Muslim leaders visit Sydney’s The Great Synagogue
Ten Muslim and Jewish leaders have toured Sydney’s The Great Synagogue.
Sheikh Mohamed Khamis, Peter Wertheim AM, Vic Alhadeff, Sheikh Adid Alrubai, Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, Jeremy Jones AM, Abdulla Rahhal, Nasser Alkhateeb, Lynda Ben-Menashe. Photo: Nadine Saaks
The Muslim delegation was from the office of The Grand Mufti of Australia and included Sheikh Mohamed Khamis, Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) NSW president; Sheikh Adid Alrubai, Grand Mufti representative and ANIC NSW member for West Sydney; Nasser Alkhateeb, QKRadio representative; and Abdulla Rahhal, legal adviser to the Grand Mufti.
The tour was led by Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence. Hosting the guests along with Rabbi Lawrence and The Great Synagogue president Michael Gold were Executive Council of Australian Jewry executive director Peter Wertheim, ECAJ honorary life member Jeremy Jones, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff and Board Community Relations Manager Lynda Ben-Menashe.
The guests heard the history of the Great Synagogue and the NSW Jewish community and asked a number of questions, including about kashrut and local Jewish history. At lunch the group discussed topics including the size of the Jewish community worldwide, cultural commonalities and local media and politics. Further meetings are planned.
If there are more meetings planed could someone please ask the Grand Mufti of Australia, why I was not permitted to enter the Dome of the Rock when I last visited Jerusalem? It seems very much like a One Way Street Arabs entering where ever they please but the same courtesy is not given to those who are not Muslim to enter “The Dome” I was very upset as their horrid building has been placed over the Rock of Abraham.
A real mehaye…at long last.
Gone are all those aparently perceived possible and probable slight differences of opinions between our communities.
I love the name tags. Rumor has it that Vic went up to Peter, looked at the name tag and said something like ” Peter Wertheim, I think I know you, didn’t you use to work for tat legal firm which won the famous case of the chocolate icecream condimented with……. Hi, I am Vic, good mates with Otto Waldmann.” To that one of the sheiks present ( any of them ) aparently cried ” Did you say Otto Waldmann, he is practically one of our idols, that’s because yourse guys are not allowed to have them idols.”
It’s not quite clear wnat Lynda said, but I know that, should the Mosaic Laws change, she’d agree that I should be idolised by me own people.
Jeremy Jones said nothing because he never heard of me or maybe because he is shy.
I could not think of more relevant comments.