The Brisbane Synagogue

Archive for May, 2023

Last Friday evening we had the pleasure of hosting a lovely group of Israeli backpackers for Shabbat dinner and, during the course of our conversations, the topic of the current situation in Israel was raised and one of our guests, Segev, commented on how beautiful it was for them to be traveling so far from home, yet feel a sense of community and belonging, from the familiar tunes in Shul, to the traditional Shabbat food and songs, which led us all to toast a special l’chaim that the atmosphere of love, unity and mutual respect which pervaded our Shabbat table should be embraced by our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land Israel.

As Israeli journalist Liel Leibovitz put it, the question facing Israel today, is it a Jewish country or a country for Jews? Modern Israel was established as a country for Jews but, for various reasons, is now shifting to a Jewish country, which is causing many to feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps it would be a good idea for the people of Israel to embark on a national Shabbat dinner campaign, encouraging families to open their homes and invite each other to experience the warmth, intimacy and serene atmosphere of Shabbat, which is desperately lacking in today’s technology driven world of social media, in which superficial friendships are developed and we are experiencing the starvation of meaningful relationships.

Next Thursday evening and Friday will be Yom Yerushalyim, that fateful day in 1967, the lead-up to which many within our community would vividly recall, how our soon-to-be-demolished Memorial Hall was filled to capacity, overflowing into the street, in a powerful display of unity and support for Israel.  Thanks to Hashem’s blessings, through the IDF, the Holy sites of the Kotel Hamaaravi – Western Wall, Kever Rachel – the Tomb of Rachel, and Me’arat Hamachpelah – the tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, were returned to Am Yisrael – our people on that day.

We are one nation, which always comes together in support of each other during times of crises, as was demonstrated in our own community in 1967 when Let us not wait, G-d forbid for an external crises to bring us together, rather we must reach out towards one another in love and mutual respect.

This Shabbat we complete the third book of the Torah, Vayikra – Leviticus, with the traditional deceleration Chazak, Chazak, Venitchazek.- Be strong, be strong, let’s strengthen ourselves.

May we all, particularly our brothers and sisters in Israel be strengthened through unity and love and may we share good news!

Wishing you a meaningful and uplifting Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Levi & Dvorah Jaffe

It was deeply moving to hear a dear member of our community emotionally confide this morning, following our weekly online Living Parsha class, “you know, this year in particular, the counting of the Omer has become a more meaningful and transformative experience for me”. As we shared a beautiful article on the spiritual significance and meaning behind the counting of the Omer, several participants suggested that we should consider presenting a course on this fascinating topic, which is associated with self-growth and character development.

It is indeed uplifting and personally gratifying for us to witness the thirst for knowledge, personal growth and spiritual aspirations of so many within our community, who attend services, classes, and courses, with a genuine desire to improve their Jewish knowledge and observance.

This Shabbat will mark the coronation of King Charles III, a historic moment, for the British Commonwealth and the world, which will be attended by many distinguished guests, among them, British Commonwealth Chief Rabbi Ephraim and Valerie Mirvis and Israel’s President Isaac and Michal Herzog, who will be walking to the ceremony, due to the sanctity of Shabbat. It is interesting and impressive to note that the greeting, which will be delivered by the faith leaders at the conclusion of the ceremony, will not be electronically amplified out of respect for those observing Shabbat, who are not permitted to use electronic devices on Shabbat.
This evening commences  Pesach Sheni – the second Passover, which was instituted in response to some Jewish people, who complained to Moshes – Moses that they were unable to observe certain Pesach observances, due to their having been ritually impure through contact with the dead. Following his consultation with Hashem, Moshe was instructed to inform the Jewish people that a month later, on the 14th day of Iyar, these individuals, along with others who were unable to celebrate Pesach, would be given another chance to observe.

The lesson of Pesach Sheni is the empowering and uplifting message that it’s never too late.

No one is ever too lost or too forgone to make amends in their lives. When we stray or mess up, if we recognize how far gone we are and we are shaken to our core, we can rebound. But what’s fascinating is that this rebounding is not the regular step-by-step conventional formula. In a single instant, or in this case, in a single day, rather than the seven-day process of Passover, we can redefine our past and mold our future.

This too is why Pesach Sheni needed to happen through those who were motivated to cry out in pain that they ought not to be left out from the celebrations. This is also why Pesach Sheni is celebrated in the month of Iyar, whose theme is individual endeavor, as exemplified through the counting of the Omer and our work on self-refinement.

We all mess up. We weren’t created as perfect individuals who can always make balanced judgments. But the good news is that we don’t need to. Even when we make the worst possible error, there is no cause for despair. Quite the contrary, there is cause for acknowledgment, resolve and then action.

As a great quote reads: There are those who debate whether the glass is half-full or half-empty. And then there are those who realize that the glass is refillable.

Let’s refill those glasses! L’chaim!

Please see information below regarding Lag ba’Omer celebrations on Monday evening at the JCCQ.

Shabbat Shalom and long live the King!

Rabbi Levi & Dvorah Jaffe

Thank you Chana Weisberg for extracts from the above message