Local News
Jewish population of Winnipeg shows slight increase in past 10 years – but 2021 census does not give definitive answers as to what the size of our Jewish population really is
By BERNIE BELLAN The number of individuals in Winnipeg who report that their ethnic origin is Jewish has declined somewhat from the number reported in the 2011 National Household Survey (which was the last reliable report on the ethnic and religious composition of Canada produced by StatsCan).
However, set against the decline in the number of Winnipeggers who reported their ethnic origin as Jewish was a marked increase in the number that reported their ethnic origin was Israeli.
The number of individuals who reported their religion was Jewish also showed a very slight increase from 2011 to 2021.
Those are some of the most significant findings from the latest release of detailed information from the 2021 census, which came on October 26, when StatsCan released a whole trove of documents about immigration and ethnicity – with statistics about religion at the very end of the document release.
According to the 2021 census, 11,745 individuals in Winnipeg reported their ethnic origin as Jewish. In 2011 the figure was 12,005. However, considering that 1,435 individuals reported their ethnic origin was Israeli (as opposed to a total of 340 in 2011), when you add the two figures together the total comes to 13,180.
As for religion, the number of Winnipeggers who said their religion was Jewish stood at 10,740 in 2011. The 2021 census reported the number as 10,835, an increase of 95.
We have been waiting anxiously for the results of the 2021 census ever since results from the 2016 census were so wildly inconsistent with all previous census results when it came to showing that the number of Jews, not only in Winnipeg, but everywhere in Canada, had declined precipitously.
As we have been reporting repeatedly ever since results of the 2016 census were published, the reason for what were considered aberrant results in the 2016 census was that, for the first time, “Jewish” was not listed among the 20 choices for ethnic ancestry in that census. Instead, one would have had to write in “Jewish” as an answer. As a result, even StatsCan conceded that the low number of individuals who responded that their ethnic origins were Jewish was unrealistically low.
In the 2016 census also, the likelihood is that a number of respondents who might otherwise have responded “Jewish” if it had been given in the list of examples of ethnic origin, instead likely chose “Canadian,” since Canadian was one of the 20 examples listed.
As a report from StatsCan noted, “After the 2016 Census, concerns were raised that changes to the list of examples of ethnic and cultural origins included as part of the question were affecting response patterns. Concerns were also raised about the wordiness of the question, which made it difficult for certain people to read and respond to the question.”
StatsCan went on to explain that “respondents were more likely to report an origin when it was included in the list of examples and, conversely, less likely to report an origin if it was not included in the list.”
As a result, StatsCan made major changes to how ethnic origin was tabulated in the 2021 census. The question that was asked was the same as what had been asked in previous censuses: “What were the ethnic or cultural origins of this person’s ancestors?”
That question was followed by a further explanation:
“Ancestors may have Indigenous origins, or origins that refer to different countries, or other origins that may not refer to different countries.
But the 2021 census, which was required to be filled out online, actually gave a link to “a list of over 500 examples of ethnic and cultural origins,” of which both “Jewish” and “Israeli” were among the choices.
One might well wonder though whether many recent immigrants to Winnipeg who might be considered ostensibly Jewish might also have filled in different ethnic origins, especially individuals with Eastern European roots. (There was only room for one answer to the question about ethnic origins.)
But then we run up against the issue of the relatively low number of individuals who said their religion was “Jewish” in the 2021 census.
The religion question that appeared in the 2021 Census, “What is this person’s religion?” was the same as the one that was asked in the 2011 National Household Survey and in the 2001 and 1991 censuses. It also had the same basic format: there was a write-in box in which respondents could report their religion, as well as a mark-in circle for indicating “No religion.”
Thus, while one might posit that a certain number of immigrants to Winnipeg might have Jewish roots, if they didn’t answer that their ethnic origins were either “Jewish” or “Israeli” and they also didn’t indicate that their religion was “Jewish”, is it fair still to consider them Jewish?
In an interview I conducted in August with Faye Rosenberg-Cohen, who is about to retire as the Jewish Federation’s Chief Planning and Allocations Officer, I asked Faye how many immigrants make up the Jewish population of Winnipeg now?
Faye responded: “I can honestly say when I look at those numbers it’s somewhere around 1/3 of the community.”
JP&N: “So you’d say it’s somewhere between 4-5,000?”
