The Central Synagogue

The Central Synagogue is a Modern Orthodox synagogue and is the spiritual home of the largest Jewish congregation in Australasia.  

CENTRAL NEWS

Jimmy Barnes to Sing at Central

Australian rock icon Jimmy Barnes will perform at Sydney’s Central Synagogue’s cantorial concert later this month.The former lead singer of Cold Chisel will pull a surprise out of the bag but there is no clue as to what it will be according to Rabbi Mendel Kastel,CEO of the Jewish House and a good friend of Barnes.

Rabbi Kastel told J-Wire: “In May, Jimmy and I were dining at the Hakoah Club and met up with Shimon Farkas who was eating at another table with Tel Aviv’s Chief Rabbi Israel Lau. All four of us engaged in conversation and Shimon mentioned the Symphony for the Soul event being planned at the Central for August. Jimmy has since accepted an invitation to perform at the shule’s concert.”

This will not be the first time Barnes has sung in a synagogue. A few years ago he entertained a packed Great Synagogue.

On December 1, he will join other entertainers at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel performing at the Jewish House’s Gala Dinner.

Symphony for the Soul will take place at the Central Synagogue on August-20. Details in Up and Coming Events

Rabbinical Top Ten!

Believe it or not, there is a web site featuring the world’s top ten rabbis… Sydney Rabbi Levi Wolff and Melbourne’s Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick have made the list….

topglobalrabbis.com runs two lists and the highly-popular Rabbi Wolff has hit the number 9 spot in the Top 10 Rising Stars category.

This is what they had to say about him:

Wolff is a refined and charismatic emissary who arrived in 2001 to serve as rabbi of the city’s highly aristocratic Central Synagogue. He has become a recognizable face throughout Australia and was recently in the national spotlight in April 2009 when he presided over the funeral of billionaire Richard Pratt, the country’s fourth wealthiest man.

Tonight, Rabbi Wolff will host the farewell service honoring the NSW contingent to the 18th Maccabiah being held in Israel next month.

Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick is the spiritual leader of the Elsternwick Synagogue in Melbourne.

He made no 15 spot in the top 15 Global Rabbis…and this what they had to say

When research began on this project Rabbi Dovid Groner was the unanimous endearing influence within Chabad Australia. His passing in July of 2008 opened up the gates for a host of new leaders to fill the void. Gutnick is filling a segment of that gaping hole.  His scope of control can be observed in three realms: (1) He directs kosher supervision for the entire continent under his “Kosher Australia” umbrella organization, the premier authority for the entire Australasia region; (2) He is acting head of the Melbourne Beth Din (Jewish Court) and is spiritual leader of the Elwood Hebrew Congregation, a position previously occupied by his late father the venerable Rabbi Chaim Gutnick; and (3) The name “Gutnick” travels far and wide: one of his 3 brothers is business mogul (gold and diamonds) and prominent philanthropist Yossel Gutnick.

Got room for a guest at your Seder table?

Central is looking for anyone willing to host a guest at their Seder table – first night.

If you can, or know someone who can please contact Aviva at the synagogue office…

Purim Party a great success

The Purim party was on of our best.

What a Purim Party! So many new faces. Hundreds of young adults enjoyed Purim at the Vibe Hotel, so many children and parents participated in our Sunday event and what a fabulous Purim service in Shule….also a Farbrengen on Tuesday night…fulfilling Queen Esther’s injunction of “feasting and Holiday joy!”.

Special thanks to the committee of Studio Central and Aviva, the entire Hineni team and the youth directors at Central, for making this Chag the wonderful successes that  it was.

We are looking for families who are prepared to host a guest for first night Seder.Our Synagogue is hosting a special communal Seder on the 2nd night  Pesach. Do join us -

Can’t read Hebrew? Want to participate in the service? Central’s got the answer

Sydney’s Central Synagogue is introducing a new prayer-book for congregants who cannot read Hebrew.

The new addition to the bookshelves is a transliterated siddur. The book is published with the Hebrew prayers phonetically printed in English script with the English translation printed under each line.

Rabbi Levi Wolff said: “I trust this will make davening more meaningful…every worshipper can now participate rather than spectate. The translation will help to understand the prayers.”

The new siddur was introduced this week.

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