Starting this week, the Friday evening minyan is meeting at the Levy home instead of the Southport Community Centre. Same time as before, but instead of making the dinner a 'pot luck,' we're going to feed everybody. We will meet Fridays at our home for August and September, although there will be a couple of Fridays in September that we do not meet because of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We've decided to make this change not because the Community Centre was not serviing our needs well, but to try something different and see how it works. We therefore will welcome your thoughtful feedback on whether you prefer the serivce and dinner at our home, or at a public venue.
We're finalising plans for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The services will be held at the QCWA Hall in Southport. It is just around the corner from the Community Centre. Again this is not because the Community Centre hasn't been satisfactory, but because a big event hosted by the Community Centre during the two weeks of our holy days that makes room availability almost nil. We shall publish an exact schedule of services soon.
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One more time: siddurs are still available for 'adoption.' The Oklahoma congregation that sent us the small siddurs has also sent us 72 copies of unused, Mishkan T'fillah for weekdays and festivals, gratis for the cost of shipping. The latter works out to just about AUD $18 per book. For several weeks I've been asking you to consider sponsoring the number of books you would like. Several of you were most generous in response, but not all the books have been accounted for yet. If you have not yet offered, how about sponsoring a book or two? Thanks in advance!
If you are interested in having one of the books for your own personal use, you may have one for AUD $50 which is what the CCAR charges for the books from its website (although it adds shipping charges on top of that). They are as useful for your private devotions, as they are for public worship.
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Thanks for the initial response to our membership offer! The following have already made commitments to membership in Jewish Journeys:
Eternal ('Double Chai'): Gordon and Katrina Graham; Stan Lacey and Judith Dvorak
Sustaining ('Chai'): John and Pamela Barbera
Regular: Reva Pelton
If you have any questions concerning whether membership is for you, feel free to talk with me or one of the other Jewish Journeys Directors (Gordon Graham, Mavis Rudd, and Paul Corias). Remember, nobody need feel pressured to become a member; all are welcome to continue utilising our services and paying/contributing casually.
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Services this week 'as usual,' except for the new location for Friday evening:
- Friday evening 6.30PM: service followed by hot dinner, provided
- Saturday morning 11.00AM: service followed by hot lunch, provided
Both programmes at the Levy home; phone for address and directions. For either service/meal, at $15 per person donattion is requested except for members of Jewish Journeys. As always, you can pay in advance by bank transfer or on-site via cash, cheque or EFTPOS.
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Thought for the Week:
After a one week hiatus, we return to a series of thoughts on Shemirat Halashon,meaning 'guearding of the tongue,' the laws of allowed and prohibited speech. These thoughts come from the writings of the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (1839-1933) who is considered the all-time master teacher of these Jewish laws. As I've said before, I believe that the problem of Jews engaging in prohibited, and damaging speech is THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM that besets our communities.
Although the principle that underlies all of the laws of speech - do not convey information that would be considered derogatory, about one person to another, with very few exceptions - is quite simple, it is very easy to trip up in this area, especially inadvertently.
The Chofets Chaim teaches: A derogatory statement is considered lashon hara(evilspeak, forbidden speech) even when the information is considered common knowledge. For example, if if has been reported in the media or if it's simply something that 'everybody knows.' And again, this holds even of the derogatory information is 'certifiably' true. Just like with all previously-given examples of prohibited speech, it is forbidden to convey the information, and if it just as forbidden to receive it without cautioning the conveyer that s/he has violated the laws of speech. And remember, 'speech' for purposes of these laws includes the spoken and written word, no matter how conveyed.
A good week to all!
Rabbi Don
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