From the Rabbi’s Desk

Thank you to everyone who sent messages to me over this past week – it has been a while since I was laid quite so flat!

This week we open up the book of Vayeira with the teachings of hachnasat orchim – welcoming hospitality. We read of Avraham and Sarah welcoming three strangers with food, and drink. And we read that these three strangers were paying a visit of comfort to Avraham, Bikur cholim, as he was sitting in discomfort from his circumcision.

Two mitzvot, primary to who we are: One asking us to reach with our hands and welcome in and one asking us to extend ourselves beyond our own hands, and hold a hand in comfort. What a beautiful reminder to us all.

Kol ha kavod to all,
Rabbi Lynn

Lech Lecha is that section of Torah where we are all invited to stop for a breath, pause, and look within ourselves: where are we headed this year? Where is that place, that makom, where God wants me to be this year? What am I meant to be learning, and what am I meant to be giving?

This year we began our morning Monday minyan in the week of Lech Lecha. May our minyanim be many, may we provide consolation and comfort to those in need, and may our presence build connection amongst Jews in Victoria.  

Kol ha kavod to all,
Rabbi Lynn

This coming Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh Heshvan – the month of Heshvan is sometimes called Mar Heshvan, sad or bitter Heshvan, as there are no holidays that month. Whew!!

When Rosh Chodesh, the new month, coincides with Shabbat there are a few special prayers recited to honour that conjunction. There are also special additions to the Amidah now that we are past Shmini Atzeret, the 8^th day of Sukkot. It is taught that the Great Flood (think Noach) both began and ended during the month of Heshvan. Certainly, as we have already seen, the rains are falling and winds blowing – “Mashiv HaRuach U’Morid HaGeshem” we now pray during the Amidah.

We are very pleased to be starting a weekday morning minyan, 9 am every Monday morning, to allow mourners another opportunity to say Kaddish, and to offer another weekday opportunity for prayer and Torah. Monday and Thursday are traditional mornings when Torah is read. Please think about joining us and helping with the mitzvah of building a minyan. All these changes are also part of our growth as a kehillah.

We had a truly wonderful series of holiday celebrations – with many highlights. I am happy to welcome our new members to Kolot Mayim and continue to welcome our many members who have been dedicated to providing a voice for Reform in Victoria.

Kol ha kavod to all,
Rabbi Lynn

Please come on Friday evening this week – as we celebrate Simchat Torah and celebrate two individuals who have contributed greatly to Kolot Mayim over their years with us: Morris Bleviss and Neomi Summers.

Simchat Torah is an occasion when we honour a kallah (a bride) and a chatan (a groom) with a special Aliyah. We will also be calling all members to have special aliyot on this occasion. Standing under a chuppah (a beautiful red and gold tallit woven in Sefat) we bring honour and gratitude to all who wish to honour the gift of Torah. I will read for our kallah, from the end of Devarim (Deuteronomy) to honour Neomi Summers. Lorne Mitchell will be reading from the beginning, from Bereshit to honour our chatan, Morris Bleviss.

We will also be circling our bimah as we make hoshanot (circles) holding the Sifre Torahs and lulav and etrog. Come and join us – there will be cake!

Much love, moadim l’simcha,
Rabbi Lynn

What a wonderful Yom Kippur we had – beautiful singing, Pamela and Yariv playing extraordinary music to open Kol Nidre, Anabel chanting the Kol Nidre for over 90 people in the room, and more on Zoom. So much gratitude for all who came and participated.

I have put a special request in for some sunny days as of Sunday so that we can put up our Sukkah! I may get my wish. Hopefully, we will have a full sukkah on October 20^th, when you are invited to come to our house/sukkah, make a b’racha on the sukkah, shake the lulav, hold the etrog, and enjoy a shmooze. There are a number of special days in our calendar including Hoshanah Rabba and Shmini Atzeret. We will be celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah at Kolot Mayim. Hoshanah Rabba is a particular favourite – come and join me at Hyacinth Park at 9 am, and we will circle and sing under the willow trees.

The following Friday is Simchat Torah. We need to sing and dance and celebrate our joy. One of my favourite holidays – I have so many wonderful memories of dancing with our Torah. Please come and join us. What a time of year this is – joy, gratitude, connection, inspiration. And always, hope. Doing hope. Every day.

Much love,
Rabbi Lynn

When I first spoke last October 10^th, I opened with ein milim – no words, there are no words. Of course, words followed, many words, then thousands more have followed since that evening.

This evening, I want to highlight just two words: Courage and Hope.

