Youth Programs

We offer a variety of youth programs at Temple Israel. Children not from Temple Israel families are welcome to join any of the programs.

Junior Youth Group

JYG offers the opportunity for our youth to connect. To register for programs or to get more information, please contact Jennifer (Jenny) Burns.

Eve Haras

Youth Group Leader

Eve Haras is passionate about tikkun olam and Jewish education. She teaches the grade 3/4 class at temple and enjoys working with this age group as a former unit head and counsellor at URJ Camp George. She has been going to URJ Camp George for 14 summers. Eve enjoys using hands-on education through arts & crafts, lego, play-doh, and anything else that may cause a mess. She is currently obtaining her Masters of Social Work from Carleton University and hopes to continue working with youth as a social worker. Eve is thrilled to work with the Junior youth group and continue to spark more opportunities to learn through various activities, crafts, and programs. Throughout all of her Jewish education opportunities, she is sure to connect how tikkun olam can be applied throughout. 

Ranit Braun

Senior Youth Group (FROSTY)

FROSTYFROSTY is the Federation of Reform Ottawa Senior Temple Youth, a dynamic group of Jewish Youth in Ottawa affiliated with Temple Israel and the Reform Movement. FROSTY organizes and runs a variety of awesome social, religious and educational programs and activities. Our goal is to inspire you to be involved and make a contribution to the community while having fun with friends at the same time.

FROSTY welcomes people of all levels of religious observance. You don’t need to be a member of Temple Israel or have any prior Jewish experience to enjoy a great time at our programs. While some of our programming includes religious content the theme is always inclusive and dynamic.

Join FROSTY, under Senior Youth advisor, Rabbi Dara Lithwick and get in on the fun! Dara’s official title will be FROSTY Youth Advisor and Outreach. Stay tuned for new FROSTY events coming soon!

Nathan Vinokur

Sr Youth FROSTY Advisor

Nathan Vinokur is looking forward to helping with the Senior Youth Group this year! Nathan is new to Ottawa and is currently studying finance at Carleton University. Nathan grew up in Toronto surrounded by Reform Judaism at Temple Emanuel, where he attended Sunday School and had his Bar Mitzvah, and at URJ Camp George, where Nathan is looking forward to returning as third year staff for summer 2024. During his High School years at Temple Emanuel, Nathan served on the youth group board, and attended numerous NFTY events from Grade 8 through Grade 12. Nathan recently embarked on the experience of a lifetime by spending a semester of school in Israel. He toured the entire country, gained extensive knowledge of Israeli/Jewish history, and got to experience the culture there for 4 months. Throughout the Jewish aspects of Nathan’s life, including his semester in Israel, he has developed a profound appreciation for community, tikkun olam (repairing the world), and our interconnectedness through Torah, our ancestral homeland, and our traditions as people – three essential aspects of Judaism. Nathan is excited to help Temple Israel’s teens continue to build a special community through learning, leadership and events!

nathan-SYG

Rabbi Dara Lithwick

Sr Youth FROSTY Advisor

Rabbi Dara Lithwick is passionate about all things Jewish – the religion, the culture, and the people. At Temple she is thrilled to be working with teens, as our youth are our future. In the summers Rabbi Dara serves as faculty at URJ Camp George, with a focus on Tikkun Olam (camp is the best!).  On that, Rabbi Dara is also the lead of the Reform Jewish Community of Canada’s national Tikkun Olam/ social justice team. Rabbi Lithwick serves on the board of, and is a frequent contributor to, Bayit: Building Jewish, building a dynamic Jewish future.

A lawyer by day, Rabbi Dara and her partner love chasing their two children and bichon frise Zoe around Ottawa, and in the summer you can often find her swimming in a lake, while in the winter she’ll be snowboarding or snowshoeing.

Rabbi Dara Lithwick, FROSTY advisor

A member organization of the NFTY NEL

FROSTY is also a member organization of the NFTY (The Reform Jewish Youth Movement) NEL National Federation of Temple Youth – North East Lakes Region. In addition to our local programs, we get together throughout the year to enjoy regional programs together with other youth groups in Ontario and the Northeastern United States.

NFTY-NEL brings together Reform Jewish Teens from Northern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Western and Upstate New York, and the province of Ontario (except for Windsor).

Our members come together at many times during the year for learning, fun, worship, community service, and fellowship to help young Jewish adults throughout the region build and strengthen lifetime ties with each other and Reform Judaism.

Youth Programs