TELL April-May 2019

Freedom to
be a Jew
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
Freedom
Nisan-Iyyar 5779
April-May 2019
No More
Right & Left?
Dudu Gottlib
Creating a singing
community
Cantor George Mordecai
Speak up in the face
of injustice
Donna Jacob-Sife

\
present
The Lost Journals of
Dr Andor Kämpfner
Shortly after his liberation from Buchenwald in
April 1945, Dr Andor Kämpfner began writing
an extraordinary document; his journals. His
recollections began on the day the Germans
occupied Hungary and brilliantly recount his
thoughts and experiences in the final year of the
Holocaust.
These documents have never been published, until
now. For the first time it has been translated into
English and, for one night only, extracts will be
presented as a dramatic reading.
After the presentation Dr Kämpfner’s wife will
share her recollections and Professor Konrad
Kwiet, Resident Historian at the Sydney Jewish
Museum will outline the significance of
Dr Kämpfner’s writings.
Don’t miss this special event.
Members: free (donations welcome), Non-members $25
Sunday April 7th from 5:00pm-6:30pm
Emanuel Synagogue, 7 Ocean Street, Woollahra
Book now: tinyurl/lostjournals or (02) 9389 6444

YOUR QUARTERLY JOURNAL ON SPIRITUALITY, LEARNING & COMMUNITY
Emanuel Synagogue offers a home where you can live your Judaism in a contemporary
world, drawing on our ancient teachings and traditions. We are a pluralistic community
offering a choice of services, programs and activities for the Masorti, Progressive and Renewal
movements. We do this with contemporary understanding to create a dynamic and diverse
community, welcoming you and your involvement.
PROGRESSIVE
The structure of our Progressive
services allows you to choose
the type of prayer that is
most meaningful for you.
You may choose from alternate
readings in English, you may read
the Hebrew prayer (available in
both Hebrew script, and in English
transliteration), or you may choose to
take a moment of personal reflection.
Our Friday night “Shabbat
Live” service is a moving,
innovative service where prayer
is enhanced with musical
instruments, beautiful melodies,
creative readings and stories.
Shabbat Live is held at
6:15pm every Friday.
The Progressive Shabbat Service begins
at 10am each Saturday morning.
MASORTI
Our Masorti (traditional) services
are run almost entirely in Hebrew,
honouring the tradition with
contemporary insights.
As with all services at Emanuel
Synagogue, men and women
participate equally and fully.
The Friday night Carlebach service
is a traditional Kabbalat Shabbat
service, featuring the well-known
melodies of Shlomo Carlebach.
The Carlebach service is held
at 6.15pm every Friday.
Our Masorti Shabbat Service begins
at 9am on Saturday mornings.
We also hold a Masorti Minyan
at 6:45am on Monday and
Thursday mornings.
RENEWAL
The Renewal movement is devoted to
personal and spiritual development,
reinvigorating modern Judaism with
Kabbalistic and musical practices.
Through our Renewal activities
you will have the opportunity to
reach a new level of awareness,
stress relief, self-development,
relaxation and inner healing.
Email: orna@emanuel.org.au
Awakening to Freedom
26th April, 6:15pm
Renewal Friday Night -
Pesach Service & Dinner
Join us for an evening of song
and learning as we explore
the meaning of freedom.
with Cantor George Mordecai and
Rabbi Dr. Orna Triguboff plus special
guests Kim Cunio and Samurai Cunio.
A light dinner will be served. Cost: $20
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
Cantor George Mordecai

{CEO UPDATE}
Once upon a time there was a
castle in the middle of a “Forest of
No Return”. This castle was very
special. It was built on the largest
grounds in the forest, and the entry
was a majestic, beautiful garden
full of blooming flowers and sweet
Suzanna Helia
perfumed roses all year long. As you
entered this magnificent space, you
stepped into a true fairy tale of magic,
tradition, spirituality and culture.
On the castle grounds there were
multiple buildings. The south
wing had a new colossal Ballroom
with red carpet, which was filled
with light, comfortable chairs
and a space to hold concerts,
receptions and grandiose dining.
In the centre of the castle estate
was the Heritage Hermitage room,
that was much more traditional
and filled with precious memories
of the community. It was especially
important because it was huge, so
it accommodated the thousands
of people who came every year
for two to three days for a special
occasion. Most importantly though,
this space was so full of potential
(more improvements to come!!!)
Then there were other cottages and
spaces, and even a mini-castle for all
the children to play with dolls and
cars, read, make-believe and sleep.
This space had large rooms, and was
always filled with joy and laughter,
and the gobbledegook of baby’s talk.
More than 3500 munchkins called
the castle their home. However, when
they came, some would merely smile
at strangers, sit in their seats and keep
to themselves. There were munchkins
who didn’t really know each other.
When they attended one of the
services or events they often didn’t
know the person who was sitting next
to them. They would come to the
majestic grounds, stand around or sit
in their seats, but would be reticent
to say ‘hello’ or introduce themselves
to someone they didn’t know.
Oh, and inviting someone who
you sat next to at the service for
several hours for dinner or a drink
{INSIDE THIS EDITION}
TRANSFORMATIVE
LEARNING
7
FINDING TRUE FREEDOM
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
14
CHOOSE FREEDOM
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
INSPIRING PRAYER
6
FREEDOM TO BE A JEW
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
16
CREATING A SINGING COMMUNITY
Cantor George Mordecai
22
A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE
FESTIVALS
Cover
Marc Chagall - Crossing the Red Sea
37
PESACH AT EMANUEL

afterwards at your house – too scary!
(And yes, we all find it daunting
to ask to join a conversation with
someone you don’t know.)
There was this unspoken rule - keep
on doing what you have been doing
for years and then you won’t get
disappointed; things will be as they
always were. It was uncomplicated,
and you knew the outcome.
As would be obvious by now, the
castle in our story represents our
Synagogue and the munchkins
are us, the congregation. This
story has an important message
for our community; we all have
a vital role to play in creating the
welcoming community we wish for.
A few years back when I was
in Los Angeles, I met Dr Ron
Wolfson, author of many books on
relational Judaism. He is convinced
that Jewish organisations and
Jewish life is about truly building
communities that are engaged
and relational. He writes, “I wish
Jewish life were like Apple, a totally
integrated closed system. Success
is not butts on seats, not more
programs, and not more one offs”.
He suggests that the community is
best placed to take charge. It is up to
the community to get to know each
other - to introduce yourself and say
hello to someone you don’t know.
I tend to leave religion to the rabbis
and be the CEO. I generally don’t
get involved with ‘how, when,
how much, or why’ to pray at
what service, and yet, I feel there is
something I want to change in the
way we conduct ourselves here at
Emanuel. I do care about creating
a truly vibrant community that
makes one feel like they belong.
For years our rabbis have had a
vision, to have a strong vibrant
community beyond High Holy
Day and membership dues. “I pay
you dues, you give me a rabbi on
call”, or “a Bar Mitzvah for my child
and a HHD ticket”. Or conversely,
“You pay me membership, and we
will give you access to the campus
and a few cultural programs.”
We have been working on creating a
level of engagement that is relational,
beyond servicing immediate needs.
While flipping through pages
of John Wood’s book “Creating
Room To Read” I was struck by
the similarity of the text to passages
from the Torah. This is an inspiring
story of a man who moved from
a lucrative career in Silicon Valley,
to founding ‘Room to Read’,
a non-profit organisation that
promotes literacy and education
continued on page 10
SUSTAINING THE
ENVIRONMENT &
HEALING THE WORLD
4
SPEAK UP IN THE FACE
OF INJUSTICE
Donna Jacobs Sife
20
FACING INDEFINITE DETENTION
AS A STATELESS REFUGEE
Shira Sebban
26
JOINING THE 'B AND B HIGHWAY'
Judy Kahn Friedlander
31
IN CONVERSATION
WITH THOMAS MAYOR
CONNECTING WITH ISRAEL
& WORLD JEWRY
11
NO MORE RIGHT OR LEFT?
Dudu Gottlib
24
JEREMY SPINAK - A TRIBUTE
25
LET MY PEOPLE GO
B. Karet
29
NETZER'S AMAZING
SUMMER CAMP
COMMUNITY
4
CEO UPDATE
28
AROUND EMANUEL
31
BUILDING A CONNECTION
33
NEW MEMBERS
34
TZEDAKAH
38
MAZAL TOV
39
PESACH PUZZLE PAGE
Anne Wolfson
5

{FREEDOM TO BE A JEW}
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins OAM
Freedom for the Jews has led to a
transformation of Judaism. One
question in front of us in the 21st
century is how we can live a vibrant
and meaningful Judaism as we
embrace our freedom as Jews.
To understand the complexity of the
problem, we need to go back in time,
when we became free – not from
the slavery of Pharaoh’s Egypt over
3,000 years ago, but the oppressive
forces of European Christendom
that had created antisemitism and
perpetrated vast suffering for Jews.
In 1806, the council of Jewish
notables gathered by Napoleon
answered pointed questions about
their observance of Judaism and
their loyalty to the French Republic,
recently born with the cry of
“liberté, égalité, fraternité” – liberty,
equality and fraternity. The leading
Jews of the time – the council
was comprised of the wealthy and
powerful as well as distinguished
rabbis– confirmed to Napoleon that
the freed Jews of France would have
primary loyalty to the Republic.
So began the Emancipation of the
Jews, an historical event whose
repercussions are felt to this day.
For 1800 years since Roman
dominion had been exerted over
the Kingdom of Judah, culminating
in the destruction of the Second
Temple in 70 CE, Jews had not
known true freedom. Jews, scattered
in exile from east to west, north to
south, suffered under the whims
of both Christian and Islamic rule.
At the end of the 18th century,
empires began to crumble and new
civil societies formed, where there
was a separation of secular and
religious power, as in the Republic
of France and the United States of
America. Over the 19th centuries,
new states came into existence that
granted equal rights (more or less) to
their citizens, regardless of religious
persuasion. Thus, Jews began to see
themselves less as a people, a nation,
and more and more as adherents
to a religion known as Judaism.
At the same time, freedom of body
led to freedom of mind; the early
19th century also known as the time
of the Enlightenment, championing
the studies of history and science.
Modernity confronted scripture,
and the prescient insights of the
17th century philosopher Baruch
Spinoza moved from the margins to
the mainstream, as more and more
people understood that scripture
was not the literal word of God, but
rather the “conversation” between
people and God. Not only was
Judaism morphing from the way
of life of the Jews to a religion, but
this religion was now fracturing
between those who held that the
Torah was the exact, literal word of
God, who separated into the varieties
of orthodoxy (including haredi,
hasidic and modern), and those
who taught the Torah is a human
document (from the progressives and
liberals to the “positive-historical”
conservatives). Freedom for Jews,
physical and intellectual, led to a
total transformation of Judaism.
Napoleon grants freedom to the Jews, 1806, artist unknown
Most Jews simply assume that the
way it is now is the way it always has
been. But this brief overview hints at
the depths of understanding that can
derive from an historical overview of
Judaism itself – from the time of the
patriarchs, through Moses and the
prophets, kingdoms and Temples,
exile and dispersion. The birth of
the State of Israel adds another
layer of complexity and meaning
to our story. While Jews have
maintained a values-based narrative
for thousands of years, Judaism is
something that has transformed
with us. The 21st century is no
different. It is incumbent upon
6

