70 years is a real milestone. We all know of the
expression from Psalms said at funerals "our days are of 70 years and if by
reason of strength 80". Let's hope that this celebration shouldn't be
commemorating the end of our Shule life and as a sort of a wake for our
Shule... :)
We actually still have some members who were around at
the time of the founding of our Shule and were involved with the Shule over
all these years. I'd like to especially point out Bert Kahana who is
here now and was one of those involved right from the beginning. He
was a student of Nathan Haneman, our founding President, and also studied
for his Bar Mitzvah with him all those years ago. He has been and is
really a stalwart and core of our Shule and Id also like to thank him for
all of his help to me as Chazan and in other ways over all the years. 'We
wish him and Dawn many more years of health and happiness and involvement
with the Shule.
I'd also like to mention the late Bernie Cohen, the
father of our President Phillip, who was Honorary Secretary for most of the
seventy years, 43 years to be precise. He was also an avid Shule goer, as I
remember that until he was well into his old age we could rely on him for
the Minyan both on
Friday night and Shabbos morning. I'm sure he'd have great
Nachas knowing that his only son, is now President of the Shule.
I spoke in Shule on Shavuot - which is also the
Yahrzeit of King David - regarding our Shule's 70th and how KD also lived
for seventy years.
It's explained in Kabballah that there is seven
emotions of the heart in a human being -a micro world - corresponding to (as
we were created in the image of ) the emotions of Above with which the macro
world and universe was created with, which also corresponds to the seven
days of creation. They are kindness, strictness, mercifulness, ambition,
humility, bonding and independence. Each one is made up of the Ten
Sefirot, that is, these seven plus wisdom, understanding and knowledge...
A man in his lifetime should be directing, refining and
elevating these emotions according to Hashem's Will, with each year of life
corresponding to one emotion. Therefore a man's life in general is for
70 years. King David's life epitomised this.
His life was also full of wars to ensure the continuity
of our people and what we represent. I'd like to say that over our 70 years
we've also had our leading warriors, who've fought for the cause of Judaism
in our area, that is, our presidents whose their pictures we can see on the
wall opposite me.
I'd like to especially mention the late Fel Prentice
who initiated my becoming Rabbi of this Shule 20 years ago. I'm sure
everyone would agree that he certainly stood out with his very dedicated
involvement for the Shule in general and particularly when the Shule burnt
down until its rebuilding and onwards.
Obviously great credit is also due to all the honorary
members of our Board of Management, our regular Shule goers and indeed all
of our members. Many of them are quiet achievers in their own way, and
if not for some of them we may very well not have our Shule existing today.
We know that the 70 years of King David didn't mark the
end of the dynasty. His son King Solomon became king and the Jewish
people enjoyed their most successful era of peace and happiness under his
reign. His name means peace and it was through his great wisdom of
retaining peace amongst everyone that ensured this great era for our people.
I would like to say regarding our Shule that even
though it's been through a lifetime, and unfortunately many of our members
and their families have moved or passed away and our Shule has certainly
decreased greatly quantitatively over the years and even during the last 20
years - my time at the Shule - but I'd like to say that we have a new
generation who are now the core of the Shule and who are very dedicated to
the Shule and very caring to everyone who comes in contact with the Shule.
We are known to be a very heimisher Shule and our positive attitude is
certainly infectious to all who come in contact with us. It is in this
spirit that our new generation - which are great in this way qualitatively -
will certainly cause our Shule to survive and thrive for many more years to
come.
We actually see this concept in the Torah reading of
yesterday. It discusses how Aharon the High Priest was the one who was
commanded to light the Menorah in the Temple. The Menorah represented
the Jewish people and the seven branches represented how we (our Souls) are
divided into seven according to the above mentioned seven attributes.
As also explained in Kabballah, the lighting of the Menorah represented the
lighting up of our Souls which are compared to candles and the duty of
Aharon HaCohen was - through the lighting of the physical Menorah - to
effect Spiritually the lighting up of our Souls with a fiery love to G-d.
It was Aharon HaCohen - whose Soul came from the midda (attribute) of
kindness and from the highest level of kindness Above and who actually
practised loving and caring for everyone in the greatest of ways - who was
able and was given this Holy mission of lighting the Menorah which
spiritually lit all the Souls of the Jewish people.
As descendants of Aharon, the High Priest, the Souls of
Cohanim also come from the attribute Above of Kindness. That's why
it's found that many very kind Jewish people are Cohanim and conversely
Cohanim are usually very nice and kind.
Our Shule, as is well known to us all, are full of
Cohanim and pro rata our membership, is much higher than any other Shule in
Australia... Our leaders are also Cohanim. Besides the Rabbi...our
President Philip is a Cohen and our long time Chazzan, Bert Kahana is also a
Cohen.
We also have women - who are naturally kind... - who
are very involved in many aspects of the Shule. Firstly my wife who,
besides being a great support to myself, runs the Cheder, is a co-organiser
with Brigitte (Chana) Simeonides of the Woman's Circle and she also hosts so
often members and friends of the Shule including arranging the kiddushes
nearly every Shabbos at the Shule with my daughters' help. Also Helen
who is a great support to Philip, in every respect, of his being such a
great president of our Shule. Our Vice President Margaret Foster who
also arranges the Or Hadash, letters for Yahrzeits and other important
issues and of course Kerry Schwartz our Hon Secretary who besides being the
social events co-ordinator was also very instrumental in arranging this
event and I'm sure on behalf of all we thank her and all her helpers for
this wonderful event.
So all of this really explains why our Shule is known
to be a such a very friendly and kind Shule and why we can look forward to a
great future for our Shule to survive and thrive.
I would like to conclude, (I've been talking for quite
a while...and I was told to speak for 5-10 minutess, so in Jewish Chasidic
time that's about 20 minutes and in such a Rabbi's time that's about a half
hour...so I'm still just within that time...) that as this year of 5773 also
represents peace throughout the world, - as I've spoken and written in the
Or Hadash a number of times - so let's hope that in this very year and also
at this time just after Shavuot - which also represents peace - we should
merit the ultimate peace and happiness of our Messianic Redemption when Oseh
Sholoim bimroimov hoo yaase Sholoim olaynu veul kol Yisroel veimru Omayn