The Sydney Jewish Report – September Edition 2021

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VOL. 78 Tuesday, 7 September, 2021 / 1 Tishrei 5782

Wishing all our readers a happy, healthy and safe New Year.

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Our kosher bakery at Bondi Westfield will continue to bring you fresh bread while we upgrade the store.

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COLLAPSE OF AFGHANISTAN

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

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COMMUNITY ANNE-MARIE ELIAS You may have heard about RU OK? day. A suicide prevention initiative, RU OK? day this year is on 9th September. The intent is to inspire and empower all of us to meaningfully connect with people around us and to start a conversation with those who may be struggling. The RU OK? question needs to be in our consciousness all the time and we should willingly ask this of our family, friends, colleagues and, even, strangers regularly, not just on one day of the year. It comes back to a readiness to reach out to others. Recently, I was in a shop and noticed that the salesperson didn’t look well. I asked her whether she was OK and she gratefully acknowledged that I had done so. She said that she was struggling to wear a mask all day. She said that it was good just to be able to say that to someone. Adverse Events During our lifetime we will experience adverse events. Adverse events are defined as those where a person has experienced either physical or mental harm. For people who have experienced a number of adverse events, especially when some, or all of these, may have

R U OK?

The effect of adverse events occurred in childhood it is believed they will be subject to toxic stress. Stress vs Toxic Stress We all experience stress. Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. Some other words to describe stress are pressure, strain and tension.

There are four types of stress: 1. Distress: a prolonged period of stress, during which someone feels distressed, sad and, possibly, depressed. 2. Hyper-stress: a prolonged period, during which someone is overstimulated. Exposure to

During our lifetime we will experience adverse events. Adverse events are defined as those where a person has experienced either physical or mental harm. When a person is stressed the experience is a mind-body phenomenon. Thoughts are unhelpful, people may ruminate and worry excessively. The physiology changes so that people may experience headaches, muscles tightness and become ill (mentally and/ or physically). Do a quick check-in with yourself and consider the level of stress you may be currently experiencing. Have you and/ or your loved ones experienced higher levels of stress since COVID-19 hit?

stress when adrenaline is high. Frontline workers (e.g. military, emergency services and accident and emergency staff) often report hyper-stress. 3. Hypo-stress: a prolonged period of under stimulation. Where someone has insufficient challenges. This can happen to people in retirement. 4. Eu-stress: Short-term pressure (e.g. planning for a wedding, birthday party or holiday). Toxic stress results in prolonged

activation of the stress response, namely a failure of the body to fully recover. It differs from a normal stress response in that there is a lack of caregiver support, reassurance or emotional attachments. Engaging in addictive behaviours, such as substance use or gambling, experiencing burn out, anxiety attacks or panic attacks are some of the ways we react when stressed. Toxic stress can cause people to become angry and aggressive. Helpful strategies are to engage in eating well, exercise, meditation and relaxation. In addition, it is imperative to have a support system in place from those around you. This includes the need to ask the question: RU OK? And finally: • Rather than ask someone what is wrong, ask them what has happened: • Take a moment for yourself; and • Be willing to open the conversation. From the RU OK? website, follow these four steps to having that conversation 1. Ask RU OK? 2. Listen 3. Encourage Action 4. Check back in Anne-Marie Elias is a psychologist in clinical practice for more than 25 years.

Scholarship opportunities JOFA AUSTRALIA JOFA Australia, the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, seeks to expand the spiritual, ritual, intellectual and political opportunities for women within the framework of halakha (Jewish law). It does so by advocating meaningful participation and equality for women in family life, synagogues, houses of learning and Jewish communal organisations. “JOFA Australia aims to foster local community leadership and talent to ensure that Orthodox women in Australia have access to quality teachers in the all-important time leading up to their weddings,” said JOFA Australia President Nomi Kaltmann. “In partnership with the Eden Centre in Jerusalem, JOFA Australia is excited to establish the first all-Australian cohort that will undergo Kallah teacher training via their exceptional training program.” The Eden Centre, located in Jerusalem (https://theedencenter.com/), offers a rigorous training course that focuses on enabling all women to have a personally meaningful and welcoming experience in the mikveh.

The launch of JOFA Australia. Topics covered include Halacha, women’s health and intimacy issues, communication between partners and infertility. JOFA Australia has funding to support 12 women from across Australia (any State or Territory) to undertake the 20week Kallah training course. The workshop will take place live on Zoom for three hours one night a week (the exact times and dates will be decided by the cohort), with the course set to start after High Holidays in October 2021.

While the course usually costs 2,200 shekels (approximately $1,100AUD), due to generous donors, JOFA Australia is able to offer $1,000 scholarships to successful applicants. That leaves a remaining nominal contribution from all accepted Australians of $100. Upon completion of the teacher training course, women will be qualified Kallah teachers and will be able to offer Australian students a consistent framework for teaching the laws of Taharat HaMishpacha.

“Following our successful launch in May 2021, JOFA received extensive feedback indicating that many women felt that the teaching in this area needed improvement. Further, that there was no designated qualification or framework that was consistent for Australian teachers,” said JOFA Australia vice president Sharona Jotkowitz. “At the launch of JOFA Australia, the view was that there was a significant lack of young, modern Orthodox Kallah teachers and the few that did exist were completely overbooked and burnt out,” Jotkotwitz said. “Thanks to our generous donors, we are thrilled to be able to offer an important opportunity to train women in an area that we are certain will benefit all men and women getting married in this country,” she said. If you would like to get in touch with JOFA Australia please contact: nomi@ jofa.org If you would like to apply to submit an expression of interest form to receive a scholarship and undertake training to become a Kallah teacher, please fill this in: https://docs. google.com/for ms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe c0aFD4VNQOWkiJyqaDmez_OErFLVUIzE8gipQjnEFKoOpA/viewform

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

PRIME MINISTER

MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP

ROSH HASHANAH 2021

Leader of the Opposition

I extend my warmest greetings to all who are marking Rosh Hashanah – the start of the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the beginning of life.

ROSH HASHANAH 2021

In keeping with this ancient festival – one of the high holy days of your faith – you honour the past and prepare for the future through reflection and repentance. By your actions and prayer, each of you keep alive a sacred tradition that holds both memory and hope for Jewish people across the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has cast its shadow over all our lives and kept us from the rites and gatherings we yearn to celebrate. I know this year your celebrations will once again be subdued, but I have faith that you will find inspiration and sweetness in these days of awe, as the sound of the shofar echoes in your hearts. The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks said that Rosh Hashanah allows us ‘to begin anew, forgiven, cleansed, undaunted, ready for the next challenge, the next year.’ Though some challenges still lie ahead, I hope you can begin this New Year in a renewed spirit of hope and faith.

On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I wish readers of the Jewish Reports and all members of the Australian Jewish community a Shana Tova U’Metukah – a sweet and happy new year. As I said this time last year, it is a wish that is even more powerfully heartfelt during this time of pandemic; I have every hope that is a sentence I never have to repeat again. However, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days resolutely remain what they have always been: a time for family and community. Even as physical distance comes between you and your loved ones, nothing will ever stretch your emotional bonds. With the quiet of lockdown having fallen across many parts of the country, the sound of the Shofar is even more welcome as it announces a new year and a fresh start for our Jewish community and across the world. It is also a time of reflection and repentance, and a renewal of our dedication to making Australia better for all Australians. I am deeply grateful to the Australian Jewish community for your long and remarkable history of contribution. Quite simply, this country is unimaginable without you. Just as you have helped make Australia the nation it is today, you will help shape Australia as we emerge from this crisis.

May you draw deeply on the same wells of solace and resilience in these difficult times that have sustained the Jewish people through generations.

May this new year of 5782 bring you and your family naches and simchas, and may the Shofar be granted extra decibels as it ushers in what we all will be a year of joy and success, recovery and renewal.

L’shanah tovah tikatev v’taihatem.

Yours sincerely,

The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP Leader of the Australian Labor Party

The Hon Scott Morrison MP Prime Minister of Australia September 2021

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

NEWS

RABBI NECHEMIA COOPERSMITH COURTESY AISH.COM After 20 years of US military engagement and over a trillion dollars in training and equipping the Afghan army, the Taliban forces conquered the country in less than a week after America pulled out. It's a shocking, appalling mess and there is plenty of blame to go around, but that's above my pay grade. It's not my place to discuss politics and foreign policy. I want to focus on an important insight about liberty and freedom, and how it connects to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. One of the glaring lessons in the collapse of Afghanistan is that no matter how much money, power and resources were poured in, freedom and peace cannot be imposed by outside forces. You can't force someone to will something. It must come from within. Without the internal will to fight for independence and freedom, it’s no wonder the army folded and the president fled in the face of Taliban's advance into Kabul. For 20 years, the enterprise in nation-building was being propped up by external forces. Once this ended, reality kicked in and it all came crashing down. The same is true for our individual, personal freedom. Who is the essential you? Strip away all the external forces and elements that impact us, for good and bad, and what is left? You are not your upbringing, your circle of friends, your title or position. You are not your wealth (or lack thereof), your looks, your hair, your intelligence,

The Collapse of Afghanistan:

What Does It Mean to be Truly Free?

No matter how much money, power and resources are poured in, freedom and peace cannot be imposed by outside forces. It must come from within. your fantasies, the colour of your skin. All of that forms the endless, complex strands that comprise the playing field of your life, but it's not you. You are the chooser who determines how to respond to the moral challenge which

Some 640 passengers crammed into a US Air Force C-17 that flew from Kabul Airport to Qatar on August 15.

is being presented to you at this instant. That choice is yours, and yours alone. You are personally responsible for your decision, whether it was wise or immoral, or not a decision at all. Because that's you. You are that internal will. Instead of blaming your parents, your spouse, the government, God or any other external force, switch gears and look inward. Focus on the only thing over which you do have control: your choice. Everything else that exists outside of you is not you. You are not responsible for so much of the formative circumstances of your life. You are responsible for how you choose to respond to it. So instead of blaming your parents, your spouse, the government, God or any other external force, switch gears and look inward. Focus on the only thing over which you do have control: your choice. You are not the baggage that was bequeathed to you by your upbringing, nor are you the brilliant IQ you happened to be born with. Those are some of the cards that the Almighty dealt you. Now it's up to you to determine how you are going to play your hand. You are the sum total of your choices. Abraham, the first forefather of the Jewish people, wasn't blamed for worshipping idols as a child. He didn't choose to be born at a time the entire world was seeped in idolatry. Nor was

there any attempt to cover up his lessthan-stellar upbringing. Submerged in darkness, he used his unique circumstances to find truth and chose greatness. Rosh Hashanah Reality Check Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of humanity; it's a celebration of free will. The Talmud teaches that in the moment of judgment, we stand before God utterly alone and come face to face with the reality of who we really are. All externals are stripped away. There are no friends to hide behind, no society to get lost in, no excuses to rely on, nor others to blame. It’s only the real you, all your heroic and selfish decisions, the dreams that were in reach but you left unfulfilled and the accomplishments you chose to attain. The external forces we use to prop ourselves up or hide behind are pulled out and we are left with our true inner self that we are fully responsible for. That is who God is examining on Rosh Hashanah. That reality check can be terrifying. It allows us to see what we are really made of. But it's also liberating and deeply meaningful. Recognising that I am the only person responsible for attaining my personal greatness is like a blast of the shofar that pierces our soul, beckoning us to wake up and choose life.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

Community Organisations Come Together BJE, COA & JCA In a communal gathering of hearts and minds, the NSW Board of Jewish Education (BJE), in collaboration with JCA, will be diverting funds from their annual Kol Nidre Appeal to support COA Sydney. COA reported that the need for Kosher Meals on Wheels has increased dramatically over the past 18 months. In 2020, the organisation was delivering 2,191 meals a month. This jumped to 4,285 in January 2021 and then surged to 7,709 during the current lockdown. “BJE recognises that this has been a year like we have never experienced and there are many in our community who continue to struggle. With this in mind, all funds raised during the KNA will go to the COA to support their Kosher Meals on Wheels program,” said Tahlia Gordon, President of BJE. With the organisation currently undergoing a revival in their delivery of Jewish education, an exciting future awaits those who will experience their programs and services. “Our raison d’être is to support the thriving communities of children and their families at non-Jewish schools living in

diverse areas across Sydney and NSW. We offer an inclusive, contemporary approach to Judaism that provides a meaningful and inspiring Jewish journey from Year K through Year 12. It combines an experiential learning curriculum and learning about Israel, culminating in the BJE Israel Program (pre-COVID). We also create opportunities to engage with Jewish life, culture and tradition that enables our students to connect with and be proud of their Jewish identity,” Gordon said.

