Cantor Green recently became a clergy patron of the Multifaith Housing Initiative and was invited to write the lead article for their pre-AGM newsletter, which was shared on Tuesday. Below is that article, which references Cantor Green’s Shabbat sermon on Feb. 17 (Parashat T’rumah).
Happy Spring! I am the Cantor at Kehillat Beth Israel Congregation (“KBI”), Ottawa’s largest Jewish congregation. My main roles include leading the congregation in our prayer services, teaching community members how to lead services and chant our holy texts (a specialized set of skills), directing our adult and youth choirs, teaching prayer to grades K-7 in our supplementary school, teaching students for their B’nei Mitzvah (rites of passage from childhood to Jewish “adulthood” at age 13), and representing the Jewish faith at multicultural and multifaith events around Ottawa. In addition to musical roles, I also provide pastoral care to those in need, visit the sick and home-bound, write and give sermons, organize holiday programming, and engage the congregation in charitable work to make the world a better place (in Hebrew: “Tikkun Olam – repair of the world”).
In the Jewish faith, every prayer service section ends with a Prayer for Peace: “Oseh SHALOM bim-romav, Hu ya-aseh SHALOM aleinu v’al kol yosh’vei teivel – May the One Who grants peace in the Universe, bring peace to us and to all who dwell on earth”, and everyone says, “Amen”.
“Amen” in Hebrew means “I have faith in this; I believe in this.” But beyond just reading the words in our prayerbooks, I believe in taking action, partnering with whatever higher power we each believe in, coming together no matter our faith, our religion, our culture, our peoplehood, to bring peace and goodness into the world.
That’s why I’m proudly here as a new MHI patron. When my former Rabbi colleague left Ottawa and vacated his role as an MHI patron, I was approached about becoming a patron myself, to continue and grow the connection between KBI and MHI. To this, I proclaimed “Amen!” because I have faith in MHI. I believe in MHI.
As you know, MHI exists as a grassroots program to build affordable housing that helps fix Ottawa’s housing crisis and gets at-risk people into safe, secure, affordable homes. In its earlier years, MHI worked diligently with the greater Ottawa community to increase awareness of the crisis, and to set the groundwork of adding and improving government legislature that would pave the way for today’s work: building and housing our communities for the future. MHI operates three affordable housing sites in Ottawa: The Haven, Somerset Gardens, and Blake House; and two more projects are in the works: Dream LeBreton, and The Anchor.
Who does this work? In large part, MHI’s constituent communities do, each represented and led by its Patron. Patrons are here to support MHI’s goals; promote the organization within our faith community; share with MHI’s staff and board of directors important information and advice concerning our faith group; and speak publicly in support of MHI.
Recently, I delivered a sermon during a Sabbath-morning service (our largest weekly gathering). The weekly Torah (Bible) portion spoke to the moral imperative for every member of the Jewish People to give freewill donations for the community’s housing needs. I took the opportunity to relate the lesson back to MHI, and my hopes (no, expectations!) for my community’s support of the organization. I told my community how I wanted them to fulfill that ethical obligation:
“On May 26th, MHI will host its most important annual awareness-raiser and fundraiser, the Tulip-athon. Together with longtime MHI Board member and longtime KBI member Barbara Levine, and with Sasha Kathron, our Youth Director, I will shortly be launching the 2024, Team-KBI Tulipathon Fundraiser. Our Gesher and USY youth groups will soon meet several times to learn about the housing crisis, to hear from a teen whose family-life was improved immeasurably by gaining tenancy in an MHI property, and to prepare a teen-led fundraiser for MHI. I will take the opportunity now to encourage everyone to donate freely and generously when the kids reach out, to help build safe, affordable homes in Ottawa for those in need.”
As clergy at my synagogue, one of my most important responsibilities is to bring people together to work on making the world a better place. What more fitting opportunity I have than to warmly encourage you all to attend MHI’s Annual General Meeting, which will take place on Sunday, April 21st at the Ottawa Muslim Association.
It’s an honour to be counted among my esteemed colleagues and friends across our faiths as a Patron of MHI, and I look forward to continuing the good, important, and necessary work that we all do together.
Cantor Jason Green