Year 7 Synagogue Day

Maia Sharabi – Year 7

Netali Jadouin – Year 7

Year 7 Synagogue Day

Last Tuesday Year 7 went on a synagogue excursion. We travelled to The Great Synagogue, Coogee Synagogue, The Sephardi Synagogue and Emanuel Synagogue.

The Great Synagogue

The first synagogue we went to was The Great Synagogue. Rabbi Elton explained to us the different features of this elegant orthodox Shul. One element of this synagogue that appealed to us was the blue fabric at the top with white stars. The blue colour of the fabric contrasted the yellow and brown that the rest of the Synagogue contained. Rabbi Elton didn’t know why this intriguing part of the Synagogue was included when it was built, but we certainly had some theories!

Coogee Synagogue

The second synagogue that we went to was Coogee Synagogue. Rabbi Gestetner taught us about the history of the Synagogue as we observed its unique qualities. One beautiful element is that the wall at the front of the Shul that housed the Aron Kodesh is made of sandstone imported from Jerusalem. Another quality we found unique was stained glass with inscribed drawings on the sides of the walls. One of the first stained glass pictures represented the Holocaust. Throughout the drawings, it described the struggles that our people endured as well as our triumphs. One of the last pictures was of the beach and seagulls. This picture represents the present and that the Synagogue was built next to the ocean (hence why they call it the “Synagogue by the Sea”). These pictures represented the Jewish people’s journey from the past to the present.

Sephardi Synagogue

The third synagogue we went to was the Sephardi Synagogue. Rabbi Chriqui talked about Sephardic customs and how it differs from Ashkenazi Judaism. Sephardi Jews have different traditions because of where they come from – Spain. Netali Jadouin and her family are members of this synagogue and have donated two Torahs. I, Netali, connect to this synagogue because I can see the community, and it’s a place where I feel at peace. The Synagogue has a classic design and has a grand structure. Much like the other synagogues, this shul is orthodox. One of the features of being an orthodox synagogue is that men and women were separated. We found it was sentimental that they had people’s names engraved on a wooden wall as you entered the Synagogue and a candle next to their name for their remembrance.

Emanuel Synagogue

The last synagogue we visited was Emanuel Synagogue. It was different because it was Masorti, Renewal and Progressive. Each Rabbi taught us about a different one. Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio taught us about Progressive Judaism. We found it interesting that they play music and use musical instruments during the services, as this isn’t something you would usually see in the other synagogues we visited. Rabbi Ninio is also the first female and Australian-born Rabbi at Emanuel. Rabbi George Mordecai taught us how the Renewal service at Emanuel focuses on kavanah and the three pillars, Halacha, Paradigm Shift and Deep Humanism. Rabbi Zwarenstein explained that Masorti Judaism uses the traditional siddur, and the prayers are conducted in Hebrew.

Overall, this experience was delightful, and all Jewish people need to explore the different types of culture within our religion.