TELL Magazine - Pesach 2021 (March - May)

Survival - Pesach

NISAN/IYAR 5781

March/April/May 2021

Wars and

Warninggs

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins

In Awe of

Volunteers

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio

The Jouney

Begins in Adar

Rabbi Cantor George Mordecai

Why We Tell

Our Stories

Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth

The More

Things Change

Reverend Sam Zwarenstein

PESACH AT EMANUEL

Sunday 21st March - 10:00am to 2:00pm

Pesach Funshop - Learn how to prepare

your home and run a fun interactive seder.

Saturday 27th March 6:15pm - Pesach 1st night

Pesach service

Pesach 1st day services - Sunday 28th March at 10:00am

Progressive service

A beautiful service with the music of the A Capella Vocal

Quartet lifting our spirits as we celebrate the festival of

Pesach with song and prayer.

Masorti service

A traditional, participatory service with community

joining together in joyful celebration.

Sunday 28th March - Pesach 2nd night

Family Seder - starts 5:00pm

Join us with your children and grandchildren as we enjoy

a Pesach seder experience which is fun and engaging.

Filled with songs, games and storytelling we journey

through the haggadah and finish with a pesach meal

together. Bookings are essential as numbers are limited

due to COVID. Don’t miss out!

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/familyseder21

Communal Seder:

Services 6:15pm followed by the seder

Join in community as the clergy lead a seder traversing

the traditional haggadah with songs and participation.

Travel from slavery to freedom, enjoy being physically

together with community again and of course, great

food! Numbers are limited and bookings essential. We

hope to see you there!

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/em-seder

Monday 29th March 10:00am - Pesach 2nd day

Masorti service

Join us in our traditional, egalitarian second day Pesach

services: song, prayer and connection with the Torah

Thursday 1st April - 6:15pm

Women’s Seder - We invite the women of our

congregation to join in our annual seder. We will journey

through the haggadah created by our community and

celebrate the role women played in the Exodus story.

When: Thursday April 1st Time: 6:15pm

Where: Emanuel Synagogue Cost: Donations welcome

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/womens-seder21

Friday 2nd April - 6:15pm - Pesach 7th night

Pesach Beyachad

Join us for our Beyachad service which weaves elements

of the Progressive, Masorti and Renewal services

beyachad, together.

Saturday 3rd April - 10:00am

Pesach 7th day & Shabbat

Pesach Live

Join us for a unique musical service weaving together

prayer, story and meditation, highlighting the themes of

the Pesach season.

Masorti Service

Our traditional, egalitarian service celebrates Shabbat and

Pesach with lively singing and community participation.

Pesach 8th day - Sunday 4th April - 10:00am

Pesach Beyachad with Yiskor

Join us for our Beyachad service which weaves together

elements of our Progressive, Masorti and Renewal

services. This service will include the prayers for Yizkor

and we will read the names of those who have died from

Shavuot to Pesach in our congregation as well as recite

prayers for all our loved ones.

Tuesday 30th March - 6:00pm

Netzer Chocolate Seder

Netzer's Chocolate Seder is the sweetest part of the

Jewish Calendar. Take a break from the Maror and enjoy

a slightly more agreeable take on the Pesach meal. A fun

evening for the whole family including a catered dinner,

and a fun, engaging retelling of the Exodus story.

Register now: https://tinyurl.com/choc-seder21

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

Join us for the beautiful music,

poetry and prayer of our

Progressive services. Weaving

Hebrew prayers with beautiful

English readings, our services

provide an opportunity to

connect with the spirit and awe of

Judaism. Our musicians help lift

our prayers with inspiring music.

Shabbat Live - 6:15pm Friday

(Millie Phillips Building - in

person & live-streamed) https://

emanuel.org.au/services

The Shabbat Progressive Service

begins at 10am each Saturday.

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.

Minyanim are on Zoom from

7:30am Monday to Friday.

In addition they are on campus

Monday and Thursday at 7:30am;

Bar and Bat Mitzvah students

may attend on those days.

Masorti Kabbalat Shabbat

Friday at 6:15pm in person

10:00am - Masorti Shabbat (Millie

Phillips Building) in person

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.

Kabbalah Meditation

A 4-part series with teachings

from Kabbalah and authentic

Jewish Meditation practice.

Fridays 9am - 23 April

till 14 May - online

please email:

orna@emanuel.org.au

for the Zoom address

The class will be recorded

for those who can't

make it at that time.

Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth


Cantor George Mordecai

SUSTAINING THE

ENVIRONMENT &

HEALING THE WORLD

8

IN AWE OF VOLUNTEERS

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio

15

SOCIAL JUSTICE PROFILE -

NATALIE RANKI-GOLDMAN

16

VOLUNTEER UPDATE

Andrina Grynberg

17

SOCIAL JUSTICE SPOTLIGHT

{INSIDE THIS EDITION}

TRANSFORMATIVE

LEARNING

17

WHY WE TELL OUR STORIES

Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth

22

PESACH - A JOURNEY INTO

PERSONAL FREEDOM

Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff

INSPIRING PRAYER

6

WARS & WARNING

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins OAM

12

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE


19

THE JOURNEY BEGINS IN ADAR

Rabbi Cantor George Mordecai

21

MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER AGAIN

Andrea Catzel & Jane Kwiet

CONNECTING WITH

ISRAEL & WORLD JEWRY

24

AT HOME WITH OURSELVES

Donna Jacobs-Sife

26

NEWS FROM NETZER

COMMUNITY

5

CEO UPDATE

27

BNEI MITZVAH

27

NEW MEMBERS

28

TZEDAKAH

34

MAZAL TOV

34

DECEASED

35

PUZZLE PAGE

by Anne Wolfson

by Suzanna Helia

{CEO UPDATE}

This editorial column often provides me with the chance to highlight stories in the current

issue of Tell Magazine. Instead, I would like to use this opportunity to create a forum for

the community, to come together on an idea that I have been thinking about for some time.

As you are all aware, membership

fees only cover a portion of the

running costs of the Synagogue. The

rest of the expenses are covered by

other income and contributions.

It is essential to the Synagogue

community to look at opportunities

to create a more sustainable modus

operandi.

I reflected on how the Sanitarium

Health Food Company links to the

Seventh-day Adventist Church in

Australia. Sanitarium was established

as part of the Seventh-day Adventist

Church to promote and produce

plant-based health foods because

of its belief that plant-based diets

provide optimal health. Worldwide,

the Church operates health food

industries and health-care services

based on this philosophy. All of

Sanitarium’s profits are directed

back to the Seventh-Day Adventist

Church, which operates charitable

activities that include educational

and health services and community

programs to improve the health and

wellbeing of their communities.

Caring for the community is a core

value.

The importance of community

(Kehilla) in Judaism, the collective,

is an integral part of our Jewish

experience. This community is

robust; it is dynamic and growing and

can only continue to grow with your

support. I am in constant awe at the

tireless efforts of our clergy and the

care they provide to our congregants

extending far beyond our synagogue

and community. We are thankful

that with the lessening of the threat

of COVID our clergy is again able

to visit members in hospital, nursing

homes and in their homes as well as

meet with them in the synagogue.

It has been wonderful to see a

further strengthening of our clergy

team with Rabbi Cantor George

Mordecai achieving his rabbinical

smicha. To quote Rabbi Jonathan

Sacks “Happiness is not made by

what we own. It is made by what we

share”

While we acknowledge how difficult

2020 was for some people and

businesses, the reality is that some

others had a highly successful year.

Together let us find a way to support

a symbiotic relationship that would

help individual businesses and also

Suzanna Helia

the Synagogue. I welcome anyone

who has an idea or a suggestion,

maybe a business forum we can

develop, or an opportunity to be

involved in similar to the Sanitarium

model.

I invite you to contact me with

your thoughts and suggestions by

email at ceo@emanuel.org.au or

call me at the synagogue office on

(02) 9389 6444.

Keep the date

In Conversation

Sunday, 11 April from 5:00pm to 6:30pm

Julian Leeser MP

Member for Berowra

5

{WARS AND WARNINGS}

Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins OAM

Writing just before Purim, knowing you will be reading this just before Pesach,

I am cognizant of the significance of these two dates within the Jewish calendar

- Purim falling on the 14th day in the last of our months, Adar, and Pesach following

just a month later, on the 15th day of the first of our months, Nisan.

Pesach is a major pilgrimage festival,

our most formative event of

which we learn throughout the

Torah and tradition, and Purim just

a minor celebration, told about in

the Book of Esther. Despite the difference

of import and place in calendar,

they share certain tones and

themes - triumphant and cautionary.

We begin with triumph. Pesach celebrates

our coming out of hundreds

of years of oppression in Egypt; a story

that begins with genocidal intentions

of the wicked Pharaoh, “who

did not remember Joseph”, and who

intended to murder every newborn

boy born to our ancestor Israelites.

Ten plagues later, we pass through

the Sea of Reeds as the Egyptians

are drowned in the sea. The triumphant

“Song of the Sea”, which we

sing as part of our daily morning service,

includes these lines: “Adonai,

the Warrior, Adonai is God’s name!

Pharaoh’s chariots and his army God

has cast into the sea; and the pick of

his officers are drowned in the Sea of

Reeds. The deeps covered them; they

went into the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O Lord, glorious

in power, Your right hand, O Lord,

shatters the foe!” (Exodus 15:3-6).

Similarly, Purim celebrates our victory

over those who have genocidal

intentions, as Haman the Agagite

(and therefore understood to be a

descendant of wicked Amalek) convinces

the king to decree: “…to

destroy, massacre and exterminate all

the Jews, young and old, children and

women, on a single day, on the thirteenth

day of the twelfth month – that

is, the month of Adar – and to plunder

their possessions.” (Esther 3:13).

In the story of Purim, through the

manoeuvrings of Esther and her

cousin Mordecai, all the evil intentions

are inverted as the Jews: “disposed

of their enemies, killing seventy-five

thousand of their foes; but

they did not lay hands on the spoil.

That was on the thirteenth day of

the month of Adar; and they rested

on the fourteenth day and made

it a day of feasting and merrymaking.”

(Esther 9:16-17). By the time

we arrive at the end of the megillah,

many of us have stopped paying

full attention to the gruesome

details of our triumphant victory.

Likewise, many of us do not realise

how in certain parts, the tradition

rejoices in the defeat of the Egyptians.

We are not fully aware of all the

details of the “Song of the Sea”; most

of us more familiar with the often

recited verses excerpted from there,

and sung in our evening and morning

service just after the recitation of

6

the Shema: “Mi chamocha ba-elim

Adonai, mi camocha ne’dar ba-kodesh,

norah t’hilot, oseh feleh” (Who

is like You, Adonai, among all that is

worshipped! Who is like you, majestic

in holiness, awesome in splendour,

working wonders!) We are not

aware that these verses are preceded

by a prayer that gloriously recalls

Egyptian defeat: “The first born

of the Egyptians were slain; Your

firstborn were saved. You split the

waters of the sea. The faithful You

rescued; the wicked drowned. The

waters engulfed Israel’s enemies, not

one of the arrogant remained alive.”

It is fair enough that after remembering

our suffering, we celebrate

our triumph and salvation. Days

of commemoration and celebration

now exist in our contemporary calendar,

because in the last century

we have witnessed the most cataclysmic

events since biblical times:

the holocaust and the birth of the

State of Israel. Thus, just after

Pesach we will commemorate Yom

HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron,

followed by our modern festival

of redemption, Yom HaAtzmaut.

Yet victory in war comes with warnings.

