2. Postmodernisnl and the Re-evdtrntion of Ethnic Places ........................................ 123 9.1.3 Comnizmiry Planning and Design ....................................................................... 2 24 9.2. CONTRLBU~ONTO THE JEWISH COMMUMTY............................................................... 125 9.3. FINAL THOUGHTS............................... .. ................... 126 9.3.1. Tho Lnmkcnpe oflewish Toronto........................................................................ 126 9.3.7. The lnterrelntionship between Commitnity nncl Lnnrlsccrpe ....................................17 7 GLOSSARY ...................................... ....... ............................................................................. 129 LIST OF FIGüRES FIGURE 1 . 1: f2AR.EREMNANT OF THE. OLD JEWISH ENCLAVE ON BALDWIN STREET ................... 12 FIGURE2.1 : CONCEPTUAL PROGRESSION FROM POSTMODERNISM TO JEWISHTORONTO ........... 21 FIGURE3 . 1 : RELATIONSHPBETWEEN LXNDSCAPE AND COMMUNITY ......................................32 FIGURE3.2. THE LANDSCAPE - COMMUNlTY MODEL ................................................................32 FIGURE6 . 1: ELEMENTSOFTHEOLDENCLAVE LANDSCAPE ...................................................... 48 FIGURE 6.2. JEWS AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL POPüLATION, 19 15 ........................................... 1 FIGL~RE6.3. PEDLAR'S LICENSE, 19 18 ......................................................................................52