The Sydney Jewish Report - May Edition 2023

Jhingoor • Brad Sewitz • Craig Haycock • John Cohen • Justine Cameron • Peter Hersh

AROUND THE COMMUNITY

Living the dream

ANNE-MARIE ELIAS

While it is common to hear expressions like “I’m living my best life”, it is easy to dismiss them as jingoism. In fact, the concept of living our best life or, more accurately, living up to our potential was a hierarchy of five needs developed by New York Jewish psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943.

It was a theory about psychological health.

According to Maslow, the first need is physiological. We need food, water and shelter.

The second concerns safety. Consider whether you feel safe. Are you in a situation where there is abuse or coercive control, resulting in an absence of emotional wellbeing? If not you, do you know somebody who is in this distressed state? Is there something you could do to help them?

In the 1960s, there was little need for locking doors. Money was left out as an end of year gift for the postie, milkman and garbage collector. Fast forward 60 years and we not only lock our doors, but have replaced fly screens with

JUDAICA

QUIZ

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

Welcome to our Shavuot-themed quiz, this is perfect timing as this joyous festival celebrating the revelation of our holy Torah given to Moses on Mount Sinai is almost upon us. This was indeed a foundational occurrence in our collective Jewish historical consciousness.

It is a happy time when we will finish counting the Omer and celebrate receiving this timeless treasured knowledge source. We appreciate your positive feedback and love how each edition Rabbi Freedman generously shares his broad Jewish knowledge across so many areas.

Enjoy this Shavuot quiz with family and friends at your Yom Tov table over a delicious kosher cheesecake.

1. Why is the festival of Shavuot known as Pentecost?

2. The Ten Commandments are found in which two Biblical books?

3. Which type of grain was harvested around the time of Shavuot

a) Barley

b) Wheat

c) Oats or

d) Rye?

4. Mt Sinai is known in Arabic as Jabal Musa. What does this mean in English?

security screens and cameras. Maslow’s third tier is love and belonging. Do the relationships we are engaged in meet our needs? Do they provide love and support? Are they fulfilling? A recent article I read indicated that 36 per cent

of employed Australians are unhappy in their workplaces.

Next up is esteem, both self-esteem and respect from others. It is important to have a sense of self-worth. Selfesteem, which involves dignity,

Test your knowledge

5. True of False – Mt Sinai is the highest mountain in the Sinai Peninsula?

6. At the summit of Mt Sinai which of the Abrahamic religions is NOT represented?

7. Emperor Justinian 1st founded St Catherine’s monastery at the foot of Mt Sinai because it was said to be the site of what event in the life of Moses?

Chukkat Hagoyim. What was the rabbi’s concern?

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

8. Mt Sinai is mentioned by name 10 times in the Torah (in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy). Name the only other book of the Bible in which Mt Sinai is mentioned by name: ‘You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good.’

9. Who played Moses in the 1981 movie ‘History of the World Part I’?

10. Cecil B. DeMille’s last film was The Ten Commandments. It was released to cinemas in the United States on November 8, 1956. At the time of its release, what record did it hold?

11. The custom to adorn synagogues with greenery was opposed by the Vilna Gaon in the 18th century due to concerns regarding

12. The custom to eat dairy products on Shavuot (the festival which recalls the giving of the Torah) is said to be due to a Biblical reference in which the Torah is compared to milk: God says affectionately to the Jewish people, “The sweetness [of Torah] drops from your lips; like honey and milk it lies under your tongue.” From which book of the Bible is this verse taken?

13. In Sephardic communities what is sprinkled on worshippers during the reading of the Aseret Hadibrot (The Ten Commandments)?

14. Whose name appears as the very last word in the Book of Ruth and what is this person’s connection with Shavuot?

15. The Book of Ruth is set in which Biblical period?

16. Where would one find the world’s oldest continually operating library?

17. The oldest existing copy of the Ten Commandments, part of the collection of ancient texts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, was found in Israel in which year 1947, 1949 or 1952?

competence and independence, can, of course, be eroded by others. Conversely, it can be bolstered by respect and acknowledgment of one’s achievements and strengths.

Maslow noted that the healthiest form of esteem that comes from others needs to be earned. Celebrity and fleeting recognition cannot fulfil a person’s esteem requirements long term. Social media recognition can be fleeting. We have seen how some people have been affected very negatively by this form of interaction.

According to Maslow, it is only at the fifth and final level where we may use the terms “living the dream” or “living my best life”.

Self-actualisers accept themselves, others and nature. They are not ashamed or guilty about being human, with shortcomings, imperfections, weaknesses and frailties. Nor are they critical of these aspects in other people. They respect and esteem themselves and others.

To realise our full potential we need to have daily goals of pleasure and mastery, and practice gratitude and random acts of kindness.

Anne-Marie Elias is a psychologist in clinical practice for 25 years.

18. In the Book of Ruth what reason is given for Naomi’s journey to Moab and what reason is given for her eventual return to Judah?

19. The Book of Ruth describes Ruth together with a number of other young women doing what precisely in the fields belonging to Boaz?

20. According to the Talmud (Bava Bathra 14a-14b) who wrote the Book of Ruth:

a) Moses

b) Joshua

c) Samuel

d) Jeremiah or

e) Ezra?

21. The founder of the Chasidic movement died on Shavuot in 1760. Known as the Besht or Baal Shem Tov – what was his real name?

22. When the Israelites received the Torah they were said to have exclaimed. ‘Na’aseh ve Nishma’ – what do these words mean?

23. The earliest mention of the practice of staying up the entire night of Shavuot and learning Torah appears in which book of Jewish mysticism?

24. The festival prayer book used on Shavuot and other festivals is known as a Machzor – what is meaning of this word?

25. The service known as Hazkarat Neshamot (Yizkor) is incorporated into the prayers of Shavuot (1st day in Israel & 2nd day in the Diaspora). Recalling our lost ones and saying prayers for their souls became particularly popular after which series of historical events that decimated Ashkenazi Jewry in the Middle Ages?

CONSIDERED

OPINION

RABBI NECHEMIA COOPERSMITH COURTESY: AISH.COM

What’s up with that anointing oil?

One detail about the coronation of Kings Charles III and The Queen Consort piqued my interest. The oil that was used to anoint him as king was consecrated in Jerusalem’s Old City, two minutes away from my office, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Anointing oil? Consecration?

Crowning a king? It all sounds so, well, biblical. I was curious to delve into Jewish sources about the anointing oil used to anoint Jewish kings and explore the deeper meaning behind the oil.

The new “sacred oil” – that’s how it was referred to in the mainstream press – was created from olives harvested and grown on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, under the order of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who officiated at the coronation.

He said, “This demonstrates the deep historic link between the Coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land. From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place. As we anoint The King and The Queen Consort, I pray that they will be guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.”

I wouldn’t have expressed it quite that way, but the Archbishop of Canterbury was actually onto something.

The coronation of King Charles III

The anointing oil is referred to in the Torah (Exodus 30:22-33) when God instructs Moses to produce it to consecrate kings and High Priests, as well as the Tabernacle and its utensils (such as the ark, altars and menorah). That’s a lot of anointing! But the Talmud states that the original oil Moses produced in the desert, though only 12 logs (around 4 litres), miraculously lasted for all of Israel’s history and exists in its full quantity today (Horiyot 11b).

No, King Charles can’t get his hands on some of it. The oil was hidden away by King Josiah towards the end of the First Temple era – when he hid the Ark of the Covenant and some other sacred

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menorah in the Temple, represents the light of Jewish wisdom that illuminates the world. Accessing the pure oil requires squeezing the olive, symbolising the necessity to put in maximum effort to attain wisdom.

The Talmud (Yoma 72b) states that the crown of Torah is available for anyone who wants to take it. It doesn't matter what your IQ is; if your yearning for Jewish wisdom is so strong that in translates into blood, sweat and tears, God will open up the gates of wisdom and crown you with the Crown of Torah. Accessing the wealth of Jewish wisdom is totally yours for the taking if you want it badly enough.

Perhaps that is why Moses’ oil will never be depleted. The oil represents the infinite Torah that is available always, to everyone, for all time.

items, knowing that the Temple was soon to be destroyed.

When the Temple is rebuilt, the oil will be revealed from its hiding place – together with the Ark – and the future King of Israel (aka the Messiah, Mashiach in Hebrew, which means “the anointed one”) will be anointed with it. Why were Jewish kings anointed with oil specifically? And what’s the significance of the miracle of Moses’s oil lasting forever? (Seems like a far bigger miracle than the flask of oil burning for eight days!)

In Judaism, anointing with oil signifies the endowment of divine power, authority, and blessings upon the new king. Oil, which was also used to light the

But there’s one more catch. You can only attain it through humility. In the verse, "Where shall wisdom be found" (Job 28:12), the Hebrew word for "where" is "me’ayin" which also means "from nothingness". The Talmud (Sotah, 21b) says that Torah wisdom can only be found in one who "makes nothing" of himself. That is why a king was commanded to write his own Torah scroll and carry it at all times next to his heart, reminding himself that he is not above God.