Supported by JCA, the Kol Nidre Appeal will go out community-wide to donors that regularly support BJE’s KNA Appeal, as well as to those that support JCA and COA. “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit that has been demonstrated by the leadership of BJE,” said Alain Hasson, CEO of JCA. “This is what JCA is all about – communal organisations working collaboratively and looking after those in our community that need help

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COMMUNITY most. While the BJE Kol Nidre Appeal has been running for 110 years, I am truly heartened by BJE’s foresight in recognising that this year it was more important for another communal organisation to benefit from the annual Kol Nidre Appeal,” Hasson said. On the wall of COA’s community activity hall there’s a graphic of their volunteers and supporters that reads: “COA Heroes Don’t Wear Capes”. “When we got the call from JCA indicating that BJE was giving up their appeal for us in this time of need, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. In our eyes they are heroes for giving us this opportunity. Our staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to cope with the current demand to ensure that some of the most vulnerable members of our community have enough food and are taken care of. Increased funding will alleviate some of the stress we are all experiencing. Thank you to everyone at BJE and JCA for making this possible,” said Rachel Tanny, CEO of COA. The community is encouraged to support this urgent appeal. Donations can be made at www.jca.org.au/kna The community is encouraged to support this urgent appeal. Donations can be made at www.jca.org.au/kna

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

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J-AIR: all about community

COMMUNITY

J-AIR

JIFF 2021 Delayed JIFF As a result of the current COVID-19 environment, the 2021 Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) will move to February/March 2022. Among the films that will have their

Australian premiere screenings at JIFF are Here Today, a romcom starring Billy Crystal, The Auschwitz Report, a drama based upon a true story and the entertaining documentary Dirty Tricks. JIFF is also a global partner on the new Jewish-themed streaming platform ChaiFlicks.

From humble beginnings in unfurnished rooms in an old factory in 2014, community radio station J-AIR 88FM (j-air.com.au) has just moved into purpose-built, modern premises in St Kilda. The station is about to start broadcasting from this facility via three new, professional studios. J-AIR, or Jewish Australia Internet Radio, was originally created as a streaming service for the Melbourne Jewish community by Robert Bontschek. It has since been embraced around the nation (and internationally). The station started with a handful of presenters and has seen those numbers grow considerably. It operates 24/7, playing 35 live, broad-based programs weekly – mostly in English, but some in Hebrew, Russian and Yiddish, catering to a linguistically diverse community. The shows, for all ages (with more on the horizon), are sourced locally, interstate and overseas, and are also available as podcasts. Subjects dealt with include general

community news, Israeli and Jewish affairs (supplied by sister station Israel New Talk Radio, based in Jerusalem), sport, health, music and leisure. J-AIR is governed by a forwardthinking Board, complemented by the executive (committee of management), members of whom are keen to see the station grow and prosper for the benefit of Jews and non-Jews alike. So, check out J-AIR 88FM or log onto j-air.com.au and spread the word. Listen and support the station through sponsorship and advertising. Website: j-air.com.au Email: info@j-air.com.au

By the time this ad is published, J-AIR 88FM (www.j-air.com.au) will have completed its rebuild. J-AIR is Australia’s ONLY Jewish community radio station, broadcasting on 88FM in Melbourne and on the world wide web.

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the sydney jewish report | july 20212021 the sydney jewish report | September

ARO UND T H E The 2021 Census – a vital tool Board vision COMMUNITY

for the Jewish community

NSW JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES In May 2021, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies appointed a new CEO, Darren JCA Bark. While much of the past few months have been interrupted by the COVID-19 How many Jews the live Board in the has Outback? Delta outbreak, been To find out, we’d need the able to use this time to re-learn,Australian re-focus and re-purpose. census, which is arriving in two weeks. organisations It Like will other seek anot-for-profit mass of data covering across NSW,from the health, Board age, is navigating everything poverty, through uncertainties of the education,theculture and “yes”, the pandemic. outcomes will highlight how many The Board’s relies on the its ability Outback Jewssuccess there are. In fact data to listen to the needs of our diverse represented by completed census are community in order to represent it chock-full of stories about the present proudly and to present a united, and the past … and even the future. balanced perspective. Let’s theintroduced Outback relationship then. Jews It has take recently have beentoa provide part of 55 theconstituent fabric of managers Australian society the First organisations with since a single pointFleet of landed. And contraryopportunities to what you may contact to identify and think, they don’t all live in Caulfield or the address challenges. Additionally, Eastern Suburbs. Inworking Broken Hill,alongside a frontier numerous individuals, mining townbodies deep inand the Outback of the Board continues to imposing combat and western NSW, rises an and respond antisemitic incidents, beautifully to preserved synagogue. And whether they occur in the workplace, while this shul long ago ceased serving schools, or on social a Jewishuniversity community, we knowmedia. from the The current challenges are local, but last census there were still frontier Jews they are also driven by international living in Broken Hill in 2016. Not only that, issues and concerns. There are increased but the synagogue now forms part of incidents in schools and universities, our history in Australia and preserves and at synagogues. Those that spread these stories through the onsite messages of hate use variousmuseum. political Meanwhile such a very storytheis techniques, as different managing told about Australia’s unique Holocaust media, recruiting disseminators, and

attempting to hijack the conversations. “Proactively tackling antisemitism and all forms of racism has never been more important. Also critically important is the development of educational programs aiming to minimise its prevalence,” Darren Bark said. In order to do this, the Board partners with the Sydney Alliance, the 'We Are All Sydney' graduates, Jewish parent committees and independent schools. Relationships with the First Nations and LGBTQ+ communities continue to grow following a breakthrough year of working together in 2021. This has included the establishment of an LGBTQ+ Working Party and a mentorship program for LGBTQ+ Jews, set to start in 2022. In June, the Board partnered with the Sydney Jewish Museum to host the first ever Jewish-First Nations online education seminar. Next year, the Board will develop a “Hand in Hand” portal on its website (www.nswjbd.org) showcasing projects involving Jewish and First Nations survivor heritage. The census data tell us collaborations. that in the decade from 2006 tolimits 2016 the With synagogues closed, on gatherings and born restrictions onHungary travel, number of Jews in Poland, this High Holy Days by will more look unlike andyear’s Germany declined than anything we havethe seen. The community a third, reflecting inevitable passing isof reminded to chapter comply with all Jewish Public a defining in the Health Orders, including the prohibition Australian experience. This emphasises on religious gatherings. the urgent need to ensure the memory “It is disappointing that our community of these survivors lives on, even after cannot meet to observe and celebrate they have away. together atpassed this time, but we look forward census,in due to again take in place on to The gathering person the not August 10th, is the said mostBark. comprehensive too distant future,”

most efficient use of scarce communal resources. The best choices can only be made through informed decision making and that has to be based on evidence.” “By reporting Jewish in the 2021 Census, JewishC o people m b acan t t i nhelp g themselves by helping organisations such as JCA antisemitism and its member organisations take the guesswork out of understanding the Government and community. For example, it will provide i n t e rabout c u l tthe u rnumber a l of Jewish information school children are now and how r e l a t there ions many there are likely to be in the future. Similarly, M e dfori aunderstanding l i a i s o n aged care service provision, community security, H osynagogues l o c a u s tand a wevery a r e nconceivable ess aspect of Jewish community life. In each case, N GtheO data o u thelps r e a cushanswer key questions like, do we need to provide snapshot of the country we can get. It is more, what S c hbuild o o lmore h a or r mconsolidate ony a vital resource for the Jewish community we already have?” Dr Graham said. programs and all the organisations that are tasked This year Census Night falls on 10th with providing services and facilities, as August 2021, but the census form will Ibe s r available a e l s t uonline d y tfrom o u r 28th s July, well as planning for the future. Dr David Graham, demographer when login ID’s will start arriving in the working with JCA in NSW told us “the post. We encourage all members of Join today census takes away the guesswork. the community to fill it out as soon as w w .and n swrite wjb d . oasr g It allows planners to make informed w possible Jewish an answer decisions about what is best for the to the religion question. “Ultimately the community. It even helps them to peer Census is about you, your family, and into the future to make the best and your community,” Dr Graham said.

YOUR VOICE OUR COMMUNITY

A Happy New Year to All Our Jewish Clients. Thank You for Your Continuing Support and Trust. Logicca Chartered Accountants enquiries@logicca.com.au (02) 8238 6900 www.logicca.com.au

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

CO NS I D E R E D

OPINION

RABBI MARK WILDES COURTESY AISH.COM One of the most important Jewish principles in interpersonal relations is the obligation to judge people favourably and to give others the benefit of the doubt (Ethics of the Fathers 1:6). This principle is relevant as we get closer to the High Holidays – to the “Days of Judgment” – because if we judge others favourably, God will judge us favourably (Shabbat 127b). Normally, the principle of judging favourably applies when there is incomplete information. We don’t know if the person is acting appropriately or not, and the situation can be interpreted favourably or unfavourably. We don’t know the underlying facts of the situation, only the surface-level appearance, and we don’t have a full picture. In such cases, we are taught to fill in the missing pieces with a positive assumption. If God knows everything – if He knows why the person went into McDonald’s – what does it mean that He will judge us favourably? For example, if we know someone keeps kosher, but we observe them entering a McDonald’s. In that situation, giving the person the benefit of the doubt would mean making the assumption that the person entered the restaurant for some reason other than to eat – perhaps to use the restrooms. But how does this work with God? We are taught that if we give others the benefit of the doubt, God will do the same for us. But how can this be? After all, God is omniscient! He knows everything, so there’s no data missing. If God knows everything – if He knows why the person went into McDonald’s – what does it mean that He will judge us favourably? Doesn’t God know if we acted properly or not? Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz answers that in every human activity there is some good and bad. Even when we do the right thing, there’s usually some aspect that is done for personal gain. No action is a hundred percent motivated by pure altruism. Conversely, when we do something wrong, there is inevitably some good to those actions as well. The question is where we put our focus – on the positive or the negative? Since both good and bad exist within every action, we have a choice as to where we will direct our attention. Do we choose to see the good in people or the bad in people? Do we focus on the positive aspects of their character or areas where they fall short? Rabbi Shmuelevitz answers that whatever we choose to focus on in other people’s lives is what God will focus on in ours. If we choose to direct our attention towards the good in others, even when we don’t have the

Why It's So Important for You to Judge Others Favourably

If we judge others favourably, God will judge us favourably. whole picture, God will focus on the good in us – even though He knows the whole situation. If we choose to direct our attention towards the good in others, even when we don’t have the whole picture, God will focus on the good in us – even though He knows the whole situation. Conversely, if we focus on the bad in

child for not being careful, but they could instead choose to focus on how eager the child was to help out around the house. Both the child’s desire to help and his carelessness are true. It becomes the parent’s choice whether to focus on the positive or the negative, and it’s a choice we all have to make as to where we should direct

If we get into the habit of routinely trying to find the good in others, over time we will train ourselves to always choose the good. others, God will focus on that part of us as well. After all, how can we expect God to judge us more favourably than we judge others? When we choose to actively overlook the negative aspects of other people’s behaviour, we’re not being naive. It’s making a choice to focus on the positive that also exists within our friend’s conduct and character. Suppose a child wants to be helpful to his parents and starts cleaning the dishes, but because he is careless, a plate slips and shatters on the floor. The parent may be upset with the

our attention. If we get into the habit of routinely trying to find the good in others, over time we will train ourselves to always choose the good. By focusing on the best in others we become more positive people. Judging others favourably can be challenging, especially when we feel wronged or offended in some way. One suggestion I have found helpful in judging others when feeling mistreated, is found in the very words of the Sages of the Mishnah: havei dan et kol ha’adam l’kaf zechut, “judge

all people favourably” (Ethics of the Fathers 1:6). The Hebrew word kol or “all” would seem to suggest that we should judge “all” people favourably, and not just some people. However, there is another way to understand this phrase. The Hebrew term kol ha’adam can also be translated as “all of the person.” We don’t have to focus on the one wrong thing that person did and let that person be defined by that one action. We should not simply look at what the person did that offended us. Rather we can choose to look at kol ha’adam, at the whole person. Looking at the total person will not erase the wrong, but it will allow us to see the person’s misdeed within the context of the entire person, including all their positive character traits and the good deeds they have performed. It helps us refrain from hyperfocusing on the one offense, and instead allows us to zoom the lens out and look at the entire person – a powerful technique to judge others favourably. The more we choose to see the best in others, the more we will become the positive people we want to be. Imagine what a different world it would be if we could latch on to whatever good we see in other people. And as our Sages teach, the more we do this for other people, the more God will do this for us.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

More than bricks and mortar – we’re creating our bright future EMANUEL SCHOOL Emanuel School is embarking on an extensive project to redevelop one of its older buildings into a purposebuilt, 21st Century learning centre and has launched an Appeal to raise the necessary funds. With an increased demand for contemporary pluralist education, enrolments are at an all-time high. Over the past decade, Emanuel has expanded and enhanced the campus to help accommodate 170 additional students, leaving the school bursting at the seams. Much has changed in Emanuel’s physical landscape since 2013, when the school last approached the wider community to support a major building project. Strong fiscal management of school resources and the generosity of individual donors have subsequently seen the development of an Innovation Centre and significantly enhanced play space. Speaking of the new project, David New, Emanuel parent and President of the Emanuel School Board, said the building is a much-needed piece of the Emanuel infrastructure puzzle. “It will ensure we have the ability to not only comfortably accommodate

the significant growth we’ve seen in our student numbers in recent years, but it will also provide our school with another world class educational facility”. The three-storey building will double the existing internal teaching space, introduce a new and innovative Primary Imaginarium and add significant collaboration areas for students. It will also include eight flexible classrooms with improved connectivity for project-based learning, a kindergarten library and breakout spaces for group work to accommodate focused learning. In addition to the roomy, light-filled building, the outdoor space will be landscaped to provide a level playground for active play and a tiered courtyard for project-based and outdoor lessons. The Appeal has a target of $10 million. The school has already secured a

generous $2 million pledge from donors who have previously supported the school, but never at such a significant level. Emanuel past-Presidents Grant McCorquodale and Adam Blackman have been tasked by the School Board to lead the Appeal. “From their very first day at school, we have watched our children flourish, with a deep love of learning, commitment to their Judaism and recognition of their important role in bringing about change, peace and equality. “An investment in Emanuel School is an investment in the future of Jewish education. Our children’s connection to Israel, their Jewish heritage and practice, and the continuity of community is in our hands. We are not merely building a new building – it is far more than that. This campaign is our opportunity to leave a

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COMMUNITY legacy to our children and our children’s children. Please join us as we take this important step to create a bright future for our students, our school and our community.” Future-proofing students for an increasingly complex and demanding world remains a key focus at Emanuel School. Knowledge and skills are no longer sufficient to succeed, with employers seeking graduates who are outstanding communicators, collaborators, problem solvers and design thinkers. Principal Andrew Watt is exceptionally proud of the students who leave the school to make their mark on the world, many of whom are featured on a website that has been developed specifically for this Capital Appeal. “Our well-rounded graduates step out into the world as contributing, thoughtful and expressive young adults, many of whom have made a significant impact on communities, both locally and abroad. I encourage you to visit ourbrightfuture.com.au to discover the stories of a number of such graduates. These include Mitch, who is the manager of Adamama Jewish Urban Farm, Hannah who was recognised as NSW Young Woman of the Year and Sam, composer in residence with the Sydney Children’s Choir. “This project is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about creating a bright future for our students, both now and into the future.”

