New exhibit celebrates achievements, contributions of Jewish Canadians

From iconic musician and poet, Leonard Cohen to Bora Laskin, the first Jewish Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada – a new travelling exhibit is shining a light on the achievements and contributions of Jewish Canadians over the past 150 years.

Canadian Jewish Experience: A Tribute to Canada 150 – now on display in the foyer of Mills Library – highlights the important role Jewish Canadians have played in many facets of Canadian life.

The exhibit recounts the history of Jewish migration to Canada in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and focuses on the experiences and accomplishments of Jewish Canadians in a range of areas including arts and culture, sports, public service, justice and human rights, business and entrepreneurship, and military service.

McMaster is the latest stop for the exhibit, which is making its way across the country, and has been on display at a number of universities and in public spaces throughout Canada including the Canadian War Museum, Parliament Hill, the Ontario and Manitoba Legislatures, as well as at municipal buildings and public libraries. The exhibit is also on display in Canadian embassies, or consulates in Israel, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago.

The Canadian Jewish Experience is a volunteer initiative. The exhibit curator is Sandra Weizman, with contributions from Victor Rabinovich, president emeritus of the War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization).

For additional information about the history and contributions of Jewish Canadians to Canada, visit the Canadian Jewish Experience online exhibit.

Canadian Jewish Experience: A Tribute to Canada 150 will be on display in Mills Library until February 16.