By Rabbi Moshe Caytak

 

As Ottawa’s Jewish community looks ahead to 2025, a meaningful milestone is on the horizon: the completion and dedication of a new Sefer Torah, the first in the city in nearly a decade. The Torah scroll will be officially dedicated on February 16, 2025, in honour of Dr. Joseph and Devora Caytak to mark Dr. Caytak’s 70th birthday — a celebration of their decades-long contributions to Jewish life in Ottawa.

 

For more than 40 years, Dr. Joseph and Devora Caytak have been central figures in the local Jewish community, founding the Jewish Youth Library, the Westboro Jewish Montessori Preschool, and Camp Gan Israel, institutions that have enriched thousands of lives. The new Torah scroll honours their legacy, not only as dedicated community builders but also as parents and grandparents whose values of Torah and Jewish education continue to inspire.

 

The creation of a Torah scroll is a momentous event, symbolizing connection, unity, and vitality within a Jewish community. Carefully handwritten by an expert scribe over the course of a year, every letter in the Torah represents a link in an unbroken chain of tradition. The final letters of this Torah will be completed at a city-wide dedication ceremony in February, where community members of all ages are invited to participate in this historic moment.

 

The Torah will become part of the regular prayer services at the Family Shul of Chabad of Wellington West and will also serve as a source of pride and inspiration for Ottawa’s Jewish community. “This dedication, in honour of my parents, is a fitting way to celebrate their achievements,” said Yaakov Caytak, the youngest of the Caytak children. “They have raised 12 children to cherish Torah values, and they continue to build a future for Jewish education in Ottawa.”

 

The final dedication ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at the Soloway JCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt. The event will include live music, dancing, and a community brunch. Participants will have the unique opportunity to assist the scribe in completing the Torah’s final letters — a powerful experience of connection to Jewish heritage and continuity.

 

Ottawa’s Jewish community is invited to be part of this celebration and contribute to the Torah’s creation through dedications of letters, words, or sections. To learn more about this event or to take part in the Torah’s completion, visit JewishWW.com/communitytorah.