Quand je suis arrivée à Agence Ometz, j’étais enceinte pour la deuxième fois, et la cohabitation avec ma mère était devenue impossible. J’avais besoin de quelqu’un à qui parler. Il me fal...

Quand je suis arrivée à Agence Ometz, j’étais enceinte pour la deuxième fois, et la cohabitation avec ma mère était devenue impossible. J’avais besoin de quelqu’un à qui parler. Il me fallait aussi trouver une solution, parce que je n’avais, bien évidemment, pas prévu d’être une mère monoparentale! Ce sont des choses qui arrivent, mais aujourd’hui, je sais qu’être mère célibataire est ce qui m’est arrivé de mieux, car je suis devenue indépendante. Quand j’ai appris ma grossesse, j’ai fait une dépression et j’avais besoin de l’aide d’Agence Ometz. On m’a orientée vers un travailleur social. Dès lors, j’ai été suivie par un psychothérapeute qui m’a aidée à trouver des solutions et des ressources. Ensemble, nous avons mis en place des façons de ne pas dépenser mon argent pour des choses dont je n’avais pas besoin. Ils m’ont aussi mise en contact avec différentes organisations qui m’ont énormément aidée. En fait, j’avais simplement besoin d’être un peu guidée et d’une personne à qui parler. Aujourd’hui, je ne suis plus déprimée! À la seconde même où je me suis assise, le travailleur social m’a mise à l’aise et tout s’est mis en place très facilement. J’avais un peu honte de ce qui se passait. Ce n’est pas facile d’admettre qu’on a besoin d’aide, mais quand quelqu’un vous écoute et vous dit que oui, vous avez vraiment besoin d’aide, alors ça devient subitement très clair. Maintenant j’ai l’impression que, peut-être, je devrais toujours avoir Agence Ometz dans ma vie, ou en tout cas, ne pas m’en tenir trop éloignée. Ce n’est pas parce que je ne sais pas gérer mon argent, mais il est parfois difficile de résister aux tentations et, parfois, j’ai du mal à garder mon argent pour ce qui est important. Je vis une situation compliquée, mais m’adresser à Agence Ometz est la meilleure décision que j’ai prise et la meilleure chose qui me soit arrivée!

* L'auteur de ce témoignage a utilisé un pseudonyme pour protéger leur identité * hide

Nous avions été approchés par ProMontréal Entrepreneurs lors de la remise des prix du Concours Québécois en Entrepreneuriat. Nous étions alors à la recherche de financement afin de pouvoir ...

Nous avions été approchés par ProMontréal Entrepreneurs lors de la remise des prix du Concours Québécois en Entrepreneuriat. Nous étions alors à la recherche de financement afin de pouvoir nous développer, et le programme de financement des start-ups de ProMontréal Entrepreneurs de l’Agence Ometz nous a semblé très avantageux et prometteur. Depuis, le prêt, obtenu dans le cadre du fonds ProMontréal Entrepreneurs, nous a permis d’accroitre nos activités promotionnelles, d’accepter plus de projets de nos partenaires industriels et, ainsi, de doubler notre chiffre d’affaire en quelques mois. Au delà de l’aide financière, ProMontréal Entrepreneurs nous donne également accès à l’expertise de plusieurs professionnels dans des domaines primordiaux pour le développement d’affaire (Comptabilité, Marketing etc…), et peut également nous mettre en contact avec plusieurs partenaires et clients potentiels. Grâce à l’aide de Promontréal Entrepreneurs, nous sommes fiers de pouvoir contribuer à des projets de recherches pour le développement des médicaments potentiels pour le traitement de la leucémie ou encore de certaines maladies mentales via des collaborations avec nos partenaires industriels et universitaires. Pour finir, je dirai qu’il existe beaucoup de bourses pour le financement du démarrage d’entreprise mais une fois cette phase initiale passée, il est souvent trop tôt pour aller chercher des financements auprès de banques ou de capitaux de risques et je pense que ProMontreal Entrepreneurs peut avoir un rôle clé à jouer pour aider des entreprises en devenir à accélérer leur croissance. hide

Three years ago when my family and I arrived in Montreal from Israel, we heard of Ometz from our neighbors who suggested we look into their services. We then became clients of Ometz and attended very ...

Three years ago when my family and I arrived in Montreal from Israel, we heard of Ometz from our neighbors who suggested we look into their services. We then became clients of Ometz and attended very valuable information sessions, where we got information about schools and healthcare and many other things. At these information sessions we were given contact numbers for physicians, and I was able to find a family doctor.

We became clients of Yael Soussana, and everything that I needed I would go to her. Recently I was having some issues enrolling my twelve year-old son in extracurricular activities, and Yael helped us find him a mentor and a tutor. The first year we arrived here we also were involved in a summer camp with my eldest son. It was a very good program because it was both French and English. The French was especially useful since we are now living in Quebec.

