SHAVUOS DINNER BOOKINGS CLOSING CLICK HERE

Question of the Week:
 
I am from a somewhat traditional Jewish family, and yet the festival of Shavuos is completely unknown to us. We always had Seder on Pesach and fasted on Yom Kippur, but we never did anything to celebrate the giving of the Torah. All my friends did the same. I would have thought that this would be an important event to commemorate. So why is Shavuos the forgotten festival?
 
Answer:
 
The reason why Shavuos is the least celebrated Jewish festival is a startling one. It is the least demanding. The easier the festival, the less it is observed.
 
The most difficult festival to observe is Yom Kippur, on which we abstain from food and drink altogether and pray all day. And yet, this rather grueling holyday is the most widely observed. The easiest festival to observe is Shavuos. All that is expected of us is to have a day of rest and eat lots of cheesecake. How hard can that be? And this pleasurable festival is the most neglected.
 
There's a surprising lesson there. We value things that require effort. If something comes too easy, it is taken lightly. But if it's demanding, it is more compelling. A tough diet will be taken seriously. A difficult work project will be given more attention. We invest ourselves where we feel what we are doing actually matters. When we are given serious responsibilities we step up to the role.
 
You would expect the opposite to be true. Indeed, there have been well meaning voices in Jewish history that have suggested that the best way to stem the tide of assimilation is by easing the laws of Judaism to make it more appealing. It makes sense. Lower the bar, lighten the burden, and people will be more willing to stay Jewish. But the result was the opposite. The Jewish movements that demanded less from their constituents have more often than not been a gateway out of Judaism rather than a way in. Quite simply, if Judaism asks nothing of me, then that's what Judaism will get.
 
We don't need to dilute Judaism to make it attractive. We just need to make it accessible. Jewish souls are thirsting for a Judaism that will ask something of them, demand their allegiance to a higher cause, stretch their minds to think deeper, challenge them to live with a sense of purpose and mission.
 
Perhaps this is one reason why the kabbalists introduced the custom of staying awake all night on Shavuos. Just eating cheesecake was too easy. Let's ask ourselves to give something up on Shavuos to show that it really matters to us. Fluffy Judaism is a tranquilliser.  A demanding Judaism keeps us wide awake. 

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss


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 SHABBAT SERVICES TIMES AND COMMUNITY INFO 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday, 26 May, 2017 | 1 Sivan 5777
Candle Lighting....................... 4:38pm  
Mincha................................... 4:50pm
Making Sense of the Siddur
(a class with Rabbi Moss).......... 5:30-6:00pm
Friday Evening Service.............. 6:00pm
Followed by Kiddush.
 
Shabbos, 27 May, 2017 | 2 Sivan 5777
In depth Parsha Class............... 9:00am
Children's program ................. 10:45am
Shabbos Morning Service ........ 10:00am- 12:20pm 
Kiddush sponsored by Rabbi Zalman & Rivka Leah (nee Cylich) Popack on the occassion of their wedding- Mazal Tov!
 
Mincha with Pirkei Ovos Ch 6
followed by Seudah Shlishis ..............   4:30pm
Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak....... 4:55pm
Shiur with Rabbi Moss......................... 5:15pm
Shabbos ends and Maariv.................... 5:36pm
Followed by Havdalah
 
WEEKDAY SHACHARIS SERVICES
Sunday................................. 8:00am
Mon, Tues & Fri...................... 7:00am
Latest Shema this week............ 9:17am


SHAVUOS TIMES 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 30 May
Candle Lighting .................. 4:37pm
Mincha................................4:45pm
Shavuos Evening Service...... 5:30pm
Catered Dairy Dinner-  BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL... 6pm
All Night Learning.......... 9:00pm-5:00am
 
Wednesday 31 May | 6 Sivan
Shavuos, Day 1
Morning Service.....................10:00 am
Reading 10 Commandments 
and Ice Cream Party .............. 10:30 am
Followed by Dairy kiddush!
Early Mincha after Kiddush
KIDS TEN COMMANDMENTS READING AND ICE CREAM PARTY WITH JEMS 4-5pm
Candle Lighting...................after 5:35 pm
Shavuos Evening Service............. 5:35 pm
 
Thursday 1 June | 7 Sivan
Shavuos, Day 2
Morning Service.....................10:00am
Yizkor-Memorial Service..........11:00am
Followed by Kiddush
Mincha...................................4:45 pm
Shavuos ends & Maariv.............5:35 pm

 
MAZEL TOV TO
Reverend and Mrs Amzalak on the engagement of their granddaughter Nechama Moskowitz (Ukraine) to Mendel Levitin (Israel)!
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
Sabrina Tsipris...... 2 Sivan/ Saturday 27 May
Lilah Hedges......... 5 Sivan/ Tuesday 30 May
Wayne Kaplan....... 6 Sivan/ Wednesday 31 May
 
LONG LIFE TO
Mrs Amzalak for her late father Moshe Tuvia ben Abraham Aaron 2 Sivan/ Sat 27 May
Eric Borecki for his late brother David Borecki, David Ben Osher 4 Sivan/ Mon 29 May
Gabor Palanszky for his late sister-in-law Georgina Palansky,
Georgina Bat David....... 5 Sivan/ Tuesday 30 May
Judi Berman for her late grandfather Hyman (Ray) Segal 
Chaim ben Leib... 6 Sivan/ Wednesday 31 May
Martine Springer for her late grandfather Hyman (Ray) Segal
Chaim ben Leib... 6 Sivan/ Wednesday 31 May
Richelle Goldshaft and Robert Goldshaft for their late father and grandfather Leon Israel Rosenthal, Leib Yisrael ben Shmuel 7 Sivan/ Thursday 1 June
Mark Gindin & Faina Strier for their late father Ilya Gindin
Eliyahu ben Mordechai... 7 Sivan/ Thursday 1 June
Rosalie Cohen, Gilda Cohen-Shapira and Lee-Anne Whitten for their late husband, brother and father Edward Cohen, Tuvia ben Moshe      8 Sivan/ Friday 2 June
Nicholas Levy for his late grandmother Ruby Levy
Rifka bas Daniel... 8 Sivan/ Friday 2 June


KIDDUSH SPONSORSHIP
If you have a birthday, yorzheit, special occasion or just  because, we'd love you to sponsor a kiddush. Just tell us the date and kiddush type you'd like and we look after the rest.

CURRENT DATES AVAILABLE
 
First Day Shavuos 31 May CHEESECAKES, BLINTZES AND SALAD BAR

HELP US FUEL THE SHAVUOS FUN
-          Sponsor an hour of learning (+coffee, red bull and cake) in honour of someone or something  $45
-          Sponsor the whole night of learning (+hot drink and snack bar) in honour of someone or something  $360
-          Kids ice cream truck cosponsor $50 (SOLD)
-          Cheesecake sponsor  $54
-          Cosponsor dairy kiddush $180 (3 more neeeded)  

Friday night 2 June
Shabbos Day 3 June

Friday night 9 June

FRIDAY NIGHT KIDDUSH OPTIONS
Herring & L'Chaim-$60 + B.Y.O Whisky
HOT Soup kiddush- $75 | Basic Kiddush - $100  
Deluxe Kiddush - $180

SHABBOS DAY KIDDUSH OPTIONS
Herring & L'Chaim- $90 + B.Y.O Whisky  
Standard Kiddush - $300
   
Simply email office@nefesh.com.au 
 
For special or larger kiddushim, we recommend you engage an external kosher caterer to provide all the food, drinks and disposables. Just email the office for assistance with this option.