For Bassy Mendelsohn, cooking has always been a part of her life. It has been a way to bring people together, build connections, and show care for others. Through her new Irving Aaron Kitchen of Kindness, she hopes to bring that philosophy to a wider community, creating a space where volunteers can prepare meals for people in need.

Named after Irving Aaron z”l, Mendelsohn said that the kitchen was named in honour of his lifetime of dedication of time, resources, and energy into Jewish community causes and beyond. It was through the generosity of Irving and Ruth Aaron that the Kitchen of Kindness came to fruition. 

Mendelsohn and her husband, Rabbi Chaim Mendelsohn, established Chabad of Centrepointe in September 2002, and cooking quickly became a central part of their community programming. From cooking demonstrations and classes to Shabbat and holiday gatherings, the kitchen has always been a centrepiece of community life.

In 2017, the Mendelsohns launched A Ripple Effect, a program designed to engage local teens in community service. The program’s purpose is to instill the philosophy that small acts of kindness can have an impact far beyond its starting point.

“A teen can smile at a child, and then you never know where that smile ends up,” Mendelsohn explained. “It could create a confident, healthy, happy child, or it could create a child who wants to give to others.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Mendelsohns began preparing packaged food to be shared with the community. Whether it was for Passover or Shavuot, breakfasts or barbecues, they “pivoted” to this format to continue their work supporting the community.

As the operation grew, the need for more space become evident.

“We needed something bigger,” Mendelsohn said. 

Instead of hosting volunteers in her home, Kitchen of Kindness allows larger groups of volunteers to gather and prepare approximately 100 individually packaged, kosher, fresh, and wholesome meals during each cooking event. Starting gradually, the initiative aims to eventually hold events weekly, depending on demand and capacity.

Rather than duplicating existing services, Kitchen of Kindness is designed to support organizations already working to address food insecurity and other community needs. Mendelsohn has connected with other organizations, such as the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank, Jewish Family Services, Ten Yad, Harmony House women’s shelter, homeless shelters, and local synagogues.

“Our goal is to help the existing charities, Jewish and non-Jewish,” she explained. “We’re bringing the community together to produce meals which will go on to help supplement organizations’ existing services.”

Mendelsohn added that the initiative is also exploring how best to accommodate different organizations’ needs, including whether meals should be delivered frozen, refrigerated, or hot.

Food insecurity is one of the issues driving the project, but the need extends beyond access to food. Seniors living alone, people experiencing health challenges, single parents, and families going through difficult periods can all benefit from a meal and the knowledge that someone cares.

Until now, Mendelsohn and her family have primarily delivered meals to people they know personally. Kitchen of Kindness will allow them to reach more people through partnerships with established organizations, while maintaining a confidential way for community members to request assistance.

The initiative has already begun building those connections, with three organizations expressing interest in receiving meals from upcoming cooking events.

Kitchen of Kindness will also serve as a gathering place for volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. Its schedule includes events for teens, women and children, as well as Sunday sessions open to individuals, families, and groups. Participants will work together to chop vegetables, prepare ingredients, and package meals for distribution.

The Kitchen’s first major gathering, held shortly before Rosh Hashanah, brought together community leaders, rabbis, and representatives from Jewish organizations to see the space and participate. A subsequent event on October 8, organized around the significance of October 7, drew approximately 90 women.

For Mendelsohn, the opportunity to participate in giving is as important as the meals themselves. She hopes Kitchen of Kindness will attract people from all walks of life in Jewish Ottawa.

“We can dress differently, pray differently, we can have some different values in our Judaism, but gemilut chasadim, helping others, is foundational,” she said. “It’s the Jewish way.”

To learn more about Kitchen of Kindness, you can visit their website here or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.