JIAS Toronto

We’re thrilled that JIAS has two featured exhibits on display at the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre during the run of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.

Fiddler captures the painful transition from a stable, tradition-bound home to the precarious life of a refugee, a cycle that remains tragically relevant. These exhibits highlight powerful stories of migration, resilience, and belonging — sharing the lived experiences of newcomers and refugees who have helped shape our communities.

If you’re attending the show, be sure to take some time to explore the exhibits in the theatre lobby and lower level. The show is only on for a limited time, so be sure to secure your tickets soon!

Use code "JIAS15" for a special ticket discount.

Buy tickets: https://bit.ly/4vWAQFN

We're excited to have our Executive Director, Elise Herzig, speaking on the Refugees panel at the OLAM Focal Point Conference in New York next week!

June 1, 2026
3:15 – 4:15 PM

This panel will be an interactive conversation exploring how the global refugee sector is being reshaped – from shifting policies and funding models to evolving public engagement and growing pressure on multilateral systems.

For Jewish Heritage Month, JIAS is sharing a few of the immigration stories that helped shape our community. Today, we share the story of the Benzacar family.

Maurice Benzacar arrived in Canada from Morocco in 1957 with his wife, Elise, and their young son. “We landed in Toronto on a Friday night and were met by a young secretary who worked at JIAS. The Jewish community then was all Ashkenazim and […] they knew nothing about Moroccan Jews.”

In the 1960s, as larger numbers of Moroccan Jewish families began arriving in Canada, Maurice began supporting newcomers through JIAS. He later joined the agency as a caseworker and eventually served as Director of Settlement for 28 years. Through his compassion, leadership, and dedication to newcomers, he became affectionately known as “Mr. JIAS.”

Together, Maurice and Elise, may her memory be a blessing, built a life and raised their family in Canada while remaining deeply committed to the Sephardi community. Both served on countless committees and boards across the GTA, helping ensure Sephardi traditions, culture, and voices continued to thrive for future generations.

Learn more about their journey here: https://bit.ly/4nPZ5BU

For Jewish Heritage Month, JIAS is sharing a few of the immigration stories that helped shape our community. Today, we share the story of the Daniels family.

When Miriam and Joshua Daniels left behind their family, friends, and Jewish community in Mumbai to begin a new life in Canada, they arrived with very little. In Toronto, they found themselves a “minority within a minority.”

“At that time, Toronto was not as diverse as it is today, and the Jewish community was not as multicultural.”

They missed the close-knit Jewish Indian community they had known back home. Yet despite the challenges of starting over, they built a meaningful life in Canada and found their place within Toronto’s Jewish community.

Now married for 30 years, Miriam and Joshua raised their daughter, Ariella, in Toronto. Miriam has also dedicated more than three decades of her career to serving the community through UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Their story reflects the courage, resilience, and determination it takes for so many newcomers to rebuild their lives while preserving their culture, traditions, and sense of belonging.

Learn more about their journey here: https://bit.ly/4nPZ5BU

JIAS is proud to co-present three films with the Toronto Jewish Film Festival and offer our clients, volunteers, and friends discounted tickets using the code "JIAS@TJFF".

We are co-presenting the following films:

1) DAYTRIP
*June 14, 1:00 PM, Cineplex Cinemas Empress Walk
*Online June 21-23 – Virtual TJFF
https://bit.ly/499BPbZ

2) NANDAURI
*June 8, 8:00 PM, Leah Posluns Theatre
*Online June 14-16 - Virtual TJFF
https://bit.ly/3PwdhmE

3) WHERE TO?
*June 9, 7:30 pm, Cineplex Cinemas Varsity
https://bit.ly/42JjlLQ

Don't miss out - get your tickets today!

JIAS will be at the City of Toronto’s 12th annual Toronto Newcomer Day! Find our booth to learn more about what programs and services you may be eligible for.

Date and time: Friday, May 29, 2026, from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St West, Toronto)

Indigenous Teachings hosted by Toronto Council Fire. Register here : https://bit.ly/4ufDEN0

HistoricTO - Neighbourhood Walking Tours led by staff from the City's Toronto History Museums. Register here: https://bit.ly/4uclX0R

Tours of Toronto City Hall led by the City Clerks Office. Register here: https://bit.ly/4d9o8My

Chinatown Community Lion Dance led by Toronto Public Library. Register here: https://bit.ly/4uP3Uxy

To learn more about the different activities at the event, click here: https://bit.ly/39PQgG2

For newcomers to Canada, building a strong professional network and understanding the job market are essential steps toward employment success. At JIAS, we offer free programs designed to help you enhance your networking strategies and job search skills.

Become a JIAS client today to access our free mentorship and networking programs and services here:
https://bit.ly/4eGxWyK

JIAS Toronto's Elise Herzig and Naomi Kramer attended the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto's Book of Life event to hear the remarkable former JIAS Client and former Supreme Court Justice, The Honourable Rosalie Silberman Abella. She spoke of her immigrant upbringing in Canada, the love and support of her parents who survived the Holocaust, and the hard-work and love of learning that it took to reach a career beyond her imagination. It was an honour just to be in her presence and to hear her enthusiastic "My family was helped by JIAS!" when Elise and Naomi introduced themselves.