Torah Portion:	Ki Tisa
Synagogue:	Shtiebel (communal, non-prescriptive)
Walking time from home:	45 minutes
Reason for going:	Something completely different
Kiddush:	Large stand up, celebratory kiddush

It is fair to say that a number of shules that exist today in Melbourne, started out as breakaways from other shules, or at least as a result of chaos or dysfunction. That is certainly true for Shtiebel. For a couple of years there were various issues going on between Temple Beth Israel and the then rabbi until eventually the rabbi and the shule parted ways. Sometime later, Shtiebel was borne, and though it is technically not a breakaway, it certainly would not exist if not for the crisis the led to it.

Shtiebel is yet to celebrate its first birthday, which means it is Melbourne’s newest shule, but also its most unique, and in truth, it is quite difficult to describe and categorise. Its own website states that it has been designed to be “outside the framework of traditional religious institutions” and “outside conventional models”. The website even states that it is simultaneously a shule and not a shule. At its essence it is a Jewish gathering place (Yiddish for Shtiebel) “founded to reimagine religious education, spiritual engagement and communal involvement,” allowing it to be “imaginative” in how it creates ritual and spiritual practice. On more than one occasion, the rabbi stated that ‘at Shtiebel we are suggestive not prescriptive’, and that is at the heart of everything they do.

The building in which Shtiebel is housed is as iconic and unique as the shule itself. When founding a new community, they wanted either a shopfront on a main street or a prominent and exclusive building. They certainly found the latter. It is essentially a standalone house on the edge of Caulfield Racecourse that once was the social hangout and party space for jockeys. Each room has 1960s wallpaper and you get the feeling that the walls are hiding something very juicy. In fact, there are a few locked safes throughout the building that have yet to be opened. Despite that, there is an immediate sense of welcome and calm once you walk through the doors. There is a fully stocked bar at the entrance, and every room has posters in Hebrew and/or English with prayers or other Jewish sentiments or other paraphernalia, infusing the place with a very real sense of Judaism. Each poster also has a logo, and clearly branding is very important to Shtiebel. That same logo is prominently displayed on the front of the building, on the rabbi’s kippah, on the aprons that the waitstaff wear during kiddush, on the cover of the Torah, and in other places too. Although the building is old, the institution is clearly run very professionally and with a great sense of flair.

Because Shtiebel is not a traditional shule, they don’t have services all the time. Though they do host regular Friday night services with drinks and a kiddush, they don’t always host Shabbat morning services. They have however become the shule of choice for families that have non-Jewish or LGBT members, and thus they regularly have a Shabbat program for a pre-wedding or a bar / bat mitzvah, but usually these are closed services – meaning they are just for family and friends. This week was also a pre-wedding service, but it was open to the public since both honourees have small families, so I have had this service in my diary for quite some time after speaking to the rabbi. Due to the nature of this shule, since their goal is to be imaginative, they are also very bespoke, and the rabbi and educational / musical director – who run the services as a true double act – meet with each honouree prior to the service and craft a service around them. They even print customised siddur booklets each time, in this case with the couple’s name on it and with songs and prayers composed just for this occasion, as well as the names of those called to the Torah. Despite the customisation, the rabbi spoke a lot during the service, about the prayers and the Torah, trying to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible. For those who are not familiar or content with a traditional service, I think this shule has a great blend of tradition and religious custom mixed with innovation and creativity. It is not for everyone to be sure, but it has found a niche and it was great to be part of it.