The rabbinic tradition of two

thousand years cautions us to moderate

our triumphant urges. Nearly all

of us are aware that on Seder night

we take drops of wine out of our kiddush

cup as we recite the ten plagues,

one explanation being that we lessen

our joy knowing our redemption

came at the suffering of others. This

is evocative of a Talmudic teaching

concerning the triumphant Song of

the Sea: “The Holy One, Blessed be

God, said: ‘The work of my hands,

the Egyptians, are drowning at sea,

and you wish to sing songs?’ This

indicates that God does not rejoice

over the downfall of the wicked.”

(Talmud Bavli 10b). Further, our

redemption from suffering in Egypt

comes with the command mentioned

repeated in the Torah more than

any other to remember the stranger,

the oppressed and the suffering

because we know what it was like

to be strangers in the land of Egypt.

The months ahead are the ones in

which we celebrate our redemption

– from the ancient becoming free

from slavery in Egypt to the contemporary

rising from the ashes of

the Shoah to establish the

modern state of Israel.

Yet victory in war comes

with warnings: lest we

become triumphalist and

chauvinistic, we must be

cognisant of the suffering

of others, all of whom are

God’s creatures, and vigilant

in our work to fight

injustice. True triumph is

when there is justice and equality for

all, and I do believe this how we at

Emanuel Synagogue strive to live our

Judaism.

INSPIRING PRAYER

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 to 11:30

https://zoom.us/j/631843337

and in-person

7

{IN AWE OF VOLUNTEERS}

by Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio

I am constantly in awe of the incredible people in our congregation;

so many of you volunteer in capacities far and wide in the

community, working to make our world a better place.

Many of you have chosen careers

in which you do the work of

healing the world, and others

have found ways within your

work-life to give back, to help,

to reach out to people in need.

I hear stories of quiet acts of

compassion and generosity; I

am told of gentle caring and the

many ways individuals in our

community truly live the most

deep core teachings of Judaism.

I love reading the honours which

are given by the government

and the Queen at various times

during the year, not for the

famous sports stars and actors

who receive awards, but for the

everyday people who quietly do

courageous and beautiful acts of

caring. I love to see the diverse

passions, the areas where they

have found need and worked

8

Volunteers help in the kitchen

to help. Sometimes they are

so specialised, and often they

begin with a small idea, an

individual or challenge and

then grow to encompass and

help many people. Frequently,

I am so moved when I write or

listen to eulogies, when families

speak about their loved one,

who “was just a mother” or

“just a grandfather” or “just

a regular person”, and their

families recount such beautiful

acts of love that they did to

help others. Sometimes they

are heroic and at the same time

simple, but through their hands

and their hearts they changed

a small corner of the world.

We will soon be celebrating

Pesach, and as we sit at our

seder tables and open our doors

to welcome the stranger, we

move on a journey through the

Haggadah from degradation

to freedom, from servitude to

service and we hear the refrain

“to remember” - remember we

were slaves. We are reminded

of our past; the suffering we

endured not so we can remain

in the sadness and anger, but so

that we can use that experience

to understand and help others.

We are called upon to traverse

the darkness and move to the

light, so that we will always

be able to find empathy and

understanding. To remind us

never to judge others, to see the

human being in everyone’s eyes,

because it is only then that we

will be inspired and compelled

to help and find the connection

from a place of our hearts.

But the Jewish imperative to

care and assist is more than a

feeling, it is an obligation. The

Hebrew word tzedakah, often

mistranslated as charity, derives

from the word tzedek, meaning

“justice”. We have a duty to

right wrongs, to ensure that

all are treated with equality,

dignity and compassion. Our

obligation is to repair our

shattered, broken world, one

small piece at a time. Sometimes

it can feel overwhelming, but we

must remember the important

teaching “lo aleicha hamlacha

ligmor…” “It is not for you to

complete the task” “ve lo ata

ben chorin lehibatel mimena”

“but neither are you free to desist

from it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:21)

It is impossible for any one of

us to do all that must be done

in the world, but that should

not fill us with such despair that

we do nothing. Each of us has

our task, and sometimes the

seemingly smallest of acts can

have the greatest of consequences.

“Save one person, you save the

world,” says our tradition, and

we can “save” in many ways,

the most powerful of all is to

help restore independence and

dignity; to bring justice.

There are so many ways that

our congregation reaches out

to help others, and a myriad of

kindnesses being performed every

day with humility, courage and

love. And often, even though we

may not consciously realise it,

our Jewish teachings, our Jewish

hearts are what draws us to help.

Over and over, when called upon

to reflect about the motivation

for assistance, we find that deep

within us is a call to action, a

pull to make a difference.

Our synagogue has always

had a social justice committee,

offering opportunities to help

repair the world together with

others from the congregation.

It is so powerful to join as Jews,

and reach out to assist where we

can. During the war, just after

Volunteers help pack goods on Mitzvah Day

our congregation was formed,

the women of the community

especially, were active in the war

efforts: making gun cleaners,

camouflage nets and running

booths where soldiers could

receive food, supplies and care

packages. They knitted for the

Lord Mayor’s comfort Fund,

they joined the NSW War

Continued over...

SHABBAT LIVE

Join us in person or virtually as we welcome

the Shabbat with the spiritual, meaningful,

music, prayers and stories of Shabbat Live.

Join us in person or online on Zoom from 6:15pm.

Shabbat Live is also available on Facebook Live!

www.emanuel.org.au/services

Memorial Red Cross Sewing

Circle and did whatever they

could. They also ran dances

and other social events so that

soldiers, nurses, and civilians

could mix together, and have

some time letting their hair down

and meeting one another. A

number of marriages blossomed

from those gatherings, and the

children and grandchildren are

part of our community today.

We have been active in interfaith

work from the earliest days

of the congregation, always

working hard to create links

and connections with all faith

communities; learning from one

another and making friendships

which help us to understand

and embrace one another.

Today, we have a group of

incredible volunteers who lead

our social justice programmes

and provide opportunities for us

to be involved and help others.

BREAD TAGS FOR

WHEELCHAIRS

Please help us to collect bread

tags and send them to “Bread

Tags for Wheelchairs” in South

Africa and in Australia. They

then use the donations to acquire

wheelchairs for people in need.

For more information click here.

It has been ten years since our

social justice committee came

together to initiate a programme

at Matthew Talbot Hostel,

taking the early morning shift on

Sundays in the canteen (the most

difficult slot to fill) and engaging

with, and serving the men who

attend. I want to acknowledge

all the people who have been

involved in the programme,

many of whom, including its

co-ordinator Peter Keeda, have

engaged for the entire ten years.

At the same time, we began our

association with the Asylum

Seekers Centre, then, a small

organisation which, due to

increasing need, has become a

much larger body. Elsewhere in

Tell there is a spotlight on one

of our two co-ordinators of the

programme, and next Tell will

focus on our other co-ordinator.

For ten years we have been

involved in mitzvah day, bringing

the congregation together

to work on a project helping

others. And more recently, we

have introduced our literacy

programme, where so many

volunteers fan out into schools

and assist in the classrooms,

offering much needed personal

guidance to students. We have

also engaged in many activities

and collections associated with

the festival calendar. We have

collected diverse goods from

mobile phones and musical

instruments for asylum seekers

in detention, to blankets, scarves

and socks for the homeless in

Sydney. We continue to gather

bread tags for wheelchairs

and provide educational

opportunities for people to learn

about issues of social justice. I

am so proud of, and grateful for

the team of co-ordinators who

passionately work to make these

activities possible, and the many

volunteers who every day, go out

and change the world. Also, I

would like to acknowledge the

many others in our congregation

who help in so many ways,

graciously, with humble hearts

and filled with gratitude for the

opportunity to make a difference.

Thank you to every one of

you. We are blessed to have

such special people in our

congregation, and I look

forward to us continuing our

journeys as individuals and

as a congregational family,

to help repair the world.

If you would like to be involved

in social justice activities

through the synagogue or

have an idea for a programme

you would like to initiate,

please email socialjustice@

emanuel.org.au and one of

our amazing volunteers will

be in touch with you.

Women’s

Rosh Chodesh

Group

From 8:00PM

Join us each month

Join women of all ages as

we celebrate the beginning

of the Hebrew month with

prayer, discussion and an

opportunity to connect with

one another. Starts 8pm on

the day of Rosh Hodesh.

Email info@emanuel.org.

au for information about

the next gathering.

10

CLERGY CAFE

Speakeasy with


Tuesday 5:00pm

An hour of shmoozing about a topical

matter of social import, made that

much easier with a drink of your choice

from the comfort of your home.

Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94346997043

Pre-Shabbat Shmooze

Friday 10:00am

Join Reverend Sam Zwarenstein for

a chance to chat and catch up over

coffee, tea, or green smoothie!

10:00am to 11:00am - Shmooze on Zoom.


Second and Fourth Thursdays

of each month from 7:15pm

Join Rabbi Cantor George Mordecai

on Thursday evenings to learn some

very deep Torah. Rabbi Mordecai will

give over the insightful and amazing

teachings imparted to him by his teacher

and mentor, Reb Miles Krassen.

Contact gmordecai@emanuel.org.au


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 build relationships

with people going through the same

life stage. Relationships that will carry

forward after the class has concluded.

Email Rabbi Kaiserblueth:

rkaiserblueth@emanuel.org.au

11

{THE MORE THINGS CHANGE}

By Reverend Sam Zwarenstein

אִ‏ ם אֵ‏ ין אֲ‏ נִ‏ י לִ‏ י,‏ מִ‏ י לִ‏ י.‏ ‏ּוכְ‏ שֶ‏ אֲ‏ נִ‏ י לְ‏ עַ‏ צְ‏ מִ‏ י,‏ מָ‏ ה אֲ‏ נִ‏ י.‏ וְ‏ אִ‏ ם לֹא עַ‏ כְ‏ שָ‏ יו,‏ אֵ‏ ימָ‏ תָ‏ י.‏ ‏)הִ‏ לֵ‏ ל)‏

If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self

[only], what am I? And if not now, when? (Hillel)

In the ethics course I am studying

as part of my rabbinical studies,

one of the topics we discussed,

researched and reviewed is; “Who is

More Important, You or Me?”. We

examined and debated Jewish ethical

texts relating to the importance of

the individual, the individual and the

community, and of course choosing

between you and me.

One of the truly amazing aspects of

our tradition, is the relevance of the

messages and stories from thousands

of years ago. One could easily assume

that they are irrelevant. How could

it be possible that texts aimed at

providing guidance and instruction

to humankind so long ago, when

society was much less complex and

complicated, are still important today?

Some may argue that they are not

relevant to us today because they

are antiquated, and humankind has

evolved and progressed so much

that it would be ludicrous to think

that they may have a place in today’s

world. While we may have progressed

(the jury may still be out on that one),

I would advocate that their messages

and wisdom are no less relevant today,

than when they were first expounded

or spoken about. I would venture

to say that in many instances, these

texts are more relevant today than

they were initially.

This is attributable to their simplicity

and direct approach. They don’t

have unnecessary caveats and

conditions attached to them, and

deal with matters in a direct manner.

Therefore, they can be adapted to

many situations with relative ease,

expanding on their original purpose.

Moreover, these texts have stood

the test of time, and have shown

to be effective in their resilience, as

well as allowing for scope in their

interpretation.

COVID-19 has thrown the world

into turmoil, and has not only

caused millions of deaths, but has

also affected the livelihoods, family

connectedness and social freedoms of

all of us, no matter who you are.

