From the Promised Land to the Prairies: Finding Jewish Community in Calgary

by Jana Zalmanowitz, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

(Calgary) – In May of 2023, Sivan and her husband Ziv were celebrating an anticipated change in their lives, the birth of their second child. A few short months later, they were moving forward with an unanticipated change: leaving Israel to move to Calgary, Alberta.

Sivan paints a picture of Israel post-October 7^th, that many mothers cannot even fathom. “We were shocked. For three or four weeks we didn’t want to leave the house,” she describes. “I remember, on that Saturday, I opened the door and from my balcony I could smell the fires burning. There were moments that we didn’t know what to think, and the truth was too hard to bear.”

Sivan was on maternity leave, home with a 4-month-old and a two-year old. “We’ve had rockets before, but this time it was different. Israel is so small that something happens 30 minutes away from you and it feels like something is going to happen to you.” The future didn’t feel bright.

Sivan and Ziv had previously thought about the idea of coming to Canada to study. After October 7, 2023, Canada opened its gate to Israelis, providing a temporary visa, and by January, the move they had been entertaining became a final decision. “We realized that this is a great opportunity to take, and try to live in Canada,” Sivan says when talking about this big decision.

Like many in their position, they turned to Google to figure out where in Canada would best fit their family. Their criteria included job prospects, Jewish community and proximity to nature. Despite its one disadvantage of having no direct flights to Israel, Calgary won.

Sivan describes their move as a roller coaster. The family sold and gave away most of their possessions. They packed four suitcases and with their two young children in tow, arrived in Calgary in May 2023. They went on a trip to Jasper and fell in love with the Rocky Mountains. Everything felt new and exciting. Sivan and Ziv had to wait for a while before they could get their work permits. They found a nice house and enjoyed not working for a little while, but they knew they needed to settle down and create a life. “That took some time and, in some moments,” Sivan says, “It felt too long.”

Step by step things started to fall into place. Their daughter started preschool at the Calgary Jewish Academy and they found a day home for their son. Both kids settled quickly into their new places. “They love it here.” says Sivan. By sending their daughter to Jewish school, Sivan and Ziv are finding a way to ensure their Jewish identity remains strong. They notice you have to work harder to be Jewish in Calgary. “We love celebrating the Jewish holidays,” says Sivan, so sending their children to Jewish school was the natural choice for them.

Other aspects of life were slower to fall into place. Sivan and Ziv are both educated professionals who had good jobs in Israel. Sivan has a PhD in biology and Ziv is a fiberoptic engineer. “We didn’t think that it would be hard to find a job in our profession, but we were prepared to be open minded and make some changes,” Sivan says. She has been in academics for most of her life but knew this may not be possible after the move. “It took a while, but we are both working now in a place that became like a family for us.”

Work hasn’t been the only place Sivan’s family has found community. They came not knowing anyone and have found Calgary’s Jewish community to be welcoming. The kids love to go swimming at JCC and participate in many of the holiday activities with PJ Library. “When we get to JCC, it always makes me laugh, to see how they both go crazy running to press the green button to get inside,” she says, enjoying how comfortable her children have become in this space. “If it’s at work, or at the Book Nook [in the JCC], they feel surrounded by a community. Even when things are very hard, you have people around you to encourage you to keep on going and not quit.”

Sivan says that while coming to a new country can be difficult, she is remaining positive. She feels the move was the right choice. “Living in Calgary has turned out to be a good place for us. Lots of gems to find and places to have fun with the kids. In the long run we are aiming to have the opportunity to stay here and grow.” As with many Israelis who have moved to Alberta, Sivan brings an open mind to finding a new path in Canada, but it’s a different path and there are many things to miss.  “Israel has a place in our hearts! We are going to visit back home, after almost 2 years in Canada and we can’t be more excited.  We miss our family, friends, the beach and the food,” Sivan says. “I love Israel. I love our people. Am Israel chai.”