Population
Local authorities estimated there were 100 Jews living in Belleville in 2001. Eighty-five respondents self-identified as Jewish in the 2001 Canadian Census, though these figures do not necessarily account for the large number of respondents who typically chose not to identify their religious affiliation. A further 20 Jews were identified in Trenton, and 25 in Cobourg. For Hastings County as a whole, 135 respondents were listed as Jewish. The general trend is towards an aging demographic among the Jewish population in Belleville, though new families have moved into the area in the last several decades. However, as there is no local university, many young people have left Belleville upon graduating from high school in order to receive post-secondary education, and many of these do not return to Belleville to take over the businesses established by their parents. Only three children were enrolled in the synagogue’s Hebrew program in 2002 and only two in 2007-2008.
