"We Belong Here”: He got Niagara Falls, Canadian Landmarks Lit Up for Jewish Heritage Month

As Niagara Falls glowed blue against the night sky on Thursday May 20, it became the most visible symbol yet of a one-man, grassroots campaign to ensure that this year, Canadian Jewish Heritage Month was not completely forgotten. For the past seven days, from Halifax to Toronto and Montreal to Alberta, nearly a dozen iconic landmarks, bridges and legislatures across Canada agreed to illuminate in blue. And it was thanks to the efforts of Len Pearl, a Toronto documentary filmmaker, who spent months nudging government officials, universities and sports teams to recognize the month. Parliament officially proclaimed May as Jewish Heritage Month in 2018. But this past couple of years, with the spike in antisemitism since Oct. 7, Pearl believed Jewish Canadians need visible reminders that they remain an essential part of Canada’s story. In this episode of The CJN’s North Star podcast, Pearl joins host Ellin Bessner to discuss the inspiration behind his “We Belong Here” campaign, and also reveal the obstacles he encountered, and his emotional reaction to seeing most, but not all the lights, finally switch on. Related links Learn more about Len Pearl’s new film “Search out the Land” exploring the overlooked Jewish history of Canada, on The CJN’s North Star podcast, from 2022. See the list of Canadian landmarks that lit up in yellow for Holocaust Remembrance Day Jan. 2025. Read about when Canada officially brought in Jewish Heritage Month in 2018, in The CJN. **** Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner ) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Izzie Helenchilde (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director) Music: Bret Higgins Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to North Star (Not sure how? Click here ) Watch our podcasts on YouTube. Help others find this podcast by leaving us a review for “North Star” on Apple Podcasts via your iPhone or iPad device, or with your Android. (Spotify allows only starred ratings but you can do that, too!)