When looking at the texts and

our lives today, it is clear that

the lessons taught, and messages

conveyed through the texts apply

on a straightforward level. The

texts are (for the most part), easily

relatable and the logic applied by

our sages is still valid, even allowing

for extrapolation and realisation of

their relevance to the given situation,

including COVID-19.

For example, we are taught; “When

the community is in trouble, a person

should not say, ‘I will go into my house

and eat and drink and be at peace with

12

myself.’" (Babylonian Talmud Ta’anit

11a). In other words, we should not

ignore the plight of our community

and those in trouble, by hiding away

in the comfort of our own home with

only our needs to occupy us, but

rather we should acknowledge that

we have a duty to help others, just as

we would want them to help us. Their

fight is our fight.

The messages flow from the wisdom

applied by our ancestors, through the

ages, and they show that they are still

as relevant today as they ever were.

Having said that, unfortunately,

there is no guarantee that people

will learn from them. This applies

across the board, in every country,

city and region. Many people

understand the importance of these

texts, as shown by their adherence

to regulations firmly based on these

teachings, often without the need to

study the texts themselves. However,

there are others who do not want

to understand the teachings in this

manner, even though they would

be very familiar with them. This

includes, but is certainly not limited

to, the reluctance of some schools

in ultra-orthodox neighbourhoods

in a number of areas to comply

with the regulations, or the Haredi

communities in Israel continuing to

gather in large groups, despite the

obvious risks.

Rabbi Ralph Genende’s article in the

Australian Jewish News in January

2021, titled “This is not my God”,

echoes much of the disappointment

in, and anger shown towards those

communities, and their blatantly

naive attitudes and practices,

especially in light of their religiosity

and devotion to Torah and Halachah.

If you haven’t already read his article,

I encourage you to do so.

Why is it that rules put in place to

protect all of us, supporting the

highest value in Judaism - piku’ach

nefesh (preservation of life) are not

applicable to a select group of the

community? Does their innate fear

of anything not within their world

or their control worry them that

much that everything pure and holy,

including respect for themselves

and others becomes irrelevant, and

therefore does not apply to them?

The overarching problem is in the

question of “who is more important,

you or me?”, it is not a matter of

them saying; “I am more important”.

That would indicate that they felt

that others are of some importance,

they are just not as important as they

see themselves. The core issue is that

there is a huge level of disrespect

for themselves, by themselves.

By ignoring rules and guidelines

designed to protect everyone and

preserve life, they show that they

don’t have enough respect for

“number one”.

What our research and discussions

have shown is that it isn’t solely a

debate about who is more important,

although that is a key factor in ethical

behaviour. It is more of a belief or

perspective that informs us that we

are all important, but we need to

prioritise various matters in order

to achieve the best results. Helping

oneself is often seen as the first step

to helping others, the two are not

mutually exclusive. There is the wellknown

example of what we are told

during the safety announcements

on an aeroplane (remember those

things?) about what to do should

oxygen masks drop from the panel

above us, i.e. you put your own mask

on first, then you help others. If you

don’t do that, you may not be much

use to others, because you haven’t

taken care of yourself first; you

haven’t put yourself in a position to

be able to help others.

All of this can be linked back to the

texts on ethics that we rely on to help

us decide when we should be placing

ourselves first, and when we should

be focusing more on others; as well as

different combinations involving all

parties concerned.

Jewish wisdom can only be effective

if people are willing to listen and

understand why this wisdom is

so important. Refusing to follow

regulations that are designed to

protect everyone, believing that for

some reason or other they do not

apply to yourself, is a reflection on

your understanding (or lack thereof)

of these texts and their explanations,

as found in our teachings.

One of the key successes in

understanding these texts is that

they apply in the same manner to

everyone. That way, we are able

to fully appreciate their worth,

knowing that the wisdom of our

ancestors is still applicable today,

even when new challenges arise.

This acknowledgement is vital to

continuing that wisdom.

I am important, you are important,

and we can only remain important

if we acknowledge each other’s role

in learning together and acting

responsibly to achieve the best

possible outcome.

The more things change, the more

they stay the same.

13

14

1. TELL US A LITTLE

ABOUT YOURSELF

I am first generation Australian and

come from Jewish Hungarian heritage.

Both my parents were born

in Budapest, and I am fluent in

Hungarian. I am an only child,

however I have two beautiful children

who go to Emanuel School.

Professionally, I am a senior executive

in a global technology company,

however I always do many different

things, such as sit on the Emanuel

School Gesher Board, the Emanuel

Synagogue Social Justice Committee

– working together with Louise with

the Asylum Seeker Centre (ASC), as

well as the 100 Women in Finance

Committee.

I am a strong advocate for social justice

and equality and look to make a

difference in this world; values that I

share with my children and that they

embody in their lives as teenagers.

Emanuel Synagogue will always hold

a special place in my heart. It is where

I attended Sunday School as a child,

and where I had my Bat Mitzvah

as well. The Emanuel community

{SOCIAL JUSTICE PROFILE

NATALIE RANKI-GOLDMAN}

reflects my values of inclusivity,

equality and generosity.

2. YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH

THE ASYLUM SEEKERS CENTRE. CAN

YOU DESCRIBE THE PROGRAMME?

I began working with the Asylum

Seeker Centre about 10 years ago

when it was still in Redfern. I would

go and prepare a lunch for about five

people. From the beginning, I would

take my children to help prepare and

serve the lunch, and also sit and talk

with everyone there. There weren’t

many children at that stage. For 10

years (prior to COVID of course)

we have continued to make lunches,

however now the premises is located

in Newtown, and we easily serve over

50 people at any given time. There

are now many children as well. My

kids have raised money for the ASC

from their B’nai Mitzvahs, school

fundraising and even our own garage

sales. Therefore, being part of the

ASC community is not just for me,

but for my kids too. It teaches them

valuable lessons in humanity; the

responsibility that we have to take

care of those in need, and the importance

of tzedakah – not because of

the praise we may get, but for doing

good in our community and our

world. Values that we aspire to in our

home, community and world.

Natalie at the Asylium Seekers Centre

3. HAVE THERE BEEN SPECIAL

MOMENTS OR ENCOUNTERS OR

SURPRISING MOMENTS DURING YOUR

TIME WITH THE ASC PROGRAMME?

There are too many to choose from

– whether it be sitting with a mother

whilst I held her baby so she could

eat a warm meal without being disturbed;

seeing my kids engage with

children at the centre, or when my

son was taught by an older Iranian

man how to play a board game which

they played together for over an hour.

These intimate and human interactions

have stayed with me, and I

hope that they have made an impact

on the people we have engaged with

at the centre and for my children too.

4. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN

INVOLVED IN VOLUNTEERING

AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK?

I have been brought up in the principles

of social justice by my mother

and my maternal grandparents.

As Hungarian Jews, they saw firsthand

the murderous Hungarians

and the impact of the Nazis and the

Holocaust. Although my family was

never wealthy as such, they always

found ways to help those around

them, and these are values that have

been instilled in me, and now I instil

in my children. From asylum seekers,

to gender equality, indigenous

constitutional recognition and more

– we all have a responsibility to.

5. DO YOU THINK JUDAISM

HAS HAD AN INFLUENCE ON

YOUR SOCIAL JUSTICE PASSION?

Absolutely! – as alluded to above.

6. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE WISH

FOR THE WORLD WHAT WOULD IT BE?

That no one suffers.

15

{VOLUNTEER UPDATE}

“As a torch is not diminished though it kindles a million candles, so will

he not lose who gives to a good cause.” – Midrash Exodus Rabbah

Volunteers make an extraordinary

contribution to our synagogue

life. And now that COVID 19 has

become a part of our daily, if not

hourly lingo, we have to try to live

with it, around it and in spite of it.

With the roll out of the vaccines

and other COVID safe measures

in place, the best thing for us to do

is to try get back to some sort of

normality, a new normal. In the past

few weeks, here on the synagogue

campus, we have been doing just

that. We had over thirty volunteers

in Ruth’s Garden tiding up the pesky

weeds and cooking hamantaschen

for Purim in Nora’s Kitchen. Both

were a huge success - but there is so

much more that we can and will be

doing.

SHABBAT WELCOMING

COMMITTEE

As one of the only growing

synagogues in Australasia, we have

new families, singles and couples

joining our congregation on a weekly

basis. How lovely it would be to be

met by a member of the congregation

and introduced to other members,

shown to their seats in whichever

shul they wish to attend. What a

welcome that would be! If this sounds

like something you would want to be

part of then please let me know. First

impressions last!

NORA’S KITCHEN COOKING CLUB

You don’t have to be a Nigella or a

Gordon Ramsay to help out in this

club. Just a love of cooking! We

generally provide food for weekly

kiddushim, our youth education

classes and small functions. It’s been

known to be a lot of fun, sharing

stories and recipes whist making

delicious treats and sustenance for

the congregation.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our

community and come from all walks

of life: students and professionals,

young people and retirees and

everyone in between. So, don’t ever

think you are too old or too young

or not qualified enough to join us.

There are many more volunteering

opportunities here at Emanuel

Synagogue. For any volunteering

enquiries please email me directly

andrina@emanuel.org.au

Together we can do great things! I

look forward to my inbox exploding

with all of your offers of help!

Andrina Grynberg

Campus Coordinator and

Volunteer Engagement Officer

RUTH’S GARDEN VOLUNTEERS

We generally meet on a monthly

basis to tend to our gorgeous garden.

No experience necessary but good

knees are a must. If you work hard

enough there may even a cheese

board and wine to reward you when

all the work is done.

Volunteers help with the recent gardening bee

16

{WHY WE TELL OUR STORIES}

By Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth

I recently came across one of my favourite hasidic stories, as told by Elie Wiesel:

When the great Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews it was

his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire,

say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted.

Later, when his disciple, the celebrated

Magid of Mezritch, had occasion,

for the same reason, to intercede with

heaven, he would go to the same

place in the forest and say: "Master

of the Universe, listen! I do not know

how to light the fire, but I am still

able to say the prayer." And again

the miracle would be accomplished.

Still later, Rabbi Moshe-Leib of

Sasov, in order to save his people

once more, would go into the

forest and say: "I do not know how

to light the fire, I do not know the

prayer, but I know the place and this

must be sufficient." It was sufficient

and the miracle was accomplished.

Then it fell to Rabbi Israel of Rizhyn

to overcome misfortune. Sitting in

his armchair, his head in his hands,

he spoke to God: "I am unable to

light the fire and I do not know the

prayer; I cannot even find the place

in the forest. All I can do is to tell

Parashat HaShavua -

Weekly Parasha Study

Every Wednesday from 8:15pm

- Musings on our Texts -

Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth presents a

contemporary look at our ancient

texts. We will delve into our weekly

portion looking at difficult passages,

inspiring texts, and stories that you

think you know to cast new light on

the stories essential to our identity.

No prior knowledge of

texts is required.

https://zoom.us/j/93124176951

the story, and this must be sufficient.”

And it was sufficient. God

made man because He loves stories.

A little over a month ago, I had the

misfortune of falling off my bicycle

and spending the night in the hospital.

All in all, it could have been much

worse. Aside from some nasty abrasions

on my elbows and back, and a

painfully sprained shoulder (and of

course a bruised ego), I am well on

my way to a full recovery. Best news

is that my bike is ok (though the

helmet will likely need replacing).

But what I found most curious

about this ordeal, was the way people

would respond to me after seeing me

in the sling or hearing that I’d hurt

myself. There were a few who would

offer their sympathy, others would

wish me well, but the vast majority

of people whom I encountered

would launch into a story of how

they or someone they knew had had

a similar experience and what it had

been like, or which doctor they’d

seen, or which treatments worked.

