Canada is home to one of the world’s largest and most culturally creative Jewish communities, and one of few in the Diaspora that continues to grow demographically. With its tendency to mirror trends found in Jewish communities elsewhere (particularly in the United States) and simultaneous functioning as a distinct society, Canada’s Jewish community holds great interest for scholars, exercising a measurable influence on the culture and politics of world Jewry today. Consisting of a series of essays written by experts in their respective fields, Canada’s Jews is a topical encyclopaedia covering a wide variety of subjects from history and religion to the intellectual and cultural contributions of Canada’s Jews.

“This collection of 26 essays offers a comprehensive snapshot of the history of Jews in Canada, their contemporary situation, their spiritual/cultural life, and their representation in Canadian literature. . . . The essays are written in a clear style largely by experts in their respective fields. . . . This book would serve equally well as a University text book on Canadian Jewish Studies for the uninitiated and as an introduction to the topic for the curious lay person.” -- Leah Cohen * The Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews, September/October 2014, Volume IV, No. 3 *
“Canada’s Jews has the potential to be a “go-to” resource for Canadian Jewish studies, to be used as a textbook and reference book. It is up to those in the field to promote and encourage its use.” -- Susan Landau-Chark, Metivta of Ottawa * The American Jewish Archives Journal (Vol. LXVI, Nos. 1 & 2) *

Ira Robinson is Professor of Judaic studies in the Department of Religion of Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec. He is President of the Canadian Society for Jewish Studies. His latest books are: Rabbis and Their Community: Studies in the Eastern European Orthodox Rabbinate in Montreal, 1896-1930 (2007) and Translating a Tradition: Studies in American Jewish History (2009).