19.09.2019 Views

TELL Magazine: October - November 2019

The magazine of Emanuel Synagogue, Sydney Australia

The magazine of Emanuel Synagogue, Sydney Australia

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Moving forward as<br />

one country for all<br />

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins<br />

Creation<br />

Elul-Tishrei 5779/80<br />

<strong>October</strong>-<strong>November</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />

Open the gates<br />

to forgiveness<br />

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio<br />

For the love<br />

of a dog<br />

Rev Sam Zwarenstein<br />

Challenges<br />

and Changes<br />

Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth


Crossroads<br />

Music + Visuals + Movement<br />

Vocal testimony, historic visuals<br />

of the Holocaust & live music.<br />

An exclusive, never seen before, two night<br />

only performance not to be missed!<br />

Crossroads<br />

Emanuel Synagogue New Sanctuary<br />

<strong>November</strong> 27 7pm / <strong>November</strong> 28 7pm<br />

Secure your seats at:<br />

tinyurl.com/crossroadsconcert<br />

or 02 9389 6444<br />

For this special event, The Sydney Art Quartet<br />

will be showcasing Pulitzer Prize-winning<br />

composer Steve Reich who was recently<br />

called “…the most original musical thinker of our<br />

time” (The New Yorker) and “…among the great<br />

composers of the century”<br />

(New York Times).<br />

His instantly recognizable musical language<br />

combines rigorous structures with propulsive<br />

rhythms and seductive instrumental colour<br />

which will be combined with an oversized<br />

cinema installation and the professional debut<br />

of a very special Jewish singer.<br />

Artistic Director James Beck<br />

The Sydney Art<br />

Quartet is a virtuosic<br />

quartet that weaves<br />

together ancient and<br />

contemporary stories,<br />

touching multiple<br />

senses and cultures<br />

to give audience<br />

memories that live<br />

long after the last<br />

note has died.<br />

Steve Reich<br />

Composer<br />

Garcia & Sá<br />

Visuals<br />

Avital Greenberg<br />

Vocals<br />

Anton Projects<br />

Rehearsal Director<br />

Bangarra Dance Theatre<br />

This is Emanuel Synagogue's annual fundraiser - please support


YOUR QUARTERLY JOURNAL ON SPIRITUALITY, LEARNING & COMMUNITY<br />

Emanuel Synagogue offers a home where you can live your Judaism in a contemporary<br />

world, drawing on our ancient teachings and traditions. We are a pluralistic community<br />

offering a choice of services, programs and activities for the Masorti, Progressive and Renewal<br />

movements. We do this with contemporary understanding to create a dynamic and diverse<br />

community, welcoming you and your involvement.<br />

PROGRESSIVE<br />

The structure of our Progressive<br />

services allows you to choose<br />

the type of prayer that is<br />

most meaningful for you.<br />

You may choose from alternate<br />

readings in English, you may read<br />

the Hebrew prayer (available in<br />

both Hebrew script, and in English<br />

transliteration), or you may choose to<br />

take a moment of personal reflection.<br />

Our Friday night “Shabbat<br />

Live” service is a moving,<br />

innovative service where prayer<br />

is enhanced with musical<br />

instruments, beautiful melodies,<br />

creative readings and stories.<br />

Shabbat Live is held at<br />

6:15pm every Friday.<br />

The Progressive Shabbat Service begins<br />

at 10am each Saturday morning.<br />

MASORTI<br />

Our Masorti (traditional) services<br />

are run almost entirely in Hebrew,<br />

honouring the tradition with<br />

contemporary insights.<br />

As with all services at Emanuel<br />

Synagogue, men and women<br />

participate equally and fully.<br />

The Friday night Carlebach service<br />

is a traditional Kabbalat Shabbat<br />

service, featuring the well-known<br />

melodies of Shlomo Carlebach.<br />

The Carlebach service is held<br />

at 6.15pm every Friday.<br />

Our Masorti Shabbat Service begins<br />

at 9am on Saturday mornings.<br />

We also hold a Masorti Minyan<br />

at 6:45am on Monday and<br />

Thursday mornings.<br />

RENEWAL<br />

The Renewal movement is devoted to<br />

personal and spiritual development,<br />

reinvigorating modern Judaism with<br />

Kabbalistic and musical practices.<br />

Through our Renewal activities<br />

you will have the opportunity to<br />

reach a new level of awareness,<br />

stress relief, self-development,<br />

relaxation and inner healing.<br />

Email: orna@emanuel.org.au<br />

Kabbalah Meditation<br />

An opportunity to learn meditation<br />

in a Jewish context. With Rabbi Dr.<br />

Orna Triguboff, and guest musicians.<br />

Wednesday nights in <strong>November</strong><br />

from 7:00-8:30pm<br />

Yom Kippur Eve - Music,<br />

Meditation and Prayer<br />

Tues 8 <strong>October</strong> - doors open 7:45pm<br />

Bookings online essential: events.<br />

humanitix.com.au/yomkippur<br />

Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth<br />

Reverend Sam Zwarenstein<br />

Cantor George Mordecai


{CEO UPDATE}<br />

Suzanna Helia<br />

“The Jews started it all – and by “it”<br />

I mean so many of the things we care<br />

about, the underlying values that make<br />

all of us, Jew and gentile, believer and<br />

atheist, tick. Without the Jews, we<br />

would see the world through different<br />

eyes, hear with different ears, even<br />

feel with different feelings. And we<br />

would set a different course for our<br />

lives… Their worldview has become<br />

so much a part of us that at this point<br />

it might as well have been written<br />

into our cells as a genetic code.”<br />

- Thomas Cahill,<br />

The Gifts of the Jews<br />

Our synagogue has taken a<br />

path not only to be a centre for<br />

learning, prayer and spirituality,<br />

but also a place for Jewish arts<br />

and culture, as these are a strong<br />

part of our Jewish identity.<br />

As I sit in my living room with a<br />

cup of tea, listening to Gershwin<br />

and thinking about writing this<br />

article, I scan the room and gaze at<br />

a beautiful Slim Aarons photograph,<br />

and reflect - Slim Aarons was<br />

Jewish; Anne Liebowitz is Jewish;<br />

and the music I am listening to<br />

was composed by a Jew. This<br />

relatively small group of people<br />

created so much of the beauty that<br />

we enjoy today. Jews are known to<br />

be smart, cultured and generous.<br />

They have an ingrained sense of<br />

social justice and worldliness.<br />

A basic search on the Internet<br />

highlighted that Jews have won<br />

twenty-two percent of all Nobel<br />

prizes awarded; twenty nine<br />

percent since 1950, after the<br />

Holocaust destroyed a third of<br />

the population. Given the small<br />

population, proportionately, they<br />

could have been recipients of<br />

one in five hundred, or possibly<br />

two Nobel prizes for medicine,<br />

chemistry or physics. However,<br />

Jewish people have been awarded<br />

one hundred and twenty-three.<br />

Jews are also disproportionately<br />

represented in most of the arts. Since<br />

their respective dates of inception,<br />

{INSIDE THIS EDITION}<br />

TRANSFORMATIVE<br />

LEARNING<br />

20<br />

WANT TO WRITE YOUR<br />

OWN OBITUARY?<br />

Barbara Karet<br />

14<br />

THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN<br />

Cantor George Mordecai<br />

26<br />

ELUL JEWELS<br />

30<br />

JUDAISM - A PATH OF WELLBEING<br />

INSPIRING PRAYER<br />

8<br />

OPEN THE GATES<br />

TO FORGIVENESS<br />

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio<br />

14<br />

NEW PROGRESSIVE MACHZOR<br />

Rabbis Dr John Levi AM. Ph D.<br />

and Jonathan Keren-Black<br />

16<br />

GESTATION OF A NEW MACHZOR<br />

22<br />

CHANGES AND CHALLENGES<br />

Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth<br />

31<br />

HIGH HOLY DAYS AT EMANUEL


America's leading orchestras have<br />

been led by Jewish conductors one<br />

third of the time. Jews created nearly<br />

two thirds of Broadway's longest<br />

running musicals. One quarter of<br />

the greatest photographers of all<br />

time are Jewish. Of all the movie<br />

directors who have earned Oscars,<br />

thirty eight percent were Jews.<br />

Rabbi Ninio’s history of the<br />

synagogue revealed that the initial<br />

intention was for Temple Emanuel<br />

to be a place for prayer and<br />

gathering; a place where spirituality,<br />

Jewish identity and music were a<br />

fundamental part of what we all<br />

share together (think of the days of<br />

Werner Baer and Cantor Deutsch).<br />

This has also been the vision of<br />

Rabbi Kamins since the time of<br />

his arrival here thirty years ago.<br />

Over the last few years we have<br />

hosted the Australian Chamber<br />

Orchestra and the Sydney Sacred<br />

Music Festival. We also provided a<br />

home for Shir Madness to perform,<br />

created monthly Israeli and Jewish<br />

movie nights, and with Cantor<br />

George Mordecai, have regular<br />

inspiring musical events. Our In<br />

Conversation sessions saw a host<br />

of interesting topics and people<br />

including Dr John Hewson, Rabbi<br />

Gab Krebs, Dr Alan Finkel, Jessica<br />

Rowe and Thomas Mayor on the<br />

Uluru Statement from the Heart.<br />

Our focus is to continue to<br />

provide a platform for culture<br />

and arts to further flourish, so<br />

children, young people, families<br />

and older generations can get<br />

together and enjoy the range<br />

of amazing events we have<br />

planned for our community.<br />

This year we are hosting the Sydney<br />

Art Quartet with a one-off cultural<br />

event created especially for the<br />

Emanuel Synagogue community.<br />

This concert is the major fundraiser<br />

for our Synagogue for the year<br />

and I urge you to support this<br />

important event. This performance<br />

will poignantly and dramatically<br />

explore human rights and the<br />

Holocaust, plus feature an entrirely<br />

new dance work performed and<br />

lead by the choreographer of the<br />

Bangarra Dance Company.<br />

A Friends of Kaveret concert<br />

featuring Lior that will bring joy<br />

to the Jewish community; we<br />

are forging a partnership with<br />

Musica Viva, which was founded<br />

by a Jewish immigrant. And all<br />

this is only the beginning of the<br />

cultural and spiritual events we<br />

look forward to sharing with<br />

you in the years to come.<br />

This time as we are closing<br />

one year and are about to step<br />

into a new one, I would like<br />

to wish all L'Shanah Tovah<br />

Tikatevu V'taihatem and I am<br />

looking forward to enjoying<br />

many beautiful connections and<br />

spiritual moments enlightened by<br />

enthralling music that Emanuel<br />

Synagogue will bring to you.<br />

SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT<br />

AND HEALING THE WORLD<br />

6<br />

MOVING FORWARD<br />

AS ONE COUNTRY FOR ALL<br />

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins<br />

17<br />

FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG<br />

Reverend Sam Zwarenstein<br />

27<br />

HOME IS A STATE OF BEING<br />

Donna Jacobs Sife<br />

CONNECTING WITH ISRAEL<br />

& WORLD JEWRY<br />

24<br />

APPRECIATING OUR<br />

HERITAGE SANCTUARY<br />

Dudu Gottlib<br />

27<br />

NEWS FROM NETZER<br />

Caroline Freeman<br />

COMMUNITY<br />

4<br />

CEO UPDATE<br />

32<br />

SUKKOT AT<br />

EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE<br />

33<br />

SHABBAT BY THE SEA<br />

5


{MOVING FORWARD AS ONE COUNTRY FOR ALL}<br />

Rabbi Jeffrey B. Kamins OAM<br />

We take great pride that our word of greeting, “shalom”, means both wholeness and<br />

peace. Shalom is a word of engagement that champions inner and relational peace. Yet<br />

we often live lives that are not as whole and full as we wish, because of things we have<br />

done, or things we have failed to do. While we can work for forgiveness, healing and<br />

reconciliation every day, we often fail to take the initiative and overcome the obstacles.<br />

