HISTORY

A Brief Outline of The History of Congregation Melech Yisrael

Of the era since the Six Day War and Yom Kippur War, Congregation Melech Yisrael is one of the first and longest-running Messianic Congregations in Toronto. Here is a bit of the background.

In the 1900s there were several Jewish outreaches for the Messiah in Toronto, including Toronto Jewish Mission (from the late 1800s), Nathanael Institute and Scott Mission.

In the early 1900s there was a Christian Synagogue downtown.

For city-wide fellowship, there was the Hebrew Christian Alliance, then Messianic Jewish Alliance.

In the early 1970s there was a fellowship of Jewish and Gentile believers in the Messiah at the home of Rachmiel Frydland who worked for Beth Sar Shalom (now Chosen People Ministries (Canada)). Herbert (Hillel) Goldberg of Friends of Zion (now Le’eman Zion) and Leslie Jacobs of Beth Sar Shalom were active in this group.

Some of the people from that fellowship formed their own group under the leadership of Herbert Goldberg. This group called Hans Vanderwerff from the Ottawa Valley.

The Frydland and Goldberg families both left Toronto for U.S.A. around 1974- 1975, and the people from each of the groups continued to meet in Toronto.

Ed Brotsky, who had been influenced by the Nathanael Institute, and had led a Messianic Congregation in Philadelphia, contacted Doris Nixon in 1975 from the U.S.A. about forming a Messianic Congregation in Toronto. Planning meetings were held at Glencairn Baptist (amazingly, 2 km directly south of the current CMY building). This included people from the Frydland group.

So, Beth HaMashiach (later named Congregation Melech Yisrael) under the leadership of Ed Brotsky started meeting at Forest Hill Library on Eglinton Avenue West in early 1976. Later it met at Northern District Library near Yonge and Eglinton.

The Vanderwerff group met in the Bathurst Manor area.

There were some positive developments in both groups as well as difficulties and changes. CMY received charitable registration; Ed Brotsky stepped down, and the group was smaller. The Vanderwerff group was vibrant.

So, a meeting was held at Northern District Library and the people from both groups came together with Congregation Melech Yisrael continuing as the registered organization, and Hans Vanderwerff the spiritual leader. In effect, this again brought together the groups that had separated around 1974!

The Congregation later met at the (now-demolished) Muir Park Hotel near Yonge and Lawrence. Many people were immersed in the hotel swimming pool.

Later the Congregation met near Yonge-Davisville and Yonge-Sheppard.

In the mid-to-late 1980s the Congregation purchased the building of the Yorkdale Church of the Mennonite Brethren at 272 Ranee Avenue. After Hans Vanderwerff retired there was a period of lay leadership. Subsequent leaders included Baruch Goldstein (often assisted by Gideon Levytam), Rabbi Jack Farber, and Rabbi Yehezqel (Robert) Italki Malinconico, after which there was a period of lay leadership with Gideon Levytam who provided teaching during the COVID 19 Pandemic period.

When restrictions were lifted, the CMY building was rented by Kehillat Mayim Chaim (KMC) for a year.

By G-d’s gracious help, from November 2023 and currently, Rabbi Angus Uziel, and Rebbetzin Dawn Marryshow from Trinidad, responded to the call to shepherd and build up the Community of disciples of Yeshua that continue to congregate at CMY located at 272 Ranee Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. Under their stewardship Congregation Melech Yisrael (CMY) rejoined the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregation (UMJC).