TELL Magazine: October - November 2019

Moving forward as
one country for all
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
Creation
Elul-Tishrei 5779/80
October-November 2019
Open the gates
to forgiveness
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
For the love
of a dog
Rev Sam Zwarenstein
Challenges
and Changes
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth

Crossroads
Music + Visuals + Movement
Vocal testimony, historic visuals
of the Holocaust & live music.
An exclusive, never seen before, two night
only performance not to be missed!
Crossroads
Emanuel Synagogue New Sanctuary
November 27 7pm / November 28 7pm
Secure your seats at:
tinyurl.com/crossroadsconcert
or 02 9389 6444
For this special event, The Sydney Art Quartet
will be showcasing Pulitzer Prize-winning
composer Steve Reich who was recently
called “…the most original musical thinker of our
time” (The New Yorker) and “…among the great
composers of the century”
(New York Times).
His instantly recognizable musical language
combines rigorous structures with propulsive
rhythms and seductive instrumental colour
which will be combined with an oversized
cinema installation and the professional debut
of a very special Jewish singer.
Artistic Director James Beck
The Sydney Art
Quartet is a virtuosic
quartet that weaves
together ancient and
contemporary stories,
touching multiple
senses and cultures
to give audience
memories that live
long after the last
note has died.
Steve Reich
Composer
Garcia & Sá
Visuals
Avital Greenberg
Vocals
Anton Projects
Rehearsal Director
Bangarra Dance Theatre
This is Emanuel Synagogue's annual fundraiser - please support

YOUR QUARTERLY JOURNAL ON SPIRITUALITY, LEARNING & COMMUNITY
Emanuel Synagogue offers a home where you can live your Judaism in a contemporary
world, drawing on our ancient teachings and traditions. We are a pluralistic community
offering a choice of services, programs and activities for the Masorti, Progressive and Renewal
movements. We do this with contemporary understanding to create a dynamic and diverse
community, welcoming you and your involvement.
PROGRESSIVE
The structure of our Progressive
services allows you to choose
the type of prayer that is
most meaningful for you.
You may choose from alternate
readings in English, you may read
the Hebrew prayer (available in
both Hebrew script, and in English
transliteration), or you may choose to
take a moment of personal reflection.
Our Friday night “Shabbat
Live” service is a moving,
innovative service where prayer
is enhanced with musical
instruments, beautiful melodies,
creative readings and stories.
Shabbat Live is held at
6:15pm every Friday.
The Progressive Shabbat Service begins
at 10am each Saturday morning.
MASORTI
Our Masorti (traditional) services
are run almost entirely in Hebrew,
honouring the tradition with
contemporary insights.
As with all services at Emanuel
Synagogue, men and women
participate equally and fully.
The Friday night Carlebach service
is a traditional Kabbalat Shabbat
service, featuring the well-known
melodies of Shlomo Carlebach.
The Carlebach service is held
at 6.15pm every Friday.
Our Masorti Shabbat Service begins
at 9am on Saturday mornings.
We also hold a Masorti Minyan
at 6:45am on Monday and
Thursday mornings.
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
Kabbalah Meditation
An opportunity to learn meditation
in a Jewish context. With Rabbi Dr.
Orna Triguboff, and guest musicians.
Wednesday nights in November
from 7:00-8:30pm
Yom Kippur Eve - Music,
Meditation and Prayer
Tues 8 October - doors open 7:45pm
Bookings online essential: events.
humanitix.com.au/yomkippur
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
Cantor George Mordecai

{CEO UPDATE}
Suzanna Helia
“The Jews started it all – and by “it”
I mean so many of the things we care
about, the underlying values that make
all of us, Jew and gentile, believer and
atheist, tick. Without the Jews, we
would see the world through different
eyes, hear with different ears, even
feel with different feelings. And we
would set a different course for our
lives… Their worldview has become
so much a part of us that at this point
it might as well have been written
into our cells as a genetic code.”
- Thomas Cahill,
The Gifts of the Jews
Our synagogue has taken a
path not only to be a centre for
learning, prayer and spirituality,
but also a place for Jewish arts
and culture, as these are a strong
part of our Jewish identity.
As I sit in my living room with a
cup of tea, listening to Gershwin
and thinking about writing this
article, I scan the room and gaze at
a beautiful Slim Aarons photograph,
and reflect - Slim Aarons was
Jewish; Anne Liebowitz is Jewish;
and the music I am listening to
was composed by a Jew. This
relatively small group of people
created so much of the beauty that
we enjoy today. Jews are known to
be smart, cultured and generous.
They have an ingrained sense of
social justice and worldliness.
A basic search on the Internet
highlighted that Jews have won
twenty-two percent of all Nobel
prizes awarded; twenty nine
percent since 1950, after the
Holocaust destroyed a third of
the population. Given the small
population, proportionately, they
could have been recipients of
one in five hundred, or possibly
two Nobel prizes for medicine,
chemistry or physics. However,
Jewish people have been awarded
one hundred and twenty-three.
{INSIDE THIS EDITION}
TRANSFORMATIVE
LEARNING
20
WANT TO WRITE YOUR
OWN OBITUARY?
Barbara Karet
14
THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN
Cantor George Mordecai
26
ELUL JEWELS
30
JUDAISM - A PATH OF WELLBEING
INSPIRING PRAYER
8
OPEN THE GATES
TO FORGIVENESS
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
14
NEW PROGRESSIVE MACHZOR
Rabbis Dr John Levi AM. Ph D.
and Jonathan Keren-Black
16
GESTATION OF A NEW MACHZOR
22
CHANGES AND CHALLENGES
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
31
HIGH HOLY DAYS AT EMANUEL

Jews are also disproportionately
represented in most of the arts.
Since their respective dates of
inception, America's leading
orchestras have been led by Jewish
conductors one third of the time.
Jews created nearly two thirds
of Broadway's longest running
musicals. One quarter of the
greatest photographers of all
time are Jewish. Of all the movie
directors who have earned Oscars,
thirty eight percent were Jews.
Rabbi Ninio’s history of the
synagogue revealed that the initial
intention was for Temple Emanuel
to be a place for prayer and
gathering; a place where spirituality,
Jewish identity and music were a
fundamental part of what we all
share together (think of the days of
Werner Baer and Cantor Deutsch).
This has also been the vision of
Rabbi Kamins since the time of
his arrival here thirty years ago.
Over the last few years we have
hosted the Australian Chamber
Orchestra and the Sydney Sacred
Music Festival. We also provided a
home for Shir Madness to perform,
created monthly Israeli and Jewish
movie nights, and with Cantor
George Mordecai, have regular
inspiring musical events. Our In
Conversation sessions saw a host
of interesting topics and people
including Dr John Hewson, Rabbi
Gab Krebs, Dr Alan Finkel, Jessica
Rowe and Thomas Mayor on the
Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Our focus is to continue to
provide a platform for culture
and arts to further flourish, so
children, young people, families
and older generations can get
together and enjoy the range
of amazing events we have
planned for our community.
This year we are hosting the Sydney
Art Quartet with a one-off cultural
event created especially for the
Emanuel Synagogue community.
This concert is the major fundraiser
for our Synagogue for the year
and I urge you to support this
important event. This performance
will poignantly and dramatically
explore human rights and the
Holocaust, plus feature an entrirely
new dance work performed and
lead by the choreographer of the
Bangarra Dance Company.
A Friends of Kaveret concert
featuring Lior that will bring joy
to the Jewish community; we
are forging a partnership with
Musica Viva, which was founded
by a Jewish immigrant. And all
this is only the beginning of the
cultural and spiritual events we
look forward to sharing with
you in the years to come.
This time as we are closing
one year and are about to step
into a new one, I would like
to wish all L'Shanah Tovah
Tikatevu V'taihatem and I am
looking forward to enjoying
many beautiful connections and
spiritual moments enlightened by
SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT
AND HEALING THE WORLD
6
MOVING FORWARD
AS ONE COUNTRY FOR ALL
Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
17
FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG
Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
27
HOME IS A STATE OF BEING
Donna Jacobs Sife
CONNECTING WITH ISRAEL
& WORLD JEWRY
24
APPRECIATING OUR
HERITAGE SANCTUARY
Dudu Gottlib
27
NEWS FROM NETZER
Caroline Freeman
COMMUNITY
4
CEO UPDATE
32
SUKKOT AT
EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE
33
SHABBAT BY THE SEA
5

