Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Ottawa and how large is the Jewish community?
Ottawa is home to approximately one million people. The Ottawa Jewish community is around 14,000-15,000 people, making it Canada’s fourth largest Jewish community, behind Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
How far is Ottawa from other major cities and Jewish communities?
Ottawa is 4 hours by car from Toronto, 2 hours by car from Montreal, and 7-8 hours by car from New York City.
I see a lot of pictures of young couples and families on this website. I am single and looking for a new community – could Ottawa still be for me?
Ottawa has a vibrant community of single young adults who come here for university, residency, or job opportunities.
If you are someone who likes getting involved – there are many opportunities to allow you to connect to like minded people, volunteer, and impact the community. Check out CJX, Emerging Gen, Machzikei Young Professionals, Chabad on Campus, and Chabad Young Professionals as a few places with a young adult focus.
Ottawa also offers a vibrant Jewish community for mature adults and retirees, with AJA 50+ programming and wide menu of programs offered at all the synagogue communities.
What are the housing prices like in Ottawa?
Ottawa real estate is less expensive than most major Canadian cities. A newer condo will run you $275-$500, whereas a townhouse or semi-detached home will be in the range of $375-$650k. Detached homes in the Jewish neighbourhoods sell for $575k-$1.2m, depending on the size and condition of the home. The average price of a detached home in April 2021 was $743,204.
Rental units depend heavily on the neighbourhood and the amenities included, but range from $1750-$2800/month for a two bedroom condo unit, to 2500-$3300/month for a 3 bedroom detached home. Check out current listings in each of the Jewish neighbourhoods by visiting our Neighbourhoods page.
* amounts are in CAD
Do you need to be able to speak French to get a job in Ottawa?
French is considered an asset in this bilingual city, but it is more central to some fields than others.
Fields such as health care, technology, law and business, offer employment in both English and French, and qualified individuals speaking either language will be able to find positions.
Government positions will often specify “bilingual preferred,” so a bilingual candidate will be shown preference over a non bilingual candidate, and management levels of government do require bilingual status (for more information on bilingual positions in the Federal public service click here).
The working language of the Jewish community of Ottawa is English, which is to say that even though many members of the community are bilingual or Francophone, the communication from Jewish schools, synagogues and Jewish agencies will almost always be in English.
Is Ottawa really cold and snowy? What do you do in the winter?
Ottawa has the reputation of being a “Winter City” and for good reason! Snow is typically here from late November to March. January and February nighttime temperatures can dip down to -10 to -20 degrees Celsius but daytime temperatures of 0 to -10 degrees gives lots of opportunity to enjoy outdoor winter activities. From skiing and skating to tobogganing and snowboarding, there are so many ways to have fun outside! Snow piles still getting you down? Here in Ottawa we don’t just plow the snow – we remove it! The City of Ottawa snow removal service periodically vacuums up and removes snow piles from the road sides, to keep traffic and people moving to where they need to go. So while winter can be long and snowy, Ottawa knows how to have a good time in the cold!