Straddling the US-Canadian Border as a Jew
Image courtesy of Creative Commons.
As a Canadian and American Jew, I have straddled Lake Ontario my whole life. Born in Montreal, I was raised, educated, and employed equally in both countries.
Currently, I live in Buffalo, NY. When liberal folks hear that I am also a Canadian citizen, they exclaim, “You are so lucky, you have options!” They mean I can return to my homeland with perceived progressive values.
What is the impact of having both identities in this fraught political moment?
Clearly, the October 7 attack, subsequent war, crisis in Gaza, and the election of U.S. President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Carney have fueled the recent cross-border, grass is greener attitude in both countries. This is not new. Immigration for political, economic, and religious reasons has occurred in the U.S. and Canada since their founding.
Cross-border relocation happened four times in three generations in my family. In 1921, my paternal Russian grandfather immigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, settling in Montreal when he found Ellis Island closed.
My father was the first of two Jews hired by Ford Canada, emigrated to the U.S.’s Midwest, and never looked back (except he’s a die-hard Montreal bagel and Schwartz’s smoked meat fan).
I returned to Canada in 1990, working mostly in Jewish non-profit spaces. I married a Canadian, and after his tragic early death, remarried an American and moved my two school-aged children to Buffalo, NY. Now, my daughter is back in Toronto for a PhD. That’s a lot of crossing the Peace Bridge (Fort Erie, Ontario to Buffalo).
For me, life as a Jew in Canada in the 1990s and early 2000s was great. I loved the cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity of Toronto. The Jewish community of Toronto was a population of almost 200,000, and thriving. My community planning, grant writing, and fundraising work helped to build Canada’s civil society. I admit, I lived near Bathurst Street for 20 years, Toronto's Jewish shtetl.
Canadian Jewry (less than 1% of the population) is one generation closer to its European roots. There were more Holocaust survivors, lower levels of assimilation and intermarriage, and stronger connections to Israel. Most Jews I know have been to Israel several times, if not annually. Main-line Canadian Jewry is more conservative, leaving little room to promote dialogue, alternate narratives, or discussions of a two-state solution with Palestinians, something I passionately supported in my U.S. work.
On October 7, I was visiting friends and family in Vancouver. By the late afternoon, a pro-Palestinian rally and a full parade were taking place at the Robson Square Vancouver Art Gallery. I was shocked. This was before Israel responded to the attack. By nightfall, a pro-Israel vigil had taken its place.
A couple of months later, while I was organizing a Buffalo visit of Jewish and Palestinian co-existence partners, my Canadian Jewish friends were concerned about the reported rise of antisemitic acts. I wondered, "Was it really that bad in Canadian stores, workplaces, and classrooms? And did this stem from Israel’s actions or something historically familiar?"
Yes, there has been an increase in antisemitism. Statistics Canada reported a surge in hate crimes motivated by religion. From 2022-2023, there was a 71% increase in hate crimes targeting Jewish people.
Friends and family who work in public schools shared stories with me of increasingly overt and covert acts of hate. Graffiti at Jewish day schools, fire-bombing at synagogues, and intimidation at school and work have been reported throughout Canada. A recent study by the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario cites that 31% of Canadian Jewish doctors are contemplating leaving the country because of a hostile antisemitic environment.
Politically, Canadians are fed up with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the economy and immigration. Many long-time Jewish supporters left the Liberal Party and started supporting the Conservative Party and its leader, Pierre Poilievre.
While all Jews I know are happy to see Justin Trudeau leave office and support conservative Pierre Poilievre, they are not in the majority.
A recent JSpaceCanada study shows that Canadian Jews voted roughly equally for Liberal and Conservative parties (49.2% and 47.8% respectively).
After Trump’s “annexing Canada” rhetoric began, I drove the quick 40 minutes to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a tourist town of Shaw theatre, wineries, and peach orchards. “I need to see my peeps,” I told my husband.
We stopped at the local cafe and noticed quickly that the “Americano” offering was changed to “Canadiano.”
Going into another store, I said to the owner, “I’m so sorry for this political mess.” She smiled, “Don’t worry, most of my customers are Americans today, and they are saying the same thing. The people in our countries are good friends.”
How do I feel holding these two national identities? Conflicted.
After Trump’s first election, I asked my liberal teenage son if he was going to cross the Peace Bridge back to Canada. He said, “No, Mom, I’m going to stay and make it better.”
For now, I will take his advice.
