Helping new immigrants to Canada

With many recent crises across the globe, including the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, war in Ukraine and, more recently, terror in Israel and war in the Middle East, Canada has opened its doors to an unprecedented number of individuals seeking safe haven.

To assist with this growing number of immigrants to Canada, the Azrieli Foundation has granted $300,000 over three years to Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS) Toronto.   

JIAS was established in 1922 to assist Jewish refugees coming to Canada. Today, JIAS is the only Jewish social service agency in Canada solely dedicated to providing settlement services to immigrants and refugees – regardless of faith, gender or country of origin.   

With the capacity-building grant to JIAS, the Foundation has enabled JIAS to respond to needs as they arise, adapt programs and services for new client populations, form new partnerships to enhance service provision, and approach settlement through a trauma informed lens that recognizes the holistic experiences and needs of vulnerable newcomers.  These best practices are helping newcomers settle and rebuild their lives in Canada, allowing them to work through experiences of displacement while dealing with fear for loved ones remaining in conflict zones.  

“I moved to Toronto with my disabled daughter and was struggling to find a place to stay and adjust to my new surroundings,” says a Ukrainian woman who arrived in Canada. As a single mother to a teenage daughter who has severe scoliosis, she credits JIAS with making her “transition much smoother.” 

With the new grant, JIAS aims to better serve newcomers needing settlement services and provide them with the knowledge, support and opportunities they need to become new Canadians – and help build a stronger, more inclusive Canada that values all newcomers.