Posted: 12 October 2018

The congregation was pleased to welcome two visiting Progressive rabbis for Simchat Torah services this year.

Rabbis Kinneret Shiryon from Modi’in in Israel and JoEllen Duckor from Wellington in New Zealand led a joyous service filled with enthusiastic singing and dancing with the Torahs. As the service was geared towards children, the atmosphere in the synagogue was imbued with youthful excitement and curiosity.

Congregants and Rabbis in the shul after the Simchat Torah service

After beginning with renditions of songs including Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and Kol Ha’Olam Kulo, the rabbis invited everyone onto the bimah to take a close look at the Torah scroll. The care and precision taken by sofrim (scribes) when writing scrolls was then explained. Attendees young and older then took turns dancing with the Torah in seven circuits around the shul accompanied by festive songs such as Hava Nagila.

An excellent turnout was on on hand to enjoy the special yomtov service. Rabbi JoEllen provided an apt summary of the night: “It was so beautiful to witness the young families and the older generation mix as we celebrated together the ongoing cycle of Torah in the historical Hobart Synagogue. We feel privileged to have been able to share this unique experience with the Hobart Jewish community.”