The Communications and Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa held a series of roundtable meetings with each of the four main parties contesting the Ontario provincial election to be held on Thursday, June 12. [Read more…]
Liberal candidates pledge to work with community to find program funding for students with special needs attending Jewish day schools

(From left) Liberal candidates Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre), Marie France Lalonde (Ottawa Orleans) and Bob Chiarelli (Ottawa West Nepean). (Photo: Michael Regenstreif)
Ottawa Centre Liberal incumbent MPP Yasir Naqvi pledged to work with the Jewish community and the Jewish Federation of Ottawa to see what can be done to ensure that students with special needs attending Jewish day schools become eligible to receive the types of services offered to students with special needs in the public and Catholic school systems. [Read more…]
Progressive Conservatives do not plan to address issues of inequity in religious school funding in next mandate

(From left) Progressive Conservative candidates Lisa McLeod (Nepean Carleton), Randall Denley (Ottawa West Nepean), Martin Forget (Ottawa Vanier), Robb Dekker (Ottawa Centre), and Andrew Lister (Ottawa Orleans). (Photo: Michael Regenstreif)
The inequity inherent in funding the Catholic school system in Ontario to the exclusion of all other religious groups is not addressed in the 2014 election platform of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, said Randall Denley, the party’s candidate in Ottawa West Nepean in the June 12 provincial candidate. [Read more…]
Conversation on amalgamating school boards is ‘inevitable’ say NDP candidates

(From left) NDP candidates Alex Cullen (Ottawa West Nepean) and Hervé Ngamby (Ottawa Vanier). (Photo: Michael Regenstreif)
The Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) does not have a policy position on the province’s educational funding model, but NDP candidate Alex Cullen (Ottawa West Nepean), offered “kudos to the Green Party” for suggesting the Catholic system be merged into the public system and that there be no public funding for faith-based school systems in Ontario. [Read more…]
Green Party says fairness demands one school system for all

(From left) Green Party of Ontario candidates Dave Bagler (Ottawa Vanier), Gordon Kubanek (Nepean Carleton), Alex Hill (Ottawa West Nepean) and Bob Bell (Ottawa Orleans). (Photo: Michael Regenstreif)
The Green Party of Ontario has called for the merger of Ontario’s public and Catholic school systems. [Read more…]
French Jewish brothers attacked
(JTA) – Two French Jewish brothers were attacked while on their way to synagogue. [Read more…]
Belgian Jews gather to mourn after museum attack

Adults and children participating in a silent vigil outside the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels for the four victims of a shooting there by an unidentified gunman, May 25, 2014. (Photo: Cnaan Liphshiz)
BRUSSELS (JTA) – Hunched over a small island of memorial candles for the victims of the attack on the Jewish Museum of Belgium, Paul Ambach is lost in thought. [Read more…]
Death toll from Brussels Jewish museum shooting rises to 4
An employee of the Jewish museum of Brussels died of injuries he sustained in the shooting there, bringing the death toll to four people.
Jewish Federation of Ottawa strongly condemns inappropriate art exhibit
The Jewish Federation of Ottawa is deeply disturbed by an inappropriate exhibit at the Karsh-Masson Gallery at Ottawa City Hall that glorifies Palestinian terrorists. This monument to terror, partially funded by provincial taxpayer dollars, is hurtful to the Jewish community and offensive to any peace-loving person, including non-Jewish Canadian victims of terror. [Read more…]
Mitchell Bellman: Former Federation CEO to receive community’s highest honour
In recognition of his passionate and longstanding commitment to Ottawa’s Jewish community, Mitchell Bellman will be the 2014 Gilbert Greenberg Distinguished Service Award recipient. [Read more…]