A somewhat odd reaction, but completely

understandable. It is not an

easy thing to hear about someone’s

pain or difficult experiences without

recalling one of your own similar

experiences and then sharing

it. It almost happens automatically.

Why? What is that almost instinctual

response all about? It may not

be the most comforting experience,

to hear someone else’s story, but, it

was sufficient, as I knew they were

Continued...

17

trying to connect with me, trying

to understand or empathise with

me through a shared experience.

When we look at our tradition, so

much of our knowledge and experience

is passed on through stories.

It is in our DNA, as told

by our sages, "Why were human

beings created?" goes a traditional

Jewish saying. "Because God

loves stories". Storytelling has been

part of Jewish religion and custom

from earliest times, and it remains

a defining aspect of Jewish life.

Look at any holiday, especially the

holiday of Pesach which is about

to begin. The central ritual revolves

around telling our story, the foundational

story, our origin story. Yet,

something so profound, so central

to our identity, has been appropriated

by so many different versions

and retellings to fit any cultural context,

from a seder about refuseniks,

to social justice, to environmentalists,

to African-American civil rights.

Hearing that story ignites a spark

inside each of us and makes a connection

so deep within us that we

can’t help but share it. In the same

way that people felt compelled to

share their experiences of bikes and

crashes and injuries upon hearing

my misfortune, our story of pesach

drives us to connect with and retell

it in our own voice in each and every

generation. We may not always

recall the exact details, and perspectives

may shift, but the fact that we

still come together each and every

year to tell our stories is sufficient.

May our stories always continue

to sustain us,

Chag Kasher Sameach.

NEED A CELEBRANT?

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Civil Marriage Celebrant

WEDDINGS

RENEWAL OF VOWS

BABY NAMINGS

CALL JON ON:

0414 872 199

18

{THE JOURNEY BEGINS IN ADAR}

By Rabbi Cantor George Mordecai

The period between Pesach and Shavuot is considered to be very powerful.

What begins at Pesach -- the liberation from Egypt -- is not completed

till Shavuot, when the Torah is received at Mount Sinai.

I have mentioned before that we

mistakenly tend to see our festivals

as self-contained and independent

of one another. A closer look at our

calendar and annual cycle of festivals

reveals a very different picture.

For example, the period encompassing

Pesach, the counting of the

Omer and Shavuot, can be viewed

as a pilgrimage from slavery to freedom

to the understanding of what

the true purpose of freedom means.

I have written and spoken about

this in previous Bulletin and Tell

articles, however this year, through

a special teaching imparted to me

by my teacher Reb Miles Krassen,

I learned that this pilgrimage period

doesn’t actually begin at Pesach,

but can be understood to begin on

Adar 1. This makes the period from

the onset of Adar through to the 6th

of Sivan (Shavuot), a journey whereby

we learn to embody and manifest

true and lasting compassion.

Our sages teach us “When the month

of Adar begins we increase our joy”

(Taanit 29a BT). What is meant by

this? In the lead-up to Purim there

are two special Shabbatot. First,

Shekalim, where we read the portion

from the book of Exodus which deals

with the command for all of Israel to

give a half shekel (ancient Israelite

currency) for the building and maintenance

of the sanctuary: “The Lord

spoke to Moses, saying: When you take

a census of the Israelite people according

to their enrolment, each shall pay

the Lord a ransom for himself on being

enrolled … .This is what everyone who

is entered in the records shall pay: a half

shekel by the sanctuary weight -- a half

shekel as an offering to the Lord … .

The rich shall not pay more and the poor

shall not pay less than a half shekel when

giving the Lord’s offering as expiation

for your persons.” (Exodus 30:11-16).

This teaches us that in order to

experience the joy of Adar, and

begin that journey towards Sinai,

we have to give something of ourselves

first -- we have to make the

spiritual and ethical investment.

The second special Shabbat in

Adar, Zachor, teaches us never

to forget Amalek, the

arch-enemy of the Israelites.

“Remember what Amalek did to you

on your journey after you left Egypt

-- how, undeterred by fear of God,

they surprised you on the march, when

you were famished and weary, and cut

down all the stragglers in your rear.

Therefore, when the Lord your God

grants you safety from all your enemies

around you, in the land that the Lord

Continued...

19

your God is giving you as an hereditary

portion, you shall blot out the memory

of Amalek from under heaven. Do

not forget!” (Deuteronomy 25:1719)

A more mystically nuanced understanding

of Amalek, is to be aware of

that ‘sneaky’ aspect of the Yetzer Ha’ra,

the evil/selfish inclination that challenges

us in our weakest, most vulnerable

moments, and keeps us in a state

of negative habitual behaviour. After

giving something of ourselves and

staying ‘awake’ to the negative influence

of the Amalek within, we can

benefit from the power symbolised

by Mordechai in the book of Esther.

The gematria (an ancient numerological

system substituting numbers

for Hebrew letters) of Mordechai --

mem, resh, dalet, khaf, yud = 274 – is

also the numerical equivalent of the

words rav hesed, meaning abundant

compassion and lovingkindness.

The compassion and love emanating

from a ‘Mordechai state of consciousness’

is said to emanate from the Ein

Sof, the infinite boundless One, that

name for God in Kabbalistic literature

describing God’s pure essence.

From a mystical perspective, it is

that abundant love and compassion

– Mordechai – that brings the

Shechinah, symbolised by Esther (the

concealed one) in the Megillah, out

of concealment and into our world.

The cultivation and embodiment of

this abundant love and compassion

in our hearts is what makes Adar the

month of joy. We can only meet the

Divine Source of All Life and indeed

one another, at the foot of Mount

Sinai on Shavuot if we journey there

from slavery to freedom with a heart

full of compassion. That is why the

journey begins not on Pesach but

actually during the month of Adar.

The journey-of-a-thousand miles

begins with one step, and it begins on

the first day of the month of Adar!

Join us for

JBaby

Every Friday from

9:30am to 11:00am

for 0-2 year olds

and parents

We welcome all! Enjoy socialising,

entertainment and refreshments

with activities for children.

Please register:

https://tinyurl.com/jbaby2021

Ready or Knot

Marriage Preparation

If you are planning on getting

married, then this new course

will provide answers to many of

the questions you may have as

you prepare for a life together.

Couples will receive advice

from experts such as a financial

advisor, a genetic counselor

and a marriage counselor.

For details:

https://tinyurl.com/readyknot1

Shabbat Tot

The first Friday of

every month

from 4:30pm to 5:30pm

For 2-5 year olds.

Join us as we celebrate Shabbat

with story, song and dance. A

wonderful way to introduce

your children to Shabbat,

the prayers and songs and

meet other families in the

community. Then stay for a

light meal before the start of

the Shabbat evening service.

20

By Andrea Catzel, Choir Director

{MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER AGAIN}

Emanuel's Community Choir is back!! At last, we can sing and make music together again,

and we are looking forward to many exciting events and activities during the year ahead.

One of my great joys is gathering

together with people who love to

sing, and creating beautiful, sacred

music. Our community choir is a

place where we can sing the music

of our tradition and share our love of

singing with others. No experience is

necessary, all ages are welcome - all

you need is a desire to sing. It is a

wonderful way to connect with other

community members and form

friendships whilst doing something

fun and spiritual.

One of our lovely choir members,

Jane Kwiet has written about her

experiences singing with us. If you

love to sing, please come and join

our musical community. The joy it

brings is immense… to us singing

and to those listening.

My email is andreacatzel@gmail.com

We welcome you.

SPOTLIGHT ON EMANUEL’S COMMUNITY CHOIR

by Jane Kwiet

I first became a member of the

Emanuel Community Choir,

then under the baton of Joseph

Toltz, many years ago.

After a hiatus of several years, during

which time attending rehearsals

became impossible for me, I joyfully

rejoined the choir almost five

years ago. Since then, I have had

the enormous joy of singing again

with my fellow choristers at the

Progressive Rosh Hashanah service,

at Purim, at the opening of the new

Sanctuary and on other occasions of

special significance to the Emanuel

Community. Few people would

deny the power of music to engage,

to connect, to uplift - not only for

those creating the music, but also

for those in the congregation or

audience. It has always been heartwarming

to hear from so many, that

the choir’s contribution to a service

or an event had helped engage them

at a spiritual or emotional level. The

Community Choir has also been

very proud to represent Emanuel

Synagogue, not only at Jewish

Choral Festivals, but also at intercultural

or interfaith concerts, forging

meaningful and lasting links

with other congregations and communities.

I personally have made many

new and dear friends through the

Community Choir; friends that

share my passion for Jewish sacred

music and wish to share that with

others. I have also learnt an extraordinary

amount from our musical

director Andrea Catzel, who brings

out the best in each and every one

of us. COVID-19 has shone a spotlight

again on the incredible power

of music to strengthen and uplift

communities. My fervent wish

is that the Emanuel Community

Choir goes from strength to

strength over the coming years. I

would encourage everyone who

enjoys singing, and who wishes to

make new friends within our large

and diverse community, to consider

joining us, as once again, we are

able to come together in person to

sing.

21

{PESACH - A JOURNEY INTO PERSONAL FREEDOM}

By Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff

The matrix of Jewish festivals can enhance our lives on all levels. From the second

day of Pesach, we begin a 7-week journey into self-transformation – the Omer.

WHAT IS THE OMER?

It started out as an edict from the

Torah, then an agricultural-religious

act in Ancient Israel, and now a journey

into wellbeing. Counting the

Omer blessing was commanded in

Torah: “You shall count…from the

day that you brought the omer as an

offering…”, Leviticus 23:15. So,

what is an omer? It is a measure of

about 1.5 kg. In temple times, the

Israelites brought an omer of barley

as a sacrifice on Pesach, and after that

counted 49 days with a blessing, till

Shavuot – a time of harvest. This is

the agricultural aspect of the festival.

Even after the destruction of the

Second Temple, the counting of the

Omer continued in a symbolic way,

with Jews reciting a blessing each

night.

16TH CENTURY TSFAT, GALILEE -

KABBALAH

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 our

personality, and as an opportunity

for self-improvement.

According to this Kabbalistic practice,

each week is dedicated to a

particular attribute or aspect of our

lives:

Loving-kindness - Chesed

Boundary setting - Gevurah

Compassion - Tiferet

Endurance - Netzach

Humility - Hod

Vitality - Yesod

Leadership - Malchut

The names for the seven attributes

are derived from a verse in the

Tanach, and each one describes an

aspect of the personality which is

hopefully improved, and refined

during the omer.

These attributes are connected to

the holy spark within each person.

With each week, we draw closer to

being ready to receive the inspiration

of revelation that is the Festival

of Shavuot - each year in a new way.

The Hasidic sages developed practice

this too.

A 49-DAY CHALLENGE OF

MINDFULNESS

7 within 7

Each day points to a specific aspect

of our life, and is an opportunity for

reflection and change.

If we explore Week 1, with a focus

on Loving-kindness, we will have a

better idea of what the practice looks

like.

Day 1: A day to reflect on Lovingkindness

in your life. When do you

feel unbounded kindness in your

life? Who do you love? What things

in your life stop you from feeling

loving-kindness? When do you feel

energized by expressing Chesed? Who

acts with Loving-kindness towards

you? What does it feel like when you

are in a state of Loving-kindness?

Day 2: Limits within Lovingkindness

- Gevurah within Chesed.

