Tell Magazine - March 2018 / Sivan 5778

Celebration
Nissan–Sivan 5778
March – May 2018
The Movements
and Me
Natalie Royal
Spiritual Community
Centre
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
The Birth of Emanuel
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
Stars & Kabbalah
Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff
The Four Children
Donny Janks
Half-Telling History
Donna Jacobs-Sife

{CELEBR8}
80th Anniversary Celebrations
2018 is the 80th Anniversary of the founding of Emanuel Synagogue
and we are planning eight amazing celebrations for the year.
14th May
GRAND OPENING NEW SANCTUARY AND PRESCHOOL
Our first celebration for our 80th year will be the official
opening of our new sanctuary and preschool. It will be a
beautiful afternoon of music, prayer and community as we
gather and give thanks for our wonderful new spaces.
24th June
MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA
An evening with the incredibly talented musicians
in our congregation performing and sharing the
diverse and wonderful talent in our community.
July
STORIES OF EMANUEL EXHIBITION
In our new gallery space, we will have an exhibition
of photos and stories of Emanuel’s 80-year history.
A chance for us to walk back through the years,
remember the celebrations, the people and the stories
that make up our unique and special community
BURY OUR TIME CAPSULE
We will gather to bury a time capsule in the synagogue
grounds, a message for the future generations to help
them understand our community and congregation.
29th July
CHANUKAH IN JULY: 8 CANDLES 8 DECADES
Gather on a Sunday winter’s eve to celebrate Chanukah in
July. We will have one person from each of the 8 decades
of the Emanuel community light a candle and share
some memories and reflections of our congregation.
23rd September
80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THE SUKKAH
Gather in our brand, new sukkah for a birthday
party! Fairy bread, cup cakes, party games, balloons,
a wonderful way to celebrate the child in each of us
and the festival of friendship and community.
9th November
80 SHABBAT DINNERS
80 people in our community will host a Shabbat
dinner in their home. The dinners can be small or big,
family, friends or host a few congregants you have not
met yet. A beautiful chance for our community to
celebrate together and connect with one another.
9th December
ARTYPARTY!!!
Our last event for the 80th with be an Artyparty: an art
deco themed party with jazz and a wonderful opportunity
to celebrate the end of a year of community and events.
You're invited
OFFICIAL OPENING CELEBRATION
for the new Sanctuary &
Preschool of Emanuel Synagogue
MONDAY MAY 14 TH , 2018
FROM 6:45PM

YOUR QUARTERLY JOURNAL ON SPIRITUALITY, LEARNING & COMMUNITY
Emanuel Synagogue offers a home where you can live your Judaism in a contemporary
world, drawing on our ancient teachings and traditions. We are a pluralistic community
offering a choice of services, programs and activities for the Masorti, Progressive and Renewal
movements. We do this with contemporary understanding to create a dynamic and diverse
community, welcoming you and your involvement.
PROGRESSIVE
The structure of our Progressive
services allows you to choose
the type of prayer that is
most meaningful for you.
You may choose from
alternate readings in English,
you may read the Hebrew
prayer (available in both
Hebrew script, and in English
transliteration), or you may
choose to take a moment
of personal reflection.
Our Friday night “Shabbat
Live” service is a moving,
innovative service where
prayer is enhanced with
musical instruments,
beautiful melodies, creative
readings and stories.
Shabbat Live is held at
6:15pm every Friday.
The Progressive Shabbat
Service begins at 10am
each Saturday morning.
MASORTI
Our Masorti (traditional)
services are run almost
entirely in Hebrew,
honouring the tradition with
contemporary insights.
As with all services at Emanuel
Synagogue, men and women
participate equally and fully.
The Friday night Carlebach
service is a traditional Kabbalat
Shabbat service, featuring
the well-known melodies
of Shlomo Carlebach.
The Carlebach service is held
at 6.15pm every Friday.
Our Masorti Shabbat
Service begins at 9am on
Saturday mornings.
We also hold a Masorti Minyan
at 6:45am on Monday and
Thursday mornings plus.
9:00am every Sunday,
followed by breakfast in
the Neuweg Sanctuary.
RENEWAL
The Renewal movement
is devoted to personal and
spiritual development,
reinvigorating modern
Judaism with Kabbalistic
and musical practices.
Through our Renewal
activities you will have
the opportunity to reach
a new level of awareness,
stress relief, selfdevelopment,
relaxation
and inner healing.
Pesach prayers – March
31 from 10:00am –
Neuweg Sanctuary
This Jewish Renewal Service
let by Rabbi Dr Orna
Triguboff and musician
Nadav Kahn, will be a
perfect way to lift your
spirits into the festive eight
days of Pesach. Join us in
song, meditation, discussion
and meaningful prayer.
The service will be followed
by light refreshments.
Yoga and Kabbalah
Seminar
Sunday 15th April
1:00pm – 3:00pm
With yoga teacher Leora
Krowitz, Rabbi Dr Orna
Triguboff and guest
musician David Goldman
Shavuot Service
Saturday 19 May 6:30pm
Kabbalah Tour of Israel
October 2019
10-day tour of Israel
with a focus on Jewish
Spirituality. We explore
ancient sites, learn with the
best kabbalah teachers in
the world and experience
authentic inspiring tikun
olam projects, getting to
know the people involved.
Led by Rabbi Dr.
Orna Triguboff and
Israeli musicians,
teachers and artists.
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth Reverand Sam Zwarenstein

{ CEO UPDATE}
THROW A PARTY!
Why It’s So Important to Celebrate
Suzanna Helia
This past weekend I had the pleasure
to throw a party to celebrate the Bar
Mitzvah of my son, Oscar-Louis, along
with a beautiful community made up
of my family, friends, colleagues and
acquaintances. To my surprise, the joy
of being able share this momentous
occasion in my son’s life with all these
people was overwhelming. I love being
Jewish, and I am so glad that our
tradition allows for celebration of life’s
milestones. Hearing my son say (while
on a flimsy chair, in the middle of a
swirling hora, at the top Sydney Tower),
“I must be the highest Jew in the world
right now.” sent shivers down my spine.
Many of our friends are not Jewish
and for some, this was their first
bar mitzvah. Their expressions of
appreciation, admiration and respect
for Judaism touched me. I believe our
traditional celebrations are an excellent
opportunity for intercultural exchange
and understanding. Both children and
adults learn about other cultures through
these events. I see clearly the importance
of this exchange, and I’m not alone.
As Oscar-Louis said in his speech:
“Now I will tell you why my barmi is
so important to me; it is not because I
was pressured into doing it but because
I knew right from the beginning that
I would be proud of my effort and my
parents would throw a big party. If
you knew how much blood, sweat and
tears were put into this; no seriously,
the paper cuts were horrendous. Now I
get to the real part of why I wanted to
do my bar mitzvah, because I wanted
to know that I had done something
that I knew my ancestors had done.
I appreciate that the life of a Jew is a
life of a constant learning, and oh how
easy it must be for all the other religions
that do not have to study for two years,
stand in front of 200 people and read in
Hebrew and go through a bar mitzvah.
At the same time, it gives me strength,
as I feel I have now mastered what two
{INSIDE THIS EDITION:
HIGHLIGHTS}
TRANSFORMATIVE
LEARNING
7
THE BIRTH OF EMANUEL
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
14
A PASSOVER PARODY
Donna Jacobs-Sife
16
STARS AND KABBALAH
Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff
25
THE FOUR CHILDREN OF EMANUEL
SYNAGOGUE
Donny Janks
28
SUDDEN VERVE
Nicole Waldner
INSPIRING PRAYER
11
THE RETURN OF CANTOR GEORGE
MORDECAI
Judy Kahn
21
PREPARING FOR BNEI MITZVAH
Donny Janks & Daniel Samowitz
24
TOWARDS A VIBRANT, DYNAMIC,
PLURALIST JUDAISM
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
26
THE GENIUS OF SEDER
Donna Jacobs-Sife

years ago seemed such a daunting thing.
Let’s not forget all of that elbow grease
I had to rub in when it was difficult,
I was pushed and shoved and here I
am now. I've finished the marathon
exhausted tired and worn out but I have
come through and now that I see all of
the effort we all have put in I can truly
with all my heart say it was worth it.”
A celebration is that much sweeter
when one looks back at all of the hard
work that led to that moment. Just as
my son appreciated his bar mitzvah
more because of his substantial effort,
we will all appreciate our glorious new
Sanctuary and Preschool because of the
many obstacles and challenges that we
overcame to get us to the celebration.
There are many important things in
life. Learning, growing, loving and
exploring are all things that each
person should make and take time
for. My experience is that celebrating
is another facet of life that everyone
should take time for. Celebration brings
excitement and joy. It brings emotion
and opportunity to reflect. Celebrating
touches us deep within our humanity.
Even in the book of psalms it
states: “Ivdu et Adonai b’simcha
bo-u lefanav birnana”. “Serve
God with Joy, come before God
with Joyous song”. Psalm 100
Since the majority of our days are
spent doing routine tasks we all need
things to look forward to. Simchas
of all kinds give us the excitement
and offer a change of pace.
As we celebrate, we prioritise our
time to our friends, family and
community. There is something about
a great celebration that reminds us
of the purpose of our life and of the
power of closest relationships.
Our rabbis and community have so
much to celebrate. This year especially,
the community of Emanuel Synagogue
has many opportunities to celebrate,
including: 8 celebrations marking
our 80th birthday, and the opening
of the Redevelopment in May.
The occurrence of these milestones on
their own will not necessarily provide
us with an opportunity to pause and
reflect. But by making a very conscious
effort to take time to celebrate and
express our joy and journey together,
we can invigorate ourselves, and in
doing so enliven our community.
As Jews, we have so much to celebrate. It
is at the core of our culture and tradition
Whether it is a wedding, a harvest
festival, a religious holiday, or a national
observance, our celebrations are woven
tightly into our overall cultural identity.
Let us all encourage celebration.
For small and large milestones. In
intimate settings and as a community,
with family and friends.
SUSTAINING THE
ENVIRONMENT &
HEALING THE WORLD
27
CELEBRATING GENDER DIVERSITY
AND LGBT+ MATTERS AT
EMANUEL
Kim Gotlieb
31
HELPING THOSE IN NEED
Leigh Reading
CONNECTING WITH ISRAEL
& WORLD JEWRY
20
HALF-TELLING HISTORY
Donna Jacobs-Sife
22
MY NETZER SHNAT JOURNEY
Mili Haber
23
THE MOVEMENTS AND ME
Natalie Royal
29
A MIND-BLOWING CONFERENCE
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
COMMUNITY
7
EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE AS
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY CENTRE
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
15
HOME FOR THE PESACH HOLIDAY
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
33
NEW MEMBERS
34
MAZAL TOV
SAVE THE DATE
The AGM of Emanuel Synagogue
will be held on
Tuesday 22 May 2018 at 6:30pm

Insight 4
It’s not the latest
management fad,
but proven principles.
Private Businesses
Private Clients
Family Office
6

{EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE AS SPIRITUAL
COMMUNITY CENTRE}
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
As we open our new mid-size sanctuary and purpose built preschool, we look
back on 80 years of our history and forward to a promising future.
In her article, Rabbi Ninio writes
about some of our history, which she
has been reviewing over her sabbatical
this summer. While some things have
changed in these decades, much of
the original vision of our founders
remains. They always envisioned that
Emanuel would be more than a place
of prayer, but a vital community centre,
engaging people in a variety of activities
connected to Judaism. Their vision
is our vision, and it is the traditional
understanding of the role of
the ancient synagogue. We
learn from our tradition that
a synagogue was known as
a Beit Kenesset, a home of
communal gathering; a Beit
Midrash, a home of learning,
and a Beit Tefillah, a home
of prayer. Just as the dream
of our founders was to have
a multi-purpose community
centre, so too is ours.
At the end of last year,
the clergy, staff and board
joined together to plan a
new five year strategic plan that we
will be discussing more fully in the
community in the year ahead, with a
special presentation at our AGM on
May 22, just a week after the opening
of our new mid-size sanctuary and
preschool. With Stage One of the
redevelopment now completed, we can
look forward to using our campus in a
way that is more expansive and inclusive.
We all know that a synagogue is a “Beit
Tefillah”, a house of prayer, and as a
pluralist community offering three
streams of services, Emanuel is unique
in Australia. We are pleased to welcome
back to our community from August
through November this year George
Mordecai, who worked with us in the
early 1990s training as a cantor under
the leadership of Cantor Michael
Deutsch, and who has been a regular
visitor here in the last few years. Cantor
Mordecai will bring a vast repertoire
of music and an engaging style that
will enhance the sense of spiritual
connectivity in each of our services.
A synagogue has always been a place
of learning, and as a Beit Midrash, a
place of transformative learning we look
forward to expanding our programs to
include more learners of all ages. Sunday
mornings we have begun “Journeys in
Judaism”, the learning aspect running
from 10-11am, on a topic suggested
by any of you for one of your rabbis to
address. Monday mornings begins with
a “Conversation about Israel”, in which
in a non-judgmental and open forum we
are able to discuss the complex reality of
Israel in its environment, and Monday
evenings we have begun Hebrew
empowerment, with courses on every
level to come in the year ahead to ensure
more understanding of the language
which connects Jews around the world.
Our youth programs continue to expand
so keep your eye on the space of what it
is to have a synagogue as “Beit Midrash”.
Finally, a dream that has never been fully
realised has been to see the synagogue
live up to its Hebrew name, Beit
Kenesset, a home of ingathering. We
have over the years had many
forms of bringing people
together, from Mitzvah Day
to the ACO, but now with
our new campus we wish
to become truly a spiritual
community centre. In the
months ahead, we will be
looking at ways to enhance
all the beautiful spaces we
have – for example, one thing
I have imagined is using the
Neuweg for “Sunday Salons”,
an opportunity for members
of our community to engage
in conversation with others
who have fascinating stories to tell; over
the celebrations of our 80th this year
there will be many musical performances
in both our original heritage and new
sanctuaries. These are just
a few of the ways we hope
to create community as
we celebrate the dynamic
diversity of each person who
makes Emanuel what it is.
I look forward to
imagining the future
with you, and living that
dream with you.
COMMUNITY
7

