British Columbia has been home to Indigenous peoples since time immemorial, and shaped ever since by people who came from somewhere else. For generations, people have arrived here seeking opportunity, freedom, safety and the chance for a better future. They brought different languages, traditions, beliefs and experiences. Together, they helped create one of the most diverse and vibrant places anywhere in the world.
That diversity is one of British Columbia’s greatest strengths. But it also comes with a great responsibility. In a province where so many of us have roots elsewhere, belonging is not something we inherit. It is something we build.
As we prepare to celebrate BC Day, I find myself thinking about what that means. Not simply belonging within our own families or communities, but belonging to the broader story of British Columbia. For Jewish British Columbians, that story stretches back more than 160 years.
Like so many communities across this province, ours is an immigrant story. Families arrived from Eastern Europe, North Africa, Latin America, the former Soviet Union, Israel, South Africa and countless other places. Some came fleeing persecution. Others came searching for opportunity. Over generations, they contributed to the economic, cultural, civic and charitable life in our province. Along the way, they found something equally important: a place to belong.
That sense of belonging did not happen by chance. It was built by neighbours who welcomed newcomers, by community leaders who created opportunities to participate and by people willing to reach across cultural and religious differences to form lasting relationships.
Those relationships matter because no community succeeds in isolation. They matter because a healthy society depends on trust, and because our differences do not need to divide us. That lesson feels especially relevant today.
Over the past several years, difficult conversations have strained relationships in communities across Canada. Too often, polarization has overshadowed our shared humanity. Yet, some of the most encouraging moments have come from people choosing another path: dialogue instead of division, partnership instead of polarization, curiosity instead of suspicion.
Those choices rarely make headlines, but they are the choices that strengthen communities. They are the choices that define British Columbia at its best.
This belief in connection is reflected in the recent evolution of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver to the Jewish Federation of British Columbia. While it may appear to be a simple name change, it reflects a larger reality. Jewish life in this province is no longer centred in one city. Today, nearly 30 Jewish communities across British Columbia are helping shape a shared future, and our responsibility is to ensure that every community has the opportunity to thrive, and to support an increasingly connected province. The transformation reflects a belief that, despite differences in geography, background or experience, we are stronger when we remain connected.
That vision extends well beyond the Jewish community. British Columbia has always been strongest when people from different backgrounds choose to invest in one another. Guided by the enduring presence of Indigenous peoples and enriched by generations of newcomers and families who have called this province home, we continue to foster a shared future, one where people continue to build bridges rather than walls. Diversity is not simply something we celebrate. It is something we sustain through relationships, participation and a commitment to the common good.
For more than 160 years, Jewish British Columbians have sought to contribute to that vision. Philanthropy has long been one of the ways our community expresses its values, supporting not only Jewish organizations but also hospitals, universities, social service agencies, cultural institutions and countless initiatives that strengthen life across this province. This tradition reflects a simple belief: when one community succeeds, we all benefit.
The same spirit continues today through volunteerism, civic engagement and partnerships that bring people together across communities. BC Day reminds us that our lives are shaped by the people who show up for us. It is also a reminder that stronger communities are built by those who show up for one another. The neighbour who offers a welcome. The volunteer who lends a hand. The leader who creates opportunities for people to connect. The bridge-builders who choose understanding over division.
These acts may seem small, but, over time, they create something extraordinary. They create belonging.
In a world where it is often easier to focus on what separates us, there may be no greater gift we can give one another than the commitment to keep working toward making the province a place where everyone can belong – and there may be nothing more important than that.
Ezra Shanken is chief executive officer of Jewish Federation of British Columbia.