At one point, Adam Silver found himself working outside of the Jewish community, but something was missing. As he puts it, “I looked for consulting and volunteer work in the community to ‘fill my pot,’ but it was never enough. My soul was still lacking fulfillment, so I moved back into Jewish communal work and have stayed in it ever since. It’s truly a privilege and calling to do this work.”

 

This deep yearning for meaningful engagement has been the driving force behind Silver’s impressive journey. Growing up in a family where community involvement was the norm, Silver naturally took on roles with the junior congregation and became a youth advisor for USY. His passion led him to his first paid role as a part-time youth director.

 

Silver’s dedication has since taken him from USY in Toronto and the midwestern US, to university campus and seniors work in Toronto, to Calgary in several roles, and now, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa is thrilled to welcome him to Jewish Ottawa in his new role as CEO and President of the Federation and the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation.  

 

“I love working within a Jewish lens and supporting a Jewish framework. It is important to me to always give back and work toward building a stronger, inclusive, vibrant Jewish community. I derive energy from assisting others in reaching their potential and cultivating meaningful relationships,” Silver explains of his work philosophy.

Silver has worked with every age group in the Jewish community from children, youth, and students to young leadership to seniors, and is proud to track his experience from ‘babies to bubbies.’

 

“I’m always in awe of our volunteers and lay people who work and establish great careers outside the Jewish community, and still have so much to give and still desire to be so involved in the Jewish community. They are such an asset and it’s their passion that keeps me motivated.”

 

Here in Ottawa, Silver is hoping to leverage the preexisting relationships he developed while in Calgary and then take it one step higher. 

 

“Jewish Ottawa is uniquely positioned being a smaller community in the nation’s capital. It is very well respected amongst the other Canadian communities for punching well above its weight in terms of national impact,” he explains adding that he is also impressed by the talent and dedication of Jewish Ottawa’s staff, volunteers, and lay leaders. “I immediately noticed a generosity of spirit and the commitment to finding the resources to make things happen. In considering the opportunity, I knew I wouldn’t be coming just for a job. Ottawa is so much more.”

 

For his short-term goals, Silver says “I plan to be reflective and do a lot of learning in the first 100 days. I want to see the big picture of the Ottawa Jewish community and the Federation. What services are available, who and what does the Federation support, what is not supported and why, and other critical pieces. From there, I hope to delve more deeply into the culture of Ottawa. What makes the community tick, what are its values, hopes, dreams, and how do they relate to being in the nation’s capital? I want to earn the trust of the agencies, donors, and our communal leaders and start building broader relationships that will carry us through the work for years to come. This is not a short-term investment. Building community takes work and dedication and I can’t do it alone – the effort must be collaborative and innovative. I know that Ottawa should be a destination Jewish community for people at all ages and stages of life and I look forward to seeing how I can support the community through this next growth phase.”

 

Silver and his wife Deborah are committed to community involvement, a value they have instilled in their three children, as well. 

 

“My family and I come as a package, and we are proud to add whatever value we can to local organizations and activities. We look forward to immersing ourselves in the community and being active and contributing members. It’s an exciting time for our family as we join Jewish Ottawa, and we look forward to making friends and adopted family members as we begin this next journey”

 

- Adam Silver can be reached at asilver@JewishOttawa.com