One big backyard — the Ottawa Community Eruv

The Daily Show’s John Stewart called it the ‘Thin Jew Line’ in a 2011 comedy sketch — but in reality, an Eruv (and in particular the 50-plus kilometre Ottawa Community Eruv) is a vital piece of the community for Orthodox or traditional Jews to observe Shabbat.

In short, an Eruv is b…

A legacy of kindness and faith: Remembering Rabbi Bulka Z”L

Photo: From left, Avi Bulka, (Rabbi Bulka's grandson), Shmuel Bulka (his son), and Rabbi Bulka enjoy a Senators hockey game in November 2019.

A beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, colleague, mentor and "Canada's Rabbi," Rabbi Dr. Reuven P. Bulka Z”L leaves behind a legacy of …

A mitzvah-sized piece of yourself

Photo: Glenna Gosewich recently donated a portion of her liver to save another person's life. Glenna has donated blood 106 times and plasma 13 times. In the full photo below, she is shown holding plasma she donated at the Héma Québec clinic last June. 

(Photo credit: Michelle Valberg)

…

Summer reading recommendations

There’s nothing better than that perfect summer read. Whether you’re stretched out in the backyard under a tree, snug in a front porch swing, or sprawled out on the beach — it’s always better with a good book.

We asked a few community members for their recommendations of what to rea…

Pandemic projects feed the soul

Photo: Anne Khazzam (left) and Nikki Shapiro (right).

We were barely in the first throes of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 when suddenly yeast was impossible to find. Everyone was making bread.

Then it was hobby items, from jigsaw puzzles to garden seeds and everything in between. We…