Fun and meaningful ways to celebrate Jewish Heritage Month
/
[Image Source: McMichael Canadian Art Collection, William Kurelek (1927–1977), Jewish Wedding in Calgary, 1975.]
Jewish Heritage Month is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate Jewish traditions, art, culture and history and to honour the contributions of Canada's Jewish community.
Jewish Canadians have made significant and valuable contributions to our communities across all sectors, and have shown a tremendous amount of resilience and bravery throughout history.
Around 400,000 people of Jewish heritage call Canada their home. Despite Canada being the country with the 4th biggest Jewish community in the world, Jewish Canadians today continue to experience a rise in the acts of antisemitism and xenophobia.
Jewish Heritage month is a time for us to reflect on how we can take a stand against antisemitism, violence and xenophobia. It is also a moment for us to commemorate and honour the memory of those lost to the Holocaust.
We encourage everyone to self-educate, reflect on and learn about the profound contributions of Jewish Canadians to Canada, and to find ways of supporting and celebrating Jewish-led organizations, events and communities.
With that in mind, here are a few ways that you can celebrate National Jewish Heritage Month:
VISIT A JEWISH MUSEUM OR A SITE OF HISTORICAL JEWISH INTEREST
Learn more about Jewish history by visiting a Jewish museum, a Holocaust memorial museum, a Jewish library or a historical synagogue.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CANADIAN JEWISH HISTORY
Did you know that Vancouver’s Jewish community emerged through the immigration of people from Victoria? And that Victoria is home to Canada’s oldest continuously operating synagogue that still holds services?
Read this Daily Hive story of the evolution of British Columbia’s Jewish community.
For more information about Jewish history in B.C., visit: https://jewishmuseum.ca/
For more information on Victoria’s Congregation Emanu-El, visit: https://congregationemanuel.ca/
For information on Lower Mainland Jewish community organizations, including schools, synagogues, cultural and social service organizations, visit: https://www.jewishvancouver.com/
JOIN A JEWISH BOOK CLUB
Join the lively discussions centred around a Jewish novel with chair Helen Pinsky.
Thursdays 1:00pm
April 28 – “The plot against America” by Philip Roth
May 26 – “The Hidden Palace” by Helene Wecker
June 30 – “Morningside Heights” by Joshua Henkin
TAKE A JEWISH HERITAGE WALKING TOUR
Explore the early roots of Vancouver's Jewish community in this entertaining family-friendly tour of scenic Strathcona.
ATTEND AN EVENT
Celebrate Jewish music by singing along and learning more about traditional Jewish songs.
On Saturday May 15 JunkOy! Klezmer band will sing Jewish songs from Odessa and play Klezmer tunes from Eastern Europe. All proceeds will go to supporting refugees from Ukraine in BC.
On May 15, Queer Jewish Languages will feature a lineup of linguists and everyday speakers of what the organization calls “queer Jewish languages (nonbinary Hebrew, Ladino, Yiddish, queer Jewish English, and Farsi)”. The guests include Eyal Rivlin of the Nonbinary Hebrew Project, Nesi Altaras, Faith Jones, Grace Elizabeth Dy and Ellen Perleberg, and Yosef Jay Nemanpour.
On May 28, Bridging Water Rituals will come together for accessible and virtual embodied practice, music, song, poetry and celebration
SUPPORT A JEWISH ORGANIZATION
Do your part to strengthen the impact of the Jewish people by supporting Jewish arts organizations and museums in BC, such as the Chutzpah! Festival, the Norman Rothstein Theatre, the JQT, a volunteer-run Jewish queer and trans nonprofit organization, the Peretz Centre for Jewish Culture, the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, the Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival or the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, to name a few.
The list above is by no means comprehensive. We hope you find these resources useful in your celebration of Jewish Heritage Month!
