In the Media

Sunday Age – June 9, 2024

We are currently in the season of love on the Jewish calendar.

These are the days between the festival of the Exodus from ancient Egypt (Passover) and the giving of the Ten Commandments and Torah, the sacred code, covenant and constitution of the Jewish people at Mount Sinai some seven weeks later: the festival of Shavuot, aka Pentecost. It is celebrated on June 12-13.

The Exodus story is a love tale. The Hebrews left Egypt with their partner, God, on a journey to the new home they would build together in the land of Israel. They honeymoon in the wilderness of the Sinai desert so evocatively captured in the prophet Jeremiah’s words: “I remember the kindness and forgiveness of your love when you were a bride walking after me into the wilderness.”

Later in Jewish history, it became associated with suffering and loss, the sudden death of tens of thousands of young students of the fabled Rabbi Akiva. It is commemorated with some rituals of mourning, like not celebrating weddings nor cutting one’s hair.

This duality of celebrating and grieving encapsulates so much of the existential identity and reality of Jewish life. Judaism has always believed that the world is redeemed by love – the love of God, the love for others, love for the stranger.

This is why we read the Book of Ruth in the synagogue on Shavuot; the story of a selfless Moabite stranger who is welcomed into the Jewish people even though Judaism doesn’t seek converts. Ruth becomes the great-grandmother of the celebrated monarch of Jerusalem and leader of Israel, King David. The best act of faith and love is bringing children into a wounded world – children who will help carry hope and courage into the future.

Today in these hard times for our people with a dramatic escalation of toxic antisemitism and hostility towards our spiritual centre, Israel, we restate and reaffirm our conviction that love, faith and hope will triumph over hatred.

On this festival, we celebrate with our friends, allies and God.

On this holiday, we recall the Revelation at Sinai which forever shaped the world.

We remember the words of Albert Einstein: ”The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice and the desire for personal independence – these are the features of the Jewish tradition which make me thank my lucky stars that I belong to it.”

On this festival, in these times, I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on these universal ideas and reach out in love to all Australians.

Rabbi Ralph Genende OAM is interfaith and community liaison to the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, and senior rabbi to Jewish Care Victoria and Kesher Community.