The Shomer Israel congregation had to vacate the Rockford Public School property not long before this year’s High Holidays.

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee Howard Kaplan said the congregation had been using the space for free as per an over-30-year informal agreement. Costs to subsidize the arrangement were coming from the school’s budget, he said.

“It comes from textbooks, it comes from school programs,” Kaplan said. “It comes from what should be going to education.”

In April, the congregation was sent a letter advising it to vacate by May 31, which was later extended to the end of July, he said.

For Kaplan, this issue dates back to 2011, and despite attempts, there was never a meeting between the parties, he said.

Shomer Israel congregation president David Green said the group faces unique distance restrictions because congregants won’t drive during the Sabbath. 

“It served a different purpose than you would have with any other type of religious group that can travel from point A to point B,” he said of the space.

The congregation was willing to discuss payment with the TDSB,  but it would have needed to re-locate from the portable into the school, which would have been problematic, said Green.

City of Toronto Ward 10 councillor James Pasternak was the area’s former trustee and said he never received any complaints about the congregation using the space.

He said that, although Rockford is not part of a board initiative where groups can use school space for free or a small fee, it falls within a priority neighbourhood.

“So it seemed a little unfair to accuse this group of not paying or being the only group that didn’t pay,” said Pasternak, “when in fact dozens of groups get free space, including other religious groups.”