Paper short abstract:

The study presents the narratives of Jews from the former USSR prior to and after their migration to Finland. Its specific focus is on the antisemitism they have experienced in the Soviet Union as opposed to the prejudices they encountered in Finland.

Paper long abstract:

Finland is often regarded as one of the world’s most secularied countries even though the biggest percentage of its population belongs to the historically dominant Lutheran church. The local Jewish minority, numbering approximately 1500 people organized into three communities - two Modern Orthodox and a newly established Reform community. The local Jewish communities are among the few countries in Europe with a surviving East European (Litvak) Jewish community post-Holocaust. The rapidly increasing diversity of Finland is present in its Jewish community too, where the blend of different traditions, religious views, languages and nationalities is colorful. Part of the diversity of the local congregations stems in the migration of Jews from the former Soviet Union, who started to join the two Modern Orthodox congregations in the 1990s. This study presents their narratives on religious practices pre- and post-migration, with a specific focus on the antisemitism they have experienced in the Soviet Union as opposed to the prejudices they encountered in Finland. The study is based interviews conducted with Russian Jews in 2019-20 as part of the data collection of the Minhag Finland Project.

Paper short abstract:

Using the most recent three Census data on religion (2021, 2011, and 2001), this study attempts to examine the association between immigrant status and religion in Canada. Age-specific results of religious affiliation over three censuses and their determinants are presented and discussed.

Paper long abstract:

Using the most recent three Census data on religion (2021, 2011, and 2001), this study attempts to investigate the association between immigrant status and religious affiliation in Canada.

In 2021, immigrants aged 15 or older were more likely to be adherent to religion than non-immigrants: 62% of non-immigrant Canadians reported being religiously affiliated compared to 76% of immigrants. This difference increased over the past two decades and tends to be driven by the increasing number of immigrant members of non-Christian religions. In 2021, compared to their Canadian-born counterparts, a higher proportion of Immigrants were members of non-Christian religions (29% vs. 6%).

Over time, however, religious affiliation among immigrants decreased (from 83% in 2001 to 76% in 2021, but not as much as their Canadian-born counterparts did). Compared to established immigrants (who immigrated more than 10 years ago), recent immigrants' rate of religious affiliations was lower in 2001 and 2011, but it was higher in 2021. These changes were the combined results of steady decreases in affiliation with Christianity and increases in other religions, particularly, Islam among recent immigrants in Canada.

Among an immigrant cohort who had immigrated in 1999 and 2000, the rate of non-affiliation increased since their immigration. For example, 15% of those aged 15-24 in 2001 reported being non-affiliated. The rate of the same cohort (aged 25-34) in 2011 was up to 19% and then to 22% in 2021. This longitudinal analysis showed the decrease in religious affiliation among immigrants between 2001 and 2021 concentrated on adherents of Christianity; the number of members of other religions was stable. Age-specific results of each indicator in religious affiliation over three censuses are presented. Based on multivariate analysis, this study discusses specific factors making significant effects on changes in religious affiliations, especially, secularization for immigrant and non-immigrant people in Canada.