Campaign 2023 top items to know
1. The messaging for the 2023 Campaign:
The challenges kept coming. From lockdown to reopening. From peace to war. From conflict in Israel to war in Ukraine. From economic pressures to raising inflation. From certainty to uncertainty. But the Jewish Federation of Ottawa kept going and going.
Federation has identified three main areas of priority as we move forward and transform challenges into opportunities:
I) Protecting our vulnerable: We set the standard for how a community helps its most at-risk members get through the pandemic. We now need to set the standard for how a community cares for its most vulnerable beyond an immediate crisis.
II) Countering antisemitism: The landscape in Canada is shifting. Without new tools to push back against antisemitism, the threat to our community will only grow. With your support, we are empowering our community in schools, on university campuses, in the workplace and online to move from defence to offence.
III) Ensuring Access to Jewish Life and Education: Throughout the pandemic, we found ways for everyone to participate in Jewish life. Now we go forward to create a culture of belonging so that everyone has access to the Jewish Superhighway and Jewish education and to enjoy meaningful
Jewish journeys.
2. Federation is the only charity exclusively committed to the mission of developing the Jewish people and strengthening Jewish life, here in Ottawa and around the globe. There are many great charities, but only Federation plays this unique and irreplaceable role. We do it like no other charity does.
How? First, through community-wide reach. Annual Campaign allocations benefit more than 50 organizations in every area of community life: poverty relief, countering antisemitism, Jewish education, supporting Israel and Jews overseas, and more. Funding and working with dozens of Jewish institutions in Ottawa and around the globe means we have an incomparable network we can mobilize to address big challenges in a holistic way.
Second, through a comprehensive strategy. Many organizations do wonderful work addressing specific issuess. Only Federation funds work across the full range of our community’s needs. No single intervention can alone address the big challenges facing the Jewish people today. Instead, Federation uses a comprehensive approach informed by research and a 360-degree understanding of needs across the broad spectrum of the community.
Third, through our unique capacity for rapid response. Reach, resources and deep expertise enable Federation to mount a powerful response to any emerging crisis. We have seen Federation’s power of rapid response at work—for instance, during the pandemic locally, in support of Israelis during conflict, and in response to the Ukraine refugee crisis.
3. Address the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19 crisis: Many people still need extra help. From food insecurity to mental health struggles, Federation is here to strengthen our Jewish social safety net. Many families remain financially fragile and at risk of disconnecting from Jewish life. Federation is working to ensure that everyone still has access to the Jewish Superhighway with the ability to enjoy meaningful Jewish journeys.
4. Understand the Jewish Superhighway: The vision has four primary outcomes:
• Inspired Jewish experiences for all ages
• Enriched Jewish education and learning
• Compassionate care for our most vulnerable
• A safe and secure community
5. Face-to-face canvassing: This remains the best way to ask for a gift and meeting outdoors is particularly effective to accommodate social distancing, if preferred. This means that you should prioritize canvassing while the weather is still pleasant.
6. Though in-person meetings are always impactful, another option is video conferencing. You can use Zoom, Teams or Face-Time. If you require technical support, please contact the Campaign Manager for assistance. We are here to help!