Funeral Information

The funeral service for Rabbi J. Benjamin Friedberg z"l will be held at Beth Tzedec Congregation on Friday, April 1 at 11:00 a.m. Access for the Service will be via the Bathurst Street doors. The service will also be streamed to three different platforms. Please select the one that works best for you:

Livestream: https://www.bethtzedec.tv/?wix-vod-video-id=49e82c9f90494365a4a7f53aaa4edeac&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-kyvz1ar1

YouTube: https://youtu.be/iMdenzb0JpY

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/2oKBSNemt

Interment will be at Beth Tzedec Memorial Park. Shiva will be at Beth Tzedec Congregation and by appointment only. To register for a visit, please use this link: https://bit.ly/3LxR8gl.

Those attending the funeral or shiva must provide proof of vaccination and wear masks while in the synagogue.

Donations in Rabbi Friedberg's name can made via Beth Tzedec to the Rabbi J. Benjamin Friedberg Memorial Fund. To make a donation or send a tribute card, click here>> 

For more information, contact the Synagogue Office at 416-781-3511.

Rabbi J. Benjamin Friedberg (z"l)

Canada’s Jewish community is mourning the loss of Rabbi Joseph Benjamin Friedberg, who died on Wednesday. He was 94.

Rabbi Friedberg served as an assistant rabbi to Beth Tzedec in 1956, the synagogue’s first year as a Congregation. In the year’s following, this “local boy from Toronto” went on to serve as spiritual leader to congregations in London, Ottawa and Rochester before returning to the Beth Tzedec’s bimah as Senior Rabbi, serving from 1974 to 1992. Upon his retirement, Rabbi Friedberg was conferred the title Rabbi Emeritus.

“Rabbi Friedberg’s passing is a huge loss for the Beth Tzedec and broader community. He was a wonderful leader, scholar and lover of Israel who truly believed that a Rabbi’s place was in the shul, and that was something he lived by,” shared Adam Joseph.

“He could not only provide pastoral care but he could daven, deliver halakhahic guidance, orate and appreciate Yiddishkeit. I cannot remember a life cycle event during my lifetime that he wasn’t a large part of, either as the presiding rabbi or from his seat in the pews as Rabbi Emeritus,” Joseph continued. “His presence at Daily Minyan and Shabbat services will be missed greatly by anyone who had the pleasure of praying with him or learning from him.”

Friedberg’s investiture as Beth Tzedec’s Senior Rabbi helped bring a sense of security, strength and healing to the Congregation after an extended period marked by factionalism and confrontation.

 “He brought peace and stability to Beth Tzedec and strengthened the foundation of the Shul,” said Marvin Miller. “He served our Synagogue and the Jewish community with great honour and dignity.”

Rabbi Friedberg is survived by his wife Lola and their children Gilah, Mark and Esther, and sisters Lillian Lerman and Sally Zerker.