us to use our freedom to learn to
understand who we are and can be
as a people. Now, with the rise of
fundamentalism around the world,
including among Jews, the privilege
of learning becomes an imperative
so that we can embrace our power
to create the future of our people.
At Emanuel Synagogue, and in
pluralist communities around
the world, we use our freedom to
empower and include others in
our unfolding story. We know we
stand authentically in the chain of
tradition, in the transmission of our
deepest held values and practices.
Yes, freedom gives us the ability to
walk away from our heritage, our
culture, our traditions, our values
and our way of life, to leave it all
behind and become like everyone
else. But freedom also gives us the
opportunity to know that as human
beings we have the opportunity to
live a fully conscious life, enhanced
and guided by that very heritage
and its visionary way of life. I look
forward to walking this latter path
with you at Emanuel Synagogue.
{FINDING TRUE FREEDOM}
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
Every year as we approach Pesach
we begin to speak about freedom.
Ask any child in the preschool
what Pesach celebrates and
they will answer, “that we were
slaves and then we were free”.
Look at any of the myriad of
haggadot, and they all emphasise
freedom - its importance and its
significance. In fact, the one we
use at my house is called “Feast
of Freedom.” Yet while we speak
about freedom, as I scrub and
clean and think about all the
rules and regulations, I wonder
about the nature of this freedom
we are celebrating. Seneca, the
first century Roman philosopher
wrote: “Show me a person who
is not a slave. One is enslaved to
passions, a second to profit and
a third to status and everyone to
fear.” Seneca, in the first century
wrote something which is still true
today. For all our talk of freedom,
we are possibly still enslaved in the
same way as our ancient brethren.
How many of us are truly free?
How many of us feel trapped
within the bondage of others, the
oppression of our work, driven
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
to move ahead, to be
better, to be more, to
have more; we are on
a treadmill - and it is
so hard to get off! Even
though we are not
enslaved as our ancestors
were, thank God, we are all slaves
in one form or another. So, is
Pesach really to celebrate our
liberation from such bondage? Is
Pesach about personal freedom,
releasing ourselves from those ties?
and if so, why so many rules and
regulations? Why celebrate when it
seems we are not really free at all?
I read an incredible lecture presented
by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in which
he offers an insight into how the
Torah and then Jewish tradition
views the notion of freedom. He
begins by looking at the language
we use. When we speak of freedom
in the Haggadah, or even the name
for Pesach, z’man cheruteinu, the
time of our freedom, the word
used is from the root chaf reish taf,
cherut. We talk in the haggadah
of “me-avdut le-cheirut,” “from
slavery to freedom.” But the word
cheirut does not appear in the Torah
at all. When the Torah speaks of
freedom it uses the word chofesh/
chofshi, which is the Modern
Hebrew word for holiday. In the
Torah, it is not referring to a nice
long weekend break, or a two-week
7

cruise, instead it is referencing the
‘state of being’ of a slave once they
have been freed - they were a slave,
and then chofshi, freedom. So why
then in the haggadah and in our
discussions about Pesach, do we use
the word cheirut instead of chofesh?
Rabbi Sacks suggests our texts are
speaking about two very different
kinds of freedom. He begins with
chofeshi, the freedom used in the
Torah, i.e. the freedom which
follows slavery. This freedom he
suggests, has no strings attached.
It is a pure kind of freedom which
removes the person from any kind
of obligation, any form of laws
or requirements. It is a personal
freedom to act, behave, come, go,
be and do anything the person
desires or imagines. So the sense of
freedom is personal and it imposes
nothing upon us. Rabbi Sacks
then suggests that this kind of
freedom is wonderful for individual
people, but apply it to a society,
and it will result in chaos. So,
freedom for a people is different
from individual freedom, and it
therefore needed a different word.
When the first Jews left Egypt, they
were free in a chofesh, unlimited
individual way; they had thrown
off the yoke of slavery, and they
walked through the parted waters
to a life of liberty. But there was
more to come. The Israelites as
a community, were not freed in
order to do as they pleased. If
they were, the community would
have descended quite quickly into
chaos. Instead they were released
in order to follow God, to accept
upon themselves God’s laws and
regulations. Their freedom came
with conditions. That is why
Shavuot, the next festival in the
Jewish calendar, does not have its
own date; it is linked to the Exodus.
The date of Shavuot is 49 days from
Pesach. So, as we count from Pesach
towards Shavuot, we are counting
the days until we receive the Torah
at Mount Sinai; because freedom
and laws, freedom and obligation
are, according to the Torah,
inextricably linked, one cannot
exist without the other. Yet, even at
this point the Torah does not refer
to the Israelites as having freedom
cherut, instead it still speaks of
chofshi. So, when and why did it
change and what is the difference?
Rabbi Sacks goes on to explain
that there is one use of the root
word cherut in the Torah, and
that is in connection with the ten
commandments when it refers to
engraving, etching them in stone.
Later, by the prophet Isaiah, there
is a reference to engraving the
commandments on the hearts of
the people. And it is this root, the
word meaning engrave, which
is the one used eventually to
describe the Israelites’ freedom.
So, what does that tell us?
Like the link with Shavuot, it
tells us that the freedom of which
the Pesach story speaks is not an
unlimited, open freedom - it has
constraints and boundaries. The
Israelites accepted those boundaries
when they received the laws at Sinai
and said, “na’aseh ve nishma”- we
will do them and we will hear them.
They accepted upon themselves
the laws, and the limits to their
freedom. But there was a problem
because their acceptance was not
wholehearted; the laws and their
willingness to submit to them, was
not engraved on their hearts. It was
what they had to do, it was the right
thing to do. Maybe as a sense of
gratitude to God, i.e. You took us
out of Egypt so the least we can do
is accept your rules. Or maybe from
a sense of fear. The midrash says that
God held Mount Sinai over their
heads and said, “will you accept my
8

laws?”- the implication being, “you
will accept my laws, or I will drop
this mountain on you!” Not much
freedom in that decision! And an
acceptance of laws when there is
guilt, obligation or fear motivating
it, is doomed to fail. We saw what
happened. The Israelites time and
again, disobeyed God, and God’s
laws. Over and over they do not
follow the rules they appeared to so
willingly accept. And that, Rabbi
Sacks argues, is because they did
not accept them in true freedom.
That only happened later, when the
rules were engraved on their hearts.
The freedom of which the
haggadah speaks, cherut, is what
comes when our freedom is used
to accept laws and rules, engrave
them and etch them within, so
that they are a part of us, a part of
who we are. When we internalize
the limits alongside the freedom,
then we have cherut. And we
come to the place of cherut by
understanding our journey, seeing
and acknowledging the degradation
and hardship of slavery, the pain
and suffering, the bitterness and
the tears at the beginning of the
seder. But we do not end the story
there, we continue to the place
where we bring within us the joys
of freedom and the knowledge
that we had the power to choose
and we chose to be obligated.
And freedom is hard work. It is
not easy to be in that place; we
have to work to protect it and be
at one with it, to make our peace.
Recently I read a commentary
by my good friend Rabbi Brian
Zachary Mayer in his podcast
“Religion Outside the Box”.
He was discussing the notion of
obligation and how we speak about
the things we “have to” do. He
was in a meeting with his publicist
and she was telling him all about
the data from his website, what
articles people liked, and suggested
that if he wanted more people to
be attracted to his articles, to read
and respond, he should work in
a certain direction. He started to
become angry about having to
do that. He felt that he should
not be driven by data. It should
not rule who he was and what he
portrayed through his column;
he was not going to be controlled
and have his freedom curtailed.
Then he remembered a lesson he
taught to his maths class. (Brian
taught maths as well as doing
many other things.) One day, he
set them a challenge. For that day,
every time they were about to say
“I have to…” do something, they
were to replace it with “I get to….”
Now I would probably say, “I have
the opportunity to ….”, but you
understand the message. He tried
it with his own dilemma. Instead
of saying, “I have to analyse the
data, I have to change the way I
do things in response,” he said,
“I get to analyse the data, I get
to change the way I do things in
response.” He turned the obligation
into opportunity, “I have to” into
“I have the chance to…” and that
is freedom. Imagine at Pesach,
instead of saying “I have to eat
matzah” we change that to “I have
the chance to eat matzah”, and
not, “I have to sit through the
seder”, but “I have the opportunity
to sit through the seder.” When
we do this with our own lives,
we turn slavery into freedom,
we engrave it upon our hearts.
The Israelites did not have to accept
the laws, they had the incredible
opportunity to accept the laws, the
privilege of being in a place where
they could curtail their hofesh,
their absolute freedom, in order
to have cherut, a deeper, more
lasting freedom. A freedom infused
with meaning because it was a
choice - it was an opportunity, it
was the ability to make a choice,
to decide for themselves, to be.
Every day we too have the blessing
and opportunity to embrace cherut,
a freedom of choice, a freedom to
work and a freedom to rest, the
chance to become all that we are
going to be and engrave the laws,
teachings, and blessings of Judaism
on our hearts. Every day we have
the hofesh to do what we want, to
walk away from Judaism, to leave
behind our traditions to separate
from community, to let it all go.
Sometimes that seems easier, it can
be hard to be part of Jewish life, to
accept its restrictions, to deal with
the annoyances and frustrations
of community. To see all the “I
have to’s” and all the “you have
to’s” and the “you can’ts” and leave
it all behind. But when we do
that, we also lose the richness and
beauty, the blessings that Judaism
can bring. So, instead of seeing
“have to’s” and “musts”, we choose
to see opportunities, chances,
and abilities to have moments of
incredible blessing, and to engrave
them on our hearts - then we will
find cherut, true freedom.
9

CEO Report - continued
as a means of eradicating poverty
across the developing world.
In his book, Wood speaks about
the numerous failed attempts of the
World Bank, National Geographic
and others, to improve literacy in
developing countries. He highlights
that success doesn’t come from one
drop of good-will in well-intentioned
projects. The ‘high’ of a successful
event or successful completion
of a project, and the good feeling
of the photo opportunity are not
good enough to create a sustainable
change. What makes the difference
is the ownership of the community.
After the last HHD I went to
New York and visited the Central
Synagogue. Although I arrived on
my own, I left with two invitations
to connect while I was there, enjoyed
a lovely conversation over Kiddush
with a number of locals, and was
offered three business cards.
I would like to think that kind of
welcome extends to strangers in our
synagogue. Our rabbis encourage
conversation between members, and
yet, once the service is over, do we
search out those we may not know,
do we look for ways to include others
in our lives or, do we all quietly
leave by ourselves? As one membermunchkin
described, “I came; I
had a conversation about smoked
salmon with someone whose name
I don’t know, and then I left.”
So what shall we all do?
A call to action:
Now that we have all this beautiful
space, garden and unique campus, it
is up to each of us, when we come to
the synagogue to introduce ourselves
to our neighbour and find out who
else is in our community. Be present
and interested. Maybe we will find
our next friend for life, a neighbour
who knows our cousin or a first
cousin of our aunt - I don’t know. I
am not promising that we will find
husbands or wives, but I do know
that a community is very important,
and a sense of belonging is what
we humans need and long for.
John Wood has identified – success
of an initiative was achieved
only when the community took
ownership. Communities don’t
get built by themselves, they get
built by us, the individuals.
In the meantime, our rabbis and
office are going to help out a little.
We will coordinate volunteering
activities for ushers, to welcome
visitors and members to the services,
introduce people to each other
and perhaps providing some useful
information about our synagogue.
Ushers will explain to people
which service is where, and make
people feel like they are coming to
their ‘castle’ - to their home. Every
Shabbat service we would like to
have people who make each one of
us feel like we belong. Perhaps you
might want to join this first cohort
of ushers? We invite each and every
one of you to leave the fear behind
and introduce yourselves; accept an
invitation to Shabbat dinner or even
an event. Really participate in the
life of the congregation, in making
new relationships and building this
community together! The more you
come, the more you get to know,
the more you will belong.
Expecting a baby?
Jewnatal is a program for those expecting
a baby in their lives, whether through birth
or adoption, and whether the 1st or 5th!
The concept is to foster/build relationships with
people going through the same life stage that
will carry forward after the class has concluded.
Dates for 2nd cycle 2019
Oct 27, Nov 17, Dec 1, Dec 15
Contact the office for details.
10

