Studies Show
dating non-Jewish partners as they move into their thirties and forties, when the desire for companionship some- times outweighs communal norms. In these cases, most want a partner who is supportive of Jewish life— someone who will share their Jewish lifestyle and sensibilities. Finally, there are those who spend years with non- Jewish partners and ultimately decide to leave those relationships, realizing that they want someone who shares their Jewish background more fully. Taken together, these stories show that, while the pathways to partner- ship vary, Jewish identity in culture, values, and daily life remains deeply
meaningful. Whether Jews ultimate- ly marry within the faith or beyond it, their reflections reveal a sincere effort to balance personal happiness with a connection to Jewish life. In Canada’s vibrant yet intimate Jewish commu- nity, that balance continues to shape the future. Libby Bear holds a PhD in sociol- ogy and an MA in social psycholo- gy. She is a lecturer, facilitator, and consultant specializing in singlehood, relationships, family, and Jewish life. Randal F. Schnoor is a sociologist at York University, where he specializes in the qualitative study of contempo- rary Jewish life in North America.
well integrated into the paid work force, so they have many more op- portunities to interact and form relationships with non-Jews than they did when they were restricted to domestic roles. Consequently, the historical tendency for Jewish men to be somewhat more likely than Jewish women to intermarry is weakening. Also in keeping with these pat- terns is the importance of geography. Jews are much more likely to inter- act and form social relationships with non-Jews in smaller communities: there are relatively few Jews to engage with, and the pool of potential Jewish marriage partners is consequently small. In Atlantic Canada, Saskatch- ewan, and the northern territories, where Jewish communities are small, the Jewish intermarriage rate averag- es about 70%. In Ontario and Quebec, where the overwhelming majority of Jews live in large and medium-size Jewish communities, the comparable figure averages around 25%. In short, the more exposed Jews are to Jewish life, and the more they engage with other Jews, the more likely they are to marry someone who is Jewish. Our research suggests that, if the Jewish community can recruit more Jewish children to Jewish day schools and summer camps and attract more Jewish immigrants to Canada, the increasing rate of Jew- ish intermarriage may slow. Another force that may have the same effect is the rise in antisemitism that has been especially evident since October 2023, insofar as it has reduced Jewish interaction with non-Jews. Robert Brym is an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Toronto. Rhonda Lenton, a sociolo- gist by training, was president of York University from 2017-2025.
THE STATE OF THE UNION: JEWISH INTERMARRIAGE IN CANADA by ROBERT BRYM and RHONDA LENTON
WHAT PERCENTAGE of Canadian Jews who are married or living common- law are partnered with a non-Jew? How does the rate of Jewish inter- marriage vary across time, age cohort, gender, and community size? What factors might slow the increasing rate of Jewish intermarriage? The key factor influencing the Jewish intermarriage rate is the op- portunity to associate with non-Jews: the more such opportunities, the high- er the intermarriage rate. Since the early 1900s, the average Canadian Jew has become less religious. Prejudice and discrimination against Jews have declined, and Jews have become more
at home with Canadian culture. Social interactions and all manner of social relationships between Jews and non- Jews have become more common. Accordingly, while hardly any Cana- dian Jews intermarried in 1900, the intermarriage rate rose to 16% in 1981 and nearly 33% in 2021. As a general rule, younger Jews are most exposed to contact with non- Jews. As a result, they tend to have a relatively high intermarriage rate: in Canada in 2021, more than 36% of married Jews between the ages of 18 and 39 were intermarried, compared with 25% of Jews over the age of 39. Analogously, women have now become
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