{MOVING FORWARD AS ONE COUNTRY FOR ALL}
Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins OAM
We take great pride that our word of greeting, “shalom”, means both wholeness and
peace. Shalom is a word of engagement that champions inner and relational peace. Yet
we often live lives that are not as whole and full as we wish, because of things we have
done, or things we have failed to do. While we can work for forgiveness, healing and
reconciliation every day, we often fail to take the initiative and overcome the obstacles.
The upcoming Yamim Noraim
provide the opportunity for us to
focus on the power of repentance,
or teshuva, in all of our different
relationships and situations.
Judaism, which has been in the
forefront of bringing the notion of
forgiveness to human culture, has
over time developed a simple rubric
of steps to follow for repentance –
recognition, remorse, restitution
and resolve. We can practise
repentance daily - but most of us
do not. Many Jews still come to
synagogue over the days of Rosh
HaShanah and Yom Kippur, but not
all of them will take advantage of
this concentrated and focused time
to heal self, relationships and society.
Nevertheless, the opportunity
beckons on many levels.
I would encourage all of us
to recognise the significance
of what it means to live in
Australia, especially those of us
who have immigrated here in
the last two centuries or so. I
arrived in 1989, and so loved
being in this country, felt so
much at home, that I became
a citizen in 1992. (Those were
the easier pre-September 11
days.). Little did I know of the
country’s deep time history,
let alone its last 200 years. I
knew the Aboriginal people
had been wronged, but not to
what extent, and I knew even
less about their history and
culture. Mabo, Sorry Day,
Rabbit Proof Fence and other
aspects of contemporary history
6
and culture made me more aware of
the displacement and racism in the
formation of this modern country,
but while I knew somewhat of the
injustices done, the knowledge was
vague.
Then one night in late May 2017,
I was watching the late-night news
and heard the report on the newly
released Uluru Statement from the
Heart. As I have written before, I
sensed deeply that I had experienced
an historic moment in Australia,
the opening of a true moment
for real reconciliation. But real
reconciliation requires a process
similar to repentance. For there
to be true healing, there needs to
be recognition of what the First
Nations and their descendants have
suffered for over 200 years - the
near destruction of the most ancient
human culture on earth. You and I
were not here during the settlement
and colonial era, nor the decades
beyond in which genocide occurred
and racism became endemic. Most
of us came to political consciousness
when the 1967 referendum passed.
Yet still, nearly all of us who are
not descendants of Indigenous
people have benefited from the
enterprise of 18 th century colonial
settlement. Therefore, we have some
responsibility toward the descendants
of those whose lives were destroyed
by that very enterprise. Thus, we
have a responsibility to learn about
those citizens of the greater society
in which we live.
When the government of the day
dismissed the Uluru Statement
from the Heart, it seemed as if an
historical opportunity had been
lost. Fortunately, two and a half
years later, it appears that there is bipartisan
work being undertaken to
respond to the Statement. Deeply
sensing that this issue is a moral one
for all humans, and especially for
Jews given our stated values, I chose
to learn more about Aboriginal
culture and history during my recent
eight-week sabbatical. In no way am
I implying that after a few weeks of
reading, I have internalised a sense of
what it is to be an Aboriginal person
in Australia, any more than someone
reading a few books on Jews and
Judaism would have that inner sense
about us. But my reading has made
me clearly recognise that in learning

about Aboriginal history and culture,
we also learn so much about our
journey as Homo sapiens; about a
highly developed, self-sustaining,
spiritual and unique, semi-nomadic
and agrarian culture. My reading has
also opened my eyes to an inevitable
culture clash between English settlers
and First Nations; the former’s
material power, combined with a
sense of cultural superiority ranging
from paternalism to racism, that led
to the devastation of the latter.
There are so many places where each of
us can begin to learn and understand
the past of this land we share. Billy
Griffiths’ Deep Time Dreaming 1 takes
one on an archaeological tour of
ancient Australia, opening our eyes
to the fact that the knowledge of
Homo sapiens’ arrival in Australia
has shifted our entire understanding
as an evolving species. Bruce
Pascoe’s Dark Emu 2 demonstrates the
previously unacknowledged agrarian
practices of Aboriginal peoples, and
how they developed technology to
work sustainably within a harsh
environment. In Treading Lightly 3 ,
Karl-Erik Sveiby and Tex Skuthorpe
reveal the wisdom behind Aboriginal
practices, offering suggestions about
what we can still learn from the first
inhabitants of this land, in the harsh
environment in which we all live.
Together, these books undermine
the notion that the First Nations of
this land were in any way culturally
or spiritually backward. However,
they were comparatively materially
underdeveloped, and thus subject to
European “might makes right”. There
are several histories, such as Richard
Broome’s Aboriginal Australians 4 and
C.D. Rowley’s The Destruction of
Aboriginal Society 5 , which reveal the
broad history of conflict and endemic
racism of Europeans toward Natives
that has resulted in a decimated
society. The hard hitting The Colonial
Fantasy 6 , by Sarah Maddison,
underscores the fact that Aboriginal
Australians have never given up their
identity and their claims to this land
that they have inhabited for at least
60,000 years; claims that need to be
addressed in contemporary Australia
by all of us.
Hopefully, as we read and learn
in different formats, we will not
only recognise the historic injustice
suffered by the First Nations of this
land, and their descendants, but
we will also feel remorse for not
having done enough to date to make
restitution. I strongly believe that in
the same way that two decades ago
Emanuel Synagogue took a leading
role in the move toward marriage
equality, so too should we take the
lead on this issue at this time. We
have the opportunity now, when
both government and opposition
have in some fashion supported a
referendum to address the inequity
that still plagues society, to help
move justice forward. The 1967
constitutional referendum, the Mabo
case and the Federal apology by
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2007
have been necessary precursors, but
not sufficient responses to actualise
true teshuvah, repentance
and reconciliation. A
beautiful book that can
help open our hearts
and minds to Aboriginal
Australia is called
Growing Up Aboriginal
in Australia 7 , edited by
Anita Heiss. Stan Grant's
Talking to My Country
powerfully presents the
issues of racism and
displacement endemic to
our country. Ever since
Thomas Mayor came to
HEALING THE WORLD
us ‘In Conversation’ in March of
this year, we have been promoting
learning about Indigenous Affairs
under the Social Justice link on our
website. Details of many of the
books mentioned above, plus links to
films and speeches can be found there
as well.
Emanuel Synagogue will continue
to take the lead on this issue over
the year ahead, hoping soon to
have Thomas Mayor’s book launch,
a special screenings of The Final
Quarter, The Australian Dream and
other films and presentations by
leaders of the Aboriginal community.
Only when we recognise the truth of
the past can we truly walk toward the
future together. As it says in Pirkei
Avot 1:18, The Wisdom of our Sages,
“The world stands on three things: on
justice and on truth and on peace.”
We Jews who have been displaced
from our land, suffered as a minority,
and struggled to have our truth heard
and understood by others, should
have great sensitivity and empathy
for the First Nations of this land.
Repentance begins at home, and in
continued over...
7

the weeks ahead we will speak about
the personal steps we can take in our
lives to heal our relationships. For
over 30 years I have called Australia
home, and I hope we can heal the
rifts in our greater home, with
recognition, remorse and restitution
- voice, treaty and truth is the
appropriate response to the Uluru
Statement from the Heart. We can
then resolve to move forward as one
country for all, with justice, truth,
and peace - shalom.
References:
1. Griffiths, Billie (2018) Deep Time
Dreaming. Black Inc. Australia.
2. Pascoe, Bruce (2018) Dark Emu.
Magabala Books. Australia.
3. Sveiby, Karl-Erik and Scuthorpe,
Tex (2006) Treading Lightly. Allen
& Unwin. Australia.
4. Broom, Richard (2010) Aboriginal
Australians. Allen & Unwin.
Australia.
5. Rowley, C.D (1970) The
Destruction of Aboriginal Society.
Australian National University
Press. Australia.
6. Maddison, Sarah (2019) The
Colonial Fantasy. Allen & Unwin.
Australia.
7. Heiss, Anita Ed. (2018) Growing
Up Aboriginal In Australia.
Australia.
{OPEN THE GATES TO FORGIVENESS}
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
This year we are delighted to be
using our new machzor for the
first time. The text is modelled on
the American machzor with some
changes to make it resonate with
our region. There are a number of
articles in this Tell which explain
some of the choices that were made,
and the vision for the machzor.
As part of the process in America,
numerous surveys were conducted
where people were asked what
they would like to see in the
machzor, and what was important
to them. These responses shaped
the machzor which was created.
Interestingly, one result from the
survey was discomfort with the
word ‘sin’. There was a push for
it to be removed from the text.
I am not sure if this is legend or
reality, but there were discussions
about whether ‘sin’ had a place in
the machzor in our modern age,
where we don’t believe in doctrines
of Divine reward and punishment,
heaven and hell, or the duality of
the world in which our ancestors
lived. It was possibly in response to
these discussions about ‘sin’, that
Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman wrote an
article which appears in the machzor
“Why ‘Sin’ Still Matters or What’s a
Heaven For?”
Our thoughts during the High
Holyday period are infused with
the concept of sin and repentance,
judgement and forgiveness, the
8

weighing of deeds, contemplation
of our lives. Our misdeeds and
wrongdoings are taken and
examined, and we hold a mirror
to our true selves. We remove the
pretence, the veneers, the masks we
wear, and we confront who we truly
are with all our flaws and wounds.
If we remove the notion of sin from
this equation, we are left with an
emptiness and a moral relativism
which is hollow, and we miss the
power and purpose of this season.
In our world we are uncomfortable
with the word sin, and we struggle
with saying that something
is ‘wrong’. So often I hear
justifications- “well you have to
look at it from their point of
view”, or “it is wrong for ME, but
I can’t say whether or not it is for
them.” Hoffman cites the work
of A.J Ayer who says: “‘Murder
is wrong’ simply means that the
speaker disapproves of murder”.
This leads us to the position of
ethical relativism - nothing is a sin,
nothing is right or wrong, it is just
right or wrong for ME. Dostoevsky
said, “in a world without God
everything is permitted.” 1 So if we
are no longer comfortable asserting
that something is wrong, we negate
the concept of sin. Afterall, if we
don’t believe anything is wrong, if
we don’t believe in heaven, Divine
reward and punishment, then why
have a concept of sin at all? The
logical conclusion then is to remove
‘sin’ from the machzor.
And it is not just to help others feel
better and not ‘judged’; we do it for
ourselves as well. We don’t like to
feel uncomfortable. We don’t enjoy
looking at the parts of ourselves
which are less than perfect and our
world is oriented to help us in this
avoidance. Our on-line profiles
portray our lives and ourselves in
our perfection not our flaws. Even
1 Rabbi Hoffmann “Why Sin
Matters or What is Heaven
For?” pg xxvi
the times that we choose to show
our vulnerability seem to have
become a competition to see who
can be the ‘most’ vulnerable, the
‘most’ flawed; and so it feels less like
a real examination and more like
an exercise in increasing ‘likes’ and
‘followers.’ Just as there is very little
‘reality’ in ‘reality TV’, there is very
little unbrushed and unpolished in
our on-line presences. Despite this
knowledge, there is still a part of us
that believes what we see on-line to
be true. As a result, the discomfort
and challenges posed by the selfexamination
of the High Holyday
period are even more challenging
and so we try to airbrush and avoid
them too. The rationale being: ‘if
we remove sin from the machzor,
then we have a celebration of life,
we have an affirmation of the good
and shiny, and we are perfect.’
But we are not perfect, and growth
and learning only come through
struggle; through seeing and
acknowledging the imperfections
and working to make change.
The word for ‘sin’ in Hebrew is
‘chet’, and it has a really interesting
etymology. It is the term used in
archery for missing the mark; it
describes the act of aiming for the
bullseye and missing. Unlike many
of our notions of sin, Judaism
teaches us that sin is straying from
the path. It acknowledges that we
aim for the bullseye but inevitably
we will miss sometimes, and that
is okay. It is human. Our tradition
teaches that we aim for the good,
we try to follow a right path, but
sometimes we go astray; sometimes
we make a mistake and
we acknowledge that
and try to do better
next time. It does not
have the heavy weight
of the word ‘sin’ in
English, but it does
acknowledge that there
is a right and wrong.
And in order to grow,
to become all we can
be and create a better
world, we need to be
able to say that some
actions are wrong,
others are right; some behaviour
is good and some is bad, and we
have a right and a responsibility
to recognise that and to state it.
Rather than removing ‘sin’ from
the machzor, we need to recognise
it, and allow it to form part of our
INSPIRING PRAYER
prayer. To quote Rabbi Hoffmann
again: “we dare not abandon the
moral language of tradition, for it
comes brimming with profundity.
Abandoning the metaphorical
reality of wrongful behaviour as
sinful and righteous acts as blessing,
withdraws all poetry from our
world.
Only a world replete with sin and
9

salvation, the great and the noble
and the heavenly is a world worth
having…these words remind us of
our ultimate challenges.” 2
High Holy Days and the process
of self-examination is difficult. It
involves judgement and repentance,
acknowledgement of our flaws as
well as our goodness and to do that
we need to say that some actions
are right and others are wrong. We
need ‘sin’ in order to open the gates
to forgiveness, growth, betterment
of ourselves and our world. There
is holiness in our sins as well as in
our goodness - sometimes it is those
cracks that allow the light to shine
through.
I wish for us all a season of reflection
and growth. I would like to leave
you with a poem by Stacey Zisook
Robinson:
2 ibid pg xxvii
The Holiness of Broken Things
I carry my brokenness with me
It is holyas
holy as my breath,
my heart,
my wholeness.
It is a part of me, these
scattered pieces
of shattered longing
and battered dreams.
My sins.
All of them.
I carry themall
of them;
All of these broken things
that bend me and bow me,
together with my wholeness,
these holy things.
Idols to my shame,
wrapped in gold and
adorned in abandon.
I fed the fires of that sacred forge
with fear and guilt,
and the alters ran slick with salted
tears.
I offeredofferthe
broken pieces as my sin offering,
for they are holy
and I carry them with me,
together with my wholeness
I carry my brokenness with meall
my sins
and shame
and salted tears,
and I place them
together with my wholeness
on the sacred altars
holy, holy, holy.
They twine together in red and gold
flames,
Broken
and Whole
offered together
and returned to me,
Whole
and Broken-
Holy still,
carried together
until I reach the next altar.
10

Shabbat In The Circle
One Saturday each month from 9:30am
October 19 & November 16
Join us for this special Shabbat morning gathering.
We begin at 9:30am with the study of Hassidic and other mystical
texts then discuss how we can apply them in our daily lives.
This is followed at 10:15am by a collaborative musical
gathering based on the Shabbat morning service incorporating
melodies, poems and dance to enhance our Shabbath.
Contact gmordecai@emanuel.org.au
Kabbalah Meditation
Wednesday Nights in November from 7:00-8:30pm
An opportunity to learn meditation in a
Jewish context. With Rabbi Dr. Orna
Triguboff and guest musicians
Expecting
a baby?
Jewnatal is a program for those expecting a
baby in their lives, whether through birth or
adoption, and whether the 1st or 5th!
The concept is to foster/build relationships with
people going through the same life stage that will
carry forward after the class has concluded.
Email Rabbi Kaiserblueth:
rkaiserblueth@emanuel.org.au
Contact the office on 9389 6444 for details.
11

12

NEED A CELEBRANT?
Jon Green
Civil Marriage Celebrant
WEDDINGS
RENEWAL OF VOWS
BABY NAMINGS
CALL JON ON:
0414 872 199
Lunch
'n'
Learn
.
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 12 - Rabbi Claudio Kaiser-blueth
November 9 - Cantor George Mordecai -
Rabbi Nachman: Reflections on the
Tormented Master

{INTRODUCING MISHKAN T’SHUVAH -
NEW PROGRESSIVE MACHZOR}
By Co-Editors Rabbis Dr John Levi AM. Ph D. and Jonathan Keren-Black
Why is this Machzor different from all other Machzorim? Quite simply
because it reflects our own community’s tone, needs and practices.
True, our new High Holy Day
prayer book actually began life
in 2015 in the form and shape
of the new American Machzor
Mishkan HaNefesh — Sanctuary of
the Soul. The Central Conference
of American Rabbis produced
a great book, or rather books
in the plural. The liturgy and
accompanying materials for the
High Holydays is so extensive
that it requires two companion
volumes, one for Rosh Hashanah
and the second for Yom Kippur.
The layout of each page was very
impressive. The type in both
Hebrew and English was splendid.
The notes that accompanied each
page of prayer were scholarly and
interesting. After all, there are
no less than 1500 of our rabbis
working and teaching in the
United States and Canada. They
serve more than a million and
half people and together their
movement constitutes an amazing
resource of Jewish scholarship
and learning. But, and there is
always a “but”, its very strength
presented us with some problems.
We had to choose. There are
progressive prayer books in England
and France and Israel and Germany.
In America there are three nonorthodox
movements: Reform,
Conservative and Reconstructionist.
And there were also differing
orthodox prayer books to be
studied. Unless there is good reason
not to, we prefer in our region to use
the more traditional order of words
and services. However, since our
Shabbat and Daily Siddur is based
14
on the CCAR version, and not
surprisingly there was a similarity of
visual and liturgical style between
their Siddur and Machzor, as well
as an established and effective
working relationship between us, we
concluded that Mishkan HaNefesh
was our best starting point.
We believe we chose correctly,
and hope that, as the final Shofar
blows on Yom Kippur, you’ll
agree with us. The Machzor of
the American Reform Movement
was powerful and moving. The
Hebrew text was clear and easy
to follow. It was accompanied
by a transliterated version of the
text and a modern gender-neutral
English translation. No other
prayer book was so inclusive. The
new Machzor needed to make
sense theologically and relate to
our own times as well as our long
history. It did not yearn for the
resumption of animal sacrifices and
it did not expect the building of a
Third Temple at the end of time.
Of course, in the Southern
Hemisphere, and in the tropics
of South East Asia where our
congregations are to be found, the
seasons do not correspond with

