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March 5, 2004
B.C. Jews up in 2001 census
Community is aging fast and 35.2 per cent have no religious affiliation.
PAT JOHNSON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
The Jewish population of Greater Vancouver leapt by 14.9 per cent
in the decade from 1991 to 2001, substantially higher than the growth
of the Jewish community nationwide, but this community is aging
faster than the national Jewish community.
The numbers emerged from the most recent Canadian census, undertaken
in 2001. Changes in the Jewish population, and their meaning to
the community, were analyzed for the Jewish Federation of Greater
Vancouver and UIA Federations Canada by authors Charles Shahar and
Jean Gerber.
While Canada's Jewish population increased by 3.5 per cent over
the decade ending in 2001, Greater Vancouver saw an incongruous
increase of almost 15 per cent, bringing the total Jewish population
of the area to 22,585. Jews make up 1.1 per cent of the Greater
Vancouver population, representing Canada's third-largest Jewish
community, with 6.1 per cent of the country's Jews.
For the purposes of the census, a Jew is considered to be anyone
who identified themselves to census-takers as Jewish by religion
and ethnicity; Jewish by religion and having another ethnicity;
or Jewish by ethnicity with no religious affiliation. Not included
in the study were individuals who defined themselves as having a
Jewish ethnic affiliation and a religious affiliation other than
Jewish.
Baby boomers are causing a major bulge in population figures and
the Jewish community is not immune from the influence of the post-war
population surge. The 45-to-64-year-old age group increased to 6,540
individuals from 3,585 over the decade. The next census, according
to the report, will see the bulge move into the 65+ category.
Although the new census figures depict a substantial growth in the
Jewish community, David Berson, director of community planning for
the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, believes the numbers
are actually lower than they should be. Because the census asked
a new question on ethnicity, allowing people to choose "Canadian,"
Berson believes some Jews will have identified no religious affiliation
combined with a "Canadian" ethnic identity, making them
invisible from a Jewish standpoint.
He added that the bulge in the baby boomer population will mean
that the Jewish community, in a decade, or so will be faced with
directing resources toward to that demographic.
"It means we're going to have a preponderance of baby boomers
who will be consuming services for seniors," he said. "Places
like the JCC will probably have to adapt their services." Residential
care, assisted living, mobility issues and health care will likely
absorb a greater proportion of the community's interest and resources
as the now-middle-aged cohort moves into their elder years, according
to Berson.
Despite the growth of the population in the middle-aged category,
the median age of Vancouver-area Jews remains below the national
statistics, with the median age of Vancouver Jews (39.8 years) slightly
below the national Jewish average (40.2 years), but that gap has
been narrowing.
"The discrepancy between these populations has narrowed in
the last three decades, suggesting that the local Jewish community
is growing older at a faster pace than Canada's Jewish community,"
according to the report. This could be due to British Columbia's
reputation as a desirable retirement destination.
Three out of four Jewish British Columbians live in Greater Vancouver.
The area covered by this definition stretches from Maple Ridge to
Lions Bay, to the American border on the south and includes North
and West Vancouver. The authors note that the once-tight-knit community
that was centred along the Oak Street corridor in Vancouver has
expanded geographically and religiously, reaching further into the
suburbs and accommodating at least 20 religious congregations, where
once there were just four.
Although the Jewish population around Vancouver has grown markedly
since 1991, it still does not approach the spike in growth that
came between 1981 and 1991, as reported in the previous decadal
census. While 2,935 more Jews were counted in 2001, the 1991 census
reported an increase of 4,725 over the previous decade.
But, taken over a two-decade period, Jewish Vancouver's growth is
remarkable, having increased 51.3 per cent between 1981 and 2001.
By contrast, Canada's Jewish population grew 18.1 per cent.
"In other words," states the report, "whereas the
Greater Vancouver Jewish community's rate of growth was slower than
in previous decades, it was much more pronounced than that of the
national Jewish population."
The bulge of baby boomers reflects national statistics, but the
Jewish community in Greater Vancouver falls slightly short of general
averages in other age groups. Children 14 and under make up 16.6
per cent of the Greater Vancouver Jewish community compared with
17.6 per cent of the general population. In the prime earning years
of 24 to 44, the report notes, the discrepancy is larger –
28.6 per cent of Vancouver-area Jews are in this age group compared
with 32.7 per cent of the general population. Vancouver Jews, among
all the ethnic groups, has the smallest percentage of members within
this age group. In the 45 to 64 segment, Jews have a higher proportion,
29 per cent to 24.6 per cent.
Compared with other ethnic categories, Jews are a small part of
the Greater Vancouver population. Some 465,020 identified their
heritage as British (23.6 per cent of totals); 347,455 said Chinese
(17.7 per cent). Ten other ethnic identities placed higher than
Jews including, in order of population, those who identified themselves
solely as Canadian (7.7 per cent), followed by German (7.3), East
Indian (7.2), French (4), Ukrainian (3.4), Italian (3.3), Filipino
(2.9), Aboriginal (2.7), Polish (1.8), Russian (1.6), Korean (1.5)
and Japanese (1.3). Jews, at 1.1 per cent, outnumber Latin Americans,
Vietnamese, African, Portuguese, Greek, Arab, Spanish, Caribbean,
American and Pakistani identities, each of which represents one
per cent or less of the total Vancouver-area population. Some categories
may have overlapped. For example, according to the report, respondents
were free to identify themselves as "Jewish" and "Russian."
Jews rank ninth among religious groups in the census, after the
three largest Christian denominations, followed by Sikhs, Buddhists,
Muslims, Hindus and Christian Orthodox. Among Greater Vancouverites,
fully 35.2 per cent identify themselves having no religious affiliation.
Jewish British Columbians living outside Greater Vancouver are mostly
on Vancouver Island, with 3,870 living there. Kelowna has 515 Jews,
Prince George has 235, Kamloops has 180 and Vernon has 170.
According to the Federation report, results of this census will
be used by Jewish community planners to identify segments of the
community at risk economically and socially and to help determine
where programs or services should be established or continued.
Pat Johnson is a native Vancouverite, a journalist and
commentator.
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