The upcoming Yamim Noraim<br />

provide the opportunity for us to<br />

focus on the power of repentance,<br />

or teshuva, in all of our different<br />

relationships and situations.<br />

Judaism, which has been in the<br />

forefront of bringing the notion of<br />

forgiveness to human culture, has<br />

over time developed a simple rubric<br />

of steps to follow for repentance –<br />

recognition, remorse, restitution<br />

and resolve. We can practise<br />

repentance daily - but most of us<br />

do not. Many Jews still come to<br />

synagogue over the days of Rosh<br />

HaShanah and Yom Kippur, but not<br />

all of them will take advantage of<br />

this concentrated and focused time<br />

to heal self, relationships and society.<br />

Nevertheless, the opportunity<br />

beckons on many levels.<br />

I would encourage all of us<br />

to recognise the significance<br />

of what it means to live in<br />

Australia, especially those of us<br />

who have immigrated here in<br />

the last two centuries or so. I<br />

arrived in 1989, and so loved<br />

being in this country, felt so<br />

much at home, that I became<br />

a citizen in 1992. (Those were<br />

the easier pre-September 11<br />

days.). Little did I know of the<br />

country’s deep time history,<br />

let alone its last 200 years. I<br />

knew the Aboriginal people<br />

had been wronged, but not to<br />

what extent, and I knew even<br />

less about their history and<br />

culture. Mabo, Sorry Day,<br />

Rabbit Proof Fence and other<br />

aspects of contemporary history<br />

6<br />

and culture made me more aware of<br />

the displacement and racism in the<br />

formation of this modern country,<br />

but while I knew somewhat of the<br />

injustices done, the knowledge was<br />

vague.<br />

Then one night in late May 2017,<br />

I was watching the late-night news<br />

and heard the report on the newly<br />

released Uluru Statement from the<br />

Heart. As I have written before, I<br />

sensed deeply that I had experienced<br />

an historic moment in Australia,<br />

the opening of a true moment<br />

for real reconciliation. But real<br />

reconciliation requires a process<br />

similar to repentance. For there<br />

to be true healing, there needs to<br />

be recognition of what the First<br />

Nations and their descendants have<br />

suffered for over 200 years - the<br />

near destruction of the most ancient<br />

human culture on earth. You and I<br />

were not here during the settlement<br />

and colonial era, nor the decades<br />

beyond in which genocide occurred<br />

and racism became endemic. Most<br />

of us came to political consciousness<br />

when the 1967 referendum passed.<br />

Yet still, nearly all of us who are<br />

not descendants of Indigenous<br />

people have benefited from the<br />

enterprise of 18 th century colonial<br />

settlement. Therefore, we have some<br />

responsibility toward the descendants<br />

of those whose lives were destroyed<br />

by that very enterprise. Thus, we<br />

have a responsibility to learn about<br />

those citizens of the greater society<br />

in which we live.<br />

When the government of the day<br />

dismissed the Uluru Statement<br />

from the Heart, it seemed as if an<br />

historical opportunity had been<br />

lost. Fortunately, two and a half<br />

years later, it appears that there is bipartisan<br />

work being undertaken to<br />

respond to the Statement. Deeply<br />

sensing that this issue is a moral one<br />

for all humans, and especially for<br />

Jews given our stated values, I chose<br />

to learn more about Aboriginal<br />

culture and history during my recent<br />

eight-week sabbatical. In no way am<br />

I implying that after a few weeks of<br />

reading, I have internalised a sense of<br />

what it is to be an Aboriginal person<br />

in Australia, any more than someone<br />

reading a few books on Jews and<br />

Judaism would have that inner sense<br />

about us. But my reading has made<br />

me clearly recognise that in learning


about Aboriginal history and culture,<br />

we also learn so much about our<br />

journey as Homo sapiens; about a<br />

highly developed, self-sustaining,<br />

spiritual and unique, semi-nomadic<br />

and agrarian culture. My reading has<br />

also opened my eyes to an inevitable<br />

culture clash between English settlers<br />

and First Nations; the former’s<br />

material power, combined with a<br />

sense of cultural superiority ranging<br />

from paternalism to racism, that led<br />

to the devastation of the latter.<br />

There are so many places where each of<br />

us can begin to learn and understand<br />

the past of this land we share. Billy<br />

Griffiths’ Deep Time Dreaming 1 takes<br />

one on an archaeological tour of<br />

ancient Australia, opening our eyes<br />

to the fact that the knowledge of<br />

Homo sapiens’ arrival in Australia<br />

has shifted our entire understanding<br />

as an evolving species. Bruce<br />

Pascoe’s Dark Emu 2 demonstrates the<br />

previously unacknowledged agrarian<br />

practices of Aboriginal peoples, and<br />

how they developed technology to<br />

work sustainably within a harsh<br />

environment. In Treading Lightly 3 ,<br />

Karl-Erik Sveiby and Tex Skuthorpe<br />

reveal the wisdom behind Aboriginal<br />

practices, offering suggestions about<br />

what we can still learn from the first<br />

inhabitants of this land, in the harsh<br />

environment in which we all live.<br />

Together, these books undermine<br />

the notion that the First Nations of<br />

this land were in any way culturally<br />

or spiritually backward. However,<br />

they were comparatively materially<br />

underdeveloped, and thus subject to<br />

European “might makes right”. There<br />

are several histories, such as Richard<br />

Broome’s Aboriginal Australians 4 and<br />

C.D. Rowley’s The Destruction of<br />

Aboriginal Society 5 , which reveal the<br />

broad history of conflict and endemic<br />

racism of Europeans toward Natives<br />

that has resulted in a decimated<br />

society. The hard hitting The Colonial<br />

Fantasy 6 , by Sarah Maddison,<br />

underscores the fact that Aboriginal<br />

Australians have never given up their<br />

identity and their claims to this land<br />

that they have inhabited for at least<br />

60,000 years; claims that need to be<br />

addressed in contemporary Australia<br />

by all of us.<br />

Hopefully, as we read and learn<br />

in different formats, we will not<br />

only recognise the historic injustice<br />

suffered by the First Nations of this<br />

land, and their descendants, but<br />

we will also feel remorse for not<br />

having done enough to date to make<br />

restitution. I strongly believe that in<br />

the same way that two decades ago<br />

Emanuel Synagogue took a leading<br />

role in the move toward marriage<br />

equality, so too should we take the<br />

lead on this issue at this time. We<br />

have the opportunity now, when<br />

both government and opposition<br />

have in some fashion supported a<br />

referendum to address the inequity<br />

that still plagues society, to help<br />

move justice forward. The 1967<br />

constitutional referendum, the Mabo<br />

case and the Federal apology by<br />

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2007<br />

have been necessary precursors, but<br />

not sufficient responses to actualise<br />

true teshuvah, repentance<br />

and reconciliation. A<br />

beautiful book that can<br />

help open our hearts<br />

and minds to Aboriginal<br />

Australia is called<br />

Growing Up Aboriginal<br />

in Australia 7 , edited by<br />

Anita Heiss. Stan Grant's<br />

Talking to My Country<br />

powerfully presents the<br />

issues of racism and<br />

displacement endemic to<br />

our country. Ever since<br />

Thomas Mayor came to<br />

HEALING THE WORLD<br />

us ‘In Conversation’ in March of<br />

this year, we have been promoting<br />

learning about Indigenous Affairs<br />

under the Social Justice link on our<br />

website. Details of many of the<br />

books mentioned above, plus links to<br />

films and speeches can be found there<br />

as well.<br />

Emanuel Synagogue will continue<br />

to take the lead on this issue over<br />

the year ahead, hoping soon to<br />

have Thomas Mayor’s book launch,<br />

a special screenings of The Final<br />

Quarter, The Australian Dream and<br />

other films and presentations by<br />

leaders of the Aboriginal community.<br />

Only when we recognise the truth of<br />

the past can we truly walk toward the<br />

future together. As it says in Pirkei<br />

Avot 1:18, The Wisdom of our Sages,<br />

“The world stands on three things: on<br />

justice and on truth and on peace.”<br />

We Jews who have been displaced<br />

from our land, suffered as a minority,<br />

and struggled to have our truth heard<br />

and understood by others, should<br />

have great sensitivity and empathy<br />

for the First Nations of this land.<br />

Repentance begins at home, and in<br />

continued over...<br />

7


the weeks ahead we will speak about<br />

the personal steps we can take in our<br />

lives to heal our relationships. For<br />

over 30 years I have called Australia<br />

home, and I hope we can heal the<br />

rifts in our greater home, with<br />

recognition, remorse and restitution<br />

- voice, treaty and truth is the<br />

appropriate response to the Uluru<br />

Statement from the Heart. We can<br />

then resolve to move forward as one<br />

country for all, with justice, truth,<br />

and peace - shalom.<br />

References:<br />

1. Griffiths, Billie (2018) Deep Time<br />

Dreaming. Black Inc. Australia.<br />

2. Pascoe, Bruce (2018) Dark Emu.<br />

Magabala Books. Australia.<br />

3. Sveiby, Karl-Erik and Scuthorpe,<br />

Tex (2006) Treading Lightly. Allen<br />

& Unwin. Australia.<br />

4. Broom, Richard (2010) Aboriginal<br />

Australians. Allen & Unwin.<br />

Australia.<br />

5. Rowley, C.D (1970) The<br />

Destruction of Aboriginal Society.<br />

Australian National University<br />

Press. Australia.<br />

6. Maddison, Sarah (<strong>2019</strong>) The<br />

Colonial Fantasy. Allen & Unwin.<br />

Australia.<br />

7. Heiss, Anita Ed. (2018) Growing<br />

Up Aboriginal In Australia.<br />

Australia.<br />

{OPEN THE GATES TO FORGIVENESS}<br />

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio<br />

This year we are delighted to be<br />

using our new machzor for the<br />

first time. The text is modelled on<br />

the American machzor with some<br />

changes to make it resonate with<br />

our region. There are a number of<br />

articles in this Tell which explain<br />

some of the choices that were made,<br />

and the vision for the machzor.<br />

As part of the process in America,<br />

numerous surveys were conducted<br />

where people were asked what<br />

they would like to see in the<br />

machzor, and what was important<br />

to them. These responses shaped<br />

the machzor which was created.<br />

Interestingly, one result from the<br />

survey was discomfort with the<br />

word ‘sin’. There was a push for<br />

it to be removed from the text.<br />

I am not sure if this is legend or<br />

reality, but there were discussions<br />

about whether ‘sin’ had a place in<br />

the machzor in our modern age,<br />

where we don’t believe in doctrines<br />

of Divine reward and punishment,<br />

heaven and hell, or the duality of<br />

the world in which our ancestors<br />

lived. It was possibly in response to<br />

these discussions about ‘sin’, that<br />

Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman wrote an<br />

article which appears in the machzor<br />

“Why ‘Sin’ Still Matters or What’s a<br />

Heaven For?”<br />

Our thoughts during the High<br />

Holyday period are infused with<br />

the concept of sin and repentance,<br />

judgement and forgiveness, the<br />

8


weighing of deeds, contemplation<br />

of our lives. Our misdeeds and<br />

wrongdoings are taken and<br />

examined, and we hold a mirror<br />

to our true selves. We remove the<br />

pretence, the veneers, the masks we<br />

wear, and we confront who we truly<br />