{NO MORE RIGHT AND LEFT?}
Dudu Gottlib
On the 9th of April 2019, Israel
will elect its 21st Knesset. This
is one of Israel’s most interesting
election campaigns. I often hear
political commentators say, “It’s
no longer a left or right electionit’s
a Jewish or Zionist election”.
If you hear a little bit about the
political parties’ statements and
actions the difference is quite
obvious - the discussion is no longer
about the two states solution, or
socialism vs capitalism as it used to
be. The parties don’t even bother
to speak about their “other side”
counterparts. The right parties
are arguing between themselves
about which party is the most
Jewish-centric party, while the
left-centre parties are arguing
between themselves about which
party is the most Zionist party:
The Jewish-right camp is speaking
about ethno-religious perception
of Israel while the Left-Zionist
camp is speaking about Nationalcivilian
perception of Israel.
The left agenda wants to
accommodate not only Israel’s
Jewish civilians but its non-Jewish
civilians as well, and to pull Israel
back to its previous “welfare
state”- echoing the 2011 Israeli
social justice protest slogans.
The Jewish-right agenda sees Israel
as first and foremost a Jewish state,
and a state that is for the Jewish
people - both on a national level
but also on a religious level.
Netanyahu, as Israel’s PM,
understands that his greatest
competition isn’t the left camp- but
rather the religious parties- and
you can hear him saying phrases
such as “I’m not only the Prime
Minister of Israel- but the Prime
Minister of the Jewish people”.
He’s basically saying, “if you want
a Jewish Israel- vote Likud”.
The Likud was never a party
interested in religion. On the
contrary- as liberals, the Likud
values are based on a strict ‘the less
intervention from the state in a
person’s life the better’ approach.
But that all changed in the
early 2000s. In the early
2000s, Israel’s religious
parties changed their
approach to politics. In
the past they supported
whoever won the majority
of votes in the elections,
knowing they would
be needed to form a
coalition and a working
government. They were
content with receiving budgets in
return for their support. In the past
two decades the religious parties
developed their own ideologies,
and visions for Israel - not only
for religious Jews, but for nonreligious
Jews, non-Jewish citizens
ISRAEL
Left, Benny Gantz, center, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, Yair Lapid
11

etc., and have placed themselves
politically to the right of the Likud.
And what happened in the left?
– It is becoming “Centre”.
The term “Centre-Left” is being used
in every election covered since 2013. It
was used to describe Yesh Atid in the
2013, then again in 2015 describing
Yesh Atid, but also the Labor party
and Kulanu. And now it describes
about five parties. And I really
wonder what does centre mean? If we
look at the new combined list running
for the Knesset (and latest polls
anticipating they’ll get the majority
of votes) - “Kachol Lavan”, a joint
list combining “Chosen L’Israel”,
Gantz’s party, Telem, Ashkenazi’s party
and “Yesh Atid” led by Lapid, It is
very clear that this is a left party that
doesn’t want to be affiliated with the
classic left party in Israel (Avoda). This
is not due to an ideological gap, but
more for PR reasons. If you look at
the policies espoused by Gantz when
he was the Joint Chief of Staff, and
the policies of Yesh Atid when they
spearheaded the Health, Education
and Treasury ministries, it's very
clear where they stand and it’s very
much to the left. The definition of
“centre” is purely hoping that right
and left voters will be convinced to
vote for them. And the latest polls
suggest this stunt is actually working.
On the one hand we have the right
parties who it seems are steering
further to the right, and competing
about who’ll make Israel more
Jewish and more religious, and on
the other hand we have the left
parties that are masking themselves
as “centre”, hoping to attract more
and more voters under the slogan
“no more right, no more left”.
But I think they got it right (pun
intended) on one thing- the elections
are no longer about right or left- at
least not in the ideological sense.
Like many other countries, Israel’s
political campaign is about the
“people” running for office - the
leaders of parties have become the
political equivalent of celebrities.
It’s no longer about what they say
and whether they mean it or notit's
about the fact that they said
something. And more importantlytweeted
it, posted it and tagged
whoever they wanted to react to that.
So, on the 9th April 2019, Israel
won’t be voting “left or right”,
it will be voting for the most
popular leader or leaders.
MASORTI MINYAN
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
6:45AM
12

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Phone (02) 9389 3499
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Contemporary Choices.

{CHOOSE FREEDOM}
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
One of the greatest benefits of
being on a plane is that you’re
uncontactable. No-one can get
hold of you, you’re free to watch
some tv or a recent movie release
or perhaps a classic. Maybe you
like spending some time listening
to music or reading a book. And
even though you’re in a somewhat
confined space, you are generally
free to “roam about the cabin” - just
remember to fasten your seatbelt
when you’re back in your seat. This
is your time to do what you want
to do-your time to make your own
decisions without something or
someone telling you what to do.
Then, in 2008, commercial flights
started offering in-flight wifi on
domestic flights in the USA and in
some other parts of the world, and
the short-haul or domestic flight
slowly became yet another place
you could carry on with work or
engage in other critical activities,
such as Facebook or Twitter.
I remember discovering this
innovative feature in late 2011, and
I will admit to using it on a couple
of occasions, especially when I had
several flights or connections on the
same day. The ability to get work
done, answer a few e-mails, perhaps
do some internet banking, a bit
of online shopping, message a few
friends and catch up on the news, is
a very good use of time, especially
all the way up there in the sky.
However, there went my time alone;
my time of uncontactable peace.
I had to waiver this time alone and
justify that when you take into
account the amount of time you’ll
be saving when you get to your
destination, whether it be home, a
hotel, a conference or a meeting,
you appreciate the convenience
even more, perhaps because of the
time you get back, perhaps because
you used the time productively,
14
perhaps both. I acknowledge this
is certainly useful on short-haul or
domestic flights, especially when
you are travelling for work.
However, I have a problem with the
idea of wifi when it comes to longhaul
flights. For me, the long-haul
flight is one of the last bastions of
separation from the rest of the world.
Unless you’re flying with a seriously
low-cost airline, there is plenty to
watch and listen to, and of course
you can get really stuck into a good
book, or perhaps even get some shuteye
(acknowledging that sleeping
on a plane is a varied experience).
Recently, on a trip back from
the USA, during the regular
announcements after take-off, the
cabin manager mentioned that
the aircraft we were travelling on
had onboard wifi, and that we
could find instructions on how to
connect on the screen in front of
us. My plans to catch up on some
sleep and to watch at least two
of the movies that I never had a
chance to catch at the cinemas, were
overtaken by the urge to connect
to the world out there. Despite
the temptation, I left well alone.
Why are we compelled to further
submit ourselves to work and
whatever is happening in the world,
as though our lives wouldn’t have
any meaning if we didn’t? Why
can’t we bring ourselves to use the
best excuse available for not being
contactable, and allow ourselves
some (relative) peace and quiet?
This year, our journey as parents
entered a whole new chapter
- that’s the beauty of children,
especially those in their teenage
years. Rachel turned 16 in January,
and she passed (as was expected)
her driver knowledge test - she
is officially a learner driver. All
the parents who have been in
our position are either laughing
as they read this, or alternatively,
this has reawakened some testing
memories. This of course has
meant that we are no longer serving
only as taxi drivers/shleppers, but
also driving supervisors. For all
those not in the know, this role
has a number of responsibilities

attached to it that make it different
from simply being a passenger.
One of the rules as a supervisor is
that you cannot touch your mobile
phone, just as the driver cannot.
You have to act in the same manner
as if you were the learner driver,
not a passenger. So, as soon as the
session begins, the phone goes into
a pocket or the cubby hole, and
being the conscientious person that
she is, Rachel even activates “do not
disturb” on her phone. For the length
of the drive, you are uncontactable,
allowing you to focus all your
attention on the tasks at hand.
Our natural instincts are to see this
as an unnecessary restriction, an
impediment. We are so obsessed with
what we believe our rights are, that
we cannot see the rationale behind
this curtailment. By not having the
distraction of the phone ringing and
beeping and making all sorts of other
noises, we can focus on helping the
student in their quest to become a
better driver, by learning from our
years of experience in the driver’s
seat. In effect, we have been given a
freedom from our “captor”, which
has allowed us to take on other
tasks with a different perspective
and a renewed sense of how we
can apply ourselves in a different
situation. We find that we have
released ourselves from that which
constrained us, and suddenly we
are free to do so many other things,
because we’re not distracted by (in
this case) the phone. We can direct
our attention to where it is needed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not having
a go at the poor mobile phone.
I’m not saying it has taken control
of our lives (even though there’s a
strong argument in support of that
theory). What I am saying is that we
don’t allow ourselves to be removed
from the madness and interference.
We don’t have the discipline to
ignore the distraction, so it’s only
when we’re forced to ignore it or
leave it alone, that we do so.
On a plane, especially on those
long-haul flights, we can’t use our
phones as we normally would,
so it’s almost as if we’re forced to
allow ourselves freedom from that
constraint. We occupy ourselves
with other activities like reading
or catching up on the latest visual
or audio offerings. Similarly, when
driving (or supervising a learner
driver), we accept that our focus
has to be on the road and what’s
happening around us. Once
again, we are almost forced into
acknowledging that there is a choice.
Of course, the world we live in
is changing all the time, and
we become more reliant on
technology each time there’s a new
development. We cannot, nor
should we, ignore progress in the
hope that we can allow ourselves
the freedom that we don’t demand,
but that allows us to take a break
from what has become routine.
In both examples I’ve given, we’re
forced into allowing ourselves that
freedom. Are we, therefore, incapable
of taking that leap ourselves? Do we
lack the discipline to proactively give
ourselves an alternative even when
we don’t need to? Optimistically,
I’d say that we are both capable of
taking the leap, as well proactively
giving ourselves an alternative. We
don’t throw a temper tantrum (well
most of us don’t!) when the cabin
manager or one of the stewards tells
us to switch off our phones or put
them in “airplane mode”. Therefore,
we are able to take that break, we
can accept that we need to take
that break. What most of us lack
is not necessarily the discipline to
do so, but perhaps the capability
to allow ourselves that choice.
It’s not just about wifi on planes,
or using your phone in
the car. It’s about the
many situations we find
ourselves in without the
apparent motivation to do
things differently, to give
ourselves the ability to
choose our opportunities
for freedom, and to
do so when we feel we
need to. We are quite
capable of taking steps
to control many other
aspects of our life, so what is it
that’s missing from this equation?
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARING
Just as in many other aspects of
our life, we’ll look back one day
and reflect on the opportunities
we had, and the decisions we
made. Inevitably there will be
some regrets about the decisions
we made. There will also be regrets
about decisions we didn’t make
and chances we didn’t take. We’ll
reminisce about what could have
been, if only we’d given ourselves the
opportunity to make choices that
were better for us, although they
may not have been as convenient.
We’ve all heard the saying; “Today
is the first day of the rest of your
life”. The question is, what are we
going to do about it? Let’s find
the strength and perhaps even
the audacity to make this day, the
day we start exercising our rights
and choose freedom. Freedom
to do what’s best for us, freedom
to say no or to say yes, freedom
to not be afraid of looking out
for number one. Freedom to
actually switch off from the rest
of the world - give it a try!
15

{CREATING A SINGING COMMUNITY}
By Cantor George Mordecai
A few years ago, I had the
good fortune to encounter Joey
Weisenberg. He is a musician
and composer of Jewish music
who spends almost every Shabbat
in a different congregation
teaching people how to truly
build a singing community.
We were both presenting at a
liturgical workshop and co-led
a Kabbalat Shabbat service at a
Masorti convention in Chicago.
I had heard about Joey and read
his book, “Building Singing
Communities,” but apart from
a few you tube clips of him
leading his singing workshops,
I did not have an opportunity
to experience him in action.
Joey’s teaching and music
has inspired so many people
throughout synagogues and havura
communities in the United States
and beyond. He is not afraid to
speak to the issues that inhibit
communities from realising their
musical and spiritual potential.
To build a true singing community
takes a lot of work. This is not just
the result of an in-built tendency
most of us have to resist that
which is not familiar. It is because
the melodies we have been raised
with at synagogue have heart-felt
resonances that vibrate at the core
of our innermost being. These
emotions are very deep. Despite
this however, if we don’t challenge
ourselves to embrace new and
innovative approaches to music
in sacred spaces, we will fail to
grow and evolve as a community.
Creating a singing community in
synagogue space requires attention
to many different details. Aside
from uplifting melodies, how we
arrange space, bringing people
closer together during davening
contributes to the ruach of a service.
At the convention after Friday
night dinner, we all moved to an
adjacent room in the social hall. The
chairs were arranged in concentric
circles and we were all encouraged
to sit close together. This simple
yet important move created the
conditions for an intimacy rarely
experienced in synagogues. We
could all hear each other singing
and it increased the ruach and
participation in the room.
This kind of intimacy is crucial
to creating the conditions for a
true spiritual experience. We sang
together, each of us in our own
special way adding our unique
voices to the collective sound that
ascended and took us to a deep
place, a place that we could not
have reached on our own or even
by putting our trust in a Cantor or
Rabbi to “deliver the goods” for us.
Many of the participants that night
were transformed by the experience.
As a Cantor and musician, I am
passionately devoted to music as
an art form but I have always felt
that music is a vehicle, a means to
an end, not an end in itself. It is a
powerful way to connect with the
divine life force that flows through
us and all creation. When we pray
together like we did that Friday
evening at the convention with
Joey, we were doing more than just
singing together, we were creating a
place for the divine to dwell among
us and recognising the divine in each
and everyone us who was present.
The Emanuel community is truly
blessed to have so many members
who care deeply about Judaism and
our synagogue. We are a committed
and diverse community and the
directions we take now at this crucial
juncture will have a lasting effect
for generations to come. In order
to journey down the path which
will ensure that our community
grows and remains strong, we
are going to need to experiment
with different approaches to
music, space, education and
communal organisation.
Let us embrace the future with
excitement and enthusiasm in the
knowledge that our community
will continue to grow and thrive
because we are a loving, caring place
that is not afraid to experiment
with and embrace change.
Ilan Kidron with Cantor George Mordecai
16

ChristieLaw
For all your general law needs.
Specialising in wills & estate planning.
First consultation free, discount
for Shul members.
Primary School Open Day
Discover why Emanuel School is small enough
to know your child and big enough to make a difference
Meet our staff, take a tour, visit classes and enjoy displays
Wednesday 27 March 2019
9.30 am - 11.00 am
Emanuel School, 20 Stanley Street, Randwick
Bookings can be made at www.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/visit
For further information contact Gail MacKenzie on 8383 7333
or enrolments@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au
Suite 902, Level 9, 84 Pitt Street,
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9232 2264
Fax: 02 9232 2643
Mob: 0413 049 050
rick@christielaw.com.au
www.christielaw.com.au
Emanuel School is a member of
the JCA Family of Organisations
A 10-day tour of Israel with
a focus on Jewish
Spirituality.
We explore
ancient sites, learn
with the best
kabbalah teachers
in the world
and experience
authentic inspiring
tikun olam
projects, getting
to know the
people involved.
CONNECTION WITH ISRAEL &
WORLD JEWRY
KABBALAH TOUR
OF ISRAEL
OCTOBER 20-30, 2019
LED BY RABBI DR. ORNA
TRIGUBOFF WITH
ISRAELI MUSICIANS,
TEACHERS AND ARTISTS.
For more information,
please email
orna@emanuel.org.au
17

{SPEAK UP IN THE FACE OF INJUSTICE}
Donna Jacobs Sife
Of the many and various ideas that arise from the festival of Pesach, I find one
particularly compelling. The sages tell us that the syllables of the word Pesach each
represent a word in their own right: "Pe" means "mouth" and "sach" means "speaks".
When I was 12, I became a ‘selective
mute’. I stopped talking for several
months. And now, when asked how
I became a storyteller, this image of
a mute young girl comes to mind.
Perhaps I became a storyteller so
that my words would be heard. And
I suspect also that my penchant
for social justice and speaking up
also has roots in that young girl.
However, the imperative to speak
up in the face of injustice also has
its roots in Judaism. The midwives
Puah and Shifra spoke up when
they refused to follow the orders
of the Pharaoh and chose to save
a little baby boy. The Pharaoh’s
daughter spoke up when she saw
that little baby floating down the
river in a basket. Moses stood
before the Pharaoh and spoke up in
the name of his enslaved brethren.
We are a People today, because
others chose to speak and not
remain silent in the face of injustice.
It is in our origins, in our genesis.
Dissent gave birth to us as a nation.
Think of Abraham, when faced
with the injustice as he saw it
of the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah by God. Even
to the highest authority,
Abraham was not deterred.
“Will You sweep away the innocent
along with the guilty? What if there
should be fifty innocent within the
city; will You then wipe out the
place and not forgive it for the sake
of the innocent fifty who are in it?”
Abraham points out that there
are innocent people living in
Sodom and Gomorrah who do
not deserve punishment. He
begins bartering with God, asking
how many innocent people there
would have to be for the cities to
be spared. He ultimately bargains
18
down to 10 innocent people
before the episode concludes.
As Abraham says,
“Far be it from You to do such a
thing, to bring death upon the
innocent as well as the guilty,
so that innocent and guilty fare
alike. Far be it from You! Shall
not the Judge of all the earth
deal justly?” (Genesis 18:25).
Elie Wiesel
We know that Sodom and
Gomorrah were not spared. But we
also know by Abraham’s example, in
the words of the Pirkei Avot: You do
not have to complete the task, but
neither are you free to desist from it.
Of course, there are many in this
troubled world who are silenced,
because to speak up is a dangerous
thing. To be silenced is to be
controlled, oppressed, subdued. We
know that in countries governed
by despotic dictators, any hint of
rebellion could be punishable by
death. In 2015, the Australian
parliament passed a law concerning
workers and medical officers at
the detention centres. It became a
criminal offense for them to reveal
to outsiders what is happening to
asylum seekers, with a potential
penalty of job loss and two years
in prison. When refugees speak
of their experience in public,
they do so understanding that
it could very likely adversely
affect their immigration status.
In Australia, for the most part,
we are free. We can express our
concerns, our criticisms, our
protests, without fear of retribution.
And yet, because this freedom is a
given, we tend to take it for granted,
and forget how lucky and privileged
we are to live in such a country.
And consequently, we do not use
that privilege in the way that our
ancestors have modelled to us. We
forget that freedom and speaking
up, pe-sach – are indelibly linked.
Elie Wiesel in his acceptance
speech for his Nobel Peace
prize in 1986 put it this way:
I swore never to be silent whenever
and wherever human beings endure
suffering and humiliation. We must
always take sides. Neutrality helps
the oppressor, never the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor,
never the tormented. Sometimes
we must interfere. When human
lives are endangered, when human
dignity is in jeopardy, national
borders and sensitivities become
irrelevant. Wherever men or women
are persecuted because of their
race, religion, or political views,
that place must – at that moment –
become the center of the universe.
This Pesach, I hope to continue to
speak up in the face of injustice,
and to remember that I am one
of the privileged few in this
world who is free to do so.
Tzdek Tzedek tirtof – Justice,
Justice You shall Pursue.

Shabbat
in the Circle
One Saturday each month from 9:30am
Join us for this new Shabbat
morning gathering.
We begin at 9:30am with the study of
Hassidic and other mystical texts then discuss
how we can apply them in our daily lives.
This is followed at 10:15am by a collaborative
musical gathering based on the Shabbat
morning service incorporating melodies,
poems and dance to enhance our Shabbath.
Contact gmordecai@emanuel.org.au
See: emanuel.org.au/shabbatcircle
Awakening
to Freedom
Renewal Friday Night
Pesach Service & Dinner
26th April, 6:15pm
Join us for an evening of song and
learning as we explore the meaning of
freedom.
with Cantor George Mordecai and Rabbi
Dr. Orna Triguboff plus special guests
Kim Cunio and Samurai Cunio.
A light dinner will be served.
Cost: $20
HEARTS
ON FIRE
Lag B’Omer
Wednesday 22 May, 7pm
Songs, teachings and meditations on
the Omer and Jewish mystical tradition.
with Cantor George Mordecai,
Rabbi Dr. Orna Triguboff and
guest musician.
Free of charge
19

{FACING INDEFINITE DETENTION
AS A STATELESS REFUGEE}
Shira Sebban
On 13 February 2019, I joined fellow volunteer refugee advocates at the High
Court in Canberra in support of an allegedly stateless asylum seeker, who
was attempting to challenge Australia’s system of indefinite detention.
Known as “plaintiff M47”, the
man, who has been held in onshore
immigration detention for over
nine years, was represented by
renowned Melbourne QC Ron
Merkel and Alison Battisson
of Human Rights for All.
The case was dismissed: After
questioning his credibility
and discussing the mystery
surrounding his identity, the
Court unanimously found that
such a challenge “did not arise”.
Nevertheless, not only does our
government mandatorily detain all
non-citizens without a valid visa – a
policy adopted under Paul Keating
in 1992 as an essential component
of strong border control – but
it may also detain non-citizens
indefinitely, despite the fact that
they have not committed a crime.
“We didn’t win and we didn’t
lose – we drew,” Battisson said.
“This means that we can keep
fighting for M47, if he wants, and
there is space for other detainees
to bring similar challenges to
their lengthy detention. [This
case] showed us just how high
the bar is set to win freedom.
Unfortunately, nine years on its
own is apparently not enough.”
Each week, I visit asylum seekers
and refugees in Villawood
Detention Immigration Centre, as
a member of Supporting Asylum
Seekers Sydney (SASS), cofounded
six years ago by Emanuel
Synagogue member Anna Buch.
Among those we visit is stateless
refugee Ahmad Shalikhan, 21, who
has been detained since arriving
as a child in 2013. He too now
faces indefinite detention, after the
government took more than two
years to reject his visa application.
Despite facing no criminal charges,
Shalikhan has been refused by
Immigration Minister David
Coleman, due to a risk he would
“engage in criminal conduct in
Australia”, thus deeming him to
have failed the character test as
defined under the Migration Act.
His legal team is appealing
the decision. “It is
unacceptable that
someone who arrived as
a child, and has various
cognitive difficulties,
should be subjected to
detention for this long,
and that the government
could consider indefinite
detention for him,”
Battisson said.
In a statement dated 3
January 2019, Coleman
wrote: “In light of
the serious nature of
the potential harm, I
have found that Mr
Shalikhan represents
an unacceptable risk
to individuals in the
Australian community”.
This outweighed
other considerations
including “Australia’s
international nonrefoulement
obligations,
the prospects of
indefinite detention
of Mr Shalikhan and
its possible effect on
his mental health, and
the impact of a refusal
decision on his family”.
Ahmad Shalikhan
A Faili Kurd, who fled Iran by boat
with his mother at the age of 16,
Shalikhan has been in detention
since arriving on Christmas Island
in August 2013. Suffering from
a developmental disorder and
mental health issues exacerbated
by his father’s death in Iran, he
has in the past attempted suicide
and displayed volatile behaviour.
The Faili Kurds have long been
persecuted in Iran as an ethnic
minority. Both Shalikhan’s mother
20

and older brother have been
recognised as refugees by Australia,
his mother granted a five-year visa
in 2016, while his brother, who fled
earlier, has permanent protection.
Shalikhan too was able to prove a
well-founded fear of persecution
in Iran, Australia recognising him
as a refugee in 2016. This means
Australia is legally obliged to
protect him and cannot forcibly
return him to a place of harm.
In 2014, however, as a 17-yearold
minor, he was charged with
two counts of assaulting a public
officer. The offences were resolved
by the Western Australian children’s
court, which issued him a caution
and noted “all criminal matters
are finalised”. While no formal
punishment was ordered, the
incident continues to haunt him, the
Minister taking it into consideration
“on the basis that his violent conduct
… has been proven in court”.
Moved to detention centres around
Australia, his education and social
development were disrupted. Having
only completed Year 10, he has not
been allowed access to education
since turning 18 – despite repeated
requests – and has languished in
Villawood since mid-2016.
People with disabilities are
particularly vulnerable in detention,
Battisson said. “Although no one
should be administratively detained
for seeking asylum, it is particularly
unsuitable, and cannot be made
suitable, for those with disabilities.”
Shalikhan has accepted his earlier
behavioural issues. “I don’t want to
be an old man still in detention …
I have said things whilst here but
this was all due to the frustration
of being in detention. I wouldn’t
do any of the things talked about
… I want to live in Australia. I will
not be a threat to the Australian
community. I am a good person.”
Last year, Battisson submitted a
complaint on his behalf to the
UN Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention (WGAD). In December
2018, it released its opinion,
determining the Australian
government was in breach of five
articles of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and four articles
of the International Covenant
of Civil and Political Rights. It
recommended he be immediately
released and accorded an enforceable
right to compensation. It also
called for an investigation into
the circumstances surrounding
his deprivation of liberty and
for appropriate measures to be
taken against those responsible
for violating his rights.
In its third report on his
incarceration, tabled in October
2017, the Commonwealth
Ombudsman noted “psychiatrists
have continuously advised that as a
young and vulnerable person, [his]
ongoing detention is detrimental to
his mental health and recommended
… he be released … with mental
health support and enrolment
in an educational course”.
While the Minister accepted that
should he be released, Shalikhan
would have the support of his
family and the NSW Health
Refugee Service, the government
maintains this is still outweighed
by the risk he “would engage in
criminal conduct in Australia”.
However, while most
criminals serve a fixed
term, when even
murderers sentenced to
life imprisonment are
often eventually released,
our government is
seemingly still prepared
to condemn stateless
refugees to indefinite
detention.
SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT
& HEALING THE WORLD
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO
HELP ASYLUM SEEKERS
AND REFUGEES?
Support Emanuel Synagogue's
work for refugees, email
socialjustice@emanuel.org.au
For more information about
Supporting Asylum Seekers
Sydney (SASS) please see https://
sydneyasylumseekersupporters.
wordpress.com All welcome! Those
interested in visiting Villawood
Immigration Detention Centre
please contact Anna Buch:
anna-buch@outlook.com
Many organisations supporting
asylum seekers and refugees have
volunteer programs, including
Settlement Services International
(SSI): https://www.ssi.org.au/
support-ssi/volunteer; Asylum
Seekers Centre Newtown:
https://asylumseekerscentre.
org.au and Australian Refugee
Volunteers: https://www.
arvolunteers.org/volunteer
Other ideas include:
• Visit refugee-run restaurant,
Four Brave Women, in Summer
Hill and Parliament on King
Cafe in Newtown, which also
offers social enterprise catering;
• Buy fashion through The
Social Outfit, which provides
employment and training
to people from refugee and
new migrant communities;
• Donate musical instruments
to community group
Music for Refugees;
• Host dinner for refugees
in your home via The
Welcome Dinner Project;
• Volunteer to teach English
to Sudanese refugees: see
http://www.sailprogram.org.
au/site/join/volunteer/;
• Join an organised "walk
and talk" with refugees in
different areas of Sydney
via One Step Walks: https://
www.onestepwalks.org
21

