Archive for April, 2019

From The Rabbi – Last Days Pesach Shabbat 5779

With the last two Yom Tov days of Pesach commencing this evening, we are sending this week’s ‘What’s Nu’ today.

ANZAC Day falling out in the midst of Pesach interweaves effortlessly with the central theme of Pesach, namely freedom and, in particular the last days of Pesach, which are associated with the ultimate freedom and redemption, the coming of Moshiach.

As we commemorate and recognize the courage, mateship, skill, and perseverance of those who have served, fought, and given their lives in the military, and we express our love, honour and support for those who fought to enable freedom for people all over the world, may we merit the fulfilment of the words from Isaiah, that we will recite in the Haftarah this Shabbat, describing a world of which we all dream when true peace and tranquility will pervade the earth “And a wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid; and a calf and a lion cub and a fatling

[shall lie]

together, and a small child shall lead them”

A special ANZAC service will be incorporated in the Shabbat morning service, led by Loris Ruben, President of QAJEX, (Queensland Association of Ex-Servicemen and Women).  Please see information below in this regard.

The Yizkor (Memorial) service will also be held on Shabbat morning at approximately 10.30am. Special prayers will also be recited  will also be recited for the victims of the recent horrific terror attacks in Sri Lanka.

We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Yeshivah Bachurim (boys) who have assisted us in leading the services and the Communal Sedarim, which attracted record numbers of guests from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, interstate and overseas. Outr sincere thanks again to Aron Kann for his great help and culinary skill in preparing the delicious food, and to our dedicated Peter Darbishire for his ongoing help and support in setting up and cleaning the hall.  

It has been gratifying and a great blessing for our community that services were held, almost daily, in the morning and the evening, throughout Chol Hamoed (the intermediary days of) Pesach with extra Torah learning between Mincha (afternoon) and Maariv (evening) services.     

We remind you to light a 24 or 48-hour candle before the onset of Yom Tov this evening, as candle-lighting tomorrow evening must be taken from a pre-existing flame. In addition, being that Yom Tov leads into Shabbat, the special procedure of Eruv Tavshilin (which can be found in your Siddur), should be performed before the onset of the Chag (Festival).

May we merit the ultimate blessing of true and lasting peace with the coming of Moshiach NOW!

Please see information below regarding the last days of pesach and and various communal programs and events in the coming weeks.   

We wish you and your family Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe 

From The Rabbi – Shabbat Pesach 5779

This evening, in addition to ushering in the holy day of Shabbat, we commence the joyous and liberating festival of Pesach – the Festival of our Freedom. A special welcome to the family members and  friends, who have converged on Brisbane to celebrate Pesach with their loved ones.

We are thrilled to be welcoming more than 120 people to the communal Sedarim at the Brisbane Synagogue, from many nationalities and walks of life and, in particular, we welcome and extend our sincere thanks and deep appreciation to five wonderful and capable Yeshivah students, Laibel Vogel, Yanky Blasberg, Noson Abrams, Mendy Lipsker (a cousin of ours), & Shmuli Adelist, who have kindly come to our community to lead the services and Sedarim. Our sincere thanks is extended to Aron Kann for his amazing culinary expertise in preparing for the Seders, including a few special vegan menus.         

In the lead-up to Pesach, it is always personally uplifting and overwhelming for me to witness the tremendous awakening of the inner spark of Jewish connectedness from so many Jews, from all backgrounds and levels of observance, who exert themselves to observe the Chag – festival , to nurture their Jewish identity and communal involvement. It is particularly gratifying to see the nachat and excitement in the eyes of various members of our congregation, as they proudly share clips of their grand-children and family members reciting the Mah Nishtanah and other sections of the Haggadah.

Attending the Sinai College and UBHE Cheder model Seder are always among the highlights of our annual calendar, and we would venture to say that the Seder night is arguably one of the most profound educational experiences, as we don’t merely tell the story about the exodus, but we re-live it, through all the special foods we eat, and the traditions we observe, engaging the various characters types present at the Seder and draw upon the multiple dimensions of intelligence.             

Ultimately though, the Seder nights and the festival of Pesach – Passover, like all Jewish holidays. is to internalize the true and deeper meaning of freedom, and to physiologically remove all Chametz – leaven, represented by the ego, and to instill the character of Matzah, which represents humility into our lives.

As I am sure you would understand, celebrating the Festival of Freedom in these circumstances has a particularly special relevance and meaning, and I know how much they appreciated your support in this regard.

Please see information below regarding Pesach and various communal programs and events in the coming weeks.   

On the eve of Shabbat Pesach, Dvorah and I, along with President Michael and Janine Arenson and the board of management of the Brisbane Hebrew Congregation convey our prayerful blessings to you and your family for a Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher Vesameach – A Happy and Kosher Pesach     

We wish you and your family Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe