May is Canadian Jewish Heritage Month, a designation unanimously enacted by Parliament in 2018 to recognize the important contributions made by Jewish Canadians to Canada’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric over the past 250 years – and those they continue to make today.
Later this month, the University’s Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program along with the University of Ottawa’s special adviser on antisemitism is inviting the uOttawa community to explore many of these contributions up-close and in-person.
Events celebrating Jewish contributions to Canada a first for uOttawa
For the first time, the program has organized numerous events covering diverse topics including the bustling businesses of Old Jewish Ottawa and a new award honouring Canadian Jewish Women of Valour. Many events involve the participation of uOttawa faculty and students themselves, confirming the University’s own commitment to creating a respectful, open and welcoming campus.
Jonathan Calof, special adviser on antisemitism at the University of Ottawa, says the events are intended to engage the uOttawa community in celebrating the Jewish community’s achievements and its contributions to Canada.
"We're inviting the uOttawa community to share in something beautiful," he says.
Jewish contributions strengthen Canadian diversity
Like its famous tulips, Ottawa’s Jewish community is also deeply intertwined with the history and development of the city. Historical records put its start in the late 1880s but with arrivals coming since 1857, when Queen Victoria made Ottawa the capital. The community initially established itself in Lowertown not far from uOttawa’s own campus; the first congregation formed in 1892, and construction on the city’s main synagogue (now a Seventh Day Adventist church) on King Edward St. began in 1904.
Today, Canada’s Jewish community is the fourth largest in the world, following Israel, the United States and France. Jews make up roughly 1.2% of Canada’s total population.
Whether Leonard Cohen’s poems, Irwin Cotler’s commitment to justice or Izzy Asper’s dedication to human rights, Jewish Canadians’ rich cultural heritage and contributions to law, politics, business and culture reinforce Canada’s diversity, according to Calof
“It’s a part of what makes Canada so strong.”
Calof adds that other Jewish values, such as kindness (Chesed), charity (Tzedakah) and the idea of giving back to others, repairing the world (Tikun Olam), openness and inclusion are values that are important to the Jewish experience as well as important to Canada and to the University itself during these difficult times. In April, Hillel hosted a Shabbat dinner on campus at which Calof pointed out to those in attendance that one-third of the attendees were non-Jewish.
“They were there to learn and celebrate all together – as one unified group,” he says.
“We're inviting the uOttawa community to share in something beautiful.”
Jonathan Calof
— Special Adviser on Antisemitism
Committing to culture and heritage amid adversity and isolation
Calof says emphasizing openness and inclusion in Canada is more important than ever amid increased attacks on Jewish institutions and individuals – for Jews and people of diverse backgrounds alike. He adds that Canadian Jewish Heritage Month was created long before the current rising wave of antisemitism. And despite the ongoing pain and sense of isolation felt by many in the Jewish community due to recent events, Calof says he wants to show the uOttawa community more about what it means to be Jewish in Canada.
“I want to get away from geopolitical discussions about who is right or wrong thousands of miles away, and for one month celebrate the contributions of a group within Canada,” he says.
“Perhaps by bringing this understanding to others on campus the current climate that has many Jewish students and faculty feeling isolated and in fear can give way to a more inclusive campus.”
Schedule of events
Events are free and open to all:
- Walking Tour of Old Jewish Ottawa (May 20, 4:30 p.m.): Starting in the Sandy Hill area, we will discuss the early history of Ottawa’s Jews before heading towards Rideau Street, which was once a bustling business area for Ottawa’s Jewish community. Learn about peddlers, shopkeepers, and the struggles of forming a small community in a growing capital city. Following along the route, we will then make our way to the ByWard Market to explore the former hub of old Jewish Ottawa. This event will be led by University of Ottawa PhD Student Megan Hollinger. Sign up
- Book Launch: Transplanting Roots: The Adam Fuerstenberg Reader (May 26, 2:30 p.m., online): Adam Fuerstenberg was a child survivor of the Shoah and the scholar who established the field of Canadian Yiddish Literature. The book, an essential reader in Canadian literary history, the Yiddish diaspora, and Jewish-Canadian culture, was edited by the University of Ottawa’s own Seymour Mayne. The event will be emceed by Dr. Gefen Bar-On Santor and Dr. Natalia Vesselova in conversation with Seymour Mayne and Bernard Katz, and will also include a special guest, Zack Fuerstenberg, son of Adam Fuerstenberg. Join the book launch on zoom
- Inauguration of the Sara Vered Best Student Project Award, announcement of the Canadian Jewish Women of Valour Award and Lecture Series, and the Canadian Jewish Experience Exhibit (May 28, 10 a.m.): The signature event for the University of Ottawa’s Canadian Jewish Heritage Month programming. The event will start with the inauguration ceremony of the Sara Vered Best Student Project Award, presented by the Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program at the University of Ottawa in honour of the memory of Mrs. Sara Vered z’l. This will be followed by the announcement of a new University of Ottawa initiative under the auspices of the Special Adviser on Antisemitism: The Canadian Jewish Women of Valour Annual Award and Lecture Series, inspired by the two recently deceased distinguished members of the University of Ottawa family, Sara Vered and Gertruda Rosenberg. The ceremony will be accompanied by the Canadian Jewish Experience exhibit, a museum-grade display that celebrates and highlights Jewish contributions to Canada’s development across arts, sports, human rights, politics, and more. Register for the prize inauguration and the exhibition