{A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE FESTIVALS
OF PESACH AND SHAVUOT}
49 Day Challenge – a Guide for 2019
Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff
WHAT IS THE OMER?
For thousands of years counting
the 49 days from the second day of
Pesach to Shavuot with a blessing
has been practised. Why? It’s a
commandment that comes from
the Torah – Leviticus 23:15 “You
shall count…from the day that
you brought the omer as a wave
offering…” What is an omer? It’s a
measure of about 1.5 kg. In temple
times, the Israelites brought an omer
of barley as an afternoon sacrifice on
the second day of Pesach and after
that counted 49 days with a blessing
till Shavuot – a time of harvest.
This is the agricultural aspect of the
festival, literally a period of ripening
of produce and symbolically it
points to a ripening of the psyche.
THE JOURNEY FROM SLAVERY TO
FREEDOM
The Omer begins with a celebration
of the exodus from slavery, on Pesach,
it then continues with a countdown
for 49 days – as a journey of self
reflection - till the 50th day, Shavuot
, the festival marking the receiving
of Torah on Mt. Sinai. On the level
of the psycho-spiritual, this can be
seen as a 7 week opportunity for
self-development. Since each festival
in Judaism has its own flavour, we
can make use of this unique period
to achieve our goals of living a good
life and the aspiration for constant
improvement. It is a journey towards
freedom, and for each person there is
a unique meaning to this. It may be
used as a period to move from being
boxed in by habits that don't serve
you well, to a more healthy life-style.
THE OMER –
A DAILY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
In the 16th century in the city of
Tsfat, in the Galilee, the Omer
period was given a new dimension
of religious/spiritual practice. Each
day of the Omer was seen as being
connected to a different aspect
of a person’s character. And each
day of the Omer was seen as an
opportunity for self-improvement.
According to this Kabbalistic
practice, each week is dedicated to
a particular attribute: compassion,
strength, love, endurance,
humility, bonding, leadership. The
22

names for the seven attributes are
derived from a verse in the Tanach
and each one describes an aspect of
the personality that can be improved
and refined during the Omer.
These attributes are connected to the
holy spark within each person. With
each week it is hoped that there is
a level of self-refinement that will
allow us to “receiving the Torah” on
Shavuot in a new way each year.
In the following few paragraphs
there are some suggestions for daily
awareness practices for the Omer.
Of course there are plenty of other
ideas that will be sparked by these. As
each person is unique, their journey
through the Omer is unique.
CHESED – COMPASSION AND
LOVING KINDNESS
Week 1 of the Omer begins
the eve of the 20th of April
During this week one can reflect on
the aspect of compassion in one’s
life. During the day there is an
invitation to notice when you feel
compassion, when people act with
kindness towards you, in which
situations it is harder for you to feel
compassion…are there times of the
day when compassion is easier to feel?
Symbols connected to the
aspect of chesed are:
The colour white, the angel
Michael, the qualities of: opening,
giving, generosity and empathy.
GEVURAH –
STRENGTH AND JUSTICE
Week 2 of the Omer – begins
the eve of the 27th of April
Each quality is more than just
one word. Some associations
traditionally given to Gevurah are:
the colour red, the angel Gavriel,
the qualities of: strength, courage,
restraint, discernment, boundary
setting and a sense of social justice.
During this week one could notice
when issues concerning boundaries
arise. Also you could notice situations
when courage and strength are
needed and how you react to
those situations. In the spirit of
Gevurah you might decide to tidy
a messy drawer during this week!
TIFERET – BEAUTY AND LOVE
Week 3 of the Omer – begins
the eve of the 4th of May
Symbols associated with Tiferet
are the colour green, the symbol of
the Star of David, the angel Uriel,
the qualities of beauty, love, openheartedness.
Tiferet is a balance
of Chesed and Gevurah so it is
connected to the ability to balance
giving and receiving in one’s life.
During this week you might choose
to notice the flow of giving and
receiving that takes place on many
levels with each activity to do.
NETSACH – ENDURANCE
Week 4 of the Omer – begins
the eve of the 11th of May
The qualities connected to Netsach
are the ability to persevere, optimism
and ambition. During this week
one might sit down and write
one’s ambitions – short term, mid
term and long term. This is an
exercise that helps see one’s life in
perspective. You might explore
which things in your life enhance
your vitality and which drain you.
Notice each time you feel optimistic
and be aware of how it feel as well
as what you are optimistic about.
HOD – HUMILITY AND
SPLENDOUR
Week 5 of the Omer
– begins the eve of
the 18th of May
The quality of Hod
is often connected to
Aharon the High Priest.
It is the part of each
person that is able to set
the Ego aside and feel
humility and connection.
This quality is also connected to
sacrifice. During this week you
might choose to notice when you do
things for others – a sacrifice of sorts.
During the week notice when you
are humble and when you are not.
YESOD – FOUNDATION AND
BONDING
Week 6 of the Omer – begins
the eve of the 25th of May
Yesod has many associations – it
literally means foundation, thus
it is a good time to look at one’s
foundations in one’s life. It is a good
time to ask oneself what are the
things that are REALLY important
to me? What are my core values, my
foundation? Yesod is also the quality
of bonding and thus it is a week of
noticing our connection with others
– with family, friends, work associates
Conversations about Israel
Every Monday, join Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
or guest speakers to examine the complex
issues facing contemporary Israel.
Monday mornings from 10:00-11:30
PRAYER
23

and community. As you go through
the week, notice your connections
with different people and groups.
What does each connection give
you and what do you give?
MALCHUT – LEADERSHIP
Week 7 of the Omer – begins
the eve of the 1st of June
The last week of the Omer is
dedicated to the quality of Malchutkingdom
or leadership. It is a week
of exploring your role as a leader
and how you relate to authority in
your life in the various situations
you come to. As your week unfolds
notice which situations call on
your leadership skills and how you
react. This quality is also called
Shekhinah – divine presence and
so it is a week during which you
are invited to notice holiness in
yourself and in your environment.
JOURNALLING AND MEDITATION
Besides using the Omer as an
opportunity for daily awareness
practice one might choose to
journal one’s experience each day
before saying the blessing for the
next day of the Omer. Sitting in
quiet meditation as part of the
Omer practice is also beneficial.
Please email the synagogue
if you would like to join our
free weekly email that guides
you through the Omer.
Wishing you a meaningful
period of joyous practice.
JEREMY SPINAK - A TRIBUTE
Jeremy Spinak was one of the most
influential and highly respected
communal leaders in Sydney, but
last November at the age of 36 he
succumbed to a rare form of cancer.
The immediate past president
of the NSW Jewish Board of
Deputies (JBOD), was remembered
in emotional speeches at his
funeral and a memorial service
at Emanuel Synagogue.
“Today we honour a beautiful,
unique and much-appreciated young
man of untold value, an excellent
unselfish man devoted to Australia,
community and family,” Rabbi
Jeffrey Kamins told more than
1000 people at Spinak’s funeral.
“Today we honour a beautiful,
unique and much appreciated
young man of untold value, an
excellent unselfish man devoted to
Australia, community and family.
“Jeremy’s light does shine on,
through each of us blessed to
know him, and into the future.”
In a rare show of respect, Spinak’s
death was announced at a NSW
Cabinet meeting, and the NSW
Labor caucus stopped for a minute
of silence for him, an honour
usually reserved only for deceased
members of Parliament.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian
said he was “an outstanding
community advocate and an amazing
human being”, and NSW Deputy
Opposition Leader in the NSW
Legislative Council noted that “a dark
cloud of sadness” spread through
the corridors of NSW Parliament.
The Executive Council of Australian
Jewry said in a statement that
Spinak had excellent judgement
and a compassionate, Jewish heart.
“In all his communal work he was a
conciliator, a healer and a unifier.”
JBOD president Lesli Berger
and CEO Vic Alhadeff said in
a statement that Spinak was a
much-loved and greatly respected
leader of the community.
“His contribution to enhanced
political bipartisanship, a nuanced
approach to advocacy and
engagement with all sectors within
the Jewish community were features
of his presidency,” they said.
Spinak’s wife Rhiannon delivered an
emotional tribute at the minyan.
“We had six wonderful years together
– not nearly long enough,” she said.
“He gave me the experience of
being completely understood,
supported and utterly loved and
I’ll carry that with me always.
“He also gave me the gift of
our beautiful one-year-old
twins, Michael and Grace.”
Describing Spinak as his “soulmate”,
his older brother Jason spoke
of how excited he was when
his baby brother was born.
“Jez was a gorgeous baby, eczema,
cradle cap and all … he came
out with charisma,” he said.
“We tried everything, every
specialist around the world …
and the response would always
[be] there’s nothing more that
we can do than what has been
done for him in Australia.”
The Jeremy Spinak Family
Fund, which is administered by
JewishCare in NSW, has been
created to assist Spinak’s wife
Rhiannon and their 13-monthold
twins Grace and Michael.
To donate, visit bit.ly/spinakfund
24

{LET MY PEOPLE GO}
B. Karet
Arguably one of the most
recognisable icons in the world,
The Statue of Liberty is regarded
as ‘a potent symbol of liberty,
peace and human rights’. 1
The towering statue of Lady Liberty,
based on Liberatas the Roman
goddess of freedom, sits proudly
on Liberty Island in New York
Harbour. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
sculpted the copper statue in France
in the mid 1800’s, and Gustav Eiffel
constructed her metal framework.
The torch she thrusts skyward in her
right hand, and the seven-spiked
crown she wears, illuminate the sky
- a means for Liberty ‘to enlighten
the world’. In her left arm, she clasps
a stone tablet with the inscription
‘JULY IV MDCCLXXVI’, the
date of the U.S Declaration of
Independence, enshrining the
concept of freedom, as do the
broken shackles at her feet. In 1903,
a plaque was added to the pedestal
of the statue (funded by America),
bearing the last lines of the sonnet
‘The New Colossus’. This moving
poem was written by the Jewish
activist and poet Emma Lazarus, to
help raise funds for the completion
of the statue. It begins, ‘Give me
your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free’. 2
Built in France as a gift for America,
she was hauled across the world in
214 crates and reconstructed on
Bedloe Island (renamed Liberty
Island). Since her dedication in 1886,
to commemorate the centennial of
the end of the Civil War, she has
greeted millions of refugees and
immigrants. For the war-weary
Europeans arriving after World War
II, with exhausted bodies and broken
spirits, she was a beacon of hope
symbolising freedom and a better life.
Edouard de Laboulaye, the president
of the French Anti-slavery Society,
originally proposed the idea of
the statue as a gift from France to
memorialize President Abraham
Lincoln, of whom he was a great
admirer, and to celebrate the
emancipation of African Americans
after the Civil War. 3 He hoped it
would inspire his own countrymen to
fight for democracy and freedom in
their own repressive regime. However,
for many African Americans, she
has not been a symbol of liberation;
rather a stinging reminder of the
rights and freedoms they do not
share with their fellow Americans.
Recent movies such as ‘Hidden
Figures’, the story of the mostly,
unacknowledged African American
female mathematicians and engineers
who worked for the American
space agencies, and ‘Green Book’, a
snapshot of the touring life of Dr
Don Shirley, a highly educated and
gifted pianist of Jamaican heritage,
portray their lack of freedoms. As
recently as the second half of the
20th century, African Americans
endured shameful segregation,
discrimination and humiliation.
Over the centuries, in every
inhabited continent, men and
women have continually
struggled for freedom -
freedom from inequality,
freedom from famine and
freedom from religious
and political persecution.
In the 20th century,
charismatic leaders such
as Nelson Mandela and
Martin Luther King fought to end
apartheid in South Africa and the
United States. Mahatma Gandhi
led a nonviolent campaign for
freedom and independence for
India from British colonial rule.
The fight for freedom continues
in the 21st century. The citizens in
South American countries such as
Venezuela fight for political freedom,
and Nobel Peace Prize winner
Malala Yousafzai quietly campaigns
to free women from bigotry and
exploitation. Wherever she finds a
platform to be heard, she raises her
voice to advocate for the right of
girls in Pakistan, Afghanistan and
India to have an equal opportunity to
receive an education. Most recently,
WORLD JEWRY
25