When do you feel your energy is

depleted from giving? What boundaries

do you set so you can balance

giving and receiving? Boundary setting

is the action connected to the

quality of Gevurah-Strength.

Day 3: Compassion and Harmony -

Tiferet within Chesed. This is a day

of focussing on balancing giving and

receiving compassion and love.

Day 4: Endurance within Lovingkindness

- Netzach within Chesed

It is a day to connect with your ability

to go the distance in loving relationships,

with the connection enduring

Kabbalah Meditation

23 April until 14 May Fridays 9am

A 4-part series with teachings from

Kabbalah and authentic Jewish Meditation practice.

online

please email orna@emanuel.org.au for the zoom address

The class will be recorded for those who

can't make it at that time.

22

through the ups and downs.

Day 5: Humility within Lovingkindness

- Hod within Chesed is an

opportunity to reflect on the way in

which you express Chesed. Do you

expect recognition? Are you able to

let go of the ego aspect of expressing

loving-kindness?

Day 6: Vitality within Lovingkindness

- Yesod within Chesed.

Connect with the feeling of vibrancy

that you get when you have Chesed

moments. Savour the uplifting feeling

and let it bring you joy.

Day 7: Leadership within Lovingkindness

- Malchut within Chesed.

Who are your role models in terms

of integrating kindness into their

lives? Who inspires you? Do you

express Loving-kindness when you

are in a position of leadership?

It is my dearest hope that we all

find ways to engage with our Jewish

heritage in meaningful ways. There

are many resources connecting the

Omer period with wellbeing, and

you can google to find them. I offer

a daily email during this inspiring

time, so feel free to contact me on

orna@emanuel.org.au if you would

like to receive one.

Wishing you an inspiring Pesach

and Omer period.

Kaballah

Inspiration

Email

Recieve a daily email

with inspiration for

the Omer period, from

Rabbi Orna Triguboff

28 March to 15 May

To join, please email

orna@emanuel.org.au

23

{AT HOME WITHIN OURSELVES}

by Donna Jacobs-Sife

Thoughts and articles from

our community members

A friend of mine some years ago

told me about the time she put her

mother in an Aged Home. Every

visit, her demented mother would

say over and over again, "I want to go

home". After several months of this,

my friend could bear it no longer

and organized to take her back to

the home she had known for twenty

years. As they arrived, carrying in

the last suitcase, her mother turned

to her and said, “I want to go home."

It is a lament that we humans utter

all our lives. Whether it be yearning

for our mothers and fathers, or to

return to the familiar, or to touch the

soil of our mother land, or whether it

means that we are in exile and yearn

to return to the Source of all things,

to Gan Eden, to our True selves.

We are all in Exile, searching for

home. For Jews, it is particularly so,

having been uprooted and had our

homes taken from us so many times

throughout our long history. Being

in exile, and a sense of homelessness

is endemic to the Jew.

In a sense, the Torah has provided

for us a place to return to, to know

from whence we come, and where

we belong. The Torah has been our

touchstone, the umbilicus between

us and the great Source of all things,

for which we yearn.

Throughout the Tanach, it is Land

that has driven us. A land that was

given to Abraham. A land towards

which Moses led his People. A

Promised Land, over which Joshua

fought, and the Kings waged wars,

from which we were dispossessed

24

and set about reclaiming. A land

of famine brought about by our

own unfaithfulness, and which the

prophets told us we would lose if we

did not change our wicked ways.

The Torah is filled with laws about

our relationship with land. In

Leviticus 19, we are told that to be

holy, we are not to cut the corners of

our field, or gather the gleanings of

our harvest. We are not to pick the

vineyard bare, or gather the fallen

fruit, but must leave them for the

poor and the stranger. We are not

to eat the fruit of a tree within its

first three years of production. We

are to give the land sabbatical every

seven years, shemitta, and whatever

grows during that year must remain

ownerless...'so that you may know

that the land is Mine!' Sanhedrin

39a.And every fifty years, during

the jubilee year, we are (or were)

to relinquish all debts, including

that of the land, reminding us once

again that the land is not ours, but

belongs to God. And herein lies an

interesting paradox. Land is given to

us, but it is not ours.

There is more about our relationship

with the Land. We have in Judaism

this existential imperative to go

beyond time and space, and return

to the Divine moments that have

defined us. On Shavuot, we are to

stand at the base of Mt. Sinai to

receive the Torah. Every year, again

and again, that eternal moment waits

for our return so that we can stand

with every one – with Moses and

Einstein and Isaiah and Solomon

and Golda. All of us, receiving the

Law, witnessing revelation, and each

of us asking ourselves once again'

what is this Law that I am receiving,

and how will I honour it?'

On Pesach we experience the awe

as we cross the Red Sea towards our

freedom. Not 'them' we are told, but

'us'. It is my deliverance, and since

I was a slave and have been granted

freedom by God's own hand, how

can I honour it?

I do not need to travel to this place

and stand upon its soil. I need

only close my eyes and be there.

This is how we have dealt with

Exile. This how we have survived so

miraculously throughout the ages.

We are the People of the Book. And

through the Book, we can come to

the Land.

We have been homeless so long.

Israel is our home, at last. We have

seen the prophecy materialize before

our very eyes. This is true. If we

only see it in these terms - in terms

of soil, as a land which God has

given us and which is there to save

us, we are condemning the vision of

Israel to a cardboard cutout, a twodimensional

representation of the

Vision of God. We have been driven

out and murdered and decimated,

and the soil of Israel feels like a matter

of life and death. All that exists can

turn into pure possession, security

and survival. Some of us grasp it in

our desperate fists of fear, watering it

with grieving tears. In that grip, it

is in danger of turning into a useless

clod of earth, because if it is a matter

of survival, then we can kill for it. If

God gave it to us, then no-one else

can share it.

Israel is more than a piece of land. It

is not simply an outer landscape, but

also an internal one. It is a state of

consciousness. Israel means 'He who

struggles with God and survives.'

How do we struggle with God? By

wrestling with our conscience. By

striving to live with Godliness. By

asking the questions, what is God's

vision for us, and how am I standing

in its way? By trying to overcome

fear, and come instead from a place

of love.

"Where ever I go, I go to Jerusalem."

Said Rabbi Nachman of Breslev.

Midrash tells us that King David

dreamed of Jerusalem. It dwelt in

the heavens, complete with Temple.

There is a Jerusalem above, that

mirrors the Jerusalem below. There

is a Jerusalem within, as well as

without. When we have possession

of the Holy city within, the desire

to possess the literal city diminishes.

We need imagination. To imagine

that Israel is so much more than land.

Because if we don't, we debase the

teachings. We need to imagine that

God is not just outside of ourselves,

but within us. Because if we don't,

we can do harm and claim it is the

will of God - the true meaning of

using God's name in vain. We need

to imagine that the enemy is not just

outside of ourselves, but within us as

well, as the prophets knew. If we hold

all these things, our grip will loosen,

the soil in our hand will be able to

breathe, slip through our fingers and

give rise to growth.

My friend’s mother, who wanted to

go home was yearning to return to

God. We too need to remember that

we are all in exile, every one of us,

yearning, homeless and frightened,

and that it is not just about being

safe in the world. It is also about

being at home within ourselves, and

therein finding safety. It is about the

human experience of exile, expulsion

from paradise, and the desperation

to return.

SAVE THE DATE FOR

WUPJ CONNECTIONS

The World Union for Progressive Judaism

will host its first virtual conference from

Wednesday 19 May to Saturday 22 May.

The event will feature the installation of

its new president Rabbi Sergio Bergman,

along with a host of eminent presenters, a

chance to "travel" to the city of your choice

to learn more about Progressive Jewish

communities around the world, and of

course, the opportunity to connect, engage

and network with old friends and new via

the virtual platform and mobile app.

Registration will launch in early April;

keep updated on the WUPJ website

(www.wupj.org) and follow on Twitter,

Instagram and Facebook using the links at

the bottom of the website, or #wupj.

25

{NEWS FROM NETZER}

By Jordan Werner-Hall

Change is the heart of Netzer, in

our Judaism, in our education, in

our aims as a movement. We aim

for a transformational experience on

camp; transformational for our chanichim

(participants) and madrichim

(leaders), and transformational for

our community. Our Jewish practice

aims to respect tradition, meet the

needs of the current, and most importantly

shape our communal future.

But what do you do when the needs

of the current change on a whim?

It is this challenge that we (and just

about the entire world) faced as

we went into planning our Netzer

year in 2020. It was this challenge

that we faced going into

our 2021 Summer camp season.

Week to week we could not predict

what our future would hold.

It was hard to fathom a camp away

from a camp site. Even as we were

just days away from camp we were

plagued by doubts. Will this feel

familiar to returning chanichim? Is

this a ‘real’ experience for first time

campers? Health restrictions placed

limits on what we saw as fundamental

to our camp experience. No sleeping

away at a campsite; no singing and

chanting together. Our movement,

however, has always been at the forefront

of change; responding to it, but

most importantly leading the charge.

Even still, our doubts lingered all the

way up until the time camps begun.

As we soon learnt, the magic lies

not in the campsite, but in the energy

of a hundred young Jews, engaging

in learning and laughing. As

soon as the buses arrived, full of kids

from across Australia, it was evident

that our worries were unfounded.

With a little creativity, and a lot of

trust from our community, we were

able to transport the Synagogue

Campus into an alternate dimension.

Looking through our Netzer lens,

one informed by a history of creative

Jewish practice, the Campus

transformed. Hallways became a

classroom or a museum, classrooms

became cabins, the hall became our

Cheder Ochel (dining room). Every

open space became a sanctuary (one

of the rare spaces we were allowed

group singing). The creativity extended

to our programming and services.

Our Shacharit Service became a service

on the move, with smaller groups

of participants being lead from room

to room, Synagogue to park, as we

prayed through song, dance and art,

and finally coming back together for

the Torah Service. Online engagement

(something previously antithetical

to the camp experience) became a

staple of connection. We video-called

with our friends across Australia, and

sometimes even in the next room to

maintain our sense of community.

Every year we say it, but this time we

really meant it - this camp was truly

like no other. At the same time

though, we were able to hold within

this new space, everything good

and meaningful from Netzer past.

“He loved it so much that he cried

when it was time to say goodbye

to his new special friends. I feel

like he has come back with a new

way of seeing the world, which

to us, is completely priceless!”

All of this is a reminder that the

camp experience is more than creating

an ephemeral moment of Jewish

connection. We seek to build something

longer lasting, embedding in

our community a new way to the

world. One in which every space can

be one prayer, every meeting one of

connection and every moment one

of learning. We were very lucky in

our corner of the world to have been

afforded this opportunity. We hope

that everyone reading this article,

wherever you are, can take a moment

with us to look at the world the

‘Netzer way’. Finally, a thank you

to our community and Synagogues

who trusted us and housed us,

without whom camp would not

have been a possibility this year.

26

BENJAMIN FRAM

School: Emanuel

Hobbies: Drumming, singing, listening

to music, bike-riding, finding

delicious street food in Sydney

Pets: Max the Spoodle

Likes: Likes: Music, hanging

Mr Timothy & Mrs Leora Allen

Miss Dorothy Amilbangsa

Mr Ashleigh Antflick

Dr Theodore & Mrs

Jenny Arnold

Miss Hannah Blencowe

Mr Andrew Blencowe

Dr Jason Bos & Ms Jessica Alley

Mr Ayal Buki & Miss

Tiffany Thurtell

Michael & Mrs Miriam Cook

Mr Joseph Constable &

Mrs Isabelle Sleurink

{BNEI MITZVAH}

out with friends

Dislikes: Chores, closedminded

people.