are with all our flaws and wounds.<br />

If we remove the notion of sin from<br />

this equation, we are left with an<br />

emptiness and a moral relativism<br />

which is hollow, and we miss the<br />

power and purpose of this season.<br />

In our world we are uncomfortable<br />

with the word sin, and we struggle<br />

with saying that something<br />

is ‘wrong’. So often I hear<br />

justifications- “well you have to<br />

look at it from their point of<br />

view”, or “it is wrong for ME, but<br />

I can’t say whether or not it is for<br />

them.” Hoffman cites the work<br />

of A.J Ayer who says: “‘Murder<br />

is wrong’ simply means that the<br />

speaker disapproves of murder”.<br />

This leads us to the position of<br />

ethical relativism - nothing is a sin,<br />

nothing is right or wrong, it is just<br />

right or wrong for ME. Dostoevsky<br />

said, “in a world without God<br />

everything is permitted.” 1 So if we<br />

are no longer comfortable asserting<br />

that something is wrong, we negate<br />

the concept of sin. Afterall, if we<br />

don’t believe anything is wrong, if<br />

we don’t believe in heaven, Divine<br />

reward and punishment, then why<br />

have a concept of sin at all? The<br />

logical conclusion then is to remove<br />

‘sin’ from the machzor.<br />

And it is not just to help others feel<br />

better and not ‘judged’; we do it for<br />

ourselves as well. We don’t like to<br />

feel uncomfortable. We don’t enjoy<br />

looking at the parts of ourselves<br />

which are less than perfect and our<br />

world is oriented to help us in this<br />

avoidance. Our on-line profiles<br />

portray our lives and ourselves in<br />

our perfection not our flaws. Even<br />

1 Rabbi Hoffmann “Why Sin<br />

Matters or What is Heaven<br />

For?” pg xxvi<br />

the times that we choose to show<br />

our vulnerability seem to have<br />

become a competition to see who<br />

can be the ‘most’ vulnerable, the<br />

‘most’ flawed; and so it feels less like<br />

a real examination and more like<br />

an exercise in increasing ‘likes’ and<br />

‘followers.’ Just as there is very little<br />

‘reality’ in ‘reality TV’, there is very<br />

little unbrushed and unpolished in<br />

our on-line presences. Despite this<br />

knowledge, there is still a part of us<br />

that believes what we see on-line to<br />

be true. As a result, the discomfort<br />

and challenges posed by the selfexamination<br />

of the High Holyday<br />

period are even more challenging<br />

and so we try to airbrush and avoid<br />

them too. The rationale being: ‘if<br />

we remove sin from the machzor,<br />

then we have a celebration of life,<br />

we have an affirmation of the good<br />

and shiny, and we are perfect.’<br />

But we are not perfect, and growth<br />

and learning only come through<br />

struggle; through seeing and<br />

acknowledging the imperfections<br />

and working to make change.<br />

The word for ‘sin’ in Hebrew is<br />

‘chet’, and it has a really interesting<br />

etymology. It is the term used in<br />

archery for missing the mark; it<br />

describes the act of aiming for the<br />

bullseye and missing. Unlike many<br />

of our notions of sin, Judaism<br />

teaches us that sin is straying from<br />

the path. It acknowledges that we<br />

aim for the bullseye but inevitably<br />

we will miss sometimes, and that<br />

is okay. It is human. Our tradition<br />

teaches that we aim for the good,<br />

we try to follow a right path, but<br />

sometimes we go astray; sometimes<br />

we make a mistake and<br />

we acknowledge that<br />

and try to do better<br />

next time. It does not<br />

have the heavy weight<br />

of the word ‘sin’ in<br />

English, but it does<br />

acknowledge that there<br />

is a right and wrong.<br />

And in order to grow,<br />

to become all we can<br />

be and create a better<br />

world, we need to be<br />

able to say that some<br />

actions are wrong,<br />

others are right; some behaviour<br />

is good and some is bad, and we<br />

have a right and a responsibility<br />

to recognise that and to state it.<br />

Rather than removing ‘sin’ from<br />

the machzor, we need to recognise<br />

it, and allow it to form part of our<br />

INSPIRING PRAYER<br />

prayer. To quote Rabbi Hoffmann<br />

again: “we dare not abandon the<br />

moral language of tradition, for it<br />

comes brimming with profundity.<br />

Abandoning the metaphorical<br />

reality of wrongful behaviour as<br />

sinful and righteous acts as blessing,<br />

withdraws all poetry from our<br />

world.<br />

Only a world replete with sin and<br />

9


salvation, the great and the noble<br />

and the heavenly is a world worth<br />

having…these words remind us of<br />

our ultimate challenges.” 2<br />

High Holy Days and the process<br />

of self-examination is difficult. It<br />

involves judgement and repentance,<br />

acknowledgement of our flaws as<br />

well as our goodness and to do that<br />

we need to say that some actions<br />

are right and others are wrong. We<br />

need ‘sin’ in order to open the gates<br />

to forgiveness, growth, betterment<br />

of ourselves and our world. There<br />

is holiness in our sins as well as in<br />

our goodness - sometimes it is those<br />

cracks that allow the light to shine<br />

through.<br />

I wish for us all a season of reflection<br />

and growth. I would like to leave<br />

you with a poem by Stacey Zisook<br />

Robinson:<br />

2 ibid pg xxvii<br />

The Holiness of Broken Things<br />

I carry my brokenness with me<br />

It is holyas<br />

holy as my breath,<br />

my heart,<br />

my wholeness.<br />

It is a part of me, these<br />

scattered pieces<br />

of shattered longing<br />

and battered dreams.<br />

My sins.<br />

All of them.<br />

I carry themall<br />

of them;<br />

All of these broken things<br />

that bend me and bow me,<br />

together with my wholeness,<br />

these holy things.<br />

Idols to my shame,<br />

wrapped in gold and<br />

adorned in abandon.<br />

I fed the fires of that sacred forge<br />

with fear and guilt,<br />

and the alters ran slick with salted<br />

tears.<br />

I offeredofferthe<br />

broken pieces as my sin offering,<br />

for they are holy<br />

and I carry them with me,<br />

together with my wholeness<br />

I carry my brokenness with meall<br />

my sins<br />

and shame<br />

and salted tears,<br />

and I place them<br />

together with my wholeness<br />

on the sacred altars<br />

holy, holy, holy.<br />

They twine together in red and gold<br />

flames,<br />

Broken<br />

and Whole<br />

offered together<br />

and returned to me,<br />

Whole<br />

and Broken-<br />

Holy still,<br />

carried together<br />

until I reach the next altar.<br />

10


Shabbat In The Circle<br />

One Saturday each month from 9:30am<br />

<strong>October</strong> 19 & <strong>November</strong> 16<br />

Join us for this special Shabbat morning gathering.<br />

We begin at 9:30am with the study of Hassidic and other mystical<br />

texts then discuss how we can apply them in our daily lives.<br />

This is followed at 10:15am by a collaborative musical<br />

gathering based on the Shabbat morning service incorporating<br />

melodies, poems and dance to enhance our Shabbath.<br />

Contact gmordecai@emanuel.org.au<br />

Kabbalah Meditation<br />

Wednesday Nights in <strong>November</strong> from 7:00-8:30pm<br />

An opportunity to learn meditation in a<br />

Jewish context. With Rabbi Dr. Orna<br />

Triguboff and guest musicians<br />

Expecting<br />

a baby?<br />

Jewnatal is a program for those expecting a<br />

baby in their lives, whether through birth or<br />

adoption, and whether the 1st or 5th!<br />

The concept is to foster/build relationships with<br />

people going through the same life stage that will<br />

carry forward after the class has concluded.<br />

Email Rabbi Kaiserblueth:<br />

rkaiserblueth@emanuel.org.au<br />

Contact the office on 9389 6444 for details.<br />

11


12


NEED A CELEBRANT?<br />

Jon Green<br />

Civil Marriage Celebrant<br />

WEDDINGS<br />

RENEWAL OF VOWS<br />

BABY NAMINGS<br />

CALL JON ON:<br />

0414 872 199<br />

Lunch<br />

'n'<br />

Learn<br />

.<br />

NOURISHMENT FOR MIND, BODY AND<br />

SOUL. ENJOY LUNCH, MEET FRIENDS AND<br />

DELVE INTO TORAH.<br />

Join us on the second Saturday morning of<br />

each month following Shabbat services:<br />

<strong>October</strong> 12 - Rabbi Claudio Kaiser-blueth<br />

<strong>November</strong> 9 - Cantor George Mordecai -<br />

Rabbi Nachman: Reflections on the<br />

Tormented Master


{INTRODUCING MISHKAN T’SHUVAH -<br />

NEW PROGRESSIVE MACHZOR}<br />

By Co-Editors Rabbis Dr John Levi AM. Ph D. and Jonathan Keren-Black<br />

Why is this Machzor different from all other Machzorim? Quite simply<br />

because it reflects our own community’s tone, needs and practices.<br />

True, our new High Holy Day<br />

prayer book actually began life<br />

in 2015 in the form and shape<br />

of the new American Machzor<br />

Mishkan HaNefesh — Sanctuary of<br />

the Soul. The Central Conference<br />

of American Rabbis produced<br />

a great book, or rather books<br />

in the plural. The liturgy and<br />

accompanying materials for the<br />

High Holydays is so extensive<br />

that it requires two companion<br />

volumes, one for Rosh Hashanah<br />

and the second for Yom Kippur.<br />

The layout of each page was very<br />

impressive. The type in both<br />

Hebrew and English was splendid.<br />

The notes that accompanied each<br />

page of prayer were scholarly and<br />

interesting. After all, there are<br />

no less than 1500 of our rabbis<br />

working and teaching in the<br />

United States and Canada. They<br />

serve more than a million and<br />

half people and together their<br />

movement constitutes an amazing<br />

resource of Jewish scholarship<br />

and learning. But, and there is<br />

always a “but”, its very strength<br />

presented us with some problems.<br />

We had to choose. There are<br />

progressive prayer books in England<br />

and France and Israel and Germany.<br />

In America there are three nonorthodox<br />

movements: Reform,<br />

Conservative and Reconstructionist.<br />

And there were also differing<br />

orthodox prayer books to be<br />

studied. Unless there is good reason<br />

not to, we prefer in our region to use<br />

the more traditional order of words<br />

and services. However, since our<br />

Shabbat and Daily Siddur is based<br />

14<br />

on the CCAR version, and not<br />

surprisingly there was a similarity of<br />

visual and liturgical style between<br />

their Siddur and Machzor, as well<br />

as an established and effective<br />

working relationship between us, we<br />

concluded that Mishkan HaNefesh<br />

was our best starting point.<br />

We believe we chose correctly,<br />

and hope that, as the final Shofar<br />

blows on Yom Kippur, you’ll<br />

agree with us. The Machzor of<br />

the American Reform Movement<br />

was powerful and moving. The<br />

Hebrew text was clear and easy<br />

to follow. It was accompanied<br />

by a transliterated version of the<br />

text and a modern gender-neutral<br />

English translation. No other<br />

prayer book was so inclusive. The<br />

new Machzor needed to make<br />

sense theologically and relate to<br />

our own times as well as our long<br />

history. It did not yearn for the<br />

resumption of animal sacrifices and<br />

it did not expect the building of a<br />

Third Temple at the end of time.<br />

Of course, in the Southern<br />

Hemisphere, and in the tropics<br />

of South East Asia where our<br />

congregations are to be found, the<br />

seasons do not correspond with


North America. We don’t have<br />

snow on pine trees and we didn’t<br />

arrive at Ellis Island in the shadow<br />

of the Statue of Liberty. Our own<br />

communal traditions and our<br />

cultural patterns differ. Our music<br />

is different and often reflects the<br />

European Jewish experience.<br />

Following the morning service<br />

of Yom Kippur we have included<br />

the Musaf or additional service,<br />

including an updated version of<br />

the traditional poetic epic “From<br />

