Tell September 2018 Tishrei 5779

New Beginnings
Tishrei-Cheshvan 5779
September-November 2018
A momentous
year has passed
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
Addressing
Avinu Malkeinu
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
Wearing white on
High Holy Days
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
The Waxmans
at Emanuel
Leon Waxman

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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 service is a traditional
Kabbalat Shabbat service, featuring
well-known contemporary melodies.
The Masorti 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.
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, self-development,
relaxation and inner healing.
Email: orna@emanuel.org.au
Yom Kippur Music Meditation & Prayer
Tuesday 18th September from 8pm
A unique opportunity to raise your spirits
through music, prayer and chant, with
musician Amir Paiss, Rabbi Dr. Orna
Triguboff, Emanuel Lieberfreund and
Aviva Pinkus. This reflective circle of
prayer and music promises to be a heartopening
experience to be remembered.
8pm at Emanuel Synagogue, Woollahra.
Bookings essential
Emanuel Synagogue members $20
otherwise $40
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
Cantor George Mordecai

{ CEO UPDATE}
TRANSFORMATION
TO A BUTTERFLY
Suzanna Helia
Most of our community has now
experienced the mesmerizing
awe at the sight of our beautiful
new campus. From its humble
beginnings, like a caterpillar
which has slowly transformed
into a magnificent butterfly, we
are captivated by its spirit and
beauty. Butterflies are graceful,
colourful creatures, with a near
magical quality to them. Delicate
and surreal, they move through
vast landscapes as if dancing on air,
bringing life and joy to any garden.
More than just captivating our
hearts and imagination, the
butterfly is a profound and
enduring symbol of change and
transformation. Its journey and
metamorphosis from humble,
earthbound caterpillar, to winged
beauty with the gift of flight,
carries a powerful meaning.
It speaks to our own capacity
to move through different
life cycles, mirroring our own
journeys of regeneration, renewal,
expansion and rebirth.
So too, Emanuel Synagogue,
since its founding in 1938, has
moved through stages of growth,
transformation, expansion and
liberation. In the last eighty years,
it has undergone cycles of rapid
and sometimes slower growth.
During this time, there have
been many cultural highlights,
religious transitions and new
developments in prayer, as well as
times of hesitation and, at times,
difficult decisions. Each one of
these experiences has shaped and
moulded us, and prepared us to be
the strong, vibrant congregation
we are today. We are proudly the
largest congregation in Australia,
{INSIDE THIS EDITION}
TRANSFORMATIVE
LEARNING
16
TEACHING TEACHERS
Jacob Riesel
18
EWP MOVES INTO
THEIR NEW HOME
Jacob Riesel
24
BONECASTLE
Nicole Waldner
39
ROSH HASHANAH PUZZLES
Anne Wolfson
INSPIRING PRAYER
7
CANTOR MORDECAI RETURNS
8
ADDRESSING AVINU MALKEINU
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
11
WEARING WHITE ON
HIGH HOLY DAYS
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
14
U'VE' SHOFAR GADOL
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
23
HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES

and still growing; a welcoming,
pluralist community which shares
egalitarian and democratic values.
Now that we have almost
completed the first stages of
our transformation, at the start
of a new year, I feel it is timely
that we should all take time to
celebrate together. The last few
years have taught me that growth
and change need not be traumatic
or painful, but rather liberating
and joyful; a natural part of life’s
continuous unfolding. Working
together, we have realised our
untapped potential, and evolved
into a strong, courageous, and yet
sensitive and spiritual community.
As we celebrate these High
Holy Days, we should pause
and acknowledge how fortunate
we are to have, and to belong
to, a community of strength,
integrity and vulnerability, all at
the same time. The innovation
and progressiveness that our
rabbinical team manifests, the
voice they carry in the wider
community has an impact that
is profound and long-lasting.
We now have the opportunity not
only for communal prayer, but
to celebrate culturally, whether
it be in the area of art, music,
dancing, cooking, film or acting,
to name a few. We can truly realise
our founders’ vision for Emanuel
Synagogue to be a place for prayer,
learning and communal gathering.
In 5779, there are so many ways for
you to join us, ensuring Emanuel
continues to thrive and nurture its
dynamic and vibrant community.
It is with pride, gratitude and a
sense of accomplishment that I
wish you all Shana Tova.
SUSTAINING THE
ENVIRONMENT &
HEALING THE WORLD
22
BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING
Michael Folk
26
A NEW BEGINNING
Merril Shead
CONNECTING WITH ISRAEL
& WORLD JEWRY
25
WORLD CONGRESS OF
LGBT JEWS IN SYDNEY
Kim Gotlieb
27
SHIR MADNESS AT EMANUEL
31
LEARNING THROUGH FILM
32
UPJ BIENNIAL 2018
COMMUNITY
6
A MOMENTOUS YEAR
19
AROUND EMANUEL
20
FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE
WAXMAN FAMILY
28
MESSAGE FROM ALEX LEHRER
28
MEET THE BOARD
33
NEW MEMBERS
34
TZEDAKAH
38
MAZAL TOV
5

{A MOMENTOUS YEAR HAS PASSED, AND A NEW ONE AWAITS}
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
As we welcome our New Year,
we understand we have created
a moment in time to reflect –
individually, relationally and
communally – on the year
that has passed, and also to
envision the year we wish to
create. I will first recount some
of the milestones at Emanuel
Synagogue over this last year.
I gratefully acknowledge that
this year Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
celebrated her 20th year as rabbi
at Emanuel Synagogue. She is an
incredible colleague and leader. Her
care for individuals, her passion for
social justice, her creative energy
in so many aspects of synagogue
programming, and her ethical
standards - alongside her sense of
humour - inspire me in my rabbinate
every day. Together we have gone
through so many changes at Emanuel
6
Synagogue, yet as her project of
writing the history of Emanuel
Synagogue demonstrates, these
changes have been organic since
our founding in 1938 as Temple
Emanuel. Those founders envisioned
creating a communal centre beyond
a place of prayer, and finally, we are
on the verge of making that happen.
We now have the team and the space
to deliver a breadth and depth of
programming and engagement.
Rabbi Ninio and I have the support
of Rabbis Kaiserblueth and Triguboff
(on a part time and voluntary basis),
and also Reverend Zwarenstein. This
last year has also seen a dream come
true for me as well, with the return
of Cantor George Mordecai for these
Yamim Noraim and the months,
and hopefully, years to come. Those
who belonged to the synagogue in
the early 1990s will remember that
Cantor Mordecai and I, along with a
bare minyan, started the first Masorti
services in Australia – leading to
Emanuel becoming Australia’s only
pluralist religious community in the
21st century. Since George departed
for cantorial studies in 1995, he and
I have hoped to work together again,
and now he will work closely with
the rest of the clergy team to create
different and dynamic services and
opportunities for engagement.
Our embrace of diversity and
inclusion has contributed to
momentous events in this last year.
Federal legislation passed at the
end of 2017 enabled us to officiate
at Australia’s first (and to this day
only) same sex religious marriages
(Rabbi Ninio, Rabbi Kaiserblueth
and I have now conducted one
each). Furthermore, unique among
religious institutions, we have
changed our constitution this last
year to allow those who are not
Jews to become members in all
aspects of engagement, other than
having voting rights at the AGM.
We celebrate that our campus
reflects this inclusion and diversity.
We dreamed of creating a sacred,
harmonious space, and we have,
for the most part done so - our
beautiful entry and garden courtyard
nearly completed, the Neuweg
transforming into a lounge for
members where we can gather in
conversation and culture, the heritage
and new sanctuaries providing
different spaces for prayer, lectures,
musical performances, film nights
and so much more, and our stateof-the-art
preschool integrating the
generations to come. All that is left
to do is to rejuvenate our learning
centre (to the north of our original
heritage sanctuary) to include a

library, youth centre and an intimate
place for prayer and meditation.
With the support of our Board,
led by Louise Thurgood-Phillips
through completion of Stage One
of our redevelopment, and now
our new president Alex Lehrer, and
also with the commitment of our
incredible staff led by our CEO
Suzanna Helia, we now have the
resources to deliver an extensive
program of learning, social justice,
music and creative arts in the
synagogue. This is the beginning
of the realisation of our vision as a
home of culture in community. We
are all excited to be celebrating this
New Year together, and together
we look forward to a year ahead of
dynamic creative engagement.
{CANTOR GEORGE MORDECAI RETURNS
TO EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE}
After serving as the cantor at
congregations throughout the
USA, Cantor George Mordecai is
returning to Emanuel Synagogue.
George weaves his rich cultural
heritage into his work as both
a cantor and performer.
He is well known to many in
our community. Born in Sydney,
Australia to Iraqi Jews from India
and Singapore, he was immersed in
the musical and liturgical traditions
of his family. Prior to receiving
Cantorial investiture from the Jewish
Theological Seminary in New York,
George worked for many years in our
community where he was lovingly
mentored by Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins,
Cantor Michael Deutsch and Rabbi
Brian Fox. He was instrumental
in the establishment of Emanuel’s
Masorti minyan serving as the
Cantor of that service at its inception.
George also sang with the
Renaissance Players, a Sydneybased,
renowned and innovative
early music ensemble. He has
performed Sephardic and Judeo-
Iraqi liturgical repertoire in concert
halls and synagogues around the
world. In 2007 he met Patrick
Quigley, artistic director of the world
renowned choral ensemble Seraphic
Fire, and together they developed
a performance project, Shalom/
Pax, which drew from the rich,
melodic textures of the Gregorian
and Iraqi Jewish musical traditions.
In addition to his work as a cantor
and performer, George is working
toward rabbinical ordination
INSPIRING PRAYER
with Aleph; a transdenominational
alliance
for Jewish Renewal.
Jewish Renewal has been
at the forefront of some
of the most creative
approaches to Jewish
spirituality and community over the
last four decades. George is projected
to be ordained in January of 2021.
George has over 20 years’ experience
in building community. In addition
to his musical and liturgical expertise
he is an engaging educator. George
infuses his teaching with a deep
sense of spirituality and historical
perspective, always mindful of the
needs and aspirations of his students.
He is excited to be working with
the talented Emanuel Synagogue
team. “Rabbis Kamins, Ninio,
Kaiserblueth, Triguboff and
Reverend Zwarenstein are all
amazing human beings and inspiring
spiritual leaders”. He is also very
impressed by the musical talent at
the synagogue. “There is tremendous
potential at Emanuel, mentoring
the young and emerging talent
would make me very happy at this
stage of my life.” He is overjoyed
to be returning to Emanuel. “It
was here at Emanuel that I found
my calling and I am truly blessed
to be able to return to serve this
phenomenal community.”
7