North America. We don’t have
snow on pine trees and we didn’t
arrive at Ellis Island in the shadow
of the Statue of Liberty. Our own
communal traditions and our
cultural patterns differ. Our music
is different and often reflects the
European Jewish experience.
Following the morning service
of Yom Kippur we have included
the Musaf or additional service,
including an updated version of
the traditional poetic epic “From
Creation to Redemption”, slightly
shortened and revised from that
in Gates of Repentance following
the example of the British Liberal
Movement, which includes the
stirring recollection of the Temple
Service in Jerusalem and continues
into the traditional memories
of the martyrs of our people.
Yizkor is to be preceded by an
innovative ‘prelude’, linking these
ancient martyrs to those of more
recent times before turning to
remember our own loved ones.
As we all know, our spoken
Australian language is also different
in many subtle but significant ways
from our American and English
“cousins” and we have reflected
this in our translations, and in the
selection of readings. With the
variations in structure and language,
our Machzor was sufficiently
different that it was decided to call
our edition by its own distinctive
title of Mishkan T’shuvah-Sanctuary
of Repentance. We are very grateful
for the scholarship and creativity
as well as the generosity, tolerance
and understanding shown by our
rabbinic colleagues in both North
America and the United Kingdom.
We kept the pattern of two books
even though our edition has actually
“lost” some two hundred pages
of poems and readings which did
not speak to us or our seasons.
Nevertheless, we have retained a
rich collection of poetry, philosophy
and commentary that challenges
the reader and gives depth and
new meaning to our most sacred
days. If you pick up the books for
the services alone and then replace
them on the book-shelf you will
miss an intellectual and spiritual
treasure-house that deserves to
be browsed and considered.
The new Machzor reflects the
impact of Israel and modern
Hebrew. It is deliberately designed
to allow congregations to follow
and develop their own minhag
or custom. There are very few
instructions in either book about
congregational behaviour. The
old Jewish joke about reciting
the Shema has relevance: “Some
congregations will stand and some
will sit and some will just stand
and sit and argue”. Our new High
Holy Day books require annual
preparation. It is not meant to
be an automatic page-turning
experience. There are choices to
be made. And there are so many
choices that no High Holy Day
experience will, or can, quite be
the same as the previous year.
Generational works such as this just
don’t happen. The contents were
debated by the rabbis of our Union
again and again. The editorial
team, also including Cantor Michel
Laloum and Dr Linda Stern, with
Rabbi Jacki Ninio and Rabbi
Kim Ettlinger, spent many hours
meeting, studying, discussing and
debating, and the co-editors have
spent many sleepless days and
nights at the computer giving shape
to each page. Rabbi Hara Person,
the Chief Strategy Officer of the
Central Conference of American
Rabbis who was formerly
in charge of publications
of the Central Conference,
and Rabbi David E. S.
Stein, an expert on Jewish
liturgy were both very
helpful (Rabbi Keren-
Black and Rabbi Stein –
who also worked together
on the Siddur, go back
a long way – they were
‘Chevruta’ study partners
at Pardes Yeshiva in
Jerusalem in 1986!). The leadership
team of the Union for Progressive
Judaism, Roger Mendelson,
Brian Samuel and Neil Samuel,
supplied us with practical advice,
and UPJ Executive Officer Jocelyn
Robuck kept the project on track
throughout. We have had support
from generous donors whose names
appear in the front of each book.
INSPIRING PRAYER
15

{GESTATION OF A NEW MACHZOR}
Some animals have gestation periods of up to two years, but the new Progressive
Machzor is nearly twice that. Indeed, we started thinking about the options
as soon as the Mishkan T’filah Siddur was published in 2010.
The discussions engaged the
Rabbis of our movement in
heated debate at our six monthly
meetings over several years, and
we explored various options in
2011-15, before the US Mishkan
HaNefesh companion to their
version of Mishkan T’filah was
eventually published. At that
point, they made it clear that they
were willing to work with us once
more on creating our own regional
version based on theirs, as we had
with the Siddur, and the Rabbis
recommended this course of action.
An Editorial Committee was
convened, based in Melbourne,
and started work in earnest over
three years ago. It reported back
six monthly to the Moetzah, with
various issues being discussed back
and forth and options debated and
evaluated before decisions were
slowly arrived at. In particular,
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive
Officer of the publisher, the
Central Conference of American
Rabbis, was the guest at the
Moetzah and at the subsequent
UPJ Biennial Conference in
Perth in November 2016. She
explained and emphasised some
of the decisions and reasoning
from the American team, and
strongly urged us to review some
of our inclinations. For example
it was from this meeting that we
decided to keep more of the creative
material and therefore follow their
example of two volumes rather than
keeping to one, as was the Gates
of Repentance. We had invited all
congregations to give feedback on
the many creative readings found
in the US Machzor, and also ran
lay information and feedback
sessions both at this conference
16
and again in Melbourne in 2018,
as the book was being finalised.
We should especially acknowledge
Dr Linda Stern, a long-standing
member of the Leo Baeck Centre,
who is a regular service leader and
who was on the Siddur Editorial
Committee, and who has provided
an invaluable lay perspective
throughout the formal editorial
process of Mishkan T’shuvah.
BASIC PRINCIPLES
A starting principle was to maintain
language, look and feel with our
version of the Siddur, Mishkan
T’filah. A second principle was to
make the Machzor and its prayers,
translations and additional materials
Women’s
Rosh Chodesh
Group
8:00pm - 10:00pm
October 9 and November 8
relevant, accessible, stimulating,
challenging and meaningful. This
included translations of all Hebrew,
and full, simple and accurate
transliteration of the prayers. As
with the Siddur, a third principle
was to tend towards traditional
structures and formulations if
there was no good reason not to
do so. We hope and feel that the
result is a more cohesive, new,
fresh and modern yet traditional
Machzor which vibrates with
the energy of review, repentance,
renewal, the offer of new starts
and fresh hopes which will speak
to our congregations in its variety
of voices for many years.
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.

TWO VOLUMES
There is a volume for Rosh
Hashanah and one for Yom
Kippur. An easy way to remember
is ‘Red for Rosh Hashanah,
White for Yom Kippur’.
WOODCUTS
The beginning of each service
features a specially commissioned
woodcut graphic by Joel Shapiro.
COMMENTARY AND CREATIVE
MATERIALS
Commentary and contemplation
as well as creative materials are
integral parts of this Machzor
and are indicated with a grey or
blue tinted background to expand
on and explain the themes and
vocabulary of the traditional
liturgy, but also to encourage study
and deep reflection in a manner
both intellectually engaging and
sometimes spiritually provocative.
FAMILIAR, YET TRADITIONAL
The red cover of Rosh Hashanah
was chosen, in part, to show the
connection to Gates of Repentance,
and although the look will be quite
different from that Machzor, it
will immediately feel familiar to
users of Siddur Mishkan T’filah,
with sidebars for navigation,
transliteration of the Hebrew, and
notes at the bottom of the page. But
as the services unfold, the prayers
and songs will also feel familiar to
those who have grown up with Gates
of Repentance, with some slight
changes and additions to the words,
many of which are of course in
line with the Siddur, including the
introduction of the matriarchs and
the gently degendered translations.
YOM KIPPUR SEEMS SO DIFFERENT!
At first sight, the Yom Kippur Day
may appear to be substantially
changed from Gates of Repentance,
but this is less the case than it
seems, although various prayers,
songs and even whole sections
have moved place or even service!
MUSAF
The ‘innovation’, khiddush, which
makes the day feel and look different
is the reintroduction of a Musaf
(additional) service following the
Shacharit morning service. In fact
it is not so different, as much of
the material contained used to be
in the very long afternoon service.
I do hope many people will stay
for the Musaf service, rather than
leaving at the end of Shacharit.
You will be handsomely rewarded.
The tone changes and the Musaf
service includes a beautifully
revised and shortened version
of the ‘Creation to Redemption’
{FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG}
By Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
narrative based on the section found
in the traditional Musaf. It offers
an insightful overview of Jewish
history, providing the context for
the Avodah Temple offering on Yom
Kippur, and the Eileh Ezk’ra section
about the martyrs of our history.
MINCHAH
The now much shorter afternoon
service goes pretty well straight
into the Torah and Haftarah
with the story of Jonah, and
then the Vidui confessions.
YIZKOR
We believe that Yizkor memorial
service will perhaps be the most
powerful and moving service
of all, but we note that some
may find it difficult and even
distressing, because of a stunning
and powerful double page spread
to reflect on our losses, and some
very specific new prayers for
different circumstances of loss.
NEILAH
The concluding service has the
traditional feel of urgency and
excitement as ‘the gates are closing’,
with the familiar tunes but less
lengthy tracts of English. This most
powerful day concludes
as usual with the Shofar
blow and Havdalah.
My work in pastoral care takes me to many different places, with very different
settings, and of course, gives me the opportunity to meet lots of different people.
INSPIRING PRAYER
As I explain to those I visit, I
am not a doctor or any type of
medical professional. My role is
to offer support, to see how they
are doing, perhaps provide some
encouragement, and to always be
available to listen to what they
are interested in talking about.
Sometimes they have family or
friends with them, sometimes they
are alone, and sometimes they
don’t want to see anyone (there
are times when I can certainly
relate to that!) They may be deeply
engrossed in a television show or a
book they are reading, or perhaps
it’s a crossword, sudoku puzzle or
a magazine/newspaper
article that has taken their interest.
Over the years, I’ve also learnt that
there are many kinds of therapy
being practised and engaged, as
well as being developed for support
in the future. Of course, different
pastoral activities will have varying
impacts on those needing support.
17

