A Great scholar in residence
THE Great Synagogue (TGS) is currently hosting an American rabbi as a scholar in residence.
THE Great Synagogue (TGS) is currently hosting an American rabbi as a scholar in residence.
Rabbi Noah Leavitt, hailing from Upper East Side Manhattan’s Congregation Orach Chaim, has spent nearly a fortnight meeting with and speaking to the shul’s congregation and guests in Sydney’s city centre.
TGS chief minister Rabbi Dr Ben Elton welcomed Rabbi Leavitt, telling The AJN: “It is nice to get him to speak to the congregation and let the members hear what he has to say, introduce them to his ideas and learning, and for him to enrich the educational content of the shul.”
The pair met and studied together at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, a modern Orthodox institution in Riverdale, New York.
Rabbi Elton recalled with great fondness speaking previously at Netivot Shalom in Baltimore, where Rabbi Leavitt was the spiritual leader until July last year when he took up his new position as rabbinic assistant at Congregation Orach Chaim.
“I spoke at his shul in Baltimore, now he’s speaking at mine!” he enthused.
Rabbi Leavitt has spoken twice at TGS in the past week, giving a d’var Torah on Parshat Va’era after the service on Friday evening, and a lecture to around 40 congregants on Jewish attitudes towards magic, on Shabbat morning.
Reflecting on his trip to Australia, which has also included climbing the Harbour Bridge and spending time at Bondi Beach, he commented, “I have very much enjoyed my time in Sydney.”
“As a scholar in residence, I was hoping to share words of Torah and inspiration, and I hope that I gave people something to think about, and that the conversations around some of the ideas that I discussed will continue in the future.”
Rabbi Elton told The AJN that he hopes to have more Jewish scholars in residence at the shul in the coming years.
ELENORE LEVI
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