Torah Portion: Ki Teitzei Synagogue: Yeshivah, Chabad Walking time from home: 10 mins Reason for going: I woke up late Kiddush: Large Kiddush with cake and cholent This week I genuinely didn’t know where I would go to shule when I woke on Shabbat morning. Sometimes I plan these things in advance, and sometimes I just play it by ear. The one relevant factor however was that I missed my alarm and woke up later than expected, meaning I had to choose either a later starting shule, or a closer one, or both. Several months ago I had wanted to go to Yeshivah – one of the old traditional shules in Melbourne – but I got sidetracked and ended up at Young Yeshivah, one of multiple shules on the campus. This time as I walked in I discovered that there was another celebration at Young Yeshivah that some people were going to, but I stayed in the main shule for the duration o...
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Torah Portion: Shoftim Synagogue: St Kilda Shule, traditional orthodox Walking time from home: A little over 20 mins Reason for going: Multicultural Shabbat Kiddush: Very large, catered As Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews, I love a good interfaith event. As such, just a few weeks after last visiting St Kilda shule, I was back again this week for their annual multicultural Shabbat, that not only featured a large visiting crowd from over a dozen different religious and ethnic groups, but also featured the Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs as guest speaker. St Kilda shule has always been one of the large traditional congregations where people from diverse backgrounds have felt comfortable. Sir John Monash was on the board for many years and si...
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Torah Portion: Re’eh Synagogue: Gary Smorgon House Walking time from home: 40 minutes Reason for going: Special service and kiddush Kiddush: Large, catered kiddush with lots of variety In April of this year, as I have mentioned previously, I participated in March of the Living, as part of an Australian delegation consisting of 48, most of whom were from Melbourne. One of the fellow participants was the rabbi of Gary Smorgon House (GSH) at Jewish Care, and ever since Poland, we have been talking as a group about doing a reunion Shabbat service and lunch together with the residents at GSH, many of who are survivors. This Shabbat, after months of talking, it finally happened. GSH has about 120 residents, most of whom do not keep Shabbat, but many like to attend special events. Whilst there is a Shabbat service ev...
Torah Portion: Eikev Synagogue: Chabad on Carlisle Walking time from home: 15 mins Reason for going: An invitation Kiddush: Sit down kiddush with lots of variety When my dad first arrived in Australia, one of the first religious people he met was the late Rabbi Gorelick. Though my dad has never been a shule goer, the ad hoc connection stayed till the rabbi first became ill and then passed away in 2021. Through my dad, I met the rabbi as well as his family, and though we rarely went to his shule, I have stayed in touch with some of his kids and have followed the development of the shule over the years. As such, it was nice to visit for the first time in a while. Chabad on Carlisle has become one of the stalwart synagogues of the Melbourne Jewish community. Starting out as FREE – the home for the Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe – through Rabbi Gorelick’s effo...