A day of joy, a time of hope and a year of happiness. Wishing you peace and good health on Rosh Hashana and always.

‫התימטמו‬ ‫התיבובח‬ ‫הטובבהה‬ ‫ההבטו‬ ‫תיוחמחתי‬ ‫ההו‬ ‫כתיכבכתי‬ ‫שטנו‬ ‫ש נה‬ ‫התוקקהה‬ ‫תוומקמתו‬ ‫מהו‬ ‫הטבובה‬ ‫ההבטו‬ ‫שנ‬ ‫ר‬,‫ם‬ ‫שולוב‬ ‫ש נת‬ ‫המחחהה‬ ‫באובריר‬,‫םי‬ ‫שנ‬ ‫חשמ‬ ‫שתומ וש‬ ‫תיאוואות‬ ‫ל‬,‫שתלתושם‬ ‫שנ‬

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

M AK I NG

MEMORIES SARA RAYVYCH It’s a busy time of year for all of us – even busier if kids are home with nowhere else to go. It’s a challenge to make the holidays special at the best of times. It’s an even greater challenge to give our children an incredible holiday experience when so much of what we’re used to has changed. I’m going to share an underappreciated secret that, in reality, is not so secretive: parents set the tone and create the reality. It’s the adults in your child’s life that will make each holiday special. This can be seen as a burden, but it’s also a position of strength to know what an impact you can have. With a little creativity and praying for an extra dose of sanity, you can give your child the best holiday yet. By involving your children in your holiday preparations and giving them that extra connection to you, you give them what they truly need to feel the holidays are special. I would like to suggest just one of the many ways you can bond with your child as you make this a year they remember positively. Between the many holidays we go through various emotions. We also go through lots of food. For those with kids it’s tempting to try to find means to get the kids out of the way so you can get everything done, as you know they’ll slow you down, distract you and make a mess. To be honest, there are times when that’ll be the best method. But, often, you can include children in your holiday chores. Not only does it keep the little ones occupied, it also gets them excited for the holidays and involved, while teaching them skills they’ll need for life. My children have become quite

New Year preparations proficient from a young age at various kitchen tasks. Naturally, baking desserts is their favorite. While there are times to creatively find ways to get kids out of the kitchen, I’d like to suggest a few of the ways you can bring kids into the kitchen. Bonding through the chaos It is my experience that so much incredible bonding can happen in the kitchen. It’s one way to work together, talk as you go and maybe even sing or dance together (but not while holding knives).

be enough to let them know they’re special to you. Food is a surprising way to bring families together. Perhaps there is someone special in your child’s life you’d like to include in your holiday preparations. Whether it’s a grandparent, relative or neighbour, you can arrange in advance to cook with them over the phone or via video chat. As they measure and pour along with your child, they can bring that extra love into the room. As a bonus, your youngster may add some refreshing childish noise to a lonely person’s day.

It’s this time together that helps create their special childhood memories and makes the holidays that much more meaningful.

I’ve given so much to my children during those conversations. They’re excited and eager and they soak in whatever you want to say. As you work together (somewhat) calmly, it allows children to open up to you. It’s this time together that helps create their special childhood memories and makes the holidays that much more meaningful. Years from now, when they remember the holiday preparations, you want them to think of baking and laughing, instead of screaming and stress. That time you create together now can be the highlight of their recollections in years to come. It’s not easy and I won’t deny it’s a lot to ask. Often, even just one session together with you in the kitchen can

If you recognise that you’re already stressed or in a big rush, then it may not be the best time to incorporate children into the preparations. Gauge your mood and be honest with yourself. To state the obvious, inviting your kids to help when you’re bound to scream isn’t conducive to family bonding. Practical pointers Kids can complicate the kitchen, but even the youngest of future chefs can be involved in some way. Of course, safety comes first and an adult needs to be present whenever sharps, heat or anything dangerous is involved. Truthfully, the youngest of assistants will often best be occupied in the kitchen by having their own (empty) bowl and spoon and mixing their pretend

ONLINE SUBMISSION FOR CONTENT 4 Log onto thejewishreport.com.au 4 Click on 'Submit Article' in the top right hand corner 4 Follow the prompts and submit the article You will receive an email confirming your submission Any problems or queries, please contact Alex at prepress@sydneyjewishreport.com

concoctions. Toddlers can enjoy and feel included with even this minor involvement. Once they’re a little older, I’ve found that children can start to assist with real preparations. Always demonstrate what you expect. Even better is if you can have the child perform the task while you gently guide and correct. Know they won’t do it the same way you do but that’s okay. Younger kids can easily pour premeasured ingredients into the bowl or cut easily sliced vegetables with a dull knife. I’ve found that placing the measured ingredient into a larger receptacle before handing it to the child avoids spillage. Also, some ingredients, such as flour, cause a bigger mess when spilled, as opposed to chocolate chips. As they become more experienced, they can begin to move to more complicated vegetables and peel and slice what you need for the recipe, keeping them involved while saving you time. Once a child reads, they can start to try basic recipes on their own, with you assisting the first few times. Kids will make messes and spill things. They're only human and even adults can have an occasional mishap. Expect that kids will learn as they go and mistakes are inevitable. When you anticipate this in advance and see this as an inevitable part of the learning process, then it can be a little less painful. Prepare the work area first by covering it with a plastic table cover or another easy to clean surface. Remember, they spread the predicted mess further than adults do. By keeping the clean-up simple you’re more likely to be willing to allow them to assist. This year might be different, but it can still be special. The holidays are busy, exciting and stressful, but bringing your kids into the kitchen is one way to add meaning to the celebrations and memories to their childhood.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

JUD AI C A

QUIZ

RABBI DAVID FREEDMAN Welcome to the High Holy Days edition of the Judaica Quiz! Rabbi David Freedman has a wealth of knowledge that he generously shares with Sydney Jewish Report readers via these cleverly designed questions. Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to read out these questions at your Yom Tov table (yes, at home) and see just what your family truly knows. If their Jewish knowledge is lacking in any way, you can fill in the blanks with the answers. It’s a win-win! From the shofar to Temple times to the arts to Israel you’ll be challenged. We’re talking past, present, cultural, religious and more. See what you know about unique minhagim, or customs across these Days of Awe and so much more. It is truly inspiring, and we thank you for your positive feedback thus far. If you would like to contact Rabbi Freedman directly: email rabdaf@yahoo.com anytime. Wishing all a Shana Tova U’Metuka. 1. During production, why is a shofar put in an oven? a) To sterilise it to ensure there are no insects still living inside the ram’s horn b) So that it plays better and louder notes c) So that it can be bent into a curved shape 2. Rosh Hashanah takes place in the month of Tishrei. What is the Biblical name given to this seventh month of the Jewish Year?

‫שנה‬ ‫ובה‬ ‫ט‬

High Holy Days' Special Edition 3. In which book of the Bible do we read about the religious reforms initiated by Ezra at a ceremony taking place on Rosh Hashanah? 4. During Temple days, before there was a fixed Jewish calendar, how did the sages determine on which day the new Jewish year would begin?

Test your knowledge ... Good luck. Enjoy. Hopefully, learn something new about your Jewish heritage and tradition.

5. Maimonides says of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that they are “Days of Awe rather than days of joy”. As a consequence, a joyous part of one service included on other festivals is omitted on these High Holy Days. Identify this service. 6. According to the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16b) three ledgers are opened on Rosh Hashanah. What is their purpose? 7. Appointed Israel's minister plenipotentiary to the Soviet Union in September 1948, who went to Moscow’s Choral Synagogue on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and found herself surrounded by almost 50,000 excited Soviet Jews in the streets outside? 8. Rembrandt’s painting The Sacrifice of Isaac is displayed in which European Museum:

a) The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg b) The National Gallery, London c) The Louvre, Paris 9. During the ceremony of Tashlich (Casting) some have the custom to throw real crumbs into a body of water to represent the casting off of one’s sins. During the Middle Ages, why were the Jews advised by some Jewish community leaders to stop throwing crumbs into the city’s wells? 10. At this time of year, we are encouraged to ask for forgiveness from those we have wronged during the previous year. How, according to Maimonides, can one fulfil that obligation if the person to receive the apology has died? 11. What was the name of the Israeli who managed football teams in England, such as Chelsea and West Ham United, and missed matches on occasions due to the fact that it was Yom Kippur? 12. The pre-Yom Kippur atonement ceremony is called in Yiddish, Shlogn Kapores. In what way, in more modern times, has this ritual changed? 13. Who sang Kol Nidre in the 1927 film, The Jazz Singer? 14. The Yom Kippur War began on Tishrei 10, 5734 – give the corresponding civil date 15 .Direct negotiations, towards the end of the Yom Kippur War took place where exactly on the Suez-Cairo Road? 16. True or false, Jonah, whose book is read on Yom Kippur, was swallowed by a whale? 17. The Neilah service, the final service of Yom Kippur ends with the statement “The Lord He is God.” This is a quotation from which famous Biblical story from the Book of Kings? 18. The late Rabbi Lord Sacks described Yom Kippur in the following way: “It was

when the holiest man, entered the holiest place on the holiest day”. Who was this holy man, and where was the holy place? 19. Sukkot begins on Tishrei 15. How many days does it last for: a) In Israel b) Outside Israel? 20. The Four Species include a Lulav (Palm branch), Etrog (Fruit of the Citron tree), Hadassim (Myrtle twigs) and Aravot (Willow branches). According to a popular interpretation, each of these four species represents a different part of the human body: the eyes, the mouth, the spine and the heart. Match up each one of the four species with the part of the body it is said to represent. 21. Which of the “Four Species” according to Jewish tradition is extremely valuable to women in pregnancy, or women seeking to have a child? 22. Which climatic feature is associated with Shemini Atzeret? 23. Simchat Torah means Rejoicing over the Torah – what precisely is being celebrated? 24. Which food is shaped differently during Tishrei to remind Jews of the Heavenly crown that adorns the Divine, or perhaps the wheel of the seasons or the spiral of upward progress? 25. On Wednesday 14 October 1663 (Simchat Torah 5424) which famous English diarist visited a synagogue for the first time and reported: “But, Lord! To see the disorder, laughing, sporting, and no attention, but confusion in all their service, more like brutes than people knowing the true God”?

ANSWERS PAGE 27

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

JE W S

OVERSEAS RABBI DAVID ELIEZRIE COURTESY JERUSALEM POST The ideas that stand at the center of Judaism have the staying power because they transcend the limitation of time. Menachem Forester is a student at the Chabad Yeshiva nestled in the ancient Venice Ghetto, established in 1516. The Ghetto, no longer designed to lock up Jews, is the vibrant center of Jewish life in the ancient Italian city. Every night, Forester makes the twenty-minute walk from the Jewish Ghetto to the pillars in the central town square, Piazza San Marco. Imported from Turkey in the 12th Century, the pillars rise high as a symbol of the political power of a trading center that linked the east and west. But Forester sits at the pillars of another part of their symbolism. In 1533, it was the site of the mass burning of the Talmud. Venice was an early center of Jewish printing, home of the Bomberg Talmud, whose iconic layout became the standard to this day. Besides copies of the Talmud, other priceless manuscripts and Jewish books were burned on a quest to destroy Jewish knowledge, sparked by the hatred of the Spanish Inquisition. When Forester arrives at the square, he opens his Talmud and spends an hour in Torah study. “This is my way of responding to the tragedy of almost 500 years ago,” he says. “What better way than to study Torah and our Jewish tradition in the very place which our enemies sought to destroy it.” Forester represents the remarkable era that we live in as Jews. Beyond the doom and gloom that Jews love to focus on – and there are serious challenges – we live in a remarkable time. As the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks would say: “almost all Jews live in free countries where they can openly practice.” We have a country where Jews have sovereignty. We are equipped with modern weaponry – just over a month ago, while on a rabbinical solidarity mission in the wake of the most recent Gaza conflict, I got a glimpse of Israel’s newest weapon: the state of the art F-35 combat aircraft. Today Jews can defend themselves against our enemies and are free to study Torah where its books were burned some five centuries ago. Lying at the core of what drives us as Jews is a sense of personal empowerment, the guts to stand up for ourselves, the guts to learn Torah in the very place that symbolizes its destruction. Some years ago, I visited the British Museum. I wandered through the exhibits of ancient peoples like the Hittite and Babylonians. I saw the massive stone reliefs of Sennacherib exiling the Ten Tribes, the

Despite predictions of doom and gloom, Judaism is thriving

CHABAD EMISSARIES gather in front of the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters in Brooklyn in 2015 (Reuters).

