Archive for November, 2021

From The Rabbi – Parshat Vayeitzei 5782

As these words are being typed, we pause for a moment of reflection and prayer in remembrance of all those who paid the supreme sacrifice, along with all who fought for the freedoms which we all enjoy and cherish. May their memory be a blessing.

As the many members and friends who attended the Heritage Tour of the Brisbane Synagogue, last Sunday, were being enthralled in our beautiful Synagogue sanctuary about the rich and fascinating history of our Congregation and Synagogue, the sweet sound of our Cheder children, praying, singing and learning could be heard from up above our Memorial Hall. This represents the beauty and preciousness of Jewish continuity, as we honour and value our long and distinguished history, while at the same time, we keep our eyes, hearts and minds firmly on an optimistic vision for the future, strengthening the precious  links in our golden chain of Jewish history, through the vibrant participation and enthusiasm of our young children.

This week, we relate the story in the Torah, of the lonely and frightened Yaakov (Jacob), who flees from his murderous brother Esau, to a foreign and hostile land in which he is confronted by many challenges. With faith and fortitude Yaakov  perseveres, marries and builds a large family, thus begin the foundations of the Jewish people, the twelve tribes of Israel.

We, the Jewish nation, are referred to as the children of Israel, which was the name given to Yaakov as he struggled with the enigmatic ‘man’ through the night, and prevailed, thus reminding us of the vital lesson for life and one of the key secrets to the survival of the Jewish people through our long and difficult history. As a community, and as individuals, when we come out of our comfort zones and rise to the challenges of life, these experiences often raise us to the highest level of achievement.

Shabbat Shalom, and may we share good health and good news

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe

From The Rabbi – Parshat Toldot 5782

How do we respond to Antisemitism? This important question has been the topic of our current fascinating JLI course, entitled ‘Outsmarting Antisemitism’, in which we address various aspects of this ancient, mind-boggling, and poisonous hatred, that continues to cause Jewish people so much grief and suffering.

Our community is unfortunately not immune to this as, only last Shabbat, we experienced such an incident just outside our beautiful Synagogue, during the morning service.

While we must certainly do everything in our power to protect our community, we must also not allow ourselves to be intimidated by such incidents, on the contrary. we must become stronger and prouder Jews and deepen our Jewish identity, knowledge, and observance. Such an event should embolden our resolve to attend Shul. and a most fitting response would be to secure strong attendances at our services, rather than, G-d forbid, to feed into the hands of those who seek to intimidate us and weaken our resolve.

Please see the following moving clip in this regard: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pve6L45n03i_cW3igbs8K4Drrzzl5jXD/view?usp=sharing

There is much to be gleaned from the Torah and traditional Jewish sources regarding the appropriate manner in which we should respond to antisemitism, and I commend the many individuals from our community who have been attending this important and uplifting course.

The focus this week, of our Parsha, Todot – Generations, is the transmission of values from parents to their children. As the world begins to emerge from Covid, among the powerful lessons we have learnt is the centrality of the home, though which we nurture our faith . It is strong Jewish homes that secure Jewish continuity, more so than any other Jewish environment.

Please see information below regarding the Brisbane Synagogue History talk this Sunday morning and the Kristallnacht Commemorative Event this Tuesday evening.

Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov and may we share good health and good news

Levi and Dvorah Jaffe