gchc magazine November - Marcheshvan 2015-76

BH
Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation Newsletter
- Mar-Cheshvan/Kislev 5776 - November, 2015 Edition -
Anne Frank Exhibition, Let Me Be Myself
the story of Anne Frank, coming to Gold Coast Hebrew
Congregation in October.
Dear Friend,
The Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation together with The Anne Frank Australia Foundation, are
proud and privileged to announce the opening of the new exhibition Let Me Be Myself – The Story
of Anne Frank at The Katranski Hall 35 Markwell Avenue Surfers Paradise. The exhibition will run for
five weeks commencing 26 October through 1 December 2015.
The exhibition was compiled by the Anne Frank Stitching in Amsterdam and is being shown for the
first time on the Gold Coast. It includes Anne’s story and the historical context of her time as well as
modules that specifically highlight the contemporary relevance of the story of Anne Frank. The Gold
Coast Hebrew Congregation are delighted and honoured to present and host this exhibition. We
look forward to welcoming visitors from a broad spectrum of the Gold Coast community who want
to connect with, and learn from Anne’s story.
Seventy years after her death at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Anne Frank’s story still
speaks to those who are concerned with injustice. This outstanding exhibition depicts the spirited
and hopeful nature that has made Anne a role model for young people around the world and shares
important lessons about standing strong against prejudice and discrimination. This exhibit is sure to
move anyone who takes the time to visit.
Let Me Be Myself contains seven historical modules designed to enable visitors to identify with the
personal story of Anne Frank. The story of the Frank family is interlaced with information about the
important historical events happening at the time and demonstrates the consequences the antiJewish measures had on one particular family. The film The Short Life of Anne Frank will be shown in
a separate area.
The exhibit is open to the public for self-guided visits. Guided tours for school, community and
private groups are encouraged and may be arranged during operating hours. Bookings for group
tours are essential. Entry is by gold coin donation.
Operating hours are Monday through Thursday from 9.30am to 5pm, Friday 9.30am – 12pm and
Sunday from 10am-4pm. For information regarding bookings, please contact the Gold Coast
Hebrew Congregation at (07) 55701851 or email [email protected]. For details about the
content of the exhibit, please contact iet Fuijkschot 0419 465516 or email [email protected].
For further information please visit the website: www.annefrank.org.au
2
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
MAIN CONTENT
PAGE 2
ANN FRANK EVENT
PAGE 3
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
PAGE 4
GUIDE TO JEWISH EDUCATION
PAGE 4
SYNAGOGUE NOTICE
PAGE 5
A WORD FROM OUR RABBI
PAGE 6-7
ISRAEL-END TO TERROR
PAGE 8
ISRAEL- & JNF
PAGE 9
ENTERTAINMENT– JERRY SEINFELD
PAGE 9
NEW OIL DISCOVERY
PAGE 10
FAMILY INSIGHTS
PAGE 11
HISTORY IN USA
PAGE 12
TIMES’ ARTICLE & TEMPLE MOUNT
PAGE 15
SPIRITUALITY– TRAGEDY RESPONSE
PAGE 17
RELATIONSHIP
PAGE 18
HEROES IN OUR MIDST
PAGE 22
NEW LECTURE SERIES
PAGE 23
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
PAGE 24
MUSIC - LES MISERABLE
PAGE 25
ISRAEL AND NASA
PAGE 26
ASK THE RABBI
PAGE 27
INTERNET FOR SENIORS
PAGE 27
MI-SHEBERECH PRAYER LIST
PAGE 28
LAUGHTER THE BEST MEDICINE
PAGE 29
CHEF’S CORNER
PAGE 30
EVENTS AND ADVERTISEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank all of you who donated
generously at our Kol-Nidre Appeal. Kol-Akavod.
Mazal-Tov also to our Chatan Torah and our Chatan
Bereshit.
This past month of Tishrei was a very busy and
succsesful month with uplifting davening in Shule, our
beautiful Sukkah party for the kids and a very successful
Simchat Torah. Everyone had a great time.
Kol-Akavod also to all the ladies who have joined the Big
Challah Baking, big thank you to Dina Gurevitch.
Kol-Akavod to all of you who joined us for our ‘Friday
Night Live– One Shabbat Edition’, we had plenty of good
food and drinks, thank you to my wife Sarah, Janette
Kornhauser, Isabelle Grau and Keren Kredi for their help
in the cooking and prpeprations.
Now we are gearing up for the "Ann Frank Exhibition"
starting this coming Monday. We received a great
amount of coverage for this event by the Gold Coast
Bulletin, ABC Radio, Prime 7 Television and other news
outlets on the Gold Coast.
I would like to thank Janette Kornhauser for all her hard
work and dedication towards this exhibition and all our
volunteers who will be your guide throughout the next 5
weeks of this exhibition.
PAGE 31-33 PHOTO PAGES
PAGE 34
SUNSHINE CLUB FOR SENIORS
PAGE 35
SHULE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The articles printed in this magazine are not
necessarily the views or policies of the GCHC
Copyright © 2015
The Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation Newsletter
A special thank you to Mr. Eddy Boas of Sydney for
generously provided all our printing and stationary for
the Exhibition, and to Andrew Berkhut for donating 200
books "The Diary of a Young Girl". Thank you all for your
support. Hope to see you all soon,
David Rebibou
President GCHC
3
Mar-Cheshvan/Kislev 5776 - November 2015
SYNAGOGUE NOTICES
THE GUIDE FOR JEWISH
EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES
OFFICE HOURS
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday:
8:30am – 1:00pm
Monday - weekly at 7:30pm - Assorted Topics
and Kabbalah @ the Shule’s Katranski Hall
SHOP HOURS
Monday, Wednesday , and Friday: 9:30am –
1:00pm
Thursday Talmud class - 7:00pm at the Rabbi’s
home.
SERVICE TIMES
Shabbat afternoon Topical insights: @ 6:00pm
WEEKDAYS
Shacharit: Monday & Thursday - 6:30am
Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday - 6:55am
Personalised learning with the Rabbi - Please tel.
Rabbi Gurevitch 0419 392 818
SHABBAT
Kabbalat Shabbat: Friday at 6:00pm
Shacharit: 9:00am. Shiur class at 8:40am
Mincha and Ma’ariv: 6:00pm
Women Learning Classes with Rebbetzin Dina
Gurevitch- Please tel. 0405 100 149
Women Rosh Chodesh Group - takes place every
Jewish new month where women of all
backgrounds and affiliation come together to
learn, schmooze and enjoy a scrumptious supper
and interesting speaker. To join us please contact
our office on 5570 1851 or Rebbetzin Dina
Gurevitch on 0405 100 149
SUNDAY AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Shacharit: 8:00am
Mincha and Ma’ariv: 6:00pm
THE GOLD COAST HEBREW CONGREGATION
After School Cheder - Every Sunday during
school term from 9:30am - 11:30am. For ages
5-13
ADDRESS
34 Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise
P.O. Box 133. Surfers Paradise Q 4217
At Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation. 35 Markwell
Ave entrance, Surfers Paradise
OFFICE
Administrator - Belinda Werb
Phone: 5570 1851 Fax 5538 6712
Email: [email protected]
During your school hours - We come to you
Surfers Paradise State School - Every Wednesday
@ 1:10pm
RABBI NIR GUREVITCH
Mobile: 0419 392 818
Email: [email protected]
Benowa State School - Every Friday @ 10:00am
PRESIDENT
David Rebibou
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0449 988 398
Bellevue Park State School - Every Thursday @
1:55pm
WEBSITE: http://www.goldcoasthc.org.au
The articles printed in this newsletter are not necessarily the
views or policies of the GCHC. Copyright © 2015
4
Baby Steps
Watching my cute
little
grandson
Meir growing up
and getting to the
stage of walking is
fun and exciting for
my wife and I.
Have you ever
watched a baby as
he works toward
upward mobility?
At just a few
months old, he's
squirming around
inch
by
inch.
Months later, he's raising himself onto his hands
and knees, rocking back and forth as he gets used to
the new position and height. But his arms and legs
aren't very strong and he plops down every once in
a while, bumping his little nose or chin. But, don't
worry, he'll be up again soon to try it again.
Months pass. Tentatively, he pulls himself up to a
standing position using furniture and other objects
as leverage. Even more cautiously he lets go for a
few seconds and smiles, as if saying, "Look, no
hands!" Oops, there he goes, plopping down once
more, only to stand up again a few minutes later
and repeat the whole exercise.
Soon he'll be cruising along the furniture. Weeks
later he'll be taking a step, unaided, from one piece
of furniture to the next.
When he's much more confident, he'll try two and
three steps, each time plopping down. But he'll get
back up again. Then six or seven steps before
plopping down. Then ten wobbly steps, then plop.
A baby's approach to learning a new skill, such as
walking, is the approach Judaism demands of us
when even we are learning a new mitzva-skill,
whether a mitzva (commandment) between oneself
and G-d or the interpersonal mitzvot between one
person and another.
In general, we seek out experiences which enhance
personal growth when there is a feeling of
dissatisfaction with our present state. This is a good
sign, for it indicates vitality and an urge to rise and
improve oneself.
Unlike babies, however, many of us stop trying or
slack off if we "fall," i.e., the attempt was not met
with immediate success.
Today, when so much of our lives are measured in
nanoseconds, we half expect to be able to eradicate
a bad habit or master a new mitzva instantly. And
when that doesn't happen, despondency or inertia
can set in.
A little voice inside says, "Why bother, you'll fall back
into your old routine anyway," or "You'll fall flat on
your face trying and everyone will see." The little
voice will use every means to prevent us from
carrying out our good intentions of self-improvement
and advancing in Jewish observance. An otherwise
highly successful person can be paralyzed by that
little voice, certain that he will fail miserably and that
others will note his failure.
The misleading voice should be ignored. For, as
Jewish mysticisim explains, the attempt itself is
invaluable and esteemed by G-d. Only people who
never try never make mistakes or fall short.
The next time we have the opportunity to learn
something new or are presented with an obstacle
that needs to be overcome, we should remind
ourselves to take "baby steps." It's not just a matter
of going slowly.
More importantly, it means getting back up even if
you've plopped down or fallen flat on your face.
With blessings, Rabbi Nir Gurevitch
5
IsraelEnd the terror now!!!
By Charles Bybelezer By Jpost
No more “proportionality.” No more moral relativism.
No more Palestinian terrorism. Period!
It took a major wave of terrorism to spread to the
country’s center for Israelis to awaken from their
slumber.
The deaths of “only” four fellow citizens in sporadic
violence earlier this month left too many outwardly
unperturbed; a dynamic that plays out regularly when a
handful of Gaza rockets terrorize southern communities,
rather than rain down in large numbers on heavily
populated areas.
expanding administrative detentions of rioters (who will
then become more radicalized while
incarcerated
without trial) and banning those engaged in incitement
from the Old City and the Temple Mount (essentially,
closing down vast swaths of Jerusalem as well as the
entire
al-Aksa compound).
In fact, unless Israel finds herself on the brink of disaster,
emotional paralysis pervades society, an attitude of
ostensible apathy that unwittingly assimilates quickly
the murder of a Jew or two as part of normality.
Disconcertingly, Netanyahu is concurrently re-exploring
the tried and tested track of negotiations, calling on the
illegitimate leader of the PA to pretty please talk with
him, the grand effect of which over the past two-plus
decades has been the extraction of Israeli concessions in
exchange for more terrorism.
Undoubtedly a defense mechanism adopted to cope
with years of rampant Palestinian terror, it is
nonetheless a defect of the mind and soul which needs
to be eradicated.
It is time to call upon an Israeli intellectual and spiritual
revival; for, if real change is ever going to come, it will
come directly from the people. If the violence is ever
going to end, it will be because Israelis coalesce around
the moral imperative to uphold the sanctity of Jewish
life.
Every single one.
Indeed, it has become abundantly clear that our political
class has no plan of reaction in this regard – and thus no
ability – to guide the country toward a more internally
secure future.
Neither the Right nor the Left has any answers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s course of action is
to recycle failed policies, including expediting the
demolition of terrorists’ homes (which will be rebuilt
using salaries paid by the Palestinian Authority to those
jailed),
In other words, Netanyahu’s proposed solution to the
ongoing wave of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank
will lead deeper into the current morass.
How Orwellian.
While the Right attempts to apply a Band-Aid to a gaping
wound, the Left would pour acid on it. Incredibly, the
latter’s grand ideas have not changed one iota since the
Oslo Accords were signed.
We must be serious about making peace, the Left
implores. But with whom exactly? The same Mahmoud
Abbas that rejected leftist premier Ehud Olmert’s fully
comprehensive peace deal in 2008? The same Abbas who
would pursue war crimes claims against Israel at the ICC
rather than sit down at a table across from Netanyahu?
The same Abbas who fans the flames of violence by
stating the Temple Mount should be devoid of “dirty”
Jews?
The same Abbas who encouraged the latest wave of
terrorism by spewing lies, hatred and bile at the UN
General Assembly while denying any Jewish connection to
the land of Israel?
6
Continue...
Israel-
End the terror now!!!
Or perhaps the Abbas who heads the Fatah party, whose
military wing took responsibility for the recent murder of
Na’ama and Eitam Henkin in front of their four children?
Yes, that Abbas, we are told over and over again; a man
of “peace” who oppresses his own people and then
redirects reprisals against innocent Israelis.
The Left can rail all it wants against the
“occupation” (perhaps the “apartheid” wall should be
dismantled to allow suicide bombers again to freely
roam the streets of Tel Aviv?) or the “settlements” (an
enterprise introduced by Labor governments); but
reality – the Left’s implacable adversary – dictates that
the IDF remain in the territories over the long-term and
that half a million Jews will never be uprooted from their
homes in the West Bank.
Reality check: There is no Palestinian peace partner, so it
might be time to come up with a new approach.
For one, how about implementing punitive measures
with actual teeth, such as incarcerating Palestinian
terrorists in solitary confinement for the rest of their
lives instead of releasing them after 10 years as a
precondition for negotiating about negotiations? Or how
about arresting the imams on the Temple Mount and
across the Palestinian territories – including those
regularly appearing on state television – who reduce
Jews to “apes and pigs,” effectively justifying their
slaughter? Or what about coming down like a pile of
bricks on Palestinian officials who support the terror
campaign, such as Fatah Central Committee member
Mahmoud Aloul, who was quoted as saying that a
faction of the Al-Aksa Martyrs’ Brigades “accepted
responsibility” for murdering the Henkins?
At the very least Aloul would seem to have intimate
connections to a designated terrorist group.
Likewise the leaders of Hamas (a cell of which is now
believed to have actually carried out the Henkin killings)
and Islamic Jihad, who might be granted their ultimate
aspiration – a face-to-face meeting with Allah – every
time their organizations praise the “heroic martyrs” who
attack unarmed children.
Perversely, Israel continues to transfer tax revenues and
provide electricity to those who preach our annihilation.
But none of these things will happen because we have an
inert leadership that banks on a public that remains
detached in the absence of total chaos, at which point the
government’s “solution” can be likened to dumping a pail
of water on a raging fire.
The road to change is paved by a new, collective
mobilization around a common cause. Harm to even one
of us needs to enrage us all and spur us to action, as
indifference to any act of terrorism allows such evil to
metastasize. In its final expression, that evil would have
us all evacuated from this land tomorrow, preferably in
body bags.
One day perhaps Palestinian society might evolve,
rendering coexistence possible. In the interim, it is high
time that the people demand an end to violence – using
any and all means necessary.
No more “proportionality.” No more moral relativism. No
more Palestinian terrorism. Period! Only then can a
divided Israel – public and officialdom, alike – justify
resuming the ludicrous debate about which phantom
might be partnered with in an imaginary “peace.”
7
IsraelCabinet approves plan to transfer
KKL-JNF funds to ministry
By Sharon Udasin Jpost
The final terms of the deal approved on Sunday,
however, are considerably different from the most
recently proposed version, particularly with regard to
the NIS 190m. portion of the funds.
Bringing an end to years of negotiations between the
government and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish
National Fund, the cabinet approved on Sunday an
agreement to enable the transfer of funds from the
organization to both the state’s coffers and to the
Environmental Protection Ministry.
According to the deal, KKL-JNF will transfer in 2016 some
NIS 1 billion directly to the state, for projects that
receive the approval of a “Committee for National
Initiatives,” administered jointly by the government and
by KKL-JNF. In addition to these funds, KKL-JNF will in
2016 transfer another NIS 190 million to the
Environmental Protection Ministry, to be designated for
green projects as agreed upon by the environmental
protection minister and the KKLJNF chairman, the
ministry said.
From 2017 through 2021, KKLJNF is to continue to
allocate funds for the activities of the Committee for
National Initiatives, with the amounts varying based on a
specific formula presented in the agreement.
The deal approved on Sunday was the result of
negotiations that took place between Environmental
Protection Minister Avi Gabbay and KKL-JNF
representatives, at the behest of Finance Minister
Moshe Kahlon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“This agreement creates an enormous annual budget for
environmental needs, and together with KKL-JNF we will
advance Israel to a very green place,” Gabbay said on
Sunday.
KKL-JNF and the Israeli government have long been
negotiating the terms of a final agreement in which the
organization would transfer revenues from its annual
land sales to the state. In November, the Ministerial
Committee for Legislation approved a Finance Ministry
proposal mandating this transfer, as part of plans to
reduce the country’s budget deficit. That approval
occurred a week after KKL-JNF’s decision to sever its ties
to the Israel Lands Authority and manage areas under its
jurisdiction independently.
A view of Upper Galilee from Mount Hillel with Mount Hermon
in the background. (photo credit:MINISTRY OF TOURISM)
The final terms of the deal approved on Sunday, however,
are considerably different from the most recently
proposed version, particularly with regard to the NIS
190m. portion of the funds.
Rather than go to the Environmental Protection Ministry,
this amount had initially been slated to flow directly to
the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, simultaneously
increasing KKL-JNF’s presence on the authority’s board
from one to three members. This plan was met with harsh
criticism from both green groups and the INPA itself, due
to what they described as conflicts of interest between
the authority and the fund.
The green groups spoke of the INPA as a government
authority operating on public tax funds to manage the
country’s nature reserves and national parks, while
describing KKL-JNF as a “private company” whose aim is
to “preserve the land of the Jewish people,” in a letter to
government officials two weeks ago.
At the time, KKL-JNF responded stressing that the
organization had undergone a “fundamental process of
change” in the past decade and that the fund was wholly
committed to preserving both biodiversity and the INPA’s
independence. Following the cabinet approval of the final
agreement on Sunday, nixing the controversial section
about the INPA, the authority declined to comment.
KKL-JNF chairman Efi Stenzler welcomed the deal,
describing it as “the revival of the historical convention
between
the
government
and
KKL-JNF.”
Some of the projects that the organization is considering
promoting are the expansion of the Nahal Beersheba
rehabilitation project, programs to reduce pollutants from
the Haifa Bay area and strategic investments in biodiesel
development in the Arava, he said.
The agreement, Stenzler added, is a “step that represents
the mutual trust, desire to intensify cooperation and good
news for the residents of the State of Israel.”
8
EntertainmentSeinfeld To Perform Stand-Up in Israel
for the First Time
By Hannah Vaitsblit
In another fun moment, Seinfeld was asked what
symbolic vehicle he would choose for Benjamin
Netanyahu were the Israeli Prime Minister to join him on
the show. “The man needs a tank,” Seinfeld said, “he
needs some kind of protection.” And when Seinfeld was
asked why he’s never performed stand-up in Israel
before, the
comedic genius answered in a very
nonchalant and completely Seinfeldian manner: “Well
now is when I can come, so that’s why I’m
coming.” (Seinfeld has actually visited Israel in the past,
once serving as a volunteer on a kibbutz.)
Tickets have already sold out for two of Seinfeld’s shows
at Tel Aviv’s Menorah Mivtachim Arena (just in time for
the Festivus holiday). More shows may still be added. If
his fans are not able to secure tickets, they may have to
resort to desperate measures, which Seinfeld surely
knows a thing or two about.
NEW DISCOVERY ‘Billions of Barrels of Israeli Oil’
Tapped in the Golan Heights
By Jonathan Zalman. Tablet.
The legendary comedian will bring the laughs (and maybe
some soup) to Tel Aviv for at least two shows in
December
The last time Jerry Seinfeld visited Israel was in
2007 to The last time Jerry Seinfeld visited Israel was in
2007 to promote The Bee Movie, and now the legendary
comedian is headed back—this time to do stand-up.
The Afek Oil and Gas company, a subsidiary of Newark,
New Jersey-based Genie Energy, announced on Tuesday
it had discovered a wellspring of oil in the Golan Heights.
