There is no shortage of great ideas in Jewish Ottawa, and the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Microgrants program can help make those ideas a reality as the 2026-2027 fiscal year gets underway.

Microgrants have already funded a plethora of these ideas over the last several years. In 2025 alone, Federation allocated around $100,000 to power 58 events, serving a broad range of interests and community members. This diversity in programming shows that there are several different ways in which you can help bring your ideas to life.

Most recently, community member Inbal Marcovitch applied for a Microgrant to help power a Hanukkah party for students and their families at the Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO) school board. Together with Joël Beddows, a board trustee, and Lawrence Aronovitch, a fellow CEPEO parent, they organized and advocated for higher visibility of Judaism in their schools.

“Insofar as Microgrants are designed to help build community, I think it delivered in spades,” said Aronovitch. "While parent chat groups provide a forum for families within each school board to talk amongst themselves, it's kind of distant. Here was an opportunity to build community in person.”

Attended by 63 people, which exceeded the group’s expectations, and those who attended felt not only a part of their school community, but Jewish Ottawa as a whole. 

“It was the first time my daughter’s school board has ever held a Jewish event,” said one parent. “Honestly, after the past few years of challenges with antisemitic bullying, she was shocked to see it organized and was so pleased … she really felt seen in a way that I can’t adequately describe.”

The Hanukkah party was able to foster connections with other Jewish families in CEPEO schools and was able to provide a safe and fun opportunity to socialize and celebrate the holiday.

Visibility is a big part of making the Jewish community feel welcome and included. All too often, this falls by the wayside when events are supported or organized outside of the Jewish community.

This feeling of “being seen” was one of the reasons that Safe & Proud, an event organized by Gary Viner for Jewish medical professionals, proved to be so successful. 

“This was such a valuable opportunity to connect with my peers … as well as with Jewish mentors who can help share advice and support that is culturally appropriate,” said one attendee in an anonymous post-event survey. “I also found the speeches from the guest speakers to be very valuable, and I certainly learned a lot.”

In October, the Greenberg Families Library at the Soloway JCC (SJCC) hosted its first-ever Jewish Book Festival also supported by Microgrants. Bringing together authors from Ottawa and beyond, attendees were able to participate in authors talks and book signings, workshops, and shop at the book market. 

Carlie MacPherson, the librarian at the Greenberg Families Library, spoke about the importance of the Microgrant she received in order to make this successful event a reality.

“It’s always good to partner with Federation on these things,” she said. “While the library doesn’t have many big marquee events like this, we are hoping the Book Festival returns annually with the intention of creating more of an affinity for the library. We are hoping to apply for a Microgrant again for this year’s festival.”

Feedback from attendees reflected the excitement of getting involved in a community event like this, with many never having attended an event on the SJCC campus previously. MacPherson hopes to expand on that and bring new people into the fold during the festival’s next iteration. 

Federation’s Microgrants does more than just fund great ideas, it helps people bring their visions to life and, in turn, allow more Jewish Ottawans to feel connected and valued in their local communities. 

Do you have an idea that you’d like to have brought to life by a Microgrant? Check out the Microgrants page on Federation’s website by clicking here. Additionally, there is an info session taking place on Zoom at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 22 for those who are interested in learning more about Microgrants. Click here to register.