I had heard about Ometz from a girl living in the same residence with me in my first year at McGill. She had originally wanted to get involved with the Ometz mentoring program, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me as well. I came in for a meeting with Janice Heft and loved her right off the bat. She kept me involved from the start.

I was involved in the mentoring program which meant being paired with a person one-on-one, meeting with them every two weeks, and providing general mentoring to them. The type of mentoring was based on the relationship you developed with your mentee and their individual needs. I was working with a young girl and we became friends right away. As it turned out, she just needed a female influence in her life.

I’m not from Montreal so I always go back home for the summers, and when I’m back home my mentoring partner and I stay in touch via phone or email. One of the best moments was when I came back to Montreal after a summer away. I saw her and we just ran to each other, so happy to see one another. It was great because it solidified the bond we had formed, and confirmed that our friendship wasn’t just one that was planned, or put together by Ometz. We genuinely really missed each other. After that session it put things into perspective about how much the mentorship program meant to her, and also how much it meant to me.

I think Ometz is an absolutely crucial component of the community because organizations like this see the big picture, and see that no one is slipping through the cracks. Without Ometz, a lot of young Jewish kids wouldn’t have the opportunity to reach their potential because they might be getting lost in other systems. It’s a great safety net within our community. Everyone using Ometz services is moving forward to achieve their full potential.