Abstract

In November 1976, the predominately English-speaking Jewish population of Quebec found itself in crisis. That month, René Lévesque led the nationalist-oriented Parti Québécois (PQ) to a majority government in the provincial election, promising to enact stricter language laws for the promotion of French and to hold an independence referendum. For the Jews, the prospect of living under a form of nationalism, especially considering their history of persecution under it, led to fear and panic. The governing institution of Canada’s Jewish community, the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), stepped in to advocate on behalf of the Jews and defend their civil rights in the face of the PQ. This thesis will examine the CJC as it reacted to three major events in the history of the first PQ government: the 1976 provincial election, the passage of Bill 101, and the 1980 sovereignty-association referendum. Documents from the CJC’s own archives are utilized with its content ultimately showing the CJC reacted in two ways. The Congress responded publicly in a ‘controlled manner’ so as to maintain a calm atmosphere and to reassure a visibly scared Jewish community, while showing its acceptance of some nationalist reforms. Internally, however, reactions ranged from unease and nervousness to outright fear of the direction Quebec society was headed, particularly in the areas of linguistic rights and possible independence. This resulted in the CJC taking actions and stances to calm the Jewish community, and the retention of the status quo in terms of linguistic and civil rights and Quebec’s place in Canada.