One therapy that I’ve encountered
in the past couple of years, that
seems to have a very positive and
placating effect on many people,
is the use of therapy dogs. When I
first encountered the therapy dogs,
my immediate thought was, ‘how
are they able to let the dogs in to
see sick people? Isn’t there a health
concern in that regard?’ I wasn’t
questioning what they were doing,
or should this be happening, but
feeling concerned for the health
of susceptible patients. After all,
we are in the high care section of
a nursing home (well that’s where
I first encountered this therapy).
When I saw the reaction to the
dogs of the majority of patients,
I was pleasantly amazed to see
how interactive they were. It was
like a ray of sunshine entered,
what could otherwise be a rather
dispirited environment. Many
reached out to pat the dogs, or
talk to them, and the dogs seemed
to know when it was time to
move on to the next patient.
18
One of the nurses took me to see
an elderly lady who had recently
had a stroke, and she told me that
the lady spends much of her day
sleeping or staring at the wall,
even when her family come to
visit. The nurse said that when
the therapy dogs come along, it’s
like a different person in that bed;
someone who eagerly awaits her
turn to interact with the dogs,
smiling and laughing a little when
they are around. Unfortunately,
the downside is that the day after
they have visited, she reverts back
to her original behaviour, not
wanting to interact with anyone.
The dogs visiting the nursing home
that day were not accompanied
by humans; they simply wandered
from area to area (yes, I know,
they have been trained to do that).
However, most of the programs
in operation have a team, that
is, a human and a dog, who visit
different wards in hospitals or
homes, bringing an additional
dimension to the patient’s healing.
Both the human and the dog are
trained to offer a presence which
will help patients in various ways.
Perhaps it’s simply the presence of
the team (okay, the dog) that makes
the patients smile. Or perhaps the
dogs make them feel a bit more
relaxed, more comfortable, and
therefore less stressed. Other benefits
can include lowering of blood
pressure, improving recovery time,
and providing motivation to move
about more and exercise for longer.
The potential benefits can help
patients across a wide range of
ailments and circumstances, from
children having dental procedures,
to patients undergoing cancer
treatment, people with dementia,
people with anxiety, veterans with
PTSD, and the list goes on.
Professor Dale Needham, Medical
Director of the Critical Care
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Program at the John Hopkins
School of Medicine says; "Doctors
and nurses have traditionally been
of the mindset that if we just give
patients the 'right' medication, their
psychological status will improve
... In fact, we probably need to
give less medicine and rely more on
nonpharmaceutical interventions, such
as music therapy, relaxation training,
and animal-assisted therapy to help
improve patients' psychological status."
As soon as I included that quote, I
realised that I will probably bear the
brunt of some rather strong criticism
from some medical professionals,
inquiring why I am ignoring the
importance of medicine in treating
patients. Let me be very clear - by
quoting Professor Needham, I am
not saying ‘let’s all just listen to some
music, do some yoga, get a dog or
two to come visit, and all will be
just fine and dandy.’ I am, however,
supporting his theory that there is
definitely a role for multiple types
of therapies in the care of a patient,
and without a doubt, medicine,
along with related aids, is probably
the single most important of them.

Non-pharmaceutical therapies that
are already in practice, or currently
being trialled, focus on improving
the mood, rehabilitation rate, and
overall well-being of the patient,
in support of medicine and other
traditional treatment mechanisms.
Dr Megan Hosey, Assistant
Professor of Physical Medicine
& Rehabilitation, at the same
university as Dr Needham (John
Hopkins School of Medicine)
says, “The data from a psychological
perspective shows that building
motivation to become more active,
for example, is a way dogs can
help patients. Once you have a
dog in the room staring up at you
expecting a treat or a pat, it’s hard
for a patient to avoid engaging”.
In research done at the same
hospital, they note that in
other cases, a dog may simply
sit on a patient’s lap, providing
a calm, affectionate presence
that has been shown to improve
mood and pain ratings.
I couldn’t give you an exact figure
as to how often I see a therapy
dog when I visit hospitals or
nursing homes, but I do see
them quite often. Of course, that
doesn’t account for the possibility
that they may be visiting that
location on a different floor, or
at a different time to when I am
there. What is very clear to me
though is the effect I can see and
feel, including the overall mood
and demeanour of the residents or
patients, during or after a visit.
The work they do, and the positive
effect that therapy dogs have on
patients and families, give those
weighing up the decision as to
whether or not to have them visit,
a clearer and more measured task.
Many hospitals, nursing homes,
and aged-care facilities put in place
very stringent rules to ensure that
the animals are clean and healthy,
that their behaviour is suited to
the surroundings they work in,
and that their vaccinations are up
to date. After all, they do have a
duty of care to uphold the hygiene
standards of their institutions,
and provide a highly sanitised
environment. This approach allows
a win-win for all involved.
Our Emanuel community has a
number of volunteers that assist
with dog therapy and hospital visits,
and I’d like to mention one such
team. Viv Lewin works with Marley
at Delta Society, providing many
hours of loving care and attention
to patients each week. The patients
and staff are always happy to see
Marley (and Viv of course!) Not
only do they do an amazing job,
but they also find it to be very
rewarding - just ask Viv. It would
be remiss of me not to acknowledge
the contribution that
Viv and Robert Lewin
have made to Emanuel
Synagogue. Their generous
donation has allowed our
synagogue to sponsor a
therapy team, through the
Red Bandana Club that the
Delta Society operates.
If you would also like to
sponsor a team through
the Red Bandana Club,
please contact me.
As a pastoral carer, and on a
personal note, I hope to see more
therapy dogs and volunteers bring
smiles and comfort to patients and
residents, as they carry out their
very important care duties.
The Lost Princess
TEXT STUDY
Weekly on Thursday evenings at 7.15pm
Cantor George Mordecai presents a new series of classes.
Initially we will study The Lost Princess, a deeply insightful
story from Rabbi Nahman, with music and meditation.
Email: gmordecai@emanuel.org.au
IHEALING THE WORLD
19

{WANT TO WRITE YOUR OWN OBITUARY?}
Barbara Karet
One day I was driving home from a funeral with Reverend Zwarenstein
(Sam), and remarked that I would hate to write a eulogy (or
obituary) about myself because my life has been so boring.
‘Boring’ is perhaps not quite the
right word; let’s substitute the word
‘uneventful’ instead. This is not a
complaint, so much as a statement
of fact. I really feel blessed that,
as A.B. Facey put it, I have had ‘a
fortunate life’ 1 , however I know I
would never make it on to any of
today’s TV reality shows. I am one of
those lucky baby boomers who has
enjoyed a comfortable upbringing,
a good ‘free’ education, and as an
adult, a rewarding career and happy
family. I have no background ‘sobstory’
that would make me even
remotely interesting to television
viewers. I haven’t struggled against
adversity; there has been no ‘rags to
riches’ tale, and I have made no great
achievements to make an account of
my life in any way compelling. In
short, my obituary would be brief
and uninteresting. But then, is that
the point? Maybe I should not be
focusing on great achievements,
or stories of derring-do, but rather
on the type of person who has
been described, and whether I have
lived a good, purposeful life.
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, in his book
‘The Book of Jewish Values’ 2 , tells
the story about a rabbi he knows.
Every year, this rabbi prepares
for the High Holidays by writing
not one, but two obituaries about
himself. The first version is how
he thinks it would be written, and
the second is how he would like it
to be written. His aim each year
then, is to become more like the
second version than the first.
According to one account, it was a
premature obituary that motivated
Alfred Nobel, the Swedish munitions
industrialist to establish the Nobel
Prize awards. The story goes that
he was aghast when he read an
obituary mistakenly written about
himself, instead of his recently
departed brother. Nobel was the
inventor of dynamite, and he
had become extremely wealthy
producing explosives. The newspaper
headlined its article, ‘The Merchant
of Death is Dead’, and said he would
be remembered ‘as the man who
made it possible for more people
to be killed more quickly than
anyone else’ 2 . This was not the way
he wanted to be remembered, and
so to redeem himself, he set out
to create a positive legacy. He left
a bequest to establish one of the
world’s most prestigious prizes,
The Nobel Prize. It is awarded for
intellectual services rendered to
mankind, honouring those that
have benefited humanity in fields
as diverse as literature, economics,
peace, science and medicine.
He is now mainly remembered
for his generous humanitarian
and scientific philanthropy.
I am not advocating that we should
change our lives because of the way
we want to be remembered. The
point is that we can all reflect on
the person that we are, and then
strive to become a better version
of ourselves. We can consider what
would be written in version one
of our ‘virtual’ obituary, and then
decide to make a few changes in our
lives so that we can be more like
the person described in a second
aspirational version. Many of you
would not have recalled that Alfred
Nobel became wealthy making
munitions, but instead would
associate him with his positive
contribution to society of the Nobel
Prize. We can’t change what we have
done in the past, but we can resolve
to be better in the future. With
luck, we won’t have the misfortune
of reading our own obituaries, but
let’s try to live our lives so that
if we did, we would approve of
the person that it describes.
References:
1. Facey, A.B. (1981)
A Fortunate Life. Penguin, Aust.
2. Telushkin, Joseph (2000)
The Book of Jewish
Values. Bell Tower.
20

Bread Tags
for Wheel Chairs
Please save your bread tags and bring them to Emanuel Synagogue
– they will be recycled to fund wheelchairs in South Africa.
Bread Tags for Wheelchairs has been recycling bread
tags in South Africa since 2006. They currently collect
about 500kg/month, which funds 2-3 wheelchairs.
Now they are collecting in Australia too!
It’s easy ….. save your
bread tags for a while and
then drop them off in
the bowl in our foyer.
Ask your family, friends,
school and local café to help.
More information:
breadtagsforwheelchairs.co.za
Plus61J together with Emanuel Synagogue present
Israel, Jews & the
Middle East through Film
from 7:00pm at Emanuel Synagogue
October 23 - The Other Son (2012)
November 20 - The Kindergarten Teacher (2014)
December 18 - Year Zero (2004)
21