the plight of Rahaf Mohammed
al-Qunun, a young, Saudi Arabian
women fleeing an abusive family
in the Middle East, highlighted the
desperate struggle for freedom of
many Muslim women. In countries
under strict Islamic rule, such as
Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain,
women yearn for the freedom of
self-determination - to be freed from
the yoke of the male guardianship
laws practised in these countries.
During Pesach, we recount the story
of our ancestor’s liberation from
cruel bondage in Egypt. Moses was
summoned by God to confront
Pharaoh to free the Children of Israel.
In words, ‘Thus says the Lord: Let
My people go that they may worship
Me’ Exodus 8:16, and by actions,
e.g. the plagues God inflicts on the
Egyptians, escalating in might each
time Pharaoh stubbornly refused to
free the Hebrews. Moses didn’t give
up. Acting as God’s agent on Earth,
he negotiated with Pharaoh overand-over
again, until he was finally
convinced to ‘let (His) people go’.
Our freedom was secured thousands
of centuries ago so that we ‘could
worship God …. and be a kingdom
of priests and a holy nation’ Exodus
19:6, and ‘a light unto the nations’,
Isaiah 49:6. We are now God’s agents
on Earth. We need to step up and
raise our voices advocating for human
rights and the freedom of oppressed
people around the world. Just as
Moses did many centuries ago on our
behalf, we need to urge our political
leaders to show compassion to asylum
seekers and change their policies.
To paraphrase Martin Luther
King, ‘we can never truly enjoy
our own freedom, unless we
secure the freedom of others -our
destinies are inextricably linked’. 5
Our words and actions need to
make the ideals of ‘freedom and
enlightenment’ the Statue of Liberty
symbolises not just a concept, but
a reality for all men and women.
References:
1. www.everything-everywhere.
com%2Funesco-world-heritagesite-93-statue-of-liberty
-UNESCO
‘Statement of Significance’.
2. Moreno, Barry (2000). The
Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia. New
York City: Simon & Schuster.
3. Berenson, Edward (2012)
The Statue of Liberty: A
Transatlantic Story (Icons of
America) Yale University Press.
4. Harris, Jonathan (1985). A Statue
for America: The First 100 Years
of the Statue of Liberty. New York
City: Four Winds Press (a division of
Macmillan Publishing Company).
5. King, Martin Luther Jn (1963)-
I Have a Dream (speech at the
‘March on Washington’.)
{JOINING THE ‘B AND B HIGHWAY’}
Judy Kahn Friedlander
Emanuel Synagogue is set to participate in an important sustainability
initiative that will also provide opportunities for congregants to meet
members of neighbouring faith and community groups.
As part of the ‘B and B Highway’,
Emanuel will soon be hosting a ‘B
and B’ – a ‘Bed and Breakfast for
Birds, Bees and Biodiversity’ as part
of a Sydney-wide innovative airborne
highway that aims to counter the
alarming decline in our pollinators.
The ‘B and B Highway’ was launched
recently by the not-for-profit group
26
FoodFaith, as part of a UTS/City
of Sydney initiative. It aims to
provide rest stops for birds, bees
and other insects across Sydney
in a bid to help food security and
biodiversity. The initiative will
bring other faith and community
groups together who also host ‘B
and Bs’ on an annual basis to share
sustainability knowledge and tips.
Founder of FoodFaith, Judy
Friedlander, is also a post-graduate
researcher with The Institute
for Sustainable Futures at The
University of Technology Sydney
and is completing her PhD this
year. Judy says that we are at a

tipping point for biodiversity
and the loss of insects can have a
cascading impact on food security.
Insects are critical for pollination,
recycle materials in the soil and
provide the main source of food
for birds, bats, fish and many other
vertebrate species. One in three bites
of food rely on insect pollination.
As reported this month in The
Sydney Morning Herald, BBC and
other leading news media, a just
published scientific review provides
sobering research and statistics on
the loss of insects. There has been
a reported decline of more than
75pc of total insect biomass in 27
years. A UK study found that many
species of butterflies and moths
are declining at alarming rates.
Entomologists across Australia also
report lower than average numbers
of wild insects. Bee collapse is
a huge international concern.
While bee colony collapse has
not happened in Australia, many
experts say our bees face threats.
The academic study found a linear
decline of 2.5% of current (2019)
biomass, which is estimated to
lead to the total disappearance
of insects within 40 years.
The main causes of insect species
decline are habitat loss, pesticides and
fertilisers, biological factors including
introduced species, and climate
change. While it is also important to
create more varied habitat in rural
areas, our cities can help the loss of
biodiversity and it is also predicted
that we will increasingly use our
urban areas for food and farming.
The B & Bs are located at community
centres, places of worship from a
range of different faiths throughout
Sydney and at community housing
supported by Community Greening.
With eight centres already funded by
the B and B Highway, each B & B
features a special variety of pollinating
plants selected by horticulturists
as well as an insect hotel or native
stingless beehive. Sydney’s eastern
suburbs will form an important
foundational hub and there are other
‘pollen booths’ in Lane Cove and Mt
Druitt with more being planned.
The initiative is inspired by
other pollinator highways in
Belfast, Oslo and Vancouver.
Judy Friedlander says that creating
pollinating gardens with native plants
that flower the whole year round is a
‘win win for pollinators and people’.
‘I was fortunate enough to be
surrounded by bees, butterflies and
birds as a child – as many of us
were – and we should be working
to ensure that our children have
these same nurturing foundational
experiences of nature,’ she says.
‘Importantly, there is a very serious
side to this and this recent scientific
report provides a wake-up call for us.
‘It is not alarmist to say we are at
a crucial time and if we don’t do
something to help our pollinators we
are in serious trouble. Fortunately, we
can do something to help insects –
the little things that run the world.’
If you would like to support
this initiative or find out
more information, contact
info@foodfaith.com.au
Want to plant some pollinating plants
in your garden? Some suggestions:
- Native flowers such as Cutleaf
daisy Brachysomes
- Lavender is high in nectar
and flowers all-year round
- Native bees also love herbs such
as basil, thyme, sage, rosemary,
lemon balm and mint
- Aussie favourites: Flowering
gum, tea tree, acacia,
bottlebrush, grevillea
ENVIRONMENT
27

{AROUND EMANUEL}
Scenes of life around our Synagogue
Clockwise from top left:
• Thomas Mayor in conversation with Rabbi Kamins
• Emanuel's past presidents gather
• Some of our Bnei Mitzvah students
• Our Kef Kids teachers
• Rabbi Krebs in conversation with Rabbi Kamins
• The World Wide Wrap
28

{NETZER'S AMAZING SUMMER CAMP}
137 amazing and enthusiastic chanichim (participants) took part in
this summer Netzer Sydney’s summer camps season. This was one of
Netzer’s biggest and most exciting summer seasons in memory!
I think the best way to try and
explain Netzer camp is to share
some stories from camp so
I’m going to share some of my
personal highlights from camp.
I would never forget that moment
I was little 8 year old girl, clinging
onto my parents for dear life as
we arrived at shul on a beautiful
summer morning. I remember
looking around at all of the giant
people walking around in matching
green tops and thinking “get me out
of here!”. I was so nervous and all
I could do was stare at the people
walking around me, clinging onto
my pillow. Then my parents told me
“get on the bus and we’ll see you in
a few days”, it happened SO FAST
and in a minute I was on my way to
my first Netzer camp with a bunch
of children I did not know. The
moment we arrived at the campsite,
suddenly everything changed. I
suddenly stopped being nervous
and started making friends with the
people in my group! I was pushed to
my limits and provided with so many
opportunities to make friends and
challenge myself! It was the start of
something truly amazing. I have now
been on 22 camps and counting...
Now, as a 20 year old madricha
(leader) I am so thankful for my
parents for forcing me to get on
that bus. Everything I know about
myself now, I owe to the wonderful
world of Netzer. Every single camp
you learn more and more about
Judaism, our community andyourself.
All my happiest childhood
memories have been made at Netzer
peulot (programs), meal times on
camps, talent shows on camps and
of course- the wonderful Shabbat
services I got to lead on camps ….
One of the things that are highly
important for us on our camps
is to have our chanichim engage
with the synagogue’s leadership:
We are thankful for the continued
support of our local community,
Synagogues and Jewish organizations.
Over the course of
Summer and Junior
camps we were joined by
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserbluth
and Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
from Emanuel Synagogue. They
ran incredible educational activities
for our chanichim and we thank
them as continued supports and
educational role models for our
movement. We look forward to
continuing our relationship with the
Synagogues through joint activities
and events throughout the year, in
order to continue providing amazing
Jewish education and experiences for
young people in our community.
This year we started a new tradition
that included a few parents coming
up on camp to help us make Shabbat
dinner -we were also joined by
Kim Skurnik, Louise Thurgood
Phillips, Inbal Luft, Nicki Stiassny,
Symone Miller, and Naomi Levi -
mothers of Netzer chanichim who
came to camp to cook the Erev
Shabbat dinner for 140 people (!)
I am happy to report that Netzer
Sydney, and Netzer Australia,
continue to move from strength
to strength. We are incredibly
thankful for the ongoing support
of our wider Jewish community,
and look forward to deepening
these relationships, providing
ongoing Jewish experiences, and
contributing to our community.
B’vracha,
Caroline Freeman,
Sydney Mazkira (chairperson) 2019
And everyone in the Netzer
Sydney family.
ISRAEL & WORLD JEWRY
29

{BUILDING A CONNECTION}
Here is an excerpt from a parent watching their son grow, develop and build his
lifelong connection to this community. During his 2-year journey in the Synagogue’s
B’nei Mitzvah program, he has truly been shaped by his Bar Mitzvah process.
My son had his Bar Mitzvah earlier
this year at Emanuel Synagogue
after attending the Bar Mitzvah
program there. He doesn’t go to a
Jewish School, his father isn’t Jewish,
we never used to go to Synagogue,
and although I have a strong Jewish
identity, I would definitively put us
in the ‘culturally’ Jewish category.
To put it another way, he had a lot
of learning to do when he went to
his first class in Year 5. What I was
not expecting, was for my son to find
what he (and by extension we) found,
when he commenced this journey
to find his own Jewish identity.
The Bar Mitzvah program at
Emanuel has offered my son so
much. It’s not perfect, but nothing
is. What it is though, is warm and
inclusive. Daniel Samowitz (or Samo
as he is known) has been both cool
and wise – a balance one can never
expect to achieve as a parent. He
has shown the boys how to be real
men, by being both kind and strong
and living the Jewish values, all with
a sense of humour. The rabbis are
always available, and know each
child for whom they really are. There
is no judgement and no criticism
about how one practises Judaism
at home, or the type of choices one
makes. My son found the synagogue
a place he could be himself, when
he didn’t even know he was looking
for one. And because of the Bar
Mitzvah class, the way he has been
taught to enjoy the community, and
his experience of what it is like to
be part of something bigger than
himself, he has found a way of being
Jewish that at age 13 he can love.
Last Saturday my dad and my son
went to the synagogue together,
because they both like being there
and sharing something of which
they are both a part of. When
my son started his Bar Mitzvah
education, I thought that the Bar
Mitzvah was the big goal, but I
now realise that it was just a part
of it. The lessons themselves were
actually just as significant in laying
the ground work for a Jewish life, in
whatever exciting form it may take.
With Kef Kids and the B’nei
Mitzvah program both occurring
on a Thursday afternoon from
4:00-5:30pm, the Synagogue
campus has been transformed
by youthful life and energy -
all of us experiencing the joy
of being Jewish together.
If you want more information on
our youth educational programs,
please contact Daniel Samowitz
at daniel@emanuel.com.org.au
30

