Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, left, speaks with Rabbi Jonathan Infeld on June 9. (photo by Pat Johnson)
Against the backdrop of regional and global challenges, Mayor Moshe Lion of Jerusalem brought a message of resilience, innovation and unity to Vancouver this month during a community event co-hosted by Congregation Beth Israel, the Jerusalem Foundation and Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University.
Now in his second term as mayor of Jerusalem, Lion spoke about his vision for one of the world’s most complex and sacred cities. His priorities, he said, include improving the quality of life for all residents, expanding affordable housing, creating economic opportunities, and reinforcing Jerusalem’s role as a city that belongs not just to its citizens but to all people of faith and conscience.
“Jerusalem is not just a city for Jerusalemites,” the mayor told an audience at Beth Israel June 9. “It is the capital of the Jewish people. It belongs to every Jew in the world – and it welcomes people of all backgrounds.”
With nearly one million residents – one-third secular and religious Jews, one-third ultra-Orthodox, and one-third Muslim – Jerusalem is not an easy place to govern, Lion acknowledged.
“Every day is different. Every day brings new challenges,” he said. “But I wake up every morning and say thank you to God for the privilege of being the mayor of Jerusalem.”
A certified public accountant and former chair of Israel Railways and the Jerusalem Development Authority, Lion acknowledges the differences among his population but said he strives to represent all.
“I am the mayor of everyone,” he emphasized. “I don’t agree with everyone, but I must care for them.”
That approach was tested acutely after Oct. 7, 2023, as the entire country reeled from the Hamas terror attacks. Lion acted swiftly to prevent similar violence in Jerusalem.
“My first thought was: how do I make sure that Gaza doesn’t happen in Jerusalem?” he recalled. “And I’m proud to say that despite tensions, we did it. We stayed united. We kept the city peaceful.”
Now, Lion said, he and his administration are focused on building on a 3,000-year foundation.
“The focus is on the future, education, economic opportunity, culture, innovation,” he said. “With the Jerusalem Foundation, we are creating a city where young couples, young families, dreamers and builders can thrive.”
The mayor’s visit to Vancouver coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, founded by such visionaries as Albert Einstein, Martin Buber and Sigmund Freud. Today, its three campuses serve more than 24,000 students from diverse backgrounds – Jewish, Arab, Druze, Christian, religious, secular, immigrant and local – studying side-by-side, noted Dina Wachtel, vice-president, community affairs, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, who emceed the evening’s event.
Lion highlighted the strong partnership between the university and the municipality, including the construction of new buildings, and the development of employment opportunities and research programs.
While some associate Jerusalem with prayer and problematic politics, the mayor wants people to think of it as a dynamic hub of science, culture and coexistence. Lion would like to see Jerusalem become one of Israel’s numerous high-tech hubs.
“It takes time because we have to develop it,” he said, “but we are doing it with Hebrew University.”
Projects like the Bloomfield Science Museum, the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, and the Hebrew University Youth Division for the Advancement of Science are touching lives in both East and West Jerusalem, he said.
One standout initiative, Sahi, targets youth at risk. Teen volunteers identify families in need and then participate in programs that assist them anonymously.
“These are the young people who will shape the next Jerusalem,” Lion said. “We are investing in education, in culture, in the power of everyday kindness.”
Lion outlined ambitious infrastructure goals, including high-rise housing to prevent suburban sprawl, expanded light rail networks, and preservation of Jerusalem’s cherished green spaces. Under his leadership, annual housing unit construction has jumped from 2,000 to more than 7,500.
“Jerusalem is undergoing an evolution,” he said. “We are building not just a city, but a future – one where Jews, Muslims and Christians all have a place to thrive.”
From the revitalization of Mahane Yehuda Market – once limited to produce stands by day but now with restaurants and social life at night – to cutting-edge healthcare and high-tech campuses, Lion sees Jerusalem as Israel’s next great engine of opportunity.
Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Infeld interviewed the mayor and posed the historical question: “If you could sit with King David, Jerusalem’s first Jewish mayor, what would you say?”
“I would ask him – are you satisfied?” Lion replied. “After 3,000 years, is this what you hoped for?” He paused. “And I think he would say yes. Jerusalem is a complicated city, but it is united, it is strong, and it is ours.”
The mayor urged anyone considering making aliyah – or who knows anyone pondering the move – to choose Jerusalem as their destination.
The evening featured remarks from Joel Reitman, president and chair of the Jerusalem Foundation of Canada, and Arik Grebelsky, president of the Jerusalem Foundation. Both highlighted Canada’s deep and ongoing investment in Jerusalem’s development and social fabric, including projects that encourage academic excellence, youth empowerment and cross-cultural partnerships.
Reitman lauded Hebrew University’s role not only investing in academic excellence but in helping shape the city’s economic and civic trajectory, and spoke of the contributions made by the Jerusalem Foundation, which was founded in 1966 by the legendary, longtime mayor of the city, Teddy Kolek.
“Together, we are creating a Jerusalem that is smart, inclusive and prepared for the future,” hsaid.
While Grebelsky was in town in his capacity with the Jerusalem Foundation, he could not resist noting another connection. He is the third-generation proprietor of the company that provided the wall of Jerusalem stone behind the Beth Israel bimah, in front of which the speakers sat.
Reitman and Grebelsky traveled with the mayor on a cross-Canada tour that began in Toronto and carried on to Calgary after the Vancouver stop.