{THE BIRTH OF EMANUEL}
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
This year we are celebrating the 80th birthday
of our congregation and we will have eight
special events during the year to commemorate
this milestone and to celebrate together.
This summer I was privileged to spend
some weeks reading, meeting people
and learning about the history of our
synagogue. During that time, I learned
so many interesting facts about our
congregation and the visionaries who
founded our community; their hopes
and dreams for the future. During
this special year ahead, I want to share
with you, through Tell articles and a
number of lectures and learning sessions,
some of the history of our synagogue
and the people who shaped who we
have become. This Tell, a little about
the founding of the congregation
and its first two remarkable years.
It all began in early 1938 when Rabbi
Herman Sanger, the rabbi of Temple
Beth Israel in Melbourne, then the only
Progressive congregation in Australia,
came for a visit to Sydney. He met with
40 people in the lounge room of one of
the members of the group and discussed
whether or not they should establish
a Progressive congregation in Sydney.
There was interest in moving forward
and a number of weeks later 5 people
met and decided that the first step was
to hold a service in the Progressive style,
see who was interested and then to form
a congregation, bringing to Sydney
for the first time, a style of worship,
prayer and connection to Judaism
beyond the Orthodox traditions.
The newly formed committee of five sent
letters to the 40 people who had met
with Rabbi Sanger encouraging them to
support the new venture and including
packets of invitations to the service
which they could distribute to friends
and others they thought
might be interested.
An organ was hired for the evening,
Mary and Fritz Coper formed the choir
and Rabbi Sanger from Melbourne
was invited to lead the service.
400 people attended the first service
and afterwards, during supper, Rabbi
Sanger spoke about the creation of the
Reform Movement, its approach to
ritual and law and survey cards were
handed to the participants, 163 of which
were filled in indicating their support
for a Progressive community in Sydney.
At the conclusion of the gathering, a
motion was passed that “A Progressive
Jewish Congregation be started in
Sydney” and a provisional committee
of 11 people was formed with Cecil
Luber as the chairman. This group was
remarkable in their visionary leadership,
their commitment to the ideals and
principles of Progressive Judaism, their
hard work and determination to bring
those principles to life in a congregation.
They had a dream and never seemed
to see obstacles, only opportunities
to bring their vision to fruition.
A general meeting was set for the
19th of June with the hope that they
would, at that time, officially found
a congregation. They chose the name
Temple Emanuel, connecting them to
the historical roots of the Progressive
movement with the name Temple, and
their desire to create a holy community
Emanuel. The founders were firmly
committed to the Progressive ideologies
of informed choice and egalitarianism
as well as the formal service style of the
Progressive rite, with a
mixture of Hebrew and English.
Various members of the committee had
encountered Progressive Judaism in
other places and now wanted to bring
that vision to their own community.
The committee also dealt with creating
a constitution, membership fees to
sustain the congregation, Saturday
services and building a choir.
On the 19th June 1938, merely eight
weeks after the initial gathering of
the five members, a general meeting
was held. The board of management
was elected, a congregation formed
and Temple Emanuel formally began.
Letters were written to all the Orthodox
congregations informing them of
the creation of Temple Emanuel,
seeking cooperation and collegiality.
In July, the new congregation held
its first Shabbat morning service. The
Copers had created a choir, Cecil Luber
loaned the synagogue money to rent
an organ, Rabbi Sanger came from
Melbourne with a Torah for the new
congregation to borrow and 60 members
were now signed up to the fledgling
congregation. It was decided that seats
would be allocated as people joined the
congregation but as yet, there was no
permanent home. The Maccabean Hall
was hired for Friday night and Saturday
services as well as Sunday activities.
Unfortunately, the hall was not available
for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur so
the congregation had to seek a place
8

elsewhere. This practice was to continue
for many years, even after the creation of
the sanctuary, as membership grew faster
than the buildings could be created.
A Women’s Guild was established
and this organization was to be the
backbone, the heart and soul of the
congregation over the years, with
much of the building undertaken by
Temple Emanuel, not just physically
but also educationally and socially,
made possible only by the dedication
and commitment of this hard working
group of incredible women.
And then in July, merely weeks after
the congregation was formed, the board
turned its attention to finding a rabbi.
This was one of a number of courageous
and visionary decisions made by the
founders of the congregation which
assured its rapid growth and forged its
roots deep into the community. This was
a congregation which was here to stay.
In August 1938 Cecil Luber was in
New York and met a young rabbi,
Max Schenk. He spoke with him
about the congregation and whether
he might be interested in being its
founding rabbi. He was interested and
arrived with his wife Faye and their
two children Minna and Raphael on
the 4th September 1939. Three days
earlier, Germany invaded Poland and
the British government declared war,
Australia was now at war and this reality
was very much at the fore of people’s
minds during Rabbi Schenk’s induction
service on the 20th September.
Rabbi Sanger came from
Melbourne to conduct
the service and he said
more than ever, in this
time of war, the voice of
Progressive Judaism needed
to be heard, speaking out
for justice not only within
the Jewish community
but also beyond.
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
Rabbi Schenk, a gifted
orator, then spoke about the importance
of religion saying “if organized religion
is to prevail against the forces of evil
totalitarianism it must be ready to
sacrifice itself and its vested interests
on behalf of the ideals of justice,
brotherhood and liberty without
drawing any lines.” 1 He then spoke
about Palestine, the significance and
importance of Israel, the Jewish faith
and connection through the generations,
noting that there is a movement
away from Judaism which can only
be overcome by working together;
all branches of Judaism as one.
One of Rabbi Schenk’s first official
duties was leading the High Holyday
services, the first in the congregation’s
history, at St. James Hall. Approximately
350 people attended, 200 of whom
were members of Temple Emanuel.
Rabbi Schenk delivered powerful
sermons “his vision of his faith in the
destiny of the congregation and for
the hope of world Jewry to dedicate its
utmost efforts to crush the atrocities
that were being unleashed on Europe
and the British Empire by Hitler.” 2
The founders of the congregation
were acutely aware that at a time
when synagogues and Jewry in Europe
were being attacked and destroyed,
they were building, creating hope
for the future, sending a message to
the world about the strength and
fortitude of the Jewish people.
Temple Emanuel plan 1940
1 Kehilat Emanuel, Lee Simmons, pg. 26
2 ibid pg. 31
9

In December 1939 the board turned its
attention to finding a site upon which
to build a permanent home for the
congregation. There was a discussion
about the appropriateness of building
in a time of war but it was felt that
in order for the community to thrive
it needed a space to meet its needs
and a strong Temple
Emanuel would bring
hope and connection for
people at a time when
it was most necessary.
In the meantime, an
arrangement was made
with the Maccabean Hall
to house the services
and provide an office
for the synagogue’s
first employee.
In 1940 a number of
different sites were
mooted as a place to
build a synagogue and
the congregation discussed what their
home would look like and require. Rabbi
Schenk spoke about the meaning of
Temple, that it is more than a place to
worship, it is a community centre, with
a place for prayer but also classrooms
for learning, a place to meet and gather,
beautiful gardens, a social hall, kitchen.
His vision and that of the board, was
to build a home which reflected their
understanding of Temple Emanuel as a
community; a group of people united
under an ideology to be together in
prayer, learning, friendship and support.
Samuel Lipson was appointed the
honorary architect. The synagogue
created a committee and began to raise
the funds to purchase a site. Cecil Luber
proposed looking for a site in Woollahra,
it was the geographic centre for 94%
of Sydney Jewry, it was easily accessible
by public transport and the land they
could purchase in Woollahra would be
much larger than anything they could
find closer to the city centre, enabling
them to create the community centre
they desired rather than just a sanctuary
10
space. The question was mooted whether
they would lose prestige by building
away from the city, but the advantages
far outweighed the possible negative.
As it has eventuated, the decision
to build where the community was
living was prescient and has enabled
the Temple to grow and flourish.
Laying the Foundation Stone of Temple Emanuel 16-3-1941
In May 1940, the synagogue purchased
an L shaped property at 5 Ocean
Street for 1,600 pounds and Samuel
Lipson presented a scale model of the
proposed development. It allowed
for a synagogue with space for 1,000
worshippers, an assembly hall seating
500, school classrooms, a library and
a rabbi’s study. Outside was planned a
lawn garden surrounded by the beautiful
trees already on the site. There would
also be a modern kitchen and classrooms
which opened onto a garden space,
allowing the children to be outside
in appropriate weather. Substantial
donations had already been made and
the building could progress as soon as
approvals were given, with the hope
it would be complete in time for the
High Holydays. This plan was modified
however due to the war and it was
decided to just build the sanctuary to
accommodate 500 people and continue
with the other plans at a later date.
The foundation stone was laid in a
beautiful ceremony but the spectre of
war was ever present. Over 500 people
attended each of two ceremonies where
Rabbi Schenk spoke passionately about
the faith and task of Judaism in a world
where moral values had been discarded
and the sanctity of human liberties
derided. Cecil Luber in an address at the
reception, said that the building of the
synagogue was not only a direct result of
a need in the community
but also a response to
the call from national
leaders for an increase
in spirituality and an
affirmation of faith. He
spoke of the destruction
of over 2000 houses of
worship in Europe and
declared that this building
was an act of defiance
and hope in the future.
Rabbi Sanger commented
that the foundation stone
laying was almost on the
anniversary of Hitler’s
accession to power and
that this building was a symbol of the
eternity of Judaism. Temple Emanuel
was one of the only synagogues built
in the world during this time of war
and uncertainty. As the tragedy in
Europe unfolded, this building became
more significant and important, as
did the formation and foundation of a
congregation during these war years.
The hope, courage and vision of the early
leaders of our congregation is something
to be admired and celebrated. In the
two years since the first meeting they
had achieved so much and created a
symbol for the world of the resilience
and strength of the Jewish community.
They built more than a congregation;
they built a community, a family, a
place where people could come together
to pray, learn and connect. We are
indebted to them and we stand on
the shoulders of giants: the men and
women who dedicated themselves to
create a home for themselves and the
generations which would follow.

{THE RETURN OF CANTOR GEORGE MORDECAI}
Judy Kahn
Cantor George Mordecai found his voice as a young boy at Rose Bay
Public when he was selected to star as lead in the school musical.
A few decades down the track, inspired
and infused by a world of experiences,
he will be returning to Emanuel later
this year for at least four months.
Emanuel is fortunate to feature a cantor
with such a rich repertoire. His voice,
songs and music reflect the cultural
immersions he has experienced. The
rich liturgical tradition of Iraqi Jews
left a deep imprint on his voice. He
was very fortunate to learn this liturgy
from his uncle Sol Abrahams. He
was also influenced by great singer
songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Joni
Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.
Cantor Mordecai has been inspired
by musical services in the synagogues
of New York’s Upper West Side,
notably Benei Jeshurun and Romenu.
Recently the singing communities
model pioneered by Joey Weisenberg
and the musical collaborations with
him have deeply influenced Cantor
Mordecai and given him a musical
language that he is excited to share
with the Emanuel community.
Many will remember Cantor Mordecai
from his time with Emanuel in the
early 1990s when Rabbi Kamins
invited him to present a program on
Sephardi culture, music, history and
customs. The event was successful
and over a period of years extended
to regular work at the synagogue
where he was instrumental in the
founding of the Masorti minyan
and lovingly mentored by Cantor
Deutsch and the Rabbis.
The Emanuel experience inspired him
to attend cantorial school in New
York in the late ’90s. After earning a
degree in Sacred Music and Cantorial
Investiture he re-engaged with his
Iraqi musical culture working with the
repertoire of his family and arranging the
melodies in ways that could be embraced
by congregations around the world.
Cantor Mordecai believes that so
many congregations are hungry for
more participation and proactive
musical engagement. He wants to
introduce melodies that allow for
this but also understands that “you
can’t just introduce a whole new
pallet of melodies and deprive the
congregation of the music that is dear
to them. It’s a matter of a balance, a
balance of tradition and change”.
He is so excited to be working with
“the talented Emanuel team. Rabbis
Kamins, Ninio, Kaiserblueth, Triguboff
and Reverend Zwarenstein are all
amazing human beings and inspiring
role models”. He is also
very impressed by the
talent, both musical and
vocal at the synagogue.
“There’s a lot of potential
at Emanuel,” he says,
and mentoring this talent
“would make me very happy
at this stage of my life”, a
role that would complete
the circle at Emanuel.
INSPIRING PRAYER
11