Menachem Forester studying Talmud at the Piazza San Marco in Venice. statues of the Greeks, Romans, Persians and others. Each empire rose and fell, and today their cultures exist in museums and archaeological sites. I stood there as a Jew, not very different from the ancient Jews who challenged these empires with the ideas of monotheism, justice, compassion and the mission to infuse the world with Divine purpose. These superpowers had might that dominated the world for a few centuries, but each had its sunset. Yet the ideas that stand at the center of Judaism have the staying power

because they transcend the limitation of time. Given by God at Sinai, they have meaning and are relevant every time and every place. The lesson is clear. The ideas of the Torah are the core of our identity. If we care about a Jewish future, we don’t need to change Judaism to fit a popular agenda of political-social action, even though Judaism does teach compassion. Nor is the answer to a Jewish tomorrow a secular nationalism devoid of the spiritual bond to the Jewish homeland.

What we need is to teach the next generation authentic Torah. We need to instill in them wonder for Jewish knowledge, so they can find modern relevance to the ideas of this era. If they deeply appreciate it, they will pass it on to the next generation. If you’re looking for a place to start studying, drop by the Piazza San Marco at 10:00 PM every night. Menachem would be delighted to have a study partner. Rabbi David Eliezrie is president of the Rabbinical Council of Orange County, California. His email is rabbi@ocjewish.com

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

Continue to support the People of Israel through UIA UIA NSW UIA NSW is proud to stand with the People of Israel – now more than ever, as we usher in the Jewish New Year and reflect on the effects that the devastating global pandemic has had and continues to have on our lives. Every donor who supports our projects is part of a diverse global network, with the interests of the People of Israel and broader Jewish world at its heart. Most importantly, being part of UIA means that we can rely on each other and Israel in times of crisis, such as these. In partnership with our global family and as a Jewish international collective, UIA works to further the national priorities of the State of Israel through our many projects. These projects place special emphasis on advancing weaker communities, nurturing disadvantaged and marginalised youth, encouraging Aliyah and connecting young Diaspora Jews to Israel and Jewish life. Due to pandemic-related global distress and growing anti-Semitism, there has been a new and urgent motivation to make Aliyah since last year, with Aliyah applications having

increased by 50 per cent. Recently, 160 Jews from France made Aliyah, while new immigrants from Argentina and South Africa have also made Israel their new home. For these new Israeli residents, programs like Ulpan Etzion, a Keren Hayesod-UIA supported project, provide the much-needed support and education that new immigrants rely on. For some, Aliyah and integration into Israeli society is not just important, its life changing. Beza came to Israel via Operation Solomon, the largest Ethiopian Aliyah to date, whereby 14,325 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel. At just seven years of age and born blind, Beza and his family were welcomed and embraced by the Jewish Agency Absorption Centre in Tzfat, supported by Keren Hayesod-UIA. Since then, Beza has gone on to compete in the 2008 Paralympics and climbed the 5,545-foot summit of Kala Patthar, which offers a view of Mount Everest. Four years ago, Beza gained his teaching degree and now instructs high school students in Raanana. There’s no doubt in Beza’s mind that any of this could have been achieved without the assistance he and his family received from Keren Hayesod-UIA and The Jewish Agency all those years ago.

Jobs Open! “Thank you for introducing us to

JEWISHCARE & JEWISH HOUSE

our new employee. We couldn't be

Community organisations JewishCare and Jewish House have formed a landmark partnership with the launch of Jobs Open! The joint initiative is designed to connect local employers with job seekers in the community, helping businesses and individuals to thrive during these difficult times. Jobs Open! encourages employers to be open to employment diversity, helping place job seekers from all backgrounds, including those with a disability. The collaboration has already produced some great results, with employers benefiting from advancing their corporate social responsibility and strengthening their workplace culture. "When we were first approached by JewishCare to employ someone with a disability at Salon Lane, we recognised the unique opportunity to promote a workplace of diversity and inclusiveness,” said the business’ cofounder and CEO, Jared Keen. “Rebecca has shown us the importance of seeing people’s abilities first. We are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in her life and, more importantly, in the lives of all our employees, members and clients.” Lisa and Adrian Saunders from Arnies Recon have also found the program beneficial.

questions they've asked are invaluable.

happier. The wisdom they bring and the Their experience means they're ready to go from the start and bring a wealth

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COMMUNITY

Other Keren Hayesod-UIA-supported projects include Amigour Sheltered Housing, Israel’s leading operator of public and sheltered housing facilities. Amigour is run by dedicated staff that provide upliftment to residents who are also enabled with skills. Youth Futures is a Keren Hayesod-UIA supported mentorship program for at-risk youth, with more than 30 locations throughout Israel. When COVID-19 struck, many families on the periphery of Israel’s social framework found themselves doing it tough. “We are talking about families whose entire support system just vanished,” said Dr Marcello Wexler,

Chair of the Professional Committee of Youth Futures. Thankfully, Youth Futures provided channels of communication between youth and their mentors, who were able to ensure that even at the height of the pandemic, families were able to receive the help that they needed to survive and thrive. And during Operation Guardian of the Walls earlier this year, when more than 4,000 rockets were aimed at Israeli civilians, Keren Hayesod-UIA supported The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Fund for the Victims of Terror. As we approach Rosh Hashana and reflect on the many trials, tribulations and triumphs of our nation, we ask that you continue to show your support for the People of Israel by contributing to UIA. After all, there is no other organisation in Australia that connects the global Jewish family in the way that UIA does, while supporting Israel’s most critical asset – its people. We thank you for your unwavering support for the people of Israel and wish our community a Shana Tova! Please donate to UIA at uiaaustralia.org.au, contact 9361 4273 or email info@uiansw.org.au

SHANA

TOVA FROM UIA

of knowledge to the business. Plus, they are grateful to be here, super engaged and independently accountable.” Job seekers have also provided

‫שנה טובה ומתוקה‬

excellent feedback. "I was assisted and empowered to get a full-time job by genuinely caring and professional staff ready to help me. That included CV writing and interview practice," said Liam. He has secured a full-time administrative position as a customer service consultant with an employment agency. Jobs Open! invites companies to engage with this worthwhile initiative to boost employment outcomes in the

UIA NSW wishes you and your family a happy and healthy new year and a year of peace, prosperity and hope for Klal Israel

community. You can help by: • Identifying available positions in your organisation; • Contacting us for a confidential discussion; and • Spreading the word about Jobs Open! to other employers and job seekers. Find

out

more

by

contacting

Shelana on 1300 133 660 or emailing jobsopen@jewishhouse.org.au

uiaaustralia.org.au 9361 4273 info@uiansw.org.au

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

AROUND

T H E

COMMUNITY PANKIND PanKind, The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, has launched the national Remember September campaign, aiming to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer, a disease that is now the third biggest cancer killer of Australians. Remember September encourages people to stand with those lost to the disease and those fighting to survive, by giving up a vice of your choosing, such as caffeine, sugar or alcohol, or choosing to walk 63km over the month of September to honour the 63 Australians that pancreatic cancer claims each week. The campaign was originally started by brothers David and Ben Wilheim who set up the challenge after losing their father to pancreatic cancer in 2014, a year after the disease also claimed their cousin, Danielle, at age 33, surviving just six weeks post diagnosis. Michelle Stewart, PanKind CEO, said: “Remember September provides a unique opportunity for Australians to help solve one of our country’s

Remember September campaign fastest growing health concerns, pancreatic cancer. Survival rates are unacceptably low and it is a devastating disease with dire statistics. Investment in research is critical to increasing the very low survival rate, yet funding remains desperately sparse.” Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rates of all main cancer types. It has a five-year survival rate of only 10.7 per cent. Last year the disease claimed almost as many lives as breast cancer. Almost 4,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and 80 per cent of patients will pass away within 12 months. For registration and further information, please go to www. rememberseptember.org.au About PanKind PanKind, The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation has a mission to triple the survival rate by 2030 and dramatically increase the quality of life for patients and their families. It aims to achieve this by focusing on raising awareness and investing in groundbreaking medical research.

Birth, Renewal and Optimism at Shaare Zedek SHAARE ZEDEK During these turbulent times, with Israel facing increased COVID-19 cases, despite the challenges Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem represents renewal and rebirth. The hospital’s activities are now focused on the response to the pandemic. However, as one of the busiest maternity hospitals in the Western World, Shaare Zedek has a profound responsibility to the next generation of Israel’s diverse population. Each birth is emotional and meaningful in its own way, however one recent birth was especially poignant. More than two years ago, Shira Ish-Ran was seriously injured in a terror attack at Ofra Junction, outside Jerusalem. Seven months pregnant, she arrived at Shaare Zedek fighting for her life and that of her unborn child. The child was delivered in an emergency caesarean section before being transferred to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Tragically, the extent of the injury to the baby was too severe, and he passed away three days later. Before burial, the boy was named Amiad Yisrael. Shira and her husband Amichai were treated for their injuries and left the hospital. Several weeks ago, Shira returned to Shaare Zedek to deliver a healthy baby boy. Some of the same medical staff

who treated Shira following the attack were alongside her during this very emotional birth. With about 22,000 births per year and a strong commitment to innovation and research, Shaare Zedek is committed to the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies. It is especially committed to responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19. A recent study carried out at the hospital demonstrated the effects of the vaccine for pregnant women and their babies. The study surveyed about 3,000 women who gave birth at the hospital between January and March this year, at the height of the third wave

of morbidity. It then examined about 730 women who were not infected with the virus, of which about 280 were vaccinated with two doses. The researchers found that there was no difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated women in terms of various pregnancy complications. However, unvaccinated pregnant women who fell ill had a higher rate of premature births compared to women who were vaccinated. There was also a higher number of hospitalisations in the intensive care unit among the unvaccinated. Importantly, it also found that babies born to vaccinated mothers suffered

less respiratory problems than infants born to unvaccinated mothers. “The vaccine is safe and effective for pregnant women and it seems that the antibodies that developed in the mother's body were beneficial to their babies,” said Professor Sorina GriseroGarnowski, director of the Women and Maternity Division of Shaare Zedek Medical Center. With the coming of the Jewish New Year, the Australian Friends of Shaare Zedek would like to thank the Australian community for its support during these challenging times. May the New Year bring renewal, health and peace for our Australian community and for Israel.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

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International Line-up at Virtual COMMUNITY Gala for JNF’s 120th Anniversary explosion of anti-Israel propaganda

JNF

and her media interviews went viral

In 1901, at the Fifth World Zionist Congress in Basel, Theodor Herzl founded the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in order to create and build a future Jewish State. This year, JNF will mark the 120th anniversary of its founding at a special Virtual Gala, featuring an international array of speakers, to be held at 8pm on October 5th. Special guests will include Ron Dermer, Israel’s 18th Ambassador to the US, Noa Tishby, actress and activist, Elon Gold, comedian and actor, and Eden Alene, leading Israeli and Eurovision singer. Dermer, one of the Jewish State’s longest serving representatives in Washington, was a key player in the US-Israel relationship from 2013 until this year. Tishby’s book “Israel: A simple guide to the most misunderstood country on Earth” was published a month before the May Gaza Conflict, amid an

Gala, JNF CEO Dan Springer said that

globally. Speaking about the Virtual “our audience will be enlightened by Dermers back stories of key foreign policy developments and inspired by Tishby’s account of how she became a leading global campaigner in defence of Israel. We

were

overwhelmed

by

the

national response to last year’s event and hope that the 2021 Virtual Gala will again serve to uplift and unite our community in support of our shared Zionist mission and Jewish values.” The theme of the evening will be “Building Israel since 1901”, celebrating all that has been achieved in fulfillment of

Herzl’s

vision,

while

turning

to

JNF’s future vision for the Negev and support of the pioneering new border community of Ramat Herzl. To

register

for

the

JNF

Virtual

Gala, please go to www.jnf.org.au/ virtualgala or call 1300 563 563.

Ron Dermer, Israel’s 18th Ambassador to the US. Photo: Shmulik Almany.

The JNF family wishes you a Shana Tova Wishing all our customers Chag Sameach!