Faye: “I think it’s more than that.”
If what Faye said was true then the Jewish community would number at least 15,000.
I indicated my skepticism at that time, saying “You know that I’ve always been skeptical about the numbers that have been used by the Federation for the population of the Jewish community. I think though that it’s always been more of a case of identification – who identifies as Jewish?”
In the final analysis, there is nothing in what StatsCan has just reported that would back up the notion that our Jewish population here is over 15,000. Yet, there is one more possibility that might allow the Jewish Federation to argue that our population is closer to 15,000. That will require a more detailed analysis comparing the results for respondents who said their religion was “Jewish” but their ethnic origin was not.
Following the 2011 National Household Survey, which was the first census that showed a sizeable drop in the size of our Jewish population, I entered into an email exchange with a statistician from StatsCan as to whether it was possible that our Jewish population was much larger than 12,010, which was how many respondents indicated their ethnic origin was Jewish back in 2011.
That statistician did a much deeper analysis of the data than was available to me. He showed that of the 10,740 individuals who said their religion was Jewish, only 7,885 reported that their ethnic origin was Jewish. That was a difference of 2,885. (Clearly there have been a lot of converts within our community). If you added those respondents who said their religion was Jewish, but not their ethnic origin, to the number of respondents who said their ethnic origin was Jewish, you came up with a figure of 14,885. That figure would have been much closer to what the Federation was saying was the size of our Jewish population in 2011.
Is it important? Well, as I’ve been arguing for years, if our Federation is basing its plans for the future on a notion that our Jewish population is much bigger than what is really the case, then those plans are misguided.
Gray Academy has far fewer students than was the case just ten years ago. Brock Corydon, the only other school that offers any sort of an exposure to a Jewish curriculum, also has fewer Jewish students than used to be the case. The Simkin Centre has a very high proportion of non-Jewish residents. Our synagogues have lost huge numbers of members. None of these changes would be reflective of a growing Jewish population.
However, as I’ve just noted, there is a very real possibility that our Jewish population is closer to the figure of 15,000 – which is the figure commonly cited by spokespersons for the Federation. In order to find out though whether that is the case, we’ll need someone at StatsCan to do a similar analysis of data that was done at my request following the 2011 National Household Survey. I’ve already sent a request to StatsCan for a more comprehensive analysis of the answers to the questions about ethnic origin and religion, similar to what was done for me by a StatsCan analyst following the 2011 National Household Survey. We’re hoping to have further answers to the question of how many Jews there are in Winnipeg in a future issue – if we hear back from someone at StatsCan.
Local News
Jewish Federation now says Jewish population of Winnipeg in 2021 (according to the census) was 13,940 – not the 16,000 figure that the Federation had been touting for years
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted Oct. 27, 2026) Longtime readers of The Jewish Post & News (and this website) would probably know that I have long had a very strong interest in establishing as accurate figures as possible when it has come to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish community.
For years I argued that our Jewish Federation was exaggerating the size of our Jewish population. I heard the figure of 16,000 bandied about by leaders in our community quite often when it came to reporting the size of our Jewish population – without any empirical evidence to back that figure up.
I had long maintained that the only reasonably accurate figures when it came to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish population were those produced by the late Evelyn Katz, when she was the unofficial demographer for the Jewish Federation – over 30 years ago. What Evelyn would do is keep careful track of births, deaths, numbers of newcomers but, perhaps most important: the number of people who had left our community.
Thus, in August 2022 when I interviewed Faye Rosenberg Cohen who, at the time, was just about to retire as the Jewish Federation’s Chief Planning and Allocations Officer, I was somewhat astonished to hear Faye say, when I asked her what proportion of our Jewish community was made up of immigrants, she answered that “I can honestly say when I look at those numbers it’s somewhere around 1/3 of the community.”
In response, I asked: “So you’d say it’s somewhere between 4-5,000?”
Faye said: “I think it’s more than that.”
I wrote in that article, “I indicated my skepticism at that time, saying ‘You know that I’ve always been skeptical about the numbers that have been used by the Federation for the population of the Jewish community. I think though that it’s always been more of a case of identification – who identifies as Jewish.’ ”
Later, after the results of the 2021 census were released, I wrote that “if you take into account the results of the 2021 census, the Jewish community cannot be larger than 14,270 at a maximum. But that figure would also include anyone who had either said either their ethnic origin was Jewish or their religion was Jewish.”