JOIN OUR MORNING MASORTI MINYAN
MONDAYS & THURSDAY AT 6.45AM
SUNDAYS FROM 9AM
HELP SPONSOR OUR NEW MACHZORIM
The existing machzor, Gates of Repentance, is old, outof-date
and written for North American congregations.
A new machzor, Mishkan T’shuvah has been developed
and edited by a team of UPJ rabbis and cantors to reflect
the practices, culture and language of our region.
Women’s
Rosh Chodesh Group
SHABBAT
LIVE
We are looking to our congregation to help sponsor the 1200
copies of Mishkan T’shuvah required for our Progressive service.
The books will be available for the use in 2019 Holy Days.
The current price per copy is $80. All donations will be
tax deductible. Donors over $5000 will be acknowledged
in the books; we will contact you to discuss.
To donate towards this need, please email
accounts@emanuel.org.au.
8:00PM - 10:00PM
March 18, April 15, May 15,
June 12 (tbc), July 12, August 12,
October 9 (tbc), November 8
Why a Women’s Rosh Chodesh Group?
There is a legend told that when the Israelites
came to create the golden calf, the men
asked the women to give them all their
jewellery and gold to be melted down for
the calf. The women refused to supply their
jewels and as a reward a special festival
was given to them: the festival of Rosh
A spiritual, meaningful and
musical Shabbat experience
Please call the Emanuel Synagogue
office before the meeting to find
out the location on 9389 6444.
every Friday at 6:15pm
We also ask people to let us know if they want to order
books for their use in order for us to order correct amount.
The books will be available for sale once delivered in 2019.
This is a limited offer so we encourage you to order now.
Purchase of the books for personal use is not tax deductible.
This machzor is likely to be used for more than 20 years.
Sponsoring the machzor is a meaningful and significant
way to keep the memory of your loved one alive while
really making a difference for our community.
Chodesh, the celebration of the new moon.
Any questions: call the office or email
info@emanuel.org.au for
details including location.
20 12

NEED A CELEBRANT?
Jon Green
Civil Marriage Celebrant
WEDDINGS
RENEWAL OF VOWS
BABY NAMINGS
CALL JON ON:
0414 872 199
Primary School Open Day
Discover why Emanuel School is small enough
to know your child and big enough to make a difference
Meet our staff, take a tour, visit classes and enjoy displays
Wednesday 21 March 2018
9.30am - 11.00am
Bookings can be made at www.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/visit
For further information contact Gail MacKenzie on 8383 7333
or enrolments@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au
Emanuel School is a member of the JCA Family of Organisations
302 Oxford Street Bondi Junction
Phone (02) 9389 3499
302 enquiries@waltercarter.com.au
Oxford Street Bondi Junction
Phone www.waltercarter.com.au
(02) 9389 3499
enquiries@waltercarter.com.au
www.waltercarter.com.au
Funeral Directors onsite
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Funeral Directors onsite
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Looking after families in the
Eastern suburbs for over
Looking after families in the
120 years.
Eastern suburbs for over
120 Traditional years. Values.
Contemporary Choices.
Traditional Values.
Contemporary Choices.

{A PASSOVER PARODY}
Donna Jacobs-Sife
It’s that time of year again. That wonderful time when we get together
and celebrate God’s deliverance of us from Egypt. From oppression to
freedom. Could there be a more inspiring event for a Jewish family?
Of course, keneina
chora, with the new
husband and his
children, the relatives
from South Africa just
arriving, there will
be quite a few of us.
And of course, the old
husband must come
along, nice to keep the
family together. And I
believe his new partner
is a lovely woman - very
close to her parents,
who of course must join
us. And the cousins
who have nowhere
to go? Well, what’s
another four or five.
The house may not be big enough for
the forty-five or so, but I’m sure we
can hire a small hall. And with the
hired public address system, everyone
will be able to hear and participate
without a problem. Of course, not
everybody likes to participate in quite
the same way, some like to talk all the
way through the Seder, sharing insights
that on the surface you would think
have nothing to do with Pesach.
We can certainly accommodate our
lovely son-in-law, who, being Tibetan,
likes to bring a little Buddhism to the
seder. It is amazing the links you can
make between different religions. The
niece is bringing her friend, a Minister
of the Uniting Church, which should
bring a lovely ecumenical feeling to
the evening, and what a blessing to
have the cousin’s friend join us, an
Aboriginal man who says he has so
14
much resonance with the Jewish people.
Richness. Blessings. Gut ze dank.
There is always someone who likes to
use their own special Haggadah. We
will have the Feminist Haggadah,
the politically correct Haggadah, the
Reform, the Reconstructionist, the
Chassidic and my favourite, the clear
and precise Haggadah, and so it will
be a wonderful variety of readings.
There will be Yiddish poetry, a Sanskrit
blessing, a rap direct from Harlem,
and a belly dance as far as I know.
Now, it’s just knowing where to sit
everyone. Should we put the broigus
ones together, in an attempt to bring
peace where there is strife? Is it better
to put the anarchist next to the Chassid,
hoping their shared passion will unite
them? Does a Tibetan Buddhist mind
being seated next to a Chinese adopted
child? And is it acceptable to put the
love birds, Michael and Steven, next
to Julian, who after all
is having her first Seder
this year as Julie?
Thank goodness, we had
our house kashered and
fired and blessed by the
Beth Din in time, and
so our daughter, Baal
Teshuva, God bless her,
has agreed to sit with us,
although she likes to bring
her own food and plates
anyway. Such a mensch.
It is a little bit of a worry
knowing exactly what to
serve. The wheat intolerant
aunty is well catered for,
and we have a lovely nut
loaf for the vegetarians, but the vegans
are a slight problem. There is talk of
serving carrot soup or borscht instead
of chicken, but – oh you know how it is
with tradition – grandpa has put his foot
down and threatens not to come unless
everyone eats chicken soup. He says he
didn’t come from Poland sixty years ago
to eat carrot soup at Seder. We have
decided that all three soups will give
everyone something to eat. And if we
seat Grandpa at the head of the table and
the vegetarians down the other end…
why he won’t even know the difference.
From oppression to freedom. Och,
I spit three times, tt tt tt. May your
Seder be full of joy and blessings.
May it have meaning and touch you
all, in your own unique ways.
What a wonderful world it
is. Hag sameach!

{HOME FOR THE PESACH HOLIDAY}
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
Pesach is one of my favorite holidays. The time spent preparing, the cleaning, shopping,
cooking, seeing what has been added to the Kosher for Pesach list, and of course, the Seder.
All throughout university, I tried every
year to fly home and be with family.
Now, living in Sydney, and for the first
time in almost 20 years living near
family, I have the opportunity to not
have to travel very far to be with family
for the holidays, especially Pesach.
What is this intense draw, twice a
year, to return home and be with
family? Is it innate? Or do we
actively inculcate it in our children?
Our tradition gives a very clear
answer in the way many of rituals and
customs are arranged. Specifically, if
we look at the Seder, the evening is
set up in a such way that prioritizes
the family unit as the primary way
that our tradition perpetuates itself.
At the outset, the Seder meal places
the child front and center. We are
instructed that the meal may not last
past midnight. Why? To make sure the
children are still awake at the end of the
meal. We hide a piece of Matzah for the
children to find at the end of the meal.
Why? To give the children something to
look forward to at the end of the meal.
Why do we sing the songs at the end of
the Seder that are educational in nature
(and really nothing to do with the Seder
itself)? Again, for the children. We have
the children participate directly also by
having them recite the four questions,
and every time we speak about one
of the objects on the Seder plate, we
raise it up, inviting them to ask.
And if we were a little confused about
the meaning behind all of these rituals,
finally, we are instructed to sit with our
children and teach them the story:
‏.והיגדת לבנך
JOIN US FOR PESACH
Eat your fill of matzo at Emanuel Synagogue’s seders
Join us for one (or More) of our Seders:
Everyone is welcome for a fun and educational experience with our community.
March 31st 5:30pm - Family Seder - Neuweg Sanctuary
March 31st 6:15pm - Communal Seder – Main Hall
April 1st 6:15pm Netzer Chocolate Seder – Main Hall
April 3rd, 6:30pm Women’s Seder - Call office for details
Book now: https://emanuel.org.au/pesach-seders
Emanuel Synagogue
7 Ocean St, Woollahra
p: 9389 6444 www.emanuel.org.au
The whole point of the Seder is a family
bonding and teaching moment that is
meant to last. It is a lesson not just in
information, but a model of how we
are to create a lasting identity in our
descendants. By making our story come
alive, by acting it out, by singing it,
by eating and discussing, by wrestling
with our faith and history, we create a
vibrant, dynamic, and living tradition,
and not just some story that was.
We are told to feel as if we were the
ones who actually left Egypt. On the
surface, that is impossible. Yet, every
year we sit and discuss and recreate that
same event, not the leaving, but the (re)
creating of a people. By celebrating and
joyfully living our traditions,
we give positive reasons
for continuing to be a part
of our tradition. This isn’t
just something we do, but
something we live, joyfully.
And that is why, every
year, we yearn to be with
family, to continue teaching
our children the story,
renewing it every year.
COMMUNITY
15

{STARS AND KABBALAH}
Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff
The New Sanctuary, The Star of David, Visiting Artist from Israel and more…
IN CONVERSATION WITH ED
LIPMAN, ARCHITECT FOR
OUR NEW SANCTUARY:
I am standing with Ed at the bar mitzvah
kidush of Oscar-Louis Antflick, and he
begins telling me about the building
of the new sanctuary and courtyard.
Ed: Did you know the new building
is underpinned by triangles,
actually by stars of David?
In all the updates on the building
works at the synagogue I have never
heard this, so I ask him to elaborate.
Ed: You see a triangle is a very stable
shape to build with, it does not get
distorted when pressure is applied to
it. It’s strong by virtue of its form.
Next Ed explains the theory of
Platonic geometry and sends me
searching for more information.
Plato's theory of Forms are independent
of the mind, they are abstract objects
and basic patterns in nature. Beyond the
physical realm there are ideal forms, the
triangle being one of them. In his book
Timaeus, the triangle is thought to be
the basic building block of the universe.
Back to our new sanctuary.
Ed: Most people build with squares
or rectangles but we decided to use
triangles as our basic shape. We
fabricated the beams and columns
using triangles (and superimposed
triangles), which actually make stars
of david. On the ceiling you will see a
pattern of wood triangles with magen
davids amongst them (see diagram).
But that is what you will all see with
the naked eye. What you will not see,
is that the basic structure, the DNA
of the building, is made of Stars of
David. It’s truly a Jewish building.
On a physical level it gives the
building stability, that’s physics. And
externally you can see decorations
of superimposed triangles, that
is art and it’s beautiful.
But Plato connected geometry with
philosophy and the triangle and all
its combinations are seen as sacred.
Getting excited, Ed almost
jumps and says,
Its not just decorative, the
DNA of the building is Jewish
– full of Stars of David.
The essence of a Star of David is
one triangle pointing up and one
pointing down, it’s yin and yang.
The design of the the ceiling of the new sanctuary
I refer to my books on sacred
geometry and find that, a triangle
pointing up symbolizes fire and one
16

Kabbalah inspired artwork by David Friedman
pointing down, water. Fire and water are the
basic elements of the creation and when the
two are superimposed on each other, it’s a
symbol of harmony, where opposites co-exist.
In the Yogic tradition, a 6-pointed star type of
pattern is the symbol of the heart centre or chakra.
One of the earliest records of Jews using the
Star of David as their symbol is from the
Eleventh Century. It was used in Jewish art,
in sacred wallhangings and also used as one
of the names for God in liturgy, the Magen
(Protector) of David. And it was also used by many other
traditions. In 1897, at the first Zionist Congress, it was
chosen to be the symbol on their flag and soon became
one of the main symbols for the Jewish people.
The Thirteenth Century mystical text, the Zohar, states, “There
are three knots connecting [three entities] one to another:
the Holy Blessed One, the Torah and Israel.” Each person
connects to the Creator through the study and observance of
Torah. The triangle represents the connection between these
three entities.” There are two triangles because there is an inner
and outer level of each of the three (God, Torah and Israel).
Hasidim go on to explain that the double triangle of
the Star of David symbolizes the connection of both
dimensions of G d, Torah and Israel: the external level
of the soul connects to the external expression of G d via
studying the Torah and doing good deeds; the essence of
the soul connects with G d’s essence through the study and
application of the mysteries of the Torah and the unseen
feelings of love and compassion we hold in our hearts.
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
STAR OF DAVID, ART AND KABBALAH
In May 2017, 22 people from our community
travelled to Israel on a Kabbalah Tour of Israel, one of
the participants reflects on the artwork we saw:
Deborah Travers: One of the highlights of our trip, was
walking the cobblestoned streets of the hill-top city of Tsfat,
and seeing the Kabbalistic art of the mystics who live there.
We sat with David Friedman, an American artist, who has
lived in Tsfat for decades. Hearing his life story and learning
about kabbalah through sacred geometry was fascinating.
David Friedman will actually be visiting Sydney and will
be teaching at Emanuel Synagogue this coming August.
He will be presenting his art and leading meditations
connected to his kabbalistic paintings.
Kabbalah Tour visit Tsfat
17

