Torah Portion:	Vayishlach
Synagogue:	East Melbourne Hebrew Cong (Orthodox)
Walking time from home:	1 hour and 25 minutes
Reason for going:	Something different
Kiddush:	Sit down kiddush with a cake!

As I have said many times, there are over 60 shules in Melbourne these days, with the vast majority of them in the south eastern suburbs (within 2 km or so of where I live). But the oldest shule in town is surprisingly nowhere near that existing centre. In every capital in Australia, the initial Jewish community was generally established in or close to the CBD, and then with gentrification and other factors, the community moved further into suburbia. But in most cities, the original shules still stand and are often still active, as is the case with the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation. The synagogue was founded in 1857, and after two decades it moved into its current site on the edge of the CBD in 1877, making it the oldest still standing synagogue building on the Australian mainland. Only a few congregations throughout the country are slightly older but have moved, with only the synagogues in Hobart and Launceston older and on their original sites. 

The age of the shule hits you before you even enter, since it is clear from the façade that you are about to enter an historical building. That image is shattered almost immediately because the current entry foyer was recently updated and looks a bit too modern, but then once you step over the threshold into the sanctuary, you realise you really are in a heritage building. Not only do the furnishings look quite dated, but across the entire back wall on the ground level there are plaques with donation amounts in pounds and guineas, and some standalone plaques commemorating former prominent members of the community dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.

In spite of the age of the site, the service and the people were entirely modern. It is an orthodox synagogue to be sure, but the rabbi is keenly aware that almost none of the congregants are religious or keep Shabbat like he does. As such, some elements were truncated, others were briefly explained in English to keep the crowd informed, and some very minor prayers were eliminated entirely. Despite that, partly because of the rain in the morning, a Minyan didn’t actually form till 10-15 minutes after the advertised start time so the service finished late and the rabbi apologised a few times for going over time. In fact, to save time, the rabbi even scrapped his sermon (which would be unthinkable in most shules) but made up for it by giving a shortened speech during the kiddush. After all, in a shule like this, people like to come, but they don’t like to stay longer than necessary, especially if they only come occasionally or are not very observant. Eventually there was more than a Minyan of men, but not quite enough for two, and about ten women as well. Of all the attendees, apart from the rabbi and his family, probably only 3 or 4 other people walked, and that is a common trait for this shule.

Despite the relatively small numbers, there is always a Minyan on a Shabbat morning, and often there is a celebration or commemoration as well. It is also a shule with lots of events, and though I hadn’t been to a service for years, I was there for a function as recently as Sukkot. Partly because of that and the heritage of the shule, the site is currently undergoing a renovation. Though the sanctuary won’t be touched, the new entry foyer was phase one and eventually there will be a new hall, a new kitchen, a large apartment for the rabbi and a number of other facilities. In the meantime, there is no kitchen. So although there was a sumptuous kiddush with fish, pastries, fruit, dessert and even a cake for a congregants’ birthday, for a while now there hasn’t been a cholent because there is no sink or heating facilities. Only a fridge and an urn. Nonetheless, for those that stayed it was very pleasant, and true to his word, the rabbi spoke during the kiddush. But to keep it short, he only focussed on one phrase from this week’s portion, about being satisfied with your lot. Whilst many of us can and do often complain about the cards we have been dealt in life, being satisfied with what we have is important, and this shule proves how some history and dedication can take you a long way.