USCJ Review - Spring 2007
Bringing Masorti Judaism Down Under
Professor John Rosenberg, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Deakin University in Melbourne, has reason to be “grinning like a shot fox.” (Translated from Australian slang, that means he’s very happy, even a bit smug.) Dr. Rosenberg has played a vital role in bringing Masorti (Conservative) Judaism down under.
It was in the small Jewish community of 50 families in Newcastle, north of Sydney, where Dr. Rosenberg grappled with his Jewish identity. He had grown up in a large Progressive (Reform) congregation in Melbourne; he and his wife, Beverley, continued to be active members there after they married. In 1986, the Rosenbergs moved to Newcastle. John, who considered himself a fairly well-educated Jew, visited the town’s only synagogue, the Orthodox Newcastle Hebrew Congregregation. There, he discovered a range of traditions to which he had never been exposed. He became disillusioned with the Progressive movement’s philosophy of “informed choice.” “We have a rich range of traditions that you can choose, but if you don’t know what they are, how can you make an intelligent choice?” he asks. But as an advocate of egalitarianism, he was not comfortable in the Orthodox shul, with its mechitza and nonegalitarian service.
In 1992, the Rosenbergs moved to Sydney. They began attending Temple Emanuel, a Progressive congregation, but were uncomfortable with the organ, the choir, and amount of English in the service. In consultation with Emanuel’s Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins, they begin a traditional egalitarian Monday morning minyan, which was so successful that eventually it grew into a regular Shabbat and holiday morning alternative service. Rabbi Kamins is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly, and the synagogue now is proud to now be affiliated with both Masorti Olami and the World Union of Progressive Judaism.
Dr. Rosenberg’s next academic position brought him back to Melbourne, to a Jewish community that is approximately 70 percent Orthodox and 30 percent Progressive. The Rosenbergs tried a few synagogues but couldn’t find one that met their needs. In a story about Sydney’s traditional egalitarian minyan in the Australian Jewish News, Dr. Rosenberg talked about his desire to start a similar group in Melbourne. He invited like-minded people to meet at his home to discuss the idea. Forty-one people showed up, ranging in age from 15 to 70. The seeds of Masorti Judaism were planted in Melbourne.
On March 13, 1999, the Masorti minyan was launched. It called itself Kehilat Nitzan – nitzan is Hebrew for bud. From the beginning, members envisioned Kehilat Nitzan to be a caring community, not just a place to pray. They faced many challenges the first year, including finding a level where members from a variety of backgrounds could feel comfortable. The group also struggled financially to pay rent. Only two people could daven the entire service. They had many questions that required guidance from a rabbi. Facing their first High Holidays in September 1999, they requested help from the movement. Rabbi Ehud Bandel of Jerusalem, then president of the Masorti movement in Israel, responded to their invitation and came to lead them.
Dr. Rosenberg was Kehilat Nitzan’s first president. “There were times when in order to move forward, I had to be dictatorial and push a decision through, otherwise we wouldn’t have made progress. It was often a difficult road,” he recalls.
The fledgling kehillah began to tap in to the reservoir of recently retired Masorti/Conservative rabbis who were enthusiastic about visiting Australia and spending time in Melbourne to teach and guide the new kehillah. Each rabbi added his own unique touch to the community and helped the kehillah develop.
For six years Kehilat Nitzan continued to operate on a lay-leadership model, with members of the kehillah taking on the tasks of leading services and presenting sermons. January 2006 began a new era in the life of the congregation with the appointment of Rabbi Bandel as its first full time rabbi. As immediate past president Jim Landau says, “Rabbi Ehud fits us like an old slipper and we are honored that he has chosen to be our spiritual leader.”
Rabbi Bandel was eager to take on the challenge of developing the kehillah and the Masorti movement in Australia. “The outstanding hospitality, the warmth and friendliness of Kehilat Nitzan members, the mentality, the atmosphere, the style and the frankness made us feel almost like we were in Jerusalem,” he said. “Here in Melbourne, there is great potential for a thriving Masorti movement.” Since his arrival, there has been a steady rise in membership. The kehillah now numbers approximately 160 families, with nearly 500 people attending on the High Holidays.
Kehilat Nitzan strives to combine the three pillars upon which the world stands: Torah, study; avodah, ritual, and gemilut chasadim, acts of lovingkindness. Members are encouraged to become involved in all facets of the community by celebrating events throughout the cycle of the Jewish calendar, in the b’nai mitzvah program, through adult education shiurim or study sessions, and in the vibrant book club. The tikkun olam committee promotes the concept of gemilut chasidim in its broadest sense, by supporting members of the kehillah, working for social justice within both the Jewish and wider Australian community, and encouraging interfaith dialogue. “Nitzanim”, an enthusiastic troupe of singers and musicians, regularly entertains at local Jewish and non-Jewish elderly citizens’ homes. Members enjoy participating in the annual World Wide Wrap sponsored by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, and because of the time zone differential, they are the first congregation in the world to wrap tefillin on that day.
For the last five years the congregation has been blessed with the cream of Israeli Masorti young men and women who have served as shlichim, or emissaries, to Bialik College, one of the fine Jewish day schools in Melbourne, and to Kehilat Nitzan. These knowledgeable, mature and affable young role models organize youth services and teach the b’nai mitzvot youngsters, filling in gaps in their Jewish knowledge with remarkable ability, joy and dedication. They have become a cherished part of the community.
Gabbi Field was introduced to Masorti Judaism when a member invited her to visit and lead services at Kehilat Nitzan. She recalls, “I was too feminist for the Orthodox and too interested in halakhah for the Reform. Masorti was a balance. I appreciated the intellectual honesty but also the commitment to conserve the essence of Judaism and our history, to be a traditional Jew but not close my eyes to modernity.” She spent 2001-02 studying at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and continued her studies at the University of Judaism and is now a fourth year rabbinical student spending this year at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem. She is set to become the first native Australian female Masorti rabbi.
Kehilat Nitzan’s goal is to continue to grow while maintaining the warm, friendly and heimishe atmosphere that characterizes it now. President Judy Feiglin says, “We extend an invitation to all who find themselves in Melbourne to cross our threshold and find a warm welcome to the Kehilat Nitzan family. We are very proud of what we have achieved in seven years.”
And the future of Masorti Judaism down under? No worries! With the next generation becoming more involved, they can look ahead to a dynamic future. For more information about Kehilat Nitzan, Melbourne, email Judy Feiglin at judyfeiglin@optusnet.com.au or go to www.kehilatnitzan.org.
For information about Temple Emanuel in Sydney please email Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins at jbkamins@emanuel.org.au or go to www.kehilatnitzan.org.
Sonia Hall is a member of Kehilat Nitzan. Judy Dvorak Gray is the coordinator of the Jerusalem office of Masorti Olami - World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues.