May the lessons of the anointing oil rub off on King Charles, and may God bless him with clarity and wisdom in these confusing times.

How many common words of 5 or more letters can you spell using the letters in the hive? Every answer must use the centre letter at least once. Letters may be reused in a word. At least one Jewish word will use all 7 letters.

Proper names and hyphenated words are not allowed. Score 1 point for each answer and 3 points for a Jewish word that uses all 7 letters.

Rating: 20 = Good, 24 = Excellent and 27 = Genius

Yoni Glatt has published more than 1,000 crossword puzzles worldwide, from the LA Times and Boston Globe to The Jerusalem Post. He has also published two Jewish puzzle books: "Kosher Crosswords" and the sequel "More Kosher Crosswords and Word Games".

What started with boxing classes with friends for Community Security Group (CSG) volunteer Gaby has turned into a seven-year commitment that continues to this day.

She says the CSG experience has significant advantages that may not be evident when one starts with the organisation.

"The first thing is the leadership experience and the management experience. I'm 100 per cent sure I wouldn't be able to do the job I'm doing now if it wasn't for CSG,” Gaby says.

“I say that because, as a young person starting your career, you have very few experiences to speak to during your first round of job interviews. You get stuck with these curly interview questions and there's not a lot to hold onto and share. However, when you start volunteering with CSG, you have been managing and leading teams since you were 19.

“If I take my experience, for example, I was leading a team of 33 personnel when I was 22 and I did that for two and a half years.

Some people were much older than me, some much younger. So, I'm learning to manage up and I'm learning to manage down.

CSG protecting the Jewish way of life

“I’ve been in boardrooms with CEOs, communal leaders and law enforcement. I'd also run sessions for 150 people at a time … all by the time I was 22. So, if you're looking at me, compared to someone else my age who's going through the job interview process, the world becomes your oyster because of what CSG can give you".

Predominantly funded through JCA, CSG is integral to our communal landscape.

The CSG’s mission is to protect Jewish life and Jewish way of life.

While, generally, the community is not privy to all the behind-the-scenes work, there has been more than one occasion where Gaby has finished a shift thinking “it was a good thing that a team was on the ground. It was a good thing that I was there today.”

She talks about the friendships that form when people with a common purpose come together.

Gaby is passionate about why donors should support CSG – not only because the organisation protects our way of life, but because it's a place that

keeps young people in the community together and keeps them connected.

She encourages young people to take the opportunity to explore this unique opportunity. And there's also the more practical aspect. "The community requires protection and the volunteers need support, equipment and training to be the best that we can be to ensure that the community is safe".

For anyone considering volunteering for CSG, Gaby’s message is simple, "it's the best decision they're going to make in their lives. And the second thing I would tell them is that no matter how much they put in, they're always going to get more out.

Professionally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, you can't imagine how much this organisation can provide to a young person in our community and I know that because that's the experience I've had."

JCA CEO Alain Hasson says we are indebted to the thousands of volunteers like Gaby who have spent countless hours protecting our community. “And we thank the donors for supporting us in making this happen, with an allocation this year of over $2.7 million. We can’t do it without communal support.”

JCA’s annual campaign kicked off this week. To donate to JCA ahead of the end of the financial year, go to www.jca.org.au

CONSIDERED OPINION

NOMI KALTMANN

COURTESY: TABLET MAGAZINE

Visiting every country on Earth is a rare feat, with NomadMania, a not-forprofit organisation that certifies people who travel to every country on Earth, estimating that fewer than 300 people have done so, about half as many as have been to space. Now Melburnian Daniel Herszberg has been added to that list. Currently ranked the 145th most travelled person in the world by NomadMania, he is just the fourth Australian to visit every country (193 countries officially recognised by the UN, plus the Vatican, Palestine, Kosovo and Taiwan, for a total of 197), and he did it by age 30.

While travelling, Herszberg has seen some amazing sites including the lava lakes of the Congo, the great dunes of the Sahara Desert, and Lake Baikal in Siberia. His journeys have also taken him to active war zones in Syria, Yemen and Somalia. However, Herszberg, who was raised in an Orthodox family, has a specific interest that differs from other world travellers: Jewish history. In each location he goes, Herszberg actively seeks to document anything Jewish that he can find.

“There are two sides to the Jewish story of the world,” he said. “The living side, where communities still exist and are flourishing, and the other side, where you see the world that was lost – centres of former Jewish civilisations in countries we left behind.”

In 2016, Herszberg drove outside the glitzy, oil-rich city of Baku, Azerbaijan, where the landscape is dotted with red mountains and minarets, passing through mountains and crossing a river, until he arrived in Qırmızı Q s b , a quintessential Jewish city. The synagogues are located off the main road and little children play on the streets wearing kippahs. The local Jews speak their own ancient language, Judeo-Tat. The people of Qırmızı Q s b – nicknamed “the last surviving shtetl on earth” – are residents of one of the only Jewish-only towns outside Israel and the United States. The town was largely protected from persecution during the Holocaust after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, and despite rising emigration, its roughly 3,800 Jewish residents retain a strong presence and tradition.

When Herszberg posted photos on his Instagram account @dhersz, followers were fascinated, with many commenting that they were unaware that there was a thriving Jewish community living in Azerbaijan.

Herszberg’s content resonates with many, but especially with Jews whose families have historic connections to the places he visits and have not been able to go back and visit.

“I’ve had people whose families used to be connected to some of these abandoned synagogues and they reached out to me on Instagram to tell me they saw the photos and they showed them to their grandparents,” he said. “I’ve been in touch with descendants of people who have described emotions of comfort or closure, knowing what has happened to their childhood school, home or synagogue.”

The travel bug bit Herszberg early. His mother is South African and his first overseas trip at age 2 was a visit to his great grandmother in Canada. As

Been around the world

such as Egypt and Iraq, left in a haste. When the Jews left, the caretaker moved onto the site and received the keys. They are the last ones standing,” said Herszberg. “They often have a real nostalgia for this lost world.”

These caretakers, now in their 80s and 90s, often remember the vibrant Jewish communities that lived in these places.

a child, he also visited Israel and the United States, and went on a few family holidays to Thailand and Singapore.

When he turned 18, Herszberg knew he wanted to travel the world. While studying liberal arts and law at university in Melbourne he visited 140 countries, paying for his travels through parttime jobs, including tutoring, teaching swimming and running the children’s service at his local synagogue. “I would work all semester and then travel in my breaks,” he said.

He is fluent in six languages, including Hebrew, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Mandarin, as well as conversational in Levantine Arabic, Indonesian and basic Yiddish.

When Herszberg finished university in 2016, he accepted a corporate job at Skadden, Arps in Hong Kong. After working as a lawyer for three years, he had saved enough to fund his travel to the remaining countries on his list.

In 2019, he quit his job, armed with a plan to finish visiting all the remaining countries over the next 12 months. The pandemic intervened and stretched out his plans a little longer … until March 2023, when he reached his final country,

Tonga, whose borders were shut for the duration of the pandemic.

As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, Herszberg is especially appreciative of his Australian passport, which allowed him to visit every country on earth.

“I share a lot of my journey online and at times it’s been quite difficult,” he said. “I always wanted to share Jewish stories, but for the first 180 countries I visited I kept my Jewishness quiet as I was scared of being refused a visa or (of potential) trouble at immigration. As the risk decreased that I would be refused a visa, I started sharing Jewish stories more openly.”

A look at his Instagram page shows content dedicated to the Jews of Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The pictures he shares are poignant and give a sense of the rich Jewish communities that used to live in these places.

Herszberg also documents the synagogues he visits in hard-to-reach countries and is especially grateful to all the non-Jewish caretakers who helped him to access the sites.

“The story of these caretakers is often very similar. Their families were the caretakers of these buildings for many generations. The Jews in many countries,

“In Cairo, a caretaker took me to a synagogue and he still knew how to chant the Jewish prayers in the tunes the community used to sing, more than 70 years after the Jews left. He knew where everyone lived. He pointed to houses on the street and told me: This hakham [rabbi] lived there; this family used to live here. These properties belonged to this family; the kosher butcher stood here. In the backstreets of Cairo, the stories of this caretaker brought an exiled Jewish community back to life.”

In addition to the kindness of the caretakers that have allowed him to document the history of so many important historic Jewish sites, Herszberg is grateful to the global Jewish community that has hosted him in many unexpected places, including Iran, Ethiopia and Uzbekistan.

“The Jewish people have historically been scattered and defined by dispersion,” he said. “But the more I travelled and the more people and stories I got to know, the more I experienced how our scattered communities are connected. From Shabbat dinners in Tehran to the Amazon, we would play Jewish geography and almost always identify a mutual friend or community member, tying together our Jewish communities over Friday night dinner. No matter where we are located, Jews share common understandings of our heritage and identity.”