Creation to Redemption”, slightly<br />

shortened and revised from that<br />

in Gates of Repentance following<br />

the example of the British Liberal<br />

Movement, which includes the<br />

stirring recollection of the Temple<br />

Service in Jerusalem and continues<br />

into the traditional memories<br />

of the martyrs of our people.<br />

Yizkor is to be preceded by an<br />

innovative ‘prelude’, linking these<br />

ancient martyrs to those of more<br />

recent times before turning to<br />

remember our own loved ones.<br />

As we all know, our spoken<br />

Australian language is also different<br />

in many subtle but significant ways<br />

from our American and English<br />

“cousins” and we have reflected<br />

this in our translations, and in the<br />

selection of readings. With the<br />

variations in structure and language,<br />

our Machzor was sufficiently<br />

different that it was decided to call<br />

our edition by its own distinctive<br />

title of Mishkan T’shuvah-Sanctuary<br />

of Repentance. We are very grateful<br />

for the scholarship and creativity<br />

as well as the generosity, tolerance<br />

and understanding shown by our<br />

rabbinic colleagues in both North<br />

America and the United Kingdom.<br />

We kept the pattern of two books<br />

even though our edition has actually<br />

“lost” some two hundred pages<br />

of poems and readings which did<br />

not speak to us or our seasons.<br />

Nevertheless, we have retained a<br />

rich collection of poetry, philosophy<br />

and commentary that challenges<br />

the reader and gives depth and<br />

new meaning to our most sacred<br />

days. If you pick up the books for<br />

the services alone and then replace<br />

them on the book-shelf you will<br />

miss an intellectual and spiritual<br />

treasure-house that deserves to<br />

be browsed and considered.<br />

The new Machzor reflects the<br />

impact of Israel and modern<br />

Hebrew. It is deliberately designed<br />

to allow congregations to follow<br />

and develop their own minhag<br />

or custom. There are very few<br />

instructions in either book about<br />

congregational behaviour. The<br />

old Jewish joke about reciting<br />

the Shema has relevance: “Some<br />

congregations will stand and some<br />

will sit and some will just stand<br />

and sit and argue”. Our new High<br />

Holy Day books require annual<br />

preparation. It is not meant to<br />

be an automatic page-turning<br />

experience. There are choices to<br />

be made. And there are so many<br />

choices that no High Holy Day<br />

experience will, or can, quite be<br />

the same as the previous year.<br />

Generational works such as this just<br />

don’t happen. The contents were<br />

debated by the rabbis of our Union<br />

again and again. The editorial<br />

team, also including Cantor Michel<br />

Laloum and Dr Linda Stern, with<br />

Rabbi Jacki Ninio and Rabbi<br />

Kim Ettlinger, spent many hours<br />

meeting, studying, discussing and<br />

debating, and the co-editors have<br />

spent many sleepless days and<br />

nights at the computer giving shape<br />

to each page. Rabbi Hara Person,<br />

the Chief Strategy Officer of the<br />

Central Conference of American<br />

Rabbis who was formerly<br />

in charge of publications<br />

of the Central Conference,<br />

and Rabbi David E. S.<br />

Stein, an expert on Jewish<br />

liturgy were both very<br />

helpful (Rabbi Keren-<br />

Black and Rabbi Stein –<br />

who also worked together<br />

on the Siddur, go back<br />

a long way – they were<br />

‘Chevruta’ study partners<br />

at Pardes Yeshiva in<br />

Jerusalem in 1986!). The leadership<br />

team of the Union for Progressive<br />

Judaism, Roger Mendelson,<br />

Brian Samuel and Neil Samuel,<br />

supplied us with practical advice,<br />

and UPJ Executive Officer Jocelyn<br />

Robuck kept the project on track<br />

throughout. We have had support<br />

from generous donors whose names<br />

appear in the front of each book.<br />

INSPIRING PRAYER<br />

15


{GESTATION OF A NEW MACHZOR}<br />

Some animals have gestation periods of up to two years, but the new Progressive<br />

Machzor is nearly twice that. Indeed, we started thinking about the options<br />

as soon as the Mishkan T’filah Siddur was published in 2010.<br />

The discussions engaged the<br />

Rabbis of our movement in<br />

heated debate at our six monthly<br />

meetings over several years, and<br />

we explored various options in<br />

2011-15, before the US Mishkan<br />

HaNefesh companion to their<br />

version of Mishkan T’filah was<br />

eventually published. At that<br />

point, they made it clear that they<br />

were willing to work with us once<br />

more on creating our own regional<br />

version based on theirs, as we had<br />

with the Siddur, and the Rabbis<br />

recommended this course of action.<br />

An Editorial Committee was<br />

convened, based in Melbourne,<br />

and started work in earnest over<br />

three years ago. It reported back<br />

six monthly to the Moetzah, with<br />

various issues being discussed back<br />

and forth and options debated and<br />

evaluated before decisions were<br />

slowly arrived at. In particular,<br />

Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive<br />

Officer of the publisher, the<br />

Central Conference of American<br />

Rabbis, was the guest at the<br />

Moetzah and at the subsequent<br />

UPJ Biennial Conference in<br />

Perth in <strong>November</strong> 2016. She<br />

explained and emphasised some<br />

of the decisions and reasoning<br />

from the American team, and<br />

strongly urged us to review some<br />

of our inclinations. For example<br />

it was from this meeting that we<br />

decided to keep more of the creative<br />

material and therefore follow their<br />

example of two volumes rather than<br />

keeping to one, as was the Gates<br />

of Repentance. We had invited all<br />

congregations to give feedback on<br />

the many creative readings found<br />

in the US Machzor, and also ran<br />

lay information and feedback<br />

sessions both at this conference<br />

16<br />

and again in Melbourne in 2018,<br />

as the book was being finalised.<br />

We should especially acknowledge<br />

Dr Linda Stern, a long-standing<br />

member of the Leo Baeck Centre,<br />

who is a regular service leader and<br />

who was on the Siddur Editorial<br />

Committee, and who has provided<br />

an invaluable lay perspective<br />

throughout the formal editorial<br />

process of Mishkan T’shuvah.<br />

BASIC PRINCIPLES<br />

A starting principle was to maintain<br />

language, look and feel with our<br />

version of the Siddur, Mishkan<br />

T’filah. A second principle was to<br />

make the Machzor and its prayers,<br />

translations and additional materials<br />

Women’s<br />

Rosh Chodesh<br />

Group<br />

8:00pm - 10:00pm<br />

<strong>October</strong> 9 and <strong>November</strong> 8<br />

relevant, accessible, stimulating,<br />

challenging and meaningful. This<br />

included translations of all Hebrew,<br />

and full, simple and accurate<br />

transliteration of the prayers. As<br />

with the Siddur, a third principle<br />

was to tend towards traditional<br />

structures and formulations if<br />

there was no good reason not to<br />

do so. We hope and feel that the<br />

result is a more cohesive, new,<br />

fresh and modern yet traditional<br />

Machzor which vibrates with<br />

the energy of review, repentance,<br />

renewal, the offer of new starts<br />

and fresh hopes which will speak<br />

to our congregations in its variety<br />

of voices for many years.<br />

Why a Women’s Rosh Chodesh Group?<br />

There is a legend told that when the Israelites came<br />

to create the golden calf, the men asked the women<br />

to give them all their jewellery and gold to be melted<br />

down for the calf. The women refused to supply their<br />

jewels and as a reward a special festival was given to<br />

them: the festival of Rosh Chodesh, the celebration of<br />

the new moon.<br />

For more information and to find the location, please<br />

call the Emanuel Synagogue office on 9389 6444 or<br />

email info@emanuel.org.au.


TWO VOLUMES<br />

There is a volume for Rosh<br />

Hashanah and one for Yom<br />

Kippur. An easy way to remember<br />

is ‘Red for Rosh Hashanah,<br />

White for Yom Kippur’.<br />

WOODCUTS<br />

The beginning of each service<br />

features a specially commissioned<br />

woodcut graphic by Joel Shapiro.<br />

COMMENTARY AND CREATIVE<br />

MATERIALS<br />

Commentary and contemplation<br />

as well as creative materials are<br />

integral parts of this Machzor<br />

and are indicated with a grey or<br />

blue tinted background to expand<br />

on and explain the themes and<br />

vocabulary of the traditional<br />

liturgy, but also to encourage study<br />

and deep reflection in a manner<br />

both intellectually engaging and<br />

sometimes spiritually provocative.<br />

FAMILIAR, YET TRADITIONAL<br />

The red cover of Rosh Hashanah<br />

was chosen, in part, to show the<br />

connection to Gates of Repentance,<br />

and although the look will be quite<br />

different from that Machzor, it<br />

will immediately feel familiar to<br />

users of Siddur Mishkan T’filah,<br />

with sidebars for navigation,<br />

transliteration of the Hebrew, and<br />

notes at the bottom of the page. But<br />

as the services unfold, the prayers<br />

and songs will also feel familiar to<br />

those who have grown up with Gates<br />

of Repentance, with some slight<br />

changes and additions to the words,<br />

many of which are of course in<br />

line with the Siddur, including the<br />

introduction of the matriarchs and<br />

the gently degendered translations.<br />

YOM KIPPUR SEEMS SO DIFFERENT!<br />

At first sight, the Yom Kippur Day<br />

may appear to be substantially<br />

changed from Gates of Repentance,<br />

but this is less the case than it<br />

seems, although various prayers,<br />

songs and even whole sections<br />

have moved place or even service!<br />

MUSAF<br />

The ‘innovation’, khiddush, which<br />

makes the day feel and look different<br />

is the reintroduction of a Musaf<br />

(additional) service following the<br />

Shacharit morning service. In fact<br />

it is not so different, as much of<br />

the material contained used to be<br />

in the very long afternoon service.<br />

I do hope many people will stay<br />

for the Musaf service, rather than<br />

leaving at the end of Shacharit.<br />

You will be handsomely rewarded.<br />

The tone changes and the Musaf<br />

service includes a beautifully<br />

revised and shortened version<br />

of the ‘Creation to Redemption’<br />

{FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG}<br />

By Reverend Sam Zwarenstein<br />

narrative based on the section found<br />

in the traditional Musaf. It offers<br />

an insightful overview of Jewish<br />

history, providing the context for<br />

the Avodah Temple offering on Yom<br />

Kippur, and the Eileh Ezk’ra section<br />

about the martyrs of our history.<br />

MINCHAH<br />

The now much shorter afternoon<br />

service goes pretty well straight<br />

into the Torah and Haftarah<br />

with the story of Jonah, and<br />

then the Vidui confessions.<br />

YIZKOR<br />

We believe that Yizkor memorial<br />

service will perhaps be the most<br />

powerful and moving service<br />

of all, but we note that some<br />

may find it difficult and even<br />

distressing, because of a stunning<br />

and powerful double page spread<br />

to reflect on our losses, and some<br />

very specific new prayers for<br />

different circumstances of loss.<br />

NEILAH<br />

The concluding service has the<br />

traditional feel of urgency and<br />

excitement as ‘the gates are closing’,<br />

with the familiar tunes but less<br />

lengthy tracts of English. This most<br />

powerful day concludes<br />

as usual with the Shofar<br />

blow and Havdalah.<br />

My work in pastoral care takes me to many different places, with very different<br />

settings, and of course, gives me the opportunity to meet lots of different people.<br />

