Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility
Jewish Life in Hamilton
In 1853, the City of Hamilton census recorded 13 Jewish families. Today, Hamilton is home to a well-established Jewish community of more than 5,000 individuals who contribute in a variety of ways to strengthening and enriching our city. The current total represents an historical peak for the Jewish population in Hamilton. Jewish life in Hamilton is characterized by a vibrant and diverse community that has played an integral role in the city’s cultural and social tapestry.
Dating back to the late 19th century, the Jewish community in Hamilton has a rich history with immigrants from Eastern Europe and other regions contributing to its growth. Today the three synagogues, Jewish Community Centre, and cultural organizations serve as focal points for religious, educational, and social activities, all striving to create a sense of belonging among members. In Hamilton, Jewish life continues to thrive as a dynamic and integral part of the city’s diverse identity.
Confronting Antisemitism
Unfortunately, in recent years Hamilton remains impacted by a rise in hate incidents, including those based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. As a part of this trend, the Jewish community in Hamilton has also experienced a proportionally high rate of instances of antisemitism, which can include latent or overt hostility or hatred directed towards, or discrimination against individual Jewish persons or the Jewish people for reasons connected to their religion, ethnicity, and their cultural, historical, intellectual, and religious heritage.
Antisemitism can take many forms, ranging from individual acts of discrimination, physical violence, vandalism and hatred, online expressions of hate, to more organized, intentional, and systematic efforts to destroy entire communities, condoning, denying, or downplaying the Holocaust, and promoting genocide. The City of Hamilton recognizes and continues to support initiatives taking active steps toward addressing antisemitism here in our local context, as we collectively strive to be a safe, inclusive, welcoming, and supportive city for all Hamiltonians.
Jewish Life in Hamilton
Supports, Education & Resources
Hamilton Jewish Family Services
Hamilton Jewish Family Services provides a wide range of social services to support Hamilton’s Jewish community.
Hamilton Jewish Federation
Hamilton Jewish Federation has been the cornerstone of Jewish life in Hamilton for more than 80 years and is committed to building a safe and inclusive Jewish community, while offering programs for Jewish people to celebrate Jewish culture, values, and traditions.
J Welcome Home Hamilton
J Welcome Home is an initiative from Hamilton Jewish Federation with the goal of growing and enriching our Jewish community.
PJ Library
PJ Library sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to Jewish families with children from birth through 12 years old. The program was created by the non-profit Harold Grinspoon Foundation and is funded by HGF partners and local Jewish organizations.
Synagogues in Hamilton
All 3 synagogues have websites with contact information, lists of upcoming events, service information, and e-newsletters which you can sign up for.
Supports for persons who have experienced hate in Hamilton
Hamilton Police Service
The Hamilton Police Service offers a hate reporting tool where community members, if they feel comfortable, can report their experiences of hate.
Online Reporting of Hate Motivated Crime or Hate Bias Incident
Report an Antisemitic Incident or Social Media Post
Online reporting through the Hamilton Jewish Federation, including links to report with Hamilton Police Services.
Hamilton Jewish Federation
Margaret’s Legacy: Holocaust Learning and Jewish Advocacy Centre
Margaret’s Legacy was established to provide quality Holocaust education that breeds tolerance, inspires hope, builds leaders, and nurtures healthy dialogue, by using the micro-history of Margaret & Arthur Weisz as a springboard. Margaret's Legacy Holocaust Learning Centre is scheduled to open in May 2024.
Ontario Jewish Archives
Established in 1973, the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, a department of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, acquires, preserves, and makes available documentary sources related to Ontario's Jewish community.
Toronto Holocaust Museum
The Toronto Holocaust Museum is a space for education and dialogue about this vital history and its ongoing relevance. The Museum serves as a powerful and growing force against antisemitism, bigotry and hatred in all its forms.
Azrieli Foundation
Fulfilling the philanthropic legacy of David J. Azrieli z”l, the Azrieli Foundation has been funding institutions as well as operating programs in Israel and Canada since 1989. Driven by a strong belief in the powerful role and responsibility of philanthropy, the Foundation empowers people by supporting a broad range of organizations, facilitating innovative outcomes and increasing knowledge and understanding in the search for practical and novel solutions.
Calendar of Important Jewish Holidays – 18 Doors.org
Overview of the Hebrew calendar and celebrated holidays. Jewish holidays are on the same date every year but on the Hebrew calendar, not the Gregorian calendar that most of us use. Because the Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar that has been adjusted to reflect some elements of the solar calendar it means that the length of the year (and dates) do not line up with the Gregorian calendar, which is purely solar.
Canadian Jewish Heritage Month
May is Canadian Jewish Heritage Month, an opportunity to discover and celebrate Jewish culture, faith and history, as well as the tremendous contributions of Jewish communities to our country's social, political and economic fabric.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
On January 27, 1945, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp – where more than one million people were sent to gas chambers and to their agonizing deaths during the Holocaust – was liberated. In 2005, that day was designated as the annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Each year, Canadians and individuals all over the world take this opportunity to remember the victims of the atrocities of the Holocaust and reflect on the dangers of anti-Semitism.
Holocaust Education Week
Recognized in the first week of November; Holocaust Education Week was founded in 1982, under the auspices of the Holocaust Remembrance Committee, part of the former Toronto Jewish Congress. Its formation and continuation is in great part due to the hard work of a group of dedicated Holocaust survivors whose passion and commitment to Holocaust education paved the way for its future success.
Hamilton Jewish News
The Hamilton Jewish News is a community newspaper that reflects the vibrancy and diversity of the Hamilton Jewish community. Through stories, interviews and features, the Hamilton Jewish News reflects the diversity of lifestyles, backgrounds and interests that make up the tapestry of the Hamilton Jewish community.
Some of the information and links listed may be out of date. The City of Hamilton does not endorse, approve, or guarantee the accuracy of the information available on those sites.
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