Cost of Living in Jewish Toronto

Grade/Class: Grade 8 Humanities

Context: Students develop research skills in Humanities.

Learning: Grade 8 Geography worked on a project looking at the rising cost of living in the GTA, specifically to Jewish families as well as the general population. After completing the research comparing housing, kosher food costs, Jewish camp and school fees around Canada the students came up with possible incentives to offer to the Jewish community of the GTA to keep young Jewish families and singles in the GTA. Solutions the students came up with varied from a variety of Yishuv-style community living apartments designed for young families (more bedrooms, shuls on site, kosher grocery on first floor, large park/playground and rec center), a not-for-profit kosher grocery store that buys in bulk for the Jewish community, Volunteer (retired grandparents whose grandkids live out of town) run daycares, integrating Jewish day schools so they can run more efficiently, creating a no-interest down payment and mortgage gmach, and much more.