JNF 120TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL GALA EVENT 5 OCTOBER 2021, 8PM BUILDING ISRAEL SINCE 1901

DISCOUNTED SHIPPING

NOA TISHBY

Actress, Writer, Producer & Activist

RON DERMER

Israel‘s 18th Ambassador to the United States

FREE ONLINE EVENT REGISTER NOW!

www.jnf.org.au/virtualgala or 1300 563 563

ELON GOLD

Actor & Comedian

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

RABBINIC

THOUGHT RABBI MOSHE D. GUTNICK THE KASHRUT AUTHORITY Rosh Hashanah is almost upon us – our New Year. Common knowledge about this window of time postulates that it marks the moment when the world was first created. Indeed, there is a verse within our Rosh Hashanah prayers that commences, “This is the day the beginning of your works…”. However, our sages reveal a surprisingly unanimous view to the contrary, that the world was not created on the first of Tishrei – on Rosh Hashanah at all. In fact, it was created six days prior on the twenty-fifth of Elul. If that is the case, what is Rosh Hashanah all about? Rosh Hashanah is the sixth day of creation when Adam and Eve were formed. The Midrash relates that from the moment Adam first became self-aware, he immediately became conscious of a Creator. He then declared, “Come let us bow down and prostrate ourselves in front of Hashem our maker”. On the sixth day, all accepted HaShem as their sovereign. Rosh Hashanah does not commemorate the construction of the world per se, but rather the formation

The pinnacle of creation of humankind. The creation of the world was not merely to marvel at the beauty of the forests or the majesty of the oceans. It was not solely for the mountain ranges or flowing rivers (although they are all spectacular). The overarching purpose was to create human beings in His image. As the Midrash says, “to make a dwelling place” for Hashem in this world,

These positive, peaceful actions undoubtedly bring the world closer. Perhaps the biggest miracle of all is the return of Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel. one fit for His Divine presence. This is by no means an easy task. The world is filled with violence, treachery, murder and mayhem. People can be selfish, angry and vengeful. In such a world G-d cannot be manifest. G-d expects us to turn the violence to love, selfishness to humility and bring holiness to every corner of the globe through His commandments. Doing this will ultimately turn the world into a Garden of Eden where G-d and humans can once again harmoniously dwell together.

Preschool Olympics EMANUEL WOOLLAHRA PRESCHOOL On your marks, get set, GO GO GO! The Joeys, Pups and Cubs’ children participated in Emanuel Woollahra Preschool`s own Olympic Games. The children wore sports’ clothes, learnt some cheers and participated in an opening ceremony, during which the participating teams (classes) were clapped into the Olympic

This is no easy task, but is one that is within reach. Over the thousands of years of human history, we have seen those at their very worst, literally driving the Shechina, or Divine Presence, away. Simultaneously, we have seen many make advances in leaps and bounds, in novel ways that can only be preparing the world for His peace.

Stadium (school hall), before having representatives from each team take part in the Torch Ceremony. Then it was all action, as the children undertook the following activities: bean bag throwing through the Olympic Rings, relay running races with batons passed to each other, hurdles; and soccer (goal scoring). The morning finished with a medal ceremony, where EVERYONE WON GOLD! Good sportsmanship was the order of the day.

Developments in medicine, the abolishment of many diseases, the fight against slavery and human trafficking, the fight against hunger and more. Look how hard we are currently working globally in the face of this current COVID-19 pandemic! Every time an army is deployed on a humanitarian rescue operation, it is symbolic of the prophecy that swords will be turned to ploughshares. These positive, peaceful actions undoubtedly bring the world closer. Perhaps the biggest miracle of all is the

return of Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel. Yes, this was by the hand of Hashem and no other, but it is also extraordinarily significant that this came about by a vote of the nations of the world. For one powerful moment, for the first time in history, they declared that the Jewish people would be returning to their G-d given homeland. The world still faces many challenges, yet we have already witnessed a glimmer of hope. This imbues within us the sense that one day we will dwell in the metaphorical Garden of Eden we have yearned for. All of this encapsulates Rosh Hashanah, when both men and women were created. The day when we are obliged to repeat what Adam did, make ourselves aware of G-d’s presence and proclaim G-d as King. The day we resolve to make ourselves better people and make this world a better place. This is our opportunity to look towards the future and glimpse the fulfilment of our Rosh Hashanah prayer: “Reign over the entire world in your Glory … may everything that has been made know that you have made it … and may everyone who has breath declare that the Lord G-d of Israel is King and His Kingship has dominion over all”. Chag Sameach – may it be sweet; may it be safe.

Preschool Friendship EMANUEL WOOLLAHRA PRESCHOOL Emanuel Woollahra Preschool has embarked on a journey, titled The Resilience Project, which embraces the concepts of gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. As this links in so beautifully with Rosh Hashanah, the Pups’ class is undertaking a project based on

Mitzvot and Random Acts of Kindness. Being

mindful

of

others

and

expressing empathy are areas which the preschool frequently visits with these

children.

They

discuss

the

importance of being a mensch and how kindness and respect can help create a better world. This

is

done

through

group

experiences and through celebrations like Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

Challenge Accepted! COA In October 2018 COA welcomed aboard a new CEO, Rachel Tanny, and the whole organisation changed. Rachel had studied both as a lawyer and in seminary. As a lawyer, she upheld the rights of immigrant women in the USA (her home country). As a seminary graduate, she helped run a congregation in Adelaide providing support and care to her congregants. So, with her astute mind and deeply compassionate nature, she took the reins at COA. Rachel spent her first year with COA looking at the best possible way to restructure our organisation to provide greater efficiency for staff, better outcomes for clients, a wider range of supports and social activities. Things were moving along so well at the start of 2020 and an extremely productive year was planned, but then everything changed, as just 14 months into her leadership, COVID-19 struck. This could have been enough to see the end of COA, but Rachel fought hard not only to keep COA relevant, but also to provide innovative services to help Jewish seniors stay at home

Rachel Tanny

in safety during the lockdown. She addressed the situation by expanding existing services, ensuring food security and providing new services to enable social connection to continue, even when the COA Centre was closed. The following are just some of her great achievements: • As lockdown hit in 2020, Rachel utilised community networks to find young volunteers to replace COA volunteers aged over 65. One week

after her call, COA welcomed more than 60 new volunteers. • Within two weeks of lockdown, Rachel had struck a deal with Harris Farm Markets to provide free bulk fruit and vegetables to COA members and friends for six months. She also mobilised our new volunteers to deliver the produce – that is, a bag of fresh fruit and vegetables, delivered free of charge each week to in excess of 500 community households. When the contract with Harris Farm was over, Rachel found sponsorship to continue the service. Called “COA Fresh”, the program was recognised with an award from the “Get Ready Awards” run by Resilience NSW. The program continues to operate for the foreseeable future. • Rachel initiated Zoom meetings for our seniors, transferring our bimonthly “Dinner Club” to a Zoom presentation. • Rachel initiated the “Tech Connect” program to help isolated seniors learn how to use the internet. She engaged a local school to help provide online training for them. She instigated a free three-month loan of tablets from COA, free sim cards and paid internet connections. • Rachel extended COA’s existing weekly call service “Shalom Connect”

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COMMUNITY to include hundreds more seniors in lockdown, receiving calls from more than 20 new volunteers. More than this, Rachel has kept the COA staff motivated and enthused throughout a difficult time. She has opened the Centre to our members whenever possible, adhering to strict COVID Safe protocols and has grown the services started in the first lockdown in 2020. When lockdown was called again in June 2021, COA services was ready to help again, without skipping a beat. Rachel’s amazing dedication and hard work has meant that over 1,000 community members using COA services have been kept physically safe and socially connected, and ensured food security. As someone new to the role of CEO, Rachel has more than risen to the challenges of running a community organisation. She has raised the profile of COA, gained new members and supporters, and created numerous partnerships to help COA deliver better outcomes for members. Rachel has embraced innovation and extended COA’s reach by providing life-affirming services to frail, aged Jewish seniors in Sydney’s wider community.

Chag Sameach from COA’s Frontline Workers COA Here is wishing that the New Year be sweeter than the last, but no matter how this pandemic impacts our celebrations, we never have to feel alone. That is because there are many unsung heroes working behind the scenes to look after the most vulnerable among us. COA Sydney is again sending out Rosh Hashanah care parcels to food service recipients. Chief Operating Officer Sabina Kovadlo has been working diligently to design packages that “feed the body and uplift the soul”. Chief Provisioning Officer David Politzer has been juggling sending out a record number of COA’s Kosher Meals on Wheels’ orders, while receiving pallets of deliveries to fill Rosh Hashanah parcels. COA’s new Volunteer Coordinator Sam Peirson has been busy lining up volunteers to make the hundreds of deliveries. Not only is COA delivering Rosh Hashanah care packs, but there are also hardship deliveries for those in need of something extra. Social workers Suzanne Itzkowitz and Mordechai Levin have been receiving referrals from dozens of new community members requiring support and some extra cheer during these holidays.

Thanks to the “All In Giving Circle”, this year’s parcel delivery will be the best yet. The COA team has pulled together to ensure the traditional grape juice and apple-and-honey combination is top notch. It includes the best quality Sugar Bay organic raw honey, homemade cakes baked fby COA’s beloved volunteer Sonia Gorney and staples like olives (from Israel), healthy cereal, tuna, pasta and tea. None of this would be possible if COA’s team of selfless frontline workers didn’t dedicate themselves to changing and improving the lives of our local seniors. None of COA’s food programs could be delivered if staff, along with hundreds of volunteers, didn’t turn out, package everything together and send out these parcels. Even unsung heroes behind the scenes like Jackie Ryker, Sharon Monty and Benita Weinberg have been critical to ensuring doors get opened for volunteers and QR codes are scanned, so everyone stays fed and safe. If you, or anyone you know, needs food support this holiday season, please contact COA Sydney on 9389 0035 or via email at coa@coasydney.org Thanks to COA’s team of hardworking frontline workers, every Jewish senior in need will get not just food, but love and care with every delivery.

At Rosh Hashanah, and all year round, COA is here to

help seniors maintain independence provide home delivered food and staples bring peer support to the isolated and housebound offer ac vi es to increase social connec on engage community members in volunteer work celebrate Jewish culture bring Yiddishkeit to those in residen al care

COA’s Staff, Board, and Volunteers wish you a joyful Rosh Hashanah, a though ul Yom Kippur, and a sweet year ahead. COA Krygier Centre 25 Rowe St, Woollahra, 2025 Ph: (02) 9389 0035 Em: coa@coasydney.org www.coasydney.org

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

AROUND

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COMMUNITY MASADA COLLEGE Tell me a little bit about your background and how long you have been involved in education? My teaching career started when I was a young girl. My father would teach Sunday School for the NSW Board of Jewish Education and I would go along every Sunday to help some of the kids with their Hebrew reading. One Sunday, when I was around 12, a teacher didn't show up and the Headmistress, Mrs Erica Diamant (z’’l), asked if I would cover the class. I have been involved with education ever since. I completed my Bachelor of Education Studies at the University of Sydney, while teaching Jewish Studies and Hebrew for Mount Sinai College, Moriah College and Academy BJE and also working in the informal Jewish education sphere. In 2002, I relocated to Hong Kong as a newlywed and started our family – now three teenagers, all born in Hong Kong. I joined Carmel School in 2022 and undertook a Master of Education degree at the University of Hong Kong. In 2011, I was appointed as Head of Carmel Elementary School in Hong Kong, later working closely to help build Carmel’s Elsa High School, established in 2010. Over the course of a decade, we were blessed to become one of the few trilingual (including Hebrew and Mandarin) Primary Years Program (PYP) accredited schools in the International Baccalaureate (IB) system, leading into the Middle Years Program (MYP) and IB Diploma program. Did you know much about Masada College when you applied for the job and if so, what did you know?

Q & A with Mira Hasofer, new Masada College Principal

When Masada College President Darryl Dorfan reached out to me about Masada College, I was entering my 18th year in Hong Kong and feeling very blessed and privileged to live in such a diverse and international Jewish community. We had no plans to leave Hong Kong. I knew about Masada and was actually a madricha on their 1997 IST trip, but I had not really followed the progress of the College. When Darryl contacted me and shared more about the School, I was captivated. Masada had so much in common with my educational philosophy and values. I could sense the College’s alignment with the things

Sydneys' Shul Amidst lockdowns, restrictions and rising cases of COVID-19, Sydney's Shul distributes packages of love to front line

workers. Pictured is Rabbi Chaim Levy expressing his gratitude to a member of the NSW Police.

that matter the most to me – pride and love for Jewish education and Hebrew, care for the individual and Chesed – kindness, in an environment where the pursuit of excellence is the assumed starting point. What are your aims and ambitions, hopes and expectations for Masada College? What are you looking to achieve? I believe that Masada College is poised to step into its greatness as a leading Jewish Day School, drawing on its strong heritage. The College is proud of the fact that its students and graduates stand out as ‘menches’ and this culture of goodness and

appropriate behaviour resonates with families who very much want this for their children. We would like to help them make this happen. Our goal is to dedicate our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion and our lives to contributing to every field of human endeavour. Our focus is on leading the way and delivering excellence each and every day, to draw on our values and heritage, and to allow our past to help shape our future. In order, what are your three top priorities? Priorities are always evolving. Our number one priority this term was to ensure that we could launch into, and maintain, a seamless eLearning program. We drew on my many months of eLearning experience in Hong Kong and were able to apply a full synchronous learning model for K-12. Another key priority is ensuring that our Year 12 students are well looked after. Ryan Gill, our Head of Senior School, and I meet with each individual Year 12 student via Zoom. We check in on them, unpack their wellbeing needs, look at their academic progress, talk through and support them in the online HSC Trial Exams and help them with strategies for success. And yet another key priority area is to ensure that our school community is able to unite while we are apart, in preparation for and celebration of Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days. Our ‘Zoom into Rosh Hashanah’ programming has allowed our school community to learn while having a great time!