{ADDRESSING AVINU MALKEINU}
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
I have been privileged to sit on the editorial committee for the new machzor, the High
Holy Day prayer book which we will begin to use in our region beginning next year.
The book is egalitarian, and removes any gendered language about God, hopefully
allowing space for our minds to conceive of God in a more broad and expansive way.
When it came to one of the
central prayers of the High
Holy Days, Avinu Malkeinu,
a really interesting discussion
arose. How would those words
be translated? Speaking about
God, they, in their most literal
sense are Avinu Malkeinu, “Our
Father our King.” We call upon
God as father and God as king,
language dripping with gendered
meaning. Hearing those words,
we see a father and we see a king,
both powerful male figures.
Should we then de-gender
the translation rendering it as,
“Our Parent our Sovereign”?
I once attended a service for
High Holy Days in Israel where
they did just that. We chanted
the Hebrew Avinu Malkeinu,
and then read in English,
“Our Parent our Sovereign”. I
participated, but must confess
that so much of the power and
awe of that moment was lost in
the translation it was jarring. I
was so used to “Our Father our
King”, that the new words were
unsettling, and I spent more time
wondering about how I felt about
the change than I did praying the
words. Another service I attended
alternated Avinu Malkeinu,
“Our Father our King” with
“Our Mother our Queen”- I
found this very difficult as well.
It shifted from male to female,
8
one image to another, and
still this was not the answer.
In those cases, I think changing
the language does the opposite
of its intention; rather than
providing a more expansive
imagining of God, it narrows
it to a moment of semantics
about language. However, having
said that, I don’t believe that
just because we have always
done something a certain
way and have become used
to it, that makes it right. If I
believed that, I would not be
a very good Progressive Jew!
I have written before about my
approach to gendered language
when it comes to describing
God. I admitted that early in
my days as a rabbinic student
I was not really concerned
about it. I readily described
God as “He” and thought it
made no difference. I knew
in my mind that God did not
have a gender and that was
enough. But then I attended an
experimental service (one of the
great joys of rabbinical school
are the services where we get
the chance to experiment), and
instead of describing God as
“He”, all the God language was
made feminine. God became
“She”, “Mother” and “Queen”,
and suddenly the prayers felt
completely different. Where
before there was harshness and
hierarchy, God became nurturing
and embracing. It completely
shifted my perception of God
and reading of the prayers. (If
you ever have the chance to
do it during services, read the
prayers with God as feminine
and see how you feel). From
that day on, I understood the
power of language, and how
important it is in shaping our
beliefs and our understandings.
I recently had the privilege of
officiating at the first female
religious same-sex wedding in
Australia. It was a beautiful
moment, and the brides, both
Israeli, asked that I chant a
version of the sheva brachot,
the seven wedding blessings,
with God in the feminine. It
gave a completely different
feeling to the prayers, and
infused those moments with
a very different and female
energy. Again, the significance
of language was demonstrated
to me in a very powerful way.
Which leads us back to Avinu
Malkeinu - what is the answer?
How does a book without any
gendered language for God deal
with this prayer? The authors of
Mishkan Teshuva, the American
version of the machzor, and the
one upon which we are basing
our book, chose not to translate

the Hebrew, and to leave it as
Avinu Malkeinu. Our machzor
will be the same. I believe
this is the best solution, and
leaves space for people on these
most holy of days, to shape
the God of their experience.
Once we start to translate
those words we lose a little
of their import, although I
still believe that sometimes
we need male images of God
and sometimes female.
On the High Holy Days, for
us, what is this prayer about?
What does it mean to see God
as father and as king? This
prayer contains, within those
two images, the heart of the
High Holy Day services. Firstly,
God as father. The High Holy
Days are a time for us to come
to the synagogue and feel the
embrace and warmth, the
unconditional love emanating
from God, surrounding us with
comfort and security. It helps
to draw us in and reconnect
us with what is important.
It reminds us that no matter
who we are, no matter what
mistakes we have made, no
matter what baggage we bring
with us, we are loved - not
despite our flaws, but with
them. God knows who
we are; God sees into our
souls and understands the
depths of our spirit, and
God embraces every part of
who we are. We can come
here to fall into the arms
of God, be drawn in, held
in a warm parental hug,
and know and understand
that we are enough.
And when we see God as our
parent, we embrace our family,
that is, the other children
of God, our community.
The High Holy Days are
INSPIRING PRAYER
9

not an individual journey- it
is a time and place when we
stand together with others, and
we remember we are part of
something bigger than ourselves.
That even though we are hurting,
struggling or suffering, we do not
do this alone. We are here with
our community, our family, and
we approach these days together,
drawing strength from one
another; being grateful that we
are not alone but together with
our siblings, God as our parent.
And then we encounter God
Malkeinu, God the ruler, the
king; the one who judges our
deeds. On these days we stand
stripped of all pretense, masks
removed, veils uncovered. We
count our deeds, we review
the year, we honestly consider
what we have done and how
we have behaved, and we look
at our flaws. We see the cracks
and scars, the times we took
the wrong path, the times we
did not live up to the best that
is within us, and we know that
it is a time for change. We are
given another chance. We hold
up our lives to the light and see
what is there. We consider how
we would like to change, what
we would do differently, and how
we could strive to be better - and
we confess and let go. We come
before our ruler and lay ourselves
bare, the good and the not so
good, and we take an honest look
at our lives and our journeys,
knowing that although we stand
before God our king, we also
stand with God our father, who
will love, nurture and protect
us, and give us strength to do
the work of self-examination.
JOIN OUR MORNING MASORTI MINYAN
MONDAYS & THURSDAY AT 6.45AM
SUNDAYS FROM 9AM
Both sides of God are important,
Avinu and Malkeinu. They
are the scales, the balance that
we need at this time of year.
We come to the synagogue to
encounter Avinu, the God of
love, the God of acceptance
and the God of community
and to meet Malkeinu, the
God of judgement, calling
us to account, helping us to
be better, encouraging us to
make changes, to correct our
wrongs and wipe the slate clean,
ready to start another year.
I hope that these High Holy
Days we can all feel the embrace
of God and community as
we come together in blessing,
searching and peace.
SHABBAT
LIVE
A spiritual, meaningful and
musical Shabbat experience
every Friday at 6:15pm
10 20

{WEARING WHITE ON HIGH HOLY DAYS}
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
The arrival of the High Holidays heralds a time of intensity unseen throughout
the year. There are many customs and rituals that take place during this time
that assist us in creating the feel and setting appropriate for that intensity.
One of these rituals, and in fact
one of the more visual ones, is the
garments that some of us will be
wearing, the kittel, or white robes.
The origin of this custom is not as
straightforward as I used to believe,
but something much more nuanced.
There are actually many occasions
in our tradition to wear a kittel or
white garments; Yom Kippur, Yom
Tov (Festivals), a wedding by the
groom and bride, specific other
services such as when we ask for rain
or dew, Shabbat, and the leader of
the Passover Seder just to name a
few. It also bears a striking similarity
to the funeral shrouds that Jews are
dressed in and are then buried in.
This last instance led many to
believe that there was a direct
connection to the kittel and the
takhrikhim, or funeral shrouds.
Namely, that we are as if dead
on Yom Kippur, praying for our
individual and communal salvation.
Yet, if the sources and traditions are
examined a bit closer, the origin of
wearing white or a kittel actually tell
a different story. We already know
that a custom to wear white already
existed from the Talmud, but what
is curious is that a reason was never
actually given. “Jews on Yom Kippur
wear white and cover themselves in
white” is the only statement made.
This left the gates of interpretation
wide open as to why. A variety
of opinions are given:
To dress festively - hence not only
on Yom Kippur do we wear white,
but Shabbat and other festivals
As a symbol of Joy – We learn
from the Jerusalem Talmud: Said
R. Simon: it is written “Or what
great nation has laws and rules as
perfect…” (Deut. 4: 8). R. Hama b.
R. Hanina and R. Hoshayah. One
said: What other nation is like this
nation! Generally, when someone
knows they face judgment, they wear
black [clothing], robes themself in
black, and let their beard grow, for
they do not know the outcome of
the judgment. But not so Israel,
who wear white [clothing], robe
themselves in white, shave their
beards, and eat and drink and are
joyful, knowing that God, blessed be
He, performs miracles for them.”
As a symbol of Purity, as cited by
the Prophet Isaiah - “Come, let us
reach an understanding, —says the
LORD. Be your sins like crimson,
They can turn snow-white... (1:18)”
To resemble Angels
Wearing Funeral Shrouds while
our fate is decided in Heaven.
Given all of these reasons to explain
a commonly-held practice, I do not
dismiss any out of hand, yet the idea
of joy as a motivator is extremely
compelling. As one of my primary
inspirations for my
observance and connection
to Judaism (taken from
the book of Psalms, “Serve
God with joy,”) the idea of
seeing this period not only
as an intensive period of
soul searching, but one of
joy, certainly helps to put
the High Holy Days in a
place where that intensity
is not only achievable,
but communal as well.
When you are looking at how
to approach this coming High
Holy Day period, perhaps start
with the wardrobe, as clothes,
certainly in this case, can make
the person. Join your community
by wearing white, celebrating
the joy of the days to come.
Shana Tovah U’Metukah..
INSPIRING PRAYER
11

MASORTI MINYAN
MONDAYS & THURSDAYS
6:45AM
JOIN NEFESH
MOUNTAIN
AT OUR
SERVICES
Join us at services on October 5th and 6th
for special services led by Shir Madness
headliners, New York band Nefesh
Mountain (“where Bluegrass and Jewish
traditions meet… and fall madly in love!”).
Critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone and
Billboard magazine, Doni Zasloff and Eric
Lindberg together with their band are
pioneers of a transcendent new genre –
fusing the apparently disparate worlds of
American Appalachian and Jewish traditions!
Refreshingly eclectic, wildly spiritual.
These services promise to be a
very special experience!
• Shabbat Live - October 5th from 6:15pm
• Jewish Renewal Shabbat - October 6th from
10:00am followed by pot luck lunch
12

Women’s
Rosh Chodesh Group
NEED A CELEBRANT?
Jon Green
Civil Marriage Celebrant
WEDDINGS
RENEWAL OF VOWS
BABY NAMINGS
CALL JON ON:
0414 872 199
8:00PM - 10:00PM
October 9 and 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
Chodesh, the celebration of the new moon.
For more information and to find
the location, please call the Emanuel
Synagogue office on 9389 6444 or
email info@emanuel.org.au.
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
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Looking after families in the
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Traditional Values.
Contemporary Choices.

{U’VE’SHOFAR GADOL (OR SHOFAR SHO GOOD)}
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
During the Torah service and Musaf service of Rosh Hashanah,
we engage in what many consider to be the central mitzvah of
Rosh Hashanah - to hear the shofar being blown.
We stand in silence, as
those blowing the shofar
take us through the ritual
of each sequence of notes,
resonating in our hearts and
minds. This ritual allows
us to connect with both
the generations that came
before us, as they engaged
in this mitzvah, as well as
connecting us to our future,
both in the immediate
sense, after all this is the
start of a new year, as well
as looking further down
the line, acknowledging the
role of the blowing of the
shofar at Rosh Hashanah
in generations to come.
This mitzvah is conveyed to
us in the book of B’midbar
(Numbers) 29:1; “In the
seventh month, on the first
day of the month, you shall
observe a sacred occasion:
you shall not work at your
occupations. You shall
observe it as a day when
the horn is sounded”. The
text translated here, refers to this
day as Yom Teru’ah - a day when
the horn is sounded. However, it
doesn’t specify in that verse that it
has to be a shofar, just that the horn
is sounded. It is only when we read
this in conjunction with an earlier
piece in Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:9;
referring to “shofar teru’ah”, that
we learn that it is a shofar that is
referenced when the horn is sounded.
The Talmud teaches us that a shofar
must be hollow, linking the word
shofar to the Hebrew word for tube,
shfoferet. The horns of most kosher
animals are kosher for a shofar, except
for an ox (whose horns are defined
as keren, i.e. not suitable to be used
as a shofar) or cow (mainly because
14
of the association with the golden
calf, but also because it is keren).
Likewise, animals who have antlers,
which are solid rather than hollow,
are not suitable for use as a shofar.
While we can use the horn of almost
any kosher animal, a ram’s horn
is considered to be the preferred
source, as it relates to the story of
the Akedah (the binding) which
we read during Rosh HaShanah,
where a ram is offered by Abraham,
in lieu of Isaac. Some also say
that the curved shape of the ram’s
horn symbolises the humility we
feel as we stand before God.
The historic role of the shofar goes
back to biblical times, and we
find that the shofar is mentioned
seventy-two times in the
bible. Examples of its use
include military purposes
(announcing victory,
warning about approaching
enemies, frightening the
enemy), the coronation of
kings, as well as celebrating
worship and festivals (in II
Samuel 6:15 we are told;
“Thus David and all the
House of Israel brought
up the Ark of Adonai
with shouts and with
blasts of the shofar”).
It is only after the
destruction of the Second
Temple that the shofar lost
its public strategic role.
It has, however, retained
its ritual role, mainly on
Rosh HaShanah and at
the conclusion of Yom
Kippur, as well as during
the month of Elul. In
addition, the shofar is blown
at the consecration of a
sanctuary (those present
on 14 May 2018 would
have witnessed this amazing ritual at
the opening of our new sanctuary),
and during the consecration of
new burial grounds (as was the case
with the consecration of the new
Jewish burial grounds at Rookwood
Cemetery on 1 May 2018).
As with many other facets of our
history and tradition, this has
meant that our ancestors would
have experienced the powerful
sound of the shofar being blown
far more often than we do today.
Because we only get to hear the
shofar on the special occasions
mentioned before, our reaction
to the wonderful and rousing
traditions, inspired by the many
uses our ancestors made of the