This information was first reported by Israel’s Channel 2,
which interviewed Yuval Bartok, Afek’s chief geologist.
In December, Seinfeld will visit the Holy Land as part of
his world tour during which he’ll perform new material,
reported The Jerusalem Post. “All material is Jewish,”
Seinfeld said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2. “All
of it. Everything I’ve ever said is Jewish. When you’re
Jewish, everything you say is Jewish, so don’t worry
about it.”
In the same interview, Seinfeld’s performance on his
eponymous show was described as that of a selfidentified hiloni (meaning, “secular”), whose humor is
marinated in homegrown Jewishisms. Channel 2’s
promotional video for Seinfeld’s pilgrimage included
scenes from his Internet show, Comedians in Cars Getting
Coffee, where he has been accompanied by fellow
comedians, including Larry David, Bob Einstein, Gad
Elmaleh, Sarah Silverman, Seth Meyers, Howard Stern,
Robert Klein, Jon Stewart, and Amy Schumer.
9
Continue…..‘Billions of Barrels of Israeli
Oil’ Tapped in the Golan Heights
“We are talking about significant quantities…a layer 350
meters thick,” he said. Further reporting from The Times
of Israel points out that the sheer albeit still unknown
size of the take is massive, or “ten times larger than the
average oil find worldwide.”
Afek, whose webpage invites visitors to “Come look for
oil in Israel with us!”, began exploring in December 2014.
The risk, it appears—it cost $30 million to simply have
the oil exploration approved—has paid off, big-time. It’s
significant, too, said Rochwarger, because companies
have searched Israeli grounds since 1948, when it was
founded, by drilling a total of 530 exploratory wells. None
of them have yielding “commercially viable oil,” he said.
Akef has scuffled with environmentalists who petitioned
their drilling methods, which even reached Israel’s
Supreme Court. Israel, according to the Channel 2
report, uses some 270,00 barrels of oil per day. The
importance of a discovery of oil of this magnitude, could
potentially translate into a more self-reliant Israel.
Recently, however, an Italian company made a “mega gas
discovery” in Egypt of up to 30 trillion cubic feet,
reported Reuters. This news will likely be a blow to
Israel’s economy, bent on exporting its 3.9-billion barrel
Leviathan field, to Egypt.
Family I Thought I Had More Time
All we have is right now, this moment.
by Emuna Braverman
One of the rabbis who spoke at synagogue this Rosh
Hashanah (Okay, it was my husband!) made a powerful
but simple point, a point that continues to resonate with
me weeks later. This past summer, a good friend of his
passed away. But friend is of course an inadequate word.
We may have many friends with so many different types
of relationships subsumed under that category. What
made this person unique in my husband’s life was that he
was really more of a mentor and a support – financially,
emotionally, practically…he was a rock. Or so it seemed…
The blow came swiftly – walking on the golf course (his
favorite leisure-time activity), he had a heart attack and
fell over and that was it.
No good-byes, no opportunities to make amends (if
necessary) or make plans (although he was the type to
have planned ahead). We were stunned on so many
levels. And distraught and regretful.
My husband kept saying to me, “I thought I had more
time. I thought I had more time.” More time to seek his
advice and ask his answers to important questions.
More time to cultivate his support. More time so that
he could take that first trip to Israel that was scheduled
for October. More time…
We all think we have more time. And we all put things
off for that elusive moment in the future when it will
suddenly appear. We are all waiting for some magic
moment for our lives to really begin – when we
successfully launch our kids, when they graduate
college or get good jobs or get married or give us
grandchildren – that’s when we’ll really start living.
When I finish the next project, when it’s summer
vacation, when I quit this job and take a different one,
when I retire; that’s when my real life will begin.
But we don’t know how many of those future moments
we have. Or, if we have them (please God), what they’ll
look like. All we have is right now, this moment. And in
this moment, we can choose to be our best selves – or
not. We can choose to use the moment fully – or not.
We can actualize or potential – or not.
If we don’t, we will have wasted a moment that we
can’t get back. Sometimes we waste a day – we feel
lethargic and we allow the day to drift by. We figure
we’ll start afresh tomorrow. It’s the famous pattern of
serial dieters. We break our diets, determine that the
day is shot, indulge in more fattening foods, and vow to
start again tomorrow.
But if, God forbid, we don’t have tomorrow, then we
wasted today, lost in a haze of sugar and carbs, or
binge-TV watching or ….name your indulgence. I’m not
saying that we don’t sometimes need a break (like at
the end of every day!); we all need to recharge our
batteries. We need big vacations and short ones and
medium ones in between. But vacation is not the goal
of life.
We all dream of better tomorrows and it’s wonderful
to use our talents to try to make that happen. But even
tomorrow is not the goal of life. Making the most of
today is. All we have is this moment, right now.
Nothing else is guaranteed or promised us. This is not
a new idea but it hit home with new force after our
friend passed away. And it shaped our whole approach
to the High Holidays this year. We will truly miss him
and may the insights and focus we received from his
passing help to elevate his soul.
10
HistoryStoried Congregations in Legal Battle
Over Torah Bells Worth $7.4 Million
By Tess Cutler. Tablet magazine
Manhattan’s Shearith Israel and Newport, Rhode Island’s
Jeshuat Israel are both claiming ownership over silver,
colonial-era rimonim. A judge will soon declare the lawful Newport, Rhode Island’s Jeshuat Israel - Touro
Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the Unites
owner.
States
The source of debate is apparently linked to hundreds of
years of Jewish history.
Touro Synagogue was dedicated in 1763 by the local
Sephardic Jewish community, but by 1822, many of
them left the city in search of better business
opportunities. Touro, in effect, closed its doors and the
temple’s contents (including those elaborate rimonim)
were handed over to Shearith. Reported the AP:
In the late 1800s, Jews re-established themselves in
Newport and began worshipping [at Touro] again.
Congregation Shearith Israel sent the items back,
including two pairs of rimonim, bells placed on the
handles of a Torah scroll.
But at the turn of the century, Congregation Jeshuat
Israel (who had adopted Touro as a prayer space), and
Shearith, engaged in a bit of a legal battle, which
resulted in Jeshuat Israel signing “a lease in 1903 to rent
Touro from Congregation Shearith Israel for $1 per
year.”
Two congregations are involved in a long-running lawsuit.
Both are claiming ownership over a pair of rimonim
(decorative Torah bells) worth a whopping $7.4 million,
reported the AP on September 18. After closing
statements were made in a Providence, Rhode Island
courtroom, U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who is
Shearith, in effect, owns Touro Synagogue, where
presiding over the trial, said there was “no smoking gun”
Congregation Jeshuat Israel prays, a point the Rhode
in the case. He has yet to make a decision.
Island-based community acknowledges.
Conflict started in 2012 when Congregation Jeshuat
Israel, who prays at Touro Synagogue, the oldest
synagogue in the Unites States, was having financial
issues and decided to sell those multi-million dollar bells
to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts in an effort to establish
an endowment. Sounds innocent enough, right?
Not according to congregation Shearith Israel, a Spanish
and Portuguese synagogue in Manhattan, the oldest
Jewish congregation in North America (1654), who claim
that the bells, which were crafted some 200 years ago by
a colonial silversmith, are theirs. The Forward reported
that “one of the bells says “Newport” on the bottom,
while the other bell does not.”
The Newport congregation says that before the New
York congregation “came out of the woodwork” to claim
it owned the bells, it had abandoned Touro. It says the
last time the New York congregation provided any
financial help was likely in 1983, when it gave $100.
Before that, it says, the last time was the 1960s.
But Congregation Shearith Israel, which overlooks
Central Park on New York City’s Upper West Side, says
that it is not the trustee of Touro, but rather a
“benevolent landlord” that has overseen the property
for nearly 200 years, since long before a “new” group of
Jews came to Newport and began worshipping at Touro.
11
Continue…..Storied Congregations in Legal
Battle Over Torah Bells Worth $7.4 Million
It says any financial problems there are the result of poor
management.
Scholars Debunk ‘Times’
Article on Temple Mount
There is no elusive historical certainty;
there’s only politics
By Ari Lamm. Tablet magazine
It also says it owns the bells and accuses the Newport
congregation of trying to steal the bells and then sell
them secretly.
In 2012, an “aghast” Michael I. Katz, vice president of
Congregation Shearith Israel’s board, told the Providence
Journal: “We do not sell our religious objects.”
Congregation Jeshuat Israel is asking the court to remove
Shearith as trustee of the synagogue.
Congregation Shearith Israel, America's first Jewish
congregation, founded in 1654 by 23 Jews of
Spanish and Portuguese descent.
With such a prolific history, the trial cited documents
dating back to the mid-1700s. “We have to patch
together 250 years of evidence,” McConnell told the AP.
History is too vast, and time too short, to waste on foolproofing for nonsense, which is why you won’t find
serious historians spending their time de-bunking latenight pseudo-documentaries about the alien landing in
Nevada that set off the Cold War or the super-secret
advanced society that ruled the lost continent of
Atlantis. But what happens when a marginal, crackpot
theory makes its way into a major media outlet, where it
has been deployed, consciously or not, for insidious
political purposes?
From Thursday’s New York Times:
Newport This Week provided a glimpse into the drawnout trial:
A battalion of white-shoe attorneys was on deck as
each side outlined their positions on the bells and the
temple property. Testimony concluded in June, but
wrapping up the proceedings was delayed by post-trial
briefings.
As he left the bench, McConnell adjourned the case with
an open-ended statement: “It will be a while.”
Within Jerusalem’s holiest site, known as the Temple
Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, lies
an explosive historical question that cuts to the essence
of competing claims to what may be the world’s most
contested piece of real estate.
The question, which many books and scholarly treatises
have never definitively answered, is whether the 37-acre
site, home to Islam’s sacred Dome of the Rock shrine and
Al Aqsa Mosque, was also the precise location of two
ancient Jewish temples, one built on the remains of the
other, and both long since gone.
12
Scholars Debunk ‘Times’
Article on Temple Mount
Continue…..
The second paragraph frames the issue of the temples’
location as a matter of legitimate difference—in fact, a
bone of serious contention among experts. So let it be
clear: There is absolutely no controversy whatsoever
among historians in the field, anywhere in the world,
about the existence of two successive temples dedicated
to the God of Israel that stood on what is variously
known as the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif.
