Congregation Emanu-El Information

Congregation Emanu-El is an egalitarian Conservative Jewish congregation in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia. In 2013 we celebrated our 150th anniversary as the oldest continuously active synagogue in Canada and western North America. Since 1863, we have grown from about 50 families to nearly 200 families. We are an active Jewish community devoted to both youth and adult religious education. We are extremely proud of the fact we have a number of individuals capable of chanting from the Torah and many more very capable of chanting the Haftorah. We also take pride in educating our youth with great passion. You may hear one of our B'nai mitzvah students chanting the preliminary service, shachrit, a portion of the Torah Parashat or musaf. You may meet one or more of our children who have come back from Israel after serving in the IDF. You may even meet one of our children who have grown up and become a rabbi or cantor elsewhere in North America having received a very strong Jewish education in our Hebrew school and through our USY and Kadima Programs. We are also proud of our activities comprised of annual events such as 'Calling All Artists' (an annual adult education program that brings out the painter, the sculptor, the poet and the musician in our midst) and special events such as our recent community walk to the Provincial Legislature building to light the Hanukkah menorah. We believe in outreach to the broader community through our Avodah committee. Our Congregation supports affordable living in Victoria through rent subsidies and assists the less fortunate through its involvement in numerous activities including the Out of the Rain Program and various efforts to collect clothing and food. Through 2015, our Board is focused on efforts to celebrate the 150th anniversary of our truly remarkable synagogue with an equally historic event culminating in the commencement of our restoration project. We are currently applying for grants from government institutions as part of our fundraising effort ...