BEDOUINS, THE DEAD SEA AND
JERUSALEM
When speaking with Andrew Cassey
at the end of our tour, he said the
highlights for him were meeting
with Bedouin teenagers and their
head mistress at a school for gifted
children. It is the first of its kind and
it is revolutionizing the way Bedouin
children are educated. Andrew said,
I have always been passionate about
helping the underprivileged and
it was really hopeful to see these
children having a chance in life.
And meeting a female, empowered
head mistress was also great.
(Andrew recently passed away and we
remember him with great fondness,
may his memory be a blessing.)
Emanuel Lieberfreund recounts a
talk we heard by a retired general
from the IDF, who is now one of
the board members of the school.
This retired army man now
dedicates his life to help educate
Bedouin children. That is
just so inspiring to me.
Another tikun olam project
we visited was at the Masorti
Synagogue in Neve Tsedek.
Elise Hawthorne reminisces:
It was so inspiring to hear Rabbi
Roberto Arbib tell us about his
connection to sufi leaders in various
parts of the Middle East and his work
of praying for peace with leaders of
the Christian, Muslim and Jewish
faiths. We need more of that!
And another, more frivolous highlight:
Swimming at our Ein Gedi hotel,
in a pool filled with Dead Sea
water was one of the funniest
experiences I’ve had since my
teenage years. I don’t think I’ve
laughed so much for a long time.
Deborah Koder remembers:
I loved being in Jerusalem. Singing
and praying at the Tsion egalitarian
minyan in Jerusalem was very special
to me. It changed my ideas about
prayer and my experience at shul
in Sydney is much deeper now.
Going to the kotel, and walking in the
tunnels in the Old City, I just burst into
tears. It felt like I connected to my spirit.
It was a spiritual awakening for me.
We would love to share the Kabbalah
tour of Israel with the community
again, in October of 2019, so if you
are interested please let us know.
And when you walk into new
synagogue building, please remember
all the Stars of David that underpin
the architecture of the sanctuary.
18

ART KABBALAH AND
MEDITATION SEMINAR
with
RABBI DR ORNA TRIGUBOFF
and visiting Artist from Tzfat, Israel
DAVID FRIEDMAN
He is a Kabbalist, Artist and Meditation Teacher
SUNDAY 19TH AUGUST
10:30am-3pm
email: orna@emanuel.org.au
YOGA AND KABBALAH
SEMINAR
with yoga teacher ALLA MELMAN,
RABBI DR ORNA TRIGUBOFF and
guest musician DAVID GOLDMAN
SUNDAY 15TH APRIL
1:00pm - 3:30pm
Neuweg Sanctuary, Emanuel Synagogue
email: orna@emanuel.org.au
KABBALAH TOUR
OF ISRAEL
OCTOBER 2019
A 10-day tour of Israel
with a focus on Jewish
Spirituality. We explore
ancient sites, learn with the
best kabbalah teachers in
the world and experience
authentic inspiring tikun
olam projects, getting to
know the people involved.
LED BY RABBI DR.
ORNA TRIGUBOFF
AND ISRAELI
MUSICIANS, TEACHERS
AND ARTISTS.
For more information,
please email
orna@emanuel.org.au
COMMUNITY
19

{HALF-TELLING HISTORY}
Donna Jacobs-Sife
When I was a little girl growing up in Sydney, I thought ANZAC was the celebration
of a great victory. I was taught that the White Australia Policy was essentially a
good idea. I was not taught that Aborigines had been displaced by the British
colony. In fact, I got the impression that it was an empty land, ‘terra nulius’. I did
not know of massacres, nor of a stolen generation of indigenous people.
citizen of this country with compassion
and commitment. It does not make
me less valuable as an Australian, on
the contrary, the pain I feel for the
indigenous population is a symptom
of how much I care for Australia.
When I was a young Jewish girl growing
up, I thought that before 1948 there
were very few people living in Israel at
all. I thought that the Arab nations had
told the few Palestinians living in Israel
to get to Jordan whilst they finished
off the Jews. I remember Golda Meir
saying “there are no Palestinians”.
Recently in Sydney, a Palestinian woman
told her story of being forced out of
Jerusalem with her family in 1948, as
a result of an invasion by alien people
who were taking over her home. She
spoke of the death of an entire way
of life, and the agony of facing the
prospect of never returning to their
beloved home in Jerusalem. She spoke
of the displacement of the indigenous
people of that land. She asked the
question ‘what did the treatment of
Jews by Europeans in the second world
war have to do with the Palestinian?
And if the answer is nothing, then why
were they expected to pay for it?”
These myths and half truths were not
perpetrated out of malicious intent to
mislead its citizens. I believe they were
seen as a history of necessity, to establish
and give credence to a new colony. But
we have grown up in Australia, and
20
we are more sure of our identity, and
therefore we can afford to broaden
our history to contain other stories
- stories of dispossession and racism,
defeat and regret. Now that I hold a
more realistic history, I can proceed as a
A lot happened to me whilst I was
listening to her. My heart began to
pound. I felt fear. Part of me wanted to
shout that it was not true. Certainly, one
person’s account does not speak for an
entire history, but I could not possibly
deny that this was her experience. She
was simply telling her story. I asked
myself, what happens to me when I deny

the experience of someone else, when
I refuse to acknowledge her suffering
and her humanity. What happens is
that I forfeit my own humanity. Am
I less of a Jew if I release the myths
told to me as a Jewish child, out of a
history of necessity; and broaden my
understanding to hold some of this other
history? I am no less a Jew for that.
And yet, I heard in this articulate
Palestinian woman’s argument a few
myths of her own. Why did she not
acknowledge the fact that we Jews
have been a part of the land of Israel
for thousands of years, and that we too
had been displaced and sent into exile.
Why did she not state that Israel had
never been out of our hearts for the two
thousand years until our miraculous
return. Would she have lost any
strength in her argument if she had
held that history too? On the contrary,
she would have gained strength. She
would have proved herself broad and
fair and compassionate, and I know I
would have felt much more inclined
to meet her in her own story. If she
had shown some understanding of the
Jewish experience, I would have been
utterly committed to understanding
hers. Surely the contrary applies.
So what occurred on this particular
panel, was a volleying of myth for myth,
history for history, a refusal to hear the
other, and a witnessing by the audience
of an intractable conflict, stuck in its
own stories, with no hope for peace.
I want a time when we are confident
enough to be able to include other
histories and acknowledge other
experiences other than our own. When
we know that when we deny other
people’s humanity, we forfeit our own.
I look forward to a time
when we reject this half
told history of necessity,
and believe in ourselves
enough to strive towards
a broad and powerful
history of inclusion.
INSPIRING PRAYER
{PREPARING FOR BNEI MITZVAH}
Donny Janks and Daniel Samowitz
Boys and girls from across Sydney are converging on the Emanuel
Synagogue campus every Thursday afternoon.
By 4 pm the foyer is full of around 60
Jewish children nearing their Bar and
Bat Mitzvahs. These are the students
of Adva and Emet, who along with the
10 students in our Distance Education
Program, make up the 70-odd students
in our B’nei Mitzvah Youth Education
Program. We come to learn about our
history, tradition, people, values and
laws all in an engaging and dynamic
way that sees the students excited to
come to synagogue after school.
The course, which runs for the two
years preceding the Bar/Bat Mitzvah for
all students not attending Jewish day
schools, takes students through a journey
of group development, Jewish literacy
and critical thought, Hebrew and Israel
education. We’re taking our students
from learning the word “shalom” in
their first week, to having a complex,
working knowledge of Jewish stories,
values, characters and ideas. We are
proud that the success of the program
sees Jewish day school students not
wanting to miss out and signing up too.
For students who cannot attend
on Thursday afternoons, we’ve
also updated and strengthened our
Distance Education Program (DEP).
Consisting of eight modules to be
completed over the two years preceding
the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, our DEP takes
distance students through the same
key content learned by our regular
attendees, through a diverse range
of complete-at-home activities.
21

{MY NETZER SHNAT JOURNEY}
Mili Haber
“I saw two paths standing in front of me; to look for my
inner self and turn a blind eye to the errors that surround
me, or to invest my strengths in a hard and challenging
war for the things I believe are good and true. Lord,
if you gave me fire in my heart, enable me to ignite the
passions within me in my home, the home of Israel. And if
you gave me eyes to see, if you gave me ears to listen, give me the
power to forge, to strike, to lift. And let these words be more than
poetry, let them become the certificate of life.” Hannah Sennesh
And the fire was ignited… being in
Israel for one year, for Netzer Shnat,
Netzer’s leadership training year in Israel,
this was not going to be an ordinary
year. The Netzer Shnat program is
an immersive, informal experience
in Israel, aimed to develop young
adult’s Jewish and Zionist identities.
The lessons i’ve learnt and experienced
are ones that will stay with me for life.
The way we run our youth movement,
and something that is introduced to
our senior Chanichim (participants) is
a documentation of our Beliefs, Aims
and Policies (BAP). On Netzer shnat
the program is split into three distinct
sections that are inlined with this
framework. At the beginning of this
experience we had an option to do either
Machon or Etgar. As a participant on
Etgar, we lived communally in Jerusalem
for 4 months. This program was directed
by Netzer Olami (the worldwide
movements main office in Israel),
and was focused on Netzer’s ideology:
Progressive Judaism, Reform Zionism,
and Tikkun Olam. We engaged in many
formative ideological experiences, that
created a deeper understanding but
also in some cases made you question
yourself and even more confused than to
when you began. Equally as formative,
Machon participants experienced a
pluralistic approach with a number
of other movements, including Betar,
22
Habonim Dror SA and Hineni. In the
second part of the program alongside
with self run programs throughout
the week, all participants lived in
South Tel Aviv where we volunteered
at a number of places that may have
been a area of interest or somewhere
we may have been needed.
I volunteered at a refugee children day
care center, before flying off to the UK
as a leader on their Netzer camp. Both
experiences, Ifound incredibly different
but both very rewarding and assisted
my quest to Hagshama, ideological
fulfilment. In saying that, this quest
continued during our third and last
part of the program, participation
on Kibbutz Lotan, a kibbutz down
the south of Israel, near Eilat. On
kibbutz I personally learnt a lot about
communal living and intention, this
was through working on the (believe
it or not) date fields, and participation
in the community plus everything
else we did. On Lotan we met some
incredible Israeli’s our age, who were
there volunteering before joining the
IDF. Through this connection plus
many many more we’ve created a larger
community in and out of the diaspora.
The poem written at the beginning
was something that I received at the
conclusion of Etgar (the first 4 months)
by Netzer Olami. This poem, wasn’t
something that I was invested in but
after this experience and being back in
Australia where everything is so different,
this poem has guided me with intention
and purpose within my community
and the way I live everyday. The fire
in my heart, enables me to ignite the
passion not only for Israel but towards
everything I do. The power as we forge,
strike and lift up together now back as
a bogrim body (leadership body within
Netzer) we continue to learn, build
strong friendships and educate. These
terms are ones I see define every member
in Netzer and alumni. The year that
used to seem so far away, has now been
a year of so much growth, knowledge
and connections worldwide. Moreover
the year that has helped build and guide
me for years to come. And with the
method learnt through my time in the
movement and with more to come, I
will continue to develop my beliefs,
create aims of what i want to do and
policies of how I can achieve hagshama.
This upcoming year is full of exciting
events as a Netzer Madricha (leader),
more specifically as Netzer;s Metam’et
(PR coordinator), as a teacher in our
Hebrew school, Kef Kids, working
in disability care and now studying
‘sustainable communities’. And each
experience I go through now and forever,
will become the certificate of my life.

