From the Promised Land to the Prairies: Moving for love and building Jewish identity in Edmonton

By Jana Zalmanowitz

Editor’s note – It’s been over two years since the horrors of October 7, 2023 shattered the lives of many Israelis. Since that time, some have made the choice to leave Israel, while rebuilding and finding an identity here in Alberta. This series examines the reasons they left and what being in Alberta has meant to their Jewish identity.

(AJNews) – Tzipi Abu doesn’t shy away from adventure. That sense of adventure is what led the 30-year-old career consultant to leave her life in Israel, and move to Edmonton. The Canadian chapter of her story actually started in Thailand where she met her boyfriend. “I met a Canadian. I fell in love with him deeply and I decided I didn’t want to give that up,” she says.

Tzipi always had plans to try living away from Israel. She was born there, raised by her grandparents and has no family left in Israel (although she is careful to clarify that it’s home to many “friends who are more than family”). The events over the last couple years encouraged her to take the leap. “With the war, things started getting really bad. From a financial standpoint it was hard living in Israel as well.” Canada was never on the list of where to go. She had considered moving to the United States, New York specifically. When she met her boyfriend, they thought of settling in Thailand, but the job prospects were slim. Originally from Okotoks, her boyfriend got a job in Edmonton and Tzipi threw caution to the wind and moved to Alberta with him this past June.

She came to Edmonton knowing only her boyfriend, who is not Jewish. It has been up to Tzipi to navigate what it means to be Jewish in Edmonton. “When we were in Thailand it was really important to me to go to kiddush, do Shabbat and all the traditional stuff,” Tzipi says. “You have plenty of Israelis there so you would never feel alone.” Her experience in Edmonton is different from Thailand. She is finding the opportunities to participate in community events are hard to find and can be expensive. “If you want to go to a kiddush, you have to pay a lot which is frustrating for people who are single and don’t have family.”

True to the modern experience, Tzipi has made connections on a WhatsApp group for Israelis living in Edmonton. She estimates that 99% of the people in the group have families so it can be hard to make friends when their lives look very different. When you meet Tzipi, her welcoming demeanor hints that even if it’s difficult, she won’t simply stop looking for meaningful Jewish connections in the city. She tells a story about going to see the movie The Road Between Us in theaters in October with a friend who was visiting from Israel. “There was this guy sitting right next to us and we started chatting. This guy knew more about Israel than I do. He told us he’s in the process of converting and ever since then we became friends,” she describes of the chance meeting.

Being in a small Jewish community has made Tzipi’s dedication to her Jewish identity grow. In Israel she always acknowledges the Jewish holidays but since coming to Edmonton she’s made an effort to formally celebrate major holidays like Passover and Rosh Hashana. “To me, celebration has always been about staying connected to where I come from, my roots and my identity. Here I feel so proud to be Jewish.” That pride and Jewish enthusiasm has gained her some allies, such as her boyfriend’s Christian father. “I told him what it’s like to be Jewish and how it can feel dangerous to walk in the streets with a Star of David.” In a show of support, he decided to get a Star of David tattoo. “I was completely speechless,” she says.

That grand gesture of support hasn’t shielded Tzipi from the antisemitism rampant in Canada right now. She describes an incident where she and an Israeli friend travelled to Montreal and found themselves in an Uber. “We started speaking in Hebrew because that’s our mother tongue. That’s how we feel comfortable. The driver decides to turn up a song in French and there was one sentence I was able to understand and it was [speaking negatively] about Israel. He was talking on his phone saying in Arabic that there were two Israelis in his car.” While they were both rattled, it didn’t dampen Tzipi’s Jewish spirit. “The next day I was walking, saw this jewelry store, and got myself this,” she says pointing to her Star of David necklace. Her partner has also had a taste of antisemitism when he lost a friend who found out he was dating an Israeli. “He wanted to educate her and explain to her that what she thinks about Israel and Israeli’s is completely wrong, but she used such harsh words.” With his support, Tzipi stands proudly in her Judaism. “I will never apologize for who I am, for my roots.”

Even though moving to a new place is challenging, Tzipi is living proudly in the moment. She has found herself in a new situation many Albertans can relate to, of often being the only Jew in the room. She’s using that position to ensure the people around her have a better understanding of what it means to be Jewish. “I’m making sure everyone knows about Judaism, understands the culture and understands that we will never be the victim. We care about moving forward and making things better.”

When asked if she will stay in Edmonton, Tzipi’s not sure what the future holds. Israel is not simply where she was born. “I don’t know what will happen in the long run. I would be happy to go back to Israel because at the end of the day, that’s my home. A lot of people here can’t understand the Israeli sarcasm and it comes across as being rude,” Tzipi says of her Israeli chutzpah. “Israel is in my DNA.”

 Jana Zalmanowitz is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Alberta Jewish News.