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.

“Joining the JCCV is an important moment for us. We are proud of the distinctive community we are building, but we also believe strongly in collaboration and in being part of the broader fabric of Jewish Victoria. Our admission recognises that there is room within our communal landscape for new models and new expressions of Jewish life, working alongside established institutions to strengthen our community as a whole.”

Shtiebel director of education and engagement Tammy Cohen said the community’s growth reflected demand for Jewish experiences built on relationships and connection.

“What excites me most about Shtiebel is that we begin with the person in front of us. Whether it is a child beginning their Jewish learning, a teenager preparing for b’mitzvah, an adult exploring their Jewish identity or a family looking for somewhere to belong, our question is always: how can we help make Judaism meaningful for you?” she said.

“Becoming part of the JCCV gives us another opportunity to collaborate, learn and contribute, while continuing to build the warm, creative and welcoming Jewish community that has become Shtiebel’s hallmark.”

Lazarow said the milestone reflected a belief that Jewish communal life would be strengthened by established and emerging organisations working together.

“Jewish Victoria is strongest when there are many doors through which people can enter. Shtiebel is proud to be one of those doors, and we are delighted now to take our place formally within the JCCV and contribute to the shared work of building a strong, diverse and connected Jewish future.”