12 | JULY 28 • 2022 

ON THE COVER

W

elcome Home, an initiative 
seeking to grow three 
Ontario Jewish communities, 
will hold its kickoff event Sunday, Sept. 
11, at the Windsor JCC as it seeks to 
let Jews in Metro Detroit, Toronto and 
beyond know about the opportunities 
waiting just a short drive away.
Hamilton, London and Windsor 
are preparing to welcome Jewish 
immigrants interested in settling 
down in their communities, which 
offer a more reasonable cost of living 
than nearby cities such as 
Detroit or Toronto. Through 
the program, newcomers 
can get connected to 
schools and social service 
organizations, meet local 
Jewish families and learn 
more about the areas. 
Federation CEOs Gustavo 
Rymberg of Hamilton, Rob 
Nagus of London and Dan 
Brotman of Windsor are 
helping lead the charge to 
bring in potential residents. 

“There are three communities with 
open hearts and arms to welcome you,” 
Rymberg says.
“There are so many 
advantages in moving to 
Canada — especially for 
a young family,” explains 
Brotman, noting the $10/
day (Canadian) childcare 
throughout the country, 
universal healthcare, good 
access to public schools and 
universities, and political stability in the 
country.
“We’re 10 minutes to Detroit. You 
still have access to the entire Detroit 
community, but I think you’re living in 
a fairer society,” he says. 
Similar initiatives have been 
successful in other communities in 
Canada, says Brotman, particularly 
Winnipeg and Halifax, where leaders 
have used Canada’s open immigration 
policies to grow shrinking populations. 
Winnipeg brought 5,000 Jewish 
immigrants to its community, a 
substantial jump for the community of 

about 15,000.
Meanwhile, even within the U.S., 
programs like Tulsa Tomorrow have 
been incentivizing Jewish professionals 
and entrepreneurs, inviting young 
Jewish families, students and more to 
come for a weekend tour and see if 
Tulsa is the right community for them. 
Initially targeted at young families 
in the greater Toronto area, the fourth 
most expensive housing market in 
North America, Welcome Home 
has expanded to get the word out 
worldwide about these places and the 
Jewish resources available for people 
looking to move.
The pandemic bolstered the smaller 
communities’ appeal, as workers were 
increasingly able to keep their big city 
jobs without living in big cities. Instead, 
they sought more space and more 
affordability in places where they could 
bring their remote jobs with them, 
Brotman says. 
The campaign is also being promoted 
to potential immigrants from Argentina 
and Russia, two countries with 

A Bridge So Near

Gustavo 
Rymberg

Rob Nagus

Dan 
Brotman

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Windsor lures new Jewish residents — even from Detroit.

KEN LUND

