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MinistersA rabbi is first and foremost a teacher of Torah, a teacher of both the young and the not so young. Rabbis are role models who also conduct services, rule on matters of observance and officiate at life-cycle events. In brief, a communal rabbi serves the role of leader, master of ceremonies and educator.
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This formal definition of a minister’s job does not do justice to the range of differences that existed in the Australian Jewish community during the heyday of Strathfield Synagogue. Some synagogues were fortunate enough to retain two learned rabbis, a chazan [1], a salaried administrator and sometimes even their own shochet [2] and mohel [3]. The rabbis and the chazan could thus share the burden of conducting regular and festival services, reading from the Torah, delivering a weekly sermon and performing various pastoral duties. Other synagogues, such as Strathfield, had to content themselves with a single officiant. Not only would he be required to lead all services, he would also be expected to fulfil a number of other functions such as preparing boys and girls for barmitzvah and batmitzvah, classroom teaching, counselling, visiting the sick, consoling the bereaved and representing the synagogue at communal events. It was an extremely demanding position and few were keen to take it on.
[1] cantor [2] ritual butcher [3] circumciser
Big synagogues with a large membership would advertise a vacant position in London’s Jewish Chronicle, a newspaper with an international circulation. Small synagogues, would have to settle for a modest notice in the Australian Jewish press, as in the example below:
[1] cantor [2] ritual butcher [3] circumciser
Big synagogues with a large membership would advertise a vacant position in London’s Jewish Chronicle, a newspaper with an international circulation. Small synagogues, would have to settle for a modest notice in the Australian Jewish press, as in the example below:
The notice above does not include a job description. It was assumed that anyone who applied for the position would already have a good idea of what it entailed. The report below demonstrates the wide variety of the minister's responsibilities. Click on the report for an enlarged view.
Strathfield was fortunate to have had a succession of dedicated ministers. Some, who had smicha [1], bore the title Rabbi, others, who had not yet graduated from a yeshiva [2], bore the title Reverend. Their names, titles and terms of office are listed below. Click on one of the minister's names to view a photograph, read a C.V. or see something written by the minister himself.
[1] ordination from a rabbinical college [2] rabbinical college
[1] ordination from a rabbinical college [2] rabbinical college
Reverend Leon Goran: 1948-1959 Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick: 1975-1982
Reverend Michael Mandel: 1961-1966 Rabbi Moshe D. Gutnick: 1982-1987
Reverend Abraham Sternfein: 1966-N/A Rabbi Aryeh Leib Solomon: 1987-1995
Rabbi Ze-ev Tapoohi: 1968-1975 Rabbi Samuel Tov-Lev: 1996-2010
Reverend Michael Mandel: 1961-1966 Rabbi Moshe D. Gutnick: 1982-1987
Reverend Abraham Sternfein: 1966-N/A Rabbi Aryeh Leib Solomon: 1987-1995
Rabbi Ze-ev Tapoohi: 1968-1975 Rabbi Samuel Tov-Lev: 1996-2010