Magness’s statements are not surprising in the least,
since they merely echo her already-published positions
on the matter. In her textbook, The Archaeology of the
Holy Land, Magness notes, matter-of-factly on page 153,
that the temple “stood in the center of the Temple
Mount, on a natural outcrop of bedrock that is
enshrined today in the Dome of the Rock.”
Similarly conscripted into the Times’ historically agnostic
narrative is Jane Cahill, former senior staff archaeologist
for the City of David excavations. Cahill’s voice is
deployed in the article to make the case that the
absence of evidence “beyond a reasonable doubt”
makes a determination about the temples’ location
impossible.
This bears repeating: Two temples dedicated to the God
of Israel certainly stood on the Temple Mount. All
historians believe this. There is scholarly dispute about
the existence of Jewish Temples on the Temple Mount in
much the same way as there is a dispute about whether
or not the earth is flat, which is to say, this is not a
debate among historians, but between scholars and
propagandists.
But in real life, not only is Cahill of the opinion that the
temple most certainly stood on the Temple Mount,
but—in an ironic twist—she has actually written an
entire paper on First Temple-era Jerusalem, titled
“Jerusalem at the Time of the United Monarchy,” in
which she forcefully argues, on the basis of “roughly 150
years of archaeological excavation in Jerusalem,” that
“the absence of evidence is largely meaningless.”
But what, you may ask, of the serious scholars named in
the Times article—many of whom, like Jodi Magness,
Jane Cahill, Matthew Adams, and Rivka Gonen, have
literally sifted through the dirt of ancient Israel in pursuit
of their expertise—who lent support to the articles’
characterization?
Moreover, as Cahill confirmed to me via email, the
question that she was asked, and to which she replied
was not, “Did the First or Second Temple stand on the
Temple Mount?” but rather, “Did the First or Second
Temple stand where the Dome of the Rock stands
today?”
It appears that that they did no such thing. As Jodi
Magness, renowned archaeologist and professor of Early
Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
explained to me via email:
This may allow us to reconstruct the process that led to
a host of scholars articulating an opinion that they do
not hold. I can imagine something like the following: The
interviewer asked these historians a question along the
lines of, “Do we know for certain where the temple
stood?” They must have taken this, quite reasonably, to
mean, “Do we know where, exactly, on the Temple
Mount the temple stood?” That is, did it stand exactly
where the Dome of the Rock stands right now, or did it
perhaps stand somewhere just nearby on the mount?
Literary/historical sources leave little doubt that there
were two successive ancient temples in Jerusalem
dedicated to the God of Israel, the first destroyed in 586
B.C.E. and the second destroyed in 70 C.E. These same
sources, as well as archaeological remains (e.g., the
Temple Mount platform as it exists today, which is a
product of Herod’s reconstruction), indicate that these
temples stood somewhere on the Temple Mount. The
only real question, then, is where exactly the temple(s)
stood on the Temple Mount.
Magness added:
I do not know of any legitimate or credible scholars who
doubt the existence of the two temples or who deny that
they stood somewhere on the Temple Mount.
Most scholars think the likeliest spot is the site occupied
by the Dome of the Rock, but it would be fair—in the
context of a longer conversation—to answer in this
fashion. This is especially true for scholars who well
know that this is a subject with politically sensitive
consequences. Of course, citing a scholarly appraisal of
this sort out of context is itself an act of
misrepresentation. But it would be tolerable.
13
Scholars Debunk ‘Times’
Article on Temple Mount
Continue…..
Many Palestinians, suspicious of Israel’s intentions
for [the Temple Mount], have increasingly
expressed doubt that the temples ever existed—at
least in that location. Many Israelis regard such a
challenge as false and inflammatory denialism.
The interviewer, however, seems to have later
“This is a very politically loaded subject,” said
recast the question as “Do we know for certain
Matthew J. Adams, Dorot director of the W.F.
whether the temple stood anywhere on the Temple
Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in
Mount, at all?”
Jerusalem. “It’s also an academically complex
question.”
The answer to this question is “Of course,” but the
article makes it seem as if the scholars actually
Here in these paragraphs remains the article’s
answered this (completely different) question in the
original point: The existence of the temples on the
negative.
Temple Mount is an “academically complex
question.” But it is not—and although I have not
This is a fairly substantial mistake, with rather
been able to reach Matthew Adams as of this
obvious implications. And it is difficult for me to
writing, I am quite confident that he does not think
conceive of a scenario in which a reporter could
so either.
speak to experts of this caliber and come away with
even the slightest impression that anyone credible
The article therefore requires further correction.
doubts that the temples stood somewhere on the
Were this article to be fully corrected for accuracy,
Temple Mount.
it would be in serious tension with its headline,
“Historical Certainty Proves Elusive at Jerusalem’s
My suspicion is that bias in favor of casting every
Holiest Place.”
dispute in the region as a case of he-said-she-said
did play a role in encouraging this interpretation—
Because there is no elusive historical certainty of
one which happens to promote, on pseudo-scientific
which to speak, the Times has committed a double
grounds, the total erasure of Jewish identity from
sin against history. By making scholars appear to
this space. That said, history and archaeology can be
cast doubt on the presence of Jewish temples on
complex, so I hold out hope that this was a mistake.
the Temple Mount, the newspaper is not just
entirely mischaracterizing their views.
Indeed, the Times later corrected the article. It now
reads:
It also makes it seem as though the ongoing
Palestinian campaign to erase the Jewish historical
The question, which many books and scholarly
connection to the Temple Mount is grounded in
treatises have never definitively answered, is where
respectable scholarly argument, rather than in
on the 37-acre site, home to Islam’s sacred Dome of
politics and prejudice.
the Rock shrine and Al Aqsa Mosque, was the
precise location of two ancient Jewish temples, one
built on the remains of the other, and both long
since gone.
Note that now the question is not “whether” the
temples ever stood on the Temple Mount, but
“where” on the Temple Mount they stood. This is an
important correction, but it is completely
undermined by the following two paragraphs, which
still remain untouched:
14
Build Jerusalem
SPIRITUALITY Our Response to Tragedy
By Simon Jacobson, MLC
What in the World Can We Do?
The Voice is Jacob's Voice, But the Hands are the Hands
of Esau -- This week's Parsha (Toldot) 27:22
The Battle for Jerusalem
How can your heart not tear asunder seeing the horrific
scenes of Jews covered in blood? What should be our
response? What do we do with our outrage and anger?
How do we move one without going into denial?
Make no mistake about it: The current attacks against
Jews is nothing less than a battle for Jerusalem and the
Temple Mount (as we are clearly witnessing today) -- a
battle which has been raging for centuries if not
millennia.
Beginning (in this week's Torah portion) with the
struggle in Rebecca's womb between the twin brothers,
Esau and Jacob, the war for Jerusalem defined the
course of history. As Rebecca was told by G-d, in reply to
her question why her pregnancy was so difficult: "Two
nations are in your womb. Two kingdoms will separate
from inside you. The upper hand will go from one
kingdom to the other. The greater one will serve the
younger," "when one rises, the other will fall, and so
states the verse: 'I shall become full from the destroyed
city.' Tyre became full [gained power] only from the
destruction of Jerusalem."
Ever since Esau wielding his sword and Ishmael his knife
has been a tragic part of our history. But this does not
console us. How much more innocent blood has to be
shed by the "wild man" (pereh odom) and the
"warrior" (ish melchomo)?! Will the battle for Jerusalem
ever end?!
And above all, what can and should we be doing about
this?
Maimonides writes that when a calamity strikes a
community we must cry out, examine our lives and
correct our ways. To say that the calamity is just the way
of the world and a coincidence is cruel and insensitive.
So what exactly can we do in face of our recent
collective tragedy?
The answer lays in the very same stressful pregnancy:
"when one rises, the other will fall, I shall become full
from the destroyed city. Tyre became powerful only from
the destruction of Jerusalem."
For us to regain power we must rebuild Jerusalem. We
must build what our enemy seeks to destroy.
"When one rises the other will fall:" When we build and
fortify Jerusalem -- both physically and spiritually -- the
"other side" naturally falls.
For every attack on a Jew, especially in Jerusalem, we
need to build an even greater edifice. Both physically -- as
in homes, synagogues, schools. As well as build spiritual
Jerusalem, which means intensifying our "complete awe"
of the divine -- the etymology of Yerusholayim is
comprised of two words: Yirah sholom, complete awe.
Baseless Love
How do we rebuild the spiritual and physical Jerusalem
and its Holy Temple? The Talmud tells us [3] that a
generation that does not rebuild the Temple is considered
as if it destroyed it. Because the Temple was destroyed
due to to baseless hatred, and as long as we do not
correct that we remain responsible for the continued
state of destruction.
Thus the clearest path to building Jerusalem and its Holy
Temple is to create a groundswell of baseless love -- to
counter baseless hate -- thereby eliminating the cause
and thus the effect of Jerusalem's destruction.
“Build me a sanctuary and I will rest among you,” G-d tells
the people. The Temple is a channel and vehicle for the
Divine presence among us in the material world.
We must rebuild the Temple in our times. We must
transform our lives, communities, societies into a Divine
Sanctuary. And thereby prepare the ground for the
rebuilding of the physical Temple in Jerusalem. Indeed,
we are taught that the Temple above is spiritually ready;
all it needs is to descend below. And this is precipitated
through our actions – through our study, prayer and
charity.
As we see Jews desecrated in their holiest moment -standing in prayer, wrapped in a talit and tefillin in a
sacred sanctuary -- there is only one true and lasting
response: Commit to build more sanctuaries; to attend
services more often; to wrap yourself in a talit and tefillin
and pray like never before.
15
Continue...SPIRITUALITY
-
Our Response to Tragedy
Mitzvos that Protect
Every mitzvah is an act of light dispelling darkness. But
there are certain mitzvot that have unique properties of
divine protection against enemies. These include: the
mitzvah of affixing a mezuzah to the door, which offers
protection; giving tzedakah generously, which "saves
from death"; and donning tefillin, about which it says "all
the nations of the world will see that the name of G-d is
called upon you, and they will fear you”
In the merit of the holy martyrs who were slaughtered
while the unity of God was proclaimed in the tefillin
bound to their arms and foreheads, may every single
one of us commit to donning the tefillin every day, and if
we already do, commit to encouraging and inspiring a
friend, a co-worker, a family member, anybody and
everybody to don the tefillin.
