The Blogs: Building Jewish Life in Vancouver | Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi

In challenging times, it is especially meaningful to share good news.

During a recent visit to Vancouver, Canada I had the opportunity to spend time with a Jewish community that left me inspired—not because it has avoided challenges, but because of the way it is responding to them. At a time when many communities are focused on protecting what they have built, Vancouver is also investing in what comes next.

Like Jewish communities around the world, Vancouver has experienced a significant rise in antisemitism since October 7. The Jewish Federation of British Columbia‘s 2025 community survey found that 93 percent of respondents feel less secure than before October 7, 85 percent believe antisemitism has increased significantly, and nearly two-thirds have personally experienced an antisemitic incident.

The community has responded by strengthening security, advocacy, education, and partnerships. But what impressed me most was that these challenges have not caused Vancouver’s Jewish community to retreat. Instead, it is continuing to build.

Across Metro Vancouver, the Jewish population is approximately 25,000 to 30,000, and throughout its province of British Columbia, approximately 45,000 to 50,000 Jews call the province home.

Its history stretches back more than 160 years, beginning with Jewish settlers who arrived during the Fraser River Gold Rush in the late 1850s. Over generations, waves of immigrants—including Holocaust survivors and Jews from South Africa, Israel, the former Soviet Union, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and many other countries—have created one of North America’s most diverse Jewish communities.

Today, Jewish life in Vancouver is supported by a remarkable network of synagogues, schools, social service agencies, cultural organizations, and the Jewish Federation of British Columbia, which serves as a central convener and partner for the community.

The most visible expression of Vancouver’s forward-looking approach is JWest, a major effort to lead the transformation of the Jewish community campus in the Oakridge neighborhood.

JWest is much more than a replacement of aging facilities. The project will include a new 200,000-square-foot Jewish Community Centre, an expanded King David High School, childcare facilities, recreation and cultural spaces, an aquatic centre, a theatre, enhanced security, and space for more than twenty nonprofit organizations.

The project will also include hundreds of rental apartments in one of Vancouver’s most transit-connected neighborhoods. The housing component helps make possible the renewal of important community infrastructure while contributing to one of Vancouver’s significant needs.

It is an ambitious model: creating housing while preserving and expanding community services that benefit both Jewish residents and the broader public.

During testimony before Vancouver City Council, Jewish Federation of British Columbia CEO Ezra Shanken reflected on why the project matters:

“The Jewish community has never measured itself by the volume of its critics. We measure ourselves by what we contribute, what we create, and what we leave behind for future generations.”

That idea captures what I saw during my visit. JWest is not only about buildings. It is about creating the places where relationships form and where community life continues.

I experienced that firsthand at the current Jewish Community Centre.

While visiting the JCC café, I met a wonderful Jewish woman from South Africa who welcomed me warmly. Over delicious shakshuka, we talked about community, JCC programs, and her own journey. It was a simple moment, but it represented something essential about Jewish life: the ability to make people feel at home.

Earlier, a young man proudly showed me around the existing campus. He took me through the gym, pool, dance studios, theatre, library, and Holocaust museum. The facilities are clearly well used and showing their age, but the energy inside them was unmistakable. The sound of children laughing was everywhere. Every space reflected decades of friendships, learning, celebrations, and memories.

Those moments reminded me that Jewish institutions are not defined only by their walls. They are defined by the people who fill them.

As someone who has spent much of my life working on disability inclusion, I am interested in how JWest can continue advancing accessibility. The current JCC already offers programs that welcome people with disabilities, and I hope the new campus expands that commitment through universal design, accessible housing, and spaces where people of all abilities can fully participate in Jewish community life.

I also hope JWest becomes a model for sustainable community development. When we build for future generations, we should consider not only how spaces function today, but how they affect the world we leave behind. Energy-efficient buildings, thoughtful resource use, and sustainable design can reflect Jewish values of stewardship and responsibility. These elements may already be in the works, but I didn’t get to explore them during my short visit.

Of course, security and combating antisemitism remain essential priorities. Jewish communities need safe spaces where people can learn, worship, gather, and celebrate.

But they also need spaces that create joy.

They need places where children discover Jewish identity, teenagers build friendships, singles can meet, seniors remain connected, families celebrate holidays, newcomers find community, and neighbors come together.

That is what makes JWest significant. It is not simply a construction project. It is an investment in the relationships, traditions, and experiences that sustain Jewish life.

As I left Vancouver, I kept thinking about the woman who welcomed me with shakshuka in the JCC café and the young man who proudly showed me his community center. Neither focused on the age of the buildings or the details of a construction plan.

They talked about people.

That may be the most important lesson from Vancouver’s Jewish community. Buildings matter because of what happens inside them. The strongest communities are built not only with bricks and mortar, but with generosity, inclusion, connection, and a commitment to the future. It’s clear that Vancouver has leadership that can create a thriving future.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi is the co-founder/director of the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund (a DAF). She has worked directly with presidents, prime ministers, 48 governors, 85 Ambassadors, and leaders at all levels to successfully educate and advocate on key issues. In July, 2023 Mizrahi was appointed to serve as representative of philanthropy on the Maryland Commission on Climate Change. She has a certificate in Climate Change Policy, Economics and Politics from Harvard. Her work has won numerous awards and been profiled in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Inside Philanthropy, PBS NewsHour, Washington Post, Jerusalem Post, Jewish Sages of Today, and numerous other outlets.
Mizrahi has published more than 300 articles on politics, public policy, disability issues, climate and innovations. The views in her columns are her own, and do not reflect those of any organization.