Jewish Ottawa

Local news and updates on the Jewish community of Ottawa.

Antisemitism and student support at the school board

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Jewish Equity Coach Brian Kom, provides an update on his work.

Brian Kom is just finishing up his first six months as the Jewish Equity Coach for the OCDSB. He never expected he would have to deal with a marked increase of antisemitism after the attacks…

Why bake challah when there’s a crisis?

Since October 7, there have been no less than 20 challah bakes in our community.  Hundreds have come out to bake this bread, to pray for hostages, and to connect.  But why? What makes this Jewish practice the go-to event in times of crisis and when extra prayers are needed?
 
The answer…

Talking to children about the war in Israel

This is a difficult time for everyone. Israel is under attack in the most brutal way. But what makes this even tougher is that we all have children to care for, to protect, and to reassure.
 
The Jewish Federation of Ottawa wants to provide you with some resources for talking to your childr…

Taking a stand on Jewish community safety

As you may be aware, social media posts are circulating calling for violent resistance against Jewish communities worldwide tomorrow, October 13, 2023. There is no specific information that these threats are real, and this may be part of a Hamas disinformation campaign. Despite that, we appr…

Political leaders denounce Hamas at Community Solidarity gathering

On Monday night, October 9, 2023, more than 1,400 community members from all backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life gathered at the Soloway JCC to stand in solidarity with Israel. 

The community was addressed by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada who said, “Can…