This story originally appeared in Tablet Magazine (tabletmag.com) and is reprinted with permission.

Daniel Herszberg inside the Yu Aw Synagogue, Herat, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Daniel Herszberg

An entrance to a mikvah, Tehran, Iran Abandoned synagogue in Cairo

COMMUNITY

UIA was delighted to commemorate the milestone of Israel’s 75th anniversary by joining with more than 750 Keren HayesodUIA supporters from around the globe for a Homeland celebration.

Over 80 Australians joined groups from across the Jewish world at three pivotal events, namely Keren Hayesod’s Annual World Conference, Women’s Mifgash and Young Leadership Kesher Seminar. There were also participants from Canada, France, Argentina and a number of other South American and European countries.

More than 50 Australian supporters participated in UIA’s Yom Ha’atzmaut and Major Donors’ Missions, which gave participants access to unique experiences and speakers. That incorporated culture, history, security, innovation, creativity and cuisine, and, most importantly, seeing UIA’s lifesaving work firsthand.

Mission highlights included a Keren Hayesod-UIA Yom Ha’atzmaut picnic at Havat Ronit, together with other Missions from around the world, and unprecedented access to a Hezbollah tunnel on the northern border. There was also a visit to the Tel Nof Air Force base and access to an array of aircraft and equipment.

Participants saw and felt the impact that Keren Hayesod-UIA-supported projects are making on Israelis’ lives and society.

Visiting Kiryat Gat, Jerusalem and Ra’anana Absorption Centres, a first home for many new olim (immigrants), was eye-opening. Participants were also moved when meeting olim from Russia, Ukraine and Ethiopia who had recently made aliyah with their support. It was heart-warming to witness the revolutionary

Celebrating 75 years of an independent Jewish State

Youth Futures program, which helps empower over 12,000 at-risk children and their families. Additionally, participants visited the Hadassah Neurim and Ramat Hadassah Youth Villages, which help disadvantaged youth cope with integration difficulties, as well as Net@ Ramle, which provides technological training to high school students on Israel’s periphery.

Between sightseeing and taking in the tastes and textures of the Holy Land, participants heard from high-calibre speakers who gave professional and personal insights into politics, security and culture.

They included Avi Melamed, a former senior official on Arab affairs, Tal Schneider, political correspondent for the Times of Israel and human rights lawyer, Gadi Ezra. Amit

New grants’ program for religious schools and places of worship

GRANTCONNECT

Designed to improve security and safety, Auditor-General Mark Dreyfus KC MP has announced the federal government will help protect faith-based places with a $40 million grants’ program.

Grants will be available for places of worship, religious schools and associated organisations to support safety upgrades.

That could include fencing, lighting, security cameras, traffic barriers, alarm systems, access controls and security guards.

The new Securing Faith-Based Places grants program – which replaces the discontinued Safer Communities Fund –promises to be an open, competitive and merit-based initiative.

The independent Federal Member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender MP, welcomed the initiative.

She said every Australian community has the right to feel safe and practice their faith freely. Ms Spender said given the disturbing rise in antisemitism, restoring funding for community safety was particularly important for the Jewish community.

She said she had spent the past few months strongly advocating for funding to be restored.

Ms Spender said under the new program, all Jewish institutions – including schools, synagogues and museums – would be eligible for funding when grant applications open in July.

Details will be published on the government’s GrantConnect website at https://help.grants.gov.au.

Segal, chief political correspondent and commentator for Channel 12 News and Ohad Hemo, the leading Palestinian Affairs reporter in Israel provided their expertise, while B. G. (Res.) Gal Hirsch and Col (Ret.) Kobi Marom gave overviews of Israel’s security on the northern borders.

There was also a tour of the Gaza Strip border and the city of Sderot, where the region’s population live under constant threat of rocket fire, as well as a visit to the seam line in Jerusalem with the architect of Israel’s security barrier with the West Bank, Dani Tirza.

Experiencing the National Days in Israel evoked a spectrum of emotions, from the sadness of Yom HaZikaron to immense joy at the Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations.

Participants had the chance to visit Yad Vashem and Mount Herzl, experience Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel, see the Tower of David’s night spectacular King David Show, visit the new excavations at the Western Wall tunnels, enjoy authentic Druze hospitality and explore the city of Safed.

Melbourne participant Sam Parasol OAM said the Mission was a “wonderful, never-tobe forgotten experience”. The preparation by UIA personnel – from the guides and speakers, to the food and every detail was excellent. Kol Hakavod to all. I would highly recommend future Missions.”

Another Melbourne participant, Helen White, said: “Our outstanding shlichim, guides and speakers have given us great insight into the life and challenges that Israel faces. I will treasure the memories.”

Sydneysider Glynis Bass said: “Each day was filled with unbelievable adventures. We were inspired and filled with positivity and hope.”

UIA CEO Yair Miller OAM said that a UIA mission is one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences that one can have in Israel. “I am always amazed when our local Israeli madrichim tell us they have never themselves experienced many of the things we are able to provide to our participants. We are so proud of the lifesaving work we do in Israel each and every day and using these experiences to connect our donors to their Homeland and our beneficiaries is one of the unique privileges of my role.”

UIA is looking forward to its upcoming Medical Mission (10-19 October) and October Mission (12-19 October). Information about these can be found at uiaaustralia.org.au/missions or by contacting Philippa at the UIA office on 93614273 or by email: missions@uiansw.org.au

WITH UIA

Auditor-General Mark Dreyfus Allegra Spender

UIA NSW

AROUND THE

UIA 2023 Yom Ha’atzmaut Mission and Major Donor Mission participants at Tel Nof Air Force base

Limmud in your lounge New senior appointments

Montessori School and, most recently, at Georges River Grammar, where she held the role for five years.

She said she was “elated” to be returning to a Jewish community school.

Raquel Charet has been appointed as Masada College principal, starting in 2024.

Mrs Charet grew up predominantly in Sydney, attending Yeshivah College (now known as Kesser Torah College), before relocating to Melbourne, graduating from Beth Rivkah.

She obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jewish Studies, a Master of Teaching (Secondary), a Master of Science (Coaching Psychology) and an Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Management.

Mrs Charet has more than a decade’s experience as a principal, firstly at Sydney

“I am looking forward … to taking Masada on the next chapter and continuing to build the College from strength to strength,” Mrs Charet said.

Masada College has also appointed Ryan Gill as College deputy principal, effective immediately.

Mr Gill has worked at the College for more than 13 years is also the Head of Senior School.

This term, Masada welcomed back Karen Gunasekara – who had previously worked at the school between 2016 and 2019 – as its Head of Junior School.

• Finding your voice on the Voice – an opportunity to explore a Jewish angle on the upcoming referendum;

• Modern love and Talmudic passions, with educator Adina Roth;

Limmud Oz Sydney will present a series of thought-provoking and inspiring conversations about Jewish ideas and culture in homes across Sydney over the upcoming long weekend (10-12 June).

Back in the Limmud in Your Lounge format for the first time since 2018, each session will take place in a community member’s private lounge room.

This will give people the chance to reconnect and engage in a cosy and friendly setting.

The program draws on local Jewish talent and here is a sneak-peek of what’s on offer:

• How to be funny on the internet: Jewish humour in a world of memes with popular Instagramer Shoshana Gottlieb (@ JewishMemesOnly);

• Solving the mystery of ancient Jewish theatre, with academic Dovi Seldowitz;

• What on earth is going on in Israel?!

Making sense of the debate over judicial reform, with legal expert Kim Rubenstein; and

• A do it yourself challah cover workshop, for children and parents.

Limmud Oz is all about making Jewish ideas relevant and engaging. All interested in Jewish learning, regardless of age, affiliation or background, are welcome. The full program and tickets can be found on the website limmudoz.org.au

Limmud is powered entirely by volunteers, including hosts, presenters and the organising committee.

If you are interested in getting involved in Limmud Oz Sydney events or would like to know more, all information is on the website www.limmudoz.org.au/contact-us

Baking the cake of life

and therefore traditional Greek wisdom would hold God’s result as superior to that of man.

The kitchen sits at the heart of our homes and serves as a control centre to define what we eat.

So why should we think twice about what we cook and how does the concept of kashrut help?

Rabbi Akiva once challenged Turnus Rufus (Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Tazria): “Whose actions are more beautiful, those of God or those of man?”

He replied, “those of man are more beautiful …”

Rabbi Akiva brought him raw wheat and cake and said, “this [wheat] is the work of God and this [cake] is the work of man.” God, by definition, represents perfection

But Judaism believes that humanity is summoned to finish what God started.

Sometimes we are handed lemons with which we need to make lemonade and at other times we are provided with the raw ingredients with which to “cook up a storm”.

Our own bodies represent the same idea – a gift from God that we must look after through healthy nourishment and exercise (spiritual and physical).

