Torah Honors Sydney Shluchim

On Sunday 23rd Chesvan, Coogee Synagogue in Sydney held a grand celebration to dedicate their new ‘Gestetner Sefer Torah’.

The ceremony took on a festival atmosphere as the large crowd of over 400 spilled onto the street outside the Gestetner home where the final letters were inscribed. A klezmer band played as people danced in the street, whilst others were crammed in the forecourt of the house to witness the writing of the final few letters.

It was a momentous event, the largest ever held at Coogee Synagogue, and overflowing with emotion. Over 400 congregants, community leaders and rabbis and representing all major Sydney synagogues attended the dedication ceremony.

The Torah was commissioned to mark the 30th anniversary of the leadership of Shluchim Rabbi Elozer and Miri Gestetner.

“The new Torah was a year in the making,” said Coogee Synagogue president Andrew Silvers. “We wanted to mark this anniversary by honoring them for their 30 years of leadership and dedication to the Coogee community to make it what it is today, with a ‘money-can’t buy’ gift.”

The Torah was hand-written by a scribe in Israel. Traditionally, a local scribe completes the final 300 letters at a Siyum Hatorah (completion of the Torah) ceremony.

“Normally it’s just a small gathering of the family and friends and a few interested congregants,” said Sydney scribe, Rabbi Shlomo Israel, who was quite taken aback but the continuous stream of members and their families who came to dedicate letters. “I had no idea Coogee had such a large, vibrant community,” he said.

Coogee synagogue invited their entire community to ‘buy’ one of the 330 letters, and be in attendance as the sofer wrote it. Synagogue president Andrew Silvers said they expected a few dozen, perhaps a hundred congregants would want to be involved.

“We were amazed by the responses that kept pouring in right to the last moment. To enable everyone to participate, they had to extend the event over three evenings as well as Sunday morning,” he noted.

It turned into a celebration from the first moment people arrived with their entire families.

“The Torah transcends generations,” said Rabbi Gestetner. “It was truly wonderful witnessing so many congregants with their children and grandparents, symbolically one generation handing it down to the next.”

Addressing the packed Coogee Synagogue, president Andrew Silvers recounted how thirty years ago then synagogue president Herman Guttman went to the home of a very young Rabbi Elozer and Miri Gestetner in Bondi to offer him the position of rabbi. The deal was sealed with just a handshake. Amid a standing ovation, Herman Guttman and Rabbi Gestetner re-enacted that legendary handshake, this time adding a great bear-hug.

Coogee Synagogue was founded in the late 1950’s by a small group of Holocaust survivors who held their first services in a garage. Herman Guttman and Margaret Odze were amongst the original members and their families in attendance.

Four generations of the Gestetner family participated including Miri Gestetner’s parents Meir and Esther Barber, Rabbi Gestetner’s brothers from Israel and Melbourne, their children Mottel, Shuie, Tirtza, Mendel and Kobi, daughter-in-law Shterna, and their grandchildren. Their daughters Chaya and Simi and their families watched the ceremony from New York, thanks to Facetime.

As they chose their letter the Scribe Rabbi Shlomo Israel, asked them why that particular letter. Inevitably it was to honor the memory of a late parent or grandparent, a brother or sister, or sadly a son or daughter. There was an outpouring of emotion as congregants recalled their loved ones and personally thanked the Gestetners for always being there for them.

Said one congregant, “The Gestetners have given their hearts and souls to Coogee. They’ve toasted us at our simchas and always been there for each one of us through our hardships over the years. Everyone wanted to be associated with such a meaningful way of expressing our gratitude.”