For visitors old and new
Shabbat morning is the most important weekly service It starts at 9.15 am and ends sometime between 11:45 am and 12 pm unless we have a Bar or Batmitzvah when the service may be extended until 12.15pm.
Our Synagogue follows the Orthodox tradition so our service is in Hebrew except for the prayer for the Royal Family, the sermon and other occasional prayers.
Although all congregants are encouraged to arrive at the beginning not all do so. So if you arrive during the service don’t feel bad as so will most of our ‘regulars’. If you are coming for a Bar/Batmitzvah we suggest arriving before 10.00 am so you don’t miss anything.
Dress
All males must have a head covering before entering the Synagoue(Shul). Either a hat or a skullcap (Kippah) is suitable – we have spares in a basket in the Synagogue lobby.
Women should wear a skirt or dress rather than trousers. Our non-Jewish male guests need not worry about wearing a prayer shawl (Tallit). If Jewish guests would like to borrow one please ask the Gubbay.
General Information
As in any Orthodox congregation, men and women sit separately. In our Synagogue, ladies sit upstairs or to the rear of the main Shul and men sit downstairs. If you are not sure where to go our security personnel will help guide you.
Upon entry into the prayer hall do not proceed beyond the doorway if the congregation is standing and please do not talk as there will be a special prayer being said by members of the congregation. When they sit down you can choose to sit anywhere, except however on High Holy Days when due to pressure of numbers seating is prebooked. If the seat is vacant when you arrive you are free to sit there but if it belongs to a seat holder you may politely be asked to vacate should the owner arrive.
We are not a very formal synagogue community however as a sign of respect we do ask that you do not talk when the Rabbi is speaking, when the congregation stands for any prayer and when the Bar/Batmitzvah child is speaking. There may be other occasions when the Gubbay will indicate that silence is required.
Please feel welcome and comfortable – but please respect our tradition.
For Bar/Batmitzvah guests.
Male family members usually take the front row of the short side of the synagogue to the left of the Bimah (the raised central area where all ceremonial will take place) facing the Ark ( Aron) and the rest of their (male) family and friends will usually sit behind them. Most of the ladies whether family or guests will usually sit upstairs on the short side of the synagogue so as to get a good view of the Bimah The young male friends of the Bar/Batmitzvah child will usually choose to occupy the seats downstairs to the right of the Bimah. The girls often choose the front rows of the long side of the ladies gallery upstairs.
Prayer Books
For prayer we use The Art Scroll Siddur. We have plenty of copies for everyone. They can be found in one of four places:
On a book holder at your seat.
Or in one of three bookcases
1. in the Tuch family library area of the Synagigue Lobby
2.as you enter the main shul to your right (for men)
3.on the bookshelf at the end of the row in front of you as you enter either of the doors to the Ladies Gallery.
On our shelves you will also find a larger blue book called the “Chumash”. The Chumash is the Five Books of Moses, which is divided into sections (Sedrot), one for each week of the Jewish Calender Year plus extracts from the Prophets appropriate to the weeks reading. If you are with us for a Barmitzvah the boy will usually read from parts of this book. It does have an English translation.
Order of the Service
The Sabbath service is divided into three distinct parts, plus the Sermon:
1. The Morning Service
This is an extended version of the everyday Morning Service. In essence it emphasises the Sabbath as the G-d given day of rest and holiness. The early part of this Section includes many excerpts from the Biblical Book of Psalms and other passages from the Bible.
2. “The Reading” of the Law – the central point of the Sabbath Service.
The pages in the Chumash (which contain the Five books of Moses from which the weekly reading is taken) will be announced. This usually starts about 10.00 am and finishes between 11 am to 11.15 am. One or more Scrolls of the Law (Sifrei Torah) are taken from the Ark to the Bimah and unrolled on the Reading Desk. Each scroll, which is hand-written on parchment, contains the first five books of the Bible i.e. Genesis to Deuteronomy.
The five books are read in their entirety in weekly portions spread over a period of a year with a new section read every Sabbath. Each week’s reading is divided into seven parts with part of the last one repeated – the Maftir. Male members of the congregation over Barmotzvah age – 13- are honoured by being ‘’called up’’ to the reading of each part chanted by the Reader. The chant is based on notes the tune (Trop) of which originated many centuries ago.
The first person to be “called up” is a descendant of the Temple priests a Cohen and the second is a Levite. The others can be descendants of any tribe. A boy at his Barmitzvah is called up for the first time to the Reading of the Torah . This is the point at which he is considered to be a fully responsible member of the Jewish community. He would normally reads his own allotted portion of the Torah Reading.
At the completion of the reading, the Scroll is lifted up so all can see it. It is then rolled up and dressed. A member of the congregation or sometimes a Barmitzvah boy will read chant a passage from a book of the Prophets. The page number in the Chumash will be announced. If you listen carefully you will hear that the notes of this chant are somewhat different from the Torah reading.
A few prayers are read in English including a special prayer for the Royal Family.and the Government of Australia.
3. The scroll(s) being returned to the Ark after which the Rabbi delivers his Sermon.
If there is a Bar/Batmitzvah the child will read a specially prepared speech often based on the Torah reading of the day –always delivered in English.
4. The Additional Service (Musaf)
The congregation stand for the silent meditation (Amidah) – Daily Prayer. The Reader then repeats the Amidah with responses by the congregation, (the main one being called the Kedusha. After this part we may sit.
Just prior to the end of the Service, the Synagogue President makes the communal announcements.
The Service ends with the singing of “Adon Olam” – Master of the Universe
5. Kiddush
At the end of the service it is customary to shake hands with one’s immediate neighbours and wish them a peaceful Sabbath (“Good Shabbos”or “Shabbat Shalom” are the usual forms of greeting). The congregation is then normally invited to the hall where wine, biscuits, cake etc, are offered. This is called “the Kiddush”.
Please do not eat or drink until the Rabbi has said the blessings (“grace”).
Finally
If you have any questions, we will be pleased to answer them, remember however there are times during the service when we are not permitted to speak, and therefore we trust you will understand if we cannot respond to you immediately.
If you are here alone or as small family group, perhaps as newcomers to our area or visiting from out if town, please make yourself known to those around you or to our Rabbi or to the Gubbay so we can welcome you to our community ( Kehillah)
We hope that you enjoy your visit to our Synagogue please feel free to come again anytime.
