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COMMUNITIES IN TRANSITION

I. RELIGIOUS

During the past fifty years and more, there has been a rapid expansion in the number and location of synagogues. Most are located in the new geographic centers of Jewish settlement around the Lower Mainland.

The largest synagogue in the city is Congregation Beth Israel. From 1964 to 1997 Rabbi Wilfred Solomon was its spiritual leader. With his knowledge of the community and warm disposition, he naturally assumed a position of stature in the Jewish community as a whole. Other Conservative synagogues include Beth Tikvah in Richmond and Har-El in West Vancouver.



Eitz Chaim Synagogue, Richmond, torah dedication ceremony.
Eitz Chaim Synagogue, Richmond, torah dedication ceremony. JHS

Orthodoxy has also grown in the past fifteen years in Vancouver. In addition to the long-established Schara Tzedeck congregation, Jews in Richmond desiring an Orthodox service established the Eitz Chaim synagogue, and others. In Vancouver, the Beth Hamidrash Congregation, established in the 1960s, identifies itself with the Sephardic and Iraqi Jewish traditions. Shaarey Tefillah, also in Vancouver, is aligned with the Union for Traditional Judaism, which objected to the Conservative movement's ordination of women. The Lubavitch Hasidim also have a strong presence in the Lower Mainland. They opened a new building in mid 2001, holding high profile activities such as the public lighting of a Chanukah* menorah* in several locations around the province, including downtown Vancouver and the ski resort of Whistler.

Representing the Reform movement is Temple Sholom, dedicated in 1976. Their synagogue was torched in 1985, rising again in a new location several years later. Another orientation to the practice of Judaism is found in Congregation Or Shalom. They identify themselves as a Jewish Renewal group, looking to articulate and experience the spiritual aspects of Judaism in fresh ways. These congregations, each with their own understanding of Judaism and its practices, do come together for various community events. Most of the rabbis sit together on RAV, the Rabbinic Association of Vancouver.


Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Where Did We Come From,
Where Did We Settle?
Making A Living
Integration/Rejection
Communities In Transition
New Realities Section 1 - Where Did We Come From, Where Did We Settle?
New Realities Section 2 - Making a Living
New Realities Section 3 - Integration/Rejection
New Realities Section 4 - Communites In Transition