{IN CONVERSATION WITH THOMAS MAYOR}
On Sunday March 3rd, 2019 Emanuel Synagogue presented a special event as part of it’s
In Conversation series, featuring Thomas Mayor, delegate to the Uluru Statement process.
Thomas has been travelling
throughout Australia with the
Uluru Statement advocating for
its call for the ‘establishment of
First Nations Voice enshrined in
the Constitution’. He shared his
story and explained in detail the
significance of the Statement.
Thomas Mayor is a Zenadth Kes
(Torres Strait Islander) man born
and living on Larrakia country
(Darwin). Thomas was a delegate at
the Convention and is now touring
the country as the current custodian
of the Uluru Statement, talking
about its significance to regional
and metropolitan communities.
Mr Mayor says the document has
not received enough attention or
leadership in Parliament, but it was
written to the Australian people,
so he's taking it out to them.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart
was signed in May 2017 by a historic
gathering of around 300 Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander leaders. The
statement is a proposal of reform that
would establish a constitutionally
enshrined First Nations representative
body to advise parliament on policy
affecting Indigenous peoples and
commit Australia to a process
of truth-telling of its colonial
history through the establishment
of a Makarrata commission.
You can read the whole statement
at https://www.1voiceuluru.org/.
Here is an extract, “Our Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander tribes were
the first sovereign Nations of the
Australian continent and its adjacent
islands, and possessed it under our
own laws and customs. This our
ancestors did, according to the
reckoning of our culture, from the
Creation, according to the common
law from ‘time immemorial’, and
according to science more than
60,000 years ago. This sovereignty
is a spiritual notion: the
ancestral tie between the
land, or ‘mother nature’,
and the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
peoples who were born
therefrom, remain
attached thereto, and must
one day return thither
to be united with our
ancestors. This link is the
basis of the ownership
of the soil, or better,
of sovereignty. It has never been
ceded or extinguished, and coexists
with the sovereignty of the
Crown. How could it be otherwise?
That peoples possessed a land for
HEALING THE WORLD
31

sixty millennia and this sacred link
disappears from world history in
merely the last two hundred years?”
The statement ends with the words,
“In 1967 we were counted, in 2017
we seek to be heard. We leave base
camp and start our trek across
this vast country. We invite you to
walk with us in a movement of the
Australian people for a better future.”
Rabbi Kamins committed to
spreading the Uluru Statement
from the Heart and said that, given
our history, we have a special duty
to spread the truth about what
happened to Aboriginal people,
and explain to others the aim of
the statement; to establish a Voice
for First Nations, a representative
body to sit alongside Parliament
to have a say in laws that impact
their lives before they are passed
(not as a third chamber with veto
power). There is also a call for a
Makarrata Commission (a Truth
and Reconciliation commission)
to let the Truth be told.
As this movement builds, please
educate yourself and others about
what these 250 Aboriginal elders
and leaders called for in the Uluru
Statement from the Heart. When this
finally comes to a referendum we owe
it to the First Australians to finally
do right by them and give them
their Voice, a Treaty and a chance
for the whole Truth to be known.
We encourage people to register
their support for the Statement
at 1voiceuluru.org/.
For more see:
emanuel.org.au/indigenous
Rabbi Kamins, Cantor Mordecai and Rabbi Ninio with the Uluru Statement from the Heart
As indicated, profits after costs from the event have been donated to
the remote community, Jilkminggan to build a Dialysis clinic. The
clinic is going to be working alongside Purple house who will nurse the
clinic and the NT Health Dept who have donated machines.
Currently patients have to travel 3 hrs, 3x per week to receive dialysis in Katherine,
putting a huge strain on patients and families, many have no means of transportation
and there isn’t a bus to take them. This money will go directly towards a vehicle that will
provide some instant relief while the community continues raising for the structure.
32

Miss Chantal Abraham
Mr Greg Bachmayer &
Miss Margherita Roser
Ms Leah Bangma
Ms Lauren & Mr Eli Barel
Ruby Belnick
Nina Ben-Menashe
Ms Vikki Biggs
Mrs Elaine Bogan
Mr Alastair Bor &
Ms Kerry Shaz
Ms Vanessa Brajtman
& Mr James Wilson
Vivienne Bromberger
Max Caminer
Isabel Sophie
Jackie Charny
Mrs Janice Christie
Household
Ms Michelle Cohen &
Mr Cordell Scaife
Nathan Edourd Cohen
Miss Nell Laura Cohen
Mr Roy & Jennifer Cohen
Isaac John Crawford
Dr Anthony M Cutler &
Mrs Rhonda R Cutler
Joshua Postle Doust
Ms Kaylene Emery
Mr Clifford Fram &
Mrs Laura Alfred
Matthew Noah Friedman
Mr Brandon &
Mrs Jodie Gien
{NEW MEMBERS}
To welcome the stranger
Mr Barry & Mrs
Tahnee-Lee Goldman
Michael Hamilton
Miss Natasha han-
Tian Sommer
Sarah Irving
Mr Peter & Mrs
Erica Keeda
Dr Joshua Keller &
Dr Joy Dai-Keller
Dr Peter Klug
Thomas Kurz
Miss Micayla Lucy
Laurence
Luca Lavigne
Ms Margaret Lederman
Mrs Julia Lehmann &
Mrs Leslie Ngatai
Ms Michal Levy
Mr Ofer Levy &
Ms Joy Dong-E
Dr Simon Lewi
Mr Paul Lowenstein
& Ms Robyn Katz
Mrs Liza & Mr
Andrew Lyons
Mrs Penne Marks
Daniel Martin
Mr Fraser & Mrs
Michelle McEwing
Mr Geoff & Mrs
Melissa McGrath
Mr Alan & Miss
Lisa Salkinder
Cameron Morris-Mikardo
Miss Amy Kiara Nahum
Mr Alon & Mrs Eva Novy
Mr Damien & Mrs
Caren Ottaviano
Remington Owen
Nicholas Palmer
Miss Rebecca Anne Penny
Mr Dean Kremer and
Ms Allie Powell
Mr Guy Rob & Ms
Elizabeth Radford
Dr Frances Rapport
Mr Paul Reti
Nikki Riesel
Jonathan Mark Rispler
Mr Jeffrey &
Mrs Jodi Roth
Jeremy Schneider
Raphael Sebban
Gabriella Shaoni
Nathan Shapiro
Mr Michael Shor &
Miss Lucka Beram
Mr Kevin & Mrs
Madeleine Simon
Mr Ryan Wilkan & Miss
Stephanie Snedden
Ms Francesca Stanton
Nissim Toledano
Ms Dee Dee White
Mr Brendan & Mrs
Meital Winter
Joshua Zwi
COMMUNITY
33

{TZEDAKAH}
Greater is tzedakah than all the sacrifices
BEQUEST
Mr Alexander Ferson
$10,000 OR MORE
Susan & Isaac Wakil
Foundation
Mr Geoffrey &
Mrs Marty Cowen
Mr Robert Whyte
$5,000 OR MORE
Mr James & Mrs
Shauna Corne
$1,000 OR MORE
Mrs Rosemary Block
Mr Stanislav & Mrs
Irina Farbman
Dr Michael &
Mrs Cyndi Freiman
Mr Adrian Gold
Mrs Eugina Langley
Mr Peter Ryner Household
Dr Steven Spielman &
Ms Natasha Figon
Mr David Garvin &
Ms Suzanne Tavill
$500 OR MORE
Mr Jeff Anderson
Dr Karen Arnold &
Dr Drew Heffernan
Mr Thomas Biller & Dr
Anita Nitchingham
Dr David Block A.C.
& Mrs Naomi Block
Ms Jessica Block
& Mr Tim Fox
Mr Anthony & Mrs
Kate Boskovitz
Dr Michael Levy & Mrs
Renee Ferster Levy
Mr Joel & Mrs
Megan Freedman
Mr David & Mrs
Karen Gordon
Mr Maxwell Kahn OAM
Ms Yittah Lawrence
Mr Robert & Mrs
Vivian Lewin
Mr Sergio and Mrs
Olivia Polonsky
Dr Natalie Raquel Shavit
Mrs Salome Simon
Ms Elaine Solomon
Mr John Szabo &
Ms Jenifer Engel
UP TO $499
Mr Reuben Aaron OBE
& Mrs Cornelia Aaron
Mrs Beverley
Adcock OAM
Mr Peter Adler
Mr Michael & Mrs
Melanie America
Ms Mary Levy
Mrs Bernice Bachmayer
Mr Stephen & Mrs
Wendy Baer
Mr Victor Baskir
Mr David & Mrs
Sandra Bassin
Ms Katarina Baykitch
Mr John & Mrs
Yvonne Bear
Mr Danielle Bence Ellison
Mrs Ruth Bender
Mr Peter Benjamin
Ms Susan Benjamin
Dr Jane Berger
Dr David & Mrs
Sandra Berman
Mrs Anne Elizabeth Biner
Mr Lester & Mrs
Frankie Blou
Mr Sydney & Mrs
Judith Bogan
Mrs Tessa Boucher
Mr Leonard Brandon
Mrs Alicia Brandt-Sarif
Mrs Wendy & Dr
David Brender
Mrs Julianna Brender
Mr Rodney Brender and
Ms Bettina Kaldor
Mrs Joni Brenner
Mr. John Brieger & Mrs
Susi Brieger OAM
Mrs Dahlia Brigham
Mr Ian Brodie
Mr Leon & Mrs Emma
Bronfentrinker
Mr Robert & Mrs
Julie Brown
Mrs Helene Cadry
Ms Lorraine Camden
Mrs Jennifer Carleton
Mr Adam Carpenter
& Ms Tal Schlosser
Mr David Castle
Mrs Lynette Chaikin
Mr Darren & Mrs
Hannah Challis
Mr Erwin Charmatz
Mrs Glenda Cohen
Mrs Wendy Cohen
Mr Nathan Compton
Ms Doris Cope Krygier
Mr Kevin & Mrs
Dina Coppel
Mrs Valerie Coppel
Mr James & Mrs
Shauna Corne
Eugenie Coronel
Ms Iska Coutts
Mrs Nereida Cross
Mrs Jacqueline Dale
Mrs Jessie Daniel
Mr Albert Danon & Mrs
Dinah Danon OAM
Mr Robert Davidson
Mr Roger Davis
Mrs Sally Davis
Ms Dahlia Dior
Mrs Daphne Doctor
Mr David & Mrs
Suzette Doctor
Dr Richard & Mrs
Ellen Dunn
Dr Ron Ehrlich
Dr Stewart & Mrs
Susan Einfeld
Dr David Eisinger
Household
Ms Naomi Elias
Ms Julie Ellitt
Mr David Emanuel
Mrs Coryl Engel
Mr John Szabo &
Ms Jenifer Engel
Mr Jonathan Leslie
& Ms Susan Engel
Mrs Marlene Epstein
Mr David Faigen
Mr George & Mrs
Vera Faludi
Mr Vladimir & Mrs
Irina Feldman
Mr Lloyd Gayst & Mrs
Tamara Fettmann
Mrs Zinaida Fettmann
Mr Danny & Mrs
Rachael Fischer
34