{THE MOVEMENTS AND ME}
Natalie Royal
What is a Jewish Youth Movement? Why do I bother sending my child? What does it
mean to be a part of a young Jewish organisation? Many questions linger throughout
our community about what Jewish Youth Movements do for us and for our children.
Only after 13 years of
participation and taking
on roles have I gained a
solid understanding on
the importance of the
work carried out by the
Jewish youth groups.
The minute you turn
eight, it’s time to pack your
bags and be pushed into
an extroverted, exciting,
informal educational camp
for 5 days with other kids
you’ve never met before.
For me, the beginning was Habonim
Dror. When you’re a young child,
you don’t understand the importance
or educational side of what you’ve
been thrown into, you just embrace
the social aspect and discover a new
world of friends. Although you never
realise it, these are the friends you’re
going to keep for the rest of your life.
As you start to attend weekly meetings,
one camp after the other, you start to
realise that there’s more to going than
just making new friends. You realise
that you’ve learnt about different sects
of Judaism, environmentalism, what
havdallah is, a whole range of wacky and
fascinating things that you wouldn’t have
picked up anywhere else. Not only that
but the leaders that volunteer their time
to run these programs for you identify
and care about what their teaching
you. It’s a form of education that allows
you to enjoy learning new things.
Eventually, you reach the senior
movement, and your mind is blown.
The movement introduces you to their
ideology, allowing you to understand
why we learn what we do. And for
the first time in your life, you can
formulate your own opinion. An
opinion based on years of knowledge
put together, from multiple angles and
you’re able to effectively communicate
with someone what you believe is
right, just or important to you in this
world. With this you also discover
that there is a gap between you and
your friends who don’t attend a youth
movement, you’re confident with
talking to other people, no matter their
gender or age and not afraid to speak
your mind to someone else and you’re
surrounded by like-minded people.
Finally, after thousands of hours sitting
and listening to the people who have
become your role models, you’re finally
able to be that person. That empowered,
fun, knowledgeable young leader in your
community who can stand up in front
of crowds of people and proudly and
effectively communicate your beliefs.
The young student who decided that
volunteering 80% of their holidays
and 8 hours a week is how they’re
going to spend their time, alongside
balancing university and
making a living because its
important. Not because
they want the gratitude
and praise at the end,
because they understand
that the next generation of
leaders in our communities
are the ones that push
themselves and engage in
these youth movements.
During my past two years
in Netzer (our community's
youth movement), I’ve
been able to be a leader for kids all
ages, the NSW treasurer and co- run a
junior summer camp this past summer.
The only reason I’ve been able to do
this is because I grew up in a youth
movement and I, with so many others
invested our time to do something
we love with the skills it
gave us over the years.
CONNECTION WITH ISRAEL &
WORLD JEWRY
Interacting with these
participants and leaders,
made my understand
the importance of the
education and life skills
it provides to the youth
in our community. It’s
through the support of our
synagogue that allows us
to push the word out there
that we’re the educators for the future
leaders of our Progressive and Jewish
community. The students that excel at
school, are confident in what they do
and know how to defend themselves
when faced against Anti- Semitism or
other life dilemmas are the kids that are
engaged with this in the movements.
23

This January, I had the pleasure of
running Netzer’s annual summer
“MachaNoar “camp. I got to experience
93 wonderful, smiling kids from years
3-8 have an incredible summer holidays.
Within those kids, 32 had never
attended a Netzer (or any other youth
movement) camp before. Myself and the
other 22 leaders didn’t see a single child
that did not enjoy themselves or learn
something new. These kids left camp
with new friendships, a whole lot of new
knowledge and leaders to look up to and
be their role models. To me, this is what
the community needs to understand,
appreciate and get involved in. We’re the
education you won’t find anywhere else.
Next time you walk past Emanuel
Synagogue, attend a service or
search online, go look at the Netzer
or any of the other Jewish youth
movements in Sydney and see what’s
coming up, send your kids on a
camp and get involved because the
long run will always pay off.
{TOWARDS A VIBRANT, DYNAMIC,
PLURALIST JUDAISM}
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
Having moved to Australia, it is easy to feel a bit isolated from the rest of the
world, Jewishly or otherwise. Therefore, when I was given the opportunity to
interact with like-minded Jews from around the world, I leapt at the chance.
In January, I was invited to take part in
a Mercaz Olami conference in Israel.
Mercaz is the Zionist arm of the World
Wide Masorti Movement. Among it’s
many remits, the one I found the most
powerful was the advocacy for a pluralist
Jewish community in Israel. It is a fight
that is ongoing, but one where serious
headway has already been made.
On this conference were Jews from
communities in Argentina, Peru,
Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, United
States, Canada, United Kingdom,
France, Spain, Germany, Holland,
Ukraine, Russia, Israel, and Australia.
Perhaps the highlight of the trip
was being in the halls of the Knesset
(Israeli Parliament) and meeting with
the leaders of the major parties, to
advocate for an Israel where our pluralist
vision will become a reality. I returned
reinvigorated, knowing that there are
Jews all over the world who share a
vision, our vision, of a vibrant, dynamic,
pluralist Judaism, and are working to
made that vision a reality.
24

{THE FOUR CHILDREN OF
EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE}
Donny Janks
It’s a tried and true statement that all children learn differently. This presents
no small challenge to educators everywhere, but embedded in the Jewish
traditions we are teaching the youth at Emanuel Synagogue is a brilliant
model for answering this dilemma: the four children of the haggadah, who
are certainly not unlike our students. So how would we explain to each child who
enters Emanuel Synagogue why we should celebrate 80 years of its existence?
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
The Wise Child
We all know a wise child
- thoughtful, sincere, their
teachers’ favourite. It’s easy
to cater to the wise child
and leave the other three just
colouring in, but dedicating
adequate attention to all
four children is one of our
most important goals. When
the wise child asks “what
is the role and function of
the synagogue? How has it
helped our community, and
how best we celebrate it?”
we respond: “our synagogue
is a community centre - we
meet here, we learn here, we celebrate
and mourn here. As long as there have
been Jewish communities, there have
been synagogues, and the growth of
our synagogue is synonymous with
the growth of our community.”
The Wicked Child
It’s easy to write off the wicked child. We
often think of this child as disrespectful
and mean. However, a good educator
will see a wicked child as needing of
their attention and love as much as
any other. When the wicked child says
“shul is boring. Why should we care?”,
we should respond: “look at all of the
people who gather here. They are your
community, and should something bad
happen to you, they will always help
you. This synagogue cares for them as
they care for each other, and that is why
you should care too. They are responsible
for you and you are responsible for
them, if you choose this challenge.”
The Simple Child
We picture the simple child as very
young and very cute. But I think of
our simple child as any student who
is yet to learn the Jewish context to
frame a Jewish question. When the
simple child asks, “what is this place?”,
we should answer: “this synagogue is
a place where Jewish people like you
and me come to pray, to learn, to feel
supported, and to celebrate the big
moments in their lives. I hope you keep
coming here when you’re bigger.”
The Child Who Doesn’t
Know Enough to
Ask a Question
The last child sits and watches
the seder (or more likely
plays in the other room until
the afikoman hunt). In the
absence of a question, we
should bring our Children
Who Don’t Know Enough
to the synagogue for lessons,
games and services. We should
tell them that “we’re going to
synagogue now”, and explain
what you’ll do there - feeling
familiar and excited from
their earliest years is essential
in ensuring that they’ll bring their
children and grandchildren in turn.
If you come to the synagogue on a
Thursday or Friday afternoon, you’ll see
the youth education team surrounded
by anything from five to fifty children.
I can assure you that in every lesson we
run, there are students who have a little
bit of each of the four children from the
haggadah. The diversity in our students
only increases over time, and despite the
challenges this creates, it’s something to
be celebrated. I hope that in another 80
years, Emanuel Synagogue will still be
responsible for the Jewish education of
all 4 children from the haggadah.
Donny is one of the leaders of Emanuel
Synagogue’s Youth Education programme
25

{THE GENIUS OF SEDER}
Donna Jacobs-Sife
I’m hanging out for seder. I need the strength of ritual, the structure
of seder to help me express my anguish about this world of ours, and
provide a vehicle that can take me from prayer to redemption.
That is the genius of Seder. Its
central tenet states that ‘it is
incumbent on every person
to see himself as though he
personally had gone out from
Egypt.’ It is not just about
some ancient liberation, but
rather about a liberation
that we can continue to
experience today; whether it
be from our own self-imposed
enslavement - to the dollar, or
our resentments, or our narrow
mindedness; or whether it
be as a People, oppressed by
our fears or by violence; or
whether it be the world’s oppression
of racism, poverty and hunger.
We were slaves. Not descended from the
gods, not noblemen, but humble slaves.
And our liberation reminds us that the
world can and must be transformed.
Remembering our humble beginnings
is fundamental to who we are.
This year, I find myself thinking about
the beginnings of the State of Israel.
How deeply traumatized we were, unable
to see beyond our gaping wounds and
near destruction. Is it possible I ask
myself, that we did not see that others
were displaced by our being granted a
homeland? This year I will bring that
thought to the seder table for discussion.
I love the idea that matzah is both
the bread of slavery and the bread of
freedom, and that the difference between
these two states is as thin as the matzah
itself. What separates them could be
just a small step from an entrenched
position. Being able to step out from
one’s own reality and thereby get a view
26
of the other. When Moses was at the
burning bush he “turned aside to see
it more clearly’. And ‘when God saw
that he turned aside, he spoke to him.
Perhaps, I think to myself, if I
can turn aside from my own
fears, my own position, I too will
be able to see more clearly.
Immediately following this exchange
with Moses and God in the Torah comes
a strange statement from God. ‘I have
seen the affliction of my People.....
and I have heard my people cry out....
and I come down to deliver them
from the hand of the Egyptians’ .
Four hundred years of slavery and You
hear them now? What took You so long?
The rabbis say that it took us that long
to be able to articulate our enslavement,
and finally cry out to God. As soon as
we did, God was ready to deliver us.
The Holy Land can be more than a
place to save us if ‘it happens again’. It is
more than a piece of land that we must
cling to in the terror that we
may die without it. It is the
Holy Land. And as such we
must act with holiness as the
custodians. And what is it to
be holy? In the Tanach, Micah
6:8 says that the Lord requires
you to ‘only do justice, to love
goodness, and to walk modestly
with your God.’ Or in the
Talmud it says that the Jewish
nation is distinguished by three
characteristics; they are merciful,
they are humble, and they
perform acts of loving kindness.
Which makes me think of
Midrash. When the heavenly angels
sang songs of praise to God as the
Egyptians were drowning in the Sea
of Reeds, God reprimanded them for
celebrating the suffering of his children
the Egyptians. When I clear my house
of chametz this year, I only hope I sweep
out the corners of my heart as well , and
do away with at least some of the pride
and arrogance that lurk in the shadows.
Of this I am sure. Our own liberation
requires the liberation of all people, and
the end of all oppression. Perhaps it
is this recognition that makes Passover
such a universal holiday, and the seder
such a wonderful time to invite non-
Jews and nonpracticing Jews to our
home to experience the aliveness
of Judaism’s liberatory message.
My seder will be as powerful and
transforming as I make it. And this
year, as the seder closes with the prayer
- next year, Peace in Jerusalem, lets
pray that God will be listening.

{CELEBRATING GENDER DIVERSITY AND
LGBT+ MATTERS AT EMANUEL}
Kim Gotlieb
This is the first year in which marriage equality for same sex couples has become law.
The rabbis at Emanuel Synagogue are now free to perform the long-awaited mitzvah
of same-sex “weddings” under the chuppah. Until now, they were stymied behind
legal rhetoric which would not allow them to apply the term “marriage” to samesex
unions. It was awesome to find that the first same-sex marriage performed in
Australia was indeed a Jewish one, officiated by our own Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins.
This year’s Mardi Gras float is themed
to highlight some of the Jewish Gay
icons who have played an integral role
in supported the LGBT+ communities
- namely Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler
& Fran Drescher (from the nanny).
And Emanuel Synagogue should be
added to that list, for its unequivocal
support for the LGBT+ community.
Emanuel synagogue “pulled out all the
stops” to support the YES vote - from
posters outside the shul, to rabbinic
endorsement of the bill at the political
level. We are extremely grateful.
Emanuel continues to support LGBT+
issues, beyond the scope of their
membership, which certainly does
include a good representation of LGBT+
folk. However, it is clear that their is an
aspect of Tikkun
Olam (repair of the
world) in which
Emanuel’s support
for LGBT+ folk
extends way beyond
the limits of its
membership.
As President of
Dayenu it was
very heartening
to be at the Mardi
Gras Fair Day
stall and hear the
range of folk, both
Jewish and non,
who could speak
of a meaningful connections with
our rabbis. You do an amazing job.
Looking to the future, we are planning
some joint events for Pride Week in
June. We are also entering preliminary
discussions with the World Congress
of GLBT Jews about hosting their
conference in 2019. This year it is
happening in Rome, but L’shana
Haba (Next year) maybe right here
in Sydney. Emanuel Synagogue
has already shown support for
movement towards this possibility.
We can not fully celebrate, without
taking a moment to notice many issues,
which remain painful for LGBT+ folk
in our midst: There are young adult gay
folk who are too scared to come out to
their parents; there are lesbian schoolgirls
The Dayenu float at the 2018 Mardi Gras (Photo: Toby Centre Sydney)
engaged in self-harm and suicidal
ideation; their are gay luminaries in their
time, who experience loneliness and
isolation; there is addiction; relationship
challenges; and a raft of complex areas
of concern - many of
which are present within
the broader community,
but amplified through
the lens of homophobia
and the challenges of
experiencing this particular
brand of “othering”.
SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT
& HEALING THE WORLD
Dayenu looks forward
to including more of our
youth, gender diverse,
and others aspects of the LGBT+/
Jewish interface. Please contact us, with
your thoughts and your enthusiasm.
L’dor V’dor, from
generation to
generation may
we find Sukkat
Shlomecha, a
shelter of peace, for
all who enter the
doors of Emanuel
Synagogue.
For more, see
www.dayenu.org.au
27

