Which Canadian city has the largest Jewish community?

Toronto has by far the largest Jewish community in Canada, home to nearly half of the country's Jewish population, followed by Montreal with roughly a quarter, and smaller communities in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Calgary.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is Canada's main national Jewish advocacy organization, formed in 2011 through the consolidation of the Canadian Jewish Congress and other national bodies. It represents the public policy interests of Canada's organized Jewish community.

How is Montreal's Jewish community different from Toronto's?

Montreal's Jewish community is notably bilingual and includes a strong Sephardic, French-speaking presence rooted in mid-20th-century immigration from North Africa, alongside its historic Ashkenazi base — a mix that gives it a distinct cultural character compared to primarily English-speaking Toronto.

How far back does Jewish history in Canada go?

Jewish presence in Canada dates back roughly 250 years, with Montreal's Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue tracing its origins to the late 1700s, though the community's major growth came with large-scale Eastern European Jewish immigration in the early 20th century.

Jewish Life in Canada: A Community Overview

Q: How many Jews live in Canada?

The 2021 Canadian census counted 335,295 Canadians who identify as Jewish by religion, with researchers estimating the broader Jewish population — including those identifying by ethnicity with no religion — at around 393,500.

Quick answer: Canada is home to roughly 335,000 to 393,000 Jews by the 2021 census, making it one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Toronto and Montreal hold the vast majority, with smaller but meaningful communities in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Calgary, and beyond — together forming a diverse mix of Ashkenazi, Sephardic, English-speaking, and French-speaking Jewish life.

How Many Jews Live in Canada?

According to the 2021 Canadian census, 335,295 Canadians identified as Jewish by religion, up from 329,500 in 2011. When Canadians who identify as Jewish by ethnicity but report no religion are included, researchers estimate the total Jewish population at around 393,500 — making Canada home to one of the largest Jewish communities outside Israel and the United States.

Where Canadian Jews Live

More than half of Canada’s Jewish population lives in Ontario (about 196,100 people), with roughly another quarter in Quebec (about 84,530). British Columbia is home to about 26,845 Jews (roughly 8% of the national total), followed by Alberta (about 11,565) and Manitoba (about 11,390). By metro area, Toronto has by far the largest Jewish community — nearly half of all Canadian Jews — followed by Montreal at close to a quarter, with Vancouver home to roughly 6%, and Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Calgary each home to smaller but historically significant communities. Families considering a move to any of these cities can browse local real estate and rentals, or explore neighborhoods through HeimishMart’s Community Explorer.

A Brief History

Jewish history in Canada stretches back roughly 250 years, with the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue tracing its roots to Montreal in the late 1700s. The community’s real growth, however, came in the early 20th century, when large numbers of Eastern European Jews arrived fleeing persecution and poverty, settling especially in Montreal and Toronto and building the foundations of today’s institutions. After the Second World War, Canada welcomed a further wave of Holocaust survivors and refugees, and in subsequent decades absorbed Sephardic Jewish immigrants from North Africa — many of them French-speaking Moroccan Jews who settled largely in Montreal, adding a distinct Sephardic and francophone thread to Quebec’s Jewish community that sets it apart from most other communities in North America.

Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Winnipeg

Toronto’s Jewish community is the country’s largest and most institutionally developed, with an extensive network of synagogues across all denominations, day schools, and communal agencies. Montreal’s Jewish community is unique for its bilingual character and strong Sephardic presence alongside its historic Ashkenazi base, giving it a cultural flavor distinct from English-speaking Jewish Canada. Vancouver’s community, smaller but steadily growing, reflects the city’s broader Pacific-facing, multicultural character. Winnipeg holds a special place in Canadian Jewish history: its North End neighborhood was once one of the most densely Jewish areas in the country, built by Eastern European immigrants in the early 1900s, and it remains home to a proud, close-knit community today.

Community Organizations

Federation CJA, founded in Montreal in 1916 by 14 founding organizations, is one of the oldest Jewish federations in North America and remains central to Montreal Jewish communal life. The Canadian Jewish Congress, founded in 1919, historically coordinated advocacy and support for new immigrants and represented Canadian Jewry nationally. In 2011, much of that national advocacy role was consolidated into the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), a non-partisan organization that today represents the public policy interests of Canada’s organized Jewish community. Local Jewish Federations continue to operate in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and other cities, running social services, schools, and community programming — much of it visible through local Jewish events listings.

Everyday Community Life

Beyond the historical and institutional picture, Canadian Jewish life today is defined by everyday connection — synagogues and schools, kosher shops and community centers, and neighbors helping neighbors. Job seekers and local employers can connect through HeimishMart’s jobs board, families in need of support can turn to chessed resources, and any Canadian Jewish business, service, or simcha can be shared by choosing to add a listing. Whether in the heart of Toronto or a smaller community in the Prairies, Canadian Jewish life reflects the same spirit of mutual responsibility found across North America.

By the HeimishMart Community Desk — HeimishMart is the community marketplace for Jewish homes, jobs, and local life across North America.