Embattled Toronto Jewish Professionals Find Community and Connection at Chabad

Thousands of Jewish twenty- and thirty-something Torontonian professionals are finding connection and community at Uptown CYP, a fast-growing and dynamic Chabad center in the heart of Toronto’s North York district.

Founded in 2022 and a project of Uptown Chabad — a thriving community in its own right — its CYP (Chabad Young Professionals) division came to the city after Covid disrupted much of the social structure, leaving young people feeling disconnected, even lost. 

One of those young people was Jason Birken. 

Jason, 38, was a member of several professional groups in Toronto, but after the pandemic “I was looking for something to become part of,” the accountant told Lubavitch.com. Birken’s friend told him about CYP, and “I saw on social media that they were drawing huge numbers.” 

Birken went for coffee with Rabbi Sruli Steiner, a Toronto native and director—together with his wife, Chomi—of CYP Uptown. A friendship soon developed, and, says Birken, he’s impressed with what the Steiners have been able to build in the two years they’ve been there.

“He has a magic formula that’s getting people from all walks of life to come together, because they want to maintain a Jewish connection,” he said.

Raquel Rubinoff, an anesthesia assistant, lives in the heart of downtown. After October 7, her neighborhood became a decidedly unfriendly place for Jewish people. Rubinoff described the antisemitic graffiti she walks past each day on her way to work. A close friend was assaulted along with her children for being Jewish. “We are exposed several times a week to these anti-Israel, pro-Hamas protests—usually right outside our door,” she said. “We’d hear the chants and see the angry mobs of people, which is quite scary.”

Rubinoff and her partner, Howard Steinberg, a professor at Seneca College in Toronto, had a fraught conversation one day. They wanted to put a mezuzah up on their apartment door, but, they hesitated: “Should we? Are we making ourselves a target in our own apartment complex? Will people delivering things, or even our neighbors, target us?”

Raquel and Howard reached out to the Steiners, who encouraged them to show their Jewish pride. “Rabbi Sruli put up the mezuzah and said the blessings with us,” Rubinoff recalled, “And we’ve had it up since then—with no vandalism.”

The connection the Steiners provided amid a heightened sense of isolation for many of the city’s Jews has touched many people. “Since October 7, my Jewish neshama—soul—has really woken up,” Rubinoff said. “I felt very isolated in my friend group; people were cutting me out and shunning me. That gave me the pull to join the Jewish community.”

Israeli-born Josh Farhi is another recent CYP enthusiast. The pharmaceutical market researcher moved to Canada from Israel in the early 2000s, and has lived in Toronto since 2017. He says that his connection with CYP has been “a lifesaver.”

“My brother is serving in the Israeli military, and there has been a lot of stress, a lot of emotion with everything going on,” he said. “Having a community that wants to help each other has been such an addition to my and my wife’s lives.” 

Josh and his wife Ilanit met the Steiners as they prepared for their wedding. Rabbi Sruly and Chomi took on the role of mentors, teaching them the laws pertaining to Jewish married life, and “we stayed connected after the wedding, which wasn’t something on our radar,” Farhi said.

“Chomi and Rabbi Sruli’s approach made my wife and I feel so welcome and comfortable,” Farhi said. “Since connecting with the CYP community I see so much value, I see this need within me that I didn’t know existed. As someone who grew up in a secular environment, it has been really nice to connect in ways that I hadn’t had the chance to.”

Steinberg and Rubinoff and the Farhis are several of the more than 2,000 young Jewish professionals who have joined events at Uptown CYP. They were among more than 500 people who gathered for “Drinks and Dreidels” on Chanukah and for the “Purim Royale” party. They regularly attend the popular weekly “Torah and Tequila,” which brings together dozens for great food and spirited study.

“Sruli and Chomi have really opened their hearts and homes to us and to so many other jewish people around the city,” Rubinoff said. “We feel very connected to them. What they’ve done for young Jewish professionals like myself and my partner is amazing. Their events have all been waitlisted—everyone wants to come and be part of the Jewish community.”