{SUDDEN VERVE}
Nicole Waldner
Rita was turning 80 and she didn’t want a party, but her daughters had insisted.
On the night of her 80th there were so many people, so many faces and not all of
them had names or stories that Rita could recall. She liked the champagne though
and all those beautiful dresses that her daughter's friends were wearing.
The teal silk halter-neck, the plum
velvet shift, oh and the peach floral
chiffon! She would have liked to touch
them, to feel those exquisite fabrics
between her fingers. All of her working
life Rita had been a seamstress, but
it had been many years since she’d
made anything new. Thinking back
now she couldn’t remember exactly
why she’d stopped sewing, only that it
was after her mother’s funeral. She sat
quietly watching the scene with that
sense of distance which sometimes
felt like longing, and sometimes like
indifference, but she did not wish to
feel either. She stood up and went to
look for her granddaughter Lola.
“Ooh Nonna, you brought me
chocolates!” Lola’s long, dark
eyes glittered like jet beads. “It’s
a very fancy party, isn’t it?”
Rita nodded and told her about
the waiters and the champagne,
and all the beautiful dresses too.
“Do you want me to read you a story?”
“No. Let’s play ‘Stare Stare’.”
Rita agreed, took off her shoes and
climbed into the bed. Lola curled up
beside her, warm and soft as a freshly
baked brioche. The game was simple
enough, but it did require a lot of
staring. The nearness of the child,
the goodness of her balmy smell, her
laughter, her long, narrow, obsidian
eyes, all of it was bliss to Rita.
Those eyes! How they reminded Rita
of her mother! Her mother who’d died
in an airless room, surrounded by pills,
ossified by bitterness and spleen. After
years of caring for her there was little
love left in Rita’s heart for anything.
“Nonna, what do you want for
your birthday?” asked Lola.
Rita looked into Lola’s eyes again
and saw the past, present and future
converging. She thought about her
mother’s dresses hanging in a cupboard
at home, shrouded in sheets, smothered
in mothballs. Diors, Balenciagas,
Saint-Laurents, all copies, all made
by Rita. They were such perfect
replicas that nobody ever knew they
weren’t originals. They needed airing,
an outing. Or maybe they needed
to be taken apart and re-made?
“I really liked the chiffon dress I
told you about, but I think the waist
should have been cinched and the bust
needed darts. Structure and softness
aren’t mutually exclusive you know.”
“Huh? So you want a dress?”
“No,” said Rita with sudden
verve, “I don’t want a dress, I
want to make dresses.”
She lay back, closed her eyes and
remembered. Her father had lived a
long, strong life. What was it he’d always
said? “Someone to love and something
to do.” Here was Lola beside her.
Tomorrow she’d make her a new dress.
If you’d like to read more
of Nicole’s work please visit
www.nicolewaldner.com
28

{A MIND-BLOWING CONFERENCE}
Rev Sam Zwarenstein
When you attend a conference with over 5,000 Jews, gathered in a huge hotel, or
as was the most recent case, a convention centre, you’d expect there to be plenty of
cause for laughter and celebration, for networking and learning and sharing.
The most recent URJ (Union for
Reform Judaism) Biennial in Boston
in December 2017 was all that and
more. URJ Biennials are based
on a multi-pronged platform.
First, there are many hundreds of
learning sessions to choose from, each
lasting about an hour and a half to two
hours, with a huge amount of options
to choose from. There are around 4-5
time slots per day, and about 20-25
choices for each of those time slots.
Unless you’re Michael Keaton in
Duplicity, there is no way you could get
to them all. Moreover, the sessions are
not designed like that. They are standalone
(with one or two exceptions)
learning and engagement sessions,
created to encourage participation in
the areas being presented and discussed.
With over 5,000 participants in every
URJ Biennial I’ve been to, I am yet to
meet someone who wasn’t debating
which session to go to for a given time
slot. So many choices, so little time.
Then there is an unbelievably amazing
exhibit hall, with a very wide range of
Judaica, tours, books, services, solutions,
and many other great offerings to
indulge and partake in, ask questions
about, discuss, purchase and simply
enjoy. In Boston, there 143 exhibitors,
you could (and I did) spend hours there.
There is also a range of services and
text study options, and loads of music
options for all ages and backgrounds,
running at different times of the day,
and especially late at night, after the
regular programming has concluded.
These offerings included Josh Nelson,
Dan Nichols, Nefesh Mountain,
Michelle Citrin, and Rick Recht.
Every conference also presents wonderful
opportunities for networking - either
with people you know, or someone
you’ve never met, perhaps just to catch
up, or even have an in-depth discussion
on mutual interests or challenges.
Shabbat dinner always blows me away.
The opportunity to share a special
meal, at a very special time of the
week, with thousands of other people,
and even at your table of 10 or 12,
you don’t know most of them. But,
you get to know them, and you form
even more amazing friendships and
bonds. You get to sing Kiddush, say
Hamotzi, and recite Birkat Hamazon
(Grace After Meals) with a huge
contingent of new-found connections
as well as dear and close friends.
Shabbat services with more than
5,000 people always proves to be
entertaining and powerful. It’s probably
a different style of service than just
about any of us in this world are
used to, and if you love music and
singing, you are in for a huge treat.
And then there’s the main attraction
of the conference (well, in my opinion
anyway) - plenary sessions. There
are usually two plenaries each day
(one in the morning, and one in the
night). Each plenary kept the audience
enthralled, engaged, and thoroughly
inspired. When you have such
motivating and influential speakers as
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker,
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, Senator
Elizabeth Warren, and Fran Drescher
(yes, The Nanny), you know you’re
going to be invigorated and energised.
There is so much on offer, and if
you find yourself bored at any stage
during the Biennial, you must
be doing something wrong.
As with all conferences and seminars,
what you learn, experience, enjoy,
and take from the conference is
directly related to what you put into
it, and what your intentions are.
There is no doubt that you could do the
bare minimum, stay in your hotel room
for most of the time, and steer away
from the crowds, but then you’d need to
be asking yourself, what am I doing here?
You could also find yourself at the
conference venue for 15 hours a day,
taking it all in, running from place to
place, not stopping for a minute to
rest. You’d certainly be
getting the most value
for your money, but then
the question would be,
what did I learn here?
CONNECTION WITH ISRAEL &
WORLD JEWRY
As always, it’s about
planning, prioritising,
making time for the
important things (like
networking and the exhibit
hall), and allowing yourself
to be educated, entertained,
and enlightened. The reality is that
no matter how big the lure of such an
mind-blowing conference is, it is not
feasible for many of us to attend the URJ
Biennial, as amazing as that would be.
Having said that, we have a wonderful
opportunity to engage in our own
29

Thousands gather for prayer at the URJ Biennial
Biennial, right here in Australia. Every
two years, we have the UPJ Biennial,
for congregations and congregants from
Australia, New Zealand, and South-
East Asia to engage in. We don’t have
the numbers to hold a conference for
5,000 people, which can be a good
thing (especially if huge crowds are not
your style). It does, however, allow us
to enjoy more focussed learning and
engagement sessions, mealtimes, services,
with plenty of time for networking
and socialising. It’s an opportunity
to get together with people who
value the same or similar ideological
principles, share our congregational
and personal stories, experiences, and
dreams, and even make new friends.
This year, we’ll be gathering in
Melbourne, at the Novotel St Kilda,
from 15-18 November 2018. Over and
above all the other special activities,
which also includes a range of activities
for Mitzvah Day (18 November),
we’ll be learning with Rabbi Dr Larry
Hoffman. Rabbi Hoffman is a Professor
of Liturgy, Worship, and Ritual at
the Hebrew Union College Jewish
Institute of Religion in New York.
He has a wealth of knowledge and
experience, and has written and edited
many books, and along with Dr Ron
Wolfson (who we’ve had the pleasure of
learning and engaging with at the 2012
and 2016 UPJ Biennial Conferences),
he co-founded Synagogue 2000, and
later Synagogue 3000, focusing on
trans-denominational Judaism and
engagement. I could go on and on about
how amazing he is, but I’ll leave that
until November, when we get to learn
and connect with Rabbi Hoffman.
So, go clear your calendar for 15-18
November, and join us in Melbourne.
It’s only 4 days, but it will leave a lasting
impact on your Jewish and social life,
and you will walk away, feeling enriched
and exuberated, and you’ll have lots
more friends. Registration will open
soon, and you can take advantage of
the early-bird pricing and other options
on offer. More information on the
Biennial and how to register, etc. will be
communicated in the coming months.
P.S. If you can’t make it to
Melbourne, there will be a couple
of other opportunities to hear from
and learn with Rabbi Hoffman
in Sydney in early November. Of
course, you could go to both!
30

{HELPING THOSE IN NEED}
Leigh Reading
Our Emanuel Synagogue volunteers selflessly devote their time and skills to make a difference
in the lives of others in the community. We appreciate, honour and celebrate every one of
them! A volunteer from each of our projects shares some information, insights and stories.
If you would like to know more
about either a group or our work
in general, please email the Social
Justice Chairperson Michael Folk
at socialjustice@emanuel.org.au
MATTHEW TALBOT HOSTEL
FOR MEN
Project Coordinator Peter Keeda
“Everyone has the right
to a standard of living
adequate for the health
and well-being of himself
and of his family, including
food, clothing, housing and
medical care and necessary
social services, and the right
to security in the event of
unemployment, sickness,
disability, widowhood,
old age or other lack of
livelihood in circumstances
beyond his control.”
– Article 25(1) of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
About once a month I struggle out
of my warm bed at 5am on a Sunday
morning and, bleary-eyed, drive to
Woolloomooloo. As I near the Matthew
Talbot Hostel for men I remind myself
how lucky I am to have left a warm, dry,
safe home to which, after a few hours,
I will return. Out of the car window I
see those sleeping on the streets, under
bridges, snuggled up in their dirty
blankets, the homeless men of Sydney.
In half an hour, the Hostel doors will
open and these men will be able to
find some comfort and warmth for an
hour or two, after which they will again
hit the streets of our modern city.
It has now been over seven years that we
staff the canteen at the Hostel, serving
coffee and other such ‘luxuries’ to the
homeless. Often, we get a chance to
chat with some of the men there gaining
some understanding of how fragile our
fortunes have been, thrusting them into
homelessness and us into a privileged
life of family, friends, housing and many
of the comforts of modern living.
As I leave the hostel, I am always aware
of my good fortune in being able to
return to my warm and welcoming
home, but saddened that those at the
hostel will return to the often cold
and uncaring streets of Sydney.
It is indeed a privilege to serve these men.
ANNUAL MITZVAH DAY PROJECT
Coordinator Tanya Igra
It has been both a privilege and
gratifying experience to be involved in
the numerous and varied Social Justice
activities of Emanuel Synagogue. My
involvement this year with organising
Mitzvah Day, signifies a day to both
contribute to a meaningful ‘good
deed project’ and to celebrate the
opportunity to communally give to
a significant cause with joint spirit,
energy and enthusiasm in our multigenerational
Emanuel family.
Mitzvah Day not only provides a
small way to change the world for
others but demonstrates to ourselves
as a community the wonderful results
that can be achieved when many
people put their hearts, ideas, talents,
generosity and time together. Every
Delivery of the Aboriginal Care
Packs from Mitzvah Day to
Gunawirra Aboriginal Service
for distribution to disadvantaged
Aboriginal Communities in NSW
little bit and every person counts in
helping to achieve the end-product.
SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT
& HEALING THE WORLD
This year’s Mitzvah Day, produced 250
personal hygiene care packs, which were
distributed to Aboriginal preschool
children from extremely disadvantaged
communities across NSW. Previous
Mitzvah Days have produced care packs
for women and families in refuges facing
domestic violence, as well as educational
supply packages for indigenous school
aged children who could not otherwise
afford basic school necessities. Each
year has surpassed the last in terms of
the level of participation and willingness
of congregants to donate both goods
and time to the cause at hand.
Personally, I have found assisting and
contributing in various capacities
31

within the social justice sphere of
this synagogue a most satisfying
and fulfilling experience.
EARLY LITERACY SUPPORT
PROJECT
Owen Ratner
I have been a member of Emanuel
Synagogue from the time that I
was married at Temple Emanuel in
1973. In my early years as a member
I was very involved in the life of the
Emanuel community principally in the
establishment of The Emanuel School.
I am not religious and apart from my
involvement with the school I have had
very little to do with synagogue life.
Nevertheless, I value my Jewish identity
and have struggled for years with how
to maintain that identity without being
an active member of the synagogue.
When I saw the request by Emanuel
Social Justice for volunteers to help
with their new literacy program
aimed principally at helping young
indigenous children I thought this
would be perfect. It was not only an
activity that would involve me with
the Emanuel community but it also
gave me the opportunity to help the
advancement of young students in
the local aboriginal community.
I have been volunteering now for 2 years
at Alexandria Park Community School.
From my discussions with Nehama
and other volunteers, I think it would
be fair to say we all find the class work
exhausting and exhilarating at times but
always fulfilling. I love engaging with
the young students and developing a
relationship over the school year. The
feedback we receive is always positive.
I am proud to do my bit to help
educate young children in need of
encouragement and support and
honoured to be doing this as a
representative of the Jewish community.
EMANUEL TO EXODUS
Project Co Ordinator Nehama Werner
Emanuel Synagogue has a long
relationship with the Exodus
Foundation, which was established by
Reverend Bill Crews of the Uniting
Church in Ashfield. In the early
1990s Emanuel volunteers began by
cooking and serving lunch on Easter
Sunday to the hungry and lonely
people Exodus’s staff call their guests.
Exodus’s program has grown to match
the increasing numbers of needy and
so has Emanuel’s contribution. On
the second Sunday of every month,
our volunteers set the tables, serve the
meals (now cooked by professional staff)
and clean up. Guests reflect the multiethnic
character of Ashfield across all age
groups. The majority are men, elderly
women and often women with small
children. All receive a hot meal of meat
and vegetables, fruit and beverages.
ASYLUM SEEKERS CENTRE
MITZVAH LUNCH GROUP
Co-ordinators Leigh Redding and Morris Eskin
The Newtown Asylum Seekers Centre
is a not-for-profit organisation relying
entirely on grants, donations and
volunteers. The ASC assists with
finding accommodation, financial relief,
legal advice, employment assistance
to those allowed to work, education,
nutrition and social support.
Our group of 22 people has now
been involved for over 5 years. We
cook regular lunches in our homes in
teams, which we serve at the centre,
together with delivering frozen
meals prepared by Our Big Kitchen
on Fridays, to be enjoyed over the
weekends in their accommodation.
We recently inspired Emanuel School
students to collect and donate nonperishable
food and toiletries. They
went to the Centre and in distributing
their donations, they interacted
with the refugees who rely on the
Centre for much of their social,
emotional and economic support.
For our few hours of work, the benefits
are enormous. The words of gratitude
and the smiles of enjoyment from the
women, men and children, make it all
so worthwhile. A true MITZVAH.
Volunteers in the Early Literacy Support Project
32