What does the concept of courage mean to us? I think of our ancestors who bravely set out on unknown journeys towards new beginnings. Goldie’s mother Hinda leaving her Russian home and travelling on a boat to Canada, alone at 13.  I think of Lindy’s father Lionel shooting down enemy planes during the ‘48 war. I think of the anusim, the conversos who trudged their way from Spain north, south, east in 1492. So much courage. Lech Lecha. In every generation.

Courage is one of our words. How do we speak up? What do we say? When do we act?  What can I do? Courage. The willingness to stand ground, speak up, not hide our faces, not hide our names. You don’t have to like me or agree with me – but you know who I am, unlike those imposters who rage against Jews, covering their face and hiding their name.

One of our challenges over this year has been watching the far too rapid isolation of Israel. We are in danger of Israel becoming a new Pale of Settlement. We must have the courage to not allow Israel to be made a new Pale, a new version of intellectual, creative, artistic, scientific isolation, confinement. We cannot allow academe to limit access for Israelis to publish in academic journals, or to meet with colleagues, we cannot allow artists and theatres, and feckless journalists force Israelis into this Pale.  Isolation is emerging far too pervasively, and Israel needs our collective courage. We must speak up, stand up.

And every day we are seeing more and more courage. Family members have woken up to the presence of hatred in their communities; they have found their courage. Everyone here is showing up tonight with courage.

And, as Sarah Mali taught us, we must do the work of hope. In every way we can, every day, we must do hope. Every day the creative chutzpah of our Israeli cousins are doing hope – be it developing pagers for Hezbollah customers or developing David’s Sling, holding weddings on the border of Lebanon or picking tomatoes in the south. Every day we too must do hope. With our words. With our actions. Courage. And Hope. Courage needs hope, and hope demands Courage.

G’mar Chatimah tova.

This is such an intense time of year, and this year we are also marking the first anniversary of October 7^th. I will see many of you at the Gorge Pavilion, where the commemoration is taking place on Monday evening. It is a heart-breaking time as we know 101 hostages are still deeply hidden in Gaza, in dank and dark, airless tunnels. It is also a time to honour the courage of so many Israelis. The hostages who are holding hope of freedom; the IDF soldiers who are seeking that freedom for the hostages; the soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon who are finding tunnels full of weapons; the brilliant minds who collaborated on building the weapons systems that are keeping Israel as safe as can be – the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and the Arrow systems.

It can be challenging to hold hope when so many seem to have turned against us, but we need to acknowledge and remember all those who stand with us – and there are many.

I look forward to seeing you for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur. Come, meet our new and old members. Let’s stand together, in hope.

Shana tova, g’mar chatima tova, may you each be inscribed in the Book of Life,

Much love,
Rabbi Lynn

Shavua tov, dear friends,

5785 is virtually here. We pray that the year will be a year of greater peace and security throughout the mid-East and particularly for Israel. We pray for the health of our congregants and family members who are suffering in body and soul. And we pray for our capacity – each of us – to bring greater light and love into our worlds.

Our kehillah, Kolot Mayim, is a voice of connection for many. Last Shabbat as we sat together for a Shabbat meal we could all feel a lively energy in the room. New members meeting Hillel students meeting friends of members. May we continue to be a place of learning, of bringing voices in song together.

Shana tova, g’mar chatima tova, may you each be inscribed in the Book of Life,

Much love,
Rabbi Lynn

I am back home after being out of town all weekend. I had a truly inspiring weekend with the Beth Tikvah community, and their Chevra Kadisha members, and I was able to teach, answer questions, and demonstrate techniques with them.   We are all blessed to be in this Jewish world where denominations can work together for the greater good of us all.

A very special thank you to Marilyn Wolovick, Lis Louwrier, Neomi Summers and Morris Bleviss who covered from the bimah in my absence. Kol hakavod.

Yomtov is around the corner. Please come and join us over the course of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. For many people Kol Nidre is the highlight of the year. The haunting melodies, the words, all clothes in tallitot at night, everything is new and everything is different at once.

But the whole cycle of these coming days from Selichot through Sukkot and Simchat Torah are highlights. Watch our calendar for days, times, and locations of all events.

Shana tova, g’mar chatima tova, may you be inscribed in the Book of Life,

Much love,
Rabbi Lynn

I will be across the pond in Richmond leading a workshop on Chevra Kadisha practices with the Conservative shul, Beth Tikvah, at the invitation of Rabbi Susie Tendler.

It is always my honour to be called upon to teach about this most precious of mitzvot. And it does mean I will not be at services. We have a most capable team at the helm, which is just as it should be. Thank you in advance to Marilyn, Lis, Neomi, Morris and April.

Ki Tavo encourages us to be glad, joyous, with all the goodness God has given us. These are such beautiful words to live by, even as we may encounter all manner of tribulations though our lifetimes.