Judges in scarlet and purple, Queen’s and Senior Council in full-bottomed wigs and a parade of other distinguished members of the legal procession attended the annual Jewish service at The Great Synagogue for the opening of the 2009 Law Term in early February.
In the presence of the NSW Chief Justice James Spigelman AC, the service included an address by The Great Synagogue’s Senior Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence.
Giving the congregation a fascinating insight into the way Jewish traditions interact with the world, Rabbi Lawrence described the Jewish response to the credit crunch of 2000 years ago when the sage Hillel created the concept of the prosbul.
Members of various levels of the judiciary participated in the service, which was conducted by Rabbi Lawrence and Rabbi Chaim Ingram following the illness of Chazan David Hilton.
The service was followed by a dinner for more than 120 people, addressed by World Jewish Congress vice-president and Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Robert Goot.
The dinner was sponsored by Thomson Reuter.