About yourself: These have been

my main interests over the years:

Dinosaurs. Every animal on the planet.

Every flag in the world. Human

rights in those places. Minecraft

and Sims. The Holocaust. Junior

Eurovision. Dystopian futures. Music

trends. Indo-European languages.

Street food the world over. Improving

Sydney’s town planning. Train maps.

Social Justice projects:

With the generous support of those

who sponsored me, I raised $2098 for

The Song Room by drumming for 5

hours non-stop. The Song Room provides

music tuition to Australian children

who could not otherwise afford it.

I also took part in the Yad Vashem

twinning project. I was twinned with

{NEW MEMBERS}

To welcome the stranger

Mr Michael Dompedro

& Dr Gabrielle Stokes

Mr John & Mrs Anne Fleischer

Miss Ella Foster

Ms Dani Fried

Mr Jai Frances

Miss Leigh Golombick

Mr Jonathan & Mrs Karen Hirst

Ms Prudence Holloway

Dr Lina Jakob

Mr Richard Jacobson

Mr Richard Korda &

Ms Kasey Drayton

Beniamin Rozenson who was murdered

by the Nazis at the age of 11

in 1941. He never had an opportunity

to celebrate his Bar Mitzvan

and I dedicated my Bar Mitzvah to

him and all the children around the

world who to this day are subjected

to oppression, poverty and cruelty.

The challenges faced by my generation

are global warming, poverty,

racism, sexism and homophobia.

I hope I can make the world

better by addressing these issues.

What will you remember most

about your bar mitzvah? I worked

really hard and felt proud that it paid

off. I feel very grateful for the support

given by my family, friends and community.

We were very lucky that the

Covid numbers were very low, so we

could hold a dinner function which

was a lot of fun.