{...TZEDAKAH CONTINUED}
Ms Judy Fischer
Mrs Giza Fletcher
Mr David & Mrs
Vinita Fonteyn
Ms Lorraine Fox
Mr Peter Frankl & Mrs
Michelle Stein-Evers
Mrs Roberta Freedman
Mrs Phyllis Freeman
Ms Anna Fried
Mr David & Mrs
Christine Frish
Mr John & Mrs Judy Gal
Mr Heinz & Mrs
Yvonne Gerstl
Dr Robert & Mrs
Eva Gertler
Mrs Liza & Mr
Richard Glass
Mr David & Mrs
Ruth Glasser
Mr John & Mrs
Judith Gleiber
Mr Charles Golan
Mr Brian & Mrs
Susie Gold
Mr John Gold
Mr Dan Goldberg & Ms
Jody Tocatly Goldberg
Prof Ivan & Mrs
Vera Goldberg
Mrs Milly Goldman
Mr John & Mrs
Tova Goldstein
Mr John & Mrs
Tova Goldstein
Dr Lorna Graham
Mr Jeffrey & Mrs
Diane Grant
Mr Richard David
Grant Household
Mrs Elizabeth Green
Mr Robert Griew &
Dr Bernie Towler
Ms Tracey Griff
Dr Reg & Mrs
Kathie Grinberg
Mr Roger Grinden
Mrs Etty Hahn
Dr Christine Harris
Dr Newman Harris
Mr David & Mrs
Sharon Harris
Mr Les Hart
Mr Neville & Mrs
Debbie Hausman
Dr Karen Arnold &
Dr Drew Heffernan
Ms Lesley-Ann Hellig
Mr Michael & Mrs
Anthea Hemphill
Mrs Jennifer Hershon
Mr Andrew & Mrs
Dee Hilton
Michelle Pauline Hilton
Mr David & Mrs
Monique Hirst
Mr Jonathan &
Mrs Karen Hirst
Mr Richard Hoenig
& Ms Sharon Stern
Ms Barbara Holmes
Mrs Valerie Hosek
Mrs Rosalind & Mr
Wayne Ihaka
Mr Benjamin Isaacs
Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM
Mr Gordon Jackson
Mrs Claudette Jacobs
Mr Tony Jacoby &
Ms Anita Ullman
Mrs Vera Jacoby
Dr Jack Jellins & Mrs
Maureen Jellins
Mr Peter & Mrs
Susan Kadar
Mr Anthony Kahn & Mrs
Judith Kahn Friedlander
Professor Steven & Mrs
Andrea Kalowski
Mr Garry Kam
Dr Errol & Mrs
Zina Kaplan
Barbara Karet
Mr Barry & Mrs
Pamela Karp
Assoc Prof Robert
Kummerfeld &
Prof Judy Kay
Dr Peter & Mrs
Elizabeth Kitchener
Mr Jack & Mrs
Maxine Klarnet
Mr Jack & Mrs
Maxine Klarnet
Mrs Toni & Mr
Mark Kleiner
Mr Aron Kleinlehrer
Dr Stephen & Dr
Deborah Koder
Mrs Veronica Kolman
Ms Renee Koonin
Ms Yvonne Korn
Mr Jim Kornmehl &
Mrs Jeany Simons
Mrs Dorit Krawitz
Mr Daniel & Mrs
Nicole Krieger
Mr Andrew & Mrs
Dianne Krulis
Emeritus Prof. Konrad
Kwiet & Mrs Jane Kwiet
Mrs Judith Lander
Ms Magdalena Langer
Pamela Ann Lansky
Williams
Mr Jason & Mrs
Mia Lavigne
Mr Anthony & Mrs
Louise Leibowitz
Mr Anthony & Mrs
Louise Leibowitz
Mrs Barbara Leser
Mr Lewis Levi
Mr Peter
Mintz & Ms
Belinda Levy
Mrs Beth Levy
Mr Gregg &
Mrs Sue Levy
Mr Philip & Mrs
Lorraine Levy
Ms Miriam Lewin
Mrs Joan Lewis
Mrs Myrna Lewis
Dr David & Mrs
Patricia Lieberman
Mr Stanford & Mrs
Abirah Lifschitz
Mrs Rachel Light
Mrs Erika Lindemann
Mr Maurice Linker
Mr Martin Lipschitz
Mr Peter & Mrs
Anna Loewy
Mrs Sylvia Luikens
Mr Michael Lyons
Dr Isaac & Mrs
Denise Mallach
Dr Linda Mann
Mrs Janka Mansberg
Mrs Debbie Manser
Mr Danny & Mrs
Anna Marcus
Dr Bernard Maybloom
Dr Mary-Louise McLaws
Mrs Denise McOnie
Ms Judy Menczel
Dr Graeme Mendelsohn
Mr Henry Mendelson AM
& Mrs Naomi Mendelson
Mr Henry Mendelson AM
& Mrs Naomi Mendelson
Mr Brendon Meyers
Mrs Rae Morris
Mrs Anita Moss
Mr Frank Muller
COMMUNITY
35

{...TZEDAKAH CONTINUED}
Mrs Helen Mushin
Ms Vivienne Nabarro
Mrs Victoria Nadel
Amira Nathan
Mr David & Mrs
Sarah Nathan
Mr Michael & Mrs
Ruth Nathanson
Ms Lana Neumann
Thomas and Vivien
Neumann
Thomas and Vivien
Neumann
Dr Peter & Mrs
Ziporah Neustadt
Ms Tara Newhouse
Mr Terry & Mrs
Anne Newman
Dr Joel Nothman
Mr Alon & Mrs Eva Novy
Mr Laurence Osen
& Mrs Julia Osen
Ms Ruth Osen
Mr. Warren Pantzer
Mrs Elizabeth Parker
Mr Shimon Parker
Mr Barry & Dr
Yvonne Perczuk
Mrs Helen Perko
Mr Peter & Mrs
Yvonne Perl
Mr Peter & Mrs
Yvonne Perl
Dr Ralph & Mrs
Margaret Hilmer
Mr David & Mrs
Susie Phillips
Mr Peter & Mrs
Carol Reismann
Mr Peter & Mrs
Carol Reismann
Mr Roger & Mrs
Jeannine Revi
Mr Donald &
Mrs Silvia Robertson
Mrs Patricia Roby
36
Myriam & Jack Romano
Dr Ellis and Mrs
Lyn Rosen
Dr Ellis and Mrs
Lyn Rosen
Dr Robert & Mrs
Lisa Rosen
Mrs Deanne Rosenthal
Mr George & Mrs
Shirley Rotenstein
Dr Neville & Mrs
Ingrid Sammel
Mrs Aliza Sassoon
Dr Regina Sassoon
Ms Betty
Saunders-Klimenko
Ms Anita Schwartz
Mr Roger & Dr
Eleanor Sebel
Mr John Roth & Ms
Jillian Segal AO AM
Mr John & Mrs Joan Segal
Mr Kevin & Mrs
Yadida Sekel
Miss Jennifer Selinger
Mr Raphael & Mrs
Roslyn Shammay
Mr Kenneth & Mrs
Cathy Shapiro
Ms Ronit Sharon
Mr John Sharpe
Mrs Vivienne Sharpe
Ms Merril Shead
Mrs Andrea & Mr
Maon Sher
Mr Brian Sherman AM
& Dr Gene Sherman
Mr Yakov & Mrs
Ludmila Shneidman
Mr Yakov & Mrs
Ludmila Shneidman
Professor Gary Sholler
Mrs Regina Shusterman
Ms Donna Jacobs Sife
Mrs Agnes Silberstein
Mrs Marianne Silvers
Mrs Margaret Simmonds
Mrs Barbara &
Mr Charles Simon
Mrs Ruth Simons
Ms Deborah Singerman
Mrs Joy Sirmai
Ms Lilly Skurnik
Mrs Dora & Mr
Jacob Slomovits
Ms Leslie Solar
Mrs Jenny Solomon
Mrs Agnes Spencer
Mrs Neva & Mr
Leo Sperling
Dr Ron & Dr
Judy Spielman
Mr Gary Stead
Dr Stephen & Mrs
Anne Steigrad
Dr Jeffrey Steinweg OAM
& Dr Sandra Steinweg AM
Dr Jeffrey Steinweg OAM
& Dr Sandra Steinweg AM
Mrs Janet & Mr
Tim Storrier
Ms Jacqueline Stricker-
Phelps OAM & Professor
Kerryn Phelps AM
Dr Alfred Stricker
Mr Michael Taksa
Mr Jacob & Mrs
Rosalind Tarszisz
Mr Alan & Mrs Eve Taylor
Mrs Eve Joan Taylor
Mr Alan & Mrs Eve Taylor
Mrs Miriam Tier
Ms Marianne Vaidya
Mrs Ericka Van Aalst
Ms Jenny Van Proctor
Mr William & Dr
Miriam Van Rooijen
Mrs Pauline Vellins
Mr Stephen & Mrs
Edna Viner
Mr Maurice Watson
Mr Leon &
Mrs Tracey-Ann Waxman
Mr Andrew Weber
Mrs Trudy Weil
Mr Gerald & Mrs
Audrey Weinberg
Mrs Thea & Mr John Weiss
Mrs Viola Wertheim
Mr Scott Whitmont
& Mr Christopher
Whitmont-Stein
Ms Toni Whitmont
Ms Teresa Wiliono
Mr Harold & Mrs
Lana Woolf
Ms Eve Wynhausen
Mrs Zara Yellin
Mr Maurice & Mrs
Betty Zamel
Mrs Patricia Zinn
Mrs Anita Zweig
and numerous other
anonymous donors

{PESACH AT EMANUEL}
There is much to do at Emanuel Synaogogue this Pesach! (See emanuel.org.au for more details)
How to Pesach Workshop
14th April 10:00am-1:00pm
Join Rabbi Ninio and Cantor Mordecai and learn the practicalities of preparing your home and yourself for
Pesach then discuss how to run a fun, engaging seder
Session 1 - 10am to 11:00am - In the first session, learn the practicalities
of preparing your home and yourself for Pesach.
INSPIRING PRAYER
Session 2 - 11:15am-12:30pm This session will teach you how to run a fun, engaging seder.
2nd night Communal Seder Saturday 20 April, 6:15pm service
followed by a wonderful communal seder. Bookings essential
2nd night Family Seder
Bookings essential
Saturday 20 April, 5:30pm
Netzer Chocolate Seder
$10 per person or if over 3 people, $5 per person.
Don't forget to sign up for this exciting event!
Women's Seder
Sunday 21 April from 6:00pm
Tuesday 23 April from 6:30pm
There are limited spaces available for our Women's Seder. Women have a very special role in the
Pesach story. To learn more, join us as we celebrate them using our unique haggadah.
ANZAC Service
Thursday 25 April 6:15pm
Join us for a special communal ANZAC Commemoration
Awakening to Freedom
26th April, 6:15pm
Renewal Friday Night - Pesach Service & Dinner
Join us for an evening of song and learning as we explore the meaning of freedom.
with Cantor George Mordecai and Rabbi Dr. Orna Triguboff plus special guests Kim Cunio and Samurai Cunio.
A light dinner will be served. Cost: $20
37

Lorenzo Joseph
Dominic Avenoso
Matilda Kato Boskovitz
Cooper Clenner
Baby Boy Greenblo
Allie B Armstrong
Olivia Freya Baer
Jesse Harry Carpenter
Daniel James Christolis
Jacob Joseph Farbman
Jacob Jonathan
Forshlager
Mr Alexander Smith
& Ms Stacey Davis
Julia Glaser &
Kimon Tellidis
Hetty Angel
Egon Auerbach
Annalise Braakensiek
Gabriel Brown
Susanna Denes
Peter Rudolf Fleischer
Myrna Freed
Rosalie Goldstuck
Amalia Hammer
Remy Hope
Luka Keyte Katsmartin
Gia Allegra Kogan
Ashira Levin-Yabsley
{BIRTHS}
Mazal Tov to
Mr Philip Levy
Zakiah Isabel
Muscio-Dobkin
Xavier Gerard
Alfred Osen
Emmanuelle Savdie
{B’NEI MITZVAH}
Mazal Tov to
Sam Eli Fox
Samuel Garvin
Aidan Jack Gruenpeter
Ruby Reggae Grynberg
Hugo David Isert
Joe Thomas Katz
Ella Kirschner
Miss Lucy Emma Klein
Zac Raphael Krieger
Leo Saul Latter
Coco Sophia Lavigne
Zachary Atticus
Leibowitz Villa
Jarrah Schlesinger
{MARRIAGE}
To rejoice with the happy couple
Mr Gidon Butow &
Miss Gina Kezelman
Mrs Eleanor Moses &
Mr Dean Leibowitz
Henriette Jaszsagi
Alan Kahn
Aubrey Krawitz
Andre Menash
Ronald Stanley Munz
Golda Amalia Prince
Mary Saul
Harry James Smith
Mr Marcus Schweizer &
Mr Romy Helen Ehrlich
Mr Harvey Tuch &
Ms Gabrielle Gareau
{DECEASED}
To comfort the bereaved
Susan Susskind
Mildred Teitler
Edith Weiner
George Wiederman
Ethan Max Sebestyen
Ramasawmy
Elijah Michael Stern
Dylan Henry Josef
Wiederman
Teo Wolfe Yalda Jacobson
Lior Schlesinger
Milo Elias Sherman
Mischa Odile Spielman
Jake Jensen Timm
Oscar Zane Timm
Natalie Anne Weber
Mr Simeon Weisz & Ms
Adriana Granados-Fallas
38

{PESACH PUZZLE PAGE}
by Anne Wolfson
39

{SERVICE TIMES}
Morning Minyan
Morning Minyan is on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:45am.
All service times are subject to change. Please check
emanuel.org.au for any amendments to our regular services.
SHABBAT SERVICES
Erev Shabbat
• 6:15pm - Masorti Service (Neuweg)
• 6:15pm - Shabbat Live (New Sanctuary)
Shabbat Morning
• 9:00am - Masorti service (New Sanctuary)
• 10:00am - Progressive service (Heritage Sanctuary)
Pesach services and seders - see page 37
{CONTACT US}
All services and other programs are held at the synagogue unless otherwise indicated:
7 Ocean Street, Woollahra NSW 2025
There are many ways to get in touch — we would love to hear from you!
Call: (02) 9389 6444
Email: info@emanuel.org.au
Visit: www.emanuel.org.au
Like: www.facebook.com/emanuel.synagogue
Follow us! We’re on Twitter @emanuelshule and Instagram @emanuelsynagogue
Office hours
Monday–Thursday: 9am–5pm
Friday: 9am–2pm
_______
Edited by Robert Klein
{THANK YOU}
A huge thank you to all of the contributors to this edition of Tell, and
to our wonderful team of volunteers who give their time to help us
get the magazine packed and into members’ homes each quarter.
If you would like to contribute to the next edition of Tell, or to
enquire about advertising, please email tell@emanuel.org.au.
If you are interested in volunteering, email volunteer@emanuel.org.au.