When Mark Carney spoke at Davos in January about the role of “middle powers,” he offered a useful reframing of influence. Countries like Canada, he argued, are not defined by overwhelming size or hard power alone, but by their geopolitical positioning. Their ability to shape world affairs comes from the unique perspective, relationships and values they bring to the table.

Though Carney was speaking about geopolitics, the same idea applies to Canadian Jewry, particularly to its smaller communities. Too often, public discourse around Jewish life in North America is reduced to that of Jewish communities in the U.S., and Canada’s unique place in the story of North American Jewry is unfortunately often lost; and when Canada’s story is told, it is typically solely through its largest population centers, Toronto and Montreal. It is long past time we acknowledge that this narrative is incomplete. If we want to understand the Canadian Jewish story in its full breadth and depth, its significance to the larger North American Jewish conversation and where Canadian Jewish life is headed, we need to look beyond its largest hubs and toward its smaller communities.

Read the full piece in eJewishPhilanthropy