By COLlive reporter
The Great Synagogue in Sydney is the largest of its kind and one of the biggest shuls in Australia. It’s senior Rabbi, Jeremy Lawrence, is returning to London after many years, to serve as the Rabbi of the Kinloss Gardens Synagogue in Finchley, North West London.
With the coveted Sydney pulpit now vacant, any number of Rabbis will be applying for the job, some Chabad rabbis included.
In an article in last week’s Australian Jewish News, local Rabbi and principle of the Mt. Scopus School, James Kennard, wrote an article in which he argued against the synagogue considering taking a Chabad rabbi.
Though his article was written respectfully, and with high praise for the work of Chabad, he argued that the customs are different, the halachic approach is different and that the Synagogue would do better with a modern-Orthodox Rabbi.
“Those who seek an alternative Orthodox path, the dearth of non-Chabad Rabbis means that they may not find such a route or even know that one exists,” Rabbi Kennard wrote.
Kennard also decries the lack of younger born and bred Australian Rabbonim wanting to take up positions back home, insisting it is in no small measure because of the way the laity tend to treat their Rabbis.
This week, Rabbi YItzchok Schochet wrote a response at the behest of the shluchim in Sydney insisting that Chabad is the best thing that could happen to any of the modern-Orthodox Synagogues in Australia, as in the UK.
Schochet, himself a Chabad Rabbi in a prestigious modern-Orthodox Synagogue in London, argues that for many, the Rabbinate is a career and therefore with an eye always on moving on. “For Chabad, it is a passion and a way of life,” he said.
Rabbi Kennard does an amazing kiruv job and has influenced so many to come to Yidishkit . So regardless of the unreasonable over reaction to his article that has an element of truth in it for the Australian community at present.
Rabbi Kennard has arguably done more than anyone else I know for Melbourne Jewry! the Rebbe Z’L would be proud of him! Rabbi Kennards has given the most inspirational droshas at Chabbad shuls in Melbourne.
Actually, as an Australian, I can tell you that Melbourne, Sydney and even Perth are populated by a range of rabbis from across the globe- not just chabadniks at all. A large Lakewood community, YU rabbis, South African Hamivtar graduates and more- there is great diversity in our rabbinate. However, there is also a great dominance in the number of shuls that have chabad rabbis, in distinction to the number of chabadnikim in Australia.
As a Lubavitcher & a Mancunian, I can attest that Rabbi Kennard, during his many years as head of the 2 largest jewish primary schools in the city he litterally turned these schools around both religiously and educationally,since he left, jewish education in these 2 institutions just has not been the same. As one who knew him well gives me a different reflection & understanding in his article. He actually criticizes the MO community more than Chabad, in as such that the MO community are not producing Rabbonim of any type or quality, as evidenced by him writing that the… Read more »
Why not say ‘I would like to see more Modern Orthodox’ rather than saying ‘not more Chabad’?
Awesome article! Mill hill is a lucky shul & they know (hence the kidush this week).
GOOOOOOOOOOOO DAD!!!!!!!
Rabbi shochat your article is GEVALDIG!
תבא עליך ברכה – יאריך ימים על ממלכתו!
The Great Synagogue is in the middle of the City of Sydney. There may be a few Shomer Shabbos who walk a long distance to attend on Shabbos and Yom Tov, the vast majority are Mechalel Shabbos. I am not sure what would motivated an activist MO Rabbi to seek the position, maybe as a stepping stone to a more suitable position. The largest attendances are secular events like the Law Shabbos with a sizeable group of goyim in attendence. I was there on a regular Shabbos with just on 35 men including the Rabbi and Chazzan. Maybe there are… Read more »
No one goes to australia except those people who travel to the far ends of the earth – chabadniks. Rabbi Kennard, moving from the UK, was somewhat of an anomily. The article does put a good point across that people coming closer to Yiddishkeit could probably have the idea that Lubav is the only derech, as their only contact with frumme Yidden is with chavbad shluchim. However, there are those who somehow or other, either through trips to EY, or just by not being pushed in the direction of Lubav by their shluchim, don;t take the Lubav path, and good… Read more »
i just would like to point out, that contrary to it’s prestigious sounding name, the great synagouge of syndey struggles to get a minyan together on a regular shabos…
dittos to post # 4
yr 100 % right …….every has a opinion ……………..
veh hamaven yoven……….
Rabbi Mendel Kastel a CHABAD RABBI kept that shule alive for 15+ years and since he has left it has deteriorated!
First of all most of the majority of non chabad shuls in Sydney and Melbourne do infact have chabad rabbis and they are extremely successful ….
As well as that , it is of common knowledge here in Sydney that since Rabbi Mendel kastel left the Great synagogue it has left a gaping sad hole in that community and gone down most it’s programs stopped etc
As someone originally from the UK, it must be said that it is amazing and beautiful to see so many chabadniks as rabbis of shuls there, but *some* certainly treat it as a career and jump from shul to shul. Not knocking any of the wonderful holy work they do, but has to be said.
Anyone who comments on an article without reading a single word of said article should be FORBIDDEN from commenting on anything ever. PERIOD
In Australia,ONLY Chabad has a yeshiva gedola, and smicha programs (although the one in Melbourne unfortunately closed this year). Chabad Rabbis ARE the local talent!! Even Rabbi Kennard was sending his kids to the Chabad school in Melbourne!
And where, pray tell, do you see anyone in either article doing such talking?
Anybody that talks against a group of learned Jews that serve G- on a daily basis should be FORBIDDEN from carrying the title Rabbi. PERIOD