Condolences to Annette Charak & family on the passing of Danielle Charak OAM

JBD is hiring! Please see details here

Times: Shabbat starts on Friday at 7.39pm and ends on Saturday at 8.36pm. The weekly Torah portion is Tetzaveh and Parshat Zachor. On Monday, the Ta’anit Esther fast begins at 5.50am, and ends at 8.26.pm. Tuesday is Purim and Wednesday is Shushan Purim.

 

Mincha continues at Ainsworth Property – 7/459 Collins St (North Tower), at 2.03pm and we will use the WhatsApp group to confirm numbers.

The weekly lunch & shiur continues on Wed at 1.15pm at A-P 7/459 Collins – and via zoom, followed by mincha at about 2.03pm. Current topic: rules of agency.  Details here and on the WhatsApp group.

Thought of the Week with thanks to Rafi Goodman.

Purim is celebrated next week, where we celebrate our people’s miraculous survival, yet again. Unfortunately, anti-semitism continues to rear its ugly head, even at seemingly innocuous “Writer’s festivals”.

Wicked Haman describes the Jews as a people “dispersed” and with “different laws than all other people”. Even Haman recognised the essential qualities of a Jew, which made all of us, with or without their consent, into “one people”.

In all generations there are Hamans and we have outlived them all, but what is the secret of our survival?

What makes our people special is not specific mental or physical characteristics, customs or “racial purity”. It’s our adherence to Torah and Mitzvos that defines who we are, and which makes us indestructible and even wicked Haman recognised that.

Purim teaches us an age-old lesson, nothing provides an escape from the Hamans and Hitlers (may their names be erased). Nor can any Jew sever their own ties by trying to escape.

Precisely, it is our laws that are different, that is also our salvation and what our existence depends upon.

With best wishes for a joyous and authentic Purim and may we live to see a world free of Hamans, the enemies of the Jews, of their bodies, soul and faith.