Yom Kippur overflow service…to Monday!

September 14, 2010 by Henry Benjamin
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Victoria’s South East Water was set to switch off supply on Erev Yom Kippur to the Elsternwick area…until the Jewish Community Council of Victoria intervened.Elsternwick is home to many of Melbourne’s orthodox community and has a large Jewish population. A  lack of water could have put paid to preparations for the early meal which precedes Kol Nidre on Friday.

Geoffrey Zygier

A distraught member of the community told JCCV executive director Geoffrey Zygier that the water supply was scheduled to be turned off on Friday between 9:00a.m and 3:00p.m in order to carry out much needed work done in the area by the water authority.

Zygier responded to the cry for help and made contact with South East Water’s area manager, Paul Clark.

Zygier told J-Wire: “I had a brief conversation with Mr Clark, His response was swift and sweet. ‘No worries, mate. We’ll do it the following Monday instead.'”

Telling J-Wire that the JCCV was always at the community’s service, Zygier added: “What it also shows how Victorian society has changed.  He didn’t even blink (well, I couldn’t hear him blinking!) when I told him that for 25 hours Jews don’t eat, drink, wash, show their naughty bits etc.  We’ve come a long way.”

And for the good people of Elsternwick..well, they can sit down and enjoy that last meal for 25 hours knowing that the water used in preparing their meal and for their pre-Kol Nidre shower flowed through the co-operation of South East Water with The Jewish Community Council of Victoria.

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