So, when you are preparing or enjoying the delicious meal at the end of your cooking adventure, consider what you use and remember that in life we need to utilise every ingredient to make a difference.

LIMMUD OZ

MASADA COLLEGE

Attendees at a previous Limmud Oz event in Sydney

Raquel Charet is Masada College’s newly appointed principal

RABBI DR BENJI LEVY

Rabbi Benji with his wife, Renana and daughter Lital

KOSHER FEATURE

Jesse's Bakery & Cafe manager Shmuel Barukh with his sister, front of house coordinator Nechama, outside the Kashrut Authority (KA) kosher certified establishment

Kosher KApers

Given that we gladly talk all-things-kosher in each and every edition, and given that the spotlight shines on Shavuot this month, this is the perfect moment to explore how it all started.

The holy Torah was given to us on Mount Sinai at this time of year and we love to celebrate this joyous festival in myriad ways. Within this timeless treasure, we received the laws of keeping kosher. Long story short: as this was received on a Shabbat, our blessed Day of Rest, and appreciating the complexity of adhering to a new method of managing meat, utensils and consuming foods, it took a little time to comprehend.

Within that biblical space and time, we opted to refrain from eating meat and ate dairy instead. It aligns perfectly as the Torah is such a lifeforce it is often aptly described as nourishing milk. And this is the ideal time to explore all that we have on offer in Sydney that is Shavuot-related across our kosher landscape.

This year we have more options for Chag Matan Torah, the Festival of Giving the Torah than ever before. Kosher Sydney boasts twelve dedicated Shavuot menus from our talented KA bakers and caterers – that is one dozen to choose from!

The KA-certified Friendship Bakery proudly brings together people with disabilities to enjoy valued roles and experience strong communal connections in a fun and inclusive environment. This Shavuot the enthusiastic bakers can’t wait to share their best creations, including a savoury Babka with pesto, olives, tomato and fetta. This is in addition to the Jerusalem challah and herbed challah. So many have shared how grateful they are that all dairy products in store are Chalav

Yisrael such as two quiches: spinach and mushroom/caramelised onion. Yes, of course cheesecake is offered too!

Meanwhile at Jesse’s Bakery it is all about one holiday hero: the cheesecake offered in five varieties: plain, strawberry, passion fruit, choc ganache and Lotus (all Chalav Yisrael). Upper Heights has a plethora of products perfect for this period. From the outstanding sweet and savoury blintzes – raspberry, blueberry and cream cheese as well as the magnificent mushroom and Bechamel cream variety.

The talented Joel Barda offers five phenomenal cheesecake options: Dulce de Leche, mango, chocolate, raspberry and also passion fruit. Quiches and focaccia will also be in store before the festival begins too (dairy items not Chalav Yisrael).

Soul Gourmet offers two new savoury products for Shavuot: Cheese Danish and Cheese Babka, as well as cheesecakes such as the Crustless Burnt Basque and New York Style. You can also purchase from Alan Bender’s signature fabulous fudge range which also includes a decadent fudge sauce and even a

fudge liquor (not Chalav Yisrael). Over in Surry Hills at the Sweet Chick HQ there are over two dozen dairy and Pareve treats such as the legendary Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake and New York (Nutella) cheesecake. On this festival menu you can also find the consistently best-selling cake in store, the carrot cake which is Dairy or customers can opt to order it without icing and voila – it will be a dairy free dessert (milchig items not Chalav Yisrael).

We love that Rimon Catering is offering a Shavuot menu that is Pareve only, recognising that whilst decadent dairy delights are our go-to, the fact is so many families in our community have members who choose to or need to opt for a dairyfree diet.

You can also find generous items all baked with love by The Bagel Co. and Mendy’s (both Chalav Yisrael) as well as the following not Chalav Yisrael: Millee’s, Grandma Moses and Fress (with the cutest boxed mini cheesecakes which truly make the most gorgeous gifts). Please note that if required, you can order Millee’s dairy options all Chalav Yisrael if specifically requested.

There is one more Shavuot menu (Chalav Yisrael) available from a brand new KA-certified kosher caterer – Manna Cuisine.

There is a dynamic duo at the helm: Artur & Yulia Bilder. Both bring decades of experience and talent garnered from living and breathing all-things-culinary. Both also bring to the 'kosher table' astonishing creativity and attention to detail. Manna Cuisine specialises in high quality and bespoke menus expertly tailored for each customer, always with budget considerations in mind.

Having lived in Israel for over twentyyears, when it comes to savoury, Manna Cuisine is a Middle Eastern fare expert and so much more. Yulia is a brilliant and talented pastry chef and her creative contributions are exquisite. Both Artur

Here’s a snapshot of kosher news around town:

• To make your reservation for the upcoming KA Kosher Pop Up event at Shuk Bondi, visit: https://www. shuk.com.au/about-3-1. Shuk Bondi is located at 2 Mitchell Street, North Bondi.

• With Shavuot so close, The KA advises that all varieties of Paesanella Ricotta are KA-certified, do not require a KA logo on the tubs and can be

purchased anywhere these products are sold. All other KA-certified Paesanella products are available in the kosher refrigerated section of four selected Woolworths stores: Bondi Junction, Eastgardens, Double Bay and St. Ives. (To see full Paesanella listing see The KA’s Kosher Product Directory www.ka.org.au).

• Bondi Pizza Gallery offers two new

products: gluten free pizza and a a hearty vegetable soup full of the most warming and wonderful veggies including potato, celery, carrot, pumpkin, onion, sweet potato and more. Located at 69 O’Brien Street, Bondi Beach, to order call 02 9130 1036.

• To view all Shavuot menus, visit The KA’s Facebook Group called “Kashrut Authority of Australia & NZ” with over

and Yulia also trained at the L'ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrhona - a centre of excellence and innovation.

Manna Cuisine is here for your large and small events - from intimate Shabbat dinners to large-scale weddings. Also, the sushi styling is sensational and will wow your guests.

All cooking and baking is done in-house, fresh on the premises and this includes all outstanding options for Shavuot for which they have crafted an array of treats that can be made Dairy or Pareve – you decide. These include a resplendent Rolled Pavlova, lasagne, a side of Atlantic Salmon and so much more.

The KA is always thinking ahead and is so excited to reveal that a unique KAcertified dining experience awaits our community post-Shavuot: a Pop Up Night at Shuk Bondi on Thursday evening June 1st.

This collaboration has resulted in the opportunity to sample this beautifully balanced and well-considered menu showcasing the culinary skills of the inhouse talented chefs. All kosher delicacies will be prepared with care and each diner can select the vegan or meat main course options. From lamb kofta, tzatziki, parsley & chickpea salad to roasted eggplant, braised lentils, gremolata and pine nuts - this menu will elevate and expand your kosher dining experience.

This is a one-night-only kosher food event not to be missed and seating is limited. There will be two seating sessions: 6pm and 8:30pm and will cost $99 per person for the food only - all beverages will be paid for separately on the night, including KA-certified Harkham Wines.

We love staying connected daily with kosher consumers and thank all readers for their positive feedback for this monthly kosher wrap-up. We love sharing our kosher news, which is constantly expanding and enhancing.

Chag Sameach from The KA Team.

5000 members. In addition, all KA establishment details are listed on The KA’s website: www.ka.org.au.

• KA-certified local Village Finest Kosher Butcher now offer four new items: Premium Grade Veal, Premium Cut Black Angus Beef, Denver Steak and most recently, Skirt Steak. To place your orders, visit www.villagefinest.com.au.

From left: Sweet Chick Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake, Fress Mini Cheesecakes, Upper Heights Passion Fruit Cheesecake and Rimon Catering Vegetarian Lasagne

New KA-certified kosher caterer: Manna Cuisine's Rolled Pavlova (can be Dairy Chalav Yisrael or Pareve)

A tale of milk and meat

RABBI MOSHE D. GUTNICK RABBINIC ADMINISTRATOR THE KASHRUT AUTHORITY

The festival of Shavuot has a unique connection with the laws of keeping kosher. This link is so intrinsic that the way we celebrate this joyous festival changed as a result of the initial adherence of the Jewish People to the laws of kashrut.

On every other festival and on Shabbat, we traditionally rejoice with meat and wine. For many families, every meal is a meat meal and according to some authorities, this is the quintessential definition of a festive meal.

Not so for Shavuot when we customarily eat milk-based foods, with at least one full dairy repast included. How did this eventuate? Why the dairy spotlight? If a ‘mitzvah meal’ was typically one that contained meat, could we perhaps be disrespecting Shavuot by consuming dairy?

I believe that if we understand why we eat dairy, we will comprehend that this conscious choice reflects the greatest honour for the festival of Shavuot.

While there are a number of stated reasons, I believe the following will resonate and simultaneously will teach us a valuable lesson. As our sages

record, the Torah was given on a Shabbat morning and specifically, the Ten Commandments were then said out loud by Hashem. At that time, the Jewish People entered into an eternal covenant with G-d and became obligated to fulfil all the commandments of the Torah.