Since many of the individuals who had said on the 2021 census that their ethnic origin was Jewish, but their religion was something else, I maintained that ascertaining the real size of our Jewish community was highly problematic.
Still, for the sake of argument I was willing to accept that, realistically, it was somewhere between 13,000-14,000 – but nowhere close to the figure of 16,000 that had come to be suggested by our then president of the Jewish Federation or by other leading figures in our community.
So, it was with a sense of satisfaction that I heard Sharon Graham, who is now the Jewish Federation’s Community Planning and Allocations Lead say to an audience of over 50 people who were at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, October 22, that the Jewish community in 2021 was – at a maximum: 13,940.
Sharon was at the Gwen Secter Centre to speak to Remis Lecture attendees. Her presentation preceded a presentation by Jewish Federation CEO Jeff Lieberman. Sharon used a PowerPoint presentation to provide some very interesting insights into where our Jewish community was at in 2021- and I’m offering some parts of her presentation here for you to read because I thought they were so interesting.
I had actually made many of the same observations about the results of the 2021 census in my own reporting back in 2022, but seeing what I had written confirmed by the Jewish Federation’s point person on planning told me that Sharon has a much more realistic view of our community than did Faye Rosenberg Cohen.
Here, for instance, is a slide that shows the proportion of our Jewish community that is made up of immigrants. It’s slightly under one fifth, not the one third percentage that Faye had suggested.
But, what really set Sharon’s presentation apart from anything else I’ve ever seen presented by someone from the Jewish Federation – other than the aforementioned Evelyn Katz, was the slide she projected which showed that, while there had been a large influx of newcomers to Winnipeg’s Jewish community between 2016-2021 there had also been a significantly high number of people who had left our Jewish community in those same years, as you can see in the following slide:
That is something we just don’t hear discussed by leaders of our Jewish organizations, but let’s be realistic: For many newcomers who came to Winnipeg and were counted as new members of our Jewish community, Winnipeg – for a variety of reasons, was a stepping stone to other communities. It may have been for reasons of better job opportunities, moving closer to other family members, or – the reason that we hear so often when it comes to people saying they want to leave Winnipeg: the weather.
But, whatever the reason, Sharon’s figures show that, as much as GrowWinnipeg may have been an abiding success when it’s come to attracting newcomers to our Jewish community here, getting them to stay long term is a different story.
And, while there were other aspects of Sharon’s presentation that certainly merit discussion, especially the figures she produced about intermarriage, rather than delving into them here, I thought it useful simply to insert them for you, the reader, to see – and draw your own conclusions.
Local News
Marty Green expands his protest against extremist Jewish settlers to two more venues – and is arrested twice more
(Tuesday, October 27) We received the following press release about Marty Green being arrested again, both at the University of Manitoba and at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue:
Both sides came to blows on Saturday, October 24, at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue as security personnel sought to prevent Marty Green from interfering with synagogue traffic as he protested just outside synagogue grounds against the actions of religious settlers in Israel’s occupied West Bank territory. Synagogue Executive Director Rena Secter Elbaze quickly intervened to prevent further escalation. Police arrived shorty thereafter and detained Green for 45 minutes before driving him home and releasing him. It is not clear whether their decision not to lay charges was the result of their own onsite investigation or whether it was at the request of the synagogue executive.
Green has now been arrested four times in the last month and faces multiple charges for disturbing the peace, including two episodes at the Asper Campus and one more this past Friday (Oct. 23) at the University of Manitoba. While Green says initially he was merely handing out leaflets (at the Asper Campus), since his first arrest on September 23, he has returned to the campus with a large placard and an acccordion, accompanying himself while singing songs with lyrics that include such phrases as “The Jews Are Bananas….B-A-N-A-N-A-S”. In addition to listing actions of the religious settlers as including arson, vandalism, and theft, he pointedly alleges that the IDF has been backing up the settlers in their actions.
