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12 HASHALOM October
2016
October
2016
HASHALOM
13
COMMUNITY NEWS
By Michael Greenbaum
In the week prior to Rosh Hashanah, the daily morning minyan took on an extra special meaning with the addition of the Selichot
service which prepared us for the spiritual intensity of self-examination and prayers of atonement over the High Holy Days and Yamim
Noraim from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur.
Before the regular Shacharit service, the Selichot service began and we read the prayers and poetic
piyutim (religious poems) relating to repentance for transgressions and improper behaviour over the past year. At the end of the Shacharit service,
the Shofar was blown, Judaism’s wakening call to penitence and teshuvah, reminding us of our responsibility to improve our lives through prayer and
good deeds throughout the year.
The DUHC’s daily Shacharit, Mincha and Maariv weekday services are held in the intimate Minor Shul at the Great Synagogue with many regular
congregants who faithfully attend each day. This dedicated core of congregants provides the Durban community with the necessary minyan at most
times, especially for the Monday and Thursday morning Torah
readings. Most importantly, a regular minyan gives other DUHC
members who have a yahrtzeit the opportunity to say Kaddish
for loved ones who have passed on. Morning services are
usually led by Rev. Brian Lurie while Rabbi Zekry gives a shiur
each morning after the service on the teachings of Maimonides
(The Rambam). In the evenings, Rabbi Leibowitz speaks on
various religious topics between Mincha and Maariv. The
community is grateful to those who regularly attend especially
Alex Zingol, Dr. Phil Frankel, Phillip Blumberg, Charlie Hotz,
Frank Schneider, Sam Ziegler, Ken Gitlin and Mike Gittelson,
all of whom provide the heimische atmosphere and spirit of
chavershaft which makes the shul our second home.
A few years ago, Rabbi Zekry appealed to the community
to join the “Minyanaires Club”, encouraging congregants
to make a commitment to attend at least one or more
weekday services to ensure a daily minyan. Many made this
commitment and attendances were outstanding. As the only
Orthodox Synagogue in the city of Durban, it is the duty
of the DUHC to provide weekday services. However, it is
becoming increasingly difficult to make up a minyan due to
lack of attendance at both morning and evening services. As
some members have moved from Durban, the need for more
weekday “minyanaires” has increased and the DUHC once
again appeals to and encourages members to attend weekday
services, whether in the morning or evening, and enjoy a
peaceful time of prayer and Torah study, a spiritually uplifting
way to begin and end the busy workday while at the same
time providing a valuable service to the community.
THE DUHC WEEKDAY MINYAN APPEAL