Hope you've had a good week!

What a strange and different Rosh Hashanah that was. For many, not being with family and community was understandably very difficult. Yet, I also heard from many of you who were able to find a highlight and make it meaningful in its own way. Whether it was being able to focus on the meaning of the day with family, leading your own service, or hearing the Shofar outside your home with your neighbors or multiple times in the park.

For our family, whilst yearning to be in Shule with you, we found joy and meaning in setting up a table in the front garden, enjoying the fresh air and singing our way through the davening as a family. Our neighbours sat in front of their homes following along with us.

On Sunday, Yaakov, Mendy and I walked the streets of Elwood, and in 2 hours blew the Shofar more times then I can remember, for close to 70 people. There was a palpable energy and excitement in the streets, uniting our people like never before.

Now onto Yom Kippur. Hard to fathom not being in Shule for Kol Nidrei, Yizkor or Neila... but we again will dig deep and try our best to find personal meaning in the day.

Believe in yourself and your ability to pray at home over Yom Kippur. Believe in your ability to talk and connect to Hashem and to feel His presence in your life, in your home.

It's a real opportunity to observe the day of At-One-Ment in it's purest form. Fasting, praying, thinking, with no phone, social media or TV distractions and with no where to be, besides for being present in the here and now.

Please scroll through this email for our Yom Kippur events and resources, to help bring some sense of normality and purpose to this special day.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and well over the fast. Gmar Chatima Tova! May G-d seal us all in the Book of Life and grant us a year of health and happiness.

I miss you and will be thinking of you throughout Yom Kippur. I'm always available on 0433 676 300 for any questions, concerns or just for a chat, please call anytime. My phone remains on on Shabbat & Yom Tov for physical or mental life emergency calls.

--

Useful links:

• Times, events, Yizkor, games and more: www.elwoodshule.org/HH
• @Home High Holydays YK prayer guide (from page 61) here.
• Three new videos on our website: Our Chazan Mordechai Levin recites Kol Nidrei, as he prepares to lead services in Sydney's magnificent The Great Synagogue / Yizkor video of scrolling names and Ronny and Rabbi Shmuel reciting the Memorial prayer / A Yom Kippur message from Nir - Not far - The same guy as President Yoely 2020. Enjoy them here!
• Please support the Yom Kippur appeals, usually found on your Shule seats, at the end of this email.

This evening, 5pm, let's enter into the calmness of Shabbat together! Join Rabbi Shmuel and Mendy for some pre Shabbat singing on Zoom here and Facebook.com/elwoodshule. This event will lead right into the women's lighting event below.

Tonight, 5:30pm-5:45pm, women around Victoria unite to spread Shabbat light! Hosted in a mega collaboration between the local Shules we're inviting all women to start the year by joining together to ignite the Shabbat night.

We're launching this initiative to inspire 5781 candles to be lit over the remainder of the High Holydays with a concert-style virtual event!

Joining us on zoom tonight: Mayim Bialik - Actress, Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier - Musician, Zahava Pinson - Musician, Hayley Southwick - MC, ....and YOU!!!!

Register your lighting to add to the count: www.phh.org.au/lights
Join the Zoom here: www.phh.org.au/live

Prepare some candles, lock in the time, and become apart of the unite with light movement!

After Shabbat, 26 Sept, 7:30pm, Pre Yom Kippur Havdala and Yizkor Reflection LIVE from Elwood Shule with Rabbi Shmuel & Ronny. Join us on www.elwoodshule.org/zoom or www.facebook.com/elwoodshule.

This Sun, 27 Sept, 5pm-5:30pm, Pre Yom Kippur Kol Nidrei Service LIVE from Elwood Shule with Rabbi Shmuel & Ronny. Join us on www.elwoodshule.org/zoom or www.facebook.com/elwoodshule.

Melbourne is doing Yizkor together at 12pm on Yom Kippur (Monday). Melbourne Jewry will pause united for 18 minutes at 12pm to recite Yizkor for loved ones and prayers for the sick.

You can download our Elwood Shule Yizkor booklet of names, prayer text and video of scrolling names with Ronny and Rabbi Shmuel reciting the Memorial prayer here.

The Yizkor prayers and explanation can also be found on page 77 in your @home High Holyday guide. If you don't have the hard copy, you can download it here.

You're also welcome to post the names of your loved ones on the Project High Holydays virtual Yizkor board here.

Please download and print all resources before Yom Tov.

