I’ve lived in Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia and the third largest Jewish population in Canada, as well as rural areas around the province. I can tell you that Jewish life in British Columbia takes many forms. For some, it is in the center of Vancouver, in synagogues and the Jewish Community Centre, in day schools or in Federation programming.
At the same time, for some British Columbian Jews, Jewish life is in storefronts and living rooms, around seder tables and Shabbat gatherings. It exists in towns far from the nearest synagogue and in regions where new expressions of Jewish identity are beginning to take shape. Across these landscapes, community life emerges through relationships, local leadership, and shared purpose.
Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s role is helping communities place themselves at the center of their own story. Not to replicate a single model, but to create the conditions for Jewish life to grow in ways that feel meaningful to each place. This work is guided by belonging, co-creation, and a deep respect for local knowledge and leadership. We value connection over uniformity and seek to strengthen ties while honouring the uniqueness of each community.
Unlike in Vancouver or other cities with Federations, to federate in this context of smaller and more rural Jewish communities means we need to support collaboration, uplift local voices, and build a network of strong, interdependent communities across the province.
Shifting Models: How Our Approach Has Evolved
The development of Jewish life in British Columbia has involved reflection, experimentation, and learning. Federation initially operated as a central hub that distributed programs and resources to outlying regions. While this approach extended our reach, it lacked the local ownership and relationship-building needed for lasting connection.
Over time, we noticed that regional communities were no longer happy to simply receive programs; they were shaping their own identities and forming grassroots networks. This evolution led us to create the Community Connector program: a community development initiative that employs local residents already doing the work of engagement organically, or those identified by lay leaders as well-suited to the role. Community Connectors may host Shabbat dinners, plan holiday engagement, or facilitate gatherings based on local interests. They serve as a vital liaison between their community and Federation, strengthening peer connection across regions and reinforcing a growing sense of shared belonging.
Today, our work is moving toward what we now call an “integrated federated model,” in which we pair local autonomy with province-wide cohesion. We support communities to build their own framework, formalize leadership, and participate in shared systems. We aren’t trying to recentralize, but rather to co-create with local Jewish leaders a community that is lasting and inclusive. Leadership development is central to our approach. We invest through Community Connectors, webinars, cohorts, and the Regional Communities Conference. Regional voices don’t just participate; they shape provincial planning.
A Milestone Moment: The Regional Communities Conference
Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver hosted our inaugural Regional Communities Conference in April of 2025. This marked an historic milestone in our provincial strategy. With 134 total participants representing 26 different communities, the conference created a dynamic and inclusive space for connection, learning, and leadership development. Post-conference evaluations were overwhelmingly positive: 94% of participants reported feeling more confident in their ability to support Jewish life in their own communities and become more involved in regional strategy.
Mapping the Landscape: Five Expressions of Regional Jewish Community
Jewish life in British Columbia’s regional communities reflects a wide and dynamic spectrum. Some are just beginning to form, while others are long-established but navigating new realities. Each is shaped by its own geography, history, leadership, and community rhythms. In order for our federated model to encompass these communities, we must meet communities where they are, while helping lay the groundwork for shared infrastructure, connected identity, and long-term sustainability.
We’ve learned that there are five common expressions of community development, and each needs a different kind of support from Federation. We share these not as categories to constrain, but rather as touchpoints for tailored support, mutual learning, and collective progress.
1. Emerging Communities Without Formal Infrastructure
These are the places where Jewish life is just beginning to stir. Individuals or families may be asking, “Who else is here?” There are no institutions, no organizations, and often no sense of shared Jewish identity. Yet there is possibility.
- Opportunities: Discovery, visibility, and trust-building. Early-stage engagement can awaken a sense of belonging and reveal latent leadership potential.
- Federation’s Role: Serve as an initiator and connector. Begin by mapping assets and relationships, offering low-barrier points of entry like Shabbat kits, microgrants, and local gatherings. The goal is to move from an informal connection to a recognizable framework by nurturing emerging leaders and linking individuals to broader Jewish life locally, nationally, and in Israel.