May we adorn out doorposts with holy mezuzot, thereby
proclaiming that this edifice is dedicated as a sanctuary
for G-d and is protected by him. The mezuzah simply and
sweetly says: God resides here. "G‑d shall guard thy
going out and thy coming in from now and
forevermore".
Action Plan - In sum, the Jewish response to a gruesome
attack, is to channel all our outrage and fury into a
spiritual eruption of building an even stronger Jerusalem,
both physically and spiritually.
Here are practical and actionable steps that each of us
can take:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Commit here and now to love every Jew, friend or
stranger, with baseless and unconditional love.
Eliminate judgmentalism from your life.
Commit to increase and intensify your synagogue
attendance and prayers. Commit to coming more
often and to inspire others as well to attend.
Take part in building/expanding a synagogue and/or
Jewish school in Jerusalem. It's good to do so
anywhere in the world, but in light of recent events,
especially in Jerusalem.
If you haven't done so until now, begin wrapping
yourself in talit and tefillin on a daily basis.
Affix mezuzot on all your doorposts, or have them
checked.
Increase in tzedakah (charity).
Every morning and evening have your children recite
verses, say prayers and increase in charity.
Place a chumash (Bible), siddur (prayer book) and
pushka (charity box) in a conspicuous place in your
home, as well as in the childrens rooms.
Inspire others to do all the above.
And tzedakah – which is not only giving charity, but also
includes acts of righteousness and kindness. Tzedakah
proclaims loud and clear: we Jews are here to change
the world, to bring righteousness into the equation, to
dispel the selfish darkness with our selfless light.
This is the way Jews have always responded to
challenging events, knowing that "when one rises, the
other will fall:" When we intensify the "voice of Jacob" -the voice of Torah, prayer and good deeds -- we weaken
the destructive "hands of Esau."
Children -In times of crisis Jews always gathered the
children together and had them recite verses, say
prayers and give charity.
We must embrace that which we always knew: "The more
they were oppressed, the more they proliferated and
gained strength", making us an invincible people, which
no one and nothing can destroy.
As King David writes in the Book of Psalms: Mepi oililm
v'yonkim yosadeto oiz l'hashbis oyev u'misnakem – “Out
of the mouth of babes and infants You have established
Your might – to answer those who deny You, to silence
the enemy and the vengeful.” Let us gather our children
both at home as well as in assemblies and rallies, where
we recite Torah verses together, pray together, and give
tzedakah together.
Besides all the other benefits in doing this, your children
will forever remember that we Jews do not retreat in
times of challenge. We stand up with pride and embrace
our faith and our traditions.
We Jews have survived all the great empires: The
Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians,
the Greeks, the Romans, etc. Not just survived, but
thrived. We will survive and thrive through these latest
challenges. ,
And we will rebuild Jerusalem and its Holy Temple to its
full and greatest glory, even greater than it ever was, and
for eternity. Mikdash Adn-ei koninu Yodecho, Hashem
Yimloch l'olam vo'ed.
If history is a testimony to anything; if you could be
assured of anything, you can be assured of that.
16
RELATIONSHIP:
The Power of Acceptance
by Yaakov Lieder
The day we were engaged to marry we went to visit
my wife's grandmother, who was 83 at the time.
With a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye, she
said: "I wish for you that the excitement and love you
feel for each other today will be carried with you for
the rest of your lives."
At the time we did not quite appreciate the wisdom
contained in her words. As the years went by and we
walked through the path of life together, it began
making more and more sense.
Human nature is such, that when we are on the
lookout for a relationship -- whether it be a working
one, a social one, or for the purpose of a marriage
-- we focus on the strong points that the potential
partner possesses. An emotional chemistry is created
and an
attraction develops. Everything s/he says
and does is
fantastic. If he interrupts me it's
because he loves us so much and he wants to tell me
so much about himself. If she's messy, it's because
she puts all her energy into our relationship. If he's
late, it's because he stopped on the way home to buy
me a gift.
As time goes on, our partner's weaknesses (which
were always there) begin bothering us. Interruptions
are rude. The mess isn't tolerated and we can't put
up with the lateness. We find him/her less attractive
than when we first met and we wonder why the
spark and excitement is gone.
The average person learns about love and
relationships through movies and songs. The image
of the perfect
relationship and the faultless
person is an unfulfilled dream that some of us expect
in reality, without wanting to work for it.
One of the reasons for the ancient Jewish custom
that a bride's face is covered during the marriage
ceremony is to symbolize the complete commitment
of one to the other -- the acceptance also of those
parts of our spouse's character that are covered
now, only to be revealed later.
17
There is only one secret for a long-term, successful,
happy relationship and that is the power of
acceptance. Acceptance does not mean that we
agree with the other person's behavior or
shortcomings; it means simply accepting them the
way they are, without working a whole lifetime
trying to change them, just like we accept ourselves
the way we are with our shortcomings.
Once we accept the other person for what s/he is
rather than what we would want them to be, the
energy used until now to criticize can be used for
building and nurturing the relationship.
This is no less true of the parent-child relationship.
Some parents fail to accept their children the way
they are. In their communication with their children,
they convey an open or hidden message: "Why are
you not like .
(i.e., what I believe a good child is supposed to be
like)." This creates a distance between parent and
child. When we truly accept our children the way
they are and the way they are not, we will
experience a new level of relationship with our
children which we never experienced before.
Try it -- it works!
- New Monthly Column Heroes in our midst
by Lynn Santer
Where it all began
His slight frame and humble demeanour effectively
camouflage a depth and vision you might find surprising.
When John Goldstein visited my home, armed with the
annual reports of the Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation
dating back to its inception, I couldn’t have imagined
what his story involved.
On the bleak and now infamous Crystal Night of the 9th of
November 1938 in Berlin, John's parents, Julius and Paula
Goldstein, left their homeland forever. Paula was eight
and a half months pregnant with John and the time. The
first port of call for this young couple fleeing the Nazi
regime (after saying final farewells to relatives) was the
main train station in Berlin.
John with his father at the bakery in Brisbane
"It was vital that mum hid her condition or she wouldn’t
have been permitted to board the train," John explained.
"Had they not escaped that night, I would have been
born in Berlin, making their exit visa null and void."
Fortunately for them, at that point in history it seemed
the Nazis were more interested in expelling rather then
exterminating Jews. Relatives in the south of Germany
had given the young couple money to enable a swift
departure, before the baby was born and escape velocity
was successfully accomplished on the train out of Berlin.
Speeding towards Genoa, their dash to safe port out of
Europe was rudely interrupted when they were taken off
at Brenner Pass.
John with his son Josh
Although her coat disguised her baby bump, it led the
greedy Gestapo to believe she might be smuggling
something of value underneath it. In what must have
evoked unimaginable horror and fear, heavily pregnant
Paula was violated in a strip search for hidden treasure.
With an escalating level of agitation, provoked both by
the indignity with which his wife was treated and the
certain knowledge that if they missed their connection
they would also miss boarding the boat out of Europe,
Julius didn't breath a cautious sigh of relief until they
were once again train destined for Genoa. Only when it
was determined that Paula was undeniably pregnant,
and therefore of no value to the Nazis, were the couple
permitted to use their exit visa.
Before boarding their seafaring vessel, Paula once again
prudently disguised her condition under the robust coat.
Aboard a Japanese freighter named Haruna Maru,
birthing facilities were not exactly standard equipment.
Had any of the crew realised Paula was pregnant their
journey would have reached an abrupt and unwelcome
end.
"I was born exiting the red sea," John told me
reflectively.
During a stop in Singapore, Julius and Paula mailed a
postcard to their relatives in the south of Germany,
thanking them for the money and informing them that a
healthy baby boy had been born. From steamy
Singapore the freighter continued to Hong Kong at
which point it gave up the ghost. Haruna Maru was
seriously kaput and going nowhere. Well, you know
what they say: if someone hands you a lemon... make a
gin and tonic! Julius and Paula took the opportunity in
Hong Kong to have John circumcised at the synagogue
on a hill (which still stands today).
"The Gestapo had become suspicious of Paula's
appearance," John told me with the glint of a tear in his
eye.
18
Continue….. Heroes
in our midst
With alternative transportation sourced, and the bris
performed, the family now numbering three were
shepherded onto a new vessel, the Atsutu Maru, bound
for Sydney Australia. Their less than remarkable arrival in
this great land occurred on "black Friday", the 13th of
January 1939. The Blue Mountains were on fire and John
was covered in a heat rash - a combination of
circumstances which did nothing to lift their spirits.
Many decades later, John still has a copy of his mother’s
German passport with all the exit stamps from each
country they stopped in during their escape to freedom.
Having been sponsored into Australia by the Jewish
Welfare Society, the Goldsteins were loaned £50 to start
their new life with. By trade, Julius was a pastry chief
and Paula was a trained sales girl but they spoke no
English. The language barrier proved to be a serious
handicap in searching for employment, apparently
causing some confusion.
Gerald Moses with John
Presumably someone worked out that Julius's profession
was something to do with food because he was offered
work in a lolly factory. Eventually he succeeded in
explaining that while he could do the job, it was not his
trade. Finally a job was found in Brisbane at a place
called Penny’s, where he worked in the cellars as a pastry
cook.
From 1939 to 1940 the family lived in Kangaroo point.
Julius took the ferry everyday to Edwards Street for a
ha’penny and walked from there to Penny’s in the CBD.
Story Bridge was under construction at the time and, as it
happened, the Goldstein family were present at the
opening ceremony.
John became the first baby to have ever been wheeled
the across the Bridge in a pram.
With the war raging, Julius decided he wanted to help
the war effort by joining the Home Forces as a cook. This
necessitated leaving Penny’s and becoming an Australian
citizen to be accepted by the army. 380 days after
joining the Home Forces, he was medically discharged
with diabetes - a condition which would later have a
profound impact on all their lives.
It didn't take long for new employment to be secured at
Lennon’s hotel in Roma Street. As fate would have it, the
manageress at Lennon's informed Julius about an old
cake shop at the end of Roma Street. At that time the
area was a hub of activity being home to the old fruit
market, the police station, the egg marketing board, a
chemist and much more. In 1944 the first family owned
shop was proudly opened, called Julius’s Busy Bee Cake
Shop. With the right variety of businesses surrounding
him, the cake shop thrived. Nearby were two pubs and a
gourmet deli full of aromatic cheeses and an array of
sausages hanging from the ceiling. The cacophony of
aromas emanating from the savoury deli and the
European cake shop were far too enticing for passers by
to ignore.
