Shalom Chaverim,

We have been very active as a community during the last few weeks, in programming, in advocacy, and in planning for the fall. I’d like to share a few highlights with our community, noting some key achievements, along with some important and exciting things we are planning for the upcoming weeks. 

We hope you have been monitoring our engagement with the issues around Capital Pride’s (CP) statement, and subsequent fallout. Much has been shared about our efforts through our local updates on the matter, but it is important to note that many in our community stepped up to thoughtfully discuss the topic with colleagues and friends, and many allies of Jewish Ottawa made very difficult decisions related to their organizational and personal connections to CP. We continue to be very grateful for the strong and moral positions assumed by some key leaders in Ottawa, and for the dedication, passion, and talent of those Jewish community members who made a difference in this matter. 

On the heels of a turbulent week leading up to Pride, we were so pleased to welcome 270 people to our collaborative Jewish Pride Community Breakfast, which brought together our community and allies for an inclusive, haimish event last Sunday. Kol Hakavod to our partner organizations, the Israeli Embassy, the Greenberg Families Library, HaKibbutz, Hillel Ottawa, Jewish Family Services, Kehillat Beth Israel, Or Haneshamah, PJ Library Ottawa, the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, and Temple Israel Ottawa. Special thanks to Federation's Jodi Green for quarterbacking the event, and of course, todah rabah to all attendees! This event truly demonstrated what Pride is and should be, and we were so proud of the turnout and the mood of the event. In the face of negativity, our community cultivated joy and true pride!

Speaking of community pride, engagement, and advocacy, Jewish Ottawa has an opportunity to participate in a Community Engagement survey being conducted by Ottawa Police Service and Ottawa Police Services Board. The survey is broad in nature, but I encourage our community members to pay specific attention to questions focused on radicalization, hate crimes, feelings of personal safety, and trust/satisfaction. The deadline to provide feedback is September 7. OPS has been very responsive to our community needs and concerns. That said, it is very important for the leadership of OPS and its board to receive input from our community members, and the survey is an easy access tool to share information. We will also work to hold an event with Chief Eric Stubbs and some of his senior leadership at another time during the year. 

With September only days away, our Hillel team and student leaders have been preparing for an exciting and likely challenging time on our local university campuses this fall. The team is looking forward to welcoming and supporting students, and has proactively engaged with parents of students, as well. In addition, they have been working in partnership with University of Ottawa’s Special Advisor on Antisemitism Artur Wilczynski and university administrators to prepare for the fall semester. We are committed to empowering students to have a wonderful, Jewishly-connected semester and year, while also placing a significant focus on their safety and mental well-being. If you know a student who is attending one of Ottawa’s post-secondary institutions, please reach out to Hillel Ottawa Director Jamie Sweigman at jsweigman@hillelottawa.ca to ensure they are included in programs and invitation lists.

Finally, as we gear up for a very busy Annual Campaign and programming cycle in the coming months, we hope our community will continue with its generosity and dedication by contributing meaningfully to the Campaign, as well as attending events and reading our correspondence that will highlight the impact of our direct programs and those of our partner agencies supported by Federation funds. We are so fortunate and grateful to have Leila Ages and Gary Viner co-chairing this year’s Campaign, and we hope you will be inspired by their leadership and commitment – we certainly are! 

This year, as much as ever, we must unite and come together. The diversity and breadth of Jewish Ottawa is part of what makes us special. When we work collaboratively, support one another, and keep a strategic, long-term vision in mind, we are so much stronger and better than our individual parts. As one, we build community. As one, we combat hate. As one, we cultivate and grow the next generation. Only, as one.

Shabbat Shalom,                                     

Adam