INSPIRING PRAYER<br />

As I explain to those I visit, I<br />

am not a doctor or any type of<br />

medical professional. My role is<br />

to offer support, to see how they<br />

are doing, perhaps provide some<br />

encouragement, and to always be<br />

available to listen to what they<br />

are interested in talking about.<br />

Sometimes they have family or<br />

friends with them, sometimes they<br />

are alone, and sometimes they<br />

don’t want to see anyone (there<br />

are times when I can certainly<br />

relate to that!) They may be deeply<br />

engrossed in a television show or a<br />

book they are reading, or perhaps<br />

it’s a crossword, sudoku puzzle or<br />

a magazine/newspaper<br />

article that has taken their interest.<br />

Over the years, I’ve also learnt that<br />

there are many kinds of therapy<br />

being practised and engaged, as<br />

well as being developed for support<br />

in the future. Of course, different<br />

pastoral activities will have varying<br />

impacts on those needing support.<br />

17


One therapy that I’ve encountered<br />

in the past couple of years, that<br />

seems to have a very positive and<br />

placating effect on many people,<br />

is the use of therapy dogs. When I<br />

first encountered the therapy dogs,<br />

my immediate thought was, ‘how<br />

are they able to let the dogs in to<br />

see sick people? Isn’t there a health<br />

concern in that regard?’ I wasn’t<br />

questioning what they were doing,<br />

or should this be happening, but<br />

feeling concerned for the health<br />

of susceptible patients. After all,<br />

we are in the high care section of<br />

a nursing home (well that’s where<br />

I first encountered this therapy).<br />

When I saw the reaction to the<br />

dogs of the majority of patients,<br />

I was pleasantly amazed to see<br />

how interactive they were. It was<br />

like a ray of sunshine entered,<br />

what could otherwise be a rather<br />

dispirited environment. Many<br />

reached out to pat the dogs, or<br />

talk to them, and the dogs seemed<br />

to know when it was time to<br />

move on to the next patient.<br />

18<br />

One of the nurses took me to see<br />

an elderly lady who had recently<br />

had a stroke, and she told me that<br />

the lady spends much of her day<br />

sleeping or staring at the wall,<br />

even when her family come to<br />

visit. The nurse said that when<br />

the therapy dogs come along, it’s<br />

like a different person in that bed;<br />

someone who eagerly awaits her<br />

turn to interact with the dogs,<br />

smiling and laughing a little when<br />

they are around. Unfortunately,<br />

the downside is that the day after<br />

they have visited, she reverts back<br />

to her original behaviour, not<br />

wanting to interact with anyone.<br />

The dogs visiting the nursing home<br />

that day were not accompanied<br />

by humans; they simply wandered<br />

from area to area (yes, I know,<br />

they have been trained to do that).<br />

However, most of the programs<br />

in operation have a team, that<br />

is, a human and a dog, who visit<br />

different wards in hospitals or<br />

homes, bringing an additional<br />

dimension to the patient’s healing.<br />

Both the human and the dog are<br />

trained to offer a presence which<br />

will help patients in various ways.<br />

Perhaps it’s simply the presence of<br />

the team (okay, the dog) that makes<br />

the patients smile. Or perhaps the<br />

dogs make them feel a bit more<br />

relaxed, more comfortable, and<br />

therefore less stressed. Other benefits<br />

can include lowering of blood<br />

pressure, improving recovery time,<br />

and providing motivation to move<br />

about more and exercise for longer.<br />

The potential benefits can help<br />

patients across a wide range of<br />

ailments and circumstances, from<br />

children having dental procedures,<br />

to patients undergoing cancer<br />

treatment, people with dementia,<br />

people with anxiety, veterans with<br />

PTSD, and the list goes on.<br />

Professor Dale Needham, Medical<br />

Director of the Critical Care<br />

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation<br />

Program at the John Hopkins<br />

School of Medicine says; "Doctors<br />

and nurses have traditionally been<br />

of the mindset that if we just give<br />

patients the 'right' medication, their<br />

psychological status will improve<br />

... In fact, we probably need to<br />

give less medicine and rely more on<br />

nonpharmaceutical interventions, such<br />

as music therapy, relaxation training,<br />

and animal-assisted therapy to help<br />

improve patients' psychological status."<br />

As soon as I included that quote, I<br />

realised that I will probably bear the<br />

brunt of some rather strong criticism<br />

from some medical professionals,<br />

inquiring why I am ignoring the<br />

importance of medicine in treating<br />

patients. Let me be very clear - by<br />

quoting Professor Needham, I am<br />

not saying ‘let’s all just listen to some<br />

music, do some yoga, get a dog or<br />

two to come visit, and all will be<br />

just fine and dandy.’ I am, however,<br />

supporting his theory that there is<br />

definitely a role for multiple types<br />

of therapies in the care of a patient,<br />

and without a doubt, medicine,<br />

along with related aids, is probably<br />

the single most important of them.


Non-pharmaceutical therapies that<br />

are already in practice, or currently<br />

being trialled, focus on improving<br />

the mood, rehabilitation rate, and<br />

overall well-being of the patient,<br />

in support of medicine and other<br />

traditional treatment mechanisms.<br />

Dr Megan Hosey, Assistant<br />

Professor of Physical Medicine<br />

& Rehabilitation, at the same<br />

university as Dr Needham (John<br />

Hopkins School of Medicine)<br />

says, “The data from a psychological<br />

perspective shows that building<br />

motivation to become more active,<br />

for example, is a way dogs can<br />

help patients. Once you have a<br />

dog in the room staring up at you<br />

expecting a treat or a pat, it’s hard<br />

for a patient to avoid engaging”.<br />

In research done at the same<br />

hospital, they note that in<br />

other cases, a dog may simply<br />

sit on a patient’s lap, providing<br />

a calm, affectionate presence<br />

that has been shown to improve<br />

mood and pain ratings.<br />

I couldn’t give you an exact figure<br />

as to how often I see a therapy<br />

dog when I visit hospitals or<br />

nursing homes, but I do see<br />

them quite often. Of course, that<br />

doesn’t account for the possibility<br />

that they may be visiting that<br />

location on a different floor, or<br />

at a different time to when I am<br />

there. What is very clear to me<br />

though is the effect I can see and<br />

feel, including the overall mood<br />

and demeanour of the residents or<br />

patients, during or after a visit.<br />

The work they do, and the positive<br />

effect that therapy dogs have on<br />

patients and families, give those<br />

weighing up the decision as to<br />

whether or not to have them visit,<br />

a clearer and more measured task.<br />

Many hospitals, nursing homes,<br />

and aged-care facilities put in place<br />

very stringent rules to ensure that<br />

the animals are clean and healthy,<br />

that their behaviour is suited to<br />

the surroundings they work in,<br />

and that their vaccinations are up<br />

to date. After all, they do have a<br />

duty of care to uphold the hygiene<br />

standards of their institutions,<br />

and provide a highly sanitised<br />

environment. This approach allows<br />

a win-win for all involved.<br />

Our Emanuel community has a<br />

number of volunteers that assist<br />

with dog therapy and hospital visits,<br />

and I’d like to mention one such<br />

team. Viv Lewin works with Marley<br />

at Delta Society, providing many<br />

hours of loving care and attention<br />

to patients each week. The patients<br />

and staff are always happy to see<br />

Marley (and Viv of course!) Not<br />

only do they do an amazing job,<br />

but they also find it to be very<br />

rewarding - just ask Viv. It would<br />

be remiss of me not to acknowledge<br />

the contribution that<br />

Viv and Robert Lewin<br />

have made to Emanuel<br />

Synagogue. Their generous<br />

donation has allowed our<br />

synagogue to sponsor a<br />

therapy team, through the<br />

Red Bandana Club that the<br />

Delta Society operates.<br />

If you would also like to<br />

sponsor a team through<br />

the Red Bandana Club,<br />

please contact me.<br />

As a pastoral carer, and on a<br />

personal note, I hope to see more<br />

therapy dogs and volunteers bring<br />

smiles and comfort to patients and<br />

residents, as they carry out their<br />

very important care duties.<br />

The Lost Princess<br />

TEXT STUDY<br />

Weekly on Thursday evenings at 7.15pm<br />

Cantor George Mordecai presents a new series of classes.<br />

Initially we will study The Lost Princess, a deeply insightful<br />

story from Rabbi Nahman, with music and meditation.<br />

Email: gmordecai@emanuel.org.au<br />

IHEALING THE WORLD<br />

19


{WANT TO WRITE YOUR OWN OBITUARY?}<br />

Barbara Karet<br />

One day I was driving home from a funeral with Reverend Zwarenstein<br />

(Sam), and remarked that I would hate to write a eulogy (or<br />

obituary) about myself because my life has been so boring.<br />

‘Boring’ is perhaps not quite the<br />

right word; let’s substitute the word<br />

‘uneventful’ instead. This is not a<br />

complaint, so much as a statement<br />

of fact. I really feel blessed that,<br />

as A.B. Facey put it, I have had ‘a<br />

fortunate life’ 1 , however I know I<br />

would never make it on to any of<br />

today’s TV reality shows. I am one of<br />

those lucky baby boomers who has<br />

enjoyed a comfortable upbringing,<br />

a good ‘free’ education, and as an<br />

adult, a rewarding career and happy<br />

family. I have no background ‘sobstory’<br />

that would make me even<br />

remotely interesting to television<br />

viewers. I haven’t struggled against<br />

adversity; there has been no ‘rags to<br />

riches’ tale, and I have made no great<br />

achievements to make an account of<br />

my life in any way compelling. In<br />

short, my obituary would be brief<br />

and uninteresting. But then, is that<br />

the point? Maybe I should not be<br />

focusing on great achievements,<br />

or stories of derring-do, but rather<br />

on the type of person who has<br />

been described, and whether I have<br />

lived a good, purposeful life.<br />

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, in his book<br />

‘The Book of Jewish Values’ 2 , tells<br />

the story about a rabbi he knows.<br />

Every year, this rabbi prepares<br />

for the High Holidays by writing<br />

not one, but two obituaries about<br />

himself. The first version is how<br />

he thinks it would be written, and<br />

the second is how he would like it<br />

to be written. His aim each year<br />

then, is to become more like the<br />

second version than the first.<br />

According to one account, it was a<br />

premature obituary that motivated<br />

Alfred Nobel, the Swedish munitions<br />

industrialist to establish the Nobel<br />

Prize awards. The story goes that<br />

he was aghast when he read an<br />

obituary mistakenly written about<br />

himself, instead of his recently<br />

departed brother. Nobel was the<br />

inventor of dynamite, and he<br />

had become extremely wealthy<br />

producing explosives. The newspaper<br />

headlined its article, ‘The Merchant<br />

of Death is Dead’, and said he would<br />

be remembered ‘as the man who<br />

made it possible for more people<br />

to be killed more quickly than<br />

anyone else’ 2 . This was not the way<br />

he wanted to be remembered, and<br />

so to redeem himself, he set out<br />

to create a positive legacy. He left<br />

a bequest to establish one of the<br />

world’s most prestigious prizes,<br />

The Nobel Prize. It is awarded for<br />

intellectual services rendered to<br />

mankind, honouring those that<br />

have benefited humanity in fields<br />

as diverse as literature, economics,<br />

peace, science and medicine.<br />

He is now mainly remembered<br />

for his generous humanitarian<br />

and scientific philanthropy.<br />

I am not advocating that we should<br />

change our lives because of the way<br />

we want to be remembered. The<br />

point is that we can all reflect on<br />

the person that we are, and then<br />

strive to become a better version<br />

of ourselves. We can consider what<br />

would be written in version one<br />

of our ‘virtual’ obituary, and then<br />

decide to make a few changes in our<br />

lives so that we can be more like<br />

the person described in a second<br />

aspirational version. Many of you<br />

would not have recalled that Alfred<br />

Nobel became wealthy making<br />

munitions, but instead would<br />

associate him with his positive<br />

contribution to society of the Nobel<br />

Prize. We can’t change what we have<br />

done in the past, but we can resolve<br />

to be better in the future. With<br />

luck, we won’t have the misfortune<br />

of reading our own obituaries, but<br />

let’s try to live our lives so that<br />

if we did, we would approve of<br />

the person that it describes.<br />

References:<br />

1. Facey, A.B. (1981)<br />

A Fortunate Life. Penguin, Aust.<br />

2. Telushkin, Joseph (2000)<br />

The Book of Jewish<br />

Values. Bell Tower.<br />

20


Bread Tags<br />

for Wheel Chairs<br />

Please save your bread tags and bring them to Emanuel Synagogue<br />

– they will be recycled to fund wheelchairs in South Africa.<br />

Bread Tags for Wheelchairs has been recycling bread<br />

tags in South Africa since 2006. They currently collect<br />

about 500kg/month, which funds 2-3 wheelchairs.<br />

Now they are collecting in Australia too!<br />

It’s easy ….. save your<br />

bread tags for a while and<br />

then drop them off in<br />

the bowl in our foyer.<br />

Ask your family, friends,<br />

school and local café to help.<br />

More information:<br />

breadtagsforwheelchairs.co.za<br />

Plus61J together with Emanuel Synagogue present<br />

Israel, Jews & the<br />

Middle East through Film<br />

from 7:00pm at Emanuel Synagogue<br />

<strong>October</strong> 23 - The Other Son (2012)<br />

<strong>November</strong> 20 - The Kindergarten Teacher (2014)<br />

December 18 - Year Zero (2004)<br />

21


{CHANGES AND CHALLENGES}<br />

Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth<br />

I look at my sons, now aged 5, 3 and almost 1 year old, and then look back at their birth<br />

photos; it is difficult for me to comprehend that these are the same people. How could<br />

those tiny bundles of joy have morphed into these walking, babbling little people?<br />

