Tulsa’s Jewish community is seeking to make the city a safe haven for Canadians. The Jewish Federation of Tulsa and Tulsa Tomorrow have launched a new relocation program called Lech L’Tulsa — “Go Tulsa” in Hebrew.
Young Jewish professionals can receive $4,000 in reimbursement to help move from Canada to Tulsa, mainly for new business opportunities, but also for safety reasons.
“There also is unfortunately, a really strong spike in antisemitism happening in Canada, and so we have just, in all honesty, had a ton of outreach from Canadians that are trying to leave,” said Rebekah Kantor, executive director of Tulsa Tomorrow. “I hate that for them, it’s a sad situation, but we’re just navigating what we know is more feasible for us.”
But many may find antisemitism has a foothold in the U.S. too. Research shows apathy toward antisemitism in this country has grown in recent years as antisemitic attacks have skyrocketed.
Kantor clarified that her group does not exclusively work with Jewish people in the U.S. or Canada, but helping people migrate from Canada has historically been easier than it has from other countries
Tulsa Tomorrow started in 2017 by offering visitor programs for Jewish people contemplating moving here. Lech L’Tulsa is a narrower effort focused on Canadian migration and will also provide immigration legal support with a free consultation and discounted services to help families and individuals with relocating.
Canadian Jewish professionals who are 40 or younger, or people with a young family, typically qualify for the program, Kantor said.
“A lot of Canadians believe that coming to the U.S. means either you get a green card or you can’t do it. It’s not true. There’s a lot of different visa opportunities,” Michael Sachs, senior director at the Jewish Federation, said. “There’s a lot of business focused visa opportunities as well. And so our plan is to try to help them be able to get this further down the pathway.”
Since the program launched in December, Sachs told The Eagle, it has already seen heavy interest with over 300 applicants. Most have been couples or families. The process to move isn’t going to “happen overnight,” he said.
Tulsa Tomorrow also covers costs for potential applicants to visit Tulsa for a weekend, including airfare — $250 for individuals and $350 for couples. The weekends are catered to applicants’ specific interests, offering professional and community networking opportunities.
Sachs moved from Canada to Tulsa just six months ago to accept his position at the Jewish Federation. He said he turned down a number of opportunities in Canada because he wanted to be a part of Oklahoma’s “friendly” and “warm” atmosphere.
Antisemitism is a factor in why Canadians are considering a move to Tulsa, with some sharing “gut-wrenching stories,” Sachs said. But that’s not the whole story.
“Many just want to have a different pace of their life,” he said. “Many want the opportunities that exist in the United States. Many have just said, ‘The economy in Canada is not (going in) the direction they want to go.’”
Locally, the potential construction of a new mosque in Broken Arrow has sparked controversy from hundreds of residents. Some have cited infrastructure concerns, but most social media commentary has focused on keeping the Islamic institution out of the suburb.
If Tulsa’s Jewish community found themselves in a similar situation, Kantor said she’d find it “painful.” She described the mosque pushback as “deplorable.” Historically, she said, both Christian and Muslim groups have supported Tulsa’s Jewish community.
With the launch of the new program, she said she’s hoping to help highlight Jewish life in Tulsa. The other goal is to increase the overall population, which she estimates sits at around 2,500.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
