The Syna-blogue

  Torah Portion: Kedoshim Synagogue: Caulfield Shule, traditional orthodox Walking time from home: 10 mins Reason for going: Two speakers Kiddush: Large, plentiful Since I started this blog, I’ve been trying to go to a different shule every week and I only come back to one I’ve been to before if there is a compelling reason to do so. This week I was back at Caulfield Shule, and the compelling reason was that there were two speakers ahead of this coming week’s Israeli Independence Day. Caulfield shule, as I have said before, is one of the most traditional and prominent shules in all of Melbourne, and the largest orthodox congregation. Yet despite that, when I first arrived soon after starting time, there was almost an embarrassingly small crowd in such a large space. Just as well the speeches were going to take place towards the end of the service. Because it is a lar

  Torah Portion: Acharei Synagogue: Hasifriya @ Blake Street Walking time from home: 40 minutes Reason for going: Something different Kiddush: Not quite as advertised After a lovely Pesach, it was nice to be back at shule for a regular Shabbat. And after taking some time to decide where to go, partly based on where I needed to be later, I ended up at Hasifriya. Literally the word means ‘library’ in Hebrew, which is fitting because it meets in the library at Blake Street shule, which of course is on Glenhuntly Road and not on the street it is named for. Hasifriya formed a few years ago essentially as the young adult congregation of Blake St, though most are in their late 20s to late 30s, with some even older so I didn’t feel too out of place. These days about a third of the people who go there regularly have some kind of familial connection to Blake St, but the rest s