Our clergy

Bio coming soon!

Rabbi Finkelstein was the spiritual leader of Beit Tikvah of Ottawa (formerly Beth Shalom West) from August 1991 to November 2019.

Before coming to us, he served as Rabbi in Kingston, Ontario for 12 years. He is a musmach of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University, and has a Masters of Science in Secondary Jewish education from Yeshiva University as well as a Masters of Arts in Education from New York University.

He has a Principal’s Certificate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and is a licensed teacher and principal with the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York. Rabbi Finkelstein was the Dean of Judaic Studies at the Ottawa Jewish Community School from 2016 to 2019.

He was the Judaic Studies Principal at Yitzhak Rabin High School from 1995-2015. Now retired, the Rabbi and his wife Rivka hope to make aliyah soon.

Rabbi Howard Finkelstein and his wife have since moved to Harrisburg.

Chazzan Yair Subar has been the cantor at Beit Tikvah of Ottawa since June 2008.

Before joining CBTO, Chazzan Subar served at Beth Shalom in downtown Ottawa, and before that at Beit Tikvah of Montreal. He has also held cantorial positions with congregations in Israel, South Africa and Mexico City.

Chazzan Subar comes from a family of cantors. He studied at several yeshivot throughout Israel and received cantorial training under Dean Cantor S.Z. Rivlin. In addition to his cantorial work, he has managed orchestras and choirs, and been involved in many music related projects. He has received several prizes for his music work.

Chazzan Subar is a member of the Cantorial Council of America, the Council of Hazzanim of Greater Montreal, and the Council of Hazzanim of Ottawa.