A report submitted to the board of directors of the Hillel Students Organization here states that a “significantly high group” of Jewish university students have decided to leave Quebec because of economic and political factors.
Mel Himes, chairman of the Hillel Committee assigned the task of assessing the future of young Jews in Quebec, placed the number who plan to leave the province at between 30-40 percent. The report has not yet been adopted by the board.
The study noted that the political climate in Quebec is a major factor in the exodus of young people and that Quebec’s economic decline is forcing university graduates to look for employment else-where. Himes said “Quebec does not fit into most students’ future plans.”
He observed that “In the medium to long run, few Jewish students are committed to staying in Quebec. Students accurately perceived Francisation as a process to replace English employes with French ones. Because of the decline in the non-French population, traditional avenues of professional employment have completely disappeared,” Himes said.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
