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28 HASHALOM November
2016
November 2016
HASHALOM
29
What new challenges does the New Year bring for the
Hebrew Order of David, especially, our own Lodge Jaffa. The
International looks promising, with more Lodges in England
and America. From reports via our website, things are going
well, with our predominant object of raising funds for the less
fortunate being fulfilled. But what about Lodge Jaffa? Can we
still match the progress of our overseas Brethren, and can we
fulfil the aims and objects of our Order?
Over the years we have consistently held fund-raising functions,
raising fairly substantial amounts for charity. We have fulfilled
our obligations to the Jewish community by sick visiting, by
taking out Senior Citizens for an afternoon tea, and by taking
Jewel House residents out. For our members we have guest
speakers at our monthly meetings.
What we need now is an increase in membership, an increase
in member participation, and a change in leadership. We need a
new generation of members to lead us forward, and we would like
Jewish men to come forward and help us. Our membership fees
are reasonable, and the Lodge members do have chavershaft
outings for members and their wives. We have support from the
head office in Johannesburg, and from the Grand President in
the UK, who is coming to visit us in February next year.
Contact us via email.
president zeles@mweb.co.za
Secretary Eddie Cohen
ggramp.cohen@gmail.com
After last month’s girls Shabbaton, this month it was the boys turn. We held a boys Shabbaton over the Shabbat of the 9th and 10th of
September. Six boys from Crawford and Akiva College attended. This coincided with a highly successful young families Shabbat dinner.
The dinner was attended by almost 40 people, most of whom stayed after supper for a tish with Rabbi Leibowitz. The house was filled
with the most beautiful singing and laughter.
On Saturday 10 September, we had another highly successful youth lunch for boys and girls Grade 4 and up. This was attended by over
20 people. After lunch and chilling at the Young Israel Centre, the children returned to Shul with Orli for a Shabbat tochnit.
The following week Eden parents were treated to a sponsored Shabbat dinner. The response by
parents was so overwhelming that we had to split the group up, half to come on Friday night and half
on Saturday afternoon for lunch. Over 40 people attended Shabbat dinner and close to 30 came for
Shabbat lunch. Thank you to Sue Jacobson for organising this fantastic Shabbat!
The following Thursday, 22 September, 4 Habonim madrichim arrived to spend the weekend with the
Durban community. 19 children came to watch the camp promotional video on Saturday night before
heading out to ice skating.
On second night Rosh Hashana the Young Israel Centre was the venue for a young adults’ braai. Five
families got together for the most wonderful and relaxed evening. Thank you to Rabbi Leibowitz for
initiating and coordinating this lovely dinner. We look forward to hosting many more of these evenings.
By Diane McColl
By Les Levin [President]
High Holy Days for the DPJC
COMMUNITY NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS
Talmud Torah
By Cheryl Unterslak
By Jess Stout
The year is coming to an end and the Talmud Torah team are
happy to look back at a very successful year, with the attendance
in our Talmud Torah classes increasing and the attendance in our
mishna learning increasing.
More children and their parents are learning our Talmud Torah
material together at home and there has been such positive
feedback from everyone. Our postal deliveries to children out of
town have also increased.
Please contact me if you have children or grandchildren that you
would like to learn with.
Rabbi Vegoda has designed outstanding educational material for
the children to learn and create, and the children will be busy with
these in their lessons this term and in the first term of next year.
Talmud Torah will be having their prize giving in November
where we will be awarding prizes to the students who have been
enthusiastic students and have achieved good results in Hebrew
and Jewish studies. One of the students who attend the Talmud
Torah lessons will also win two tickets for them and a parent to
go to Israel.
Young Israel Centre
Since the sale of Temple David in Ridge Road at the end of last year the Durban Progressive Jewish
Congregation has had a year filled with firsts, including the first Rosh Hashanah in 60-odd years not
celebrated in our own synagogue.
The services of the DPJC are now being held at the Durban Holocaust Centre in Seminar Room
1 which has proved a fitting and apt setting for the services. This room is however too small to
accommodate the number of congregants that attend services over the High Holy Days and
for this reason the services were held in the larger Seminar Room 2 which is upstairs at the
Holocaust Centre. The stairs posed a challenge for some of the congregants and the Executive
Committee of the DPJC took finding a solution seriously. DPJC president, Lorna Harris enlisted the
help of members of the Durban Fire Services to assist congregants who otherwise could not have
attended the services upstairs.
The DPJC commends these men on their expertise, empathy and professionalism.
The Rosh Hashanah evening service was well attended and was followed by the communal
dinner catered and organised, as always with polish and style, by the Sisterhood of Temple David.
Despite the inclement weather the dinner was enjoyed by all those who attended.
During his sermons over Rosh Hashanah Rabbi Avidan quoted his famous namesake, the great
teacher Hillel who lived at the end of 1st pre-Christian century and into the early years of the
Common Era, who said “do not separate yourself from the community”. Rabbi Avidan urged all
congregants to remain connected to Jewish communal life. He said that the weakening of bonds
with Judaism and with Jewish communal life deprives marginal Jews of the sources of ethical
conduct. Remaining in contact with one’s community enhances our our own lives and the lives
of our fellow Jews.