Dear friends, 

Sixty years ago, almost to the day, I walked onto a football field as captain of my high school team, which was 95% Jewish. Before the game, I shook hands with the captain of the opposing team. He had a swastika displayed on his helmet. So did his teammates.

They were much bigger than us and had twice as many players on the bench.

My mother had prepared me for moments like this. She was a Dutch Jew who survived the Holocaust by hiding with her family of eight for three years in a room that measured just 10 by 11 feet. She was the second-toughest person I ever met, surpassed only by her own mother. She taught me many things, but one lesson has remained with me throughout my life: never back down.

I have also never forgotten what Canada gave my family.

Canada, as flawed a country as it may sometimes be, helped liberate the Netherlands and gave my mother and her family the opportunity for a new life, and a wonderful one.

I have been fortunate in love, children, friends and career. I have been fortunate to live in a city led by a mayor who shares values that resonate deeply with our Jewish tradition, including declaring Ottawa a city of kindness. And I have been fortunate to be part of a Jewish community whose past and present leaders have invested enormous thought, energy, time and money into building something remarkable.

They built a community that strives to fulfill the mitzvot of caring for those who are less fortunate, supporting the elderly and those who cannot care for themselves, educating our children and sustaining Jewish life for the generations that follow.

Now I find myself, somewhat unexpectedly, pulled out of the “has-been club” to serve as Interim CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa while there is a gap in its long-term leadership.

I am grateful for the opportunity. More than that, I feel a responsibility to make my contribution to a community that has given so much to me and my family.

And I come to this role at a precarious time for the Jewish people.

Antisemitism has become more visible, more aggressive and, too often, more normalized. We see antisemitism masquerading as anti-Zionism, with hostility toward Israel spilling over into hostility toward Jewish institutions, Jewish students and individual Jews.

At the same time, economic uncertainty is putting additional pressure on families and on the organizations that serve them.

These realities demand something of us.

Federation has a broad responsibility. We help protect our Jewish institutions and the people who use them. We stand up to antisemitism and advocate for our community. We help care for vulnerable community members, strengthen Jewish education and identity, invest in the next generation, and support the organizations that are at the heart of Jewish life in Ottawa.

None of this happens automatically. The community we inherited was built because the generations before us chose to build it, protect it and pay for it. Now it is our turn.

As we approach the Chagim and launch our Annual Community Campaign, I ask each of you to reflect on what our community requires of us at this particular moment.

There are many ways to contribute. Give your time. Volunteer. Share your expertise. Take on a leadership role. These are meaningful acts of generosity and ones I value deeply.

But there are also moments when we are called upon to dig deeper financially. I believe this is one of those moments.

When one of our canvassers contacts you, please consider not simply what you have given before, but what you are able to give now. If you can increase your gift, I ask you to please do so. If you have not supported the Campaign before, I hope you will consider joining us. And if you can give both your time and your financial support, our community will be stronger for it.

Sixty years ago, my mother told me not to back down. I have carried that lesson with me ever since.

At a difficult moment for the Jewish people, I believe our response must be equally clear: we stand up, we stand together, and we each do what we can to ensure that the Jewish community we inherited remains strong, secure and vibrant for those who come after us.

Shabbat Shalom, 

Hartley Stern

PS: We won the game 6-0. It was the only game we won in my high school career.