Connecting in Maple Ridge, Langley, Squamish and New West
As the cost of living continues to rise, more and more members of our community are moving to underserved areas outside the City of Vancouver. There have been big jumps in the Jewish populations of cities like Surrey/White Rock (up almost 50%), the Tri-Cities (up 45%), and Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows/Langley (up 23%). Those numbers came to light in the 2011 National Household Survey, but with the steady rise in housing prices it’s likely these numbers are even higher today.
The result is that approximately half our Jewish community lives in underserved areas where it can be hard to engage in Jewish communal life.
The challenge is how to reach effectively so people can connect in meaningful ways.
The answer lies in creating a more flexible approach that encourages innovative new ways to bring people together.
Jewish Federation’s Regional Communities Task Force, chaired by Shelley Ail and Marnie Goldberg, is working with community organizations and with individuals in underserved communities to determine how best to meet the social, educational and cultural needs of Jews who live beyond the reach of community institutions.
One of the things our Federation has done to address this is the creation of the new position of community developer, which has been filled by Orly Naim. Originally from Israel, Orly has been living on the Lower Mainland since 2012, first in Vancouver then Coquitlam and now Richmond. She speaks Hebrew, Russian and English, enabling her to engage with community members of a variety of different backgrounds.
Orly has been busy planning and hosting events across the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Sea to Sky Corridor. More than 40 people attended a Sukkot event in Maple Ridge in October, and 60 people came to a pot luck Shabbat dinner in Langley in November. Guests came from Abbotsford, Mission, the Tri-Cities, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, Langley, Surrey and White Rock for these events, demonstrating the high level of interest there is in growing Jewish community life and activity there. “People want to connect and join other Jews in their community,” said Orly.
She also organized very successful family friendly pre-Hanukkah celebrations in Squamish, Burnaby/New Westminster, Maple Ridge and Langley that saw about 200 community members combined enjoy traditional sufganiyot and celebrate the holiday through song, storytime and crafts.
“People are so excited about having us come out to them and recognizing that there is a need for community programs such as these events,” said Orly. “We are starting something big, which will grow with each event and community gathering. It'll allow people to connect with each other and feel that they have a Jewish community.”
For a list of events in regional communities, visit jewishvancouver.com/connectmein or contact Orly directly via email or at 604.561.2787 to get involved.
