An edited version of a talk to the ISRA Studies of
Religion Conference in Sydney 10 March 2023
In response to the Studies of Religion Syllabus focus on the
changing pattern of religious observance in Australia post-1945, I will discuss
one change - the prevalence of Hasidic Rabbis in orthodox synagogues in Sydney.
I will also address the importance of Interfaith dialogue.
I begin with a bit of scripture,
Moses came down from Mount
Sinai with the two tablets, he was not aware that the skin of his face was
radiant… the Israelites were afraid to approach him (Exodus
34:29-30).
The phenomenon is explained by the Midrash[i]. Moses worked closely with God to create the second set of tablets after he broke the first set in response to the worship of the golden calf. Moses held one side of the tablets in his hand – symbolic of the parts of the Torah humans could understand, while the Divine Presence held the other edge – symbolic of the parts of the Torah that only God understands[ii], and in between the two parts was something of profound mystery. It was from this mystery that rays of light appeared on Moses’ face.
I, a Rabbi from Brooklyn, New York, read this passage while preparing my lesson for a Hasidic-led Synagogue based on the North Shore of Sydney. The congregation I will deliver this lesson to are not Hasidic Jews, but choose to attend the lessons of a Hasidic Rabbi.
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| Senior Dayan (Judge) of the Sydney Beth Din (Religious court), Rabbi Yehoram Ulman |
The trend away from religious observance has been a global one. It prompted a response from the Chabad Hasidic movement to send Rabbis from New York to all corners of the world to call Jews back to religious belief, study, and practice.
This development is one change in one stream of one faith community in Australia, and it is important not to overstate its significance, even within the Jewish faith. Hasidic Rabbis will often teach from mainstream orthodox perspectives. Adherence to religious requirements is still mixed, despite the best efforts of the Hasidic Rabbis. 29% of survey respondents reported that only kosher meat was bought for their homes and 14% attend synagogue once or more per week.
Despite the Hasidic background of many Rabbis in Sydney, this has not inhibited interfaith work. Labels can often be misleading. An example of this is my good friend, Imam Farhan Khalil, who comes from a Salafi school of Islam and is one of the most passionate advocates of interfaith I know.
The interfaith work done by the Together For Humanity Foundation began
in a Chabad Hasidic Synagogue in 2002. It was a collaboration between a Hasidic
Rabbi, Christians and Muslims spreading a message of goodwill between people of
different faiths. One of the early events was covering NSW Parliament with
messages from students in response to the visits by the Christian, Jewish and
Muslim teams to schools.
During the Sydney siege, Father Patrick McInerny and I said
prayers on the steps of Lakemba Mosque alongside Sheikh Wesam Charkawi. This
was part of an effort to show interfaith solidarity. It was widely reported in
the media, and was part of the spirit of goodwill at the time that prevented
that terrible event eroding social cohesion in our city.
There is a lot of effort being put into interfaith. Studies of
Religion is strong in NSW, with an active Facebook page with over 1600 members.
School children from different cultures come together in
interfaith encounters. These are run by Catholic Mission, the NSW Jewish Board
of Deputies and Together For Humanity, to name a few.
An Independent evaluation of Together For Humanity’s work by Western
Sydney University found that there was a significant impact from these activities. The research found that programs are effective in assisting students to challenge
stereotypes and alleviate their fears. These programs also empower students to
deal with prejudice and discrimination and promote the acquisition of empathy, mutual
acceptance and belonging. [iv]
Some would argue that if the criteria for evaluating the importance
of interfaith dialogue is measured by the number of participants, then it is irrelevant
to most Australians and therefore unimportant.
On the other hand, I would argue that the criteria should be based
on the need for it, in which case, it is very important.
To return to the scriptural idea I began with. Some people are
drawn to a ‘golden calf’ type of religion. Concrete, solid and uncomplicated.
Interfaith work, however, can be linked to the mystery of ’the middle
section of the tablets‘. Its mystery involves the complexity of holding in
tension; truth claims on one hand, and leaving space and having respect for
those who believe and practice differently.
[i] Midrash Rabba, Exodus, 47:11
[ii] Etz Yosef on Midrash Rabba, Exodus,
47:11
[iii] https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1531791/gen17-initial-findings-report-online-version-final-22_3.pdf
[iv]
Gale, F., Edenborough, M.,
Boccanfuso, E., Hawkins, M., & Sell, C. (2019), Western Sydney University,
Australia. Promoting intercultural
understanding, connectedness and belonging: An independent qualitative evaluation of Together For Humanity programs.
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