Jewish refugees from Ukraine have been slowly rebuilding their lives in Montreal
Coming home from her shift at a dollar store, physically exhausted, Vlada Bronz wondered whether she had made the right decision in settling in Montreal and not staying in Romania where she had fled soon after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Trained as a lawyer and an experienced teacher of English as a second language, Bronz […]
Jewish groups like Ve’ahavta have been helping African asylum seekers stranded in Toronto
In the cozy confines of a small church auditorium, white sheets divide the space into makeshift dorms for men and the women with cots set up on either side. Tables and chairs are crowded together, while a space to serve meals has been set up against the side wall. For the last four weeks, this […]
B’nai Brith’s Michael Mostyn explains why Canada’s broken immigration system needs a plan beyond relying on the charitable sector
Last month, the federal government announced that it will provide Toronto with $97-million to manage the city’s ongoing refugee crisis. Although more funding is sorely needed as the region is struggling to cope with an influx of migrants, fixing Canada’s broken immigration system will take more than one big cheque—it needs to start with having […]
What it was like to share Passover with two new young Canadians from Afghanistan
Why was this Passover different from all other Passovers? We served halal meat and started the seder after sunset so our friends who were fasting for Ramadan could eat. The friends, refugees from Afghanistan, moved to Toronto, where my family lives, almost a year ago: Vasila, a 24-year-old women’s right activist wanted by the Taliban […]
After years of work and waiting, an Eritrean family from Israel is reunited in Montreal with the help of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim
The Aukbu family, refugees from Eritrea, are Christian but they are celebrating a miracle worthy of Hanukkah with the Montreal synagogue that has made their resettlement in Canada possible. Congregation Shaar Hashomayim welcomed Shewit and Molu, their daughters Salim, 12, and Bat El, 8, and six-month-old son Abiyel, who they will be sponsoring for a […]
Hearts and homes are being opened to Ukrainians arriving in Toronto
Over the last few months, Ukrainians fleeing their country in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion have begun to enter Canada. And many of them are finding gracious hosts in the Canadian Jewish community. Rabbi Jarrod Grover, of Toronto’s Beth Tikvah Synagogue, and his family are hosting a young Ukrainian couple named Vova Saykov and Sofia […]
Three Montreal rabbis are now reflecting on the tragedy and humanity they witnessed at the Ukrainian-Poland border—and they urge Canadians to do more
Some might say there was no need for three Canadian rabbis to leave the comfort of our congregations and the safety of Canada to travel to the Polish-Ukrainian border, but we felt an obligation to provide whatever aid and support we could to the refugees fleeing war. We simply could not sit back while preaching […]
Ottawa volunteer Suzi Shore Sauvé helps refugees furnish their first homes in Canada
“Two dining room tables, a sofa, 22 chairs, a bed, a desk, oh, and another bed…” Suzi Shore Sauvé is taking an informal inventory, not of a furniture store, but of her own garage. An active volunteer in the Jewish community, she initiated a grassroots project to provide refugees newly settled in Ottawa with basic […]
Afghanistan’s last Jewish family wants to join their relatives in Canada
Four children who already live in Ontario urge Canada’s new Minister of Immigration and Refugees to grant Kabul family visas.
Canadian Jewish community eager to help Afghan refugees; private sponsorships are on hold for now
Elise Herzig, director of Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS) in Toronto, has more than 1,000 emails in her inbox related to the Afghan refugee crisis. Some are from people still in Afghanistan or who have fled but not yet found a permanent home and are desperate for assistance, while others are from Canadians eager to […]
