‘Historic’ show of support for COSV
 
NAOMI LEVIN
MELBOURNE’S Orthodox synagogues have until the end of July to decide whether to financially support the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Victoria (COSV). Their decision will affect the future of the communal eruv and beth din.¬†In an unprecedented event, more than 50 synagogue presidents and rabbis attended a COSV crisis meeting at Melbourne Hebrew Congregation on Tuesday night.¬†COSV president Moshe Trebish called the meeting “historical”, but conceded it had been called in dire times. The COSV has a $40,000 shortfall this financial year because some synagogues have not paid their required dues of $25 per seat.
“We have reached a stage where it appeared to us we wouldn’t be able to provide the services we had been providing,” Trebish said.¬†Caulfield Hebrew Congregation (CHC) president Dr Gary Frydman reiterated that the shul had still not quite resolved its financial problems.¬†He said it was his wish to provide support for the COSV, and to see as much of the estimated $25,000 owed by CHC paid to the COSV, but predicted that because of the “public stoush” many congregants “will simply refuse to pay”.
“We got dragged through the mud,” Dr Frydman said of emails circulated and discussions held in recent weeks. He warned: “I don’t know if we’ll be back here next year.”¬†Stephen Pinch, president of St Kilda Hebrew Congregation, said it was unfortunate that drastic measures had to be taken before shuls took their COSV commitments seriously.
He said it was his shul’s wish that all congregations — from the smallest minyans to the largest and oldest shuls — become COSV members and agree to provide equitable funding for communal infrastructure.¬†”We’ve got to be quite firm on that because that is what we’re trying to achieve,” Pinch said.
Trebish announced at the meeting that a couple of smaller shuls had agreed this week to provide financial support to the COSV.¬†In addition, there were shuls represented at the meeting that were not yet COSV members, indicating that Pinch’s desire to see the newer shtiebels commit to the COSV may be coming to fruition.¬†According to the resolution unanimously passed, synagogue presidents will meet with their boards to discuss whether to commit to the $25 per seat COSV levy. Presidents will then be required to inform the COSV of their decisions by July 31.
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