The Brisbane Synagogue

Archive for October, 2020

Following the exciting and uplifting conclusion to the festive month of Tishrei, it was truly encouraging to witness the enthusiasm of of our dedicated early morning Minyan attendees, who turned up the very next day after Simchat Torah, for our Monday Shacharit service, demonstrating that the commitment of the High Holiday Festivals translated into tangible spiritual continuity into the mundane activities of our weekday lives.

Let’s please keep this enthusiastic momentum, which has been generated by the past month of festivities, going into our weekly Shabbat and mid-week services, so that we maintain good attendances and more meaningful and uplifting services for all.

This week we begin reading the Torah again from ‘Bereshit’ – ‘the Beginning’ and, as the well-known Yiddish adage goes “Vi Mir Shtelt Zich Avek Shabbos Bereshis, azoy geit der Gantzer Yor” – “the way we establish ourselves Shabbat Bereshit, so follows the whole year”, we are pleased that we will be welcoming many young people at Shul, as part of a national Jewish student Shabbat initiative to unite Jewish students from around the country to celebrate Shabbat Bereshit together, with a communal dinner to be held in the Memorial Hall following the service, generously sponsored by AUJS and Chabad on Campus.

According to current registration records, we do not yet have a Minyan registered for Shabbat morning, so please make an effort to come along and register via the Synagogue website www.brishc.com or email Phillip Zavelsky to: phillipzavelsky@gmail.com for the morning service so that we may secure a Minyan, particularly as it is the first Parsha of the Torah and we will be blessing the incoming month of Mar Cheshvan.

One of the lessons we take from the story of creation is that the greatest attribute in our world is the concept of creativity. Every human being is blessed with many talents and capabilities which, if not properly utilised, are a tragedy. In this week’s Parsha – portion we see that, even if mistakes are made and not everything is smooth sailing, Hashem neverless expects each person to use his creative reservoirs to make this world into a better place for all.The very fact that we re-read the Torah year in and year out, brings home to us the idea that we can always strart again. Let us not be held guilty of wasting the gifts which have been endowed to us from our Creator.

We extend our heartfelt wishes to you for a Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov  

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe

We have enjoyed the first days of Sukkot, experiencing the unifying Mitzvot of Shaking the Lulav and Etrog and sitting together in the Sukkah and tomorrow we will formally bid farewell to the Sukkah. 

We extend our sincere thanks to Yossi White, who has assisted with leading the services at the Brisbane Synagogue over Yom Kippur and the first days of Sukkot, and to the various members who have shared articulate and inspiring insights on the meaning of Sukkot from the pulpit. Due to the positive feedback we have received from these presentations, we will PG do this more often, by inviting  members to share insights on the Parsha or other matters of Jewish interest during the Friday night service, or at the Kiddush following the service.

As we embark on the grand finale of the High Holiday experience, through the great joy and socially distanced dancing with the Torah. Our sages teach us that through the joy and dancing over the forty eight-hour Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah festivals, we have the capacity to draw down abundant blessings upon ourselves, our families and communities.

We extend our Mazal Tov wishes to our Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereshit, Laurence Terret, and Gerry Kaye, respectively, for these great honours, which are accompanied by many wonderful blessings. Lolly bags, generously sponsored by Laurence and Gerry, will be distributed to the children, along with refreshments and L’chaims for the adults for the Simchat Torah evening and daytime services, tomorrow evening and Sunday morning. A boxed lunch, also kindly sponsored by our Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereshit, will be served following the Simchat Torah daytime service.

Simchat Torah is one of the happiest Chagim (festivals) and a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the joy of Judaism to our children, through the singing  and dancing with the Torah scrolls. We look forward to greeting you at Shul and rejoicing together.

Due to the Covid restrictions, please refrain from kissing the Mezuzah on entering or leaving the synagogue, or kissing the Torah at all.

We extend our heartfelt wishes to you for a  Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach 

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe