The Canadian Jewish Congress today reported the results of a study on recent changes in the geographic distribution of the Jewish population in the metropolitan area of Toronto.
The study shows that Toronto is the third largest Jewish community in the British Commonwealth, exceeded in size only by the Jewish communities of London, England, and Montreal. The estimate of Jewish population of metropolitan Toronto as of June, 1954 is 74,500, an increase of 7, 727 over the 1951 census; 2, 560 attributed to natural increase and 5,167 to new settlers.
Earliest Jewish settlement in Toronto dates back to 1817 (in the town of York as it was then known). A Jewish congregation was first mentioned in 1849. The Jewish population of Toronto has increased during the past century from 57 in 1851 to 66, 773 in 1951, forming 32. 6 percent of the total Jewish population of Canada. Jews form 5.98 percent of the total population of Toronto, as compared with 5. 23 percent of the population of Winnipeg and 5.08 percent of Montreal.
On the basis of the crude birth and death rates, the number of Jewish births in Toronto in 1954 is estimated at 1,410, the number of Jewish deaths at 510 and the excess of Jewish births over deaths at 900.
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