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

AJA Hosts UAE Ambassador on Abraham Accords ROBERT GREGORY AUSTRALIAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION “The Abraham Accords are achieving their purpose and flourishing,” His Excellency, Abdulla Al Subousi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Australia told an Australian Jewish Association (AJA) audience of hundreds late last month. The conversation was the latest with a high-profile speaker to have headlined the weekly Zoom series for the AJA. Al Subousi, who has held many senior diplomatic positions with the UAE, including in the United States, described the Accords as “one of the biggest milestones for the Middle East in recent history.” He went on to discuss some of the tangible benefits, including the warm cultural and thriving economic ties that have been developed. He described the accords as “a new era of economic cooperation.” Al Subousi said: “One year on, we have reached the stage where it is difficult to list all the agreements signed.” The Ambassador revealed that 200,000 Israeli tourists have already visited the UAE, despite the global pandemic, and that bilateral trade is predicted to reach US$4 billion over the next five years. He acknowledged the “terrific Israeli breakfast” available at one of the UAE’s first Kosher

they survived their first major test with the recent war in Gaza. AJA President Dr David Adler and Vice President Alan Freedman facilitated the discussion, with Dr Adler telling the Ambassador that “the UAE will forever have the distinction of being the first Arab nation to have an embassy on Israeli soil. There had to be a first and the UAE deserves enormous credit internationally for having taken the first step. It took vision and courage, and it will never be forgotten that the UAE was first.” The Ambassador Al Sabousi said “the Abraham Accords have fundamentally changed the reality of our region by bringing us together to face our common issues. The Abraham Accords have demonstrated that building bridges of communication and cooperation are essential in order to solve unresolved issues and achieve a more secure and prosperous future for coming generations. We have to recognise that the Abraham Accords not only offer the UAE and Israel these opportunities, but also our mutual allies, like Australia.” There were many questions submitted by the audience, and viewers were curious to hear how the average Emirati felt about the relationship. Al Subousi said that the welcoming warm reaction did not come as a shock to the people of the UAE, who he described as tolerant and open minded. The Ambassador spoke about the Abrahamic Family House in Dubai,

The Ambassador highlighted "the people to people connections that will cement the place of the Abraham Accords in our society.”

restaurants and spoke about recent deals between universities, and between the Israeli and UAE diamond exchanges. He went on to describe how Israeli fruits and vegetables are proudly showcased, with Israeli flags, in UAE shops. The Abraham Accords are one of the crowning foreign policy achievements of the Trump and Netanyahu administrations. The UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan established diplomatic ties with Israel in a few months. The Biden administration has expressed support, referring to them as normalisation agreements. While some were sceptical at first, particularly as the Accords overturned long-held beliefs that concessions from Israel were required for Middle East peace,

which will house a mosque, church and synagogue and is due for completion in 2022. The Ambassador highlighted "the people to people connections that will cement the place of the Abraham Accords in our society.” The Ambassador promised to assist with a future AJA delegation to Israel via the UAE, which is being planned for when international travel resumes and accepted an invitation to a Shabbat meal when restrictions are eased. A recording of the Zoom conversation is available on the Australian Jewish Association YouTube channel. For upcoming events, go to the AJA Facebook page. Robert Gregory, Research and Advocacy Officer, Australian Jewish Association.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

CO NS I D E RE D

OPINION RABBI LEVI WOLFF CHIEF MINISTER THE CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE

The days leading up to Rosh Hashanah and the commencement of the High Holy Days are always multi-layered. We typically prepare our homes for the enjoyment of family and friends uniting to celebrate this joyous festival. We write our To Do lists for festive kosher meal ingredients; we buy new items such as shul clothes to help facilitate a fresh start. We zip around from here to there, there’s a hustle and bustle. We buy apple. We buy honey. We are busy in the best way. Admittedly, this year COVID-19 has interrupted that flow. Rationally, we know that disease in its many ugly guises has radically altered the day-to-day reality of our ancestors over countless eras. In fact, many of our great sages have chronicled this. Yet this pandemic is the first within our respective lifetimes when we have experienced this personally, regardless of our age and stage. There is one timely endeavour that has continued throughout the millennia as we approach the heightened spiritual elevation for New Year. We pause, we reflect, and we are mindful that life, no matter what it throws at us, is a constant process of growth and development. We ask questions of ourselves and others. Important questions. Yes, it is true that we talk so much about the Four Questions asked over

Rosh Hashanah Reflections – Two Decades Since 9/11 the festival of Passover, but right now is our moment to vocalise and philosophically ponder so much at this unique juncture. Doing so yields priceless spiritual nourishment. This year right in the middle of the Ten Days of Repentance on our lunar calendar – those in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, also known as the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah - falls the sobering 20th anniversary of 9/11. Sigh. On September the 11th 2001, close to 3,000 Americans were killed in terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. For those of an age who can remember the decimation of the Twin Towers in New York City – and let’s be honest, it is seared into our collective memory, with the milestone anniversary approaching I have already been asked many times: “Rabbi, where were you?” To respond, I must shut out the pervasive pandemic ‘noise’ for a moment: Chanie and I had just moved to Sydney with our young family and felt honoured to accept the roles of Rabbi and Rebbetzin of our beloved Central Synagogue. As the eldest children of very large families, the majority of our mishpochah were living in the Big Apple; many friends were employed at the World Trade Center. When the first plane hit, we watched in horror on my old Dell computer. The shocking live news streamed, and we struggled to process this happening in real time in New York City. We naively believed terrorist attacks were not destined for our old

neighbourhood. How wrong we were. In stunned silence we watched smoke billow out of Tower One, and then moments later froze in horror as the second aeroplane tore into Tower Two, followed by the collapse of both; chaos ensued. Miraculously, none of our immediate relatives were near the Twin Towers at the time, yet we were acutely conscious that so many within our midst knew someone who had been. The world stopped. The world was in pain. The world mourned. The mightiest superpower had been hit at its core. Thousands of innocent lives were taken, and millions more were scarred. The proverbial ‘age of innocence’ was over. Until then, we felt protected, we felt safe, we didn’t question our security. “Where were you?” should not merely be a location pinned on a geographical map – it is so much more. And it begs the follow up question today: “Where are we?” The Alter Rebbe, the first Chabad Rebbe, shed light on this when he was imprisoned in Russia for teaching Judaism. A government official, wellversed in the Bible, approached him with a theological question: “Why in the story of Creation was Adam asked by G-d, ‘Where are you – Ayekah’, when G-d clearly knew where Adam was?” The official had been unsatisfied with the standard response - that G-d wanted to give Adam a chance to reveal himself. The Alter Rebbe bravely responded that Ayekah is a constant, ongoing

question. “This is G-d’s perpetual call to every human being. Where are you in the world? What have you accomplished on the path to fulfil your life’s mission?” Despite the Alter Rebbe’s radically inferior power position in the jail, the guard took time to process this wise response. September the eleventh, bookended this year between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is an emotional date for the young, who now learn about it as part of the school curriculum. Of course, it has greatly impacted the generations above too. Let’s not only curiously ask each other the onedimensional conversational question, “Where were you?” Rather, let’s reflect now, two decades later and seek revealed guidance to the greater enquiry: “Where are we?” As we head into this Rosh Hashanah 5782, after a tumultuous year on so many fronts, perhaps this is the perfect time to delve even further and pose the existential question: “Where do we want to be”? Where indeed. Perhaps use some of this designated Covidtime at home when you are quietly davening from your machzor, or when you are walking your local streets for daily exercise, to craft a valid, authentic response - for your current self, your future self and the betterment of Klal Yisrael as a whole. Now is your time. Now is our time. May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a good, sweet, healthy and safe New Year!

The German Jew who Started the Paralympic Games ELIANA CLINE COURTESY AISH.COM In recent history there are many famous and influential disabled people. People like the late Christopher Reeves and Stephen Hawking have been inspirational figures symbolizing courage, heroism and resilience. Yet less than a century ago, things were radically different. Disabled people were shunned and excluded, shut away in institutions and assumed to have little value to contribute to the world. Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a Jewish German neurosurgeon, deeply believed in the Jewish value of the infinite worth of every human being, regardless of their physical limitations. And with this far-reaching and indefatigable commitment to his vision, he altered the future of all disabled people. Guttmann was born on the cusp of the 19th century in a small town in Germany to an orthodox Jewish family. His passion to help spinal injury patients was ignited when he volunteered at a local hospital for mining injuries as a teenager. One experience made a profound impact on his life. Guttmann met a strapping young miner who had broken his back in a mining accident and was

Dr. Ludwig Guttmann’s belief in the value of every human being changed the future of disabled people. paralysed from the waist down, but was otherwise healthy and vibrant. The then-accepted method of treatment for patients with spinal cord injuries was to encase them in plaster, isolate them and wait for them to die. When asking the doctors about this young miner he was told, “Don't bother, he'll be dead in a few weeks." In just five weeks this young miner died.

This young man’s tragic, unnecessary demise was forever imprinted on Guttmann who said, “Although I saw many more victims suffering the same fate, it was the picture of that young man which remained indelibly fixed in my memory.” After completing medical school and specializing as a neurosurgeon, Guttmann soon became known as

a leading specialist in Germany. His growing reputation led to many offers to work abroad but he turned them all down. Then Kristallnacht in 1938 occurred. After watching the Nazis torch synagogues, vandalize Jewish property and kill dozens of Jews, he fled Germany and arrived in Britain in March 1939 with his wife, two children and no money. Guttmann settled in Oxford and continued his spinal injury research at the Nuffield Department of Neurosurgery in the Radcliffe Infirmary. At the time most people who sustained spinal injuries would die within three months. The few who did survive carried on living as useless cripples, unemployable and unwanted, condemned to living and dying institutions for incurable patients. Guttmann saw a meaningful future for these patients beyond their injuries. He believed that injured people were still valuable and worthwhile and had a vibrant, albeit different, future post-injury. Guttmann was convinced that with proper treatment, paraplegics could live full and rewarding lives. His refugee status did not deter him; he advocated the rehabilitation and care of spinal cord patients whenever he could. CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

“My beloved little Inge, I wish you all the best for the New Year”

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SYDNEY JEWISH MUSEUM In time for Rosh Hashana and the High Holidays, we share a series of letters from the Sydney Jewish Museum’s collection, written to Inge-Ruth Herrmman. These letters marked Inge-Ruth’s new beginnings in Australia with the best wishes of her loving parents in Germany. Most likely the first time spending the High Holidays away from her parents, 16-year-old Inge-Ruth departed Germany for Australia in September 1938, just before Rosh Hashana. She travelled by boat to Sydney with her friend, Gisela Jankelowitz, to a place that her parents hoped “would assure [them] happiness and prosperity.” Her parents, Otto and Kate, remained in Magdeburg, Germany, where increasing anti-Jewish legislation caused them to lose their business and assets. Two letters awaited Inge-Ruth when she arrived in Australia. The first, dated 16th September 1938, was from her mother, in which she sent a message for the Jewish New Year: “My dearly beloved sweet child! When you receive this letter, you

Inge-Ruth Herrmann and Gisela Jankelowitz, circa 1940s. They emigrated from the German city of Magdeburg, escaping increasing antisemitism. They travelled to Sydney together, remaining friends. From SJM Collection. are on Australian soil and in your

Holidays on the ship. I take it that you

new homeland, God willing. On this

had surely a rather beautiful service on

occasion, my beloved little Inge, I wish

the ship, because there are so many

you all the best for the New Year. The

Jews on board. May the dear God hear

New Year is presenting your young life

our prayers and keep us all in good

with great upheaval, courage to be far

health and guide us towards a better

from your parents and spend the High

and happier future…”

SHANA TOVA The Sydney Jewish Museum wishes you and your family a safe New Year filled with good health and happiness.

T HE

In her second letter, dated 26th September 1938, Inge-Ruth’s mother writes affectionately to her daughter, giving advice on how to dress and groom for the High Holidays: “Perhaps the sun will shine once again for us all and hopefully the time is not too far away when we will be reunited … Dress simply and nicely when you arrive in Sydney and also straighten your hair. The first impression is decisive.” While Inge-Ruth and Gisela established their new lives in Australia, their parents suffered under increasing antisemitism and the Final Solution in Nazi Germany. Otto was arrested in November 1938 and sent to Buchenwald for a brief period before being released. In October 1942, her mother and father were deported to Theresienstadt. Inge received Inge received no more letters from her parents from 1944 and only learned years after the war that they were deported to Auschwitz in October 1944, where they were murdered. While the High Holidays is a time to wish for positive things for the coming year, it is also a time to remember the victims of the Holocaust and those who survived but are no longer with us.