Mr Ronny & Mr Paul Kol

Ms Josephine Lowry

Miss Chloe Murphy

Mr Michael Penny &

Mrs Eva Galambos

Ms Myah Rom

Mr Timothy & Mrs Ilana Sackar

Ms Anna Stern

Mr Ryan Thalari

Ms Alexandra Tselios

Ms Lynette Waldron

Marcel Zimmet & Ms

Miriam Raphael

27

{TZEDAKAH}

Greater is tzedakah than all the sacrifices

$10,000 or more

Jewish Care

TE Property Fund

$5,000 or more

The Estate of S. Punin

$1,000 or more

Rabbi Paul & Mrs Lisa Jacobson

Mr Peter & Mrs Erica Keeda

Dr Thomas & Ms Deborah Kertesz

Mr David Landa OAM

Mr David Nathanson

& Ms Alisa Pincus

Mr Peter Ryner

Mr Serge Tauber

Mrs Cathy Wills

Mr Peter & Mrs Cecile Wise

Mr Owen Griffiths

$500 or more

Judy Becher

Mr David & Mrs Karen Gordon

Dr Reg & Mrs Kathie Grinberg

Desmond Kahn

Mr Henrik Kalowski

Mrs Ursula Moddel

Ms Vivienne Nabarro

Mr Jonathan & Mrs Renee Pinshaw

Mr Yoav Porat

Mr Emile & Ms Caroline Sherman

Mr Michael Sirmai &

Rebecca Finkelstein

Mrs Ira Winter

Up to $499

Mrs Beverley Adcock

Mr Laurence & Mrs

Suanne Adelman

Mr Peter Adler

Mrs Phyllis Agam

Mr James & Mrs Elaine Altman

Ms Eve Altman

Mr Michael & Mrs

Melanie America

28

Mr Sidney Antflick & Dr

Jennifer Adelstein

Mr Leo Apterman

Dr Drew Heffernan &

Dr Karen Arnold

Dr Theodore & Mrs Jenny Arnold

Ms Mary Aston-Levy

Ms Joanna Auerbach

Dr Anita Austin

Mrs Bernice Bachmayer

Dr David & Mrs

Maxine Bachmayer

Sandra Back

Mr Sydney Bader

Mr Stephen & Mrs Wendy Baer

Miss Rochelle Baer

Mr Michael & Mrs Nicole Baer

Anat Balaban

Mr Paul Bard

Joseph & Racheline Barda

Dr Felix & Mrs Caroline Barda

Dr Gerard & Mrs Lesley Barold

Dr Jeffrey & Mrs Cheryl Baron Levi

Dr Sean Baron Levi &

Ms Donna General

Ms Judith Barouch

Mr Jonathan Barouch

Mr Trent Bartfeld & Ms

Tanya Goldberg

Mr Victor Baskir

Dr Ernest Bass

Natalie Bassat

Ms Kathy Baykitch

Ms Deidre Bear

Mr John & Mrs Yvonne Bear

Dr Ross Bellamy & Ms

Yvette Slomovits

Mrs Ruth Bender

Ms Susan Benjamin

Mr Peter & Mrs Megan Benjamin

Ms Tala Bennett

Dr David AC & Hon Dr

Annabelle Bennett AC

Mr Paul & Mrs Vanessa Bennett

Dr Daniel Moses & Dr

Lyria Bennett Moses

Dr Danny Beran

Ms Beverley Berelowitz

Dr Laurie Berg & Ms

Natalie Purcell

Gaby & Mrs Jenny Berger

Helen Berger

Mr Ben & Mrs Sharon Berger

Mr Saul & Mrs Lauren Berkowitz

Dr David & Mrs Sandra Berman

Mr Joseph Bern

Dr Adele Bern

Mr David & Mrs

Amanda Bernstein

Dr Yoke Berry

Mr Philip & Mrs Caren Bettman

Mrs Anne Biner

Mr John Bineth

Dr Robert Blank & Dr

Susan Coppersmith

Mr Lewis (Dickie) Bloch

Mr Daniel & Mrs Zahava Bloch

Mrs Rosie Block

Dr David AC & Mrs Naomi Block

Mr Martin Bloom

Mr Joshua & Dr Naomi Bloom

Myer Bloom

Mrs Leah Bloomfield

Mr Lester & Mrs Frankie Blou

Mrs Elaine Bogan

Anthony & Mrs Lisa Bognar

Dr Imre Bokor & Ms Beatrice Bleile

Peter & Mrs Judith Bonta

Mr Allan & Mrs Rita Boolkin

Mrs Joan Bornstein

Mrs Tessa Boucher

Mrs Ghislaine Bouskila

Dr David Bowen &

Dr Anastasia Volovets

Ms Lindsay Thorpe

Mr Sidney & Mrs Julie Brandon

Mr Rodney Brender &

Ms Bettina Kaldor

Mrs Julianna Brender

Dr David & Mrs Wendy Brender

Dr Phillip & Mrs Catherine Brenner

Mr John & Mrs Susi Brieger OAM

Mrs Dahlia Brigham

Mr Patrick Ceran-Jerusalemy

& Ms Callantha Brigham

Mr Ian Brodie

Mr Leon & Mrs Emma

Bronfentrinker

Ms Lindsay Broughton

Mr Robert & Julie Brown

Mr Simon & Mrs Karine Buchen

Dr Ilan Buchman & Mr Oscar Shub

Mr Ayal Buki & Miss

Tiffany Thurtell

Ms Dagmar Caminer

Dr David & Mrs Nadya Caminer

Mr Jonathan & Ms Janine Cane

Mr Barry & Mrs Randi Cantor

Mr Judah & Mrs Bianca Caplan

Ms Susan Carleton

Mr Adam Carpenter &

Ms Tal Schlosser

Dr Bettina Cass

Mr David Castle

Dr David AO & Mrs

Noirin Celermajer

Mrs Jennifer Ceylon

Louise Chain

Mrs Ilse Charny

Mr Garry & Mrs Michele Charny

Mr Stephen & Mrs Lucy Chipkin

Marissa Chorn

Mrs Karen Christolis

Ms Joanne Clarke

Ms Helen Clayman

Ms Yvonne Coburn

Mrs Wendy Cohen

Ms Ruth Cohen

Mrs Glenda Cohen

Mr Roy & Mrs Jennifer Cohen

Mr Michael Cohen

Mr Cordell Scaife & Ms

Michelle Cohen

Mr David Cohen & Ms

Sharon Marjenberg

Mr Nathan & Mrs Rachel Cohen

Marvin Cohen

Dr Anne Cohn

Dr Geoffrey Cohn

Ms Nerida Cole

Mr Nathan Compton

Doris Cope

Ms Doris Cope-Krygier

Mrs Valerie Coppel

Mr Kevin & Mrs Dina Coppel

Esther Cossman

Mr Andrew & Mrs

Carolyn Crawford

Mr Henry Crawford

Dr Thomas Cromer

Mrs Nereida Cross

Dr Anthony & Mrs Rhonda Cutler

Mrs Jacqueline Dale

Mr Albert & Mrs Dinah

Danon OAM

Hagit Dar

Mr Robert Davidson

Mr Rodney Davies

Mr Roger Davis

Ms Ethel Davis

Mr Roger Davis

Mr Allan Davis

Dr Sacha Davis

Mrs Sally Davis

Sharon Davis

Mr Edward & Mrs Irit Davis

Mr Morris Symonds &

Mrs Irene Deutsch

Thomas Dixon

Mr David Doctor

Mrs Daphne Doctor

Mrs Suzette Doctor

Mr Isaac Douek

Dr Ian & Mrs Jacqueline Doust

Mrs Lily Dreyer

Mr David Duchen

Mr Paul Duchen

Mr Zachary Duchen

Dr Richard & Mrs Ellen Dunn

Mr Alan & Mrs Deborah Dworkin

Mr Andrew Dziedzic

Mr Martin QC & Mrs

Leone Einfeld

Dr Stewart & Mrs Susan Einfeld

The Hon. Justice Marcus Einfeld

Ms Naomi Elias

Mr Benjamin Elias

Mr David Emanuel

Ms Tia Emdur

Mrs Nicole Emdur-apps

Mrs Coryl Engel

Mrs Eva Engel

Dr Joseph Enis

Dr Anthony & Mrs Helen Epstein

Miss Jessica Epstein

Ms Rebecca Epstein

Mrs Lili Errera

Mrs Nicole Esra

Mrs Joy Evans

Mr Aaron & Mrs Margaret Ezekiel

Mr Mark & Mrs Julie Faigen

Mr David Faigen

Mr David & Mrs Julie Faktor

Mrs Sheila Faktor

Mrs Vera Faludi

Mr Anthony Faust

Mrs Eva Feher

Mr Philip Feinstein

Mr Aaron & Mrs Julie Fidler

Mr Paul Fiegel

Ms Doreen Finkelstein

Mr Danny & Mrs Rachael Fischer

Mr George & Mrs Anita Fisher

Mr Ron Fleischer &

Ms Lisa Bristowe

Mr Daniel & Mrs Yelena Fleischer

Denise Fletcher

Mr Daniel Folb & Miss

Elizabeth De Paoli

Mr Clifford Fram &

Ms Laura Alfred

Mr Peter Frankl & Mrs

Michelle Stein-Evers Frankl

Mr Peter & Mrs Daniela Freed

Mr Greg Freeman

Dr Ronald & Dr Susanne Freeman

Mrs Phyllis Freeman

Dr Anthony & Mrs Kerry Freeman

Dr Michael & Mrs Cyndi Freiman

Dr John & Mrs Francine Freiman

Mr Willi & Mrs Tracey Friderich

Ms Anna Fried

Ernie OAM & Mrs Lea Friedlander

Ms Laura Friezer

Miss Yael Frisch

Dr Jack Frisch & Ms

Belinda Epstein-Frisch

Dr Donald & Miriam Frommer

Fran Gale

John Gallo

Mr Bernd Garden

29

Mr David Garvin &

Ms Suzanne Tavill

Mr Howard & Mrs Jean Gelman

Dr Antony & Mrs Kim Gerber

Dr Robert & Mrs Eva Gertler

Mr Brandon & Mrs Jodie Gien

Rafi & Louise Glaser

Mr Jonathan Glass

Mr David & Mrs Ruth Glasser

Mr Barry Glick

Mrs Cherie Glick

Mr Timothy Glick

Mr Brian Gold

Dr Eli & Mrs Alethea Gold

Prof Ivan & Mrs Vera Goldberg

Ms Abigail Goldberg

Mr Benzion Goldberg

Mr David Goldberg

Mr Dan Goldberg & Ms

Jody Tocatly Goldberg

Mrs Milly Goldman

Mr David & Mrs Michelle Goldman

Mr Barry & Mrs Tahnee-

Lee Goldman

Vivienne Goldschmidt

Yafa Goldshmidt

Mr John & Mrs Tova Goldstein

Mr Gerald & Mrs Laura Goldwater

Mrs Helene Gonski

Dr Kate Gonski

Mr Michael Gonski

Mr Timothy Gonski

Mr David Gonski AC & Assoc

Professor Orli Wargon

Mr Raymond & Mrs

Jennifer Goodman

Dr John & Mrs Judith Goodman

Mrs Zinaida Gorelick-Weiss

Mr Barry & Mrs Isabel Gottheiner

Dr Julienne Grace

Ms Deborah Grace

Dr Richard Grant

Mr Jeffrey & Mrs Diane Grant

Mr Benny Green

Mr Daniel & Mrs Rosemarie Green

Mr Mark & Mrs Rachel Green

Mr David & Mrs Lynda Greenblo

Mr Robert Griew &

Dr Bernie Towler

Ms Tracey Griff

30

Mr Randolph & Mrs

Amanda Griffiths

Dr Ary & Mrs Mira Grinberg

Dr Colin & Mrs Barbara Gross

Sarah Grunstein

Mrs Annette Guerry

Ms Melissa Gunnsmith

Mr Jules AO & Ruth Guss

Mr Mark & Dr Danielle Hadassin

Dr Glenn Haifer

Dr Graham & Mrs Judi Hall

Sue Hallenstein

Dr Paul Hamor & Dr

Katherine Spira

Dr George & Mrs Romaine Hamor

Stefan Harbeck

Dr Christine Harris

Mr David & Mrs Sharon Harris

Mr Harry Harris

Mr Benjamin Harris &

Dr Alyssa Severin

Mr Les Hart

Mr Edward Hart

Mrs Caroline Haski

Mr Jeffrey & Mrs Susan Hauser

Mrs Gerda Hauser

Mrs Judy Heilpern

Lois Held

Ms Lesley-Ann Hellig

Mrs Manou Heman

Mr Michael & Mrs

Anthea Hemphill

Dr John & Mrs Joanna Hempton

Rochelle Hersch & Dr Jayne Bye

Mrs Jennifer Hershon

Mr Steve & Mrs Michaela Herzberg

Mr James & Mrs Christine Hill

Janet Hiller

Mr Andrew & Mrs Dee Hilton

Mr David & Mrs Monique Hirst

Mr Daniel & Mrs Sandra Hochberg

Mr Robert & Mrs Susan Hofbauer

Mrs Dolores Holland

Ms Leigh Holman

Mr Anthony & Mrs

Jennifer Holman

Ms Barbara Holmes

Mrs Valerie Hosek

Mr Philip & Mrs Tessa Hoser

Ms Sandra Hotz

Mr Mark & Mrs Sheryl House

Mrs Jane Houston

Mr Michael Hukic

Mr Anthony & Mrs Louise Hyman

Wayne & Mrs Rosalind Ihaka

Dr Gordon Innes

Ms Sophie Inwald

Mr Graeme Isaac & Ms

Winsome Bernard

Mr Benjamin Isaacs

Mr Clive Israel

Mr Gordon Jackson

Mrs Cynthia Jackson

Mr Gary & Mrs Aliza Jacobs

Dr Nathan & Mrs Kerry Jacobs

Mrs Claudette Jacobs

Ms Nicole Jacobs

Mrs Donna Jacobs Sife

Mr Elkan Jacobson

Justice Peter Jacobson

Mrs Vera Jacoby

Mr Maurice Jadouin &

Ms Gabriela Rosa

Mr Ronald & Mrs Irene Jarvin

Ms Carly Jassy

Dr Jack Jellins

Ms Alexandra Joel

Mr Greg Joffe & Dr Karen Spielman

Mrs Caron Johnson

Dr Anthony Joshua &

Dr Elizabeth Berger

Mr Peter & Mrs Susan Kadar

Mrs Aileen Kadison

Brenda Kahan

Mr Anthony Kahn & Mrs

Judith Kahn Friedlander

Mr John Kaldor

Mr Max & Mrs Barbara Kaler

Ms Irene Kalfus

Mr Chris & Mrs Vivian Kalowski

Mr Leonid Kamenev

Nathan Kamien


Mr Paul Kantor

Dr Jason & Mrs Jessica Kaplan

Graham Kaplan & Ms

Michelle Gray

Barbara Karet

Mr Barry & Mrs Pamela Karp

Ms Lyndall Katz

Professor Ilan Katz & Ms

Julia Meyerowitz-Katz

Ms Hilary Katzeff

Mr Steven Kay

Mr Scott Hurst & Ms Dana Kedzier

Phillip Keen

Mr Andrew & Mrs

Dorothy Kemeny

Dr John & Mrs Roslyn Kennedy

Ms Laura Kennedy

Mr Daniel & Mrs Alexis Kennedy

Dr Nicholas & Mrs Mary Kery

Mr Danny & Mrs Jeanette Kidron

Ms Annie Kingsbury

Mr Anatoly Kirievsky

Dr Peter & Mrs Elizabeth Kitchener

Mr Jack & Mrs Maxine Klarnet

Mr Matthew & Mrs

Hannah Klimenko

Dr Peter Klug & Dr Julie Gottlieb

Mr Avi Knoll

Mr Brian Knoll

Mr Daniel & Mrs Natalie Knoll

Dr Stephen & Dr Deborah Koder

Mr Robert & Mrs Nancy Kohn

Mr Ronny & Mr Paul Kol

Mrs Linda Kopcho

Ms Yvonne Korn

Mrs Judit Korner

Mr Jim Kornmehl &

Ms Jeany Simons

Mrs Dorothy Krawitz

Mr Arnaldo Kretzig &

Ms Kerryn McIntyre

Mr Ernie Kritzler

Mr Andrew & Mrs Dianne Krulis

Ms Therese Kutis

Professor Konrad & Mrs Jane Kwiet

Mrs Barbara Lake

Mr Murray & Mrs Peppa Landis

Mrs Eugina Langley

Mr John & Ms Nita Lavigne

Ms Yittah Lawrence

Dr Leo Robin & Ms Shirley Leader

Mr Solomon & Mrs Linda Lebovic

Mrs Ilona Lee

Professor Gus & Mrs Nanna Lehrer