Mr Albert & Mrs Elina Smagarinsky
Mrs Lucy & Mr Stephen Chipkin
Ms Dagmar Caminer
Mr Lewis Levi
Mrs Jenny Solomon
Mr Anthony Lewy
Mr Michael Keogh &
Ms Sharron Motro
Mr Anthony & Mrs Ronit Olovitz
Mr Joshua Weinstock &
Ms Jenita Stoloff
{NEW MEMBERS}
Welcome new members
Ms Barbara Holmes and family
Mr Owen Griffiths & Ms
Mary-Ann Stanley
Issac & Ann Elnekave
Mr Liam O'Callaghan
Mr Adrian & Mrs Justine Reef
Guy Abelsohn & Geneviv Fanous
Ms Roberta Haski
Mr Warren & Ms Mila Kalinko
Mr Bradley & Mrs Nicole Allen
Mr Dean Kremer
Mr Peter Ryner
Mr Antony David Solomon
Mrs Kim Solomon
Ms Jessica Block & Mr Tim Fox
Mr Jack Poppert
Mr Daniel & Mrs Yvonne Wise
Ms Toni Whitmont & Mr Jim Booth
Mr Jason & Mrs Merav Ross
Mr Peter Berger
Mr Saul & Mrs Lauren Berkowitz
NOURISHMENT FOR MIND, BODY AND
SOUL. ENJOY LUNCH, MEET FRIENDS AND
DELVE INTO TORAH.
Join us on the second Saturday morning of
each month following Shabbat services:
April 14
May 12
June 9
July 14
August 11
Lunch
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
Dudu Gotlib
‘n’
Learn
Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
{BEREAVEMENT
SUPPORT
GROUP}
Experience has shown that
bereavement support can provide
people with appropriate care in their
time of need. Jacky Gerald, who
has experience in this field, will be
facilitating a number of one-hour
group sessions for those seeking
help in dealing with bereavement.
As these sessions will be held off-site (in
the CBD), registration will be required.
To register, email info@emanuel.org.au,
and we will send you details (including
address and times) of the sessions.
Please Note: This will be a closed
group for up to six individuals to
attend each of the three sessions. We
shall offer another group should more
than this number wish to attend.
SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT
& HEALING THE WORLD
33

{MAZAL TOV}
Read about some of our members who have recently become Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
ZOE KERTESZ
BEN ZWARENSTEIN
About me: Teamwork is important
to me, especially in sport. Watching
sports at a stadium or ground adds to
the atmosphere and my enjoyment.
My favourite school subjects
are PDHPE, Maths, Art,
and Jewish Studies.
Each year, I look forward to
playing soccer in the various
leagues I play in over the season.
School: Reddam House
Hobbies: Playing sport
Likes: I love science and
I like Macklemore.
Pets: Parker (dog) and Travis (cat)
About me: I value my family. I don't
really know what I what I want to be.
I play for the Eatern Bulldogs (AFL).
I would like to try to help fix
global warming. I want to be more
organised and less clumsy.
What will you remember most
about your Bat Mitzvah? I
will remember my tutor, Irit
most about my Bati.
School: Emanuel School
Hobbies: Soccer, Playstation,
Cricket, Basketball
Likes: family and friends,
and playing sport.
Dislikes: Too much homework,
and Mondays.
Pets: Harry and Hermione (2 African
Peach-Faced Loved Birds - mini parrots)
2 to 5 year olds
Social Justice: As part of my Bar
Mitzvah journey, I chose to support
"Their Beautiful Game", which
supports football programs for those
living in hardship. They help to ensure
that everyone enjoys and benefits
from their right to play soccer, an
ideal which is close to my heart.
What will you remember most
about your Bar Mitzvah? Even
though it was tough at times, I
enjoyed the learning, especially the
various tunes of the prayers.
First Friday of the month, 5:00pm–6:00pm
Once a month we join together for
an hour of songs, prayers, stories,
craft activities and fun. We begin with
a noisy, song-filled prayer service,
followed by some dancing, stories and
a craft activity. Then together we say
the Shabbat prayers for candles, wine
and challah.
It is a lovely way to introduce your
children to Shabbat and an opportunity
to meet other families in the community.
Parents and grandparents welcome.
34

{MAZAL TOV}
Read about some of our members who have recently become Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
GABRIEL STAFFORD
School: Reddam House
Hobbies: Fencing, Martial Arts,
Guitar, Drawing and Gaming
Likes: I like hanging out with
friends. I like gaming. I like playing
guitar, especially in rock band and
I like fencing and martial arts.
Dislikes: I dislike racism and sexism.
I really dislike seeing neglected or
abandoned pets. And I also really
dislike the practice of shark finning.
Pets: A Labradoodle named Pablo
About me: I have just started year 8
at Reddam House. This year I will
participate in chess, orchestra, rock
band, rugby and fencing. Outside
school I will continue to practice martial
arts, learn guitar, swim and fence. I
will continue to draw and to make
sculptures. And in my spare time I plan
to hang out with friends and family.
Social Justice: I have a strong sense of
social justice and fair play. I would like
to pursue a career that will allow me to
help people and animals or even to save
lives. I would like to make a difference.
What will you remember most
about your Bar Mitzvah? I am really
thrilled that I can now read Hebrew.
And I really enjoyed learning a lot about
Judaism. I am grateful to my teachers
at Emanuel Synagogue and at Reddam
House for helping me prepare for my
Bar Mitzvah. I am looking forward
to continuing to learn more!.
{JOURNEY IN JUDAISM}
Every Sunday morning of school
term, join us for a new and exciting
program to broaden your horizons,
building on your journey in Judaism.
You can partake in any one of the
three parts of the journey, or all of it.
From 9:00-9:45am we will have
an informal learner’s minyan to
help you understand the pattern
and meaning of Jewish prayer.
From 9:45am we will be
having light brunch.
From 10:00-11:00am we conclude
our journey with meaningful learning.
COMMUNITY
Designed by Ann Wolfson
35

{TZEDAKAH}
Thank you to our generous donors
$10,000 OR MORE
Rabbi Jeffrey B.
Kamins OAM
Dr John & Mrs
Roslyn Kennedy
Susan & Isaac Wakil
Foundation
Mr Robert Whyte
$5,000 OR MORE
Mr Owen Griffiths &
Ms Mary-Ann Stanley
Barbara Karet
Dr Peter & Mrs
Ziporah Neustadt
Mr John Roth & Ms
Jillian Segal AM
Mr Brian Sherman AM
& Dr Gene Sherman
Mrs Lucy Vessey
UP TO $499
Mr Reuben Aaron OBE
& Mrs Cornelia Aaron
Mrs Nikki Abrahams
Mr George Bognar and
Mrs Rony Bognar
Mr Anthony & Mrs
Kate Boskovitz
Kate Boskovitz
Mrs Tessa Boucher
Mrs Marla & Mr
Dennis Bozic
Mr Sidney & Mrs
Julie Brandon
Mr Leonard Brandon
Mrs Brenda Braun
Mrs Julianna Brender
Professor Graham De
Vahl Davis AM
Ms Dahlia Dior
Mrs Daphne Doctor
Mr David & Mrs
Suzette Doctor
Mrs Lily Dreyer
Mrs Claire Dukes
Dr Richard & Mrs
Ellen Dunn
Mr Andrew Dziedzic
Mr Martin Einfeld QC
& Mrs Leone Einfeld
$1,000 OR MORE
Dr Robert & Mrs Eva Gertler
Mr Thomas Biller & Dr
Anita Nitchingham
Dr Sacha Davis and Ms
Minna Perheentupa
Mrs Aliza Sassoon
Mr Richard & Mrs
Sarah Silverton
Mrs Adele Simson
Ms Alida Stanley and
Mr Harley Gordon
Andrew Wright
Rabbi Dr. Orna Triguboff
$500 OR MORE
Dr Karen Arnold &
Dr Drew Heffernan
Dr David & Mrs
Maxine Bachmayer
Michael Berger
Mrs Rosemary Block
Mr Roger Davis
Mr Benjamin & Mrs
Margaret Elias
Mr Alan Obrart & Mrs
Alexa Gilbert-Obrart
Mr David & Mrs
Karen Gordon
Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM
Dr Jason Kaplan & Mrs
Jessica Sara Kaplan
Mrs Beverley Adcock OAM
Mr Laurence & Mrs
Suanne Adelman
Mr Peter Adler
Mr Jeff Anderson
Mr Sidney Antflick &
Dr Jennifer Adelstein
Mr Leo Apterman
Ms Mary Levy
Dr Egon & Mrs
Judith Auerbach
Ms Joanna and Mr
Dan Auerbach
Mrs Bernice Bachmayer
Mr Stephen & Mrs
Wendy Baer
Ms Mary Banfield &
Mr Morris Averill
Dr Felix & Mrs
Caroline Barda
Mr Joseph Barda
Ms Sandra Barrkman
Mr Victor Baskir
Mr John & Mrs Yvonne Bear
Mr Peter Benjamin
Ms Beverley Berelowitz
Mrs Lilian & Dr Ezra Berley
Mrs Anne Elizabeth Biner
Mr Daniel & Mrs
Zahava Bloch
Mr Lester & Mrs
Frankie Blou
Mr. John Brieger & Mrs
Susi Brieger OAM
Mrs Dahlia Brigham
Mr Ian Brodie
Mr Leon & Mrs Emma
Bronfentrinker
Bruce Burwick
Mr David Castle
Dr David & Mrs
Noirin Celermajer
Mrs Lynette Chaikin
Mr Erwin Charmatz
Daniel T Cohen
Mrs Glenda Cohen
Mrs Wendy Cohen
Ms Yael Cohen
Ms Doris Cope Krygier
Mr Ronald Coppel AM
& Mrs Valerie Coppel
Mrs Nereida Cross
Ms Frances Cufar
Ms Jennifer Cufar
Mrs Jacqueline Dale
Mrs Jessie Daniel
Mr Albert Danon & Mrs
Dinah Danon OAM
Mr Leslie & Mrs Lisa Davey
Mr Robert Davidson
Mr Rodney Davies
Ms Ethel Davis
Mrs Sally Davis
Mr Walter Einstein
Ms Naomi Elias
Ms Julie Ellitt
Mr Colin & Mrs
Rosy Elterman
Mr David Emanuel
Mrs Nicole Emdur-Apps
Mrs Coryl Engel
Mr John Szabo &
Ms Jenifer Engel
Mr Jonathan Leslie &
Ms Susan Engel
Mrs Marlene Epstein
Mrs Lili Errera
Mrs Joy Evans
Mrs Zita Evans
Mr David Faigen
Mr George & Mrs
Vera Faludi
Mr Vladimir & Mrs
Irina Feldman
Dr Stephen & Mrs
Helen Fenton
Dr Michael Levy & Mrs
Renee Ferster Levy
Mrs Zinaida Fettmann
Paul Ian Fiegel
Mr Allan & Mrs
Barbara Firestone
Mr Danny & Mrs
Rachael Fischer
Ms Judy Fischer
36