Rav Saadiah Gaon explains that the wording of the Ten Commandments is an allusion to all 613 mitzvot. Within was an insight into all the laws that were to come, including those of kashrut – all were accepted without question.

After hearing the voice of G-d announcing the Ten Commandments,

witnessing the smoking mountain, the cracking lightning and thunder and then the sound of the Shofar that seemingly kept increasing in volume and appeared never-ending, the extraordinary event dramatically concluded. The mountain reverted to normal; the Children of Israel went on their way.

On Mount Sinai, Moses did not need to eat for forty days and forty nights, yet the Israelites en masse were not granted the same physical miracle. They needed to sustain themselves.

Now that they were aware of the laws of Kashrut, they realised that meat had to be shechted, or ritually slaughtered,

to be kosher. The forbidden fats had to be removed and so much more.

As this revelation was delivered on Shabbat, even if they were au fait with enacting these new laws, they were not permitted to shecht on Shabbat. Throughout the ensuing days, it was a steep learning curve and they had to study the intricate laws of Shechita. Therefore in the interim, meat was off the menu!

What was left for them to eat? Dairy products. Cheese, butter, yoghurt and milk (granted, cheesecake and blintzes came much later; I am certain they had their own dairy delicacies).

Appreciating the above, we can see that the custom of eating dairy food on Shavuot encapsulates the essence of the Yom Tov and pays it the greatest respect.

After the Torah was given, it was the first major example of the Jews accepting and enacting a set of laws. In observance of G-d’s commandments, and in accordance with the laws of kashrut, no one ate meat.

When we eat only dairy and opt to refrain from consuming meat at a Shavuot meal, we metaphorically join our ancestors, camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. We wholeheartedly declare that we are ready to obey all the laws of G-d, including the laws of kashrut, just as Moses and the Children of Israel did before us.

Delicious, convenient and kosher

All three Elato flavours – triple vanilla and cold brew decaf café latte, both of which are dairy, along with the popular parve, vegan dark chocolate – are kosher.

Healthy and natural dairy

He passed on his expertise to his son, who started manufacturing dairy products from a small shopfront in Croydon Park in 1993.

Premium Elato ice cream has extended its reach.

The delicious treat can now be found in the kosher freezer of major Woolworths outlets in Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne.

It is also sold in close to 400 other supermarkets nationally including selected independent supermarkets and Woolworths’ Metro supermarkets.

Elato is also available for home delivery in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane, via Metro60 and Uber Eats.

Elato’s coffee ice cream recently received the Queensland Dairy Industry award for 2022’s best ice cream and a gold award at the Sydney Royal Show.

The coffee and the vanilla flavours have also won dairy industry silver awards, while Elato won the “Best Socially Conscious Brand” at the inaugural Naturally Good Awards.

Elato champions natural, chemical free ingredients, along with added fibre and is free from major allergens, lactose, gluten, nuts and soy.

In addition to the strong, rich taste and smooth, creamy texture of all of three flavours, Elato’s dairy ice creams have 30 percent less added sugar.

That is a result of a patented process that enhances sweetness by removing lactose and improves texture, while achieving a three-star health rating.

Founder and CEO, Roz Kaldor-Aroni said the company is committed to being a sustainable brand and a force for good.

“We source delicious flavours from social enterprises that are committed to sustainability, fair trade and positive social impact.

“Fifty per cent of the brand’s profits are given away, to support food rescue nonprofit organisation Oz Harvest.”

Elato can now be found in the kosher freezers of the following Woolworths stores: Bondi Junction, Eastgardens and St Ives in Sydney, Belconnen in Canberra and East Hawthorn, Malvern, Bentleigh and Glen Huntly in Melbourne.

To find your local stockist or to contact Elato, go to www.elato.com.au

Bekaa is an Australian, family-owned business that produces premium quality kosher dairy products.

Originating in the Middle East, the family behind the enterprise brought to this country two generations of dairying know-how.

Combining traditional methods with a modern twist, Bekka makes distinctive, country style yoghurts with body, texture and flavour, along with cheeses and labneh.

The concept originated with grandfather Ibraham Abou-Chedid about half a century ago.

He began production on a small scale –selling to friends and a handful of “corner shops” in the early 1970s.

The business grew rapidly through word of mouth and within a few years it had to relocate to larger premises.

In 1996, Bekaa received first prize in the Multicultural Small Business Awards.

It is now a third generation of the family at the helm.

They believe that innovation, coupled with passion, deep knowledge and hard work, is the recipe for continued success.

They will build on their current range and develop new, healthy, natural dairy products.

For more information, go to https://www.bekaa.com.au. All KA-certified products in this range are produced under the brand Ultimate Dairies and are listed within The KA's Kosher Product Directory.

ELATO ICE CREAM

From left, Bekka owners, siblings Jason and Jamie Chedid, with their mother, Katie

Elato founder Roz Kaldor-Aroni, with the kosher Elato tubs

Manna Cuisine ricotta cookies

MANNA CUISINE KA-CERTIFIED CATERER

This Shavuot recipe contribution comes from a new KA-certified caterer: Manna Cuisine. Dynamic duo Artur & Yulia Bilder are both at the helm, bringing decades of culinary experience, talent and an impressive attention to detail.

Having lived in Israel for over 20 years, when it comes to savoury, Manna Cuisine is a Middle Eastern fare expert and so much more. Yulia is a brilliant pastry chef and her creative contributions are exquisite!

Manna Cuisine can ably assist with large and small events - from Shabbat dinners to large-scale weddings. Our community is also in for a treat with the sensational sushi styling on offer. Manna Cuisine specialises in high quality and bespoke menus expertly tailored for each customer, always with budget considerations in mind.

This Shavuot dairy recipe hails from Artur’s childhood. He generously shares his grandmother’s Ricotta Cookies, also affectionately known as ‘Geese Feet’. His grandmother used to make these tender treats from homemade ricotta or soft farmer’s cheese. Combining a few simple ingredients yielded amazing results with every single batch that came out of the oven.

These cookies are golden and delicately crunchy on the outside enhanced by the light dusting of caster sugar, then revealing a multitude of thin layers inside.

They can be combined within minutes and can be made ahead of time as they will need time to refrigerate and chill.

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE RICOTTA

2L full cream milk

250ml cream

200ml lemon juice

Pinch of sea salt

INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIES

250gm cold butter

2 cups plain flour

250gm ricotta

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Pinch sea salt

Caster sugar for dusting

METHOD TO MAKE HOMEMADE RICOTTA

Pour the milk into a large, deep saucepan and place over a medium heat.

Add a pinch of sea salt and stir until it has dissolved.

Once the milk first comes to the boil, stir with a wooden spoon, then remove the spoon and pour in the lemon juice.

Small lumps will start to rise to the surface as the milk curdles. These are the curds.

Use the spoon to gently draw the curds into the centre of the pan to make room for more curds to rise at the edges.

Reduce heat to lowest temperature possible and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently lift the curds out of the pan, shaking the spoon to remove any excess liquid.

Place the curds into the strainer wrapped in cheesecloth or muslin. Or, alternatively, pour the mixture through the strainer, gently stirring to push all the liquid through. Leave the strainer for 30 minutes to cool down, then store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

METHOD TO MAKE COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 165 °C. Grate the chilled butter into a large mixing bowl.

Treasure trove of original kosher recipes

ROSE ELAINE BENJAMIN

"Over time, I expanded my collection from 65 recipes to the 101 that appear in the 236 full colour pages of Rose’s Family Favourites."

Try to do this as quickly as possible to prevent the butter from melting.

Add flour and use your hands to quickly mix the ingredients together.

Add the rest of the ingredients. It will be a very dry and crumbly texture, keep kneading until the dough combines together.

Form the dough into a disc and wrap it up in a glad wrap.

Place into the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Break off part of the dough and roll out thinly on a well-floured surface (keep the rest of the dough refrigerated when not using).

Use a biscuit cutter (about 3 inches/7.5cm), or overturned cup or glass (preferably with thin edges). Put the dusting sugar into a bowl and press one side of the circle of dough into the sugar. Fold in half to form a half-moon shape.

Press one side into the sugar again, fold it in half and press one of the sides in the sugar.

Line a tray with baking paper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cookies are puffed up and golden brown.

Store the baked cookies at room temperature for 2-3 days in a closed box or container.

Manna Cuisine is located at 55 Doody Street, Alexandria and all cooking and baking is done in-house, fresh on the premises. To contact Manna Cuisine call Artur Bilder on 0450 184 020 or email: info@ mannacuisine.com.au.

(Please note there are also two brands of KA-certified ricotta cheese: La Stella Latticini & Paesanella.)

Foodie Rose Elaine Benjamin has just written a book of her favourite recipes that have been passed down through successive generations of her family.