Green had earlier notified the Shaarey Zedek that he was contemplating bringing his protest to the synagogue. He was told that if he attempted to enter the grounds he would be prevented from doing so. At that time, Secter Elbaze told Green that his intentions were inappropriate, declaring the synagogue to be “a house of worship dedicated to prayer, learning, community, and spiritual engagement.” Green responded that if the synagogue were willing to contact the Crown and inform them that “that there was never any legal basis for their claims that I was conducting myself inappropriately at the Asper Campus” (with regard to his earlier arrests) that he would “voluntarily refrain from carrying his informational campaign to the synagogue(s).”
Green further argues that the recent “psak” (religious ruling) by leading Israeli rabbi Rov Dov Lior, in which Lior declares that it is not merely permissible but praiseworthy for Jews to steal olives from Arab orchards….that this ruling brings his protest within the proper realm of religious discourse. He says further that if the local rabbis were willing to speak out to their congregations against the aforesaid psak, that he might have refrained from taking his campaign to their grounds.
Although Green was released on Saturday without charges, police confiscated his placard. They explained that it was being held as evidence pending an investigation by Major Crimes as to whether it constituted hate literature.
There was no further information given as to what happened at the University of Manitoba.
Local News
Third annual JFest Winnipeg will be offering programs for all ages
By MYRON LOVE JFest Winnipeg is back with a good variety of musical performances, a book launch, popular Jewish-themed films, children’s activities, and a family-oriented Shabbat dinner.
“JFest,” observes Laura Marjovsky, the Rady JCC Director of Programming, “is an opportunity for our community to experience Jewish art and culture. With our range of JFest events, we are trying to reach out beyond what has been our base audience and appeal to all ages. We have a commitment to bring top notch Israeli performers to share the highest caliber of Israeli entertainment with our audiences.”
The week-long festival (November 14-21) kicks off with a performance by top-ranked Israeli singer-songwriter Harel Skaat. The popular Israeli star began singing as a child. He shot to fame when he finished second in the second season of “Kochav Nolad” – Israel’s version of “American Idol.” His first album was released in 2006 and achieved Platinum status – with one of the songs being ranked as “song of the year.” He followed that up in 2009 with a second album that reached Gold status. In 2010, he represented Israel at the Eurovision competition.
Skaat’s performance is scheduled for the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre (which is attached to Garden City Collegiate) beginning at 8:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 14. Patrons will have the opportunity to purchase an enhanced ticket to attend a meet and greet with Harel.
All other JFest programs and activities will be at the Rady JCC.
Music Producer Karla Berbrayer says Ben Caplan’s performance on Saturday, November 21 will also be another highlight. “Ben Caplan redefines what it means to be a modern folk artist,” Berbrayer says. “His music and stories are matched by his larger-than-life stage presence. This concert focuses on how his Jewish upbringing has influenced his entire performance career.”
“Flatland Famous” is returning by popular demand. This quintet, known for its performances at Winnipeg Jets games, will be presenting its concert, “Jewish Soul of Rock and Roll,” on Wednesday, November 18, at 7:30 pm. This year’s show will feature songs by Amy Winehouse, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Simon and Garfinkel, and other famous Jewish icons.
On Tuesday, November 17, local author Deborah Schnitzer will be taking centre stage with the launch of her new book, “The Woman Who Swallowed West Hawk Lake.” The University of Winnipeg English Professor Emeritus’s new novel explores intergenerational trauma related to Nazi breeding programs. Joining Schnitzer on stage will be a panel of professionals who have experience working with children who have experienced trauma.
And of course, “Best of the Fest” is back. Films to be presented will include“The Floaters” and “We Met at Grossingers,” two wildly popular movies at last spring’s Winnipeg International Jewish Film Festival.
“The Floaters,” to be screened on Monday , November 16 at 7:00 pm is a funny and bang-on depiction of Jewish summer camp culture.
“We Met at Grossingers” is a loving look back at the Borscht Belt in New York’s Catskills, where generations of young Jewish performers earned their dues and developed their acts. The film will be screened on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 P.M.
On Friday November 20, JFest will host a Family Shabbat dinner featuring Anat Kriger, an Israeli-born, Toronto-based musician, actor, and children’s performer, who has made several appearances in Winnipeg at major communal events.
Kidfest on Sunday, November 15, will be a day-long potpourri of programming that will include live performances, workshops, bouncy castles, games and crafts, and much more.
Readers seeking more information about JFest can contact Laura Marjovsky at 204 477-7539 or lmarjovsky@radyjcc/com