shofar, is heightened, and during
Rosh HaShanah we stand in silence,
hearing and taking in the blasts
emanating from the shofarot.
Rabbi Saadia ben Yosef Gaon (Head
of the Talmudic Academy in Sura,
Babylonia) compiled a list of reasons
for the mitzvah of the shofar on
Rosh HaShanah. Amongst that list
he included the shofar’s
piercing wail that serves
to awaken slumbering
souls that have grown
complacent, as well
as its loud sound that
humbles us and fills us
with awe before God.
These two attributes
lend themselves to vivid
images. We can imagine
the sound of the shofar
awakening the souls
that have not yet taken
advantage of this season of
repentance, reminding them, that
while there is still time to reflect on
their journey, there isn’t an infinite
amount of time left. Or, almost
in contrast to this, the great sound
of the shofar can remind us to be
humble. Our journey through the
season of repentance and spiritual
examination can deliver uplifting
results, allowing us to experience
a sense of great achievement as we
seek to improve ourselves. However,
we should remember that while we
can be proud of how much we have
achieved, we must always act with
appropriate humility and respect
before God, and before our fellow
Shofar blowing at the opening of our new sanctuary
human beings. After all, we are part
of a Jewish community, and we do
this simultaneously with every other
Jewish community in the world - all
of us taking part in this same ritual.
If it is not for the same purpose, then
why do we all do this year after year?
Moreover, one of the main themes
of Rosh Hashanah is “teshuvah”
(repentance). The sound of the shofar
being blown is also meant to inspire
us to turn towards God, towards
doing good and being respectful.
This year, as we gather together on
Rosh HaShanah to celebrate the
beginning of another new year, when
we arrive at the sections of the
service where the
shofar is blown,
let’s really take
in the incredible
value of the
sounds that flow
from the shofar.
INSPIRING PRAYER
The mitzvah
we engage in, is
not to blow the
shofar, but to
hear the shofar
being blown. Of
course, someone needs
to blow the shofar, otherwise no-one
gets to hear it. This Rosh HaShanah,
let’s advance that mitzvah into our
own journey, and let the sound of
the shofar inspire us to fully connect
with this season, reminding us of
our identity, our traditions, our
responsibilities and our potential.
Stories in the
Sukkah
"home"
Celebrate Sukkot.
Join us in our sukkah for an evening of
storytelling with sushi and salad
Monday September 24
from 6:45pm
15

{TEACHING TEACHERS}
Jacob Riesel
In 2016, I was one of the two proud recipients of the Rabbi Brian Fox Scholarship; a
scholarship which encourages students from the Emanuel School community to set up a
self-sustainable project upon their graduation. I used the scholarship to visit Nepal, where
I spent just over a month teaching English and helping with construction projects.
During my time in Nepal, I
recognised a certain need for
teacher education. There were
times for example, where I was
given an English exam paper for
Year 1 & 2 students, that I was
unable to complete due to the poor
language skills demonstrated by
the teachers, and the distinct lack
of resources teachers have access to.
As Nepal still uses a caste system,
which ranks teachers in the second
highest caste (one below royalty),
many teachers are thrown into
the teaching world with little to
no education, as they were simply
born into the occupation.
For this reason, I have identified
two important needs in Nepal that
I believe the Emanuel Synagogue
community should focus on in the
long term - education and resources.
In terms of education, there are
a few things we can do to help.
Firstly, I would like to bring Hari
Poudel to Australia. Hari Poudel
is a teacher from a small village in
Nepal named Ghatchhina. Over
the past few years, especially since
the devastating earthquake in
2015, Hari has dedicated much of
16
his time and money into helping
both his village and surrounding
communities with various projects.
These include the construction of
a community centre, and a bridge
across a heavily flowing river that
was destroyed in the earthquake.
Hari has an incredible belief in
educating the next generation. He
has recently built a learning centre
in the back of his house, where
he helps the village children with
their homework, and teaches short
classes before and after school.
Hari has a passion for teaching, and
our project involves bringing him
to Australia. Here he can spend
time at both Kensington Public and
Emanuel Schools, learning how to
teach English, and how to run a
bilingual learning program in a new,
and perhaps more effective manner.
Our aim is not only to bring Hari
to Australia to learn, but to give
him access to resources which, upon
his return to Nepal as a respected
member of the community, he is
able to use to educate other teachers,
and share the new concepts and
methods of teaching he has acquired.
Following this, we will also be
looking to set up a ‘Teachers Teaching
Teachers’ scholarship. This would
allow teachers from Kensington
Public and Emanuel
Schools to visit
Nepal, and run
teaching programs
for other teachers
in surrounding
villages during the
summer holidays.
In conjunction with
this project, we
will be collecting
donated, good
quality second hand
laptops to be used
in Hari's learning centre, to increase
the access of such technology to
both teachers and students. For any
laptop donations, please contact me
on mob.0415 424 008, or drop them
off at Maxine Chopard's office at
Emanuel School (ph.83837317).
To get Hari here though, we will
need the help and support of
everyone reading this article! For
those wishing to contribute, get
involved, or just wanting to read
more, please click on the link
below…. thanks in advance!
Bring Hari to Australia
https://www.grouptogether.com/
TeachersTeachingTeachers

Shabbat
Meditation
Join us for Renewal Kabbalah Meditation classes
Taught by Rabbi Dr. Orna Triguboff, you will learn
how to meditate and some key Kabbalah Meditation
David Friedman
principles. Open to beginners as well as regulars.
Be inspired!
9:00am - 10:00am Saturday October 13, 20 & 27
No charge
email orna@emanuel.org.au for more details
Neuweg, Emanuel Synagogue
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.
CONNECTION WITH ISRAEL &
WORLD JEWRY
KABBALAH TOUR
OF ISRAEL
OCTOBER 2019
LED BY
RABBI DR.
ORNA TRIGUBOFF AND
ISRAELI MUSICIANS,
TEACHERS AND ARTISTS.
For more information,
please email
orna@emanuel.org.au
17

Monday 29 October 2018
Resources for parenting
the gifted*
Thursday 22 November 2018
Understanding and remediating
underachievement in gifted children*
Gifted Talented
Parent Workshops
Thursday 29 November 2018
Dr Minh Nguyen-Hoan
Parenting the gifted student for
a lifetime of mental health
Booking details:
Free, but bookings requested at:
https://tinyurl.com/Gift-Tal2018
(includes light refreshments)
All sessions at:
Emanuel School,
20 Stanley St, Randwick
Time: 6.30 pm start
*Presented by
Suzanne Plume,
Emanuel School’s
G&T Co-ordinator, Years 7-12
and Colleen Elkins,
G&T Co-ordinator Years K-6
Questions?
Contact
celkins@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au
or 8383 7333
{EWP MOVES INTO THEIR NEW HOME}
Fiona Ozana
Emanuel Woollahra Preschool has moved back into their state of the art
new preschool on the original site in Woods Avenue, Woollahra.
We have been renovating our old
preschool which has been a planned
work in progress for many years, but
finally, in June 2016 , we started to
renovate our beautiful old preschool,
that was originally known as Temple
Emanuel Woollahra Preschool
(TEWK) when it opened in 1954
and later became the Emanuel
Woollahra Preschool (EWP ).
We operate as a pluralist preschool
and welcome anybody and
everybody into our wonderful warm
and fuzzy centre provided they
are happy to follow the traditional
Jewish calendar year. We have
a fabulous Hebrew programme
combined with regular visits and
input from the Rabbis at Emanuel
Synagogue. We are a traditional
18
Jewish centre which offers so many
wonderful opportunities for our
little people including drama,
music, yoga, meditation, garden
club, nature club and our incredible
bush kinder programme. As part
of our philosophy, we believe
that children suffer from nature
deficit disorder so we have a strong
objective to take our children into
nature where they learn to climb
trees, build cubby houses and
problem solve using the bush and
nature as their tools. Furthermore
an important part of our philosophy
is when we can't get the children to
nature we bring the nature to our
children. With all this and so much
more built into our very unique
programme we are able to offer
a play-based philosophy, but still
maintain the “old school” traditional
intentional teaching mixed
together with the very beneficial
play-based form of learning.
On Sunday the 16 September, we
will be celebrating the opening of
our newly built preschool, and we
welcome all who are connected
past and present to EWP.
Please email Fiona on director@
emanulepreschool.com.au. We
would love you to join us between
3 pm and 5 pm to mark this
wonderful event. We will be
enjoying the welcome to country by
Mr. Tim Ella, an Aboriginal Elder ,
who knows our children and he will
also be explaining and presenting the
traditional smoking ceremony.