An observant third generation Jewish Singaporean who lives in Sydney, she celebrates Shabbat each week and loves both Jewish and Asian cuisine –savoury and sweet.

A typical discussion at her table involves how to prepare local dishes while adhering to the kosher dietary laws.

Rose says lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic gave her time to digitise the recipes she had written on scraps of paper and on her phone.

“Those who know me well know that I like to be constantly busy. I decided that it was time to tackle my book project. Of course, when my relatives caught wind of what I was doing, I received more recipes.

“Thus, I began curating, deciding on the Jewish recipes I just had to include, and selecting continental and Asian ones that I could kosher.

They include 21 salads, sauces and dips, 37 Asian and Continental dishes, 25 Singapore Iraqi Jewish cuisines and 18 desserts.

“At the same time, my family enjoyed their favourite comfort foods that left my kitchen hot and smelling and tasting wonderful.”

However, perseverance paid and spurred on by her father, Joseph and her children Andrea and Aaron, she completed her passion project.

She said the result was a journey of self-discovery, during which she learned to appreciate her family even more.

“It is said that ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’, but this book would not have been possible without the many cooks in my life – my nanna, mum, mother-in-law, aunts, cousins and friends.”

Retailing for $100 plus postage, you can purchase Rose’s Family Favourites via WhatsApp (+61 417 217 056) or by emailing rosesfamilyfavourites@gmail.com

You can follow Rose on Instagram @ rosesfamilyfavourites and on Facebook @ rosesfamilyfavourites

RABBINIC

THOUGHT

15 the sydney jewish report | May 2023

Timeless traditions – British and biblical

strap of Tefillin wound and in the flicker of each Shabbat candle.

Often in this hectic world, age old customs are replaced with a regularity that has to be seen to be believed. The ascension to the throne of King Charles III - the first British coronation to be held in seven decades – displayed a vast array of historic pageantry, flare and ceremony with millions of viewers tuning in worldwide.

While the timing was not ideal for British Jewry, Down Under we were fortunate as it all unfolded after Shabbat had ended. Given this, we could watch it in real-time.

As I processed the spectacle in all its pomp and grandeur, I pondered about what exactly was pulling the citizens of so many nations and backgrounds to be mesmerised by this monarchical display.

As a rabbi and naturalised subject of the Crown, following are my royal reflections. In a world that is spinning at a scary pace, there are moments that remind us of the timeless importance of tradition. The coronation of Their Majesties was one such event—replete with a sense of history, continuity and ritual. Every detail of the ceremony was carefully chosen and deeply meaningful. This included the choice of vestments for royal family members, songs,

jewellery, the wording of the King’s oath and so much more. In addition to riding in a Gold State Coach that is over twoand-a-half centuries old, despite our modern age of autonomous vehicles. The list is long.

As the majestic ceremony unfolded with its regal processions, elaborate rituals and the crowning of the reigning monarch, we were transported back in time.

The coronation served as a steadfast reminder that threads of tradition woven through our past are integral to shaping our future.

Judaica quiz answers

1. Because it occurs 50 Days after Pesach

2. Exodus and Deuteronomy

3. b) Wheat. Shavuot is known as Chag Hakatzir - The festival of the Wheat Harvest

4. Mountain of Moses

5. False – Mt Sinai is 2,285-metre (7,497 feet) high. It is surrounded on all sides by higher peaks in the mountain range of which it is a part. For example, it lies next to Mount Catherine which at 2,629m or 8,625ft, is the highest peak in Egypt

6. Judaism. The summit has a mosque that is still used by Muslims, and a Greek Orthodox chapel, constructed in 1934 on the ruins of a 16th century church, that is not open to the public

7. The Burning Bush

8. Nehemiah (9:13)

9. Mel Brooks

10. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive movie ever made

11. Chukkat Hagoy(im) is the prohibition of copying the ways of non-Jewish people.

The Vilna Gaon opposed decorating synagogues with plants and shrubs etc. because of the long-standing tradition among non-Jews to decorate their houses of worship in a similar manner

12. The Song of Songs (Shir Hashirim) 4:11

13. Rose water – according to tradition the experience originally had the effect of the souls of the Israelites leaving their bodies through sheer excitement – the rose water symbolises the dew with which God will eventually revive the dead. (TB Shabbat 88b)

Jewish answer – SHTIKEL. Here is a list of some common words (“yes”, we know there are more words in the dictionary that can work, but these words are common to today’s vernacular) – HIKES, KETTLE, KETTLES, KILLS, KILTS, KISHKE, KISHKES, KISSES, KITES,

14. David – King David, the great grandson of Ruth, was born and died on Shavuot

15. During the time of the Judges (following the time of Joshua, before the birth of Samuel & the advent of the monarchy in ancient Israel)

16. St Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mt Sinai

17. 1952

18. Naomi, her husband and sons left Judah for Moab due to a famine. Naomi returned after the famine eased and following the death of her husband and sons

19. Gleaning, i.e. gathering leftover grain after a harvest

20. c) Samuel is said to have written the Book of Judges, the Book of Ruth and the book which bears his own name, Samuel

21. Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 1760)

22. We will do (observe the commandments) and we will listen (we will study the commandments)

23. The Zohar

24. Machzor comes from the Hebrew verb Lachzor which means to go around - the Hebrew word for revision – going over one’s notes before an examination is Chazarahhence the word Machzor refers to a book of prayers which covers the cycle of the Jewish year

25. The Crusades

As Jews, we know this truth to be paramount. Today we proudly maintain our adherence to the timeless traditions and mitzvot first given to us on Mount Sinai over 3300 years ago. Soon we will celebrate this and more over the festival of Shavuot when we will stay up all night learning during Tikkun Leil; go to synagogue to hear the Ten Commandments; read the Book of

Tradition acts as a beacon and simultaneously as an anchor – steering us through the tides (and sometimes stormy seas) of progress and providing a sense of identity and belonging. It connects us to our ancestors, reminds us of their struggles, achievements and values. It also unites us in a shared heritage that transcends time and individual experiences.

In Jewish tradition, the King’s role was to inspire his subjects in service of their Creator and to do so by humbly recognising his own servitude to Him. Despite society today being overwhelmingly secular, the reigning British monarch is also the titular head with his respective religious affiliations.

Given this, much of the ceremony was rooted in the rituals of his faith and it resonated with the global Jewish community when we witnessed that the anointing of the new king, with oil consecrated in Jerusalem, was based on the anointing of High Priests in our holy Beit HaMikdash.

From witnessing the coronation customs this month to our own traditions during this joyous festival of Shavuot and well beyond, we wish His Royal Highness, King Charles III many happy and healthy

KITTIES, LEEKS, LIKELIEST, LIKES, SEEKS, SHEKEL, SHEKELS, SHEIKH, SHEIKHS, SILKIEST, SKIES, SKILL, SKILLET, SKILLETS, SKILLS, SKITS, SKITTISH, SLEEK and SLEEKEST.

Questions/comments – email Yoni at koshercroswords@gmail.com

A SHOWCASE OF JEWISH ARTISTS

A Community Art Exhibition

B'nai B'rith Centre, 17 Barker Street, Kensington 28 May - 4 June 2023

SPECIAL EVENTS

Grand Opening

Sunday 28 May 11am with special guest speaker and complimentary coffee

Metal Sculpture Workshop with Peter Rozario

Make your own sculpture

Tuesday 30 May 6.30pm $25

Artists Cocktail Party

Thursday 1 June 6.30pm

Exhibition Hours

Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm

Sunday 11am - 4pm Gold Coin Entry

Meet exhibiting artists over cheese and wine

RSVP to any of the above events: council@bbnsw.org.au or call the office on 9321 6300

RABBI GERSHON SCHUSTERMAN COURTESY: AISH.COM

How to believe in heaven when it hurts like hell.

Rabbi Harold Kushner, the author of the 1981 bestseller “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”, has died at 88. Kushner wrote this book – still talked about today –after his son tragically passed away at age 14 from progeria, a disease that causes premature aging. The pain of this loss prompted the rabbi to write this book as a consoling aid to others also struggling through unexpected and devastating loss. Kushner’s thesis was that bad things happen to good people simply because God didn’t have control over all the evil in this world. He wrote, "God does not, and cannot, intervene in human affairs to avert tragedy and suffering. At most, He offers us His divine comfort and expresses His divine anger when horrible things happen to people. God, in the face of tragedy, is impotent. The most God can do is to stand on the side of the victim, not the executioner." Kushner also asserted that “the purpose of religion is that it should make us feel good about ourselves,” and if it doesn’t, it has failed in its mission.

I walk a fine line here because as a rabbi who has been in the “consolation business” for over a half a century, the last thing I would ever do is discount the feelings of anyone who endured the tragedy that Kushner and his wife did. However, despite his own theological training and good intentions, the rabbi’s response to this existential question about how to deal with suffering and evil is not a Jewish, or even a religious, response. Nor is it psychologically satisfying.

