Temple Israel is a
Reform
Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
, located in
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada. The synagogues home to the second largest congregation in Ottawa, with approximately 340 families,
and has a supplementary religious school.
History
Temple Israel Congregation, which was the first reform congregation in Ottawa, was founded in the spring of 1966. The first consecration service was held on October 28, 1967 at the Histadrut Centre. From September, 1971-October 1972, the congregation had its first permanent home in the former B’nai Jacob Synagogue on 54 James Street. The building, which had been renovated by Temple Israel, was badly damaged by fire in 1972. Services were held from 1972-1975 in the Montefiore Club, the Jewish Community Centre, 151 Chapel Street and the Unitarian Congregation. In 1975, Temple Israel held
High Holiday
In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of:
#strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement");
#by extension, the ...
services in a newly designed synagogue building on Prince of Wales Drive. David Powell was the rabbi from 1967 to 1972, and was followed by Donald Gerber until 1980, Irwin A. Tanenbaum from 1986 to 1994,
[ and Steven Garten from 1995-2014,][ Norman Klein as interim rabbi 2014-2015, and S. Robert Morais from 2015, and Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg since 2019.
]
Liberal Judaism Library
The Liberal Judaism Library is a volunteer library run on the honour system which includes a reference collection, adult fiction and non-fiction collections, a children's collection and the books published by Union of American Hebrew Congregations
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms establ ...
(UAHC) and Central Conference of American Rabbis
The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada. The CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world. ...
(CCAR).
School education
Temple Israel Religious School (TIRS) is the largest synagogue-affiliated supplemental school in Ottawa, and has students from Junior Kindergarten through Bar/Bat Mitzvah, to high school and confirmation.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Israel (Ottawa)
Jews and Judaism in Ottawa
Synagogues in Ottawa
Buildings and structures in Ottawa
Reform synagogues in Canada
Synagogues completed in 1975
1966 establishments in Ontario
20th-century synagogues in Canada
Synagogues in Ontario