{AROUND EMANUEL}
Scenes of life around our Synagogue
COMMUNITY
Celebrating Chanukah in July
Rehearsing for Selichot
Building our new garden forecourt
Wedding of Scott Whitmont & Christopher Whitmont-Stein
Record numbers at Netzer Winter Camp
Bnei Mitzvah students enjoying
Stand Up programme
19

{FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE WAXMAN FAMILY
WITH EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE}
Leon Waxman
For four generations the Emanuel Synagogue has played, and
continues to play, an integral part in the Waxman family life.
12 years after the congregation
was established, 23 years old
Ted and Betty Waxman were
married at Temple Emanuel,
in November 1950. Two years
later, their firstborn Diane was
welcomed by the congregation;
Leon was born three years later.
Their commitment to the Synagogue
began in 1976, when Betty joined
the Temple Emanuel Women’s
Guild. In 1978 the Temple
Emanuel Kindergarten was reconstituted
under the auspices of
the Women’s Guild. Under her
leadership as President of the Board
of Management, the Guild made
enormous contributions in areas
such as catering for Kiddushim
and chaggim, and organising
fundraising fetes, etc., providing
financial contributions toward
shule projects and to Liberal Jewish
education. Betty worked tirelessly
at the helm for 22 years. When
she was farewelled by the Temple
Emanuel community, a plaque
honouring her dedicated service
was affixed to a tree in the kindy
ground - “The Betty Waxman-
Playground”. Betty proudly attended
and spoke at the 25th Anniversary
Party of the Temple Kindy in 2003;
her last official function. Sadly,
only three years later, Betty passed
away at the age of 78 years.
During these incredibly dedicated
years of service by Betty, Ted was
equally committed to the Synagogue,
contributing his own legacy over 30
years of continuous service to both
the Synagogue and Emanuel School.
Ted’s story began in 1975, when
he was elected to the Board of the
Temple Emanuel. He held a number
of offices on the Board, including
overseeing the shule’s security needs.
He and his son Leon assisted the
security guards on High Holy days by
checking entry
of congregants,
and welcoming
them into
the shule. He
was elected
President of
the Board in
1983. Largely
due to his
efforts during
his three years
as President, the
Administration
and Education
wing was built.
In 1985, Ted
received an
O.A.M. in
the Queens’
Birthday Honours
for his work in Scouting, Jewish and
General community, of which his
commitment to the Synagogue was
a major part. The following year Ted
was elected Vice President of the
Australian & New Zealand Union of
Progressive Jewry, and then elected
its President in 1990 till 1994.
He served as Vice president of the
Temple Emanuel Board for about
four years until 1991, and continued
on as a Board Member. In 1999 Ted
was honoured by being nominated
as an Honorary Life Governor. Four
years later, Ted was the recipient
of the Union of Progressive Jewry
Vatik Award for continued service
to the community, and outstanding
commitment to Judaism outside
of their own congregation.
Inspired by Rabbi Brian Fox’s call
to action to establish a Pluralistic
Jewish Day School, Ted became the
Leon Waxman and family at Aliza's bat mitzvah
founding President of the Emanuel
School in 1983, and stayed on in
that role for 14 years. He and his
fellow Board members worked
tirelessly in creating Emanuel School,
which today, is acknowledged as
a major educative contributor to
our community. Five years after his
retirement from the board in 2005,
Ted passed way at the age of 83.
As regular shule attendees, Ted and
Betty ensured that their children,
Diane and Leon received a Jewish
Education, by attending Temple
Emanuel Sunday school from a
young age. Leon has wonderful
childhood memories of growing
up in the congregation. Each year
20

on High Holidays, sitting with his
parents in their regular seats at the
top of the upstairs gallery, provided
him with a feeling of comforting
consistency. The sound of the choir
and the voice of Cantor Deutsch
imbued a strong internal connection.
Tutored by Cantor Deutsch, Leon
had his Bar Mitzvah in October
1968. Eight years later, Leon
was helping his father with the
security in the shule, a role Leon
continued with for many years.
When Rabbi Fox joined the
Synagogue in 1979 as its new Chief
Minister, he established a young
adult’s group. His first challenge
was to establish a regular monthly
congregational magazine. A
working committee was established
to decide on content, layout and a
name for this magazine. Thus, Leon
and his co-editor Melanie Hershon
(now America), helped publish the
first Tell magazine. This was the
predecessor of our quarterly Tell
magazine which we enjoy today.
1983 was an eventful year for the
whole Waxman family. In June,
Diane married Bernard Lever
and in October, Leon married
Tracey Barrington. Naturally,
both weddings were celebrated at
the shule, as was Tracey’s parent’s
marriage about 30 years earlier.
Leon, Asher and Ted Waxman z''l at Asher's bar mitzvah
Tracey, like Leon, attended Sunday
School at Emanuel, and had her
Bat Mitzvah there in 1972.
The next generation continued
celebrating family simcha’s at the
synagogue. Diane and Bernie had
the baby naming of their two
children, Brandon and Tamika.
Tracey and Leon had the baby
naming of their three children,
Ilana, Asher and Aliza. All the
grandchildren attended the Temple
Kindy, which gave Betty much
joy during these years. Bar and
Bat Mitzvahs, baby namings and
a wedding were all celebrated
with the Emanuel community.
In 1991, Rabbi Kamins started a
new Conservative Minyan with
a small group of congregants
who decided they wanted a more
traditional way to pray. Leon
was part of this initial group,
inspired by the opportunity to
learn with Rabbi Kamins and their
new Shaliach Tzibbur – George
Mordecai. Rabbi Fox embraced
the movement and encouraged
its growth, and so from humble
beginnings on just Monday and
Thursdays, the Masorti service now
sustains a dedicated congregation
on the festivals, and every Shabbat.
Leon, and fellow congregant Eric
Lundberg, identified a need for
an alternative to the “orthodox”
publications that were currently
available in Sydney, and so
they established a Jewish book
importing business called “Judaica
Direct”. They sourced relevant
and interesting books from
Conservative publishers in the
U.S.A, and became distributers
for Jewish Lights Publications and
Littman Library Publications.
In the mid 1990’s, the shule’s
Cantor, George Mordecai, created a
Pesach Community Choir. Tracey,
her father Joe, and her daughter
Ilana were part of this choir - three
generations singing together at
Emanuel. Today Aliza, now 24,
sings most Friday nights at “Shabbat
Live”, and loves the opportunity to
be part of this wonderful service,
helping other congregants
connect with prayer.
Asher carries on the
family’s involvement
in security and at the
Synagogue. In Asher’s
newsletter to the
congregation in 2016,
he wrote, “As I am now
the third generation
to take on the role of
running security at
Emanuel Synagogue, I make sure
we do not separate ourselves from
our congregation or heritage
and we take pride in protecting
our Emanuel community.”
Ilana Waxman and Adam
Symonds were married by
Rabbi Kamins in 2010. Both
are alumni of Emanuel School.
Their two children, Jonah and
Samara are the fourth generation
to be part our community.
Tracey is now back at the Emanuel
Kindy, picking up Jonah on some
afternoons, and Samara is booked
in to attend the Kindy. Both are
enrolled at Emanuel School, and
will carry on the family legacy
with the Emanuel community.
How the lifecycle moves
so quickly!!
COMMUNITY
21

{BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING}
Michael Folk
Over the past issues of TELL, we have published articles highlighting some
of the groups of volunteers within Emanuel Synagogue, and for a change we
decided it was time to discuss the actual benefits volunteering can give.
We could not say it better than
in Claire Shin’s article that
appeared in nonprofithub.org.
The impact of volunteerism can
be felt in all communities, and the
best-kept secret is this: it’s good
for you, too. The reasons why
volunteering is so beneficial are
1. BOOSTS SELF ESTEEM
Volunteering helps build a
strong safety net for when you’re
experiencing trying times. With
those strong social ties, you’re
always surrounded by a community
that’s willing to help you out
when times get tough. When you
volunteer, you become a part of
someone else’s safety net, too. By
helping others, you’ll build a greater
sense of trust and self esteem.
of Economics found that people
become happier by volunteering
more. When you give your time to
others, you attain a personal sense
of accomplishment, which accounts
for some of the positive effects that
volunteering has on your mood.
There’s a threshold to reaping the
full benefits of volunteering, though.
In order to soak up all the positive
interaction can significantly reduce
the progress of Alzheimer’s and
other types of dementia. Happier
and healthier life? Count me in.
5. GIVES PURPOSE
As people get older, they experience a
higher risk for isolation. Volunteering
combats that statistic by adding a
sense of purpose to your life. The
same goes for people with Obsessive-
2. EXPANDS YOUR CONNECTIONS
The relationships you can
create while volunteering are
endless. You connect to others
through volunteering, and if
you do it regularly, you can
maintain those valuable social
networks into the future.
You can make new friends and keep
the old by engaging in a common
activity like volunteering. With a
larger social network, you’ll have
more resources at your fingertips,
which leads to better physical,
mental and emotional health.
3. MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD
If you’ve ever volunteered before,
you’ve probably experienced this:
volunteering makes you happy!
Researchers at the London School
Volunteers together with Reverend Sam Zwarenstein (l) helping in the kitchen
effects of community service, you
need to set aside some time for it.
Volunteers who commit at least one
or two hours every week reap the
fullest benefits from their service.
4. CONTRIBUTES TO A LONGER LIFE
Volunteering does more than boost
your mood—it also has effects on
your physical well-being. Volunteers
encounter greater longevity and
less frequency of heart disease.
Volunteers may be at a lower risk
for memory loss, too. The social
Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder and other mental
illnesses. No matter who you are,
there are plenty of ways to give your
life new meaning by helping others.
6. COMBATS STRESS
Beyond just being something fun
to do; volunteering decreases stress,
too. Studies on the “Happiness
Effect” of volunteering show that
you become happier the more you
volunteer. When you assist others,
22

your body releases dopamine in the
brain, which has a positive effect
on how you feel. Volunteers also
experience lower levels of depression.
7. GIVES A GOOD EXAMPLE
Volunteering as a family is a great
way to teach important lessons
to your children. Kids are always
learning from the example you set
for them, so make sure it’s a good
one! You can show the impact of
volunteering through your actions.
By giving back to the community,
you can lay the foundation for
service in the years to come.
8. TEACHES NEW SKILLS
Volunteering gives you the
opportunity to explore new skills
and interests that you might not
get to enjoy otherwise. You can
broaden your horizons while
helping others at the same time.
_____________
We would love you to join us
in any of our social justice and
other volunteering opportunities.
Join our reading program and
help primary aged children from
disadvantaged backgrounds learn
to read. Volunteer in our Matthew
Talbot program where you can
serve in the canteen on
Sunday mornings. Help
with the Asylum Seekers
program, cooking and/
or serving lunch at the
centre or delivering
meals on Fridays. Or
assist in our one-off
opportunities at Mitzvah
Day, our festival
drives or approach us
with your own ideas. For more
information or to volunteer just
email socialjustice@emanuel.
org.au or call the office and we
will be delighted to welcome
you to our amazing team.
HEALING THE WORLD
HIGH HOLY DAY SERVICES
ROSH HASHANA
YOM KIPPUR
SUKKOT
SHEMINI
ATZERET
SIMCHAT
TORAH
Sat 1 Sep
Sun 9 Sep
MAIN SANCTUARY NEW SANCTUARY NEUWEG OTHER
9:00pm: Selichot - all
6:15pm: 1 st Day — Evening
Mon 10 Sep 9am: 1 st Day — Morning (P) 8:30am: 1 st Day — Morning (M) 9:30am: 1 st Day — Morning (R)
5:45pm: 2 nd Day — Mincha/Maariv
Tues 11 Sep 10am: 2 nd Day Family service 8:30am: 2 nd Day — Morning (M)
Tues 18 Sep 6:15pm: Kol Nidre (P) 5:45pm: Kol Nidre (M) 6:15pm: Kol Nidre (R)
Wed 19 Sep 9am: Children’s Service 9am: Shacharit (M)
9:45am: Family Service
ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE
8pm: Music, Meditation & Prayer (R) 4
11am: Shacharit (P) 11:30am*: Yizkor (M) 11:00am: Shacharit (R)
4:00pm: Tashlich Meditation 2
(R)
4:45pm: Tashlich 1
2pm: Afternoon Service (P) 12:30pm*: Musaf (M) 1:30pm–4:00pm: Meditation & Contemplation Sessions (R)
4:00pm: Study Session
5:00pm: Yizkor (P)
5:45pm: Ne’ilah (P)
6:30pm*: Havdalah (P)
2:30pm*: Minchah (M)
5:15pm: Ne’ilah (M)
6:30pm*: Ma’ariv / Havdalah (M)
Sun 23 Sep 5:00pm: Sukkah decorating3 6:15pm: 1st Day — Evening
Mon 24 Sep
Tues 25 Sep
Sun 30 Sep
9:00am: 1 st Day — Morning
6:15pm: 2 nd Day — Evening
9:00am: 2nd Day — Morning
6:15pm - Ma’ariv & Havdalah, Music & Meditation (R)
Mon 1 Oct 9:00am - Morning Service (inc Yizkor)
Mon 1 Oct 6:15pm: Evening Service
Tues 2 Oct
9:00am: Morning Service
9:00am - Hoshana Raba
Key
P = Progressive
M = Masorti
R = Renewal
* = approximate timing
1. Centennial Park — meet
at Model Yacht Pond, York St.
2. Neilsen Park, meet on sand.
3. In Sukkah
4. Open to non-members
Separate ticket required
23

