Torah Portion:	Beshalach
Synagogue:	Central Synagogue (Orthodox, traditional)
Walking time from home:	25 minutes (from my accommodation)
Reason for going:	Close to lunch plans
Kiddush:	Catered, large kiddush

SYDNEY: I am in town for a Bat Mitzvah staying at my friends' place in North Bondi. Though there was a service as part of the celebrations on Shabbat, it was a Mincha (afternoon) service, so I therefore had the morning to myself to go to any shule. I chose Central partly because it was on the way to where we were going later, partly because I was invited to a lunch not too far away, and partly for nostalgic reasons. Twenty years ago I lived in Sydney, and for the entirety of those three and a bit years, although I moved a couple of times, Central was always my closest shule. I didn't go there every week, but certainly quite often. 

Central in many ways is like Caulfield shule in Melbourne: it is large, modern orthodox in its outlook but with a dynamic Chabad rabbi at the helm, and attracts a very diverse crowd - from the Chabad and very religious, to the secular and traditional. But it differs in one major way: in the 1990s the building had a major fire and the structure that replaced the original, even 20+ years later, still looks modern and unique. In fact, it has green seats and looks so contemporary that one person at the inauguration said that it looks like parliament house on the Starship Enterprise. Since then it has been modernised even more, and even has a permanent Shabbat elevator for ladies who can't climb the stairs.

That state-of-the-art feeling hits you as soon as you enter the large glass doors but these days another emotion also overwhelms. One entire section of seats, and one column in the foyer, has not been used since October 7 because it has been plastered with posters of all of the kidnapped Israelis. In a sense, that set the mood for the service, especially since the rabbi also spoke about some of the soldiers that have recently been killed. But despite that, the service was largely joyous and melodious.

Central is known throughout Sydney as having a world-class Chazan and choir, and on top of that, this week there was also a call up before a wedding, adding to the festive mood. This meant that the Torah reading part of the service went on for quite a long time, but it also meant a large, catered kiddush. Overall, there were sprinklings of chatter throughout, but not in a disruptive way. In fact, it was nice to briefly catch up with some people I knew during lulls in the service, in a chill, casual way. When I walked in around starting time there were just a couple of dozen people, but by the time of the kiddush there were likely close to 300. It is a shule that people come to, especially for an occasion, but they might come late or not stay for the whole service, and that is entirely acceptable. The choir, which really kicks into gear just before Musaf, is a definite attraction for some, but equally a deterrent for others. 

The portion of the week is about the milestone of the Jews leaving Egypt, but also about setting themselves up as a nation on their own. The rabbi spoke about the tragedy of the war in Israel, but connected that to the resilience needed to set up or maintain a nation and even to set up a new marriage. It was very pleasant for me to be there to bring back some old memories, to see the shule as it is today, and to be in Sydney for a happy reason.