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10
Now, however, conditions are much improved, and many observant Jews believe that the heter
mechira is no longer necessary, and want, ideally all, but at least their own, produce to be
grown by non-Jews on non-Jewish land.
This year the chief rabbinate, which controls the issue of kosher certificates, has declared heter
mechira to be the rule, but has added that the rabbis of local cities and towns could decide for
themselves, which, in most countries and situations, would keep everybody happy……but this is
Israel!
David Clark
Progressive Services
I have been asked in all seriousness why the Orthodox come to the synagogue every week, but
the Progressive have a service every other week, or less frequently. My response was that
some fifteen years ago, when only a few turned up, we sat and took turns to read, aloud, one of
the services from the ‘Gates of Prayer.’ I have even done this when I was the only one present.
Perhaps we could consider reviving this idea for when a dedicated ‘reader’ is not able to run a
service. Bill Stuart
A Succot Story
Succot in Hobart was windier than usual, except for the first. two nights, and a bit cold as well,
being earlier in the year than the previous few, so those of us who built succahs were kept busy
during the intermediate days gathering bits of them from around our neighbourhoods and trying
to put them back together, hopefully more strongly than the first time.
Largely because of this, the Clark’s didn’t manage to spend as much time as usual schlepping
the lulav and esrog around, so our apologies to any of our “customers” who missed us!
Some of you might have noticed that the succah which is usually stored in the side lane at the
shule is missing, and therein lays a story………..
Laurence (Moshe) Herst and David Clark were having a pre-Succot planning session (succahs
don’t just fall into place, there is a great deal of design and planning to do), and Moshe
expressed doubts that he would be able to have a succah this year, for a number of reasons. As
the afternoon wore on into evening, we realised that there was a ready-to-assemble succah,
which hadn’t been used for a couple of years, going begging at the shul.
After a couple of ‘phone calls to ensure that it was available, we decided to pick it up mañana,
tomorrow. However, as planning progressed, it became clear that, since tomorrow is always off
in the future, it mightn’t happen, at least in time for this
Succot, also, parking can be difficult
during the day, so, after a quick l’chaim to celebrate the decision, we set off in Moshe’s latest
acquisition, a trusty Toyota 4WD light truck.
On our arrival at shul, it became apparent that the succah, having been built on the site, and
without the expectation of ever having to move it from there, wasn’t designed to be easily
transportable, at least by road, being somewhat over width.
This is where Divine Providence becomes revealed, and the reason we were guided to act at
this particular time became clear; it was night, the roads were quiet, and the “spirit” was with us
(not, heaven forbid, to the extent that public safety was compromised).
So it was that the succah was quickly loaded, secured, and off we went, occupying slightly more
than one traffic lane and keeping a sharp watch for a) the law, b) buses and other large
vehicles, and c) the succah, that it was still actually on the truck.
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