Having a blast at Caulfield Park
IN an effort to unite every section of the community, Caulfield Hebrew Congregation (CHC) is hosting its third Shofar in the Park on the second day of Rosh Hashanah at Caulfield Park.
IN an effort to unite every section of the community, Caulfield Hebrew Congregation (CHC) is hosting its third Shofar in the Park on the second day of Rosh Hashanah at Caulfield Park.
Attendees can expect generous servings of apple dipped in honey, the soothing sounds of Israeli choir Kolot Min HaShamayim and of course, to hear the shofar.
“It is part of our outreach into the wider community and a way of addressing and recognising that there are so many Jews out there who don’t actually attend shul services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” said CHC’s Rabbi Ralph Genende.
“It’s based on an idealistic belief that most people want to find meaning and thus connect to a Judaism that is meaningful to and appeals to them. So if they are not going to come to shul, we can take something important and significant to them.”
He emphasised that the event – which has attracted several hundred people since its inception – is geared towards younger segments of the community who may be disengaged from Judaism.
“It’s for a lot of younger people who are not naturally drawn to shul. We can take parts of the shul experience out to them and hopefully provide the elements that they can connect to,” Rabbi Genende said.
“We’re saying, ‘We offer fabulous services including our very savvy chazan and a young and cool choir from Israel, but you don’t necessarily need to be part of the service to feel as if you belong.’ People who feel that they are on the periphery or don’t engage with the shul experience, well you’re still part of the family, you still count and don’t need to be inside to count.”
In the spirit of this message, Rabbi Genende is hosting a new program on Yom Kippur for young adults in their 20s-30s.
Fast Talks will be an informal discussion that invites the younger generation to share their insights on Yom Kippur and their Jewish roots.
He elaborated, “Gen-Y are coming for traditional and cultural reasons, and a lot of the shul experience is still alien and hard to access … This is about making it more accessible,” said Rabbi Genende.
“Inviting all those in their 20s and 30s to a conversation about ‘why do I/should I still fast? What’s the point? What are we doing here? What does this day mean to me? And to my life and my aspirations? I’m not there to lecture, I want to hear from them.”
He added, “It’s about recognising we have to listen to the next generation in order to make shul a relevant and vital place.”
Shofar in the Park is on Tuesday, September 15 from 4.30-5.15pm near Caulfield Park Bandstand. Fast Talks is on Wednesday, September 23 from 12.30pm at Caulfield Hebrew Congregation.
ZOE KRON
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