{CHANGES AND CHALLENGES}
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
I look at my sons, now aged 5, 3 and almost 1 year old, and then look back at their birth
photos; it is difficult for me to comprehend that these are the same people. How could
those tiny bundles of joy have morphed into these walking, babbling little people?
They were born as blank canvases,
and now, a few years later, they
are walking, talking (or beginning
to talk), becoming aware of the
world around them, and interacting
with it on their own terms.
These developments are so striking,
not only because of the speed in
which they are occurring, but also
because of the leaps and bounds in
which they are progressing. When
I haven’t seen a close friend or
relative for a significant period of
time, the difference in appearance
or character is much more obvious,
compared with someone I see
regularly. Does this then mean
that a significant change has not
occurred, or is it simply that I am
unable to perceive these changes?
The changes do not occur on a
day to day basis, but slowly over
time. Hair does not change colour
overnight; wrinkles do not appear
within a week; and personal growth
does not occur in a month. All
of these are continual processes
that are almost imperceptible if
viewed on a constant basis.
Every year, we gather together
during the High Holidays in order
to take an accounting of our souls,
a heshbon nefesh, from the previous
year, and to seek ways to improve
for the coming year. It can be a
profound change if taken seriously.
In this upcoming season we gather
in our community centre, the
Synagogue, where, surrounded
by one another, we focus on this
process. Together, we lift ourselves
up, and push one another to reach
ever-deeper depths of our inner
selves. But why there in shul? A
22
contemporary rabbi, Solomon
Goldman, replied to this question
with the following words:
"I come to the synagogue to probe
my weakness and my strength,
and to fill the gap between my
profession and my practice.
I come to lift myself by my bootstraps.
I come to quiet the turbulence of my
heart, restrain its mad impulsiveness
and check the itching eagerness
of every muscle to outsmart and
outdistance my neighbor.
I come for self-renewal
and regeneration.
I come into the sadness and
compassion permeating the
Synagogue to contemplate and be
instructed by the panorama of Jewish
martyrdom and human misery.
I come to be strengthened in my
determination to be free, never
to compromise with idolatry,
pettiness and fanaticism.
I come to behold the beauty of the
Lord, to find Him who put an
upward reach in the heart of man."
As the new spiritual year is
approaching, and we gather under
one roof in a solemn spiritual mood,
may we again be able to renew our
spiritual strengths. May we all dive
within ourselves and our loved ones,
to bring out the best and holy. May
we renew our bonds of love and care
towards those in need. May we face
the challenges of our daily life with
courage and determination, and may
we strengthen our commitment to
our Jewish People, our holy traditions
and the Source of all life - God.
Perhaps this year we will see one
another in a completely different
light, and with a profound change.
As together, we undertake this
process of heshbon nefesh, a spiritual
accounting of ourselves and our
actions, so that we can look at
each other in a year and without a
doubt, perceive the holiness we have
achieved, and the positive change
we have enacted in our lives.
Shana Tova Umetukah,
A Sweet and Happy New Year.

Conversations
about Israel
Every Monday, join Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins
or guest speakers to examine the complex
issues facing contemporary Israel.
Monday mornings from 10:00-11:30
Learn
(or improve your)
Hebrew
Classes are Monday evenings during
term starting from 6:00pm-7:00pm
Register now at
emanuel.org.au/engage/learn_hebrew
23

{APPRECIATING OUR HERITAGE SANCTUARY}
by Stephen Nordon, Nordon Jago Architects
The Heritage Sanctuary is the crucible of the Emanuel Congregation, a place where
more than 75 years of history, both personal and congregational have taken place.
What goes un-noticed is that the
values of today’s congregation were
shared by the original congregation,
and that the architecture
of the Heritage Sanctuary
reflected these philosophies.
It washed up on the other side of
the world like Noah’s ark from
the wreckage of European Reform
Judaism, into a host community of
conventional orthodoxies, a host
community nervous about what
impression these newcomers were
going to make on their world.
This founding congregation came
from a tradition that sought
to refine religious practice and
philosophy to their ethical essence;
to do its own thinking. They
chose to represent themselves with
the latest architectural thinking
from Europe. It was not the
architecture of symmetrical set
piece authority. It was inspired
by the modern, the geometry of
dynamic repose and asymmetry
This can be seen in the main façade
of the sanctuary. The prisms that
form its spatial presence and the
lines that define its doors, windows
and parapets are inspired by the de
Stijl movement, a mid-20th century,
contemporary art movement,
whose compositional principles are
reflected in modern architecture.
The original spatial composition
of the sanctuary was obscured
with the construction of the north
wing, old plans show that the
entire north façade with its circular
windows are no longer visible. You
can still see these windows from
the gallery staircase. (below)
24

The austere lines of the parapets and
discrete decoration are symbolic
of unadorned principle, almost
invisible to the contemporary
observer. The next time you are at
Emanuel have a look at the brick
work. It’s full of detail and symbols
that have been fired into the bricks.
Even the displacement of these
elements form subtle patterns across
the facades. The symbolic bricks
have been laid to create a diagonal
grid in the brickwork, look closely
and you will see that the bricks
with the Magen David pressed in
them have been laid slightly proud
of the main wall line, forming a
secondary Magen David pattern.
We now have exciting plans (pending
DA approval) to restore the sacred
presence of this sanctuary, by
restructuring its interior to enhance
the use of space, light and sound.
We also dream to accentuate its
uniqueness with a redesign of the
North Wing Learning Centre. This
vision will be on display in the breezeway
during the High Holy Days.
The siting of the Heritage Sanctuary
is really interesting. The conventional
wisdom would have been to place it
at the street frontage, not at the end
of a long avenue of Cyprus trees.
Again this is modernist thinking.
It is not the architecture of the Sun
King overlooking Versaille, with
the world radiating symmetrically
around a static vision of god. It is
dynamic, its perspective, the interplay
of asymmetrical prisms, changing as
you approach, different perspectives,
different points of view, different ways
of seeing the same thing – pluralism.
25

{ELUL JEWELS}
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
I have a friend from rabbinical school, Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer and he
has a blog called “Religion Outside the Box”. Each week he posts his thoughts
and issues about which he is thinking and it was there I was introduced
to Reverend Will Bowen and his “21 day no complaint challenge”.
Reverend Bowen was the minister
of a small church in Kansas and he
was running a series about prosperity
when he realised that everyone
felt that they were not prosperous
enough; they wanted more. Yet
despite this, all they did was
complain about what they
actually did have. So he decided
to do something about it. He
knew that doing an action for 21
days straight changes behaviour.
So he created a batch of 500
rubber bracelets and handed
them out to his congregation
and set them a challenge: go
for 21 days without making a
complaint. Put the wristband on
and every time you complain,
criticize or gossip, move it to the
other wrist and start the count again.
Will also took up the challenge and
he found it was much harder than he
thought. It took him months before
he went for 21 days in a row without
a complaint. His congregation
were similarly challenged but the
word spread and before long,
Will had started a revolution.
To date, 11 million people in 106
countries have taken the challenge.
They have found it takes the average
person 4-8 months to go for 21
days in a row without complaining.
It is estimated that on average,
we make 15-30 complaints a day
and 30-40% of our conversations
consist of complaining. Will notes
that complaining has become
a competitive sport, we try to
outdo one another with our list of
MITZVAH DAY
Emanuel Synagogue’s
Beach Clean
Sunday 17th November from 10:00am - 12:00pm
This year join us for a new and different Mitzvah
Day activity. We will gather together to clean
up some of Rose Bay Harbour beaches.
Save the date and details of the beaches and
the gathering point will be sent.
complaints. And when we
complain, our brain activity is
rewired, we find it harder to find
the positive and dwell more on
the negative parts of our lives.
Unchecked, this can spiral and place
us in a world of unhappiness
and dissatisfaction. But
when we remove the
complaints and negativity
the opposite happens, we
are happier, more content
with our lives and find
gratitude in what we do
have rather than focusing
on what we don’t have.
I remember reading
about a woman who
wanted to compliment someone
for the service she received at a
department store. She called the
store and asked for the place where
she could lodge her praise. The
operator did not know where to
send her. There was a complaints
department but nowhere to direct
a call of satisfaction and gratitude.
Sometimes I think we are a little
like the department store, we
have lots of outlets for lodging
our complaints, lots of ways to
find the negative, which obstructs
our ability to find the good.
So perhaps this Elul, this month of
reflection is the time for us to join
the revolution and take up the “21
day no complaint challenge” and see
how we go, enter into the new year
in a place of gratitude and positivity
rather than complaints. My goal is
to complete the challenge before the
next Elul! Good luck and may your
year ahead be filled with happiness,
blessings and gratitude.
26