They were born as blank canvases,<br />

and now, a few years later, they<br />

are walking, talking (or beginning<br />

to talk), becoming aware of the<br />

world around them, and interacting<br />

with it on their own terms.<br />

These developments are so striking,<br />

not only because of the speed in<br />

which they are occurring, but also<br />

because of the leaps and bounds in<br />

which they are progressing. When<br />

I haven’t seen a close friend or<br />

relative for a significant period of<br />

time, the difference in appearance<br />

or character is much more obvious,<br />

compared with someone I see<br />

regularly. Does this then mean<br />

that a significant change has not<br />

occurred, or is it simply that I am<br />

unable to perceive these changes?<br />

The changes do not occur on a<br />

day to day basis, but slowly over<br />

time. Hair does not change colour<br />

overnight; wrinkles do not appear<br />

within a week; and personal growth<br />

does not occur in a month. All<br />

of these are continual processes<br />

that are almost imperceptible if<br />

viewed on a constant basis.<br />

Every year, we gather together<br />

during the High Holidays in order<br />

to take an accounting of our souls,<br />

a heshbon nefesh, from the previous<br />

year, and to seek ways to improve<br />

for the coming year. It can be a<br />

profound change if taken seriously.<br />

In this upcoming season we gather<br />

in our community centre, the<br />

Synagogue, where, surrounded<br />

by one another, we focus on this<br />

process. Together, we lift ourselves<br />

up, and push one another to reach<br />

ever-deeper depths of our inner<br />

selves. But why there in shul? A<br />

22<br />

contemporary rabbi, Solomon<br />

Goldman, replied to this question<br />

with the following words:<br />

"I come to the synagogue to probe<br />

my weakness and my strength,<br />

and to fill the gap between my<br />

profession and my practice.<br />

I come to lift myself by my bootstraps.<br />

I come to quiet the turbulence of my<br />

heart, restrain its mad impulsiveness<br />

and check the itching eagerness<br />

of every muscle to outsmart and<br />

outdistance my neighbor.<br />

I come for self-renewal<br />

and regeneration.<br />

I come into the sadness and<br />

compassion permeating the<br />

Synagogue to contemplate and be<br />

instructed by the panorama of Jewish<br />

martyrdom and human misery.<br />

I come to be strengthened in my<br />

determination to be free, never<br />

to compromise with idolatry,<br />

pettiness and fanaticism.<br />

I come to behold the beauty of the<br />

Lord, to find Him who put an<br />

upward reach in the heart of man."<br />

As the new spiritual year is<br />

approaching, and we gather under<br />

one roof in a solemn spiritual mood,<br />

may we again be able to renew our<br />

spiritual strengths. May we all dive<br />

within ourselves and our loved ones,<br />

to bring out the best and holy. May<br />

we renew our bonds of love and care<br />

towards those in need. May we face<br />

the challenges of our daily life with<br />

courage and determination, and may<br />

we strengthen our commitment to<br />

our Jewish People, our holy traditions<br />

and the Source of all life - God.<br />

Perhaps this year we will see one<br />

another in a completely different<br />

light, and with a profound change.<br />

As together, we undertake this<br />

process of heshbon nefesh, a spiritual<br />

accounting of ourselves and our<br />

actions, so that we can look at<br />

each other in a year and without a<br />

doubt, perceive the holiness we have<br />

achieved, and the positive change<br />

we have enacted in our lives.<br />

Shana Tova Umetukah,<br />

A Sweet and Happy New Year.


Conversations<br />

about Israel<br />

Every Monday, join Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins<br />

or guest speakers to examine the complex<br />

issues facing contemporary Israel.<br />

Monday mornings from 10:00-11:30<br />

Learn<br />

(or improve your)<br />

Hebrew<br />

Classes are Monday evenings during<br />

term starting from 6:00pm-7:00pm<br />

Register now at<br />

emanuel.org.au/engage/learn_hebrew<br />

23


{APPRECIATING OUR HERITAGE SANCTUARY}<br />

by Stephen Nordon, Nordon Jago Architects<br />

The Heritage Sanctuary is the crucible of the Emanuel Congregation, a place where<br />

more than 75 years of history, both personal and congregational have taken place.<br />

What goes un-noticed is that the<br />

values of today’s congregation were<br />

shared by the original congregation,<br />

and that the architecture<br />

of the Heritage Sanctuary<br />

reflected these philosophies.<br />

It washed up on the other side of<br />

the world like Noah’s ark from<br />

the wreckage of European Reform<br />

Judaism, into a host community of<br />

conventional orthodoxies, a host<br />

community nervous about what<br />

impression these newcomers were<br />

going to make on their world.<br />

This founding congregation came<br />

from a tradition that sought<br />

to refine religious practice and<br />

philosophy to their ethical essence;<br />

to do its own thinking. They<br />

chose to represent themselves with<br />

the latest architectural thinking<br />

from Europe. It was not the<br />

architecture of symmetrical set<br />

piece authority. It was inspired<br />

by the modern, the geometry of<br />

dynamic repose and asymmetry<br />

This can be seen in the main façade<br />

of the sanctuary. The prisms that<br />

form its spatial presence and the<br />

lines that define its doors, windows<br />

and parapets are inspired by the de<br />

Stijl movement, a mid-20th century,<br />

contemporary art movement,<br />

whose compositional principles are<br />

reflected in modern architecture.<br />

The original spatial composition<br />

of the sanctuary was obscured<br />

with the construction of the north<br />

wing, old plans show that the<br />

entire north façade with its circular<br />

windows are no longer visible. You<br />

can still see these windows from<br />

the gallery staircase. (below)<br />

24


The austere lines of the parapets and<br />

discrete decoration are symbolic<br />

of unadorned principle, almost<br />

invisible to the contemporary<br />

observer. The next time you are at<br />

Emanuel have a look at the brick<br />

work. It’s full of detail and symbols<br />

that have been fired into the bricks.<br />

Even the displacement of these<br />

elements form subtle patterns across<br />

the facades. The symbolic bricks<br />

have been laid to create a diagonal<br />

grid in the brickwork, look closely<br />

and you will see that the bricks<br />

with the Magen David pressed in<br />

them have been laid slightly proud<br />

of the main wall line, forming a<br />

secondary Magen David pattern.<br />

We now have exciting plans (pending<br />

DA approval) to restore the sacred<br />

presence of this sanctuary, by<br />

restructuring its interior to enhance<br />

the use of space, light and sound.<br />

We also dream to accentuate its<br />

uniqueness with a redesign of the<br />

North Wing Learning Centre. This<br />

vision will be on display in the breezeway<br />

during the High Holy Days.<br />

The siting of the Heritage Sanctuary<br />

is really interesting. The conventional<br />

wisdom would have been to place it<br />

at the street frontage, not at the end<br />

of a long avenue of Cyprus trees.<br />

Again this is modernist thinking.<br />

It is not the architecture of the Sun<br />

King overlooking Versaille, with<br />

the world radiating symmetrically<br />

around a static vision of god. It is<br />

dynamic, its perspective, the interplay<br />

of asymmetrical prisms, changing as<br />

you approach, different perspectives,<br />

different points of view, different ways<br />

of seeing the same thing – pluralism.<br />

25


{ELUL JEWELS}<br />

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio<br />

I have a friend from rabbinical school, Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer and he<br />

has a blog called “Religion Outside the Box”. Each week he posts his thoughts<br />

and issues about which he is thinking and it was there I was introduced<br />

to Reverend Will Bowen and his “21 day no complaint challenge”.<br />

Reverend Bowen was the minister<br />

of a small church in Kansas and he<br />

was running a series about prosperity<br />

when he realised that everyone<br />

felt that they were not prosperous<br />

enough; they wanted more. Yet<br />

despite this, all they did was<br />

complain about what they<br />

actually did have. So he decided<br />

to do something about it. He<br />

knew that doing an action for 21<br />

days straight changes behaviour.<br />

So he created a batch of 500<br />

rubber bracelets and handed<br />

them out to his congregation<br />

and set them a challenge: go<br />

for 21 days without making a<br />

complaint. Put the wristband on<br />

and every time you complain,<br />

criticize or gossip, move it to the<br />

other wrist and start the count again.<br />

Will also took up the challenge and<br />

he found it was much harder than he<br />

thought. It took him months before<br />

he went for 21 days in a row without<br />

a complaint. His congregation<br />

were similarly challenged but the<br />

word spread and before long,<br />

Will had started a revolution.<br />

To date, 11 million people in 106<br />

countries have taken the challenge.<br />

They have found it takes the average<br />

person 4-8 months to go for 21<br />

days in a row without complaining.<br />

It is estimated that on average,<br />

we make 15-30 complaints a day<br />

and 30-40% of our conversations<br />

consist of complaining. Will notes<br />

that complaining has become<br />

a competitive sport, we try to<br />

outdo one another with our list of<br />

MITZVAH DAY<br />

Emanuel Synagogue’s<br />

Beach Clean<br />

Sunday 17th <strong>November</strong> from 10:00am - 12:00pm<br />

This year join us for a new and different Mitzvah<br />

Day activity. We will gather together to clean<br />

up some of Rose Bay Harbour beaches.<br />

Save the date and details of the beaches and<br />

the gathering point will be sent.<br />

complaints. And when we<br />

complain, our brain activity is<br />

rewired, we find it harder to find<br />

the positive and dwell more on<br />

the negative parts of our lives.<br />

Unchecked, this can spiral and place<br />

us in a world of unhappiness<br />

and dissatisfaction. But<br />

when we remove the<br />

complaints and negativity<br />

the opposite happens, we<br />

are happier, more content<br />

with our lives and find<br />

gratitude in what we do<br />

have rather than focusing<br />

on what we don’t have.<br />

I remember reading<br />

about a woman who<br />

wanted to compliment someone<br />

for the service she received at a<br />

department store. She called the<br />

store and asked for the place where<br />

she could lodge her praise. The<br />

operator did not know where to<br />

send her. There was a complaints<br />

department but nowhere to direct<br />

a call of satisfaction and gratitude.<br />

Sometimes I think we are a little<br />

like the department store, we<br />

have lots of outlets for lodging<br />

our complaints, lots of ways to<br />

find the negative, which obstructs<br />

our ability to find the good.<br />

So perhaps this Elul, this month of<br />

reflection is the time for us to join<br />

the revolution and take up the “21<br />

day no complaint challenge” and see<br />

how we go, enter into the new year<br />

in a place of gratitude and positivity<br />

rather than complaints. My goal is<br />

to complete the challenge before the<br />

next Elul! Good luck and may your<br />

year ahead be filled with happiness,<br />

blessings and gratitude.<br />

26


{NEWS FROM NETZER}<br />

Caroline Freeman<br />

Netzer is the youth movement for the Progressive Jewish community in Sydney. We<br />

run weekly peulot (activities) and bi-yearly camps for children in years 3-12, aiming to<br />

provide a well-rounded knowledge of Progressive Jewish values via informal education<br />