Like Rabbi Kushner, I have also experienced tremendous tragedy in my life. When I was 38 years old, my 36-yearold wife passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving me a widower with many children to raise on my own. Along with being a married couple and parents of 11 children, my wife and I were also partners in teaching and directing

When bad things happen to good people

our local Jewish day school. With Rochel Leah’s passing, our community lost a teacher, a mentor and a guiding light. I also lost my rock and my partner in love and life.

In my pain, I began to dig deeper for Judaism’s answers to the existence of evil and tragedy and how we are meant to view it. I learned that we are not the centre of the universe – God is. If there is a God, the central mission of humankind is to find Him, to get to know Him and to serve Him. The word God evokes in some a sense of exaltedness, etherealness and distance. This needs to change. The wisdom and disciplines of Judaism make God relatable, enabling us to expand our sense of self through diminishing our ego and creating a personal, dynamic relationship with God. This lifelong exploratory journey is the destination, one that can be fulfilling and even exciting.

We all want to feel good about ourselves. Healthy self-regard is important. But feeling good about

ourselves is not the purpose of religion. It is a by-product of a life lived purposefully, with God as one’s ballast and compass. Each of us will be bruised by life’s bitter challenges at one time or another. God wants to be at our side, helping to steer us through life’s traumas and storms without keeling. But if we are the centre of our universe and believe that stopping evil and heartbreak is above God’s pay grade, then a life well-lived means nothing more than that the one who ends up with the most toys wins.

Kushner once acknowledged that understanding tragedy boils down to only two possibilities: God’s will or bad luck. In Kushner’s view, it was bad luck. God doesn’t run the world, leaving us all vulnerable to chance, nihilism or fate. A neutered God could only offer comfort during moments of crisis. But this approach makes human suffering meaningless and purposeless, with human beings as hapless victims. Judaism believes that life has meaning. Therefore, human suffering must also

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DDATE: ATE: 18 JUNE 2023 18 JUNE 2023

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have meaning. The trauma of tragedy can understandably cause one to become myopic in their pain. They can feel that nobody else can understand or help – not even God. This closes the door on God, telling Him, "Don't mix into my pain; You can't help me anyway!"

As I found in my own experience and through counselling and consoling hundreds of others, I know that our greatest possible comfort and way forward through grief is to submit to the Master of the Universe and let Him in. When I made my relationship with God a more personal one, I was no longer relating to the “To whom it may concern God”, but to the God who knows me and cares for me; I’m no longer alone in my travail.

Struggling with God and trusting in God are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can be complementary. The very name of the Jewish people is Israel, which means to struggle with God.

Abraham and Moses challenged God’s tough justice and their ongoing difficult life tests. King David did the same through the Psalms. Crying out to God, challenging God and demanding His help are signs of a secure relationship that can handle the friction.

If a person can cry out to God about their enormous problems, a person can also tell their problems how great God is. We may be incapable of embracing Him in all His greatness, but that doesn’t stop Him from embracing us. We can grant Him authorship of what we are going through and recognise that there is ultimate meaning and purpose in our pain. We are not victims of chance. As King David wrote in Psalms 91:14, “I – God – am with him – the sufferer – in his distress.” In this way, we can lean on God to give us strength to find purpose and meaning in this dismal chapter and the resilience to endure what we have been dealt, confident that ultimately we can carry on with purpose and even optimism.

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES

DAVID LEHRER

The rising pressure on dwindling natural resources affects and connects us all, regardless of political borders.

Can we envision a political horizon to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Some of us still believe that a two-state solution is the best outcome for all people in the region. Many, Israelis and Palestinians, however, have given up on the two-state solution as unfeasible and believe that we are heading for a one-state solution. For many, one-state dominated by Jews or one-state dominated by Palestinians was always the preferred outcome. In my opinion, under the current leadership of both Palestine and Israel, the only foreseeable outcome is a stalemate. Perhaps we need to reimagine the region not as two geopolitical entities locked into a zero-sum game, but as a shared geographical space with overlapping historical ties, claims and aspirations.

Whether or not historical processes lead the region towards a two-state solution, one-state solution, or no solution, there are two things that will remain true:

1/ Demand for water, energy, food and ecosystem services in Israel and Palestine will struggle to keep pace with supply.

2/ The supply of water, energy, food, and ecosystem services in Palestine and

One-state, two-state or stalemate – the climate doesn’t care

Israel are inextricably connected.

The first statement is true for three reasons. Current demand is already overwhelming supply. Water and energy supplies in Palestine are insufficient to meet the current needs. Even in Israel, water and energy infrastructure is stretched. The population in the region will almost double over the next 30 years, doubling per capita demand. And the climate crisis will reduce precipitation, increase temperatures, increase extreme weather events and negatively impact water supplies, energy supplies, food security and ecosystem services.

The second statement is true because Israel and Palestine’s natural resources (natural water sources and ecosystems) are shared, but controlled by Israel.

Palestinian infrastructure for water, energy and food supply have not been able to develop due to Israel’s control over Area C in the West Bank and the political instability in Gaza.

Whether one believes in a two-state solution, a confederation, a binational state, a state for all, or a state only for those with power (morally unacceptable to me), guaranteeing equality of access and supply to meet the demand for basic needs, such as water, energy, food and ecosystem services, is required for any solution to work.

In fact, equality in access and supply of basic human needs is not a geopolitical issue. It is a transboundary and transnational issue. It is not connected to any one political solution

to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and should be looked at through a regional lens (including, potentially, other Israeli and Palestinian neighbours).

While the political horizon remains distant, politicians from Israel and Palestine must be made to understand that progress on securing an equal supply of water, energy, food and ecosystem services for all Palestinians and Israelis in the region is not an obstacle to any current or future political process. Environmental equality for every human being west of the Jordan River will reduce the state of despair and move a political horizon closer.

Dr Lehrer holds a PhD from the Geography and Environmental Development Department of BenGurion University of the Negev and a joint Masters Degree in Management Science from Boston University and BenGurion University.

Dr Lehrer was the Executive Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies from 2001 until August 2021 and has now become Director of International Development. Dr Lehrer has been a member of Kibbutz Ketura since 1981.

CONSIDERED OPINION

MICHAEL OREN

The latest clash showed that what’s good for Gaza can be good for us –it's time to implement game-changing humanitarian plans for the Strip.

One of the Palestinian civilians tragically killed in Operation Shield and Arrow was Abdullah Abu Jaba. The father of six lived in Gaza and was struck by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) rocket while working in Israel. Abu Jaba was one of some 17,000 Palestinian workers who daily cross from Gaza into Israel. Their employment by Israeli farms, factories and construction sites played a critical role in shortening the operation by many days if not weeks and in saving untold numbers of lives.

The presence of Palestinian workers in Israel is a win-win. Israeli employers have access to dependable labour and workers from Gaza – where unemployment often reaches 40 per cent – get jobs. Yet the strategic advantages of the arrangement are even greater. The salaries the workers take home have become vital to Gaza’s economy. That boon would be lost and the borders once again sealed, if Hamas was to join PIJ in firing at Israeli targets. Despite incessant pressure to join in the fighting, Hamas chose social and financial stability over jihad and held its fire. Israel was spared many thousands of rockets thanks largely to its decision to admit the Gazan workers.

That decision, though, was not easily taken, as I can personally attest. My involvement with the Gaza workers’ issue began in 2016, during my tenure as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. While my responsibilities were largely diplomatic, one day the prime minister called me in with an unusual assignment. Israel was still reeling from the aftershocks of Operation Protective Edge two years earlier and my task was to find ways of averting another major clash with Hamas.

Accepting that challenge meant sitting through startling briefings by the Shabak – Israel’s Internal Security Service. Though I knew Gaza both as a soldier and as a historian, nothing prepared me for what I learned. I heard, first, how Hamas takes a huge cut of everything, from cement to baby diapers, transported into Gaza, yet it also limits the flow of essential goods in order to keep the population dependent. I heard how Hamas is willing to fight PIJ to the last Israeli and how Iran, which funds and manages PIJ, is willing to fight Israel to the last Palestinian. The Palestinian Authority, for its part, eliminates subsidies to Gazans who work in Israel and to Gazan patients receiving medical care in Israel. This pushes Hamas to seek more concessions from Israel through rocket fire, to which the IDF responds by bombing Gaza. Hamas gets bloodied and Israel is branded a war criminal –precisely the PA’s goals.

As depressing as these lessons proved, they also pointed the way to potentially game-changing policies. The idea was to give Hamas the one thing it lacked:

When Israel gave Hamas something worth not fighting for

something to lose, thereby raising the price it would pay for aggression. Together with my able advisor, Netta Korin, and in close cooperation with Major General Yoav (Poli) Mordechai, commander of GOGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), my office developed plans for constructing a power plant, to be located in either the Negev or Northern Sinai, that would provide Gazans with more than the four hours of electricity they were receiving each day.

