Sign In Forgot Password

.

From The President

David P Lewis

e: president@greatsynagogue.org.au


Dear Friends,

Mazal Tov to Mushki & Rabbi Menachem Feldman! 
As you will have all heard, we are all excited to wish Rebbetzin Mushki & Rabbi Menachem Feldman, Leah and Ari, grandparents, great grandparents and the whole family much joy on the occasion of the birth of their daughter: Reizel Geula Feldmanspan>

An offering has been made by the Ministers, Board and Staff of The Great Synagogue in their honour and we look forward to sharing that excitement with Rabbi Feldman in Shule this Shabbat.

Stephen Kopp’s 70th Birthday and Kiddush
We wish Stephen Mazal Tov on his 70th birthday and thank both Susie and Stephen for sponsoring this week’s Kiddush.

Prototype Bimah
We have received a small number of written reviews of Members’ experiences of the Prototype Bimah. We want more please and I again remind Members to share your views on the Bimah’s height and length to Max Freedman, Senior Vice President – please email admin@greatsynagogue.org.au.

We have made more changes this week with new steps added to increase the height for individuals on the Prototype Bimah, adding carpet, planning for the removal of the additional pillars, lighting will be installed for Shabbat 23 March and more For more information on the prototype Bimah, please review our FAQ's.

The Great Foundation Special Kiddush– Saturday 23 March
The Great Synagogue Foundation is holding a special Kiddush on Shabbat 23 March to celebrate and thank members and friends who have supported the Synagogue by way of donations to the Foundation. Please use this link if you would like to support The Great Synagogue Foundation

Black and White Purim at The Great – Saturday 23 March 8.15pm
The Purim service commences at 8.15pm on Saturday night 23 March with Maariv followed by Megillah, Havdalah & Refreshments. Please enter through Elizabeth Street.

Family World of Sports Purim Party at The Great – Sunday 24 March
The Sunday festivities commence at 9.30am with Shacharit followed by the Purim Party from 10.30am – 12:30pm. Come dressed as your favourite sports star or in your favourite team colours.

Reverend Samuel (Shmuel) Kinney!
On Tuesday 12 March, Shmuel Kinney had a very special visit at hospital. Rabbi Moshe Gutnick from the Kashrut Authority together with the Sydney Beth Din presented Shmuel with a certificate recognizing him as a Reverend and honouring him for his years of dedicated service to the community as a Mashgiach at the Kashrut Authority.

We all wish Shmuel and the whole Kinney family Mazal Tov.

To all those in our community who are suffering an illness, we wish you a Refu’ah Shleima — a complete and speedy recovery; and to all those commemorating a Yahrzeit, or who have recently suffered a loss, we wish you a long and good life, full of Simchas

As always if there is anything you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

Shabbat Shalom

 

From The Rabbi

Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton

e: admin@greatsynagogue.org.au

 

Devar Torah: PEKUDEI 5784

I am delighted to report that last week’s Friday night dinner was another big success, and Liz Pinczewski was an outstanding speaker on Shabbat morning. Her presentation and the Kiddush that followed were excellent ways to mark International Women’s Day.

We now look forward to Purim. Come on the evening of 23 March at 8:15pm in black and white for our Megillah reading and reception, and then bring your children and grandchildren on Sunday morning 24 March for the 9:30am service and 10:30am party. Come in your favourite sporting colours or kit.

Finally, I want to bring to your attention the Foundation Kiddush on Shabbat morning 23 March, when we will be recognising all those who have made donations to the Foundation, and making presentations to mark a series of outstanding contributions.

The Rabbis of the Talmud did not approve of counting things. It is well known that we do not count Jews, but they were even dubious about counting objects. The Talmud states ‘Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A blessing is found only in an object that is hidden from the eye…a blessing is not found either in an object that is weighed or in an object that is measured or in an object that is counted’. Yet we find in Parashat Pekudei that all the elements of the Tabernacle are meticulously enumerated. Why was an exception made in this case?

The Talmud’s statement refers to an individual’s pile of grain, which ought not to be counted. However how much there is in the pile is only relevant to the owner, and therefore we do not diminish its blessings by counting it; indeed the owner has a great incentive not to do so. But the case of the Tabernacle was different. It was built with donations and communal funds. Even at the risk of limiting the blessing that could come from the Tabernacle, a full accounting had to be done so that everyone could be confident that there had been no misuse of funds.

What is more, this act of faithfully accounting for the expenditure of communal funds is itself a source of blessing, that may even outweigh any loss of blessing from the counting. In another Rabbinic teaching, found in the Midrash a quote is made from the Book of Proverbs: ‘a man of integrity will increase blessings’. The Midrash says that man is Moses, and in the context of our Parasha it was, because Moses was conducting the audit and presenting his findings to the People. But in a different context the same truth would apply, and the same blessing would be forthcoming. Whenever we behave with integrity the result is always a blessing for ourselves and others. Although there is blessing in what is hidden, there is as much or even greater blessing in what is fully revealed, is open and transparent and encourages trust and confidence.

Although confidentiality is important and privacy has its place, we also shouldn’t shy away from the openness that is an essential aspect of accountability. That keeps us honest, it keeps the system running well and promotes faith in that system, so it can work for the benefit of everyone and be a source of blessing for all.

 

 

..

Tue, 19 March 2024 9 Adar II 5784