SHANAH TOVAH

May the year 5782 bring you and your family good health and much happiness Please take care and stay safe President, Board of Directors and Staff Wolper Jewish Hospital Wolper Jewish Hospital Health Foundation

This is a Rosh Hashana seder plate by Asaf Miller Pottery in the Sydney Jewish Museum’s collection. A Rosh Hashana seder is uniquely a Mizrahi tradition, where blessings are recited over a variety of symbolic foods.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

Close to home

R E TIREM E NT

LIVING

For Zelia, it's the ambience of their new home. “The apartment is bright and open, and the amenities are five-star, yet warm and inviting. She also has some sage advice for anyone considering the move: “Do it while you can – don’t hesitate! It’s a wonderful place to be.” For more information on M by Montefiore, phone 1800 952 229 or visit: mbymontefiore.com.au

MONTEFIORE Zelia and Hyman Kotkin share highlights of their new retirement lifestyle at M by Montefiore. Moving from their family home on the Central Coast to M by Montefiore earlier this year, one of Zelia and Hyman Kotkin's biggest concerns was how they would fit everything into an apartment. “I just couldn’t imagine the space,” Zelia says. With a little help from their interior architect granddaughter, they downsized their belongings to bring only special items to make their new apartment feel like home. “We feel so much lighter and refreshed without all the clutter,” Zelia says. A few minor illnesses and increasing candles on their birthday cakes prompted the Kotkins’ decision to relocate. M's Randwick location close to beaches and Centennial Park and, more importantly, just minutes from family, is ideal for them. “It’s absolutely wonderful to be so near to our children and 10 grandchildren,” she says. Also important to the Kotkins was finding a secure home, with services available to help them to live independently as the years progress. Montefiore’s reputation for leading aged services, including neighbouring

residential care, if needed in the future, was integral to their choice. Convenience

is

another

says. While card games and movie nights

bonus.

in the cinema are also on hold for now,

“We’ve always kept kosher, so we

Hyman and Zelia have been impressed

would travel to Sydney and fill the

with the response from Village Manager

Esky to take back," Zelia says. "Now

Patrick and the Concierge team.

everything is close by.” Hyman says

“Everyone is working to keep us safe,

they love the kosher meals at M too.

and, if you need something, they'll help

While the Club Lounge is serving

to organise it,” Hyman says.

takeaway during lockdown, in ordinary

Sitting in their living room, the couple

times the breakfast table is the social

reflect on their favourite aspects of

hub of a growing community. “We

their new home and lifestyle.

often extend the tables. Everyone

Hyman

loves

the

fact

that

chats about their plans for the day,”

maintenance is taken care of. “I was

says Zelia, who has become a founding

a keen gardener until my back went.

member of the recently established

Now we have lots of potted flowers

Residents' Committee. “Once COVID is

and herbs for the balcony, and I don’t

over, we’re looking forward to planning

have to worry about hedges to trim or

more special events and activities," she

dripping taps to fix!”

With more than 60% of apartments now sold, the M by Montefiore retirement living community is continuing to grow and evolve. Once lockdown restrictions ease in Sydney, residents are looking forward to the increasingly busy calendar of activities and events resuming. Highlights have included the opportunity to meet and mingle at communal Shabbat dinners, weekly cinema screenings of Ritz at Home favourites and gentle movement. A book club and bridge sessions also on the cards. While activities are on hold during lockdown, Village Manager Patrick O’Neill and the Concierge team are working to keep the M community safe and happy by providing everything from takeaway breakfasts to a Friday ‘Club Lounge’ trolley loaded with challah, essentials and treats.

OUR COMMUNITY YOUR PAPER

Be part of it! Share your news, advice, updates, opinions and ideas. Go to www.thejewishreport.com.au

COLES

(BONDI JUNCTION)

WOOLWORTHS (BONDI JUNCTION)

COLES

(MAROUBRA JUNCTION)

WOOLWORTHS (EASTGARDENS)

COLES (ST IVES)

WOOLWORTHS WOOLWORTHS (ST IVES)

(DOUBLE BAY)

KRINSKYS

(BONDI BEACH)

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

Free Gifts from JEMS JEMS Coming from a teen leadership getaway in term 2, the Jems’ leaders (part of the international Cteens’ organisation) came up with many ideas to benefit the community, before COVID-19 hit again! The teen leadership switched gears and had a meeting about what could be done in light of the lockdown. With the help of the whole Jems’ team, SOS (Sending Out Smiles) was created. It is a program based around sending care packages to those aged 60 and over.

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Ben Lonstien, part of Mike's Mitzvah Menches (M&M), got straight to work by creating a compelling graphic design and developing flyers. More than 120 teens and families have participated in the project thus far, packing and delivering the gifts. Upwards of 700 people have received a care package in their homes and in excess of 800 more in assisted living accommodation. Feel free to sponsor these packages and find out more about this project, along with many others undertaken by Jems’ Cteens. Contact: volunteer@jems.org.au

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy & Safe New Year KRINSKYS KOSHER 173-175 Bondi Rd Bondi, NSW 2026 02 9386 9021 For all your Yom Tov Groceries, Alcohol/Wine & Disposables Email orders to: krinskyskosher@gmail.com

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

FOO D I E S

CORNER

Tzimmes With Dumplings REBBETZIN ESTY GUTNICK With the world spinning at a rapid rate due to the ongoing pervasive pandemic, it is no wonder that many readers have requested a traditional Rosh Hashanah recipe be included in this New Year edition. Challenge accepted! Rebbetzin Esty Gutnick has kindly offered to share one of her family’s firm favourite Rosh Hashanah recipes: Tzimmes with Dumplings. Tzimmes has long been included as a colourful feature on Ashkenazi tables for New Year and is typically made with sweet vegetables such as carrots as you’ll see below. In fact, the humble carrot ticks another very important Rosh Hashanah box – it is one of the simanim, or symbolic foods we consume in our quest to increase blessings for the new year and well beyond! Carrot Ingredients & Method: 10-12 Carrots Peel and slice carrots. Place in a pot and fill with water, until just below the top of the carrots. Bring to the boil and then gently let simmer until carrots are cooked through. Meanwhile prepare the dumpling mixture:

Dumpling Ingredients & Method 1 cup plain flour 1 large onion finely grated 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp paprika 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 1/4 cup of honey (or to taste) Mix dumpling ingredients together in a bowl. Form into small round dumplings. Once the carrots have softened, add the dumplings to the pot of carrots. Continue cooking until dumplings are golden and cooked. Then finally add honey (this flavour will deepen and continue to infuse the dish even after the cooking process has ended). Wishing all a sweet, happy and healthy New Year!

Honey Biscuits GRUNFELD'S CATERING Grunfeld’s Catering is a beloved and affordable Sydney family-owned and run kosher catering business. The extended clan can’t recall a time when these biscuits weren’t on offer for Rosh Hashanah. In fact, the legendary Mrs. Grunfeld would transform this New Year recipe and repurpose it throughout the year in a versatile way. She lovingly topped them with hundreds and thousands and would then mould them into playful shapes with cookie cutters for all grandchildren and great grandchildren to relish. Mrs. Grunfeld personally nourished Sydney’s Jewish community for over half a century. Within this edition, her daughter, Deb Grunfeld, is delighted to offer her treasured Honey Biscuit recipe for readers to bake and enjoy. She advises that it is preferable to make a batch a few days ahead. (It is also so meaningful to know that $5 from every $50 order placed with Grunfeld’s over the festivals will be designated towards the chessed initiative launched in her memory called Esther’s Fund at Jewish House.) Shana Tova – enjoy over Yom Tov at home with a quiet hot beverage or bake and deliver to friends and family during this current lockdown.

INGREDIENTS 1kg plain flour 400g honey 400g caster sugar 100g oil 2 tsp bicarb soda 1 tsp ground cloves 4 eggs (save some egg white for glaze) METHOD Mix ingredients well and leave pastry to rest for an hour. Roll pastry out 1.5cm thick and cut rounds with a liqueur glass or cookie cutter, alternately roll small balls and ‘squish’ flat. Place on lined baking tray, leaving room to grow. (Optional: top each biscuit with walnut half) Brush with egg white. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

Shirl’s Journey

Why A Shofar?

SHIIRL'S PEARLS

YERACHMIEL ISACOWITZ

Shirley Sherry was born in Singapore to Jewish parents, after her grandparents migrated there from Iraq in the early 1900s. Food – a rich, spicy array of Sephardic and Asian treats, always “cooled” with sweet local fruit and dessert – was a major part of Shirley’s youth. Unfortunately, this combination caused her digestive problems, including gastritis, from an early age and with it a growing dependence on antacids. Shirley also saw older people around her struggling with mobility. Their hands shook, they had difficulty getting up from chairs, some couldn’t even walk short distances and others were obese. She wondered whether this was a normal part of old age, while resolving never to follow that path. That was when she sought a way to face age differently. In 1981, at age 32, Shirley was given the book Diet and Salad, first published in 1949 by British/American businessman and pioneer in vegetable juicing and nutritional health, Dr Norman Walker. Walker passed away in 1985 at the age of 99. Shirley took Walker’s advice to avoid fruit after a meal and to eat or juice raw citrus half an hour before breakfast. Her

One difference between the end of the financial year and the beginning of the spiritual year is that by the former, if you’ve done your books correctly, you can relax, but not so with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Imagine the computing power required to audit every person’s past, present and future, with ancestors dating back to Adam, along with the generational context in which they live. In order to plug into this audit, we would need a mitzvah that transcends time, marks the crowning of God as the King, is a testament to the deeds of our forefathers and stirs the emotions. Let’s see how the shofar takes us down that route. The sound of creation was the sound of God’s voice. That of Mount Sinai is described as a shofar blast and the final redemption will be represented with the blast of the “big” shofar. The blast of a horn is the hallmark of a coronation and the ram’s horn is the symbol of the binding of Isaac.

gastritis was gone within a week. This positive result prompted her to learn more about the digestive system, especially the colon. Taking small, simple steps, she gradually modified her diet and lifestyle. She took up exercise, which included walking an hour each day. She also began fitness and strength work and first joined a gym at 68. Now in her early ‘70s,Shirley’s straightforward message, based on her 40-year journey, is “Grow old, but don’t become old. Feed your colon with vital food and you’ll age feeling younger!” www.shirlspearls.com.au

The Torah calls Rosh Hashanah “the day of trua.” Trua is translated by the great Aramaic commentator, Unkelos, as yevava. That word, in turn, is found in the Book of Shoftim (Judges) by the story of Yael, who killed the Kaananite general Sisera. In describing the wait of Sisera’s mother for her son, not sure if it would be great victory or ultimate defeat, the prophet alludes to her crying. So, we thus know that the shofar has to make a crying sound (truah and shevarim). It is this very sound, combined with the straight sound (tekia) that is designed to stir the hearts of listeners to feeling and understanding the fear, glory, awe and beguiling power of the day. Thus, the potent mitzvah of shofar plugs us into the spiritual energy of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Yerachmiel Isacowitz is an Australian-based Jewish education specialist. Email: risacowitz@optusnet.com.au World Wide Web: torahconcepts.com Facebook: The Mem Channel

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES Friday, Sep 3, 2021

5:20 pm

Shabbat ends, Sep 4, 2021

6:16 pm

Friday, Sep 10, 2021

5:25 pm

Shabbat ends, Sep 11, 2021

6:21 pm

Friday, Sep 17, 2021

5:30 pm

Shabbat ends, Sep 18, 2021

6:26 pm

Friday, Sep 24, 2021

5:35 pm

Shabbat ends, Sep 25, 2021

6:31 pm

Friday, Oct 1, 2021

5:40 pm

Shabbat ends, Oct 2, 2021

6:36 pm

Friday, Oct 8, 2021

6:45 pm

Shabbat ends, Oct 9, 2021

7:41 pm

A Gift for you – My Guide to a Good Life! Did you know that just by timing when you eat, you can lose weight and reduce gastric problems? I am living proof that following a simple regime can give you great rewards.

torahconcepts.com The Mem Channel

Read my free posts at www.shirlspearls.com.au

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

FOO D I E S

CORNER RAMONA FREEDMAN THE KASHRUT AUTHORITY This is a sweet edition of Kosher KApers and we begin by featuring Snives Hives Sydney Bee Rescue, an apiary based in the suburb of St. Ives on the Upper North Shore. Colonies of precious bees are rescued from roof cavities, walls and backyard trees to save them from extermination. It produces local 100% cold-pressed raw Australian honey which contains no additives and has not been heated in the extraction or filtering process. It comes to you fresh out of the hive. Seasonal Honey is available in two sizes and you can also purchase bee pollen which is an ideal health food additive to yoghurt, smoothies, Rosh Hashanah baking and more. Now is the perfect time of year to contact Snives Hives. The great news is that you can have it delivered in a contactless fashion to anywhere Sydney (see below for details). This heavenly honey is harvested every season which translates into offering a significant range in flavours, capturing the taste of the flowers that blossom at different times of year. You can purchase it all right up until Rosh Hashanah and well beyond. Support local, support kosher and support Snives Hives. The KA is pleased to introduce a new KA-certified caterer, Meals & Memories. This was founded by the talented Siggy Samama and her dedicated team