methods, such as games, songs, dance, text studies, discussions, and more.<br />

We aim to create a safe and supportive<br />

environment whereby participants<br />

can share their thoughts and ideas,<br />

empowering each other to make<br />

informed decisions and intentions.<br />

In <strong>2019</strong>, Netzer Australia is<br />

celebrating our 40th anniversary. If<br />

this was a biblical story, we may have<br />

spent the past 40 years wandering and<br />

searching for our final destination.<br />

Netzer however, is celebrating 40<br />

years of being a pioneering voice<br />

in our community and providing<br />

a space for young Jewish people<br />

to thrive and grow. We have the<br />

immense privilege of building upon<br />

the work and momentum that<br />

has been established by previous<br />

generations of Netzer leaders. In the<br />

past year, Netzer has continued to<br />

move from success to success, with<br />

around 140 participants attending<br />

our camps this year. For those who<br />

haven’t joined us on camp before,<br />

our Machanot exemplify the kind of<br />

Jewish community we aim to create.<br />

That is, a community which nurtures<br />

youth and inspires leadership, a<br />

community that is a hub of creativity<br />

for Progressive Judaism, and a<br />

community that promotes meaningful<br />

relationships among our peers.<br />

I would like to thank the Emanuel<br />

Synagogue community that continues<br />

to do so much to support our work.<br />

We are enjoying the opportunity to<br />

be involved in the community and<br />

it is so meaningful to collaborate in<br />

nurturing our community’s youth and<br />

to give back to the community that<br />

nurtures us. Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth<br />

and Reverend Sam Zwarenstein<br />

have both joined on our camps and<br />

throughout the year, providing us<br />

and our participants with endless<br />

amounts of spiritual, educational,<br />

and emotional support. We have also<br />

been enjoying using the youth centre<br />

which has become home to many<br />

of our activities, including a variety<br />

of educational weekend programs,<br />

our Chocolate Seder, and Kabbalat<br />

Shabbat services. Our movement<br />

could not operate without our<br />

team of committed volunteers; an<br />

exceptional group of young leaders,<br />

equally committed to furthering their<br />

own Jewish education as they are<br />

to inspiring a new generation’s. It is<br />

due to their hard work and countless<br />

hours of their time that Netzer can<br />

provide meaningful Jewish experiences<br />

to our youth. Thank you all.<br />

As we enter into a new year, I look<br />

forward to building a deeper and<br />

stronger connection among our<br />

communities and hope for 40<br />

more years together strengthening<br />

Jewish identity and contributing<br />

SUMMER<br />

netzer<br />

MACHANOAR<br />

january 21-26<br />

(SCHOOL YEARS 3-8)<br />

CONTACT:<br />

E: campnsw@netzer.org.au<br />

to our shared vision for the world.<br />

In January, whether you are a<br />

returning Netzernik or have never<br />

been before, we’d love to see you<br />

on one of our Summer camps<br />

to get the full Netzer experience!<br />

Senior camp, ‘MachaNetzer 2020’,<br />

will be for years 9-12 from 7-15<br />

January 2020, and Junior camp,<br />

‘MachaNoar 2020’, will be for years<br />

3-8 from 21 - 26 January 2020.<br />

If you would like any information<br />

about Netzer, our weekly activities,<br />

or camps, please contact me<br />

at sydney@netzer.org.au or<br />

visit www.netzer.org.au<br />

Thank you and Chag Sameach,<br />

Caroline Freeman<br />

Netzer Sydney Mazkira<br />

(Chairperson) <strong>2019</strong><br />

with<br />

2020<br />

M A C H A N E T Z E R<br />

january 7-15<br />

(SCHOOL YEARS 9-12)<br />

CONTACT:<br />

Tahlia 0407 434 241<br />

Sara 0433 964 151<br />

E: machanetzer@netzer.org.au<br />

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<br />

CONNECTING WITH ISRAEL<br />

27


Renewal Rosh Hashanah Tashlich at the Beach<br />

with Music and Meditation for the Jewish New Year<br />

4:00pm 30th September<br />

Come hear the Shofar for the Jewish New Year. Near the ocean, we contemplate the deep meaning of<br />

the New Year accompanied by music, meditation and spiritual community.<br />

Facilitated by Rabbi Orna Triguboff and musicians Nadav Kahn, Emanuel Lieberfreund<br />

and Anna Friedman at one of the eastern beaches in Sydney<br />

Children are welcome. To find out the location please email orna@emanuel.org.au<br />

Cuddle Bundles supplies Mums and their new babies with gifts of gently-worn baby wear in excellent condition.<br />

All our bundles are packed with love, care and respect.<br />

We support all communities and cultures, both locally and overseas.<br />

HOW YOU CAN HELP<br />

• Let us know of any Mum or organisation who would welcome a gift from Cuddle Bundles.<br />

• Donate gently-worn, unstained baby goods in as new condition. Our main focus is on baby clothing<br />

for ages 0-6 months, blankets, wraps, small soft toys, feeding equipment and accessories.<br />

• Knit or crochet baby blankets, baby wear for our babies, or donate wool.<br />

• Sew gift bags for Cuddle Bundles.<br />

• If you are travelling to Israel or South Africa and<br />

would be happy to take a parcel of 5kg of more,<br />

it will be collected from your accommodation.<br />

• Drop off donations at Emanuel Synagogue<br />

CONTACT US<br />

Facebook.com/cuddlebundlesoz<br />

cuddlebundlesoz@gmail.com<br />

• Michele 0415 893 331<br />

• Ella 0410 565 121<br />

28


{HOME IS A STATE OF BEING}<br />

Donna Jacobs Sife<br />

Several years ago, between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, I traveled across<br />

New South Wales to Broken Hill, following the Darling River<br />

and camping beneath the moon. I learnt a little about the land,<br />

the history and the simple pleasures of being a wanderer.<br />

I learnt about Black Country and Red<br />

Desert. I marveled at the big skies,<br />

walked through strangely fragrant<br />

wildflowers, across cracked and thirsty<br />

earth, and mourned a plundered<br />

river. I heard of the sacrifice made<br />

by desperate men who made Australia<br />

prosper; how without the mines<br />

they would have starved and yet<br />

within them endured great sufferings<br />

and early death. I viewed remote<br />

caves with ancient aboriginal art,<br />

mysterious markings in code. I met<br />

black cockatoos, eye to eye, bright<br />

green parrots, emu tracks, and eagles<br />

doing their best to clear the gory<br />

animal remains of road carnage. A<br />

little history, a glimpse of country,<br />

a broadening of my sense of home.<br />

Whilst contemplating the endless<br />

red road, that disappeared into<br />

what seemed to be a distant<br />

island, shimmering in the heat, I<br />

remembered the opening words<br />

of the Seder night on passover<br />

- “My ancestor was a wandering<br />

Aramean”. Why are we reminded<br />

of this, year after year?<br />

We come from a tradition of nomadic<br />

life. The word itself comes from the<br />

word ‘pasture’. Abraham, Jacob,<br />

David – they all tended their flocks,<br />

traveling here and there to find the<br />

greenest pastures. Perhaps the first<br />

keeper of sheep was Abel. Cain was a<br />

settled farmer. Abel was the favourite<br />

of God, and yet Cain, who would<br />

build the first city, was promised<br />

dominion over him. A Midrashic<br />

verse, commenting on their quarrel,<br />

says that the sons of Adam inherited<br />

an equal division of the world: Cain<br />

the ownership of all land, Abel of<br />

all living creatures – whereupon<br />

Cain accused Abel of trespass.<br />

The names of the brothers are a<br />

matched pair of opposites. Abel<br />

comes from the Hebrew ‘hebel’,<br />

meaning ‘breath’ or ‘vapour’: anything<br />

that lives and moves and is transient.<br />

The root of Cain appears to be the<br />

verb ‘kanah’: to ‘acquire’, ‘get’, ‘own<br />

property’ and so ‘rule’ or ‘subjugate.’<br />

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos<br />

and Hosea were nomadic revivalists<br />

who howled abuse at the decadence<br />

of civilization. By sinking roots in<br />

the land, by ‘laying house to house<br />

and field to field’, by turning the<br />

Temple into a sculpture garden,<br />

we had turned away from God.<br />

As wanderers, we owned only what<br />

we could carry with us, and had<br />

no need to acquire new things. As<br />

wanderers, we had no fear of invasion,<br />

nor had we any need to conquer.<br />

Our security lay with a benevolent<br />

God, who governed the rains and the<br />

sun. We would welcome strangers,<br />

knowing that they too could one<br />

day be welcoming us. We did not<br />

suffer the ills of a settled life, that of<br />

watching over possessions, competing<br />

with neighbours, fearing the loss<br />

of what we have, or holding on to<br />

and toiling over a piece of soil. In<br />

the seeming permanence of a home,<br />

we paradoxically create our own<br />

insecurities. And conversely, the<br />

nomadic life in its very temporariness<br />

IHEALING THE WORLD<br />

has the potential to<br />

offer permanent joy.<br />

I thought of these things,<br />

as I slept on a swag, with<br />

nothing around me but<br />

a cool breeze, a slow river, and the<br />

persistent call of a mopoke owl. As the<br />

nights passed, I watched the moon<br />

grow to perfect fullness, knowing<br />

that Sukkot was imminent. We are<br />

taught to be joyful during Sukkot. It<br />

is in fact a mitzvah, a commandment.<br />

We are told to move out of our<br />

homes, and take up residence, just<br />

for a while, in a temporary dwelling.<br />

Sleep beneath the stars. Be woken<br />

by the music of bird song. To invite<br />

our ancestors in, and be secure in the<br />

fact that we are a continuation of a<br />

people that is proud and honourable.<br />

On Sukkot, we remember that true<br />

security lies beyond that which<br />

we can acquire, beyond four solid<br />

walls, beyond that which we see. We<br />

remember that a piece of land can<br />

never be truly home, and securing it<br />

is illusion. Home is a state of being,<br />

and travels with us wherever we go.<br />

True joy lies in faith, detachment<br />

from worldly things, and in knowing<br />

where, how and why we belong.<br />

29


{JUDAISM – A PATH OF WELLBEING}<br />

By Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff<br />

It’s what you make of it, that’s what I think! The 10 Days of Awe, from Rosh<br />

Hashana to Yom Yippur are an example of this path of heartfelt compassion.<br />

ROSH HASHANA DAY 1.<br />

We go down to the water, just like<br />

in ancient days by the rivers of<br />

Babylon. We gather in community<br />

at a beach or by a stream or lake and<br />

symbolically throw breadcrumbs into<br />

the ocean as if we were emptying<br />

our sins and regrets into the sea. It’s<br />

time for a new start, a new year, a<br />

new chance. What is your new year<br />

resolution? Ponder on the words of<br />

prayer – “sing a new song”. What<br />

will your new song be this year?<br />

DAY 2.<br />

We hear the shofar (we heard it on<br />

day 1 too). What is the point of<br />

hearing the shofar blasts? Firstly,<br />

don’t you just love it? The short terse<br />

blasts, the inevitable stuff ups when<br />

no sound comes out and finally, the<br />

long drawn out smooth sound of<br />

the tekiah gedolah? It is<br />

said that the sound of the<br />

shofar awakens the hidden<br />

quiet voice inside us, it<br />

is the voice that is always<br />

waiting to be heard. What<br />

does your inner quiet voice<br />

wish to say to you today?<br />

DAY 3.<br />

A deeper sense of gratitude<br />

awakens within us after<br />

Rosh Hashana. We have<br />

entered a new year and say<br />

the prayer – modeh ani,<br />

“I am grateful”. Spend<br />

your day with mindful<br />

awareness on the things<br />

you are grateful for.<br />

Notice how thanks giving<br />

can change your whole<br />

outlook on the day, and<br />

on your year ahead. What<br />

are you looking forward<br />

to in the year ahead?<br />

30<br />

DAY 4.<br />

Another name for teshuvah is “soul<br />

accounting” or cheshbon ha-nefesh.<br />

This brings an aspect of positivity<br />

to the process of these Days of<br />

Awe. Sometimes the atonement<br />

process can get us down with<br />

negativity however the concept<br />

of soul accounting gives the idea<br />

that we invited to consider the<br />

positive in our actions over the last<br />

year just as much as the negative<br />

ones. It’s a time to ask yourself,<br />

“What would I like to improve<br />

in the year ahead and what have<br />

I been doing well for which I<br />

should pat myself on the back?”<br />

DAY 5.<br />

“One of the greatest transgressions is<br />

to feel you can never make amends<br />

for something you have done.”<br />

Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.<br />

Can you forgive yourself? Can<br />

you forgive others? One aspect<br />

of forgiveness is internal.<br />

DAY 6:<br />

This year Shabbat falls on the<br />

6th Day of Awe. It is a day to<br />

connect with the deeper meaning<br />

of teshuvah-Atonement: At Onement.<br />

It is a day to reflect on the<br />

the concept of unity and oneness,<br />

asking yourself: “What makes me<br />

feel whole?” “What brings a feeling<br />

oneness in my life?” “Over the<br />

last year when have I felt at peace<br />

with the world and how can I<br />

strengthen this in the year ahead?”.<br />

DAY 7.<br />

The Jewish mystics envisioned<br />

that during this period,<br />

“A thin golden thread from<br />

the Celestial Mother, Binah<br />

(the universal power of<br />

Understanding), shines with<br />

the light of repentance and<br />

surrounds the whole world".<br />

(Tiqunei ha Zohar).<br />

DAY 8.<br />

Reb Nachman states that<br />

the process of repentance<br />

and efforts towards selfimprovement<br />

can be guided<br />

by a sense of love or fear. We<br />

can make changes motivated<br />

by fear (yir'ah), which is a<br />

lower level of motivation<br />

than than love (ahavah). Any<br />

move towards repentance is<br />

welcome however it can be<br />

interesting to know where<br />

your motivation comes from.<br />

Ask yourself, “Where does my<br />

desire for change come from?"


