Torah Portion:	Bo
Synagogue:	Hamerkaz (Chabad, Israeli)
Walking time from home:	30 minutes
Reason for going:	Air conditioning and sit down kiddush
Kiddush:	Big lunch with at least 3 cholents

This week was the final week of the summer holiday period, for shules and for other institutions alike. From Monday, everything re-opens to full capacity, including schools, communal organisations and large offices. As such, from next Shabbat, all regular activities resume, but in the meantime, for this final Shabbat of the holiday period, I chose to go to a shule on a hot summer day that I knew would have good air conditioning and a hearty kiddush. 

Hamerkaz was initially set up largely for Israeli émigrés, though the community has grown since and like most shules in Melbourne, it is now full of diversity, though Hebrew is still a dominant language amongst many of the congregants. For newcomers, it is sometimes surprising to learn that the rabbi is not Israeli. He is instead Belgian, but is very friendly and engaging, and has a fluent command of Hebrew. His is many ways therefore a perfect fit for this diverse and varied community. 

The shule is housed in a very beautifully designed and maintained building, and though it is under the auspices of Chabad, most congregants are either not Chabad or not religious, but respect the rabbi and his practices. In fact, some attend regularly because of the rabbi and because of the way the shule operates, which includes one of the best regular kiddushes. On this day the kiddush was even better than normal because there was a pre-wedding call-up, and the Aufruf also inspired part of the sermon. 

The portion of the week is called ‘Bo’ which means ‘Come’, as in ‘Come to the land of Egypt’. The rabbi explained that the regular syntax should have been ‘Go to the land of Egypt’, but it says ‘Come’ to imply that G-d was accompanying Moses, and that when times are tough, the people should know that they are not alone. This reminds me of a poem, which I have as a printout on my desk. ‘Footprints on the Sand’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_K4krQmlo) is often an inspiration for people and also suggests that G-d is always with us.

As part of that, one of the first commandments listed in this week’s portion is that of blessing the new moon and counting the months based on the moon. Addressing the soon-to-be married couple, the rabbi asked why the Jewish calendar follows the moon (and the sun) rather than just the sun like most other calendars. He suggested that following the sun is common practice but somewhat dull. The sun always rises and always shines. Yes, there are days when it is less bright than other days, but it never fails to rise. 

The moon on the other hand waxes and wanes. Sometimes it is full and bright, and sometimes it is a barely visible sliver. A marriage is similar. Whilst there will hopefully be many bright days, there will inevitably be some days that will be difficult, verging on erasure. In a sense, this is a metaphor for the Jewish people more broadly. In the 1940s for example, within one decade, the Jewish people went from their greatest depths in Europe to one of their greatest highs with the creation of the State of Israel. 

The point is that following the moon is much more realistic. Life if never a straight line. There are always curves and bends, and dealing with them and appreciating them – through different synagogue experiences amongst many other ways – is part of the beauty of life itself.