{NEWS FROM NETZER}
Caroline Freeman
Netzer is the youth movement for the Progressive Jewish community in Sydney. We
run weekly peulot (activities) and bi-yearly camps for children in years 3-12, aiming to
provide a well-rounded knowledge of Progressive Jewish values via informal education
methods, such as games, songs, dance, text studies, discussions, and more.
We aim to create a safe and supportive
environment whereby participants
can share their thoughts and ideas,
empowering each other to make
informed decisions and intentions.
In 2019, Netzer Australia is
celebrating our 40th anniversary. If
this was a biblical story, we may have
spent the past 40 years wandering and
searching for our final destination.
Netzer however, is celebrating 40
years of being a pioneering voice
in our community and providing
a space for young Jewish people
to thrive and grow. We have the
immense privilege of building upon
the work and momentum that
has been established by previous
generations of Netzer leaders. In the
past year, Netzer has continued to
move from success to success, with
around 140 participants attending
our camps this year. For those who
haven’t joined us on camp before,
our Machanot exemplify the kind of
Jewish community we aim to create.
That is, a community which nurtures
youth and inspires leadership, a
community that is a hub of creativity
for Progressive Judaism, and a
community that promotes meaningful
relationships among our peers.
I would like to thank the Emanuel
Synagogue community that continues
to do so much to support our work.
We are enjoying the opportunity to
be involved in the community and
it is so meaningful to collaborate in
nurturing our community’s youth and
to give back to the community that
nurtures us. Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth
and Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
have both joined on our camps and
throughout the year, providing us
and our participants with endless
amounts of spiritual, educational,
and emotional support. We have also
been enjoying using the youth centre
which has become home to many
of our activities, including a variety
of educational weekend programs,
our Chocolate Seder, and Kabbalat
Shabbat services. Our movement
could not operate without our
team of committed volunteers; an
exceptional group of young leaders,
equally committed to furthering their
own Jewish education as they are
to inspiring a new generation’s. It is
due to their hard work and countless
hours of their time that Netzer can
provide meaningful Jewish experiences
to our youth. Thank you all.
As we enter into a new year, I look
forward to building a deeper and
stronger connection among our
communities and hope for 40
more years together strengthening
Jewish identity and contributing
SUMMER
netzer
MACHANOAR
january 21-26
(SCHOOL YEARS 3-8)
CONTACT:
E: campnsw@netzer.org.au
to our shared vision for the world.
In January, whether you are a
returning Netzernik or have never
been before, we’d love to see you
on one of our Summer camps
to get the full Netzer experience!
Senior camp, ‘MachaNetzer 2020’,
will be for years 9-12 from 7-15
January 2020, and Junior camp,
‘MachaNoar 2020’, will be for years
3-8 from 21 - 26 January 2020.
If you would like any information
about Netzer, our weekly activities,
or camps, please contact me
at sydney@netzer.org.au or
visit www.netzer.org.au
Thank you and Chag Sameach,
Caroline Freeman
Netzer Sydney Mazkira
(Chairperson) 2019
with
2020
M A C H A N E T Z E R
january 7-15
(SCHOOL YEARS 9-12)
CONTACT:
Tahlia 0407 434 241
Sara 0433 964 151
E: machanetzer@netzer.org.au
F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N , V I S I T N E T Z E R . O R G . A U
CONNECTING WITH ISRAEL
27

Renewal Rosh Hashanah Tashlich at the Beach
with Music and Meditation for the Jewish New Year
4:00pm 30th September
Come hear the Shofar for the Jewish New Year. Near the ocean, we contemplate the deep meaning of
the New Year accompanied by music, meditation and spiritual community.
Facilitated by Rabbi Orna Triguboff and musicians Nadav Kahn, Emanuel Lieberfreund
and Anna Friedman at one of the eastern beaches in Sydney
Children are welcome. To find out the location please email orna@emanuel.org.au
Cuddle Bundles supplies Mums and their new babies with gifts of gently-worn baby wear in excellent condition.
All our bundles are packed with love, care and respect.
We support all communities and cultures, both locally and overseas.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
• Let us know of any Mum or organisation who would welcome a gift from Cuddle Bundles.
• Donate gently-worn, unstained baby goods in as new condition. Our main focus is on baby clothing
for ages 0-6 months, blankets, wraps, small soft toys, feeding equipment and accessories.
• Knit or crochet baby blankets, baby wear for our babies, or donate wool.
• Sew gift bags for Cuddle Bundles.
• If you are travelling to Israel or South Africa and
would be happy to take a parcel of 5kg of more,
it will be collected from your accommodation.
• Drop off donations at Emanuel Synagogue
CONTACT US
Facebook.com/cuddlebundlesoz
cuddlebundlesoz@gmail.com
• Michele 0415 893 331
• Ella 0410 565 121
28

{HOME IS A STATE OF BEING}
Donna Jacobs Sife
Several years ago, between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, I traveled across
New South Wales to Broken Hill, following the Darling River
and camping beneath the moon. I learnt a little about the land,
the history and the simple pleasures of being a wanderer.
I learnt about Black Country and Red
Desert. I marveled at the big skies,
walked through strangely fragrant
wildflowers, across cracked and thirsty
earth, and mourned a plundered
river. I heard of the sacrifice made
by desperate men who made Australia
prosper; how without the mines
they would have starved and yet
within them endured great sufferings
and early death. I viewed remote
caves with ancient aboriginal art,
mysterious markings in code. I met
black cockatoos, eye to eye, bright
green parrots, emu tracks, and eagles
doing their best to clear the gory
animal remains of road carnage. A
little history, a glimpse of country,
a broadening of my sense of home.
Whilst contemplating the endless
red road, that disappeared into
what seemed to be a distant
island, shimmering in the heat, I
remembered the opening words
of the Seder night on passover
- “My ancestor was a wandering
Aramean”. Why are we reminded
of this, year after year?
We come from a tradition of nomadic
life. The word itself comes from the
word ‘pasture’. Abraham, Jacob,
David – they all tended their flocks,
traveling here and there to find the
greenest pastures. Perhaps the first
keeper of sheep was Abel. Cain was a
settled farmer. Abel was the favourite
of God, and yet Cain, who would
build the first city, was promised
dominion over him. A Midrashic
verse, commenting on their quarrel,
says that the sons of Adam inherited
an equal division of the world: Cain
the ownership of all land, Abel of
all living creatures – whereupon
Cain accused Abel of trespass.
The names of the brothers are a
matched pair of opposites. Abel
comes from the Hebrew ‘hebel’,
meaning ‘breath’ or ‘vapour’: anything
that lives and moves and is transient.
The root of Cain appears to be the
verb ‘kanah’: to ‘acquire’, ‘get’, ‘own
property’ and so ‘rule’ or ‘subjugate.’
The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos
and Hosea were nomadic revivalists
who howled abuse at the decadence
of civilization. By sinking roots in
the land, by ‘laying house to house
and field to field’, by turning the
Temple into a sculpture garden,
we had turned away from God.
As wanderers, we owned only what
we could carry with us, and had
no need to acquire new things. As
wanderers, we had no fear of invasion,
nor had we any need to conquer.
Our security lay with a benevolent
God, who governed the rains and the
sun. We would welcome strangers,
knowing that they too could one
day be welcoming us. We did not
suffer the ills of a settled life, that of
watching over possessions, competing
with neighbours, fearing the loss
of what we have, or holding on to
and toiling over a piece of soil. In
the seeming permanence of a home,
we paradoxically create our own
insecurities. And conversely, the
nomadic life in its very temporariness
IHEALING THE WORLD
has the potential to
offer permanent joy.
I thought of these things,
as I slept on a swag, with
nothing around me but
a cool breeze, a slow river, and the
persistent call of a mopoke owl. As the
nights passed, I watched the moon
grow to perfect fullness, knowing
that Sukkot was imminent. We are
taught to be joyful during Sukkot. It
is in fact a mitzvah, a commandment.
We are told to move out of our
homes, and take up residence, just
for a while, in a temporary dwelling.
Sleep beneath the stars. Be woken
by the music of bird song. To invite
our ancestors in, and be secure in the
fact that we are a continuation of a
people that is proud and honourable.
On Sukkot, we remember that true
security lies beyond that which
we can acquire, beyond four solid
walls, beyond that which we see. We
remember that a piece of land can
never be truly home, and securing it
is illusion. Home is a state of being,
and travels with us wherever we go.
True joy lies in faith, detachment
from worldly things, and in knowing
where, how and why we belong.
29

{JUDAISM – A PATH OF WELLBEING}
By Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff
It’s what you make of it, that’s what I think! The 10 Days of Awe, from Rosh
Hashana to Yom Yippur are an example of this path of heartfelt compassion.
ROSH HASHANA DAY 1.
We go down to the water, just like
in ancient days by the rivers of
Babylon. We gather in community
at a beach or by a stream or lake and
symbolically throw breadcrumbs into
the ocean as if we were emptying
our sins and regrets into the sea. It’s
time for a new start, a new year, a
new chance. What is your new year
resolution? Ponder on the words of
prayer – “sing a new song”. What
will your new song be this year?
DAY 2.
We hear the shofar (we heard it on
day 1 too). What is the point of
hearing the shofar blasts? Firstly,
don’t you just love it? The short terse
blasts, the inevitable stuff ups when
no sound comes out and finally, the
long drawn out smooth sound of
the tekiah gedolah? It is
said that the sound of the
shofar awakens the hidden
quiet voice inside us, it
is the voice that is always
waiting to be heard. What
does your inner quiet voice
wish to say to you today?
DAY 3.
A deeper sense of gratitude
awakens within us after
Rosh Hashana. We have
entered a new year and say
the prayer – modeh ani,
“I am grateful”. Spend
your day with mindful
awareness on the things
you are grateful for.
Notice how thanks giving
can change your whole
outlook on the day, and
on your year ahead. What
are you looking forward
to in the year ahead?
30
DAY 4.
Another name for teshuvah is “soul
accounting” or cheshbon ha-nefesh.
This brings an aspect of positivity
to the process of these Days of
Awe. Sometimes the atonement
process can get us down with
negativity however the concept
of soul accounting gives the idea
that we invited to consider the
positive in our actions over the last
year just as much as the negative
ones. It’s a time to ask yourself,
“What would I like to improve
in the year ahead and what have
I been doing well for which I
should pat myself on the back?”
DAY 5.
“One of the greatest transgressions is
to feel you can never make amends
for something you have done.”
Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.
Can you forgive yourself? Can
you forgive others? One aspect
of forgiveness is internal.
DAY 6:
This year Shabbat falls on the
6th Day of Awe. It is a day to
connect with the deeper meaning
of teshuvah-Atonement: At Onement.
It is a day to reflect on the
the concept of unity and oneness,
asking yourself: “What makes me
feel whole?” “What brings a feeling
oneness in my life?” “Over the
last year when have I felt at peace
with the world and how can I
strengthen this in the year ahead?”.
DAY 7.
The Jewish mystics envisioned
that during this period,
“A thin golden thread from
the Celestial Mother, Binah
(the universal power of
Understanding), shines with
the light of repentance and
surrounds the whole world".
(Tiqunei ha Zohar).
DAY 8.
Reb Nachman states that
the process of repentance
and efforts towards selfimprovement
can be guided
by a sense of love or fear. We
can make changes motivated
by fear (yir'ah), which is a
lower level of motivation
than than love (ahavah). Any
move towards repentance is
welcome however it can be
interesting to know where
your motivation comes from.
Ask yourself, “Where does my
desire for change come from?"

