Car service for the Jewish community offers alternative amid antisemitic Uber incidents

Jew Ride, a car service for the Jewish community is offering an alternative to other ridesharing companies amid reports of antisemitism in Toronto.

Founder Vadim Danilov moved to Canada with his wife and children from Israel two months before the October 7 attacks. He became a driver for Uber, during which time he heard many stories from his Jewish passengers. Some told him that they felt the need to hide their Stars of David when they got into a vehicle or avoid speaking Hebrew for their own safety.

This week, National Post reported on two more antisemitic incidents involving Toronto residents and the ridesharing company. In August, a Canadian-Israeli who was travelling with his wife in Europe said he was refused a ride by an Uber driver because he said he was from Israel. In February, a woman said she was kicked out of an Uber after the driver heard her speaking Hebrew to her husband.

Last month, model Miriam Mattova told the Post that she was told to get out of the vehicle by an Uber driver because she was Jewish in November. She was left alone on the street in the middle of the night.

“This is what made me start this company in March of this year,” Danilov told National Post. Jew Ride, offers services for all passengers, but he said that 95 per cent of his clients are Jewish. “It’s to help passengers from the community and provide them with the safe, private transportation service anywhere in GTA.”

Currently, Danilov operates 24 hours a day and provides transportation all kinds, including for events, airport pickups and dropoffs, for businesses and even for pets. Danilov said he works with two other drivers from the community. Customers can book a ride online through the website.

“My passengers today say they feel safe when I pick them up and they also say … antisemitism in Canada, it’s getting worse and worse,” he said. He added that he believes the Canadian government has to get involved in order to stop the antisemitic acts that have been reported by Jewish passengers using Uber.

Former Toronto resident Leigh Elzas posted about Jew Ride on Facebook, applauding it for offering safe alternatives for the Jewish community. She lived in Toronto for her whole life but moved to the United States in July.

“One of the reasons we left was because of the antisemitism in Canada, but Toronto is especially bad,” she said.

“I wanted to help spread the good word and let people know there’s an option other than Uber, because Jews are not safe taking Lyfts, Ubers, anything, other than accepting rides from other Jews it seems these days.”

Elzas said she hasn’t used Jew Ride herself, but she said she knows someone who had an “excellent experience” with it.

“Too many Jews in Toronto have faced discrimination simply trying to get a ride,” she wrote on Facebook in August. “Some Uber drivers cancel as soon as they see a Jewish name, a person who looks Jewish, or even a mezuzah on the doorpost. It’s another harsh reality of life today for a Jew living in Canada. That’s why this service exists. I, of course, fully support it, but I hate that it has to.”

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