Amid growing unrest in the Middle East and tensions between Israel and Iran, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa has begun building a stronger and more collaborative relationship with the city’s Iranian community. Grounded in a shared history, deep cultural ties to the region, and a mutual commitment to open and respectful dialogue, Federation and several Iranian organizations across Ottawa are working together to strengthen understanding and deepen connections.

Federation recently met with representatives of the Iranian community to discuss further opportunities for cultural exchange and dialogue. Jodi Green, Federation’s Director of Advocacy and External Relations, was a part of those initial conversations, and talked about the positive tone that was struck as work to collaborate more begins.

“Federation was really pleased to begin having conversations with the Iranian community about how our two communities can collaborate more,” she said. “While no events are planned yet, we hope to have more community-facing opportunities for Jewish and Iranian Ottawans to be able to meet and learn from each other.”

Recently, the Ottawa Jewish E-Bulletin spoke with one of the representatives of the Iranian community, Ehsan Mansouri, to learn more about how the Jewish and Iranian communities in Ottawa can continue to grow together and flourish.

Mansouri is the co-founder of the National Iranian Canadian Assembly (NICA), a non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates for the interests of Iranian Canadians across the country. Based in Gatineau, the organization promotes civic engagement, cultural initiatives, and community advocacy, serving a role for Iranian Canadians that is similar to the one Federation plays for Ottawa’s Jewish community.

E-Bulletin: What is NICA and what are its goals?

Mansouri: Our goal is to strengthen the participation of Iranian Canadians in Canadian public life while promoting democratic values, human rights, and dialogue across communities.

Alongside this work, we run Mehr, a community media platform that covers news relevant to Iranian Canadians and broader Canadian society. Through our Telegram and Instagram channels, Mehr provides information on Canadian public affairs, community issues, cultural events, and topics important to the Iranian diaspora.

A key part of our work is also building bridges between the Iranian community and other communities across Canada. We believe that dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding help create a peaceful, inclusive, and productive society for everyone who calls Canada home.

E-Bulletin: How can the Jewish community support the Iranian community right now?

Mansouri: The most meaningful support right now is solidarity, dialogue, and partnership. Many Iranian Canadians remain deeply connected to developments in Iran and are concerned about human rights, stability, and the future of the Iranian people.

Since 1979, the Iranian regime has invested heavily in state propaganda against Israel and Jewish culture, shaping perceptions for generations. Some of these narratives also have deeper roots in earlier state nation-building policies and political messaging, including during the Pahlavi era. Now is a good time to break this darkness and bring light — by creating opportunities for the Iranian community to learn about Jewish history and culture, and to understand Israeli society beyond propaganda and stereotypes. 

The Jewish community in Ottawa can support Iranian voices by helping create spaces for conversation, cultural exchange, and joint initiatives that allow people to learn about Jewish history, culture, and Israeli society beyond political narratives. Together, our communities can promote mutual understanding, human dignity, and the values of democratic societies that both communities value deeply.

E-Bulletin: What do you hope will come from the relationship between Jews and Iranians in Ottawa? What would you like to see happen in this respect?

Mansouri: I hope this relationship grows into a strong and lasting partnership between two ancient communities that now share a home in Canada.

In practical terms, I would like to see joint cultural and educational events that bring our communities together, collaborative advocacy against hate, extremism, and authoritarian regimes, youth and academic dialogue programs to build understanding between the next generation, and public initiatives that highlight the historical friendship between the Persian and Jewish peoples, going back more than 2,500 years.

Ottawa is a place where these communities can show that cooperation, respect, and shared values are stronger than division, and together we can build a model of dialogue and solidarity for others to follow.

To learn more about NICA, Mehr, and the work they do, you can visit their website here.