Jewish Ottawa

Local news and updates on the Jewish community of Ottawa.

Summer reading recommendations

There’s nothing better than that perfect summer read. Whether you’re stretched out in the backyard under a tree, snug in a front porch swing, or sprawled out on the beach — it’s always better with a good book.

We asked a few community members for their recommendations of what to rea…

Pandemic projects feed the soul

Photo: Anne Khazzam (left) and Nikki Shapiro (right).

We were barely in the first throes of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 when suddenly yeast was impossible to find. Everyone was making bread.

Then it was hobby items, from jigsaw puzzles to garden seeds and everything in between. We…

“Jabapaloozas” take away confusion, difficulty in vaccine booking process

Glebe family physician Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth had a problem with the often-baffling process and pure battle to find, book and receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa. Beyond the complicated online systems and poorly marketed pop-up clinics, there was a huge gap in the system — utilizing family…

Plan A, B, and C in place for Ottawa synagogues heading into High Holidays

As COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift, synagogues across Ottawa are preparing to pivot — making the decisions to either stay virtual, move to in-person celebrations, or provide a hybrid approach.

At Congregation Beit Tikvah, Rabbi Aryeh Kravetz says the goal is always to be able to provi…

Dad jokes from our community

Father's Day is a time to honour paternal bonds, and the powerful influence of fathers in society. One of the oft-maligned gifts from our dads is the well-known "dad joke." These are the wholesome one-liners dads tell us to tease and joke and they often become part of family lore that invoke…