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 since then, most Premiers and many other ministers of government have attended. Many prominent weddings and Bnei Mitzvah have taken also place there, often with a diverse array of guests in attendance. It was therefore a natural fit to host the inaugural multifaith and multicultural Shabbat there last year. This year it was not only bigger and better, but included the Minister and many other faith leaders.

Unlike some of the Jews, most of the non-Jewish guests arrived right on time. I was a little late and thus when I walked in, I happened to sit next to a prominent Muslim leader that I knew. He was sitting with a group from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association from Berwick who made the hour-long journey just to be at this service. I love attending these events because I greatly enjoy explaining parts of the service to non-Jews, so I spent the entire service in conversation with this group. Some had never been inside a synagogue previously, so they asked questions about the layout of this building and what differentiates this one from others. But some asked more profound questions, about the place of women in the service, about the origins of the text, about the prominence of the Torah, and about the liturgy and its contemporary meaning.

The sermon in most synagogues is related to the portion of the week, which this week in large part was about judges, justice, idolatry and the legal system, but the rabbi instead focused on the uniqueness of diversity and the positive embracement of difference. I explained to my group that normally the rabbi addresses an element of the portion, but each of them appreciated his words about the importance of multiculturalism to the fabric of the state of Victoria. This theme was expounded on later at the kiddush by the Minister, who not only spoke about the diversity of cultures and backgrounds, but also spoke about the diversity of genders as well, and publicly congratulated the current president of this congregation, who is the first female president of St Kilda shule in its 150+ years of existence. Both multiculturalism and gender diversity not only enhance the harmony of the population, but show what is possible within the confines of religion. As the rabbi stated in his sermon, the purpose of such a gathering is not to convert anyone to Judaism, but it is simply to open up people’s eyes to what happens behind the walls of a synagogue and to remove ignorance and intolerance.

For me personally, and for many other Jews as well, these kinds of events strengthen my resolve and show the beauty of what Judaism can be. They also get me thinking, because when I have to explain to a foreigner what happens in a synagogue, I need to be clear about it myself. This year, as I have been visiting a range of different shules, I have become much clearer in my own mind about what the services are all about, and next week when I go to another different shule, I will continue to be open-minded and open-hearted, as each of the guests were at St Kilda shule this week.