Torah Portion:	Shelach
Synagogue:	Ohr Yisrael, modern Orthodox
Walking time from home:	35 mins
Reason for going:	Something new and different
Kiddush:	Sponsored and lovely, but outside in the cold

Of the 60 or so shules in Melbourne, some are old, established ones that have been around for decades, whilst others are much newer. In fact, one of the reasons why Melbourne has so many synagogues for the size of our community, is because it often happens that when a rabbi is replaced, if that person was good, energetic and well liked, then a core membership coalesces around them and starts a new shule. This has happened numerous times, and though it doesn’t always become sustainable, sometimes the community that forms as a result of this kind of origination outlasts the rabbi and becomes a fully-fledged community of its own.

This was certainly the case with Ohr Yisael. The shule initially formed around a charismatic rabbi approximately 15 years ago, who had recently left a previous shule. He departed Australia not long after, but the shule is still going strong, with a new rabbi and a new premises (the third since it started). It is modern orthodox, but on the black hat end of that spectrum, and though the shule meets in a converted house, there is just about enough room for 40 or so on the men’s side, and a little less than that on the ladies side. This week all of the seats were taken, and some people even had to stand.  

Without realising it in advance, I had actually chosen to visit on a week with multiple simchas. During the week, one of the stalwart families of the shule welcomed a new baby, whilst on the Shabbat itself, there was an Aufruf – where a groom got called to the Torah ahead of his upcoming wedding. The result was a larger than anticipated crowd, and a sponsored and hearty kiddush, though because the crowd was large and the kiddush was expansive, it had actually been set up during the service outside in the yard, since there are no other room indoors that weren’t already being used during the service, and they didn’t want to waste time after the service setting up the kiddush. Normally the kiddush is indoors, but normally it is also much smaller.

During the service there wasn’t a lot of chatter, but there was a lot of excitement, especially when the honourees were called up for their readings. There was some improvised dancing and singing, as well as some lolly throwing after the groom was called up. The sermon was also largely dedicated to the honourees, though it was also about the portion of the week, which is full of interesting and enticing episodes. For instance, the portion begins with the spies being sent to scour the land ahead of the Jewish people’s imminent arrival in the land of Israel. But when they return and ten out of twelve of them give a negative or not so glowing report about the land, it is decreed that none of the people of the current generation should enter the land because they accepted the negative description. This is the basis of the forty years of wondering through the desert – a time for generation replenishment.

The commentators suggest that though it says that Moses was told to ‘send for yourself’ – meaning send people to tour the land so that they know where the encampments should be – Moses instead tells them to scour the land. Ultimately it is believed that the spies returned with their report on the 9^th of Av, and that the forty years in the desert and all the negative events that have followed since on that day, could have been prevented if only there had not been a misunderstanding or a miscommunication of the original command. For a bride and groom, this is a lesson to heed – that communication is critical to a successful relationship, but equally for the rest of us too.

This synagogue and community, which has endured despite the originators no longer in the picture, is an testament of believing in yourself, not listening to the negativity that surrounds us, communicating well with congregants, and building on the strengths of others.