Aside from the assistance with schools and healthcare, emotional support is important too. When you get to Yael’s office you know that every word you say is absorbed. The workers at Ometz pay very close attention to your needs, and your worries are never abandoned. Additionally, we were put in touch with Laura Guershanik, one of Ometz’s employment officers. To find one's first employment in a new country is a challenge and demands a lot of emotional effort. However, from our first phone conversation with Laura, when she said "We will find you a job", I felt uplifted by her positivity and resilience. Her never-judgmental position, holistic approach, and personalized attitude to her clients are self-evident and constitute her "know-how".

I think Ometz is essential for the community. We’re lucky that there are lot of agencies in Montreal but what makes Ometz special is the Jewish environment. We participate in Hannukah activities and get involved during the holidays. We don’t want to lose our roots and our ties to the Jewish community. The quality of Ometz services is also very important. The service is extremely client-oriented and everything is done really well. You can be open, you can rely on Ometz, and you can be sure that none of your worries will be lost. hide

I was familiar with Ometz and its services before, but when I needed to start looking for a new job, a friend encouraged me to contact Ometz.My counsellor was always accessible, and he was a great sou...

I was familiar with Ometz and its services before, but when I needed to start looking for a new job, a friend encouraged me to contact Ometz.

My counsellor was always accessible, and he was a great source of information. He guided me through my search, helped me prepare for interviews, and conducted regular follow-ups.

I was very pleased with my experience at Ometz. The positive support when things don’t come out as expected was really important to me.

I see Ometz playing the same role in the future as it is now: a resource for those in our community who need some extra help.

*The author of this testimonial is using a pseudonym to protect her privacy* hide

I first heard about Ometz a little over five years ago as I have several friends who work or have worked there. A close acquaintance of mine at Ometz brought a job position in HR to my attention, and ...

I first heard about Ometz a little over five years ago as I have several friends who work or have worked there. A close acquaintance of mine at Ometz brought a job position in HR to my attention, and I am now this company’s HR Director. Since then, I have recruited from Ometz and I have used their services for myself as well. I have been on both ends of Ometz services.

My job as human resources director requires me to hire entry-level personnel, and I have recruited candidates for positions in my company for the past five years as a HR Professional, and have always found excellent candidates from Ometz. I have attended their recruiting event that they have twice a year called Cocktails & Conversations, and I am always very impressed by the amount of effort that is put into the event and the interesting speakers they have. The candidates are very prepared when they go up to the podium to introduce themselves. They have a very short amount of time, just over one minute, to give a brief introduction about themselves and why they should be hired. It is always well done!

Ometz has a variety of great services. They can help out newcomers as well as local people find jobs. As the working world changes, I see Ometz developing more tailored services to better suit the market. I know they offer training and CV writing, and I know they have a lot of different services that people looking for jobs can take advantage of.

I really think Ometz is a great service to have. It helps out the Montreal community well, and I would love to see Ometz collaborating more with the community and the synagogues to further their outreach approach. hide

I heard about Ometz before we came to Canada from Israel by people who were already in Montreal. They said the first thing we should do is go to Ometz and see how they could help us. Ometz helped u...

I heard about Ometz before we came to Canada from Israel by people who were already in Montreal. They said the first thing we should do is go to Ometz and see how they could help us.

Ometz helped us a lot. They advised us about different questions we had, we attended info sessions, we met new people, made friends and found jobs. Going through the sessions helped make friends. We both participated in different workshops which helped us, especially with the job search. Just having somebody to turn to when you’re not sure about something is comforting when you come and you don’t know anybody. Even if you have friends they wouldn’t be able to answer all your questions all the time.

The fact that we’ve only been here for five months and we’re already working says a lot. When we first met with our case worker we came out with such a good feeling because she really gave us the feeling that she was going to help us, and it made us feel welcomed by the community.

I think Ometz is very important for the community and for myself as part of that community. I see myself in the future assisting others who might need my help. Even with this community being a big one, we can’t rely only on goodness and kindness alone. We need establishments like Ometz to make everything professional and easier. To have everything organized through Ometz makes a big difference. The people who work at Ometz work with their hearts and put a lot of effort in everything.

I really appreciate all the help that we’ve been given. We never thought we would get any help at all because it was our decision and our lives and we were prepared to go alone. Even though it’s a long journey there are really people who want to make us feel welcome and like we belong. hide

I originally emigrated from Russia to New York, but I moved to Montreal to marry my husband who had recently immigrated there, and we were resettled with the help of many Jewish agencies in Montreal. ...

I originally emigrated from Russia to New York, but I moved to Montreal to marry my husband who had recently immigrated there, and we were resettled with the help of many Jewish agencies in Montreal. In fact, our first car in Montreal was bought with a Hebrew Free Loan, and my husband’s first job as an engineer at McGill was found by Jewish Vocational Services. These agencies in Montreal helped us at a pivotal moment in our lives when we needed aid in the form of jobs and support. My husband would have never known about the job opening had JVS not helped him.

The interesting twist is that I now run a $33 million organization in Boston that provides similar services. At Jewish Family & Children's Service (JF&CS) of Greater Boston, our mission is to improve people’s lives and help vulnerable people. We believe that vulnerability can be described in many ways - financial crisis, a sick child, an aging parent, or a chronic illness. JF&CS of Greater Boston helps 17 000 clients every year. What’s important for agencies like us to remember is that crisis and vulnerability include a lot of conditions, and we need to be flexible enough to meet those needs.

