June 10, 2022
OTTAWA – Public awareness and participation in the fifth, annual Canadian Jewish Heritage Month 2022 has never been higher, according to a review carried out by B’nai Brith Canada.
A concerted effort by B’nai Brith this year led to 36 municipalities, four school boards and two provinces, issuing proclamations or adopting council motions to celebrate Jewish Heritage Month, with most using text proposed by B’nai Brith. The organization is delighted with the uptake – the highest since 2018, when Parliament officially proclaimed each May as Jewish Heritage Month.
>Parliament declared that the Month was created as an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the inspirational role that Jewish Canadians have played and continue to play in communities across the country.
The communities that responded to B’nai Brith’s appeal to celebrate Jewish Heritage Month are Vancouver and Victoria of British Columbia; Ottawa, Markham, Newmarket, Barrie and Burlington of Ontario; Montreal and Dollard des Ormeaux of Quebec; Regina and Saskatoon of Saskatchewan; Fredericton, N.B. and Winnipeg. In response to B’nai Brith’s letter to Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, a private member’s bill was tabled using the organization’s text to officially proclaim Jewish Heritage Month. The final adoption is slated for this autumn.
“Jewish Heritage Month provides important recognition of the contributions that Jews have made to the success of their local communities and Canada as a whole and promotes solidarity in the struggle against antisemitism,” said Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith’s CEO. “We are pleased with the response to our efforts to recruit municipal partners to proclaim the Month and look forward to its continued growth.”
“We have had incredible support from Mayors and Councillors in promoting the Month,” said Marvin Rotrand, B’nai Brith’s National Director of its League for Human Rights. “Mayor Guthrie in Guelph, Mayor Vrbanovic in Kitchener, Mayor Stewart in Vancouver, Mayor Brownstein in Cote Saint Luc, Councillor Gaertner in Aurora, Mayor Bottausci in Dollard des Ormeaux, Mayor McCallum in Surrey, and Councillor Moroz in Montreal, were among the elected officials who got personally involved to ensure their communities aided in the success of the Heritage Month.”
B’nai Brith has already started its planning for Jewish Heritage Month 2023, hoping to augment the number of participating partners.
