The Rohr Chabad Student Network (CSN), directed by Rabbi Chaim and Yocheved Boyarsky – longtime shluchim who have led Chabad on Campus in Ottawa for years – celebrated a historic milestone this week with the grand opening of its new home: the Finkelstein Chabad Jewish Centre, serving students and the wider Jewish community at the University of Ottawa.

The new 6,000-square-foot, two-story building is located in the heart of downtown Ottawa, less than a mile from Parliament Hill. It houses a shul, dining hall, guest suites, and a commercial kitchen, with a mikvah soon to be added.

The center was generously donated by Harley and Lindsay Finkelstein. Harley, an alumnus of the University of Ottawa and president of Shopify – one of the world’s largest and most influential e-commerce platforms, powering millions of online stores across more than 175 countries and among Canada’s biggest tech companies – shares deep personal roots with the campus and its Chabad community.

Like many young people, Harley didn’t always feel a strong daily connection to Jewish life. That changed when he arrived at the University of Ottawa and met the Boyarskys, who welcomed him into their Chabad house, where he experienced authentic Jewish warmth, learning, and community for the first time in his adult life – giving him a sense of identity, purpose, and belonging that stayed with him long after graduation.

At the time, the Chabad house operated out of the Boyarsky family’s living room, and Harley quipped that one day he’d help purchase a building for Chabad on campus.

“The comment I made to Rabbi Chaim was really a throwaway comment; it was so funny to see students all over his house,” Harley recalled.

Years later, that moment came full circle. Harley and his wife, Lindsay, decided to give back in a tangible way – donating a new building to house Chabad at the University of Ottawa. The new Finkelstein Chabad Jewish Centre stands as both a personal tribute and a legacy gift to the community that helped shape him. “I never imagined in a million years that I would be doing this.”

Harley said the centre represents more than a building; it’s a space for Jewish students to find what he found years ago – a home away from home, a sense of pride in their identity, and a connection to something timeless.

The event drew an enthusiastic crowd of students, alumni, community members, and distinguished guests. Among them was Prime Minister Mark Carney, who addressed the gathering and highlighted the vital role Chabad plays in fostering Jewish life and community among university students across Canada.

Also in attendance were Rabbi Avi Weinstein, Chief Operating Officer of Chabad on Campus International, and Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302, who delivered inspiring addresses on the growth of Jewish life on campuses worldwide and praised Rabbi Boyarsky’s dedication and impact over the years.

“I’ve done a lot of great things, but the Finkelstein Chabad Center is the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done. My wife and I met at a Chabad event in Ottawa, and I want more of that to happen. I want there to be a hundred more of these centers with other people’s names.”