Elizabeth Bolton
Rabbi Liz Bolton is the most inspirational and beloved rabbi I have ever met. In the three years since she arrived in Ottawa, she has transformed our congregation, grown relationships both to the entire Jewish community and with a broad array of other faiths and sparked a new enthusiasm for both Judaism and social justice in our city. Rabbi Liz shines with creativity, delight and wisdom. She serves joyfully as both our rabbi and cantor (having been a professional opera singer and choir leader in her past life). As Ottawa’s first woman and lesbian rabbi and as a member of T’ruah, she brings a fresh spirit to all our Jewish congregations and to interfaith relations. She has spearheaded a range of social justice initiatives: sponsoring a Syrian refugee, promoting social housing and gently opening discussion about Israel-Palestine. In just her first two years here, she introduced exciting innovations such as a Jewish meditation and yoga group. She turns every moment into a participatory teaching opportunity. Taking her classes has transformed my understanding and appreciation of Judaism. She challenges and inspires us to take on new challenges; in my case, to read Torah, to create a stained glass ner tamid, and to study to create a chevra kadisha.
— Diana Ralph
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.
If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.
Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