2. Lay-Led Communities Aspiring to Grow
These communities are held together by dedicated individuals offering meaningful Jewish experiences. They may be considering how to evolve toward more sustainable models of governance and programming.
- Opportunities: Leadership development, strategic planning, and the creation of core infrastructure.
- Federation’s Role: Act as a builder and partner in institutional development. Support can include coaching, assistance in registration as a BC Society and fundraising mentorship. The objective is to embed these communities within the Jewish Federations of North America’s ecosystem, while preserving local autonomy.
3. Informal Communities with Cautious Leadership
These communities often have consistent grassroots activity but may hesitate to formalize. Leaders may be wary of limited capacity or unsure about institutionalization.
- Opportunities: Sustained engagement, leadership resilience, and relational trust that can lead to structural evolution.
- Federation’s Role: Maintain presence and flexibility. Offer tailored support without forcing premature change, such as logistical help, mentorship, or targeted programming. Keep connections open to the broader Federation network and future opportunities.
4. Communities with Narrow Institutional Reach
In some regions, a synagogue, Chabad house, or other organization provides a foundation, but not all residents feel represented. Infrastructure may not meet the full range of community needs.
- Opportunities: Broaden participation, foster inclusivity, and build bridges between institutions and unaffiliated residents.
- Federation’s Role: Serve as an ecosystem expander. Offer complementary programs, facilitate community dialogue, and help map needs in education, lifecycle, and social services. Elevate local leaders who can serve wider demographics and connect them to provincial initiatives.
5. Communities with Multiple Institutions and Complex Dynamics
These are more established communities with multiple organizations including synagogues, Chabad, schools, or a community center, but they are not affiliated with Federation, and sometimes do not receive financial support. Coordination and collaboration between institutions may be challenging due to lack of formal infrastructure.
- Opportunities: Greater alignment, shared strategy, and regional influence.
- Federation’s Role: Act as a strategic convener. Support cross-sector planning, strengthen communication, and champion initiatives that benefit the whole community. These communities can also serve community members requiring access to social services, education, and inter-community collaboration.
Across all five expressions of community that we have seen, Federation’s role extends beyond simple programming. It includes building leadership capacity, strengthening governance, and creating infrastructure that supports Jewish education, youth programs, and social services. Federation can also help connect communities to provincial, national, and international Jewish networks — including Israel — ensuring that regional Jewish life is not only supported but meaningfully integrated into the broader Jewish world.
Looking Ahead: A Federation of Belonging
For many, Jewish life is imagined as something that happens in big cities — dense neighbourhoods with kosher delis, Hebrew schools, and long-standing institutions. But across British Columbia, that picture is quietly expanding. Jewish life is not only surviving outside urban centers — it is growing, often in places where no one thought to look. What was once considered peripheral is becoming essential.
In mountain towns, farming communities, island villages, and growing suburbs, Jewish families are gathering around Shabbat tables, organizing holiday events, and building new ways to belong. These aren’t outposts of a “core” community. They are communities in their own right, shaped by geography and creativity, by necessity and vision. These regional communities are not waiting to be included — they are already living Jewish lives with pride, joy, and resilience. What they need now is partnership and access to shared systems that can help them thrive. Our role as Federation must also evolve from delivering programs to building networks, from outreach to seeding infrastructure, from centralized planning to shared purpose.
Imagine a British Columbia where a bat mitzvah in Whistler is celebrated by peers in Kelowna. Where a food security project in Burnaby sparks similar work in Comox. Where families in Prince George and Squamish feel seen, supported, and part of something larger than themselves. We don’t seek to create uniformity. We’re supporting interdependence — a Jewish ecosystem where wisdom, resources, and stories move freely, strengthening all of us.
This is the future we are building at Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver: a federated Jewish community in British Columbia that is strong across regions, vibrant at its core, and rooted in the belief that every Jew, in every corner of the province, should be supported. The momentum is already here.
*Photo from the Jewish Federation of Vancouver’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/jewishvancouver
