BINA’s new North Bondi home
TWELVE years after only two people attended BINA’s first shiur, sessions are overflowing and the Jewish educational organisation has had no choice but to purchase its first property.
TWELVE years after only two people attended BINA’s first shiur, sessions are overflowing and the Jewish educational organisation has had no choice but to purchase its first property.
“It has taken a while but this is extremely exciting,” Rabbi Michoel Gourarie, who co-founded BINA with Meir Moss, said.
He said he never lost faith, despite the small numbers in the first year, because he knew that BINA had an essential role in the community.
“I really passionately believe that people want to grow and it is pivotal to the Jewish community that they are able to because adults need to be connected as much as the youth.”
BINA’s new home, at 337 Old South Head Road, North Bondi, is only metres away from Bondi Mizrachi Synagogue and includes rooms for shiurim, lectures, a resource centre, a Jewish family library and an audio library.
“We have tried to be fiscally as responsible as possible so it has taken some time to find this place in North Bondi but then it came along and we were very lucky because it is a great location.
“It took us a while to get the money together and, although obviously there were some bigger donors, it was a very wide campaign and it was rewarding to see a lot of people become involved because they strongly feel the BINA has an important role to play.”
BINA runs 40 programs a week and includes people from across the Jewish community. Rabbi said up to 40 per cent of BINA’s membership was not affiliated and did not attend shul regularly.
“Jewishness has to come from the home but that requires the parents to really understand Judaism and that is what we are trying to teach.
“Even if someone doesn’t attend shul they can instil a sense of Judaism into their children but that required the parents to understand it.”
JOSHUA LEVI
Rabbi Michoel Gourarie
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