{BONECASTLE}
Nicole Waldner
I am Bonecastle. I am a painter. God made me with a spark of His Divinity, with a bolt of His
lightning artistry. I became a painter late in life, but I learnt quickly because it was His wish.
In twenty years, I taught myself
everything the great masters know.
I smashed all my idols; Rubens,
and Raphael too. I saw the world;
I intuited the world; I painted the
world. I saw so much misery and
understood that I could restore
humanity with my art. That is what
I set out to do, nothing less. That is
why God touched me and filled my
veins with paint. When the world
sees my paintings and feels their
luminosity, it will be like the heat and
goodness of sunlight itself. As they
absorb my colours they will awaken
with new life. And through the study
of my art they will find what none
of the great masters has ever been
able to achieve - the perspective of
air. When they behold this, when
they breathe in this new dimension,
their spirit will be weightless and
freed from earthbound drudgery.
I am not afraid of this vast
undertaking, because poetry and
originality are my friends. My health
24
is sound, my will untouchable, and
as for patience, I am capable of
outdoing all of the ants on earth. My
soul wants only what is real, and the
humblest speck of nature fills me with
awe. Awe sent me out into the world.
I began my life’s work by traveling to
Lebanon, to Jerusalem and Nazareth,
to Athens. I travelled into time to
find what has always been eternal
in man, and what I intuited was
this: without holiness we cannot be
freed from misery. Misery. Miseriae.
Everywhere one turns afflicted souls,
and nowhere more on earth than in
the city of Paris. I do not like Paris.
In Paris, a new century was dawning,
a new era beginning, but the people
of this city did not know it. When
I, Bonecastle, travelled to Paris,
my paintings were with me like
armour. Not just paintings, armies of
paintings! Armies of masterpieces sent
forth to crush the enemy ignorance,
to break the vanity of the world in
a single blow! I stood alone before
millions, a proof of Divine providence
if one was needed, and Paris
crumbled! Nobody before me has ever
been able to reveal the supercharge
of vermillion, the holiness of
ochre, the magnetism of teal.
When I went to Paris and met those
men in the cafés, I knew that they
were slaves to money and imitation.
Men like that cannot recognize a true
line on a page because they have no
originality, no Divine spark! They are
men who look but don’t see, and then
presume to pass judgement. Men
who know nothing about perspective,
who shutter their eyes against the sun.
Men for whom vermillion, ochre and
teal will only ever be colours. Then
I left Paris and went up to Baalbek.
In Baalbek, I painted my masterpiece
of that name. A vast panorama,
where the soaring perspective of the
air over the temple ruins is equal to
that of the beasts of burden and the
mothers. And then the God spirit
turned me south to Lebanon and
into the hills to see the Cedars; there
I found what I had been searching
for all this time. I found a place in
which I could paint all of life in one
canvas. On this hill top in Lebanon,
at the foot of the mighty Cedars, I
prostrated myself. My youth was not
sacrificed in vain; it was sacrificed
so that I could renew the world.
I will paint a tree. A single tree; a Tree
of Life such as the world has never
before seen. This Cedar of Lebanon
will outlive today and a thousand
years hence. In this painting which
I call “The Lonely Cedar”, my tree
will stand strong and alone but never
alone. There will be water, deep in
the vanishing point, and hills like
cross-sections of bone and mammary
glands, like the mothers. The birds,

the fathers, work, rest, time; all of it
will be contained in my Cedar. And
from this tree, from the greatest of
all its branches, the innocent grace of
a humble goose head will grow. The
goose that warms also understands
the human need for light, for heat,
for music. My goose will be crowned
with a cosmic ear that twitches out
over the valley of life, listening to
the music of the universe, listening
to the whispered instructions of the
Master. The branches of my great
Cedar will sway in the breeze, and
dance with stardust in its tapered
tips. Its marsupial roots will reach
deep into the earth’s core, into
the core of our shrunken human
spirit, and feed it till it is no longer
famished, until it quivers once again.
The naked, unordained eye sees air
only through the prism of wind,
but I, Bonecastle, see air under the
mild sun and air under the moon,
just as I see light equally by day and
night. My Cedar will be lonely, but
who among us is not? Ultimately,
it is peace that You crave, and peace
You shall have. Such will be the
breadth of my painting that in it
you will glimpse all of life. Such will
be the beauty and harmony of my
painting that you will gaze upon
all of life’s mysteries,
upon unfathomable
eternity and feel no
fear ever again.
“Bonecastle” is inspired by
the life and work of the
great Hungarian painter
Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka
(1853-1919). Parts of
this story are adapted
from Csontváry’s diaries.
If you would like to read more
of Nicole’s work please visit
www.nicolewaldner.com
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
{WORLD CONGRESS OF LGBT JEWS
CONFERENCE PROGRAM LAUNCHES}
World Congress Keshet Ga’avah is the Global Jewish LGBT+ Network. Sydney
will be hosting the annual Conference in March 21-24, 2019, just after Purim.
Emanuel Synagogue will be a primary
venue for this event and clergy and
staff are delighted to support this
initiative. The poster and program are
in the final stages of completion and
so the Conference will be officially
launched by the High Holy Days.
This conference will attract folk from
around the globe; including Italy,
France, England, Amsterdam, South
America and USA. Co-ordinator, Kim
Gotlieb, has been impressed by the
support that has been shown from
Emanuel Synagogue as well as a range
of Jewish organisations across Sydney.
The program promises to deliver a
lively, engaging, and stimulating range
of forums, workshops and creative
projects to enrich the Jewish LGBT
profile within Emanuel and across
many intersecting elements of Sydney’s
Jewish LGBT+ culture - influencing
both LGBT+ and Jewish communities.
They are delighted to have received
responses to homehosting from the
Emanuel community, and look forward
to further offers of homehosting for the
weekend of the conference. It is a great
opportunity to practise “tikkun olam”
and engage in a process of “welcoming
the stranger” and dealing with
“otherness” from a personal perspective.
Organisers of previous Global LGBT Jews Congress in Rome
For futher information, contact Kim
on kim@kimgotlieb.com. The program
will soon be available on the World
Congress website : www.glbtjews.org
25

{A NEW BEGINNING}
Merril Shead
A ‘new beginning’ is the moment we may grasp - take hold of, make our own -along the
continuum from fear to hope. The fear end of the continuum is built- in and reinforced
continually (refer to any ethologist). Always though, we can choose to make the 180⁰ turn.
I always read the Etz Hayim
commentary to Exodus 1:17 with
gratitude and delight: ‘17. The
midwives, fearing God The phrase
translated as “the fear of God” (yir•at
Elohim ), is the closest the Torah
comes to having a word for
religion. The case of the
midwives suggests that the
essence of religion is not
the belief in the existence of
God or any other biblical
precept, but belief that certain
things are wrong because
God has built standards of
moral behaviour into the
universe. … The midwives
not only believed in God,
but also understood that
God demands a high level of
moral behaviour. They were
willing to risk punishment at
the hands of Pharaoh rather
than betray their allegiance to God.
This is the first recorded case of civil
disobedience, challenging government
in the name of a higher authority. …’
The midwives story makes it clear
that there is nothing simple about
fear. At a minimum, the story posits
a hierarchy - let’s say, from Fear to
fear. This inheres a scale, and scales
are like ladders - for ascending
and descending. In all this going
up and going down the ‘mortal
coil’, fears can feel dominant. The
midwives negotiated the fearsome
terrain by the light of belief in the
availability of new beginnings.
It is notable that the midwives stood
for community. No less than life
was their hope and inspiration, with
continuity of the people as their
guiding and cohering principle.
So, when I learned - Pesach 2016
- that I had advanced(!) to stage
3 breast cancer, it was with the
community’s help - the Emanuel
family’s help - embodying Torah
values and tradition, that I was
able to move along the fear-hope
continuum, getting to the Yamim
Nora’im (Days of Awe) 5776-
7 and the ‘New Beginning’ joy
of Simchat Torah 5777.
Arriving at the ‘new beginning’, we
often notice that it is a place we have
been before - only this time
it is open, full and shared.
Which reminds me: On the
day Rabbi Kamins visited
me in St Vincent’s, the senior
nurse overheard our discussion
of Psalm 23. That included
Rabbi Kamins’s delightful,
but also disappointing story,
about him having said one
day to a local barista, when
she overfilled his cup, “My
cup runneth over!” He drew
a blank, then another, then
another, as he delivered all
the customary prompts. But
the Catholic senior nurse,
probably because she was aged over 60
and observant, needed no prompts.
She took up the theme with me the
next day - and so began another new
beginning, nested in my personal new
beginning: an interfaith dialogue that
continues to return me to the Makom
where the Tree of Life is rooted.
Shanah Tovah Umetukah.
Conversations about Israel
Monday mornings from 10:00am-11:30am
Join Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins or guest speakers to examine the
complex issues facing contemporary Israel.
26

{JEWISH WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL FOR SYDNEY}
SHIR MADNESS at Emanuel Synagogue on Sunday 7 October - from 11am ‘til late!
SHIR MADNESS returns to Sydney celebrating the Jewish contribution to music with 11
hours of joyous, funny, soulful & rocking performances of every imaginable kind. 25 acts
will play on multiple, concurrent stages and a single ticket covers all acts, all day. There’s a
special kids’ concert too, plus artisan demonstration stalls, kosher food and drink… and
much schmoozing. For the first time, Emanuel Synagogue will be hosting the festival!
Headlining the festival is thrilling
New York band Nefesh Mountain
(“where Bluegrass and Jewish
traditions meet… and fall madly
in love!”). Critically acclaimed
by Rolling Stone and Billboard
magazines, Doni Zasloff and
Eric Lindberg together with
their band are pioneers of a
transcendent new genre – fusing
the apparently disparate worlds
of American Appalachian and
Jewish traditions. Refreshingly
eclectic, wildly spiritual.
Super-popular Ilan Kidron and
Glass crossover from jazz to pop
and world music: Paris to New
Orleans to Rio and beyond!
Arguably Australia’s greatest
contemporary composer, Elena
Kats-Chernin, will play some of
her most popular music and tell
the stories around it from behind
the keyboard. Melbourne musical
comedian Jude Perl presents her
catchy and hilarious satire, while
Byron-based Temple of Song and
multi-instrumentalist Shai Shriki
marry music and spirit, leading a
singing circle that weaves prayers,
original texts and compositions in
a total soulful musical experience
that will have everyone singing!
Pianist Simon Tedeschi and violist
Roger Benedict play the Romantic
‘hits’ of Schubert, Schumann,
Rachmaninov and Jewish-Viennese
WWII refugee Hans Gal. Also
featured are two NY-based Aussie
musicians, Sephardic music doyen
George Mordecai with “Baghdad
to Bondi” featuring the most
exotic of Eastern musicians and
their instruments; and cabaret star
and Helpmann nominee Alexis
Fishman with her tribute to Amy
Winehouse “Amy: Reimagined”.
Headliners, Nefesh Mountain
Also appearing in the festival
are Alma Zygier Quartet,
Bonnie Love, Chelsea Berman,
Dafka, Philip Foxman Band (ex
Supernaut!), Graeme Pillemer,
Harmony of the Angels, Hello Tut
Tut, Jonno Zilber, Leonie Cohen
& Nicky Crayson, Medicine
Voice, On the Stoop, Phia, Raduga
Trio, Tiptoe Giants and Keppie
Coutts’ ‘swamp-folk operetta’
“The Mysteries of Mad River”.
Plus Song of Songs is returning as
the final set of the night, starring
the cream of Australia’s musical
community singing one of their
favourite songs by a Jewish
composer. Names announced
so far include Glenn Shorrock,
Dami Im and Josh Pyke.
Festival Director Gary Holzman
said he was are excited to be
holding this year’s festival at
the newly renovated Emanuel
Synagogue campus. “For the first
time Shir Madness audiences
will be able to experience all the
incredible talent on offer in fully
seated comfort! Our program this
year will once again feature an
astonishing variety of top class
local, interstate and international
acts covering all musical
genres from classical to
klezmer, jazz to Jewish
music and cabaret to
contemporary pop.
It will be amazing!”
Tickets:
Adult General
Admission
$75 pre-booked
$85 on the day
$45 concession
Kids under 12 free
Kids concert only $20 adults
CONNECTION WITH ISRAEL &
WORLD JEWRY
VIP tickets $175
(inc. reserved seating, VIP Room,
free food & drink)
Bookings and more information:
shirmadness.com
27

{MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, ALEX LEHRER}
Dear Emanuel Community,
On behalf of the Board, it is
my pleasure to wish you G'mar
Hatima Tova and Chag Sameach. I
also wish to take this opportunity
to thank you for being part of our
wonderful extended family.
As we approach the start of the
Hebrew year 5779, Emanuel
Synagogue is in-the-midst of an
exciting time. The past year saw
the completion of construction of
our new preschool and mid-sized
sanctuary. History was made,
when our beautiful new sanctuary
provided the perfect setting
for Rabbi Kamins to officiate at
the first religious Jewish samesex
marriage in Australia. The
beautification of the Ocean Street
forecourt and streetscape will be
finished shortly, thus completing
this stage of the transformation of
the Emanuel campus.
Apart from achieving these
milestones, we have continued
to thrive as a pluralistic Jewish
community. The ongoing success
and vibrancy of our community is
testament to the tremendous work
of our clergy and staff, as well as
the inclusive and welcoming spirit
of our diverse congregation. As we
celebrate the 80th anniversary of
the establishment of what is now
Emanuel Synagogue, there is much
to be proud of.
Looking ahead, the board is
focused on consolidating the
successes of the past, whilst
building an ever- stronger
sense of community through
engagement. Engagement in
this context comprises religious
practice, cultural events including
music and art, education and
volunteering. One of our
successful initiatives to date
includes the weekly ‘Conversations
About Israel' discussion group.
This forum is always well-attended,
and provides participants with
an opportunity to engage in
healthy debate. A true diversity
of opinions is shared at these
meetings. Our Kef Kids program
is another popular and successful
initiative. It introduces young
children to Judaism and Jewish
concepts on Friday afternoons,
in a friendly, fun atmosphere.
Furthermore, our members,
clergy and staff participate in
numerous volunteering and social
outreach roles. Performances by
the Australian Chamber Orchestra
at Emanuel Synagogue over recent
years have been outstanding, and
our choir continues to impress
audiences week by week.
For 80 years, Emanuel Synagogue
has proudly provided an
egalitarian and welcoming
environment, in which its
congregation has had the
opportunity to nurture and express
its Jewish identity. In the years
ahead we intend to build on this
strong foundation, with a view to
providing our members with even
more opportunities to participate,
learn, contribute and thrive. I
encourage all our members to join
us on this journey.
Thank you for being part of the
first 80 years, and we look forward
to your continued participation in
the future. I hope to see many of
you over the chagim, and on behalf
of the Board. wish you all the best
for the year ahead.
Alex Lehrer
President
28
{MEET OUR BOARD MEMBERS}
ALEX LEHRER
Alex has been a Director of
Emanuel Synagogue for four
years. During this time, he chaired
the redevelopment committee
which successfully delivered the
new sanctuary and preschool.
Alex has four children, and so
clearly, he is a meshuganah! The
children range in age from one to
nine. His wife Claire is originally
from a village called Whalley, in
the north of England. He is a keen
sportsman, and has played first
grade rugby for Eastern Suburbs and
won gold medals at the Maccabiah
Games in both rugby and cycling.
Although Alex is a Chemical
Engineering graduate, his
working life has been in the
investment management and
property development spheres.
In his spare time, Alex enjoys
playing guitar. You can spot him
performing for his son Reuben
and his classmates most Friday
mornings in the Cubs classroom at
Emanuel Woollahra Preschool.

RANDOLPH GRIFFITHS
Randolph is the third generation of
Emanuel Synagogue Directors in his
family, following on from his Father
and Grand-Father. He has extensive
experience in Government and not
for profit sectors including his roles
as an Alderman of The City, Director
of Sydney Festival and Adjunct
Professor at UTS. Randolph is
presently the Director of MAGUSpm
a boutique project management
firm. He brings his extensive
business experience and property
knowledge to his role at Emanuel.
SAM CHIPKIN
Sam has been a Board Director
and Treasurer since March 2016.
He has two young children with
his wife Louisa, who converted
through Emanuel Synagogue.
Sam is the Chief Investment Officer
for a fund which invests and manages
a broad range of global listed and
unlisted investments. Prior to this,
he had a twelve year investment
banking career with Macquarie
Capital in New York and Sydney.
Sam has extensive experience
across corporate and not-forprofit
board memberships, leading
investment and valuation decisions,
US$18 billion+ of transactions
and investments, commercial
negotiations, business plan
development, financing processes
and managing documentation and
due diligence across Australian and
US markets. Sam holds a combined
Bachelor of Commerce (finance)
and Laws Degrees from UNSW.
CASEY GUTH
Casey Guth is an enthusiastic,
diligent and high-achieving Media
Sales Manager who has spent the
last ten years at Fairfax Media and
News Corp Australia. She hopes
to utilize her communications,
interpersonal and relationship
management skills on the Board of
Directors at Emanuel Synagogue.
Volunteer work is close to her
heart and a key focus area for her
work on the board. She was on
The Sydney Children’s Hospital
events Committee for four years,
and participates in the
Montefiore Nursing Home
volunteer program. In
early 2018, Casey spent
one month in Israel
volunteering at hospitals
and nursing homes
throughout the country.
MICHAEL HUKIC
Michael has a background
in banking, and he is
currently completing an MBA at
the University of New South Wales.
He hopes his business skills, and
his passion for our dynamic and
diverse community, allow him
to make a valuable contribution
to our Synagogue. Michael is
passionate about learning and
currently working on completing
his MBA through UNSW AGSM
Business School. Prior to this
Michael has completed his studies
in commerce and Applied Finance.
Professionally Michael has been
in banking and finance for close
to 15 years helping number
of corporate and not for profit
organisations focusing on
creating long term relationship.
COMMUNITY
Michael is strong advocate for
diversity (in full meaning) and
he is passionate about helping
all our members including the
members of GLBTIQ +, members
with disability and refugees.
29

WILLIAM NEMESH
William Nemesh is currently the
Jewish Community Relationship
Manager of the NSW Jewish
Board of Deputies. He has worked
professionally in politics for a
number of years, both as an advisor
to various members of Parliament
across federal and state governments,
and also at Liberal Party head office.
His involvement within the Jewish
community has spanned over 10
years, as an executive member of
AUJS, a volunteer at Montefiore
Nursing Home, a footballer at
Maccabi and a Deputy of the NSW
JBD. William is also the secretary
of the Liberal Friends of Israel, a
friendship group within the Liberal
Party that advocates for Israel and
the Australian-Israel relationship.
He has been married for almost
one year to his beautiful wife
Nicole, and together they live with
their rescue dog Hollie. William
was also elected as a Councillor
to Waverley Council in 2017.
CLAIRE JANKELSON
Claire has been a tertiary educator in
management practice for most of her
adult life - with particular interests in
learning and leadership, facilitation
and dialogue. Her abiding practice
is writing - both for personal use
and in shaping up good research!
She is married to David with
three sons – Ariel, Simon, Lucien,
30
daughter-in-law Sarah Theeboom
and grandson Franklin.
Claire has been a longstanding
member of Emanuel community.
She feels grateful to be part of a
community that is thoughtful and
open minded and pluralist; that is
engaged in matters of social justice,
equality and peace. She is most at
home in the Renewal service and
loves the music, the song, the spirit.
Her main recreation is walking
- especially in the wilderness.
ALAN OBRART
Alan and his wife Alexa have
been members of Emanuel
Synagogue since 1999.
He served on the Building committee
between 2012-2014, and as a Board
Member and PCG (Project Control
Group for the redevelopment) since
2014. Alan is also a representative
on the Emanuel School Board.
Alan has acquired a wealth of
knowledge and expertise in the
building industry. He is a Chartered
Professional Consulting Engineer,
and is a Director of Obrart & Co,
-Building Services (Air conditioning,
Energy). Currently, Alan is Engineers
Australia, Deputy National Chair,
Society of Building Services
Engineers, and a part-time lecturer
at the University of Sydney, School
of Architecture, Building Services.
SAM WEISS
Sam has worked at Board level
in Australia, Asia, Europe, and
the United States as a Company
Chairman and Non-Executive
Director. He has a background in
software and technology, online
products and services, consumer
marketing, and global markets.
His excellent communication and
presentation abilities are highly
regarded, and he enjoys mentoring
both management teams and
individuals. Sam is Chairman of
Altium Limited, a global provider
of software for electronics design
and 3PLearning Ltd, the maker
of the Mathletics online learning
program for school children.
He is a former Chairman of
The Benevolent Society and the
Sydney Festival, a Fellow of The
Australian Institute of Company
Directors and a member of The
Sydney Institute. Sam received his
undergraduate degree from Harvard
University, and is a past president
of the Harvard Club Australia. He
also has a graduate degree from
Columbia University in Business
Administration, and is a graduate of
the Sydney Leadership Program.
Sam, Judy and their two children
joined Emanuel Synagogue shortly
after moving to Sydney from
New York City in 1991. They

immediately got involved
in what was then the
Kesher group to welcome
new members. Their
son Schuyler had his Bar
Mitzvah under the watchful
eye of Cantor Deutsch, and
their daughter Bryony’s
Bat Mitzvah was one of the
first performed by Rabbi
Ninio. He has been a
Board Member of Emanuel
Synagogue since 2014,
and served as its Secretary
for several years.
Small changes,
big differences
Inspiring stories and
practical ideas
Sometimes we see the problems
of the world and they seem so
overwhelming, we wonder what we
can do. Join us for a chance to hear
from some of our congregants who
have made changes big and small and
each one has changed the world.
7:00pm Sunday October 21st
Plus61J together with Emanuel Synagogue present
Israel, Jews &
the Middle East
through film
Join us each month for a fascinating festival of
film followed by engaging discussion
12th September
Walk on Water (2005, 104 minutes)
The Sabra and the Shoah – The end of the dream?
Eyal is an agent in Mossad, the Israeli security service and the agency decides that he needs to take on
a less challenging assignment: to find an aging Nazi war criminal and get him "before God does".
10th October
The Flat (2012, 97 minutes)
The Holocaust in Israeli Cinema and culture
At age 98, director Goldfinger's grandmother passed away, leaving him the task of clearing
out the Tel Aviv flat that she and her husband shared for decades since immigrating from Nazi
Germany in the 1930s. What starts to take shape reflects nothing less than the troubled and
taboo story of three generations of Germans - both Jewish and non-Jewish - trying to piece
together the puzzle of their lives in the aftermath of the terrible events of World War II.
14th November Mizrahi Immigration to Israel
Baba Joon (2015, 91 minutes)
The first ever Persian-language film shot in Israel, “Baba Joon,” Israel’s Best Foreign Film
submission to the Academy Awards and the winner of five Israeli “Oscars,” is a universal
story about intergenerational conflict. The film tells the story of Yitzhak, a Jewish-
Iranian immigrant who ekes out a living on a turkey farm in Israel’s Negev desert.
12th December Gotta be Happy” – Yiddish humor in America
The Komediant (2004, 85 Minutes)
Wistful and melancholy recollections of Yiddish theatre are conveyed in this
documentary, which centers on the story of the Burstein family.
Book now: emanuel.org.au/films
31

