Dear friends,

It has been a busy week as we held election roundtables with each of the major parties fielding candidates in the upcoming Ontario election (three days, four parties, 13 candidates). You can read a synopsis of what the candidates had to say in the Ottawa Jewish E-Bulletin and if you are more ambitious, you can watch one or all of the roundtables:

Liberal Party of Ontario Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Green Party of Ontario New Democratic Party of Ontario

While some are naturally inclined to vote for a particular party, others struggle more as their views may be better aligned with a candidate or party on social and other issues, and more aligned with another when it comes to combatting antisemitism or support for Israel. In a non-partisan manner, the E-Bulletin has tried to capture the nuances of the parties and their candidates. We hope that you find this a valuable service in making an informed decision on June 2. Of particular interest for Ottawa’s Jewish community is the riding of Ottawa-Centre, as it includes the community campus, which makes the person elected in this riding the defacto representative of the Jewish community and hence their positions on issues of importance to the Jewish community even more critical.   In the Fall, we shift to the municipal election, which includes Trustees for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). In light of the serious concerns we shared last night about the OCDSB, please consider writing to the trustees urging action so that the Board lives up to their responsibilities to create a safe and harassment free space for all students. (Find your trustee here.)

Last June, our community lost our dear Rabbi Reuven Bulka Z”L. Many honours have already been deservedly bestowed upon the Rabbi and I am humbled to share that the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Shem Tov Volunteer award has been renamed the Rabbi Reuven Bulka Shem Tov Award for Volunteerism and Kindness. This award recognizes an outstanding volunteer for a lifetime of service dedicated to the betterment and enrichment of Jewish life in Ottawa. “There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship; but the crown of a good name outweighs them all,” - Rabbi Shimon.     Rabbi Bulka was a remarkable and righteous person. What made him so incredibly special was how he connected with, and treated, people. He could meet with the prime minister in the morning, pitch a few innings in a baseball game and then drive six hours to officiate at the wedding of a congregant, returning to Ottawa in the middle of the night. He was there for people when they needed it most. There was not a community issue, or crisis, that Rabbi Bulka did not help improve by steadying the ship. He was always there to calm tempers, soothe feelings, or develop thoughtful and actionable solutions.   In short, no one has a better shem tov (good name) than Rabbi Bulka, which is why every Federation Board member wanted to make the motion to rename the Shem Tov award in his honour.

Let me conclude with a personal story. As a 14-year old, I became involved in my first political campaign when a family friend ran for federal office. My first day of volunteering was “encouraged” by my parents (e.g. conscripted), but I was immediately hooked and spent most days after school helping with the campaign. While too young to vote, I loved participating in the political process. Part of this was my competitive nature – someone wins an election, others lose and there is typically clarity in the outcome. Of course, it is also about engaging on the issues. And this is what Rabbi Bulka did every day – he engaged – to help others and help form a kinder and, dare I say, better society. Each and every winner of the Rabbi Reuven Bulka Shem Tov Award for Volunteerism and Kindness is following this example, with a lifetime of volunteering. Shabbat Shalom, Andrea