DAY 9.
“We are responsible for each other”
is the focus of this day. The viduy
prayer of this season contains a
long list of transgressions that
are written in the plural form –
ashamnu, bagadnu, galzalnu…”we
are guilty, we have betrayed, we
have overeaten…” etc. Why is the
plural used? So as to remind us
that we do not live in a vacuum.
We are part of a society in which
we influence one another. A
deep principle of Judaism is the
recognition that we are responsible
for each other – arevim zeh la zeh.
Today contemplate what this mean
for you - How are you going to
help others this year? How are
others going to help you this year?
DAY 10
The Zohar “Book of Enlightenmet”
states that on Yom Kippur our
consciousness expands to the level
of angels. The practice of turning
our focus from the physical senses
to sensing the spiritual, leads us
to a deeper sense of the ziv hashechinah,
the “radiance of the
Divine Presence”. Rather than
physical food we are nourished
by divine light. It is said that the
angelic cherubim and seraphim sing
with us as we pray. Whether there
are angels or not, can you feel the
lightness of being on this day? Can
you get a sense of your inner light?
And then Yom Kippur is over, what
is the first thing you do? Yes, eat, but
then we pray the evening prayers
in which we ask forgiveness for our
transgressions! But wait a minute,
we just went through a period of a
month; 10 days in which the focus
was on atonement and preparing
ourselves for a year of goodness and
improvement? Yes we did! However
the sages of old knew that within
a short time, we would “miss the
mark” once again, and the process
of teshuvah would begin once again.
Our sages left us a message within the
text of the siddur (prayer book), they
said, yes we know you will try your
best, but you will more than likely
transgress within a short time of Yom
Kippur’s end. We have the psychospiritual
technology to help you on
your path of wellbeing. We have At-
Onement processes each morning
and night, at the end of each week
and at the end of each month,
helping you to be more aware of your
essence and how to connect with
goodness. And hopefully the process
of teshuvah will not be circular, but
an ever-ascending spiral symbolising
the higer level of wellbeing at which
you arrive each year.
Shana Tova, and may
you find a deeper level
of wellness and love
within this ancient,
wise and ever-evolving
tradition.
ITRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING
Yom Kippur Eve - Music, Meditation & Prayer
A unique opportunity to raise your spirits through music, prayer and chant, with musician
Amir Paiss (co-founder of Temple of Song and Sheva Band in Israel), and Rabbi Dr. Orna
Triguboff, Emanuel Lieberfreund and Aviva Pinkus. This reflective circle of prayer and music
promises to be a heart-opening experience to be remembered.
7:45pm-9:45pm, 8 October in Neuweg
All welcome. Bookings essential - early bird $35 before 1 October,
otherwise $45. Children under 15: $10
Because space is limited, Emanuel members are requested to
reserve a free ticket online here if you would like to participate.
Reserve your seat:
events.humanitix.com.au/yomkippur
31

SUKKOT AT EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE
Come and join us in the Sukkah for a range of exciting activities and services throughout Sukkot.
SUKKAH DECORATING AND DINNER
Come along and help decorate our “Sukkah under the Stars” We will supply the
materials, we need you to help us make our Sukkah shine Fun for all ages!
When: Sunday 13th October
Time: 5:30pm: decorating the sukkah
6:15pm: service in the sukkah followed by dinner
SUKKAH SERVICE AND DINNER
Join us for first night sukkot services and stay for dinner in the sukkah
When: Sunday 13th October
Time: 5:30pm: Decorating the Sukkah
6:15pm: Service in the Sukkah followed by dinner
FAMILY SUKKOT SERVICE
A wonderful opportunity for families to share in the celebration of Sukkot with their children. Join us
for a musical service in the sukkah connecting with the themes of the festival, followed by snacks.
When: Monday 14th October
Time: 10am
SUKKAH SERVICE AND STORYTELLING
Be a part of our second night Sukkot tradition of Storytelling in the Sukkah.
This year as we contemplate Sukkot and the booths our ancestors dwelled in the desert, the journey they took both
spiritually and physically we have invited ten congregants to each share a ten minute story about the theme of “journey”
When: Monday 14th October
Where: Emanuel Synagogue Sukkah
Time: 6:15pm services followed by
a light dinner and stories
HOSHANA RABA (SHAKSHUKAH IN THE SUKKAH)
Following our Hoshana Raba service marking
the end of Sukkot, we will enjoy our last meal
for the year, Shaksukah, in the Sukkah.
Date: Sunday 20th October
Time: Services 9:00am followed by shakshukah
32

COMMUNITY
Emanuel Synagogue
Shabbat by the Sea
Friday 25 October
Marks Park, Bondi
Succah by the Sea is an installation at Sculpture by the Sea,
Bondi being organised as an exciting initiative with Shalom.
Succah by the Sea reimagines the 3000 year old Jewish ritual
and structure of the Succah through a 21st century lens.
On Friday 25 October, Emanuel Synagogue will be having a special Kabbalat
Shabbat service among the Succah-inspired sculptures in Mark's Park, Bondi.
• Start at 5:30pm with guided tours of the Succah
• Join us from 6:15pm for a Shabbat Live! service under the stars
• Stay for a BYO picnic dinner.
Renewal Dawn Meditation
Friday November 8 from 7:00am
Marks Park, Bondi
Come and join Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff for a special Meditation
experience among the Succah By the Sea installation.
33

Rosh Hashana 1st Day Mon Sept 30 9:00am Rosh Hashana Service
Heritage Sanctuary
HIGH HOLY DAY AT EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE
8:30am RH Service
New Sanctuary
Family service 10:00am-11:00am
Neuweg
Heritage Sanctuary 11:30 Yiskor Heritage Sanctuaary
ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE 12:30 Musaf
2:30 Mincha
2:00pm Afternoon service,
musaf & mincha
4:00 - 5:30pm Study
5:45pm Yizkor 6:00pm Neilah
6:30pm Neilah
7:41pm Havdallah 7:41pm Ma'ariv Havdallah
11:00am - 12:00am Morning Service
Neuweg
12:00-1:00pm
Torah meditation
Music & prayer
1:10pm - 2:00pm Compassion Meditation
2:10pm - 3:00pm Angels Meditation
3:10pm - 4:00pm Yizkor Meditation
Neuweg
Service Date Progressive Masorti Renewal Other
Havdallah and Selichot Sat Sept 21 8:30pm Combined 8:30pm Combined 8:30pm combined
New Sanctuary New Sanctuary New Sanctuary
Rosh Hashana Erev Sun Sept 29 6:15 Combined 6:15 Combined 6:15 Combined
Heritage Sanctuary Heritage Sanctuary Heritage Sanctuary
Tashlich Mon Sept 30 5:30pm Tashlich - Centennial Park 4:00pm Tashlich with Shofar
Model Yacht Pond - Nielsen Park
Rosh Hashana Erev 2 Mon Oct 1 6:00pm Maariv 6:00pm Maariv
Centennial Park Centennial Park
Rosh Hashana 2nd Day Tues Sept 31 9:30am-11:00am 8:30am RH morning
Rosh Hashana Live New Sanctuary
Neuweg
Kol Nidrei Tues Oct 8 6:30pm Kol Nidrei 6:30pm Kol Nidrei
6:30pm Kol Nidrei
Heritage Sanctuary New Sanctuary
8:30pm Yom Kippur Chanting Circle
Neuweg
Bookings essential: Members free,
open to non-members on separate ticket
Yom Kippur Wed Oct 9 9:00am Morning Service 9:00am Children's service
11:00am Morning service ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE 9:45am Family service
34

ROSH
HASHANAH
LIVE!
When: Second day Rosh Hashanah,
Tuesday 1st October 9:30am-11am
Join us for a spiritual, meaningful,
Second day Rosh Hashana service.
The musicians from Shabbat Live
together with Cantor Mordecai and
Rabbi Ninio will guide a soulful
service connecting to the themes and
prayers of this High Holy Day season
Everybody welcome!
Where: Neuweg Sanctuary
35

{SERVICE TIMES}
Morning Minyan
Morning Minyan is on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:45am.
All service times are subject to change. Please check
emanuel.org.au for any amendments to our regular services.
SHABBAT SERVICES
Erev Shabbat
• 6:15pm - Masorti Service (Neuweg)
• 6:15pm - Shabbat Live (New Sanctuary)
Shabbat Morning
• 9:00am - Masorti service (New Sanctuary)
• 10:00am - Progressive service (Heritage Sanctuary)
Details of High Holy Day and Sukkot services pages 32-34.
{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: emanuel.org.au
Like: facebook.com/emanuel.synagogue
Follow us! We’re on Twitter @emanuelshule and Instagram @emanuelsynagogue
Office hours
Monday–Thursday: 9am–5pm
Friday: 9am–2pm
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Edited by Robert Klein
{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.