Shtiebel joins Jewish Community Council of Victoria

Shtiebel has been formally admitted as a member of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), following a vote at the council’s meeting on Monday, August 17.

Shtiebel is a community space offering prayer, learning, celebration, pastoral care and connection. It welcomes those born Jewish, those choosing Judaism, interfaith families and others seeking to explore Jewish life.

Over four years, Shtiebel has developed a year-round program that includes weekly Shabbat gatherings, High Holy Day services, adult and youth education, pathways to Judaism, bnei mitzvah preparation, lifecycle events and pastoral support, as well as cultural and social activities.

Shtiebel founder and executive director Rabbi Gersh Lazarow said the JCCV admission reflected both the growth of the community and its intention to take an active role in Victorian Jewish communal life.

“When we established Shtiebel in 2022, we wanted to demonstrate that Jewish life could be deeply rooted and fully personal, and that belonging could come before obligation. Four years later, the response has exceeded anything we imagined,” he said.