Every Friday Julius would make challahs for the Jewish
Community and soon word spread about the stores
scrumptious and irresistible delights. They ran that
business while living in an old rented place in Windsor
until 1947. By then John’s younger brothers, Frank and
Robbie, had been born. Paula had to juggle being the
front lady in the shop with being mother to three young
sons, not leaving her much time to breathe! Feeling the
strain, she called out to her parents in Ecuador, asking
them to retire and move to Australia to help with the
children. Arrangements were duly made but tragically
her father died two weeks before he was due to leave.
Following the funeral, Paula took a clipper plane for her
mother, Gertrude, to join them in Australia.
Julius had two brothers and a sister who had also
survived the war by fleeing overseas. Since peace was
declared, one of the brothers and the sister had returned
to Germany when the German government made
generous offers to repatriate Jewish refugees. The other
brother was in Israel. After some discussion it was
decided all the family wanted to be together again - in
Australia
On top of that, in 1948 Julius received notice from the
Red Cross that they had found another relative who had
survived Bergen Belsen, the niece of an older sister of
Julius’s. It was quickly decided that she too would join
the family in Australia.
19
Continue….. Heroes
in our midst
There was just one snag. To secure entry to Australia,
new residents had to prove they had jobs and
accommodation. Consequently Julius moved home and
hearth to a larger house in Ascot.
John, Frank and Robbie grew up with German as their
first and only language. When they were sent to school
their parents told them as soon as they learned English it
would be their job to teach the rest of the family so they
could better integrate into Australian society. John
stayed at school up to and completing Grade 8 when he
left to join the bake house as an apprentice. He was only
faced with one decision, posed by his father: did he want
an easy apprenticeship or a difficult one (where he would
learn more)? Without hesitation John opted for the
latter, which resulted in every problem and difficulty
being thrown his way. It turned out to be a good
decision, however, as the experience and knowledge he
gained was to serve him well in the future.
Around this time a syndicate wanted to buy the entire
corner of Roma Street, including the family business.
Naturally enough this meant their rent would sky rocket.
To stay afloat a move was essential. Together with his
father, John started hunting for somewhere else to hang
their shingle. Again fate stepped in, this time in the form
of a woman named Sophie Graves. Sophie had been
coming up to Brisbane in a taxi from the South Coast (as
it was then called - now the Gold Coast) to collect her
challah and other bakery requirements for the week.
Sophie and her husband Bill ran a nightclub in Surfers
Paradise where she sang a cabaret of songs from the era
such as Al Jolson classics and My Yiddisha Mamma. The
Goldstein family were already familiar with the South
Coast (in those days a two and a half hour drive from
Brisbane) as it was their regular holiday destination. On
Sophie’s recommendation, Julius and John decided to see
if it might be viable to set up shop down south and
eventually located an old house divided into three
sections on seven levels with steps everywhere. In
August 1957 they made the move and converted the
rambling premises into their new business.
Please tune in next month, same time, same channel, to
read the next thrilling instalment of "Where it all
began"... where Goldstein's Bakery began, where the
Gold Coast Marathon began... and most importantly
where our own Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation began.
All shall be revealed in PART TWO next month.
A builder friend of the family fitted out the Goldstein's
new building with everything needed to help the shop
run smoothly. At that time there were seven cake shops
in Surfers, including a large bakery, but the competition
didn't faze them. The Goldsteins once again displayed
their European products, and again they were warmly
embraced by the surrounding society. To begin with they
called the business "The Continental Cake Shop", later
changing it to "The International Continental Cake Shop".
As a diabetic, Julius was on insulin injections once a day.
Of course the science and management of diabetes
wasn’t at the standard it is today so something as basic
as an ingrown toenail didn't raise any alarm bells.
Nevertheless, by 1960, after Julius had been treated for
an ingrown toenail for quite sometime, it had become so
painful that he couldn’t stand for very long. John and
Paula begged him to return to the family doctor in
Brisbane for better medical attention. Eventually taking
their advice he made the journey back to Brisbane.
Immediately the old family doctor identified his condition
as gangrene. The toe had to be amputated. Further
more he was going require surgery on his stomach to
improve blood flow to his leg in order to save the rest of
that limb... and that wasn’t the worst of it. The other leg
was actually in worse condition and another operation
was required.
Julius was a trooper and rallied well but a year later he
was walking along the beach when his shoes were stolen.
Consequently he was forced to walk home in bare feet
over a rocky road, causing a stone bruise in his leg that
wouldn’t heal. His Brisbane surgeon this time advised
that the entire leg would have to be amputated. Due to
Julius’s failing health, more and more responsibility was
put on young John’s shoulders. Frank had joined the
business by this time, which alleviated some of the load
but at the same time John had to teach Frank the ropes.
Together with Paula, the three of them ran the operation
while John took Frank under his wing to teach him
everything that Julius had once taught him (informing his
younger brother cheekily, “Soon you’ll be as good as
me!”)
Minus a limb and classified as disabled, Julius was forced
to sell his beautiful dream car, a Chrysler De Soto, to
purchase a Holden Hydromatic (Automatic) which he
could drive with one foot. He was fitted with an artificial
leg and was driving within three months of his surgery
but sadly the damage had already been done. He passed
away on January the 15th 1962.
Queensland was becoming something of a playground for
Jewish people from Melbourne and Sydney by then,
which created a boom in residential and commercial
development
20
Continue….. Heroes
in our midst
It also created a boom in chatter and gossip - mainly
concerning the need for the formation of a local
congregation. One of the southern visitors, Jack Hansky,
had built a block of flats called Oceans Court on Cavil
Avenue. It was there that the first meeting took place to
discuss forming a Gold Coast Jewish community.
In 1959/60 it was decided to commence holding Friday
night services. Before he passed, Julius told John he must
join this group, He needed little persuading, diving
straight in as the first Assistant Secretary aged 22 and
subsequently becoming Secretary. To this day, John
retains every annual report dating back to 1961 (apart
from two that have gone missing). This was the
formation of the Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation we
know today.
Harry Samuel was the first President with Jack Hansky
taking the position of Vice President. In 1962, just after
Julius passed, the congregation was honoured by a visit
from the Chief Rabbi. Since then John has served as
Chairman, board member and Co Chairman of the Chevra
Kaddisha with Judah Moses.
With the Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation becoming a
Mecca for southern Jewry, John wrote to every Jewish
community in Australia for support.
"We needed to expand, and quickly, to accommodate the
growing numbers," he said emphatically.
Perhaps surprisingly the original support came from the
Tasmanian Jewish community. The fledgling Gold Coast
community was also presented with all manor of
artefacts to establish itself, such as a Shofar from
Melbourne, a Sefer Torah from Brisbane, and agent's
fees of £75 were donated by Mr J. Morris to buy the
Hamilton avenue property.
"The International Continental Cake Shop" was still
thriving but a decision was made change the appearance
of the business to make it look "friendlier". The name
was changed to "Goldstein's" and an architect friend of
the family suggested writing the new shingle in Irish
Script. Concurrently a graphic artist was given a bottle of
champagne as advance payment to create a logo. That
graphic artist redesigned the look of the name to the one
we all know today (in Cooper Black font) except it
originally had three cherries instead of a dot over the "i".
The three cherries disappeared when the name needed
to be straightened out (instead of curved) to fit on the
bags.
Unbeknown to John, before Julius passed he had told his
accountant (Ken) not to let the boys open up any more
shops. John only discovered this many years later from
Ken's wife. Whatever Julius' reason for insisting the
business remain a sole premises operation one can only
guess, but history will attest it was not meant to be.
By 1967 business was booming. John was President of
the Pastry Chefs Association of Queensland and he
wanted to go overseas to study what the trade was doing
in Europe. A planned five month trip became thirteen
months away, leaving Frank and Paula in charge of
operations in Australia. Departing with a letter from the
Queensland Premier, signed with a big red seal,
requesting that John receive any assistance he required
while overseas, John began his journey of exploration in
January 1968. Seeing how satellite operations worked in
Europe, a second shop was soon opened in Sundale.
John and Frank ran one each and it snowballed from
there as opportunities arose. Challahs were being bussed
to Brisbane on a weekly basis so the next logical location
was a store in Garden City. Soon after that they opened
in Pacific Fair, with a second satellite opening in the same
centre when the resident bread shop failed. Eventually
there were sixteen shops employing 140 staff.
In a few final notes, you may have noticed that our
cemetery is somewhat greener these days. The new rows
of trees are thanks to John, who provided the beautiful
foliage as a permanent memorial to his late wife Pam
And lastly, on 2nd September 1979, the Gold Coast
suburb of Evandale hosted the inaugural Gold
Coast International Marathon. The event was initiated by
the Rotary Club of the Gold Coast led by a certain
Rotarian named John Goldstein. Eighteen months of
planning went into the first event.
"It cost $1,000 to stage the first one," John told me. "For
the first $500, we went door-to-door to get sponsorships
and donations. The other $500 came out of my pocket
because I had so much confidence in it."
There was a field of 124 runners in the first marathon. By
1983-84 the Marathon had become a fully fledged
private enterprise and in 2014 a field of 30,000
participated.
So, ladies and gentlemen, that is where it all began: the
Gold Coast marathon, the new trees in our cemetery,
Goldstein's bakeries, and our very own Gold Coast
Hebrew Congregation. Kudos to Mr Goldstein.
21
New semester of learning – Every Monday at 7:30pm
22
Personal Development:
Growing Each Day
5 Monday Lecture
classes for November
By Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski
If a person has a worry in his heart, let him
relate it to others (Proverbs 12:25, Yoma 75a).
Monday, November 2, 2015
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
What’s in a Shadchan?
Good news, Grandma! The Talmud tells us that before a
child is born the future spouse is handpicked up in
heaven. The two children will eventually grow up, cross
paths, meet, and marry. But if two people are really soul
mates, what is our role in making the match?
Monday, November 9, 2015
THROUGH ISAAC’S EYES
Recognizing Potential
I am inclined to destructive behavior, and have a bad
track record. Am I at a sad disadvantage? When Isaac
chooses to bless his wicked son, he teaches us a
power- ful lesson in parenting and life in general.
Monday, November 16, 2015
CONSUMER CULTURE
Balancing Mind and Matter
“Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.” Many great
sages sufficed with bread and water, shunning the caviar
and the Rolls Royce. But is having a few extras really so
bad? Discover how, when, and why praying for
abundance can be the way to go.
Monday, November 23, 2015
DEFINE PROVIDENCE
Whose Body Is It, Anyway?
