Times: Shabbat starts tonight with candlelighting at 5:12pm, ends Saturday night at 6:12pm. The weekly Torah portion is Devarim / Shabbat Chazon. If Mashiach does not arrive, Fast of Tisha’a B’av begins Monday (31/7) evening at 5:32pm. Fast ends on Tuesday (1/8) at 6:01pm.
Mincha in the CBD: Mincha continues at 1:00pm (including Tuesday with Sefer Torah). using the SMS system as a reminder.
New Mincha Minyan: By popular demand, a secondmincha minyan will start on a trial basis next week (Mon-Thu) at 1:15pm (including Tuesday) at Empress Diamonds, Level 10, Suite 8, 55 Swanston St. Contact for this minyan is Gabi Ytzchaki info@empressdiamonds.com.au
Study: Wednesday shiur & lunch is on Wednesday at about 1.15pm at Billing Bureau, following mincha. Special meat lunch will be served this Wednesday!
Kosher Food in the CBD: Unfortunately, due to lack of demand there is no longer kosher food being sold in the CBD. Glicks, we want you back!!
Thought of the Week with thanks to David Prins. We are approaching in the next week the Fast of the Ninth of Av, the saddest day in the Jewish Year. Many calamities happened to the Jewish people on this date, most notably the destruction of two Temples in Jerusalem. Our Sages taught that those who mourn for Jerusalem will merit seeing and rejoicing in its rebuilding.
At TED 2017, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks presented that in the Western World we are weakening and losing our identity, as we have stopped telling the story of who we are and why. On the other hand, Jews have been scattered and dispersed and exiled for 2,000 years, but never lost their identity. Why? Because the story of the Jewish people is retold in Jewish feasts and fasts throughout the year, every year. The story is not just retold. It is relived in many ways, including eating the unleavened bread of affliction and the bitter herbs of slavery on Pesach, and total abstinence from food on days of destruction.
Collectively, we must get back to telling our story: who we are, where we came from, and the ideals by which we live. We must continue to mourn for what we lost, if we want to retain our identity to be able to rejoice in rebuilding in future.