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Welcome back to Federation Flash!
As a catalyst, convener and connector for Jewish Ottawa, Federation helps turn community ideas into action. Federation Flash brings you the stories behind that work. Each month, you’ll meet the volunteers who give their time, see what local agencies accomplish together and discover what your generosity makes possible.
| | Agency Spotlight: Jewish Family Services has so much to offer | | |
By Sarah Caspi
Executive Director,
Jewish Family Services
Did you know that Jewish Family Services (JFS) Ottawa supports over 10,000 individuals every year with a team of more than 100 dedicated staff? Core service areas include mental health and wellbeing, social supports, and services for seniors, newcomers, and diverse communities.
When I speak to community members, people often share that they didn’t realize how much we offer, and the variety of services we provide. So, I wanted to share a few things you might not know about your Ottawa Jewish family services!
Did you know?
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• Welcoming Newcomers
In partnership with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, JFS helps newcomers build connections, access resources, and find their place within our Jewish community. (More info to come on this joint initiative.)
• Supporting Jewish Holidays
Through financial assistance, community programs, and holiday initiatives, we help ensure that individuals and families facing financial hardship can celebrate Jewish holidays with dignity and joy.
• Caring for Seniors and Holocaust Survivors
We support Jewish seniors, helping them remain connected, supported, and independent. JFS also supports more than 40 Holocaust survivors through home supports, case management, and social engagement programs.
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• Mental Health and Wellness
Our counselling services provide professional support for individuals, couples, families, children and youth. Our team of 40 professional psychotherapists offers counselling in multiple languages.
We offer psychoeducational testing for children and adults to better understand how they learn and where they may need support.
We offer counselling on a sliding-scale fee-for-service basis and can provide receipts for insurance claims. To book an intake, you can click this link.
In addition, we have a Walk-In Counselling Clinic that offers single-session support at various locations and provides evening and weekend support.
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A Community That Cares for One Another
At JFS, we believe that no one should face life's challenges alone. Whether someone is navigating a crisis, adjusting to life in a new country, caring for an aging parent, seeking mental health support, or simply looking for connection, JFS is here to help.
If you'd like to learn more, refer someone who may benefit from our services, arrange a tour, or find out how you can support our growing work in the community, we'd love to hear from you.
📧 info@jfsottawa.com | 🌐 www.jfsottawa.com
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For more than 25 years, Stephen Senman has been calling donors as a volunteer canvasser for the Annual Community Campaign. He calls those conversations an annual “wellness check.” It’s a chance to catch up, hear how people are doing and stay connected. Volunteers like Steve help raise the funds that sustain Jewish Ottawa, and their personal calls help keep our community close.
Steve brings that same spirit to AJA 50+, where he serves on the board. He recently returned from the first Birthright volunteer trip for older adults organized by AJA 50+. Two experiences stayed with him. At Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the communities attacked on Oct. 7, he helped with cleanup. At a seniors’ centre in Holon, he spent time singing, dancing and exercising alongside local seniors.
Interested in volunteering for the Annual Community Campaign? Email Senior Development Manager Yudit Simmons.
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People of the Podcast
An unexpected discovery in the Ottawa Jewish Archives leads back to the Holocaust and to the story of the Goldstein family. What did the Archives hold, and how did this find its way to Ottawa?
Listen to the new 613Archives podcast as archivist Teigan Goldsmith Hitsman and Ottawa Jewish E-Bulletin writer Ethan Rode unravel the mystery.
Listen now.
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Holocaust Education Month
This November, join us in remembering the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, honouring the survivors who shared their stories and passing those stories on to the next generation. Through films and community conversations, we can learn about the lives behind this history and reflect on our responsibility to confront antisemitism today.
Explore Holocaust Education Month events across Ottawa.
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Upcoming Event
When you or someone you love needs support, knowing where to turn can make all the difference.
At the Jewish Seniors’ Wellness Fair, you can bring your questions and talk directly with more than 30 local organizations and service providers in one place. Whether you’re looking to stay independent, caring for a loved one or planning ahead as a family, you’ll find people who can help you figure out your next step.
Hosted at Kehillat Beth Israel, the fair brings together AJA 50+, the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge, Jewish Family Services, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and the Soloway JCC through Roundtable 613’s Aging & Vitality Council.
Join us Thursday, Nov. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register in advance, then drop in anytime during the fair and stay as long as you like. Admission is $5, refreshments will be served, and registration is required.
Sign up here.
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"There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you."
— Elie Wiesel, "Have You Learned the Most Important Lesson of All?," Parade magazine
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