Dear friends,
Many of us have been conditioned to begin conversations with “how are you?” This has always been a problematic question for those facing serious illness or a significant personal challenge. Today, it is not a straightforward question to answer, with the new stay-at-home orders and a third state of emergency declared.
There are better questions to ask than “how are you?”
With a genuine desire to effectively check in with community members, community leader Shelli Kimmel guided Jewish Federation of Ottawa volunteers on a new round of kindness calls, primarily to seniors (though we do not have everyone’s ages and if we missed you and you would like a friendly call, please let me know). Before getting on the phones, Jewish Family Services offered specialized training to callers to ensure they asked the right questions and knew how to handle requests for assistance.
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Let me share one story. When Flavia Dunlop called Rita Hornstein, a spunky community member in her 90s, she had an unexpected request. She wanted Israeli flags so that her retirement community could celebrate Yom Ha’aztmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. I find this inspiring, one volunteer helping another volunteer to spread joy!
Need even more inspiration? Federation recently had the opportunity to invite our top donors to a special briefing hosted by the New York Federation to hear Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla and we can now share his remarks, which you can view here. Dr. Bourla is the child of Holocaust survivors, and it seems fitting to share his remarks this week as we commemorate Yom HaShoah.
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Need another dose of optimism? Yesterday, Tamir residents were vaccinated! (Yes, I may have buried the lead in this message!) As Tamir Executive Director Risa Plotnik wrote in a letter to families, “The vaccines will be offered through a mobile clinic that will visit different Tamir program locations. This is a new model of vaccine administration for Ottawa Public Health and we’re one of the first developmental service agencies in Ottawa to be served in this format.” What a relief to know that Tamir residents are vaccinated, and it is no surprise that Tamir is at the forefront of new models of vaccination, just as they are with all other aspects of care and service.
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Let me conclude with a personal story. Two summers ago, I climbed the Via Ferrata at Mont Tremblant, which entails traversing up a cliff, using clips and a variety of built-in steps, handles, beams and various types of bridges, while “overlooking the meandering Diable River far below" (according to their website). It was challenging, intense, and at points terrifying as the Diable River was REALLY FAR below (not mentioned on their website)! At one particularly narrow beam crossing, another participant was overcome by fear, stopped, started to cry, and said she could not continue. The guide, her partner, and everyone in the group (most strangers mere hours ago), stopped climbing and turned all our attention (remember that at this point we were all hundreds of metres above the river and tethered to a sheer cliff face) to provide her with the emotional support and encouragement that eventually allowed her to take a tentative step upwards, then another, and then another. On the Via Ferrata, at a certain point, you have no choice but to keep climbing, no matter how impossible the task feels.
And this is how we will get through these latest stay-at-home orders, one day at a time, and then another, and by continuing to support and care for each other in the process.
Shabbat Shalom,
Andrea
P.P.S. If you missed the excellent conversation between Roger Greenberg and Mark Wilf as part of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration, you may watch it here.
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Reminder: The deadline for the Community Service Award nominations, as well as grant and scholarship applications is next Friday. To nominate a worthy volunteer, visit here. To find out more about available grants and scholarships, visit here.
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