Book of Life Stories

Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School

The Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School, founded in 1998, is a relatively young organization that carries with it a rich history and contributes to the wonderful collection of stories that make up our Toronto Jewish community. Our school is a dynamic entity that fuels the pulse of a vibran…

Nina & Zelik Muskat z”l

L’chol eesh yesh shem - Every man has a name. This is the title of a well-known poem written by Israeli poet Zelda and is recited annually on Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is precisely for this reason that I am inscribing my beloved parents’ names in the Book of Life. One…

Max Eisen z”l

My mission in life has been to share my story to better our world. It is a straightforward goal but it is laden with challenge. At age 15, I became a victim of Nazi oppression and persecution. I was violently forced from my home in Hungary on the first night of Passover, 1944. I was subseque…

Marcy & Leonard Abramsky

“Always choose influence rather than power. It helps change people into people who can change the world.” - Jonathan Sacks

To look back on 35 years of marriage is to look back on the amazing influences in our lives together as we continue to build our family and give back to our communi…

Lorna and Ernest Gross z”l

My parents, Lorna and Ernie (Ernest) Gross, were born in Canada. My father was born in Toronto on June 23, 1920, and my mother was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan on May 23, 1927. Both of her parents were born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Growing up, my two younger sisters, Barbara Rother a…