Mizrachi looks ahead
Despite its current woes, Mizrachi president Mark Schneider said he remains positive about the shul's future.
CHANTAL ABITBOL
THE battle is finally over. After months facing off in civil and Jewish courts, Mizrachi Synagogue succeeded in its bid to cut ties with its long-standing rabbi, Moshe Gutnick, but it has come at a cost.
The already cash-strapped shul, which is said to be running at an operational deficit and at one point this year said it faced the possibility of insolvency, is now committed to shelling out $800,000 over the next 15 years to Rabbi Gutnick. Furthermore, it now plans to operate without a rabbi.
Despite its current woes, Mizrachi president Mark Schneider said he remains positive about the shul’s future.
“We are optimistic that we can meet these financial obligations and rebuild our synagogue as a strong bastion for modern Orthodox Zionism in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs,” he said this week. “We feel we have a great basis for that.”
But it’s not an easy task, he admitted. “We will require the support of our lenders and the support of our community. But we’re hopeful we’ll be able to manage through this. What we have to do now is make sure we can build afresh and create a vibrant renewed congregation that is based on engagement and involvement, even without a rabbi.”
The shul is already looking ahead to the High Holy Day season, he added, and has invited guest rabbi, Dr Alan Unterman, a Mandelbaum House visiting scholar, to conduct services.
On other days, it is expected congregants will take charge. “We’re going to rely on some of our competent and able members to get involved in services and make it a very participatory synagogue.”
But congregants appear to have mixed reactions.
Congregant Karen Goodman said she was happy the matter with the rabbi had been resolved. “The future of the kehilla is looking good. I can finally book my son’s bar mitzvah knowing that the shul will be there next November.”
But others aren’t as convinced. Some are disappointed about the shul’s handling of the rabbi’s employment.
“So far, the [board] refuses to inform us of the actual legal costs that the shul has incurred. Without that, we cannot know the total debt,” said congregant Ron Weiser. “If they continue to ostracise genuine shul members, then the future is quite bleak.”
But Schneider remains steadfast. “What we set out to do was to secure a future for the synagogue, which we believe we’ve accomplished,” he said.
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