On Sunday, 15 September, we commemorated 80 years since the deportation of the Jews from the Dodecanese with Remembering Rhodes (photos by Benjamin Ryan here). Vic Alhadeff's heart-wrenching play, 'Torn Apart by War', which was brought vividly to life by the incredible Joanna Weinberg, Geoff Sirmai, Tony Sloman, and Liz Hovey, and the achingly beautiful live musical performances by Chutney Unplugged (Ben Adler and Paul Khodor), Sarit Michael and Rabbi George Mordecai left not a single dry eye in the packed house. It was an incredible opportunity to welcome on campus the Consul-General of Greece in Sydney, Yannis Mallikourtis (read a transcript of his speech by SBS Radio Greek here), along with esteemed leaders and members of the Greek community and media (read coverage from The Greek Herald here)—many of them first-time visitors to Emanuel Synagogue—along with our wonderful congregation. A heartfelt thank you to our collaborators, the Consulate General of Greece, Sydney and the Jewish Museum of Rhodes for what will go down as one of the most beautiful evenings of 2024. If you were with us and want to relive the magic, or you want to experience it for the first time, keep an eye on emanuelplus, where we will be releasing the recording.
This Wednesday 25 September, we are looking forward to welcoming Dame Judy Dench, Margaret Atwood, Sir Ben Kingsley, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II—well, exquisitely realised portraits of them by the uber-talented Ralph Heimans AM. One of the world's most celebrated and in-demand portrait artists, Ralph, will be joined by David Gonski AC for an in-depth conversation about his illustrious career, from his process to the personalities who've crossed his path, and his iconic works, several of which will be on display. Final ticket allocation just released—hurry here to secure yours.
Anticipation couldn't be higher for the High Holy Days this year (details below and here). We are looking forward to coming together in prayer, reflection and connection. Find our HHD program here and ensure your membership is current so you can secure your tickets for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. If you're not a member and still want to experience HHD at Emanuel Synagogue, you can't go past our Renewal Kol Nidrei service on Friday 11 October, 7.00 pm, which is open to all (book here), or tune in to the live streams on emanuelplus (free subscription included with your membership).
As we find ourselves in the season of tzedakah (righteous giving), we invite you to contribute to our Kol Nidrei Appeal with a tax-deductible gift to the Emanuel Synagogue Foundation. Your generous donation will empower our clergy to continue their important work, now and into the future. Every contribution counts—thank you for your continued support.
In this lead up to the most sacred time of year, this Shabbat we pray for the return of the remaining hostages quickly and safely. We remind you that you’re not alone through this devasting time. Join our services, participate in our programs and reach out to our rabbis—email pastoralcare@emanuel.org.au to be connected.
Shabbat shalom.