The Novotel Melbourne, St Kilda 15-18 November 2018
16 The Esplanade, St Kilda Victoria 3182
BOOK NOW!
Visit http://www.cvent.com/d/xtqg57
Whether you’re an involved shul leader
or a regular Jew in the pew, we hope
you’ll join us at the UPJ Biennial to
help determine the kind of progress
to be made in Progressive Judaism
over the years to come.
• Creative and uplifting services
• Top-notch guest speakers
• Regional forums and
special-interest groups
• Saturday night “Ted Talks”
• Shuk featuring books and Judaica
Scholar-in-residence: Rabbi Larry Hoffman
One of the most dynamic and insightful Jewish
scholars of our age will focus on creating synagogues
that are relevant and meaningful for the 21st century.
Session
topics to
include:
• Creating new liturgies for a new age
• Israel as our spiritual homeland (panel)
• J ewish demography: Future pathways, bridges and stumbling blocks
• The way to the soul is through the stomach: The link between prayer
and social-action projects
• Youth movement as Holy Place: How Netzer “does” Jewish liturgy
For further information contact 0416 700 613 or upj@upj.org.au
32

{NEW MEMBERS}
To welcome the stranger
We welcome the
following members
who have joined us in
the last few months.
Ms Yael Abraham
Mr Yuval Itzhak Bar-Sela
Mr Joshua Michael Barton
Ms Rachel Esther
Bickovsky
Mr Peter Mark Binetter
Ms Hannah Leah
Briand-Newman
Ms Jennifer Carleton
Mrs Natasha Marie Daran
Mr Allan Gregory Davis
Mr John Dobies
Ms Annika Droga
Prof Charles Edel
Mrs Ruth Faludi
Mr Alexander Fedan
Mrs Regina Jane Feiler
Mrs Megan Janet Freedman
Mr Jeffrey Eugene Freund
Mr Daniel Ignacio Fuentes
Ms Nicky Pearl Glover
Mrs Michele Haifer
Mr Benjamin
Jonathan Harris
Ms Sandra Hotz
Ms Monica Jurman
Mr Dean Lawrence Kremer
Miss Rebecca Kummerfeld
Mr Marc Yves Lane
Mr Roy Leibowitz
Ms Rochelle Leivenzon
Mrs Aletta Lena Liebson
Mr David Arthur Lion
Miss Gaia Lovell-Wilkes
Dr Ofer Mintz
Mr Roderick
Edward Morton
Mrs Jennifer
Francine Nathan
Ms Gillian Leigh Pearl
Mr Benjamin Radvin
Chloe Belle Rees
Mr Donald Robertson
Rabbi Gary Robuck
Benjamin Sakker Kelly
Ms Danielle
Schlanger
Michael Jorg
Selinger
Mr Timothy
Paul Sheezel
Miss Lara
Marguerite
Gutta Simon
Ms Nathalie Myriam
Steinmetz
Ms Karina Susan Veal
Ms Kerrie Weil
Ms Teresa Wiliono
Mr Jonathan Robin
Meyer Wolf
Ms Claudia Woolf
COMMUNITY
Lunch
'n'
Learn
Around Sydney with
80 Shabbat dinners
Friday November 9th
In honour of our 80th birthday we
plan to have 80 Shabbat dinners hosted
throughout Sydney on one night!
Register your Shabbat dinner and
receive a host’s package from us and
celebrate this special Shabbat.
More details soon.
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:
October 13
November 10
Cantor George Mordecai
Cantor George Mordecai
33

{TZEDAKAH}
Thank you to our generous donors
$10,000 OR MORE
Mr Harry Triguboff
Mr Robert Whyte
Mr Gary & Mrs
Karyn Zamel
$5,000 OR MORE
Angles Family Foundation
Dr Reg & Mrs
Kathie Grinberg
Dr Nathan & Mrs
Kerry Jacobs
Mr Julian Lavigne
& Lidia Ranieri
Mrs Ursula Moddel
Mr John Roth & Ms
Jillian Segal AM
Mr Justin Phillips & Ms
Louise Thurgood Phillips
Mrs Anita Zweig
$1,000 OR MORE
Dr Karen Arnold &
Dr Drew Heffernan
Dr David & Mrs
Maxine Bachmayer
Mr Sidney & Mrs
Julie Brandon
Mr Garry & Mrs
Bettina Davis
Mr David Duchen
Mr Aaron & Mrs
Margaret Ezekiel
Mr Danny & Mrs
Rachael Fischer
Mr Michael Fisher
Mrs Erika Fulop
Mrs Ruth Guss
Mrs Veronica Kolman
Mr David Landa
Mr Harry Wrublewski &
Ms Sara Landa-Wrublewski
Dr Leo Robin Leader
& Ms Shirley Leader
Dr George & Mrs
Janet Linton
Mrs Ruth MacDonald
Mr Lawrence &
Mrs Sylvia Myers
Ms Jeannie Newman
Mr Terry & Mrs
Anne Newman
Diane Shteinman
Dr Stephen & Mrs
Anne Steigrad
Mr Bob & Mrs
Gabriella Trijbetz
Mr Eran & Mrs
Vanessa Weiner
$500 OR MORE
Dr Jane Berger
Mrs Anna Challis
Ms Naomi Elias
Mr David & Mrs
Ruth Glasser
Mr David & Mrs
Karen Gordon
Mr Jeffrey & Mrs
Diane Grant
Mrs Jennifer Hershon
Mrs Valerie Hosek
Mr Clive Israel
Mr Anthony Kahn & Mrs
Judith Kahn Friedlander
Mr Jack & Mrs
Maxine Klarnet
Mrs Dorit & Mr
Aubrey Krawitz
Mrs Nita & Mr
John Lavigne
Mrs Renee Markovic
Ms Caroline Marsden
Peter Michael Perl
Dr Sam Perla
Mrs Renee & Mr
Jonathan Pinshaw
Mr Kenneth Raphael
Ms Victoria Reich
Mr Ron & Mrs
Melissa Schaffer
Mr David & Mrs
Renee Schneider
Mr Ronald & Mrs
Gloria Schwarz
Mr Roger & Dr
Eleanor Sebel
Ms Agnes Seemann
Mr Umut Togan Tan
Mrs Miriam Tier
Mr Alan & Mrs Itta Vorsay
Dr Anthony & Mrs
Margot Wasserman
Ms Deborah Wicks
Prof Anna Yeatman
UP TO $499
Mr Reuben Aaron OBE
& Mrs Cornelia Aaron
Mr Rafael & Mrs
Rachel Adler
Mrs Phyllis Agam
Mr Cedric & Mrs
Sarah Amoils
Mr Albert-Maurice &
Mrs Suzanne Amzallag
Mrs Diane Armstrong
Dr Peter & Mrs
Shirley Arnold
Ms Mary Levy
Mr Michael & Mrs
Nicole Baer
Mr Stephen & Mrs
Wendy Baer
Mr Simon & Mrs
Ginette Ball
Dr Felix & Mrs
Caroline Barda
Mr Joseph Barda
Mrs Janis Baskind
Ms Katarina Baykitch
Mr Miguel & Mrs
Petra Becker
Dr Ross Bellamy &
Ms Yvette Slomovits
Mrs Ruth Bender
Mr Peter Benjamin
Dr Lyria Bennett Moses
& Dr Daniel Moses
Dr Danny Beran
Mrs Lilian Berley
Ezra Israel Berley z''l
Dr David & Mrs
Sandra Berman
Mr Joseph Bern
Dr Adele Bern
Freida Bielik
Mr Lewis Bloch
Mr Michael & Mrs
Linda Bloomfield
Mr Peter Bloomfield
Ms Judith Brandl
Ms Hannah
Briand-Newman
Mr. John Brieger & Mrs
Susi Brieger OAM
Mr Ian Brodie
Mr Leon & Mrs Emma
Bronfentrinker
Mr Robert & Mrs
Julie Brown
Mr Wesley & Mrs
Sari Browne OAM
Stephen Camden-Smith
& John Johnson
Mr Barry & Mrs
Randi Cantor
Dr Alan Cass & Dr
Lauren Arnold
Ms Joanne Clarke
Ms Pamela Clements
Mrs Glenda Cohen
Ms Helen Coolican
Ms Doris Cope Krygier
Mrs Renate Cowan
Ralph Peter Cromer
Dr Thomas Cromer
Mrs Jacqueline Dale
34