Many people are hesitant to share their painful feelings
with others. They may not wish to burden others with
their problems, or they may be too ashamed to reveal
their thoughts and feelings. The Scriptures and Talmud
advocate the value of ventilating problems.
Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk stated: "One should regularly
relate to one's mentor or to a trusted friend all the
improper thoughts and feelings one has experienced ...
and this is an incomparable technique (for proper
conduct)."
The value of sharing our troublesome thoughts, feelings,
and actions with another person is inestimable. First, by
not repressing our true feelings, we become more
honest with ourselves. Second, by elucidating our
problems with someone else, we may gain greater
insight into them and even discover their solutions.
Third, by considering our problem from a non-biased
perspective, the listener can give an opinion far more
objective than we could ever formulate on our own.
Rabbi Elimelech recommends that such sharing be done
regularly. Troublesome thoughts and feelings should not
be allowed to accumulate. Not only can they add up to
become overwhelming, they can also fester, become
even more serious, and therefore be more difficult to
eliminate.
Today I shall…
Granted G-d runs the world. But to what extent? If He
oversees cataclysmic world changing events, does He
also dictate the direction and speed of each gust of
wind? When we find our- selves caught in the motions of
the daily grind, this lesson will offer us a spiritual boost.
find someone whom I can trust with my most private
thoughts and feelings, and relieve myself of the
burdensome baggage I have been carrying
Monday, November 30, 2015
KEEP ON DREAMING
Don’t Be Deterred by Reality
Are dreams good or bad? Of what use, if any, are these
strange arrangements of people, places, and things
combined in the most outlandish fashion? Insight from
Joseph the dreamer reveals why sometimes the best
thing is to keep on dreaming.
23
Music The Man Who Wrote the Lyrics
to ‘Les Misérables’
By Tess Cutler
Herbert Kretzmer, 90, reflects on his career on the
musical’s 30th anniversary
And yet, despite the musical’s inarguable triumph,
Kretzmer remains grounded. “I’m not one who lives
on cloud nine,” he said.
Kretzmer was born in Kroonstad, South Africa in 1925
to Jewish Lithuanian parents who owned a grocery
shop and spoke Yiddish at home. A “convinced
atheist,” said Kretzmer, “I never deny or disguise my
Jewishness.” Though his older brother stayed put,
eventually becoming the mayor of Johannesburg,
Kretzmer, in the early 1950s, moved to Paris, the
setting of Les Misérables. He entered into what he
called his “wandering years,” which he described in a
2013 interview with The South African:
“In Paris…I tried to write the “great South African
novel,” [and] played piano in a Left Bank bar in return
for food and painted murals for rent money.”
Paris is also the place his lyrics came to life:
“Writing song lyrics for me was a spare-time, parttime kitchen table job. By day I’d be interviewing
celebrities like John Steinbeck, Louis Armstrong, Cary
Grant and Duke Ellington. By night I’d write lyrics. I’d
written them for years.”
On Thursday, just after his 90th birthday, Herbert
Kretzmer, the man who wrote the English lyrics to the
musical Les Misérables, asked me: “Do you want to
hear a joke?”
Of course, I told him over the phone. Kretzmer
cleared his throat. “Old songwriters don’t die,” he
said, pausing briefly for effect. “They de-compose.”
In addition to his birthday, this week marks the 30th
anniversary of Les Misérables, one of Broadway’s
longest-running musicals. And yet, it’ll likely be a
surprise to even the biggest theater buff that the
show opened to cruddy reviews when it premiered in
1985 at London’s Barbican Theatre. One critic called
the show “a load of sentimental tosh,” an opining
Kretzmer did not fail to mention. (Of Victor Hugo’s
1862 novel, upon which the musical is based,
Baudelaire called it “a vile and inept book”).
This is all moot, of course, because Les Misérables
has been seen by over 70 million people in 44
different countries and in 22 languages.
In 1954, Kretzmer moved to London where he became
a television critic for The Daily Mail. But even as a
journalist, Kretzmer dabbled in songwriting, penning
popular ballads for Charles Aznavour such as
“Yesterday When I Was Young” (1967) and
“She” (1974). These songs became favorites of
Cameron Mackintosh, an influential British theater
producer, and it’s through Mackintosh that Kretzmer
would land Les Misérables.
Six months before Les Misérables premiered in
London’s West End, Mackintosh called up Kretzmer
and asked if he could write the English lyrics to a
French show he was bringing to London. “I wasn’t the
first choice, you see,” he said, three decades after
scribing the unforgettable “Master of the House” and
“On My Own.” The original writer hired for the job, as
Kretzmer put it, “had not come up with the goods.”
It took five months for Kretzmer to interpret the
music for the show. “I don’t translate,” Kretzmer said
in 2013. “I recreate. Songs cannot be translated. They
can, however, be retold.”
24
Continue…..
Music -
The Man Who Wrote the
Lyrics to ‘Les Misérables’
But one song posed a particular challenge to
write. In fact, 17 days before opening night, at 5
a.m., he put the final touches on that taxing
tune, “Bring Him Home,” arguably one of the
most heart-wrenching songs in the show.
At the age of 60, Kretzmer traded in his career as
a newspaper man (a compilation of his
interviews have been published in a book titled
Snapshots: Encounters with Twentieth-Century
Legends), for songwriter. Of both jounalism and
songwriting, he said: “What they have in
common is that they both entail the
manipulation of the English language and
constraint.”
As he looks back at his 90 years, beginning in
South Africa and ultimately leading to presentday, including his marriage to his wife of 27
years, Sybil, and numerous Tony and Grammy
Awards, he said: “Everything makes sense when
you look back on it. Nothing makes sense when
you’re living it…You realize that it wasn’t all
haphazard, your life seems to have some shape
after all. It never seems like it at the time.”
“I don’t wake up in the morning and say to
myself, ‘I have a hit show, ain’t life grand?’” he
said in his signature South African lilt. “That’s for
Hollywood movies.”
Israel, NASA Announce Space
Exploration Partnership
To infinity and beyond, or Mars
By Jonathan Zalman
Space, the final frontier, remains a hot ticket. It
seems this is especially true in Israel, where just last
week SpaceIL, an Israeli engineering non-profit,
announced it had secured a launch contract to send
its dishwasher-sized robot to the moon. If successful,
it would be the not only the first Israeli mission to the
moon, but the world’s first privately funded lunar
mission. But competition may be heating up.
On Tuesday in Jerusalem, at the the 66th
International Astronautical Conference, the Israel
Space Agency (ISA) announced it had signed a “wideranging cooperation agreement” with NASA, a
partnership “in the exploration and research of space
for the betterment of mankind and for peaceful use.”
Signing their names were ISA director Menachem
Kidron and Charles Bolden, NASA’s Administrator,
who both said kind things about the other, and
themselves, as these announcements tend to go,
including their past relationship, which began in part,
in 1985. Reported JTA:
NASA and Israel signed their first cooperation
agreement in 1996, which led to the training in the
United States of Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut,
who flew on the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
Ramon and the flight’s six other astronauts died on
Feb. 1, 2003, when Columbia broke apart during
reentry into the atmosphere over Texas on its way to
the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The specifics of their partnership, such as a trip to
Mars, perhaps to determine whether the chocolate
from delicious candy originate there, or to search for
five-dimensional alien lifeforms, remains obscure.
Some of the objective NASA and the Israel Space
Agency may collaborate on, include “joint missions,
personnel and scientific data exchanges, groundbased research facilities, space exploration and
operations missions, joint workshops and meetings,
scientific instruments onboard aircraft and
spacecraft, sounding rocket and scientific balloon
flights, space communications, educational outreach,
and other spacecraft and space research platforms.”
And that’s cool.
25
Ask The Rabbi Why No Vowels in the Torah?
By Yehuda Shuprin
Question:
When I was a kid, I went to Hebrew school and learned
the Hebrew letters and the vowels. But when it came
time for my bar mitzvah and I started learning to read
the Torah, I noticed that there aren’t actually any
vowels in the Torah, and I had to memorize the
pronunciation of every word. Why is that? Is it just to
make it super-hard to become a Jewish adult?
Reply:
The truth is that while there are no vowels actually
written in the Torah, it is not accurate to say that the
Torah has no vowels. Although the vowels, or nekudot,
were never actually marked in the Torah itself, the
nekudot are of divine origin just as the letters are. The
nekudot were given by G‑d to Moses on Mount Sinai
and were passed down orally from leader to leader as
part of the Oral Torah, until they reached Ezra the
Scribe, who revealed and taught them to the Jewish
nation. Up until that point, Hebrew was never written
down with vowels.
As with many early Semitic alphabets, one who is fluent
in Hebrew can, for the most part, read it without
vowels, which is why even nowadays the overwhelming
majority of Hebrew literature is written without
vowels.
On a simple level, the reason for this is because, unlike
English, most Hebrew words are comprised of
triconsonantal roots. Words with the same consonants
are usually related, and differ only in how they’re
inflected for tense and so forth.
At the same time, there are also many words in the
Torah whose meanings can change based on the
vowels. And it is for this reason that an oral tradition
was needed to tell us exactly how the words are to be
pronounced.
One classic example is the prohibition of eating milk
and meat together, which is derived from the verse ‫ֹלא‬
—‫תְ בַּׁשֵ ל ּגְדִ י ּבַחֲ לֵב אִ ּמֹו‬universally translated as “You
shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” Now, the
Hebrew word for “milk,” ) ‫חֲ לֵב‬chaleiv) or ) ‫חָ לָב‬chalav),
has the exact same letters as the Hebrew word for
“fat,” ) ‫חֵ לֶב‬cheilev), the only difference being the
vowels. So without the Oral Torah, we might
mistakenly believe that we are prohibited to eat meat
with fat.
This, of course, leads us back to our original question:
If there are ambiguous words, why leave the vowels to
the Oral Torah? Why not have them written in the
Torah itself?
The Power of Ambiguity
The rabbis explain that it is precisely because of this
possible ambiguity that the vowels aren’t written into
the actual text. The ambiguity allows us to derive
multiple layers of meaning from the same written text.
For example, by contrasting the way in which a word is
actually vocalized (called in the Talmud (mikra) with
other possible ways of pronouncing the same word
(called masoret), the rabbis derive many laws of the
Torah. For G‑d’s wisdom (a.k.a. His Torah) is infinite,
and upon rearranging the vowels, new dimensions are
revealed.
