Agency News

News submissions from our agencies and organizations.

Planting seeds of hope

Tu B’Shevat is today! It is a festival that marks one of the four new years on the Jewish calendar. It has a long and ancient history and is an important marker for Jewish farmers in Israel. The Torah tells us in Vayikra 19:23, “When you enter the land [of Israel] and plant any tree for …

Strengthening security measures on the Jewish Community Campus

By Rena Garshowitz

Following the occurrences on October 7 and the surge in antisemitism, our community is grappling with increased anxiety and uncertainty. The unfolding global events in both the Middle East and diaspora communities evoke a range of emotions and fears that impact us collect…

New special envoy to speak at Holocaust remembrance ceremony

The 2024 International Holocaust Remembrance Day official commemoration, organized by the National Holocaust Monument Committee, will take place Friday, January 26 at 11am, with Canada’s new Special Envoy on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, as the keynote sp…

Oseh Shalom, words of peace

By Sierra Cwinn 

As the Jewish community in Ottawa continues to grapple with the ongoing war in Israel, the loss of over 1,400 lives, and hundreds of hostages taken by terrorists, many are seeking ways to make a difference Since December 1, Jewish organizations throughout Ottawa have been …

Chevra Kadisha: Showing respect for the dead

Some information in this article is of a sensitive nature. 

In Judaism there it is part of our halachic tradition (Jewish law) that we care for the body of someone who has passed. The source for this comes from Kohelet 5:14, "As we come forth, so we shall return." After death, the body i…