Torah Portion:	Tzav – Hagadol
Synagogue:	Sassoon Yehuda (Sephardi orthodox)
Walking time from home:	10 minutes
Reason for going:	To check it out
Kiddush:	N/A

The majority of synagogues that I go to, be they orthodox, reform or otherwise, are familiar in the sense that they are of Ashkenazi origin and have similar tunes and similar styles of prayer. This week however I decided to go to one that is unfamiliar to me.

There has been a Sephardi synagogue in Melbourne since the 1960s at least, but for the last 20+ years the main Sephardi synagogue has been in a very prominent location, surrounded by numerous other shules. Before one goes in though, it is clear that it is Sephardi due to its architectural design, and this very much extends to the inside as well. It has Sephardi murals and artwork, and specific Sephardi prayer books produced by Artscrcoll – the only place in Melbourne I have ever seen them.

The service stands out in multiple ways: Unlike in most other shules where there is a dedicated chazan or cantor, in Sephardi services most parts of the service are read out loud by everyone, and though there is a prayer leader for some parts, that person mostly guides the service rather than leads it. On top of that, many of the tunes are unique, and much of the pronunciation – if it is authentic – is with a different accent or intonation. When it comes to the Torah reading, the scrolls are self-standing, encased in a decorated, engraved dressing with bells on the top so that everyone knows when the Torah is on the move and pays appropriate respect. And finally, whereas in Ashkenazi shules, the priestly blessing is only performed on festivals, in Sephardi shules it is performed during every morning service, which is unique and different, especially for the Kohanim.

In Melbourne there are two Sephardi synagogues, with the other one under the auspices of Chabad. Either way, both are considered somewhat eclectic, and especially this one because it caters for all Sephardi strands. Whilst each community from northern Africa or the Spanish lands had their own customs, traditions and tunes, this synagogue is a mix of all of them, sometimes dependant on the traditions of the rabbi or the prayer leader. One of the current traditions for instance, is that there is no regular sermon because that was never part of a Sephardi prayer experience, and when it was introduced in shules around the world, apparently it came from the church. So as a traditional Sephardi synagogue, there is now no sermon. For me this was surprising because on the few other occasions when I visited this community, there was a speech or sermon. However, the rabbi pointed out that sometimes they do have speeches during the service, though they are almost always given by learned congregants and not the rabbi, which was certainly the case on previous occasions.

This week what made the service even more bizarre was that there was no kiddush after the service. Normally that is one of the highlights because the kiddush – like the service – is Sephardi, which means rather than fish balls and herring, there is couscous and other spicy or Spanish-inspired fare. But on this occasion there was nothing at all since the kitchen has already been prepared for Pesach, which is just days away. I suppose that is fair enough, though I did go to a communal dinner at another shule on Friday night which was also prepared for Pesach, and thus it was an odd menu and the first Shabbat dinner I have been to not on Pesach itself that didn’t include Challah.

Nonetheless, the Sephardi service was an interesting and eye-opening experience. The president reiterated that though it is Sephardi, it is very much a shule for all. As such, the shule attracts people who like to hear the words of the prayers enunciated, as well as people who simply like to hear different tunes and experience different traditions. In other words, people like me.