One of my priorities is to help the most vulnerable, and at the same time, bring sustainability to our clients: from isolation to community, from crisis to stability, from dependency to independence. As we move into the 21st century, the most important goal of human services agencies in my mind is to help people who cannot help themselves.

I was helped at a crucial time in my life. Just the sense that there was someone taking care of us was crucial. As we talk to our clients, they have crucial moments and need someone to tip the scale in their favor, and I hope that agencies like JF&CS of Greater Boston and Ometz can be there to do just that.

The Jewish community in Boston is very charitable, generous, and forward thinking, and the Montreal Jewish community is just the same. We are helping Jews and non-Jews alike, and we see it as our responsibility to do just that. hide

My first contact with Ometz was during the first month of my immigration to Canada in November 2012. My friends spoke about this agency and I thought it was a very good idea for me and my husband beca...

My first contact with Ometz was during the first month of my immigration to Canada in November 2012. My friends spoke about this agency and I thought it was a very good idea for me and my husband because we needed some help to find jobs and other things that could help us integrate in Canada better. We arrived at Ometz and we spoke with some people who were able to help us.

Ometz helped me in a lot of ways. For example, I took some courses and workshops at Ometz for career training, and I learned how to write a CV and practiced interview skills. Ometz also gave me the opportunity to travel to Quebec City and everyone on the trip was so friendly. We also did a little trip to Montreal and found many new places, like a synagogue. We also had a lot of questions about where to learn or how to register for language courses. In the summer of 2013, I took an English course at Ometz at the intermediate level that lasted one month. After this, I began speaking with Laura.

I want to talk about Laura a little bit because she helped me find a job. She was patient and attentive to my issues. She gave me a lot of ideas about how to find a job in a successful way. We had been in touch by phone and email. Laura called me and she asked me “how are you?”, and questioned what my future plans were, and she was very friendly. After this I spoke with Laura in person and she learned about my work experience and she gave me some ideas on how to find a job in Montreal because it’s difficult with two languages and it’s important to speak both of them. She encouraged me to take courses at Ometz that helped me find a job.

I think Ometz is very important. When we arrived from Israel it was the first organization to help us because they have a lot of experience for adapting immigrants in Montreal and they understand our problems and background. Also, they spoke our languages: Hebrew and sometimes Russian. All my friends that arrived from Israel have a lot of communication with Ometz. I know many people that found jobs with the help of Ometz. hide

Après 20 ans de mariage, 4 enfants et une routine de vie bien installée, rien ne laissait présager que nous aurions un jour besoin que l’Agence Ometz vienne à notre secours. Bien loin de nous de...

Après 20 ans de mariage, 4 enfants et une routine de vie bien installée, rien ne laissait présager que nous aurions un jour besoin que l’Agence Ometz vienne à notre secours. Bien loin de nous de penser que les donations que nous faisions régulièrement aux divers organismes d’entraide à la famille juive n’étaient qu’un prêt et que bientôt nous en serions les bénéficiaires. C’est arrivé…du jour au lendemain… et sans avertissement la face de notre monde a changé. Le désespoir, la douleur, l’angoisse et personne vers qui se tourner, tout en même temps et même plus, un véritable tsunami. Et la honte. La honte, l’humiliation de devoir demander de l’aide…hors de question pour mon mari d’aller mendier, hors de question de montrer le visage de mes enfants, j’ai dû me résigner, pour la survie de ma famille, à pousser la porte de l’Agence Ometz. Les débuts de ma relation avec l'Agence restent confus dans ma mémoire, mon cerveau a sûrement choisi d’occulter certains souvenirs pour me permettre d’avancer…mais, ce que je n’oublierai jamais, ce sont la compassion, l’écoute, l’aide, l’efficacité et l’accompagnement. Et, avant tout, un visage, celui de Sandy. À coups de conseils, d’aide et de remontrances parfois, elle nous a guidés jusqu’à que nous puissions voir la lumière au bout du tunnel. Grâce aux différents services au sein d’une même agence, j’ai pu bénéficier de l’aide d’un psychologue, du service de placement qui m’a trouvé un emploi que j’occupe encore 8 ans plus tard, du service de gestion de ma paye et de bourses pour les camps d’été et l’école. Le chemin a été ardu, douloureux et incertain parfois, mais ceci est mon histoire, celle qui me fera toujours mal, mais que j’avais l’obligation morale de partager avec vous pour vous faire comprendre que l’Agence Ometz est un besoin vital pour notre communauté. Merci à l'Agence Ometz, merci Sandy et tous les autres, grâce à votre expertise et votre compassion vous avez su donner une fin heureuse à une histoire triste. Ma famille ne vous remerciera jamais assez. Avec notre gratitude éternelle La famille Abitbol * L'auteur de ce témoignage a utilisé un pseudonyme pour protéger leur identité * hide