Jewish Ottawa recently welcomed Rabbi Jonathan Gottfried as the new rabbi of Congregation Beit Tikvah. Rabbi Gottfried arrived from Israel with his wife, Tamar, and their children and has already hit the ground running, leading High Holiday services and building connections with fellow rabbis and community leaders.

The Ottawa Jewish E-Bulletin recently met with Rabbi Gottfried to learn more about him and what he is looking forward to experiencing at Beit Tikvah, in the wider Jewish community, and in Ottawa.

E-Bulletin: Tell me a bit about you. Where are you from and where did you grow up?

Rabbi Gottfried: I grew up in Antwerp, Belgium, which has a very strong Jewish community. I did most of my schooling there, except for a few years in Gateshead, England, after which I returned to Antwerp for a few years.

Later, I decided to move to Israel. When I arrived, I returned to learning Torah and spent 10 years studying in yeshiva. About five years ago, I entered a special program called Manhigut Toranit that prepares people to serve as rabbis, both in Israel and in the Diaspora, which is program of the Eretz Chemda Kollel in Jerusalem. 

It was an intensive program that included courses on medical and end-of-life issues, as well as conflict resolution. We learned how to help people work through disagreements and find their own solutions.

After completing the program, I started looking for a community outside Israel where I could serve as a rabbi. I came into contact with the community in Ottawa, and from the beginning, there was a good feeling. We made it happen.

E-Bulletin: What have your first couple of months in Ottawa been like?

Rabbi Gottfried: I arrived about two weeks before the High Holidays, so I immediately got to experience a large part of the community. There are a lot of people who come to shul during the holidays, so it was a great opportunity to get to know a large subset of the congregation.

Everyone has been really nice and friendly. People understand that it takes time for me to learn their names and get to know them, and they're giving me that time. They've also been helping us as much as possible.

Moving an entire family to a new country isn't easy. I came with my wife and children, and we arrived with nothing but suitcases. Each of us had two suitcases, so we are starting from scratch.

The community has really helped make the transition easier. That gives me a very positive feeling about being here and serving as the rabbi. 

E-Bulletin: Beyond your experiences with the community, what have your first impressions of Ottawa been? Had you ever been to Canada before?

Rabbi Gottfried: No, I'd never been to Canada before. My first impression was the weather. We came from temperatures of about 30 degrees in Israel, and suddenly, on our first day here, it was raining and we had to take out our coats.

I also noticed how much space there is here. People have houses with gardens, and there's a sense of openness that creates a certain calm.

In the big cities where I've lived, including in Israel, everything is much more crowded. People live in apartments, everything is on top of everything else, and everyone seems to be running from one place to another. The contrast in both weather and lifestyle was immediately noticeable.

E-Bulletin: What are you most looking forward to in your new role at Beit Tikvah? What are your goals, and what do you hope to learn from the community?

Rabbi Gottfried: When people talk about goals, they often focus on things they can quantify. For example, you might say that there are 10 people in shul today and you want there to be 12 tomorrow. Those are measurable goals, but I believe the most important goals are qualitative.

I want to bring meaning to people's lives. I want people to have stronger experiences and a deeper connection to Judaism, Torah, mitzvot and Hashem. It's not just about increasing numbers, but also about the quality of those connections.

Numbers are easy to measure, but quality is much harder to quantify. My goal is to help people encounter Torah and Judaism in a meaningful way. First, they need the opportunity to experience it. If they connect with it, they can then deepen that connection.

I think there are two major challenges facing people today. One is everything happening in Israel and the rise of antisemitism. How do we respond to that as a Jewish community? How do we navigate being Jewish in a world where antisemitism is a growing concern?

The second challenge is artificial intelligence (AI). AI is going to change our lives dramatically. I don't think we really have a choice about whether that change will happen since it's already happening. The question is what we're going to do with it.

For example, if AI ends up doing many things for us, where will we find meaning in our lives? What will give our lives purpose?

I believe many of the answers to these challenges can be found in community and Judaism. I want to put Jewish life and community at the forefront and help people make them an important part of their lives.

Judaism can give people meaning and help them establish goals, understand what's important and connect with something bigger than themselves. That's what I would like to bring to the community.

E-Bulletin: What are you looking forward to experiencing in Ottawa, beyond the Jewish community?

Rabbi Gottfried: I enjoy nature and hiking, so I'm looking forward to exploring that side of Ottawa, although we'll see how much I can do with children!

I'm also looking forward to raising my children here. My wife and children speak only Hebrew, so it's going to be a new experience for all of us. I'm really looking forward to watching them learn English and seeing how they adapt.

It's already a lot of fun watching the children and my wife get out there, speak to people and have conversations. Seeing them learn and become comfortable with English is something I'm especially excited about.

I'm also looking forward to discovering what Jewish Ottawa has to offer and seeing what we can accomplish together. I've already seen how different organizations take care of the Jewish community here.

There are also a lot of rabbis in Ottawa, and I've had very good interactions with them. Everyone has been very welcoming. I'm looking forward to ways we can help one another and work together.

Rabbi Gottfried is looking forward to getting to know more people in the community. To learn more about Beit Tikvah, visit their website here.