{...TZEDAKAH CONTINUED}
Mr Albert Danon & Mrs
Dinah Danon OAM
Dr Anthony & Mrs
Kerry Freeman
Mr Jeffrey & Mrs
Susan Hauser
Mrs Susie & Mr
Stephen Klein
Mr Robert Davidson
Mr Roger Davis
Ms Ethel Davis
Professor Graham De
Vahl Davis AM
Mr Maryo & Mrs
Marianne Derofe
Mr Greg & Mrs
Lisa Dobrin
Mr David & Mrs
Suzette Doctor
Hans Doctor
Mrs Daphne Doctor
Mr Isaac Douek
Mrs Lily Dreyer
Mrs Claire Dukes
Mrs Viviane Eastin
Ms Julie Ellitt
Mr David Emanuel
Mrs Shula Endrey-
Walder OAM
Mr Jonathan Leslie
& Ms Susan Engel
Dr Anthony & Mrs
Helen Epstein
Mrs Marlene Epstein
Mrs Zita Evans
Mrs Joy Evans
Mrs Jacquie Ezer &
Mr Garrath Styles
Mr David Faigen
Mr Robert & Mrs
Ruth Faludi
Mrs R & Mr S Fardoulis
Mr Anthony Faust
Mr Vladimir & Mrs
Irina Feldman
Mrs Giza Fletcher
Rachel Flitman
Mrs Elizabeth Forer
Mrs Lynn Freedman
Dr Ronald & Dr
Susanne Freeman
Mrs Phyllis Freeman
Dr Michael & Mrs
Cyndi Freiman
Dr Marcelle Freiman
Mrs Karen Fried
Mr David & Mrs
Christine Frish
Mr John & Mrs Judy Gal
Mr Robert Galombik
Mrs Diane Geffrey
Mr George & Mrs
Judith Gelb
Mr Greg & Mrs
Brigitte Gerstl
Dr Robert & Mrs
Eva Gertler
Mr John Glajz
Mrs Liza & Mr
Richard Glass
Mrs Freda Glass
Mr Arthur Glass
Mr Harold & Mrs Jill Gold
Prof Ivan & Mrs
Vera Goldberg
Mr Alex & Mrs
Greta Goldberg
Tony and Merrylin
Goodman
Mr Robert & Mrs
Vicki Grant
Ms Tracey Griff
Mrs Tania Grigorov
Dr Ary & Mrs
Mira Grinberg
Mr Sydney Grolman OAM
& Mrs Marcelle Grolman
Dr Richard Haber
Dr George & Mrs
Romaine Hamor
Dr Christine Harris
Mr David & Mrs
Sharon Harris
Mr Les Hart
Mrs Gerda Hauser
Ms Denise Hausman
Mrs Kathleen Hearst
Mr Peter Hecht
Ms Lesley-Ann Hellig
Mrs Manou Heman
Dr Margery Hertzberg
Dr Helmut & Mrs
Ellen Heydt
Mr James & Mrs
Christine Hill
Mr Andrew & Mrs
Dee Hilton
Mr Ralph & Mrs
Adrienne Hirst
Mr Jonathan &
Mrs Karen Hirst
Mr Robert & Mrs
Susan Hofbauer
Mrs Sheryl & Mr
Mark House
Mrs Tanya & Mr
Anthony Igra
Dr Frank & Mrs
Penelope Isaacs
Mr Benjamin Isaacs
Mr Gordon Jackson
Mr Gary & Mrs
Aliza Jacobs
Mrs Claudette Jacobs
Ms Nicole Jacobs
Mrs Vera Jacoby
Ms Alexandra Joel
Joanna Kalowski
Mrs Vivian & Mr
Chris Kalowski
Mr Steven & Mrs
Amanda Kamsler
Mr Barry & Mrs
Pamela Karp
Mr Leslie & Mrs
Sonia Katz
Mrs Elise Kaye
Judith Kaye
Mr Daniel &
Mrs Natalie
Knoll
Dr Stephen &
Dr Deborah
Koder
Mrs Evelyn
Krieger
Mr Andrew & Mrs
Dianne Krulis
Mrs Dora Krulis
Mrs Judith Lander
Ms Magdalena Langer
Mr Paul & Mrs
Gabrielle Langsam
Mrs Clara Langsam
Mr Solomon & Mrs
Linda Lebovic
Mrs Ilona Lee A.M.
Ms Sylvia Lenny
Mr Philip & Mrs
Lorraine Levy
Mr Gregg & Mrs Sue Levy
Mr Robert & Mrs
Vivian Lewin
Ms Miriam Lewin
Mrs Joan Lewis
Dr Geoffrey & Mrs
Lolita Lewis
Mr Mark Lewis & Ms
Hana Khamphounvong
Mr John & Mrs
Jacqueline Lewis
Mr Stephen & Mrs
Deidre Libbert
Dr Golda Lieberman
Dr David & Mrs
Patricia Lieberman
Mr Steve Liebeskind
Frank Liebeskind
Mrs Leonie Lilienfeld
Mr Alex & Mrs
Rosemary Linden
Mr Maurice Linker
COMMUNITY
35

{...TZEDAKAH CONTINUED}
Mr Tom & Mrs
Susie Loewy
Dr Ivan Lorentz AM &
Mrs Judith Lorentz
Miss Debbie Ludwig
Mrs Hedy Ludwig
Mrs Sylvia Luikens
Mr Eric Lundberg
Mrs Dorrit Mahemoff
Dr Isaac & Mrs
Denise Mallach
Dr Linda Mann
Mr John Marsden
Prof Alan Rosen AO &
Ms Vivienne Miller
Mrs Inna & Mr
Arkady Mirvis
Mrs Rae Morris
Ms Primrose Moss
Mr Terence Nabarro
Ms Vivienne Nabarro
Mr Ervin & Mrs
Sarolta Nadel
Mr Allan & Mrs
Lisa Nahum
Mr Alan & Mrs
Josie Nathan
Mr David & Mrs
Sarah Nathan
Mr Mark Nathan &
Ms Marije Vrieze
Ms Danielle Nehl
Mr David & Mrs
Michelle New
Mr William & Mrs
Barbara Newman
Barbara Newman
Mrs Valerie Newstead
Dr Joel Nothman
Sue Nothman
Yvonne Perl
Dr Ralph & Mrs
Margaret Hilmer
Mrs Bertha Pisk
Mr Sergio and Mrs
Olivia Polonsky
Mrs Freda Potok
Mrs Bertha Power
Mr Howard & Mrs
Anastasia Raines
Mr Ian Duncan Rathmell
Mr Wayne & Mrs
Nanette Reuben
Dr Ellis and Mrs
Lyn Rosen
Mr Bob & Mrs Eva Rosen
Mrs Deanne Rosenthal
Ms Edna Ross
Mr Albert & Mrs
Arlette Rousseau
Mr Steve & Mrs
Ann Rubner
Mrs Ruth Rusanow
Mr Peter & Mrs
Edith Ryba
Ms Vicky Ryba
Dr John Saalfeld
Dr Alan & Ms
Nicole Sacks
Tara Stern & Josh Same
Dr Neville & Mrs
Ingrid Sammel
Mr Allan & Mrs
Eleanor Sangster
Mrs Aliza Sassoon
Mr Leon & Mrs
Abigail Saul
Ms Julie Saunders
Mrs Marianne Schey
Ms Danielle Schlanger
Mr Norbert Schweizer
OAM & Mrs Sonja
Schweizer
Mr Timothy Luke Scutt
Dr. Ilan & Mrs
Shira Sebban
Mr John & Mrs Joan Segal
Mrs Miriam Segal
Mr Kevin & Mrs
Yadida Sekel
Mr Raphael & Mrs
Roslyn Shammay
Mrs Vivienne Sharpe
Ms Merril Shead
Mr Isadore & Mrs
Brenda Sher
Mr Brian Sherman AM
& Dr Gene Sherman
Mrs Lorraine &
Mr Barry Shine
Professor Gary Sholler
Dr Kristine Mientka &
Mr Sam Shoolman
Mrs Regina Shusterman
Mrs Agnes Silberstein
Mrs Marianne Silvers
Mrs Salome Simon
Mr John & Mrs
Edith Simon
Dr Wendy Sinclair
Mrs Ofira Singer
Ms Deborah Singerman
Mrs Eva & Mr
Stephen Skimin
Ms Lilly Skurnik
Mrs Rena Small
Mrs Irene Smith
Ms Clare Sneddon
Mr Phillip & Mrs
Judith Snider
Mrs Neva & Mr
Leo Sperling
Mrs Desiree Spiro
Dr Jeffrey Steinweg OAM
& Dr Sandra Steinweg AM
Mr Richard Hoenig
& Ms Sharon Stern
Dr Paul & Mrs Ellen Stone
Mr Alan & Mrs Eve Taylor
Mr Feliks Tchoudnovski
Ms Lindsay Thorpe
Ms Jenny Van Proctor
Mr Stephen & Mrs
Edna Viner
Mrs Thea & Mr John Weiss
Mr Robert & Mrs
Miriam Weiss
Mr George Weisz
Ms Stephanie Whitmont
Mrs Evelyn Whittaker
Ms Teresa Wiliono
Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
& Mrs Suzanne Wolanski
Mr Patrick Wong &
Dr Natalie Cromer
Ms Sylvia Wyner
Ms Eve Wynhausen
Ms Gabrielle Wynhausen
& Mr Aaron Magner
Mrs Lynette Zaccai
Ms Rosanna Zettel
Dr Dennis &
Mrs Jane Zines
and numerous other
anonymous donors
Mrs Vivienne Olian
Betty & Peter Schlesinger
Ms Elaine Solomon
Dr Michael & Mrs
Jewell Owen
Mrs Cecily Parris
Miss Jacheta Schwarzbaum
Mr Maurycy Schwarzbaum
Mrs Alexandra & Mr
Adam Somerville
Ms Judit Somogy
Mrs Lynne Perl
Mrs Agnes Spencer
36

Mitzvah Day
November 18th
10am until completion
We join with communities around
the world to perform mitzvot on this
special day. This year we will be creating
packages for children in Indigenous
communities around Australia. Donate
before the day or join us on the day
to compile the care packages.
80th Birthday
party and
exhibition
9th December from 7:00pm
Join us for this last event in our 80th
birthday year as we open our exhibition
of photographs from the congregation.
COMMUNITY
The Australian Chamber Orchestra
returns to Emanuel Synagogue
for a special intimate performance
in our New Sanctuary
Monday November 26, 2018
Tickets on sale soon
37

{BIRTHS}
Mazal Tov to
Mr Yuval and Mrs
Rebecca Bar-Sela
Mr Dror & Mrs
Anthea Ben-Naim
Mr Peter & Mrs
Candy Berger
Mr Ben Caunt &
Mrs Nina Brodaty
Sophie Parker &
Jeremy Etkind
Mr Simon Greiner &
Mrs Bryony Weiss
Mr Tomer Hasson &
Mr Jonathan Fitzgerald
Dr Alana Bruce
Joseph Kaifala &
Miriam Lieberman
Ms Bianca Szekely
Mr David &
Victoria Taylor
{B’NEI MITZVAH}
Mazal Tov to
Harry Cass
Toby Danon
Oliver Fischer
Jake Fleischer
Saxon Gerstl
Joah Hitter
Aiden Merten
Mirabelle Mirvis
Coby New
Lena Adele Perlman
Carmela Rose Reznik
Lewis Jeremy Saul
Jamie Matan Schneider
Daniel Asher Solomon
Max Leonard Styles
{MARRIAGE}
To rejoice with the happy couple
Mayan Amiezer & Mariana Zhuryan
Luc & Adam Marshall Weinberg
Scott Whitmont &
Christopher Whitmont-Stein
{DECEASED}
To comfort the bereaved
Andrew Adler
Maria (Maya) Ameisen
Edith Aramaty
Wittie Becker
Ezra Israel Berley
David Brokman
Joyce Eileen Dubb
Lilian Finniston
Gisel (Giz) Folden
Roger John Keith Fox
Eva Glaser
Zelda Edith Goldberg
Julie Hanley
Cherry Jacobson
Anna Kalfus
Alexander Shimon Klein
Alfred Kobor
Michael Perry Kotzen
Michael Kremer
Edith Lederman
Mrs Robin Pauline
Lowther
Allan Mendels
Harry Maurice Miller
Petru (Peter) Musat
Danny Rosen
Val Seminson
Erich Shlanger
Otto Slazenger
Harry Ashley Smith
Rodney Leslie Stern
Dennis Tavill
Adi Trijbetz
Sukkah decorating and party
23rd September
Come and decorate our sukkah with a birthday party theme for our 80th
birthday. We will provide the materials, you provide the creativity. We will
follow the decoration with a short service and a light dinner in the sukkah.
5:00pm decorating
6:15pm service followed by dinner
38

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
Designed by Anne Wolfson
39

{SERVICE TIMES}
Morning Minyan
Morning Minyan is on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:45am.
All service times are subject to change. Please check our
website for any amendments to our regular services.
SHABBAT SERVICES
Erev Shabbat
• 6:15pm - Masorti Service (New Sanctuary or Neuweg)
• 6:15pm - Shabbat Live (New Sanctuary)
Shabbat Morning
• 9:00am - Masorti service (New Sanctuary)
• 10:00am - Progressive service (Main Sanctuary)
Shabbat Meditation
• Saturday October 13, 20 & 27, 9:00am - 10:00am
Renewal Kabbalah Meditation classes
Taught by Rabbi Dr. Orna Triguboff, you will learn how to meditate and
some key Kabbalah Meditation principles. Open to all; no charge.
For details of all High Holy Day services, see page 23
{CONTACT US}
All services and other programs are held at the synagogue unless otherwise indicated:
7 Ocean Street, Woollahra NSW 2025
There are many 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.