Kosher KApers and was born from a love of food and a passion for providing our community with flavourful homecooked meals. All is cooked from fresh locally grown Australian produce and you can look forward to a range of Israeli inspired dips, salads, soups, sides, main dishes, and desserts. Meals & Memories is based at Our Big Kitchen and commenced with a Take Away Pop Up, taking kosher consumers on a gastronomic getaway to Italy. All was Dairy (Chalav Yisrael) and included handmade gnocchi Sorrento and masterfully made Agnolotti, small parcels that were each delicately filled with spinach and cheese in a creamy pumpkin sauce – and for those who sampled it, who can forget the terrific Tiramisu for dessert! Meals & Memories has a genuine desire to enhance your Shabbat experiences and create treasured and savoured memories. So many delectable milk and meat options will be on offer. With more Take Away Pop Ups to kick off whilst we are still in lockdown, we can’t wait to share more with you about this new member of our KA Family. We have more exciting kosher news – those of any age and stage will love Sweet As Funk, a new company which can now offer KA-certified quality custom and designer cake, cupcake and cookie edible images. Whether you are enjoying at home right now during lockdown or plan to use for future simchas (let’s think positively!) all can enjoy these unique, fun and festive images. For all size and delivery details, see below. Fancy a L’Chaim or two for Rosh Hashanah? An emphatic yes to that! The KA is delighted to announce a

collaboration with BWS, the largest liquor retailer in Australia. A trial is currently underway and over 300 kosher approved products have already been identified at BWS Bondi Junction, with more planned. When you walk in you will see clearly visible KA shelf tags, with a view to extend this new initiative beyond this initial store. This partnership has been forged to help kosher consumers recognise kosher products at a glance. In fact, you will be so surprised to see just how broad and impressive this range is! Pop in before Rosh Hashanah and throughout this holiday season – purchase something new for friends and family to sample in lockdown. Speaking of all-things-viticulture, we are so proud of winemaker Richie Harkham and his crew at KA-certified Harkham Winery, a small family-owned and run winery in the Hunter Valley region. Their vineyards are farmed sustainably without the use of pesticides or chemicals and grapes are hand-picked. Wines are also bottled with no added sulphites and there is a depth and purity to each vintage. Harkham has just been awarded the Travelers’ Choice Award in 2021 and the wonderful winery has been listed as one of the top ten per cent of attractions worldwide. The positive press continues with a feature in Gourmet Traveller. The minute lockdown ends, put this on your holiday escape list! Now more than ever, KA-certified caterers are conscious of ensuring kosher consumers can enjoy their fine fare, irrespective of where they live in Sydney. Soul Gourmet is based on the Upper North Shore, but owner Alan Bender has responded to repeated requests and

now offers his popular Shabbat Combo Specials to the East each Friday. The meal-for-four is truly generous and always includes Alan’s signature pull-apart onion challah – a must! If you haven’t used your NSW Dine & Discover vouchers – the government has extended the voucher expiry date until June 30th, 2022 – just a reminder you can use them at KA-certified Simply Hummus Bar, Mendys, The Bagel Co. Rose Bay and Jesse’s Café. The KA team is enormously proud of every member of our valued KA Family. Our community has been supported consistently and so many generous Rosh Hashanah menus were presented. In addition, Kosher hampers were available from StyleNCo, The Kosher Hub, The Friendship Bakery and more. Capacity was hit early for many caterers; the care and kindness has been reciprocated through this pandemic and we know will extend well beyond. So many recipients will be enjoying the KA-certified meals from the COA High Holiday menu, including a Mendy’s menu which is on offer for the first time. The dedicated team at Mila’s Catering has been sustaining so many with hundreds of complimentary meals going out to those in need during lockdown, in addition to the KA-certified Shabbos2U packs by CBD Chabad Sydney. So many have also received helpful Shabbat in a Box packs from The Central Synagogue as well. The entire team at The Kashrut Authority wishes you and your family Shana Tova U’Metuka! #kaproud

Left to Right – Sweet As Funk edible image, Meals & Memories' two menu options and Harkham wine

Here’s a snapshot of kosher news around town: • Snives Hives Seasonal honey is available in two sizes: 1.3kg jars or 650gm jars, bee pollen can also be purchased in 100gm jars. Bulk orders are also available in smaller sizes. Visit www.sniveshives.com.au to place an order, you can also call beekeeper Andrew Wilson on 0410 440 042. Contactless pick up is available from 25 Greenvalley Avenue, St. Ives and delivery is available across Sydney.

The KA’s logo is conveniently featured on every single jar. • To contact Siggy Samama at Meals & Memories, call 0425248408. In the next edition we will provide information about the new Meals & Memories website & more Take Away Pop Up news. • Sweet As Funk offers KA-certified edible images in three sizes: A4;

Round (7.5 inch) and 12 per sheet for cupcake and cookie sizes. Contactless delivery is available, and these great products can be shipped Australia-wide. For more information, contact Natalie Levy on 0407441474. • BWS Bondi Junction is located within the Westfield Shopping Centre adjacent to Woolworths, within you can now find specially designated KA shelf tags.

• To purchase KA-certified Harkham wines

for

Rosh

Hashanah

and

throughout this festival season, visit www.harkhamwine.com.au. • To place an order for the Soul Gourmet Shabbat Combo Special or meals over the chaggim, email: alan@soulgourmet.com.au

or

call

0422 553 493. To see the entire range visit www.soulgourmet.com.au.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

Property on the move JOSEPH RASKIN The NSW property market is “the hottest it has ever been”, according to the Associate Director of Southeby’s International Realty, Joseph Raskin.

“Now that people are increasingly working from home, it is no big deal to do so with some space around. “Many are selling up in the east and moving to the Central Coast and the Southern Highlands, where they can afford a bigger house, with a decent home office,” Mr Raskin says. He said that without a doubt it was a sellers’ market, but record low mortgage rates were another important factor in

Many are selling up in the east and moving to the Central Coast and the Southern Highlands, where they can afford a bigger house, with a decent home office. Mr Raskin, who has been selling real estate for 16 years, says the pandemic has changed the landscape considerably. “Everyone from downsizers to investors is getting in on the act,” he says. When it comes to location, Mr Raskin points to Sydney’s eastern suburbs and the inner west in particular, but he says the whole of the state is doing well.

the surge of interest. Mr Raskin says because of lockdown online auctions were producing “great results”. He says as inspections have to be done by appointment, they were attracting serious buyers and not time wasters. To get in touch with Joseph Raskin, phone 0423 376 667 or email joseph. raskin@sydneysothebysrealty.com

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COMMUNITY Judaica Quiz Answers 1. a) To sterilise it to make sure that there are no insects still living inside the ram’s horn 2. Ethanim 3. Nehemiah 4. By observation of the moon 5. Hallel 6. To write within them the names of the righteous, the wicked and those in between 7. Golda Meir 8. a) The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg 9. In order to stop the malicious charge by non-Jews that Jews were throwing poison into the local water supplies 10. Maimonides in Hilchot Teshuva 2:11 says that one should assemble 10 men at this person’s grave and then in their presence confess the sin and make repentance 11. Avram Grant 12. Instead of a live bird, people take money and wave it around their head before giving it to charity. 13. Al Jolson 14. Saturday 6 October 1973 15. Kilometer 101 16. False – he was swallowed by a

large fish 17. Elijah and the Prophets of Baal at Mt Carmel 18. He was the Kohen Gadol (The High Priest) in the Holy of Holies in the Beit Hamikdash – The Holy Temple 19. The same in both – 7 days. 20. Lulav-the spine Etrog-the heart Hadassim (Myrtle) – the eyes Aravot (Willow) the mouth 21. The Etrog. A childless woman who wanted to bear a son was advised to bite the pitom (tip) of an etrog. A pregnant woman who ate the etrog after Sukkot, according to the Talmud, would give birth to a “fragrant” child—the equivalent of a “good” child. And it was said that a woman in labour could ease the pain of childbirth by placing the etrog’s pitom under her pillow 22. Rain 23. Celebrating the annual completion of the fifth and final book of the Torah 24. Challot 25. Samuel Pepys

The German Jew who Started the Paralympic Games FROM PAGE 20

Wishing the community a happy, healthy, prosperous and sweet New Year.

Joseph Raskin

0423 376 667 joseph.raskin@sydneysothebysrealty.com

When the British government decided to open a spinal unit clinic due to the war injuries, Guttmann was the obvious choice to head it. As a pioneering individualist, Guttmann agreed on condition that he could treat patients in his own way, with no interference. The Centre opened at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Aylesbury with just two patients and a new era started for spinal injury patients. At the centre, Guttmann treated the patient holistically – medically, physically and psychologically – and within a few years, his revolutionary approach had transformed an 80:20 death rate into 20:80. But Guttmann had far greater ambitions. His goal was the (then believed impossible) complete integration of these patients into society as respectable and useful members despite their disability. Guttmann had a profound understanding of the emotional challenges a disabled person faced. He witnessed their extreme loss of selfconfidence and self-respect and the ensuing self-pity. All previous definitions of worth were stripped and they saw no future for themselves. But Guttmann saw past the injuries, the misery and the despondency and looked instead at the potential of every human being to adapt to circumstances and live meaningful, happy lives. In order to empower his

patients, he used sports as an integral part of the treatment, showing patients that they were still competent and successful, helping them regain selfconfidence and self-discipline. He introduced an athletic competition in the grounds of the hospital to coincide with the opening day of the 1948 Olympics at London’s Wembley Stadium. The Games comprised of 16 competitors (including two women) competing in archery on the grass outside the hospital ward. Though tiny in size, the notion of paraplegics becoming athletes was completely unheard of. The games at the clinic soon developed into sports activities in which men, women and children could participate upon their discharge and began attracting international competitors. Just over a decade after that its humble beginnings on the hospital lawn, 400 athletes from 23 countries competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960. Though once inconceivable that disabled people could be athletes, the Paralympic Games have become one of the most watched world-wide sporting events. Ludwig Guttmann’s belief in the human spirit lives on not only in the magnificent Paralympic games, but most importantly in each and every disabled person who is able to live as a valuable and productive member of society.

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the sydney jewish report | September 2021

MOV IE

REVIEWS

One wrong move and you're hooked

ALEX FIRST CANDYMAN (M) If you combine the fictional pirate Captain Hook from Peter Pan with a swarm of bees, you have an idea of the antagonists in the horror thriller Candyman. It is based upon a 1992 film of the same name written by Bernard Rose and the short story The Forbidden by Clive Barker. Candyman (2021) has been written by Jordan Peele (Get Out), Win Rosenfeld and Nia DaCosta, the latter of whom also directs. It concerns the shabby treatment of African Americans, which has resulted in the legend of the Candyman (Tony Todd), who has a hook for one of his hands. The movie starts in 1977, where a youngster doing his laundry in the housing projects of Chicago’s CabriniGreen is frightened by the sudden appearance of this man from a wall cavity. Although the Candyman is innocent of any wrongdoing, the child’s cries attract a cadre of police, who beat the Candyman (so called because he dispenses sweets) to death.

Next, we hear the corollary to that episode in 2019 from Troy Cartwright (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), the brother of art gallery director Brianna (Teyonah Parris), who recites a scary story, which involves a baby being snatched. It triggers a response from Brianna’s boyfriend, Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an artist who until that point appeared to have a case of writer’s block and was accused of living off her.

His investigation into the Candyman leads him back to the projects and sees him meet the lad (now an ageing man) who was confronted by the Candyman five decades earlier, William Burke (Colman Domingo). Sustaining a bee sting, which grows and spreads, McCoy immerses himself in a mission to relate the story of the projects through his Candyman imagery. In the process, he becomes increasingly erratic.

Underpinning all of this is the claim that if someone says the word “Candyman” in front of a mirror five times they will be killed on the spot. Let me just say that blood is bound to flow freely before the final credits roll. First up, Candyman is a good-looking film. Visually, it is stylish in more ways than one. The filmmakers have skilfully employed silhouette puppetry to showcase the legend of the Candyman, which we learn dates back to the 19th century. The performances, led by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, are solid, even if I felt the storyline pushed the boundaries beyond the bounds of credibility the longer it went. While there is a level of complexity to the narrative, regardless of the fine detail, you can readily follow the gist. I also appreciated Teyonah Parris’ role as the responsible girlfriend who watches her partner unravel. The soundtrack, too, aids the cause of misgivings throughout Candyman. So, while not entirely satisfying, the film is far more polished than many of this genre typically are. Rated MA, Candyman scores a 6½ out of 10.

Creating a new reality ALEX FIRST FREE GUY (M) Try as I really wanted to like Free Guy, I simply couldn’t … because it is one very silly movie. Two game developers invent … you guessed it … a video game, the backbone of which is stolen by their boss, Antwain (Taika Waititi), who exploits it and makes some serious coin from it. The basis of the game is Groundhog Day, that is the same thing happening every day, with the same result. We are in a place called Free City, where there are lots of explosions, gunfire and flames. Hey, after all, it is a video game. Then, one of the background characters, known as Guy (Ryan Reynolds) – a nice, sweet, innocent who works as a bank teller next to his best mate, security guard Buddy (Lil Rel Howery) – changes all that through artificial intelligence. In short, Guy (who thinks that people who wear sunglasses are heroes) comes alive … in a fashion. The driver of this is a young woman, Millie – aka Molotov Girl – (Jodie Comer), to whom he is attracted. She is a manifestation of one of the two game designers. The male programmer Keys (Joe Keery) constructed Molotov Girl a certain way to reflect his true feelings for Millie. So, in the film, this is art imitating life on

the outside of the video game, the two threads of which formulate the plot. And … of course, Millie and Keys are out to prove that Antwain stole their intellectual property. For his part, Antwain has turned his attention to the next iteration of the game, which he expects will result in more riches. Visually and musically, Free Guy is appealing, but beyond that it is not much chop. We get video game elements liberally smattered throughout (tick) and an

ear-pleasing beat (second tick). Gamers playing and watching the game the world over we’ve seen many times before (I speak of these scenes in other movies) … and here it looked relatively clunky. The plotting by Matt Lieberman (The Addams Family) and Zak Penn (Ready Player One), though, was all over the shop. I felt the movie pulled in different directions and rarely, if ever, found solid footing. It went from violent to laying on the schmaltz.

Ryan Reynolds does all he can to capture the nerd and bravado in his game character. Jodie Comer readily straddles her dual roles as game heroine and designer wanting to right a wrong. And this isn’t the first time we have witnessed Taika Waititi taking the Mickey out of his character. Director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) had inferior material to work with … and it shows. Rated M, Free Guy scores a 5 out of 10.