Do You Believe the Statistics?

NOTE later service tonight for Chanukah

TONIGHT light Chanukah candles followed by Shabbos candles after 6:36pm, then: Question of the Week: I fear for the future of the Jewish people. When I look at my family and where they are headed it is not very promising. My grandfather was a rabbi, but I am not sure my grandchildren will even be Jewish. What is the secret to keeping Judaism alive? Answer: I can't tell you how often I hear, "My grandfather was a rabbi." I once read that 87% of the Jewish population today have at least one rabbi in their family tree. I also read that 93% of all statistics are made up on the spot. It's impossible that three generations ago everyone was a rabbi. What people probably mean is that their grandfather was an observant Jew. He may have had a beard, he prayed every day, and was knowledgeable in Torah. He could have been a cobbler or merchant or baker, not a rabbi. But he was a committed Jew. Anyone who identifies as Jewish today only need go back three or four generations to find observant Jews in their family. And from there an unbroken chain of observance that goes back three thousand years. Not that everyone has always been observant. There have always been unobservant Jews. But we don't know their grandchildren. They have been lost to the Jewish community. Jewishness without Jewish observance cannot last more than a couple of generations. Unless they rebel and turn to Judaism, the children of unobservant Jews will stop being Jewish altogether and assimilate. A family of unobservant Jews will lose one or the other - either the Jewishness, or the unobservance. You can't have both. This is not a new phenomenon. Throughout Jewish history there have been individuals and groups who tried to keep a Jewish identity without Jewish practice. It has never worked. A vague Jewish ethnic feeling, devoid of any spiritual purpose and with no compelling message that is relevant to life, cannot last long. Only proud and authentic Judaism, that offers relevance and meaning, direction and inspiration, will stand the test of time. In the Chanukah story, a small band of faithful Jews stood up against the assimilationist forces of Hellenism. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered, not just by the enemy, but among their own people. The vast majority of Jews subscribed to Hellenism, and wanted to assimilate. We celebrate Chanukah today because we descend from the faithful few. The solution to Jewish continuity is no secret, it's obvious. Living breathing Judaism produces living breathing Jews. Do for your grandchildren what your grandfather did for you - be a living example of what it means to live an actively Jewish life. They don't need their grandfather to be a rabbi, but they need him to be a proud and practicing Jew. Good Shabbos and Happy Chanukah, Rabbi Moss   To subscribe CLICK HERE or email rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au          Shabbat Shalom everyone! I thought this week I will give you a few fun facts about the piles we are digging. Currently we have dug more than half a kilometre of piles into the ground, using 11 tons of steel and 150 tons of concrete. It has taken us so far 10 days or 50 man days to get this far. G-d willing, our estimated completion date will be Wednesday, 10 January next year. Today we have had our second delivery of steel, 11 tons of it! It took us approximately 1.5 hours to offload it and bring it on site. Hard hard work!  Have a great weekend everyone and Chag Sameach!!!! SHABBOS SERVICES & COMMUNITY INFO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL SERVICES AT NEFESH POP-UP 1 FRANCIS ST BONDI BEACH (OFF CAMPBELL PDE, BEHIND NOAH'S BACKPACKERS)   SHABBOS SERVICES Friday, 15 December 2017 | 27 Kislev 5778 Candle Lighting .................. Earliest 6:36pm No Mincha this week Special Menorah Lighting with Latkes and Doughnuts!... 7:00pm Sponsored by Shirley Sher in honour of her late mother Rivkah Samuels bat Jane's yortzheit on 27 Kislev - Long Life   Followed by Shabbos Service..... 7:30pm   Kids Program........................... 7:30pm Teen Boys Davening..................7:30pm   Shabbos Day, 16 December 2017 | 28 Kislev In depth Parsha Class............ 9:00am Shabbos Service.................. 10:00am-12:45pm Kids Program ........................10:45am Communal Lunch in honour of Shabbos Chanukah - all welcome!   Mincha followed by Seudah Shlishis ........ 7:40pm Gematria and story by Rev Amzalak........ 8:00pm Shiur with Rabbi Moss........................... 8:20pm Shabbos ends and Maariv...................... 8:41pm Followed by Menorah Lighting and Havdalah   WEEKDAY SERVICES Sunday........................... 8:00am Monday-Friday................. 7:00am Latest Shema this week......9:12am   MOLAD/ NEW MOON: MONDAY 18 DEC 1:41:1PM ROSH CHODESH TEVES: MONDAY/TUESDAY 18/19 DEC   MAZEL TOV TO Guy and Karli Lazar and their families on the birth of Netanel Yehudah!    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Aviv Farhy......... 2 Tevet/ Wednesday 20 December Amber Lessem... 3 Tevet/ Thursday 21 December   HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO Julia & Jarred Rubin..... 27 Kislev/ Friday 15 December Rachael & Brett Kaplan. 29 Kislev/ Sunday 17 December Adam & Jodi Karpas..... 29 Kislev/ Sunday 17 December Jack & Leyat Reuben...... 2 Tevet/ Wednesday 20 December Lina & Richie Barel......... 3 Tevet/ Thursday 21 December   LONG LIFE TO Reverend Amzalak for his late brother Avraham ben Yitzchak 28 Kislev / 16 December Gavin Krawchuk for his late grandfather David Sandler David ben Mordechai 3 Tevet / Thursday 21 December To make a donation for a birthday, an Aliyah, a Yahrzeit or anything else,  please click here.  Kiddush options: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday night: Soup $75 | Basic $120 | Deluxe $200 Shabbos Day: Basic $350 Lunch $750-$1200    Dates available: Fri 22 Dec, Fri 29 Dec, Sat 30 Dec, Fri 5 Jan, Sat 6 Jan.   To arrange, just email office@nefesh.com.au

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