Mr John Fleischer
Rabbi Brian Fox AM
Ms Lorraine Fox
Mr Peter Frankl & Mrs
Michelle Stein-Evers
David & Karen Freeman
Mrs Karen Fried
Mrs Erika Fulop
Mr Joseph Furedi
Mr John & Mrs Judy Gal
Jacky Gerald
Mr Ronald Gerechter
Mr Heinz & Mrs
Yvonne Gerstl
Dr Elliot Gilbert & Dr
Kumudika de Silva
Mr David Gilray
Mr David & Mrs
Ruth Glasser
Mr John & Mrs
Judith Gleiber
Mrs Cherie Glick
Mrs Dina & Mr
Gennadi Gofman
Mr Charles Golan
Mr Brian & Mrs Susie Gold
Ms Wendy Goldman
Mr John & Mrs
Tova Goldstein
Dr Lorna Graham
Mr Robert & Mrs
Vicki Grant
Mrs Elizabeth Green
Ms Tracey Griff
Dr Reg & Mrs
Kathie Grinberg
Mr Roger Grinden
Dr Richard Haber
Dr Claude & Mrs
Roslyn Hakim
Alexander Hall
Dr Christine Harris
Mr David & Mrs
Sharon Harris
Mr Les Hart
Mr Neville & Mrs
Debbie Hausman
Ms Lesley-Ann Hellig
Mrs Manou Heman
Mr Michael & Mrs
Anthea Hemphill
Dr Debbie Hill
Mr Andrew & Mrs
Dee Hilton
Mrs Susan Hirshorn
Mr Ralph & Mrs
Adrienne Hirst
Mrs Dolores Holland
Mrs Valerie Hosek
Mrs Sheryl & Mr
Mark House
Mrs Rosalind & Mr
Wayne Ihaka
Mr Benjamin Isaacs
Mr Gordon Jackson
Justice Peter Jacobson
Mr Bernard & Mrs
Vera Jacoby
Dr Jack Jellins & Mrs
Maureen Jellins
Mrs Aileen Kadison
Mr Anthony Kahn & Mrs
Judith Kahn Friedlander
Professor Steven & Mrs
Andrea Kalowski
Dr Errol & Mrs Zina Kaplan
Mr Barry & Mrs
Pamela Karp
Mr Leslie & Mrs Sonia Katz
Professor Robert
Kummerfeld & Dr Judy Kay
Mr Steven Kay
Mr Jack & Mrs
Maxine Klarnet
Dr Stephen & Dr
Deborah Koder
Mrs Evelyn Kohan
Mrs Betty Kohane
Ronen Vexler and
Elzabeth Kollias
Mrs Veronica Kolman
Ms Renee Koonin
Ms Yvonne Korn
Mrs Dorit & Mr
Aubrey Krawitz
Mr Eitan Madar & Mrs
Esther Kubie Madar
Ms Therese Kutis
Emeritus Prof. Konrad
Kwiet & Mrs Jane Kwiet
Mrs Judith Lander
Mrs Eugina Langley
Pamela Ann Lansky Williams
Mr Uri & Mrs
Betty Laurence
Ms Yittah Lawrence
Mr Solomon & Mrs
Linda Lebovic
Mr Marc Lederman
Mrs Devorah Lees
Ms Sylvia Lenny
Mrs Barbara Leser
Mr Lewis Levi
Mr Peter Mintz &
Ms Belinda Levy
Mrs Beth Levy
Mr Gregg & Mrs Sue Levy
Ms Michal Levy
Mr Philip & Mrs
Lorraine Levy
Ms Miriam Lewin
Mrs Joan Lewis
Dr Golda Lieberman
Dr David & Mrs
Patricia Lieberman
Mr Stanford & Mrs
Abirah Lifschitz
Dr Robert & Dr
Ella Lindeman
Mrs Erika Lindemann
Mr Alex & Mrs
Rosemary Linden
Mr Maurice Linker
Mr Martin Lipschitz
Ms Jennifer Littman
Mr Peter & Mrs Anna Loewy
Mr Sydney and Mrs
Valerie Lonstein
Dr Ivan Lorentz AM &
Mrs Judith Lorentz
Mrs Sylvia Luikens
Dr Isaac & Mrs
Denise Mallach
Dr Linda Mann
Mr Danny & Mrs
Anna Marcus
Dr Bernard Maybloom
Mrs Ilana & Mr Grant
McCorquodale
Ms Judith McLallen
Mr Gene Melzack
Dr Graeme Mendelsohn
Mr Brendon Meyers
Mr David Meyers & Ms
Monique Werkendam
Mr Keith Miller
Ms Wendy Milston
Mr David Morris
Mr Daniel & Mrs
Margaret Moses
Mrs Donna & Mr
Philip Moses
Mrs Anita Moss
Mr Frank Muller
Ms Vivienne Nabarro
Mrs Victoria Nadel
Mrs Nicci Nahon
Dr Leslie & Mrs
Marcia Narunsky
Mr David & Mrs
Sarah Nathan
Mr Michael & Mrs
Ruth Nathanson
Ms Lana Neumann
Mr Terry & Mrs
Anne Newman
Mr William & Mrs
Barbara Newman
Professor Graham
Newstead A.M. & Ms
Michele Newman
Mrs Johanna Nicholls
Dr Joel Nothman
Mrs Susan
Nothman
Mr Ari and Mrs
Kim Novick
Dr Raymond &
Mrs Rose Novis
Mrs Vera Olovitz
Ms Ruth Osen
Mr. Warren
Pantzer
COMMUNITY
37

{...TZEDAKAH CONTINUED}
Mr Alfred & Mrs
Elizabeth Parker
Mr Shimon Parker
Mr Barry & Dr
Yvonne Perczuk
Mrs Helen Perko
Mr Peter & Mrs Yvonne Perl
Dr Sam Perla
Margaret Perlman
Barbara Potashnick
Mrs Bertha Power
Mr Victor & Mrs
Margarita Prager
Mrs Jennifer Randall
Mr Kenneth Raphael
Mr Peter & Mrs
Carol Reismann
Mr Roger & Mrs
Jeannine Revi
Mr Alfredo & Mrs
Diana Rispler
Mr Mikhael Nisner &
Mr Barry Robinson
Mrs Patricia Roby
Myriam & Jack Romano
Mr Albert & Mrs
Karin Stafford
Dr Ellis and Mrs Lyn Rosen
Mr Marshall & Mrs
Suzanne Rosen
Mrs Deanne Rosenthal
Ms Edna Ross
Mr George & Mrs
Shirley Rotenstein
Mr Steve & Mrs Ann Rubner
Mrs Liese Russ
Mr John Ryba
Mr Ronald & Mrs
Pamela Sackville
Dr Neville & Mrs
Ingrid Sammel
Ms Betty Saunders-Klimenko
Ms Deborah Saunders
Ms Hannah Schwartz
Mr Roger & Dr Eleanor Sebel
Ms Agnes Seemann
Mr John & Mrs Joan Segal
Mr Kevin & Mrs Yadida Sekel
Mrs Jennifer & Dr Alex Selby
Mr Ariel & Dr
Naomi Shammay
Mr Raphael & Mrs
Roslyn Shammay
Mr Kenneth & Mrs
Cathy Shapiro
Dr Dorian & Mrs
Elizabeth Sharota
Mrs Vivienne Sharpe
Ms Merril Shead
Mrs Lorraine & Mr
Barry Shine
Mr Yacov & Mrs
Ludmila Shneidman
Professor Gary Sholler
Mrs Regina Shusterman
Mrs Agnes Silberstein
Ms Irene Sills
Ms Judith Silver
Mrs Marianne Silvers
Mrs Margaret Simmonds
Mrs Barbara & Mr
Charles Simon
Mr John & Mrs Edith Simon
Mrs Salome Simon
Mrs Esther Simons
Mr Jeff & Mrs Fiona Singer
Ms Deborah Singerman
Mrs Joy Sirmai
Mr Alan & Mrs Anne Slade
Mrs Dora & Mr
Jacob Slomovits
Mrs Irene Smith
Ms Leslie Solar
Mrs Agnes Spencer
Mrs Neva & Mr Leo Sperling
Dr Ron & Dr Judy Spielman
Ms Lesley Spindler
Mrs Desiree Spiro
Mrs Irene Steele
Dr Jeffrey Steinweg OAM
& Mrs Sandra Steinweg
Dr Alfred Stricker
Mr Jeffrey Suarez
Mrs Michele Sultan
Mr Les & Mrs
Suzaner Szekely
Mr Michael Taksa
Ms Gul Tan
Mr Jacob & Mrs
Rosalind Tarszisz
Mrs Mildred Teitler
Dr Michael Urwand
Mrs Pauline Vellins
Marcel Vexler
Mr Stephen & Mrs
Edna Viner
Dr Eric & Dr Maureen Waine
Dr Anthony & Mrs
Margot Wasserman
Mr Maurice Watson
Mr Leon & Mrs Tracey-
Ann Waxman
Mr Morris & Mrs
Lynette Wegman
Kerrie Weil
Mr Gerald & Mrs
Audrey Weinberg
Mr Robert & Mrs
Miriam Weiss
Mrs Thea & Mr John Weiss
Mrs Viola Wertheim
Mr Scott Whitmont & Mr
Christopher Whitmont-Stein
Mr Henry & Mrs Ruth Wirth
Ms Judith Wolf
Ms Dianne Wolff
Mr Gerald & Mrs
Vivian Wolff
Mr Patrick Wong and
Dr. Natalie Cromer
Mr Harold & Mrs
Lana Woolf
Mrs Zara Yellin
Mr Maurice & Mrs
Betty Zamel
Mrs Anita Zweig
and numerous other
anonymous donors
{KITCHEN FOR HIRE}
As you may be aware, as
part of the redevelopment,
we have built a kitchen
for the Synagogue.
Semi-commercial
kitchen for hire:
• State of the art
• Newly designed
and renovated
• Vegetarian including fish
• Includes large coolroom
For more details contact
michelle@emanuel.org.au
or ph: 9389 6444
38

{BIRTHS}
Mazal Tov to
Mr Roman Davidov &
Ms Larisa Ruhman
Mr Sam and Mrs
Louisa Chipkin
Mr Ethan Weisz & Ms
Priscilla Coutinho
Mr David Cole & Mrs
Catherine Randall
Mr Benjamin & Mrs
Margaret Elias
Mr Ben & Mrs So-
Young Kim Greenberg
Mr Max & Mrs
Lindy Ben-Galim
Gideon Hornung &
Paulina de Laveaux
Mr Domonic & Mrs
Daiana Gresham
Ms Michaela Kalowski
Mr Daniel Mendoza-
Jones & Ms Jessica Roth
Mr Gill & Mrs Marina Rozen
Dr Jason Kaplan & Mrs
Jessica Sara Kaplan
Mr Stanislav & Mrs
Irina Farbman
Mr Samuel Gowland & Mrs
Kobe Ryba Hayes Gowland
Ophir Zenou and
Valeriia Hapon
Mr Shaun Greenblo &
Ms Jana Zurawlenko
Mr Dean Watson &
Ms Simone McOnie
{B’NEI MITZVAH}
Mazal Tov to
Anna Rachel Eleonore Davis
Julius Gabriel Stafford
Blake Raphael Wright
Luca Moses
Malachy Kalowski
Benjamin Zwarenstein
Brody Elbourne
Mahley Rosen-Tal
Aaron Glass
Ellie Morris
Ethan Daniel Trenaman
Benjamin Daniel Dyce
Oscar-Louis Von
Helia Antflick
Hannah Teri Kim
Jared Pien
Claire Madziar
Eden Grynberg
Isabella Filipczyk
Lara Goodman
Asher Adi Vexler
Georgia May Silverton
Jack Samuel Smagarinsky
{MARRIAGE}
To rejoice with the happy couple
Anthony Shakinovsky
& Amy Freeland
Dr David Goltsman
& Bianca Szekely
Jay Boolkin & Sally Chard
Mr Antony Pinshaw
& Mandi Jacobson
Mr Ranald Kogan and
Miss Samantha Levis
Ms Jacqueline Stricker-
Phelps OAM & Professor
Kerryn Phelps AM
Ms Natalie Pam Weiss &
Mr Daniel Sheining
Ms Sofia Shvarts &
Mr Henry Cuba
Nolan Goldstein &
Emma Cohen
Yoni Deutsch &
Samantha Lewis
{DECEASED}
To comfort the bereaved
Susie Meininger
Samantha Kidron
Ruth Kedzier
Edith Port
Ivan Fedor
Edward Strasser
Nadine Ryner
Marta Pikler
Nina Crown
Derek Freeman
Andrew Casey
John Sirmai
Michael Berger
Bernard Peter Hirst
Norma Gene Brender
Jvillage Software
Simon Kantor
Stanley Bloomfield
Elinda Lissing
Samuel Lissing
Violet Hougie
COMMUNITY
Alex Varga
Irene Culshaw
Alan Steinberg
Peter Bryan Solomon
Hyacinth Cunio
39

{SERVICE TIMES}
Morning Minyan
Morning Minyan is on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:45am.
Sundays from 9:00am followed by breakfast.
All service times and venues are subject to change. Please check
our website for any amendments to our regular services.
PESACH
Erev Pesach – Friday March 30 from 6:15pm
Day 1 – Saturday March 31
9:00am
10am
10am
Erev 2nd – March 31 from 6:15pm
Erev 7th – Thursday April 5 from 6:15pm
7th day – Friday April 6 from 9:00am
Erev 8th & Shabbat – April 6 from 6:15pm
8th day – Saturday April 7
9:00am
10:00am
1st night service - Neuweg
(no Shabbat Live)
Masorti- Mid-size Sanctuary
Progressive- Main Sanctuary
Renewal - Neuweg Sanctuary
service followed by Seder
Masorti - Neuweg
Masorti - Neuweg
Pluralist - Neuweg
Masorti Neuweg
Service includes Yizkor
Progressive Main Sanctuary
Service includes Yizkor
{CONTACT US}
All services and other programs are held at the synagogue unless otherwise indicated:
7 Ocean Street, Woollahra NSW 2025
There are lots of ways to get in touch — we would love to hear from you!
Call: (02) 9389 6444
Email: info@emanuel.org.au
Visit: www.emanuel.org.au
Like: www.facebook.com/emanuel.synagogue
Follow us! We’re on Twitter @emanuelshule and Instagram @emanuelsynagogue
Office hours
Monday–Thursday: 9am–5pm
Friday: 9am–2pm
{THANK YOU}
A huge thank you to all of the contributors to this edition of Tell, and
to our wonderful team of volunteers who give their time to help us
get the magazine packed and into members’ homes each quarter.
If you would like to contribute to the next edition of Tell, or to
enquire about advertising, please email tell@emanuel.org.au.
If you are interested in volunteering, email volunteer@emanuel.org.au.