It is no wonder then that the letters are compared to
the body and the nekudot to the soul. Like the body,
the letters are tangible and physical. But the
nekudot,while hidden, are what give them life.
26
FREE INTERNET &
COMPUTER SKILLS FOR
SENIORS @ K-HALL
Misheberach
Have you ever wondered what the Internet is?
Prayer for the sick
Broadband for Seniors is funded by the Australian
Government to provide senior Australians, aged 50
years and over, with free access to computers,
Internet and basic training to help build their
confidence in using new technology.
Jewish tradition ordains that whenever the Torah is
read we are granted a special and uniquely
opportune moment to invoke blessing for those in
need of divine intervention. From time immemorial
it has therefore been the custom to recite a "Mi
Sheberach" (prayer for the sick) on behalf of
people who are ill. We pray for the people below,
and wish them a speedy recovery:
Men
Since it was announced in 2008, around 2,000
Broadband for Seniors kiosks have opened across
Australia with approximately 250,000 seniors
enjoying the benefits!
Broadband for Seniors aims to
•
•
•
Provide senior Australians with access to
computers and the Internet via free Internet
kiosks;
Support seniors to gain confidence and build
skills in using new technology;
Address the issue of senior Australians feeling
isolated and ‘left behind’ in a technological age.
WE PROVIDE FREE INTERNET AND SKILL
DEVELOPMENT ON WEDNESDAY’S 10:00 - 11:30AM
AT OUR KATRANSKY HALL - 35 MARKWELL AVE,
SURFERS PARADISE.
For more information contact our office on 5570
1851
27
Yehuda Avraham Ben Beila Chaya
Michael Ben Baila Chaya
Shmuel Ben Alter Chaya Reyna
Daniel Ha'Levi Ben Rochel
Shlomo Ben Dahlia
Adam Gideon Ben Leah
Michael Ben Mina
Mordechai Ha'Levi Ben Rochel
Yishai Ben Sara
Tom Ben Miriam
Chaim Ha’Levi Ben Miriam
Shimon Dovid Ben Sara
Tzvi Avigdor Ben Chaya Shaindl
Shmuel Ben Sara
Philip Ben Faygelle
Aaron Ben Sara
Yehushua Ben Leah
Yochu Ben Binner
Chanan Halevi Ben Tatyana
Women
Tziyona Bat Chana
Peryla Bas Chana
Rivka Bas Sara
Faygelle Bas Chana
Tatyana Baas Fayna
Tirtza Bas Tikvah
Shoshana Bas Sarah
Shoshana Bas Batsheva
Rochel Bas Rivkah
Laughter….The Best Medicine
A Jew in Moscow was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud
knock on the door.
Who's there?"he asked.
"The postman!"came the reply.
The man got out of bed and opened the door and found two KGB
agents.
"Are you Liebovitch?"
"Yes."
"And did you make an application to go to Israel?"
"I did."
"Don't you have enough food to eat here?"
"Yes, we do."
"Don't your children get a good Communist education?"
"Certainly."
"Then why do you want to leave Russia?"
"I don't like the post being delivered at three in the morning."
A young Jewish man calls his mother and says, "Mom, I'm bringing home a wonderful woman I want to marry.
She's a Native American and her name is Shooting Star."
"How nice,"says his mother.
"I have an Indian name too,"he says. "It's Running Deer"and I want you to call me that from now on."
"How nice,"says his mother.
"You should have an Indian name too, Mom,"he says.
"I already do,"says the mother. "You can call me Sitting Shiva."
Just imagine .... what would the world have been like had Walt Disney been raised by a Jewish mother?
Here's what he might have heard a lot of ...
" With the mouse; with the duck; now with dwarfs... Walt, Why don't you become a CPA like your cousin Bernie?"
Herb Cohen goes to Goldie's tailor shop to try on his new bespoke suit. But the arms are too long.
"No problems," says the tailor. "Just bend them at the elbow and hold them out in front of you. See, now it's fine!"
"But the collar's up arund my ears."
"Nothing, nothing. Just hunch your back up a litle. No, a little more.
Perfect." said the tailor.
"But I'm stepping on my cuffs!" said Herb.
"Bend your knees a little to take up the slack. Look in the mirror ... the suit fits perfectly."
Twisted like a pretzel, Herb lurches out of he store and Rivka and Shoshana see him walk by.
"Look," says Rivka, "that poor man."
"Yes," says Shoshana, "but what a beautiful suit."
28
Chefs Corner
Basic Stuffed Cabbage
A Jewish classic! And oh-so-good!
1 large cabbage
Filling:
1 ½ pounds ground beef
½ cup uncooked rice
3 tsps. oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
Sauce:
3 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. flour
1 46-oz can tomato juice
3 to 4 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup sugar or ¼ cup honey
2 bay leaves or juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste
1 large apple, peeled and diced
¼ cup raisins
Prepare cabbage by either boiling or freezing method.
Remove and check leaves.
FILLING: Combine all ingredients for meat mixture in a bowl and mix well. Roll cabbage leaves according
to illustrations.
SAUCE: Heat oil in 8-quart pot, stir in flour, and cook until brown. Add rest of ingredients in order listed.
Bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add cabbage rolls carefully, placing them in sauce one by one. The
rolls may be piled in layers if necessary. Cook on low flame for 2 hours, adding more water if necessary.
USE: 8-quart pot
YIELDS: 18 Cabbage Rolls
Excerpted from Spice and Spirit, The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook
29
Our new variety of classes in our weekly Series
Our lessons probe the depth of contemporary Torah thought, with a special focus on issues
surrounding spirituality, the human psyche, love and interpersonal relationships. Every experience
offers meaningful and timely lessons – from the most timeless of texts. You will walk away surprised,
inspired, and knowing more about who we are as Jews, and who you are as an individual. We invite
you to browse through the topics in this catalogue of classes below and join us for a weekly dose of
uplifting Jewish study. If you find any topics that you think may be of interest to your friends, please
encourage them to come along. Checkout our variety of classes on page 22
30
PHOTOS OF THE MONTH
Our Sukkot fun party for all children, with
entertainer & hands-on activity.
Visiting our elederly during Sukkot.
Winners of the Sukkah building and decoration - Kredi family
31
PHOTOS OF THE MONTH
Mega Challah ‘Shabbat Project’ event
32
High Holiday Activities
- Shofar Factory and Honey Bee World The Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation 5775 –2015
33
It’s not just about visitation.
It’s about friendship.
It’s about community.
The Sunshine Club is a unique volunteer program under the auspices of the Gold
Coast Hebrew Congregation designed to bring cheer and companionship into the
lives of Jewish seniors all throughout the Gold Coast.
Whether for seniors living on their own, in assisted living facilities or convalescent
homes, the Sunshine Club matches up caring friends to be there with and for
seniors - to visit, to assist and to uplift. To share experiences, to spend quality time,
to celebrate special occasions and to create wonderful memories together.
Programs:
•
•
•
•
Weekly Friendship Visits
Book-Reading
Family Connections
Educational Materials
• Recreational Activities
• Arts & Crafts
• Holiday Celebrations
• Cultural Events
If you would like to become a Sunshine Club Volunteer or if you are a senior – or know of a
senior – who can benefit from the Sunshine Club, please call our office on 5570 1851 or
Rabbi Gurevitch on 0419 392 818
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
WE THANK THE
FOLLOWING FOR THEIR
ALIYA OFFERING
Bernard Nightingale
Gerald Moses
David Rebibou
Judah Moses
Sam Hyman
Charles Baker
Mr.R. Mond
Sharon Mougrabi
Avi Franco
Norman Lelah
Phil Lewis
Sharon Gabizon
Nathan Simons
Kim Goriss
Menachem Wassershtrom
John Donath
Sam Goodchild
Pinchus Cohen
Rabbi Gurevitch
Moty Grau
Zelig Berkhut
Andrew Berkhut
Henry Muscatel
Mark Spanner
Barry Katz
Yaacov Harkham
Gary Zelcer
Jeff Glass
Isaac Zulaikha
Harold Tannenbaum
Rob Roffano
Aaron Lelah
Frank Goldstein
Jonathan Wade
Jonathan Felbel
Mr. Kredi
Ariel Silberman
Geoffrey Heimann
Murray Hartman
We extend our wishes for long life to the
following who are observing a Yahrtzeit
27th Mar-Cheshvan-9th November
Max Pomeranz-Father of Leo Pomeranz
28th Mar-Cheshvan- 10th November
Neville Santer-Husband of Clare Santer
28th Mar-Cheshvan- 10th November
Lional Efron-Father of Raymond Efron
4th Kislev-16th November
David Scheier-Zalman Rosenblum
5th Kislev-17th November
Louis Gordon- Father of Hymie Gordon
5th Kislev-17th November
Pesia Guralnek-Mother of Leon Guralnek
7th Kislev-19th November
Ingrid Hilmer-Mother of Barbara Stewart-Kann
10th Kislev-22nd November
Oscar Dym-Father of Lorna Donath
10th Kislev-22nd November
Annie Krite-Mother of Ruth Simons
14th Kislev- 26th November
Abraham Zulaikha-Father of Isaac Zulaikha
16th Kislev-28th November
Ben Bruce –Brothe of Celia Beare and Sally Yarrow
- Mazal Tov -
BIRTHDAYS FOR NOVEMBER
Geoffrey Levitt
Marni Kornhauser
Janette Kornhauser
Ephraim Szterenberg
Philip Lee
Lorna Donath
Leon Guralnek
Mark Spanner
Stanley Rubens
Ben Slonim
Andrew Berkhut
Moty Grau
John Goldstein
Lynette Moses
Felix Finckenberg
YAHRTZEIT OBSERVANCE
FOR THE MONTH OF
Mar-Cheshvan/Kislev - November
3rd
6th
8th
12th
14th
15th
17th
17th
19th
18th
21st
22nd
28th
29th
29th
We extend a hearty Mazal Tov to the following Bar
Mitzvah boys and their families:
Ziggy Enoch
Zac Tenenbaum
Piers and Liam Lee
Refuah Sheleyma-speedy recovery to Freda Chaylik
& Sam Goodchild
- Condolences We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of
Mike Simons and to Karen Singer upon the passing of her
mother Dorothea Marks. May you know of no more grief
and be blessed with long life and simchos.
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If undeliverable return to:
The Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation
P. O. Box 133
Surfers Paradise 4217
Queensland, Australia
POSTAGE
PAID
AUSTRALIA
100003857