Faith in the law
VICTORIA’S first interfaith service celebrating the legal profession took place at Government House last Monday.
The event saw rabbis joining representatives from the Victorian Council of Churches, the Islamic Council of Victoria, the Buddhist Council of Victoria, the Hindu Community Council of Victoria and senior judges, barristers and other law professionals from many backgrounds.
Rabbi Gersh Lazarow and cantor Michel Laloum of Temple Beth Israel, and Rabbi Ralph Genende of Caulfield Hebrew Congregation represented the Jewish rabbinical community.
In attendance were Chief Justice Marilyn Warren, Attorney-General Martin Pakula and Shadow Attorney-General John Pesutto.
A prayer for the legal profession – composed by the late Maurice Ashkenasy QC, a prominent Victorian jurist – was read by Peter O’Callaghan, a senior barrister. Rabbi Genende set the scene with a prayer for Australia, which he composed; Rabbi Lazarow recited the Ten Commandments and Laloum chanted Sim Shalom, a prayer for peace, in Hebrew, Arabic and Latin.
Barrister Alan Goldberg QC, who helped organise the event, told The AJN, “It was quite exceptional. We had an Orthodox and Reform rabbi sitting on the same platform participating in the service. We had the chief justice and the governor. It was an overwhelming occasion having the various religions there.”
AJN STAFF
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