Kiryas Tosh
Encyclopedia
Kiryas Tosh is a Hasidic Jewish
community in the town of Boisbriand, Quebec
. It is affiliated with the Tosh Hasidic Dynasty
. The community is home to approximately 350 families, or about 3,000 people.
, about 20% of men living in Kiryas Tosh work outside of the community. Those who work outside of the community usually work in either specialized Jewish businesses, as Shochetim (ritual slaughters)
and teachers in religious schools, or in Jewish-owned businesses in the greater Montreal area. The rest of the community work in either religious jobs (at the community synagogue
, mikvah
, or yeshiva
) or own their own small-scale retail businesses out of their homes (from jewelry making and shatnez
laboratories to accounting and insurance agencies).
The community has a small shopping centre, housing a supermarket, a butcher, a toy store, and a clothing store, as well as shops to buy judaica items.
Kiryas Tosh is served by its own Hatzolah
unit for medical services, making it one of only three chapters in all of Canada. The village is also patrolled by a volunteer neighborhood watch
group known as Chevrah Shomrim, which consists of over 20 young people that patrol the streets and come when one call for help, working in conjunction with the local police forces.
, the riding that covers Kiryas Tosh, voter turnout was as low as 10% in 2008. In the 2011 election, the community was evenly split between the Liberal
and the Conservative
candidates in their riding, while the riding itself was won by Laurin Liu of the NDP
.
The community caused a controversy among Quebec Jews when it seemed as if the community would support a "Yes" vote in the 1995 Quebec referendum
, running contrary to the opinion of the other Jews in the province, who largely supported the federalist "No" side.
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
community in the town of Boisbriand, Quebec
Boisbriand, Quebec
Boisbriand is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the Regional County Municipality of Thérèse-de-Blainville.The Hasidic community of Kiryas Tosh is located within the city limits...
. It is affiliated with the Tosh Hasidic Dynasty
Tosh (Hasidic dynasty)
Tosh is a Hasidic dynasty originating in Nyirtass, Hungary. Today it is based in Kiryas Tosh, Quebec, Canada, outside of Boisbriand, a suburb of Montreal, Canada. The current leader is Grand Rabbi Meshulam Feish Segal-Loewy...
. The community is home to approximately 350 families, or about 3,000 people.
History
The community was formed in 1963 by Rebbe Meshulim Feish (Ferencz) Lowy. Lowy moved to Montreal in 1951, but viewed the moral climate in the community as deteriorating and not conducive to the study of Torah. The Rabbi and 18 families moved to the Boisbriand area in 1963, in an attempt to better insulate and isolate the community from outside influences. Since then, the population of the community has greatly increased, mostly due to the fertility rates of Hasidic communities.Economics
According to Dr. William Shaffir of McMaster UniversityMcMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
, about 20% of men living in Kiryas Tosh work outside of the community. Those who work outside of the community usually work in either specialized Jewish businesses, as Shochetim (ritual slaughters)
Shechita
Shechita is the ritual slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws...
and teachers in religious schools, or in Jewish-owned businesses in the greater Montreal area. The rest of the community work in either religious jobs (at the community synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, mikvah
Mikvah
Mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
, or yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
) or own their own small-scale retail businesses out of their homes (from jewelry making and shatnez
Shatnez
Shatnez is the prohibition in Jewish law derived from the Torah that prohibits the wearing of a fabric containing both wool and linen ; this forbidden mixture is referred to in Judaism as shatnez...
laboratories to accounting and insurance agencies).
The community has a small shopping centre, housing a supermarket, a butcher, a toy store, and a clothing store, as well as shops to buy judaica items.
Kiryas Tosh is served by its own Hatzolah
Hatzolah
Hatzolah/Hatzalah is a volunteer Emergency Medical Service organization serving mostly Jewish communities around the world. Most local branches operate independently of each other, but use the common name...
unit for medical services, making it one of only three chapters in all of Canada. The village is also patrolled by a volunteer neighborhood watch
Neighborhood watch
A neighborhood watch or neighbourhood watch , also called a crime watch or neighborhood crime watch, is an organized group of citizens devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood...
group known as Chevrah Shomrim, which consists of over 20 young people that patrol the streets and come when one call for help, working in conjunction with the local police forces.
Politics
The community seems to avoid voting in federal elections. In a poll-by-poll map of Rivière-des-Mille-ÎlesRivière-des-Mille-Îles (electoral district)
Rivière-des-Mille-Îles is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:...
, the riding that covers Kiryas Tosh, voter turnout was as low as 10% in 2008. In the 2011 election, the community was evenly split between the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
and the Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidates in their riding, while the riding itself was won by Laurin Liu of the NDP
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
The community caused a controversy among Quebec Jews when it seemed as if the community would support a "Yes" vote in the 1995 Quebec referendum
1995 Quebec referendum
The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state, through the question:...
, running contrary to the opinion of the other Jews in the province, who largely supported the federalist "No" side.