Rabins look to the future
Only the fourth senior rabbi in the shule's 79-year history, Rabbi Daniel Rabin has been inducted at Caulfield Shule.
Laying out his vision for Caulfield Shule, newly inducted Rabbi Daniel Rabin announced “Project ITAG”, which he said stands for Israel, Torah, avodah (worship) and gemilut chassadim (acts of loving-kindness).
“We are going to be driven by this Project ITAG. Everything we do, everything we feel, everything we want to experience and everything we want to achieve needs to be based on these principles,” he said.
Rabbi Rabin also spoke about “Next Dor [Generation]”, the shule’s program for youth outreach.
Only the fourth senior rabbi in the shule’s 79-year history, Rabbi Rabin addressed more than 500 well-wishers who came to Caulfield Shule on Sunday to see the rabbi and Rebbetzin Sarah Rabin inducted.
Thanking visitors from North Eastern Jewish Centre and South Caulfield Synagogue, his two previous Melbourne appointments, he also paid tribute to his predecessor, “my dear colleague Rabbi [Ralph] Genende”.
The service, whose centrepiece was the formal induction of Rabbi Rabin by Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV) president Rabbi Phillip Heilbrunn, resounded to the strains of Shehecheyanu by the shule’s Chevra Choir, and tehillim recited by Rabbis Mottel Krasnjanski and Gedaliah Levin.
Welcoming attendees, longtime congregant Keren Ludski recounted her first meeting with Rabbi Rabin in 2013 when she was a grief counsellor nervously addressing the RCV.
“Within minutes I realised I had an ally in the room – a super-
intelligent man with a quick mind, a deep understanding of human compassion.”
She added, “Rebbetzin Sarah brings with her a passion to involve and connect women in all facets of Jewish life. She is approachable, energetic and will be such an incredible asset to our congregation.”
From the bimah, the rebbetzin described her favourite female role models, noting the vision of her biblical namesake Sarah, the courage of Miriam, and the wisdom of Golda Meir.
Shule president Howard Zeimer described the Rabins as “a dynamic rabbinical couple that are a well-prepared spiritual leadership team who, despite their young age, have vast experience, starting out in South Africa, San Francisco, and then in Australia”.
Zeimer conveyed a message from Premier Daniel Andrews, stating Rabbi Rabin’s “devotion to community embodies the very nature of ‘dugma ishit’ [being a role model], and Victoria is all the better for it”.
In his address, Deputy Victorian Liberal leader David Southwick, MP for Caulfield, recalled the diverse roles Rabbi Rabin has embraced, working with him in the broader Jewish community.
“You’ve hit the jackpot having Rabbi Rabin as your new rabbi, and Rebbetzin Sarah.”
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