Oren Baray comes from an Israeli household and brings his Jewish identity to everything he does. He has served Hillel Ottawa for the past 18 months and is excited to take on a new challenge as the Young Adults Engagement and Impact Grants Associate with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa.
Baray is passionate about young adult engagement with the Jewish community as was evident with his work at Hillel Ottawa and now he can take that passion and bring it to the broader Jewish community. His portfolio also includes working with Federation’s Impact Grants committee, which makes seed funding available for new programs that aim to change the landscape of Jewish life in Ottawa as well as supporting ongoing efforts from our well-established Jewish organizations.
“Some of the grants encompass the security grants we apply for as a Jewish community and our Jewish Journeys grants that support new programming initiatives. In fact, the grant cycle for Jewish Journeys just opened on November 4 and information can be found here,” says Baray.
As he gears up to transition from Hillel to Federation, he looks forward to bringing new social and cultural programming to life for young adults.
“What I learned over the last year at Hillel Ottawa, was to really put an emphasis on the micro-communities within our bigger community. I plan to really tap into the different niche interest areas. Once you create an opportunity for something interesting for everyone in a particular niche, then you start to get greater engagement and people find their place in the larger community,” Baray explains
“It’s really important to recognize the various needs and offer programming that supports them. However, there is a balance needed between micro-community programing and large-scale events. We will offer both. I want everyone to have a voice and feel that they have a place in the community.”
Baray continues, “We see young adults as an investment. If we help them find community now, how will it impact future Jewish community involvement? Our goal is to make sure that we are creating opportunities for engagement across the life span and my role will specifically work with the 21 to 35-year-old community. The Federation hopes that this group chooses to make Ottawa their permanent home and that they have warm fuzzies for the Ottawa Jewish community and stay engaged throughout their life.”
Baray’s first event in his new role will be the annual Chanukah Ball, which will take place December 19 from 7-10pm. Registration is required, and the location will be released after registration.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity the Chanukah Ball provides to put on a big party and meet so many people from the community in one place. I hope that it sets the tone for the year to come,” Baray says, adding “One new project I hope to undertake is a Jewish dating program here in Ottawa. If people can find a partner here in town, they will stay and be active in the community here rather than leaving to find a partner. We’re not sure what that program will look like, but we’re open to ideas, so please reach out. We want to get it right.”
Currently, young adults can join the J-Now WhatsApp group to learn about upcoming events and to chat with and meet other young adults in our community. Join with this link.
If you have ideas for new programing or are looking for grant funding for larger scale program development reach out to Oren Baray at obaray@JewishOttawa.com. He’s also always happy to grab a cup of coffee and talk about young adult life in Ottawa.