Profile Jun-July 2020

June | July 2020 • Sivan | Tamuz | Av 5780 Leo Baeck Centre FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM PROFILE justice justice you shall pursue THE LEO BAECK CENTRE FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM We know that, as restrictions are gradually lifted, some congregants are facing difficult and worrying times, and will have to make difficult decisions over the coming months. We need you to stay part of our LBC family – even if money is tight. Any contribution you can make is helpful. Fundamentally LBC is your link Others may be in a position to help with a donation, since we urgently to the wider Jewish community need all the financial assistance we can muster. We started the year and we hope you stay connected. with an ‘Austerity message’ in the February/March Profile, and that We are always willing to make was BC (Before Coronavirus)! We were looking at a challenging budget confidential arrangements to help even before the virus hit. We have now further reduced our costs you remain connected. and staff hours significantly. We have found ways to substantially reduce the cost of Profile, still our main means of communication Please contact with our members, whilst returning to colour for the time being. In a Jonathan Taft, month it will be the end of the financial year, and we know that some our long-standing people have family trusts or can access other money that needs to be and understanding Membership Chair. distributed before end of the year. Tax deductible contributions can be made to CJES to assist with our education costs, which have been Simply send a message to substantial as we have geared up to on-line education for the Sh’ma [email protected] give the best number for him to program. We would really appreciate your help if you can possibly give you a call. assist. The budget looks significantly worse now, but of course we don’t yet know how much, and for how long. Having got to 70, you can be sure that our brand-new Board is setting out at Every member and least for 120 – our message has never been more relevant – so please, help every dollar keep us sustainable! counts! WHY IS RABBI LEARNING ONLINE • CHALLAH RECIPE JONATHAN BLOWING THE • UPJ RABBIS SUPPORT CLIMATE SHOFAR ALREADY? ACTION • TANYA WARMS AND FAMILY See p.7 INSIDE: • HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON • & MORE Presidential Musings he last few months have The Care group also deserve our thanks. Their been difficult for everyone continued work, both online and by phone in with the threat of Covid-19 supporting the older members of our congregation, Thanging over our heads. We is essential to the well-being especially of the elderly, now look forward to the step by and the integrity of the LBC community. step easing of restrictions and a gradual return to normality. As The Online Seder was a great success, and the rules relax we will restore the shul ‘seder-in-a-box’ was delivered to families before the buildings as the focus for our services and event, so they could participate in a seder meal (and events once again. even featured on that evening’s SBS news!). Rabbi Jonathan shared his seder at home with congregants By the time you read this the AGM will have been and those who participated enjoyed it. Thanks also held. Thanks must go to the co-treasurers who have must go to the Rabbi’s family for sharing this with worked so hard to restore regular financial reporting others too. and helped to ensure that our finances are clear. I would also like to thank our retiring Honorary The work of the Rabbi and the rest of the Secretary Caroline Oblak, and thank Michael Polack team running the Sh’ma program cannot be for taking on this role. Mannie Gross, as Immediate underestimated. Engaging children from a distance Past President, has spent much time working for our is a challenge, but the teachers have had some help centre, and I am grateful that although he is now from some of the very capable post b’nei-mitzva relinquishing that role, he will still be working for us students with this. all on the Board. I especially would like to thank our While it would be great to get back to ‘normal’ it is retiring President, Jim Beck, who has been such a unlikely that we will be able to hold our High Holidays strong leader under such difficult circumstances, and services in the usual manner. Some relaxation of the I greatly appreciate the assistance he has offered me rules will enable some people to physically attend to help me take on the role. services, but in the main it will be safer for us to It has taken a great deal of hard work on the part of continue to use technology to reach our members. our Rabbi and many technically gifted members of There is not enough room to allow for appropriate the congregation to allow us to continue our services distancing for everyone to attend. The Ritual and activities online. We particularly acknowledge the Committee is working hard to come up with the best efforts of Elisabeth Holdsworth, Mannie Gross, Paul ways to proceed to keep our members safe. Rosham and Michael Taft. In closing I acknowledge the disruption to our Many people have joined in our online services, and congregation and the undoubted hurdles we have yet it is especially pleasing to see the participation of to cross. I am uplifted by the willingness of our Board, congregants who would otherwise find it difficult to staff and members to face such challenges and find attend services. We are hopeful that we can make new ways of expressing our shared Jewish values. online attendance an ongoing feature of our calendar. Gillian Lubansky, LBC President A sunny, peaceful autumn day for the gallahs at Springvale Cemetery! 2 Profile | June-July 2020 Rabbinic Reflection hen we Israel, not only because it was Progressive Jewish community, were Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel’s 72nd 70 years young in the Eastern putting birthday, but because there is so Suburbs, and indeed there Wtogether the much going on there, including have been ups and downs, the last edition of fighting the virus. Though we undulations on the route, through Profile in mid- are so far away, our connection those years. Jewish life is a March, we had is even stronger, especially with mixture of the pragmatic - survival just spaced reports from Judy and Andrew - and the spiritual search, of Tikun out the seats and made special Kaye who now live in Jerusalem. Olam and Torah. Yes, we have to provision for separate individual Please join ARZA – it need not cost pay the bills – but yes, we also foods (baked potatoes) for Purim. you anything, and it really helps have to prepare ourselves for the How amazingly quickly it all us to move the Progressive Jewish next great summit, Rosh Hashanah developed from that point – and agenda forward in Israel! and another new year of 5781, how many people worldwide have with the ten days of penitence tragically and unexpectedly lost The virus has given us and reflection, a day of prayer their lives or loved ones. We have pause – in various ways and soul-searching through Yom really been very lucky here so far – to reflect. One thing that Kippur. How will we do it this year, – and we need to be cautious to has become more important if we can’t yet gather as we did in ensure it continues that way. days of old (even days of 2019!)? to me is to say the traditional And then the mood changes to We managed to create Seder in a ‘Modeh Ani’ (I give thanks) every celebration and gratefulness for all box and served complete Pesach morning when I realise that I we still have, first, materially, with meals to over 50 people – even have woken up healthy! And Sukkot. This is an opportunity to including a box of Matzah and a the period that we have been try to build a Sukkah at home – it bonus toilet roll in each pack! And in from Pesach, the Omer, has will give us a family project – and then celebrated the Seder – on- remind us not to take things for become more meaningful – line. We have since got better granted, having realised that what and better at the Zoom and not only is it a harvest festival, we rely on each day can be blown Google Classroom technologies and we might appreciate more down in an instant! But from the as well as video editing. As well the complexities of harvest week of Sukkot, we move to the as services, which are even better and shipping food in when it spiritual with Simchat Torah, as we attended than those held in LBC, has often been missing from conclude the cycle of Torah and we have introduced ‘LBC Studio’ roll back to start once again from the shelves of late, but it also panel discussions, classes and of the beginning. There is always course meetings. We are even marks a terrible plague which Torah in Jewish life, despite all finding some advantages out of reportedly killed 24,000 of Rabbi challenges and adversity. And adversity – for example you can Akiva’s students almost two there is always something to actually see the Torah and follow millennia ago, until miraculously learn – and something to bring the Yad (pointer) as it is being lifting, which is why people get from our new experiences.

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