This Mon, 28 Sept, 7:10pm, Post Yom Kippur Final Siren Shofar, Havdala & L’chaim LIVE from Elwood Shule with Rabbi Shmuel & Ronny! Join us on www.elwoodshule.org/zoom or www.facebook.com/elwoodshule.

ZOOM Shiur - A journey through Sukkot. The What, When, How & Why of the joyous Sukkot festival! This Tues, 29 Sept, 7pm with Rabbi Shmuel on Zoom here.

If you or anyone you know is going through a challenging time or struggling in any way, please see this list of excellent resources and support services available.

As always, Rabbi Shmuel is available anytime for anything on 0433 676 300 to listen, chat and support. Ronny can be reached on 0413 863 263.

Shabbat Starts / Ends
Friday, 25 Sept: Light Candles at 6:01pm
Shabbat, 26 Sept: Ends at 6:59pm

Yom Kippur Starts / Ends
Sunday, 27 Sept: Light candles / Fast begins 6:03pm
Monday, 28 Sept: Fast ends at 7:01pm

Shule Services
Tues-Thur Mincha/Maariv 5:30pm on Zoom here. All welcome!

The following will be broadcast on Zoom here and Facebook.com/elwoodshule:
Fri, 5:00pm Pre Shabbat service
After Shabbat, 7:30pm Havdala & Yizkor reflection
Sunday, 5:00pm Pre Yom Kippur Kol Nidrei 
Monday, 7:10pm Post Yom Kippur Shofar & Havdala

This week we read Parshat Haazinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52). Click here for insights and inspiration from the Parsha.

Please keep us in the loop by notifying us of your lifecycle events!

Birth!
Mazal Tov to Molly Kaufman on the birth of a granddaughter. May the newborn be source nachas and joy to her family, in good health. 

Happy - Jewish - Birthday! 
We wish a very Happy Jewish Birthday to Natalie Adler, Sabastian Banky, Michael Cyprys, Simon Danby, Chana Eidelson, Darren Frydman, Alina Kleiman, Glynis Lipson, Helene Livshiz, Corinne Marabel-Milgrom, Lisa Procel, Kim Schwartz and Clive Sondheim. We wish them good health till 120. Jewish birthday Calculator.

Yahrtzeits
Shabbat
Miriam Friedmann - Sister of Freda Sable
Eliasz Kornweitz - Father of Swietlana Fleiszig and Helen Taylor
Abe Cohen - Father of Marvin

Sunday
Fela Pacanowski - Mother of Ethel Wittner

Monday
Peter Lefkovic - Brother of Tom
Shneur Zeidenshtein - Grandfather of Valentina Nemirovsky

Tuesday
Leo Rosner - Father of Fran Sondheim
Alan Moss - Father of Jon

Thursday
Niunia Frenkiel - Mother of David
Icek Hoppe - Husband of Pola, father of Susie Benkel and Jack

Friday
Hala Goldstone - Mother of Alan

We wish the respective families blessings of long life.

This year UIA’s Kol Nidre Appeal is proud to support our Professions for Life Program. Israel is anticipating 250,000 olim over the next 5 years, doubling historic trends and making aliyah absorption a significant strain on Israel’s resources. You can help alleviate that burden by supporting our Professions for Life Program. This program enables new olim to become productive citizens of Israel by gaining Israeli recognition for their qualifications and integrating them into Israeli society.

Our mission doesn’t finish when the olim board the plane and land in Israel, our mission is to make sure that they feel at home and make Israel their home. For that, we need the support of the “A Profession for Life” program, and for that program we need your support. Please donate here: https://uiavic.secure.force.com/donate/2020-UIA-KN

The JCCV seeks your support for our Kol Nidre Appeal. We are the united voice of our community. We work tirelessly to keep the Victorian Jewish community personally and virtually connected in times of celebration, pandemic, crisis and remembrance.

We are acutely aware of the emotional, social and financial strain of the pandemic on our community, whilst we are mindful of the critical importance of our services for the Jewish community’s advancement across Victoria.

On this Kol Nidre Appeal at home, personally consider the impact which could be achieved by donating to the JCCV today. Please donate here: www.givenow.com.au/jccv. To download the appeal flyer click here

Magen David Adom High Holidays appeal. MDA Australia needs your support to purchase life-saving vehicles, supplies and equipment and so much more. Your donation can save a life. Please donate here: www.magendavidadom.com.au.