Fonds consists of personal papers, correspondence, manuscripts of Rabbi Reuven Bulka relating to his rabbinical career as spiritual leader of Congregation Machzikei Hadas of Ottawa, and as one of Canada's leading authorities and spokesman for Orthodox Judaism in the Diaspora, 1991-2000.
The fonds also contains photographs relating to Rabbi Bulka's life and career, [ca. 1944]-2000; and posters and broadsides advertising theatrical events, lectures, fundraising, and recreational camps relating to the Canadian Jewish Community, 1986-2000.
Bulka, Reuven P., 1944-2021 : Rabbi Bulka was born in London, England, in June 1944. He and his family moved to New York where Rabbi Bulka began his educational career. He was ordained at the Rabbi Jacob Joseph Rabbinical Seminary and graduated from City University of New York in 1965. Rabbi Bulka served as Associate Rabbi at Congregation K'Hal Adas Yeshurn, Bronx, New York, 1965-1967 and has been Rabbi of Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa since 1967. As one of Canada's nationally-known Orthodox rabbis, he is an executive member of the Canadian Jewish Congress, National Religious Affairs Committee. He has been chairman of the Rabbinical Council of America, Family and Marriage Committee since 1976 and served as editor of its newsletter.
Rabbi Bulka is the author of numerous books, journal and newspaper articles on Jewish philosophy, psychology and the relationship between psychology and religion and psychology and Judaism. He received his M.A. in 1969 and Ph.D. in 1971 (Religion), from the University of Ottawa. His Ph.D. thesis concentrated on the psychological system of Viktor E. Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist who founded the school of existential psychotherapy known as logotherapy. In 1976, Rabbi Bulka founded the Centre for the Study of Psychology and Judaism and is founder-editor of the Journal of Psychology and Judaism.
