Description and Mission

Our Organization

The Orthodox Community Ohev Yisroel, commonly known as Ohev Yisroel, is the only orthodox synagogue in downtown Ottawa. It is open for services on Shabbat and Yom Tov. It is home to the Jewish population of Sandy Hill, Lowertown, and Vanier. Located in the hotel district or Ottawa, it also caters to tourists and business people who travel to Ottawa. University students are also regulars.

Our members vary from those who have grown up in traditional backgrounds to those who have little or no background. We are non-judgmental, and our friendly approach fosters respect and internal growth and development of all of our members.

All participants are invited to partake of our Kiddush which is designed for socializing after the services, thereby increasing the solidarity and friendship of our members.

Mission and activities

At Ohev Yisroel, we conduct worship services on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays; and we celebrate these with appropriate solemnities and festivities.

We promote the religious values of Judaism. Among them are:  the practice of honouring parents; the practice of kindness to our fellow man and woman; early attendance at the house of learning, morning and evening; acts of charity such as hospitality to fellow Jews (especially University students and travellers to Ottawa); visiting the sick; dowering the bride; attending the deceased to the grave, and comforting mourners; making peace between fellow men and women; devotion in prayer; and the study of Torah. (quotation from Talmud Sabbath 127a).

One of our missions is Holocaust Education by means of facilitating the reunion of survivors via genealogical research, as well as by promoting the life stories of our survivor members. Through this website we aim to promote the life story of a member, Ingrid Haase, whose father, Siegfried Fritz Haase through his lifetime, became a renowned artist. Our charity has been donated many of his paintings and we aim to raise funds through the sale of these pieces.

Siegfried Haase Art is part of The Orthodox Community, Ohev Yisroel.

Ohev Yisroel is a registered Canadian Chartiable Organization incorporated under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Act.