Another project envisioned a waste treatment system that would relieve Gaza of the need to spill tens of thousands of cubic meters of sewage into the sea, polluting our beaches and fouling our desalination facilities. The system could be connected to Gaza, where potable water was virtually nonexistent.

Most ambitiously, my office called for creating a rail link between Gaza and the Erez Crossing – a distance of six kilometres – through which supplies could be quickly transported into Gaza. The empty containers, we suggested, could be processed into much-needed housing.

Absurd situation

Of all of these proposals, though, the most pressing and easily implemented was for readmitting Gazan workers into Israel. Many thousands had worked in Israel in the past¸ though the practice was discontinued after 2007, when Hamas seized control of the Strip. Instead of hiring the Palestinians who

lived just metres over the border, Israeli employers were bringing labourers at great expense and time from Judea and Samaria. We thought the situation was absurd, especially in view of our objective of giving Gazans – and Hamas – something to lose.

Our office received tremendous support from the army as well as from the American and several European governments. Yet none of our proposals were implemented. The principal objection came from the Shabak, which argued that Hamas would use the electricity not to light up Gaza’s homes, but to illuminate its tunnels and confiscate railroad ties to make rockets. Workers from the Strip would, in effect, act as Hamas agents, gathering intelligence and even planting bombs. Similarly rejected were blueprints submitted by then-Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and then-Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz for constructing a port for Gaza either in Cyprus or on an artificial island. Israel had enough trouble preventing Hamas smuggling over the border, the Shabak reasoned, without trying to monitor an offshore dock.

The most implacable obstacle, though, was not the Shabak, but public opinion. Israelis subscribed to the formula, “What’s bad for them (Gaza) is good for us (Israel).” Reinforcing that assumption was the very understandable demand that nothing be done for Hamas until it returned the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, IDF soldiers who fell in the 2014 fighting and repatriate Israeli prisoners Hisham al-Sayeed and Avera

Mengistu, who wandered over the border. The notion that “what’s good for them might also be good for us” was too costly politically for Israeli decisionmakers who, when it came to Gaza, refused to make a decision.

It would take several years and a series of additional firefights before the government finally began issuing work permits to Gazans. As the first few hundred grew into thousands, even the Shabak had to admit that its security concerns were exaggerated. Israelis and Palestinians were once again working side-by-side fruitfully and peacefully. And while PIJ tried its utmost to kill our civilians, Hamas remained quiet.

In view of this success, now is the time to review the other proposals tabled by my former office, as well as by Steinitz and Katz.

The more Hamas has to lose, the better the future will be for both Israelis and Palestinians. Back in 1956, while eulogising Roi Rotberg, a kibbutznik murdered by Palestinian terrorists, IDF Chief-of-Staff Moshe Dayan described “the sea of hatred and desire for revenge swelling beyond the Gaza border”, against which Israelis would always have to fight. We will still have to fight, unfortunately, but with flexibility and creativity, the costs can be reduced.

Michael Oren, formerly Israel’s ambassador to the United States and a Member of Knesset, is the author of Israel 2048 – The Rejuvenated State (Koren, 2023).

Palestinian men gather to apply for work permits in Israel, at Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, on October 6th, 2021 (Mahmud Hams/AFP)

THEATRE REVIEW

DRIFTWOOD THE MUSICAL

BY ALEX FIRST

Set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, Driftwood The Musical is a deeply moving tale of tribulation and triumph.

The starting point for creator Tania de Jong AM was her mother Eva de Jong-Duldig’s 2017 memoir "Driftwood –escape and survival through art".

The musical focuses on the true story of Eva’s mother (Tania’s grandmother), Slawa Horowitz-Duldig.

The Horowitz and Duldig families moved from Poland to Vienna before WWI.

Slawa (Tania de Jong), who lived with and was very close to her sister Rella (Michaela Burger), married Karl (Anton Berezin).

Both Slawa and Karl were artists, while Rella was an actress.

Slawa had the brilliant idea to create and patent the foldable umbrella.

She appreciated fine design and filled their home with practical and beautiful furniture.

But with the rise of Hitler, their lives and those of their extended families were in peril.

Slawa and Karl’s daughter, Eva (Bridget Costello), acts as Driftwood’s narrator.

Events begin to unfold as Eva celebrates her 18th birthday.

MOVIE REVIEW

BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER (M)

BY ALEX FIRST

Book Club: The Next Chapter is a feelgood sequel to the 2018 film Book Club.

It concerns the ongoing fate of the four women at the centre of the original as they undertake a special girls’ trip.

Vivian (Jane Fonda), perpetually single, has just been asked for her hand in marriage by her long-term, suave boyfriend Arthur (Don Johnson).

But before the nuptials, Carol (Mary Steenburgen) puts it to the others that they should make good on a promise made decades earlier to travel to Italy.

Mind you, she is worried about her husband Bruce (Craig T. Nelson), who has just had bypass surgery.

Former judge Sharon (Candice Bergen) isn’t too keen because she has an ageing cat to care for, but soon that is a non-issue.

And for Diane (Diane Keaton), who is in a loving relationship with Mitchell (Andy Garcia), she still hasn’t disposed of her dead husband’s ashes.

During the ensuing bachelorette holiday, the four have a series of adventures.

They encounter an Italian policeman (Giancarlo Giannini), a smooth-talking, retired professor (Hugh Ousmane) and a chef (Vincent Riotta), Carol’s old flame.

Like the first chapter, Book Club 2 is written by Bill Holderman and Erin Simms,

True story that resonates

All her life she has noted an unexplained sadness and secretiveness about her parents.

Then her father gifts her a treasuretrove of documents, letters, photos and more, which explain why.

Among the five performers is Nelson Gardner, who – among other roles – is cast as Karl’s brother, Ignaz and Rella’s husband, Marcel.

So many families were torn asunder or destroyed by the jackbooted Nazis. Accordingly, this personal story cuts to the quick.

Still, it remains one of hope and inspiration. The playwright is Jane Bodie, while the score by Antony Barnhill has been influenced by the music of the era and Jewish melodies.

There is a great deal to Driftwood The Musical, so much in the lives of the protagonists.

While the first act establishes the relationships, I found the second particularly impactful, as the revelations keep on coming. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

The pick of the performers is Michaela Burger, whose richness of

tone is matched by her authenticity. Tania de Jong’s operatic excellence is noteworthy throughout.

Anton Berezin’s constant and assured presence is a safe pair of hands.

Bridget Costello’s sweet, rounded vocals are ear pleasing.

Nelson Gardner is a jack of all trades, assuming numerous personas and, accordingly, adopting several accents.

The set and props (the set designer is Jacob Battista) are highly evocative.

Furniture and furnishings, along with personal items, establish the time frame. A large, jagged parchment-like screen above the stage is a fine showcase for visuals.

Sound and lighting design enhance the experience.

The three-piece band – comprised of piano, violin and cello – is first rate.

Direction is from Gary Abrahams –who has continued to successfully work on the production since its premiere last year – with choreography by Sophie Loughran.

The program, which is highly informative and insightful, is well worth purchasing.

Driftwood The Musical is playing at the Glen Street Theatre between 24th and 28th May, at Riverside Parramatta from 31st May to 4th June and at Eternity Playhouse between 7th and 18th June.

For bookings, go to https://driftwoodthemusical.com.au

Why are there not better roles available for women of a certain age?

with direction by the former. The film starts with promise. Some of the interactions between the women while they are on Zoom during COVID lockdown are genuinely laugh aloud funny.

Then, the picture hits a roadblock, as time is wasted getting them to agree to holiday together, which was always going to happen, from the moment it

was mentioned. Thereafter, for much of the remaining movie, virtually everything is signposted.

Stolen luggage … tick. Romantic encounters … tick. Stunning landscapes and landmarks (and, I assure you, they really are stunning) … tick. And so on.

The whole thing is manufactured and predictable.

Where are the unexpected plot twists … the genuine surprises?

Sure, the narrative comes from the apparently never-ending bank of sanguine material, but it seems like such a waste of top-notch talent.

These are some of the finest actors of a generation, often delivering a succession of corny and, at times, sexually charged one liners.

It almost appears as if aside from a cadre of British actors, women get to 60, 70 and beyond and the industry all but abandons them. They are left to deal with scripts that would feel more at home in a B-grade telemovie. Why?

Surely there is an audience for intelligent, engaging, entertaining, thought-provoking cinema involving our third generation of females.

And “no”, that doesn’t rule out comedy or romance.

Firmly in “chick flick” territory (which, I should quickly add, I often warm to), the problem is when the humour falls flat – as it often does – what results is little more than cringeworthy.

To be fair, I feared that before seeing the movie, so I suppose you could say I wasn’t disappointed.

Book Club: The Next Chapter is a very nice-looking film with little substance that some are likely to appreciate.

Rated M, it scores a 5½ out of 10.

The cast of Driftwood The Musical (photo by James Terry)

The four female stars of Book Club: The Next Chapter