Population
The Jewish population in 1961 was 582 individuals, a slight increase from the decade earlier. In 1971, the size of the community increased significantly to 755. This can likely be attributed to the opening of Brock University in October of 1964. The University attracted a number of Jewish academics and students who bolstered the size of the community. By 2001, the Jewish population of St. Catharines was approximately 720. Unlike many other small Ontario cities, St. Catharines’ Jewish community has remained relatively stable in recent decades, while others have confronted severely diminishing numbers. Despite this trend, the synagogues have still been struggling to keep their membership numbers up, due to the rise in unaffiliated Jews within the city as well as interfaith marriages.
