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Hi everyone,
This past Wednesday, I missed putting my kids to bed.
On that evening, I was surrounded by family, friends, and community members at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Annual General Meeting where I assumed the role of Chair of the Board of Directors. I am honoured to take on this role for the next two years. I do so knowing it means my time with my young daughters will be different, part of an even busier schedule of meetings, events, and community conversations. I know this world well, though. I know it through their lens. And I know how impactful it is to see community service modelled at such a young age. Volunteering becomes something you agree to with ease because it — and the time commitment associated with it — are already embedded into your approach to life.
I grew up surrounded by volunteers who were invested in the infrastructure and institutions of our Jewish community. My mom, Elizabeth Vered, spent her time away from her six kids by surrounding herself with hundreds more. She spent many days at one of the Jewish day schools, supporting Jewish education and literacy at the school’s library, and feeding hungry bellies at hot dog days. She also helped shlep kosher meat around town. More recently, she chaired the Lions of Judah, engaging women across our community in philanthropy, Jewish identity, and Jewish joy.
My dad, Arnie Vered z”l, was a thoughtful community builder and a hands-on volunteer with community organizations across the Jewish and broader Ottawa communities. He was known for bringing people together to drive solutions, and for investing in those with good ideas and a passion for impact. Within the Jewish community, he served as Chair of the Boards of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, then-Hillel Academy (now Ottawa Jewish Community School), the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, and the Ottawa Jewish Community Property Management Board. The list of organizations he volunteered with in the broader Ottawa community is long. In short, he went to a lot of meetings — and he did so with enthusiasm and a strong bias toward saying yes, again and again. That meant many missed bedtimes.
This is what my siblings and I grew up seeing: parents who spent their extra time in service to others, giving a helping hand at an event, or leading a community discussion about kashrut or Jewish education. No complaints about how packed their schedules were. They volunteered for the simple fact that we are part of a wonderful community and we each have a role to play to continue to make it better for all.
My parents learned this from their parents, who all said yes to Jewish communal and public service throughout their lives. My Savta, Sara Vered, is almost 97 and still spends her time thinking about community initiatives to link generations and keep our history alive.
I am grateful for these role models, who said yes to so many volunteer community initiatives that contributed bit by bit to the strength of our community fabric.
And I am grateful to my young kids and my husband, David, for giving me the motivation and energy to say yes and the opportunity to model leadership with pride.
There are many opportunities for each of you to say yes, to connect with each other, and to model leadership in our community. Over the past year, I had the opportunity to lead the Strategic Planning Task Force for the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. Our community is at an inflection point, shaped by our growth, the diversity and passion of our members, and the escalating external threats we face.
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