Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks

Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks operates two Jewish cemeteries in York Region, north of Toronto. THMP is a not-for-profit, community-owned agency, based in Toronto at the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre. What became THMP was first conceived of by lawyer and Temple Sinai president Sidney Freedman in 1965 when he saw the need for a community-run cemetery. In 1970, he purchased the property that would become Pardes Shalom and began the process of rezoning the land for use as a cemetery. In 1972, he founded Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks, gifting the land to the community.

THMP operates the two largest Jewish burial grounds in the Greater Toronto Area, Pardes Shalom and Pardes Chaim.

THMP cemeteries do not permit cremated remains to be buried or scattered at its cemeteries as cremation is considered contrary to Jewish belief.

According to THMP's by-laws, an individual must be Jewish (by birth or conversion) to be buried in a THMP cemetery; exceptions are not made for non-Jewish partners in an interfaith marriage. In 1999, Pardes Shalom barred Malvern Jacobs from being buried in the cemetery as Jacobs had converted to Christianity and become a Messianic Jewish minister and dean of Canada Christian College's Jewish Studies department. Pardes Shalom locked its gates to prevent Jacobs's casket and his funeral procession of 400 mourners from entering the cemetery.