Mr Alex & Mrs Claire Lehrer

Dr Michael & Mrs

Jeannine Leibowitz

Mr Anthony & Mrs

Louise Leibowitz

Mr Michael & Mrs

Shirley Leibowitz

Mr Brian Lenny

Mrs Barbara Leser

Dr Gregory Levenston &

Ms Judith Morrice

Mr Collin Levi

Dr Mark Levi

Mr Jules & Ms Daphna Levin-Kahn

Mr Jonathan Struggles

& Ms Judith Levine

Ms Amanda Levine &

Ms Danielle Batha

Mr Justin Levis

Dr Michael Levitt

Mrs Beth Levy

Ms Elizabeth Levy

Mr Philip & Mrs Lorraine Levy

Dr Michael Levy & Mrs

Renee Ferster Levy

Mr Gregg & Mrs Sue Levy

Mr Michael & Mrs Dianna Levy

Mr Warren & Mrs Lilian Levy

Mrs Lynette Levy

Dr Robert & Mrs Vivian Lewin

Ms Miriam Lewin

Mrs Joan Lewis

Mr Barry Lewis

Ms Myrna Lewis

Dr Geoffrey & Mrs Lolita Lewis

Robert Hoole & Ms Ruth Lewis

Dr Norelle Lickiss

Stanford & Mrs Abirah Lifschitz

Mr Adam Lifschitz & Mrs

Orly Mizrahi-Lifschitz

Ms Jacqueline Lindeman

Mrs Erika Lindemann

Mr Alex & Mrs Rosemary Linden

Mr Maurice Linker

Mr Martin & Mrs Angela Lipman

Ms Jennifer Littman

Mr Sydney Lonstein

Mrs Judith Lorentz

Mr Ilan & Mrs Michelle Lowbeer

Ms Josephine Lowry

Miss Debbie Ludwig

Mrs Hedy Ludwig

Mrs Sylvia Luikens

Mr Eric & Mrs Gail Lundberg

Jennifer Lush

Mr Michael Lyons

Mr Andrew & Mrs Liza Lyons

Mrs Dorrit Mahemoff

Mrs Denise Mallach

Dr Linda Mann

Mr Marsden Auerbach &

Dr Joanne Manning

Mr Daniel & Mrs Anna Marcus

Mr Robin Margo

Ms Sarah Margo

Mrs Renee Markovic

Mr John Marsden

Mr Adam & Mr Luc

Marshall-Weinberg

Mr Fraser McEwing

Mark McGuinness

Ms Judith McLallen

Mr Richard Flook & Dr

Mary-Louise Mclaws

Mrs Denise McOnie

The Hon Walter Secord &

Ms Julia McRae-Levitina

Mr Herman &

Mrs Frances Melkman

Ms Judy Menczel

Dr Graeme Mendelsohn

Mr Henry AM & Mrs

Naomi Mendelson

Mr David Meyers & Ms

Monique Werkendam

Prof. Alan Rosen & Ms

Vivienne Miller

Mr David Morris

Mr Simon Morris & Mrs

Sonia Wechsler

Mr Roderick Morton

Mrs Diana Moses

Ms Primrose Moss

Frank Muller

Mr Gerd Muncke

Mr Lawrence & Mrs Sylvia Myers

Mr Gerald Myerson &

Ms Teresa Petrzelka

Mrs Victoria Nadel

Mrs Nicci Nahon

Ms Jacqueline Nash

Mr Mark Nathan

Mr Michael & Mrs Ruth Nathanson

Ms Irena Nebenzahl

31

Mr Michael & Mrs

Cassandra Nebenzahl

Dr Alan & Mrs Regina Nerwich

Ms Lana Neumann

Mrs Sonja Neumann

Thomas & Vivien Neumann

Janet Neustein

Claire Neville

Ms Jeannie Newman

Mr Terry & Mrs Anne Newman

Mr William & Mrs

Barbara Newman

Professor Graham Newstead

AM & Ms Michele Newman

Mrs Johanna Nicholls

Mr Mikhael Nisner &

Mr Barry Robinson

Mr Thomas Biller & Dr

Anita Nitchingham

Peter & Mrs Esther Nothman

Mr Ari & Mrs Kim Novick

Mr Liam O'Callaghan

Mrs Vivienne Olian

Mr Anthony & Mrs Ronit Olovitz

Mr Aubrey & Mrs Estelle Olstein

PAULINE OPAT OPAT

Ms Rita Opit

Ms Kathleen Oppermann

Mr Ronald & Mrs Marcia Osborne

Mr Laurence & Mrs Julia Osen

Mr Damien & Mrs Caren Ottaviano

Ms Kylie Owen

Mr Phillip & Mrs Eva Palmer

Ms Sara Pantzer

Mr Warren Pantzer

Carolyn Parfitt

Mr Shimon Parker

Ms Jane Parker

Ms Leisha Parker

Roger & Mrs Cecily Parris

Dr Mark Penny & Dr Anne Kean

Mr Peter & Mrs Yvonne Perl

Mrs Lynne Perl

Dr Ralph Hilmer & Mrs

Margaret Perlman Hilmer

Mrs Dani Perriam Frisch

Stephen Perry

Dr Robert Philips

Mr David & Mrs Susie Phillips

Mr Antony & Mrs Mandi Pinshaw

32

Dr Dennis Pisk

Mrs Bertha Pisk

Mr Warren Polivnick &

Mrs Kamina Nagel

Dr Michael Pollack

Mr Warwick Pollard

Mr Sergio & Mrs Olivia Polonsky

Ms Freda Potok

Mr Brett & Mrs Natalee Pozniak

Mr Sheldon Pozniak

Mr Heiko & Mrs Carol Preen

Mr Ian & Mrs Beverly Pryer

Mr Mark Pynt

Mrs Ruth Rack

Mr Guy Rob & Ms

Elizabeth Radford

Mrs Jennifer & Roy Randall

Mr Kenneth Raphael

Mr Andrew Singh &

Ms Nina Rassaby

Lili Recht

Judi Redelman

Ms Victoria Reich

Linda Reitzin

Mrs Olga Reti

Ms Thea Riesel

Mr Claudio Rispler

Martyn & Mrs Sara Roberts

Rabbi Gary & Mrs Jocelyn Robuck

Ms Karnie Roden

William David Rooseboom

Mr Sean & Mrs Joanne Rose

Mr Marshall & Mrs Suzanne Rosen

Ellis & Lynette Rosen

Mr Robert & Mrs Eva Rosen

Assoc. Prof. Andrew Rosenberg

Mr Leslie Rosenfeld

Mrs Deanne Rosenthal

Leora Ross

Mr Amitai & Mrs Abigail Rotem

Mr George Rotenstein

Mr John Roth & Ms

Jillian Segal AO

Janice Roth

Mr Stuart & Mrs Yvonne Rubin

Mr Ryan & Mrs Samantha

Rubinstein

Suzanne Rutland

Dr John Saalfeld

Dr Alan & Ms Nicole Sacks

Mrs Pamela Sackville

David & Jill Saffron

Mr Manfred & Mrs Linda Salamon

Linz Sam

Dr Neville & Mrs Ingrid Sammel

Mrs Aliza Sassoon

Dr Regina Sassoon

Mrs Beverley Saul

Ms Deborah Saunders

Ms Julie Saunders

Mr Robert & Dr Lynette Schaverien

Ms Danielle Schlanger

Mrs Monica Schlesinger

Edwina Schneller

Dr Stephen & Mrs Debbie Scholem

Mr Ronald & Mrs Gloria Schwarz

Miss Jacheta Schwarzbaum

Mr Norbert OAM &

Mrs Sonja Schweizer

Mrs Marcia Scudder

Dr Ilan & Mrs Shira Sebban

Mr Roger & Dr Eleanor Sebel

Ms Agnes Seemann

J Segal

Mrs Miriam Segal

Mr Kevin & Mrs Yadida Sekel

Dr Alex & Mrs Jennifer Selby

Ms Jessica Selby

Emeritus Professor Benjamin

& Mrs Veronica Selinger

Miss Jennifer Selinger

Miss Jo Selinger

Ms Miri Senecky

Ms Claire Sexton

Ms Michele Shadler

Dr Ariel & Dr Naomi Shammay

Keren Sharon

Mrs Vivienne Sharpe

Dr David Sharpe

Mr John Sharpe

Mr Andrew & Ms Louise Sharpe

Mrs Minnie Shaul

Ms Merril Shead

Roma Shell

Mr Isadore & Mrs Brenda Sher

Mr Brian AM &

Dr Gene Sherman AM

Paul & Mrs Gloria Shillan

Mr Yakov & Mrs

Ludmila Shneidman

Professor Gary Sholler &

Mrs Kristine Anderson

Ms Olivia Sholler

Mr Andrew Silberberg &

Ms Michelle Katz

Mrs Agnes Silberstein

Mrs Ruth Silver

Mrs Marianne Silvers

Mr Andrew Silvers

Mr Michael Silvers

Mr Leonard & Mrs Shirley Simon

Mrs Esther Simons

Mr Robert Simons

Mrs Ofira Singer

Judith Singer

Mrs Joy Sirmai

Dr Alan & Professor

Diane Skapinker

Mr Michael & Mrs Samantha Slade

Mr Joseph Constable &

Mrs Isabelle Sleurink

Mr Jacob Slomovits

Mr Ryan Wilkan & Miss

Stephanie Snedden

Mrs Sharon Snir

David & Mrs Judy Solomon

Ms Elaine Solomon

Ms Jody Somogy

Ms Peggy Sorger

Ms Lesley Spindler

Mr Garry & Mrs Rosemary Stafford

Mr Albert Stafford &

Mrs Karin Rose

Mr Caleb Winch &

Mrs Rebecca Stern

Joshua Same & Ms Tara Stern

Jennifer Stone

Dr Paul & Mrs Ellen Stone

Dr Benjamin Kremer &

Dr Sarah Strasser

Dr Jeffrey & Mrs Jeanette Streimer

Dr Alfred Stricker

Mrs Ruth Stux

Mr Florio Sullam

Dr Norman Swan

Mr John Szabo & Ms Jenifer Engel

Mr Daniel Szekely

Lu Szuhyta

Mr Emanuel Szumer

Mrs Ruth Tarlo

Mr Alan & Mrs Joan Taylor

Mrs Davida Thomas

Mrs Julie Thompson

Ms Lindsay Thorpe

Mr Justin Phillips & Ms

Louise Thurgood-Phillips

Ms Sandra Tiltman

Sandy Tischmann

Mrs Patricia Toben

Ms Ruth Topelberg

Jesse Tracton

Mr Bob & Mrs Gabriella Trijbetz

Mr Adam Tsipris &

Emma Solomon

Ira Tucker

Dr Michael Urwand

Mrs Ericka van Aalst

Ms Jenny Van Proctor

Mr William & Dr

Miriam Van Rooijen

Ms Karina Veal

Mr Ronen Vexler &

Ms Elizabeth Kollias

Mr Stephen & Mrs Edna Viner

Mrs Itta Vorsay

Dr Devorah Wainer

Mr Zoltan & Mrs Nicole Waldner

Brad Wargo

Mr Maurice Watson

Mr Leon & Mrs Tracey-

Ann Waxman

Mr John & Mrs Thea Weiss

Mr Robert & Mrs Fiona Weiss

Gali Weiss Mizrahi

Miss Sophie Wenderoth

Ms Zuleika White

Mr Scott Whitmont & Mr

Christopher Whitmont-Stein

Ms Toni Whitmont

Mrs Evelyn Whittaker

Mr Robert Whyte

Mr Michael & Mrs Vivien Wiener

Paula Wilkenfeld

Mr Uri Windt & Ms Louise Tarrant

Mr Daniel & Mrs Yvonne Wise

Mr Phillip AM & Mrs

Suzy Wolanski

Mr Jonathan & Mrs Carly Wolf

Ms Karen Wolf

Geoffrey Wolf

Ms Dianne Wolff

Claudia Woodward

Mr Gordon Woolf & Mrs

Virginia Baker-Woolf

Mr Harold & Mrs Lana Woolf

Mr Aaron Magner & Mrs

Gabrielle Wynhausen

Mrs Zara Yellin

Sara Young

Mrs Lynnette Zaccai

Mr Gary Zamel

Mr Daniel Goldberg &

Dr Alina Zeldovich

Vivian Zeltzer

John Ziegler

Dr Dennis & Mrs Jane Zines

Mr Raphael Ziv & Mr

Erwin Jeremiah

Barry Zuckerman

33

Jake Adler

Raphael Benezra

Harley Bloom

Chloe Ava Glavas

Ayda Jacobs

Shemi Kahn

Ava Betty La Mela

{BIRTHS}

Welcome to

Amelia Levy Woodhouse

Balthasar Malin

Leah Cecelia Mangano

Jacob Tom Marshall-Weinberg

Issy Meltz

Gabriel Issy Nothman

Amelie Ruth Myra Osen

Hunter Raymond

Jonah Rob

Baby Shteinberg

Isabella Sternberg

George Tellidis

Aaron Berkowitz

Rohan Britton

Jonah Broughton-Oshlack

Ziggy Broughton-Oshlack

Leah Doust

Ethan Fleischer

Benjamin Fram

Zac Herzberg

{B’NEI MITZVAH}

Mazal Tov to

Tadhg Kalowski

Caiubi Keeda

Jonah Lemberg

Benjamin Lesnik

Alyssa Lion

Katherine Lowbeer

Violet Nathanson

Oliver Novy

Joshua Ottaviano*

Calliope Owen

Jordan Pal

Liam Peles

Safi Reza

Toby Seemann

Zachary Sherman

David Winter

{MARRIAGE}

To rejoice with the happy couple

Judah Caplan &

Raphaella Kreiling

Amanda Lyras & David Salkinder

Reuben Aaron

Aviva Bloomfield

Susan (Sue) Cohen

Susie Fisher

Tom (Nelu) Fisterman

Lotte Forsher

Edgar Freed

Netty Grant

34

Daniel Musat &

Samantha Wygoda

{DECEASED}

To comfort the bereaved

Claire Green

Mina Herscovici

Mireille Hesketh

Vera Kertesz

Celia Lewis

Ivan Lorentz

Schloma Marczak

Rita Mayer

Ester Sarkadi-Clarke

& Slava Inberg

Alicia Vidler & Shai Zarivatch

Emanuel Morris

Ruth Osen

Lesley Rosenberg

Odette Salmona

Alexander Sevitt

Ilona Sharpe

Eileen Stalbow

Steven Stux

Puzzle Page

by Anne Wolfson

35

{SERVICE TIMES}

All service times are subject to change. Please check

emanuel.org.au for any amendments to our regular services.

Morning Minyan

Minyanim are on Zoom from 7:30am Monday to Friday. In addition they

are on campus Monday and Thursday at 7:30am; Bar and Bat Mitzvah

students may attend on those days. (Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/em-minyan)

SHABBAT SERVICES

Erev Shabbat

• 6:15pm - Masorti (Neuweg - in person only)

• 6:15pm - Shabbat Live (Millie Phillips Building - in person & live-streamed)

(emanuel.org.au/services)

Shabbat Morning

• 10:00am - Progressive Shabbat service in-person

• 10:00am - Masorti (Millie Phillips Building - in person only)

To attend services in-person please register before Friday 11am.

NB: Security screenings are required for all persons unknown to the Synagogue

prior to attending. Please contact info@emanuel.org.au for further information.

{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: emanuel.org.au

Like: facebook.com/emanuel.synagogue

Follow us! We’re on Twitter @emanuelshule and Instagram @emanuelsynagogue

Office hours

Monday–Thursday: 9am–5pm

Friday: 9am–2pm

_______

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.

TELL Magazine - Pesach 2021 (March - May)

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