It is very satisfying as well as a public service to bring news of increasing enrollments at Jewish schools across the country.
Thus, we bring to readers’ attention an article that appeared recently in the Winnipeg Jewish Post and News reporting that Gray Academy, one of the only JK-12 Jewish day schools in Canada, has experienced a leap in enrollment. Lori Binder, Head of School and CEO of the Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education, advised that this year’s enrolment of 517 students is the highest back-to-school enrolment number since 2013-2014.
The article noted that students at the school speak of “feeling safe and being able to connect with their roots.”
Reluctantly, but nevertheless truthfully, we must observe that it is only in the past two years or so, that “feeling safe” has become an oft-stated reasons by parents for choosing to place their children in day school. No one is surprised to read this. There have been many reports in the past two years especially of Jewish children being bullied, harassed and otherwise singled out for harsh treatment in public schools, for example in Toronto, Ottawa and Brampton, Indeed, the federal government released a study in the summer confirming that antisemitism was rampant in the public school system in parts of Ontario.
To be sure, seeking a safe environment for their children is not the only reason Jewish parents are sending their children to day school. As the Post and News story also noted, day school education helps children “connect with their roots.” As it relates to Judaism, “connecting with one’s roots” is an inter-woven, hyper strong basket that holds the many enrichening, eye-opening, revolutionary, heartening and deeply moving components of Jewish peoplehood.
In explaining the school’s efforts to attract and hold onto its students, Binder emphasized that the school has a strong focus on affordability. “It is very important to us that no child is turned away because a family can’t afford to pay,”she says. In those very words, Binder restated the ruling ethos and pre-eminent mission of the Jewish day school system in Greater Toronto from the very first days, in the last century, when families brought their children to the burgeoning Jewish schools in their respective neighbourhoods. In truth, Binder’s words should be the ruling ethos wherever there are Jewish schools to which parents wish to bring their children.
Binder also explained how it might be easier in Manitoba than, say, in Ontario not to turn any family away because of a lack of sufficient funds. For, the Province of Manitoba funds independent schools, such as Gray Academy, with approximately 50% of comparable funding per children in public schools.
The Academy offers additional funding to the requesting families through a bursary assistance program. Binder proudly made the point by restating the historic imperative of all Jewish schools, everywhere on earth, not only because of the events of the past two years, but because such has been the uniquely defining aspect of the Jewish people since our first days receiving instruction from Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai.
“We work with every family to ensure that no child is ever turned away because of inability to cover the full parental contribution,” Binder said.
If GAJE wins its lawsuit against the Government of Ontario, the day will arrive when Jewish schools here will be able to say definitively and with a grateful sense of having joined hands with all generations of educators, parents, scholars, children, prophets and all of the Jewish people that “no child has been turned away because of the financial inability of his or her parents.”
May it be His will.
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GAJE’s legal team will appear before the Court of Appeal at 10:00 on November 21, 2025 to argue that the Divisional Court was wrong, in September 2024, to reverse Judge Papageorgiou’s decision of August 2023 that had allowed our case to proceed.
If you wish to contribute to GAJE’s lawsuit, please click here. Charitable receipts for donations for income tax purposes will be issued by Mizrachi Canada. Your donations will be used for the sole purpose of helping to underwrite the costs of the lawsuit. For further information, please contact Israel Mida at: imida1818@gmail.com
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Shabbat shalom
Am Yisrael Chai
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education (GAJE)
October 24, 2025
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education 