DAY 9.<br />

“We are responsible for each other”<br />

is the focus of this day. The viduy<br />

prayer of this season contains a<br />

long list of transgressions that<br />

are written in the plural form –<br />

ashamnu, bagadnu, galzalnu…”we<br />

are guilty, we have betrayed, we<br />

have overeaten…” etc. Why is the<br />

plural used? So as to remind us<br />

that we do not live in a vacuum.<br />

We are part of a society in which<br />

we influence one another. A<br />

deep principle of Judaism is the<br />

recognition that we are responsible<br />

for each other – arevim zeh la zeh.<br />

Today contemplate what this mean<br />

for you - How are you going to<br />

help others this year? How are<br />

others going to help you this year?<br />

DAY 10<br />

The Zohar “Book of Enlightenmet”<br />

states that on Yom Kippur our<br />

consciousness expands to the level<br />

of angels. The practice of turning<br />

our focus from the physical senses<br />

to sensing the spiritual, leads us<br />

to a deeper sense of the ziv hashechinah,<br />

the “radiance of the<br />

Divine Presence”. Rather than<br />

physical food we are nourished<br />

by divine light. It is said that the<br />

angelic cherubim and seraphim sing<br />

with us as we pray. Whether there<br />

are angels or not, can you feel the<br />

lightness of being on this day? Can<br />

you get a sense of your inner light?<br />

And then Yom Kippur is over, what<br />

is the first thing you do? Yes, eat, but<br />

then we pray the evening prayers<br />

in which we ask forgiveness for our<br />

transgressions! But wait a minute,<br />

we just went through a period of a<br />

month; 10 days in which the focus<br />

was on atonement and preparing<br />

ourselves for a year of goodness and<br />

improvement? Yes we did! However<br />

the sages of old knew that within<br />

a short time, we would “miss the<br />

mark” once again, and the process<br />

of teshuvah would begin once again.<br />

Our sages left us a message within the<br />

text of the siddur (prayer book), they<br />

said, yes we know you will try your<br />

best, but you will more than likely<br />

transgress within a short time of Yom<br />

Kippur’s end. We have the psychospiritual<br />

technology to help you on<br />

your path of wellbeing. We have At-<br />

Onement processes each morning<br />

and night, at the end of each week<br />

and at the end of each month,<br />

helping you to be more aware of your<br />

essence and how to connect with<br />

goodness. And hopefully the process<br />

of teshuvah will not be circular, but<br />

an ever-ascending spiral symbolising<br />

the higer level of wellbeing at which<br />

you arrive each year.<br />

Shana Tova, and may<br />

you find a deeper level<br />

of wellness and love<br />

within this ancient,<br />

wise and ever-evolving<br />

tradition.<br />

ITRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING<br />

Yom Kippur Eve - Music, Meditation & Prayer<br />

A unique opportunity to raise your spirits through music, prayer and chant, with musician<br />

Amir Paiss (co-founder of Temple of Song and Sheva Band in Israel), and Rabbi Dr. Orna<br />

Triguboff, Emanuel Lieberfreund and Aviva Pinkus. This reflective circle of prayer and music<br />

promises to be a heart-opening experience to be remembered.<br />

7:45pm-9:45pm, 8 <strong>October</strong> in Neuweg<br />

All welcome. Bookings essential - early bird $35 before 1 <strong>October</strong>,<br />

otherwise $45. Children under 15: $10<br />

Because space is limited, Emanuel members are requested to<br />

reserve a free ticket online here if you would like to participate.<br />

Reserve your seat:<br />

events.humanitix.com.au/yomkippur<br />

31


SUKKOT AT EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE<br />

Come and join us in the Sukkah for a range of exciting activities and services throughout Sukkot.<br />

SUKKAH DECORATING AND DINNER<br />

Come along and help decorate our “Sukkah under the Stars” We will supply the<br />

materials, we need you to help us make our Sukkah shine Fun for all ages!<br />

When: Sunday 13th <strong>October</strong><br />

Time: 5:30pm: decorating the sukkah<br />

6:15pm: service in the sukkah followed by dinner<br />

SUKKAH SERVICE AND DINNER<br />

Join us for first night sukkot services and stay for dinner in the sukkah<br />

When: Sunday 13th <strong>October</strong><br />

Time: 5:30pm: Decorating the Sukkah<br />

6:15pm: Service in the Sukkah followed by dinner<br />

FAMILY SUKKOT SERVICE<br />

A wonderful opportunity for families to share in the celebration of Sukkot with their children. Join us<br />

for a musical service in the sukkah connecting with the themes of the festival, followed by snacks.<br />

When: Monday 14th <strong>October</strong><br />

Time: 10am<br />

SUKKAH SERVICE AND STORY<strong>TELL</strong>ING<br />

Be a part of our second night Sukkot tradition of Storytelling in the Sukkah.<br />

This year as we contemplate Sukkot and the booths our ancestors dwelled in the desert, the journey they took both<br />

spiritually and physically we have invited ten congregants to each share a ten minute story about the theme of “journey”<br />

When: Monday 14th <strong>October</strong><br />

Where: Emanuel Synagogue Sukkah<br />

Time: 6:15pm services followed by<br />

a light dinner and stories<br />

HOSHANA RABA (SHAKSHUKAH IN THE SUKKAH)<br />

Following our Hoshana Raba service marking<br />

the end of Sukkot, we will enjoy our last meal<br />

for the year, Shaksukah, in the Sukkah.<br />

Date: Sunday 20th <strong>October</strong><br />

Time: Services 9:00am followed by shakshukah<br />

32


COMMUNITY<br />

Emanuel Synagogue<br />

Shabbat by the Sea<br />

Friday 25 <strong>October</strong><br />

Marks Park, Bondi<br />

Succah by the Sea is an installation at Sculpture by the Sea,<br />

Bondi being organised as an exciting initiative with Shalom.<br />

Succah by the Sea reimagines the 3000 year old Jewish ritual<br />

and structure of the Succah through a 21st century lens.<br />

On Friday 25 <strong>October</strong>, Emanuel Synagogue will be having a special Kabbalat<br />

Shabbat service among the Succah-inspired sculptures in Mark's Park, Bondi.<br />

• Start at 5:30pm with guided tours of the Succah<br />

• Join us from 6:15pm for a Shabbat Live! service under the stars<br />

• Stay for a BYO picnic dinner.<br />

Renewal Dawn Meditation<br />

Friday <strong>November</strong> 8 from 7:00am<br />

Marks Park, Bondi<br />

Come and join Rabbi Dr Orna Triguboff for a special Meditation<br />

experience among the Succah By the Sea installation.<br />

33


Rosh Hashana 1st Day Mon Sept 30 9:00am Rosh Hashana Service<br />

Heritage Sanctuary<br />

HIGH HOLY DAY AT EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE<br />

8:30am RH Service<br />

New Sanctuary<br />

Family service 10:00am-11:00am<br />

Neuweg<br />

Heritage Sanctuary 11:30 Yiskor Heritage Sanctuaary<br />

ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE 12:30 Musaf<br />

2:30 Mincha<br />

2:00pm Afternoon service,<br />

musaf & mincha<br />

4:00 - 5:30pm Study<br />

5:45pm Yizkor 6:00pm Neilah<br />

6:30pm Neilah<br />

7:41pm Havdallah 7:41pm Ma'ariv Havdallah<br />

11:00am - 12:00am Morning Service<br />

Neuweg<br />

12:00-1:00pm<br />

Torah meditation<br />

Music & prayer<br />

1:10pm - 2:00pm Compassion Meditation<br />

2:10pm - 3:00pm Angels Meditation<br />

3:10pm - 4:00pm Yizkor Meditation<br />

Neuweg<br />

Service Date Progressive Masorti Renewal Other<br />

Havdallah and Selichot Sat Sept 21 8:30pm Combined 8:30pm Combined 8:30pm combined<br />

New Sanctuary New Sanctuary New Sanctuary<br />

Rosh Hashana Erev Sun Sept 29 6:15 Combined 6:15 Combined 6:15 Combined<br />

Heritage Sanctuary Heritage Sanctuary Heritage Sanctuary<br />

Tashlich Mon Sept 30 5:30pm Tashlich - Centennial Park 4:00pm Tashlich with Shofar<br />

Model Yacht Pond - Nielsen Park<br />

Rosh Hashana Erev 2 Mon Oct 1 6:00pm Maariv 6:00pm Maariv<br />

Centennial Park Centennial Park<br />

Rosh Hashana 2nd Day Tues Sept 31 9:30am-11:00am 8:30am RH morning<br />

Rosh Hashana Live New Sanctuary<br />

Neuweg<br />

Kol Nidrei Tues Oct 8 6:30pm Kol Nidrei 6:30pm Kol Nidrei<br />

6:30pm Kol Nidrei<br />

Heritage Sanctuary New Sanctuary<br />

8:30pm Yom Kippur Chanting Circle<br />

Neuweg<br />

Bookings essential: Members free,<br />

open to non-members on separate ticket<br />

Yom Kippur Wed Oct 9 9:00am Morning Service 9:00am Children's service<br />

11:00am Morning service ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE 9:45am Family service<br />

34


ROSH<br />

HASHANAH<br />

LIVE!<br />

When: Second day Rosh Hashanah,<br />

Tuesday 1st <strong>October</strong> 9:30am-11am<br />

Join us for a spiritual, meaningful,<br />

Second day Rosh Hashana service.<br />

The musicians from Shabbat Live<br />

together with Cantor Mordecai and<br />

Rabbi Ninio will guide a soulful<br />

service connecting to the themes and<br />

prayers of this High Holy Day season<br />

Everybody welcome!<br />

Where: Neuweg Sanctuary<br />

35


{SERVICE TIMES}<br />

Morning Minyan<br />

Morning Minyan is on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:45am.<br />

All service times are subject to change. Please check<br />

emanuel.org.au for any amendments to our regular services.<br />

SHABBAT SERVICES<br />

Erev Shabbat<br />

• 6:15pm - Masorti Service (Neuweg)<br />

• 6:15pm - Shabbat Live (New Sanctuary)<br />

Shabbat Morning<br />

• 9:00am - Masorti service (New Sanctuary)<br />

• 10:00am - Progressive service (Heritage Sanctuary)<br />

Details of High Holy Day and Sukkot services pages 32-34.<br />

{CONTACT US}<br />

All services and other programs are held at the synagogue unless otherwise indicated:<br />

7 Ocean Street, Woollahra NSW 2025<br />

There are many ways to get in touch — we would love to hear from you!<br />

Call: (02) 9389 6444<br />

Email: info@emanuel.org.au<br />

Visit: emanuel.org.au<br />

Like: facebook.com/emanuel.synagogue<br />

Follow us! We’re on Twitter @emanuelshule and Instagram @emanuelsynagogue<br />

Office hours<br />

Monday–Thursday: 9am–5pm<br />

Friday: 9am–2pm<br />

_______<br />

Edited by Robert Klein<br />

{THANK YOU}<br />

A huge thank you to all of the contributors to this edition of Tell, and<br />

to our wonderful team of volunteers who give their time to help us<br />

get the magazine packed and into members’ homes each quarter.<br />

If you would like to contribute to the next edition of Tell, or to<br />

enquire about advertising, please email tell@emanuel.org.au.<br />

If you are interested in volunteering, email volunteer@emanuel.org.au.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!