Our volunteers spend many long hours visiting families all over Australia. It's always nice to see what keeps people busy.
Here, Jennifer in Ipswich QLD is showing Nochum some of the home grown plants that she has in her backyard.
What plants have you got growing at home?
After a full week of driving across Australia, Avraham and Mendel arrived in Perth on Friday afternoon. They have spent Shabbat with the local Perth community and Rabbi Shalom White, and will this week be heading south to visit Fremantle, Rockingham, Mandurah and beyond.
Look out for the big yellow Mitzva Mobile!
Earlier this year, Menachem and Chaya Deray spent some time visiting the Goldfields in Victoria. Yep, it was a little warmer back then!
Chaya instantly formed a warm connection with Ilana, a Ballarat local.
It was amazing to see two women from opposite sides of the world deep in conversation, after having just met moments earlier.
Our connection is already there - it just needs to come to the surface!
"Words cannot express positive emotions and spiritual connection adequately. Informative weekend experientially. First class hospitality and very well organised. Thank you!"
That's what Mark, who lives in rural South Australia, said about last years' Jewish Discovery Weekend.
The good news is, it's happening again! We are so looking forward to welcoming people from all over Australia to this amazing program once again, taking place over the first weekend in September.
If great food, interesting talks, and meeting other people in similar circumstances to yourself sounds interesting, then this one is definitely going to be for you.
$1, or $1,000, your donation today enables more people around Australia to remain connected.
Here's just 3 examples:
Yesterday, our volunteers in Western Australia - Avraham and Mendel - met a quarantine officer, and yep, you guessed it - he is Jewish. There weren't any fresh fruit or vegetables for him to take, but he did take a Jewish book from the mobile library!
At the same time, Eli and Nochum were near Hobart, Tasmania, speaking to a religious monk, who is Jewish, for about 4 hours. This fellow is absolutely fascinated by what Judaism has to offer.
And simultaneously, on the South Coast of New South Wales, Ari and Yitzi were speaking with an emergency room doctor, and helping him lay his own pair of Tefillin. They drove 3 hours, just to see him.
Our rabbis on the road may be young, but they keep a 3,000 year old connection going until the present day.
The west coast of Tasmania is not a place that too many people have been to. Largely a national park and much wilderness, it is dotted with small mining towns.
Eli and Nochum spent last Thursday driving through, and called in to Bill's place along the way.
With no other Jewish people for miles around, it was a warm and enjoyable meeting, with Bill relating his days of living in New Zealand, and his desire to visit Israel in the future.
Bills great sense of humour kept the rabbis smiling all way down to Hobart, where they finished their drive for the day (complete with its own adventures that we will save for another time...!).
This week, two new RARA volunteer teams arrived in Australia, and are preparing to head out on the road.
Avraham Weingarten and Mendel Benjaminson will be heading over to south-west Western Australia, while Ari Baron and Yitzi Lisbon will be heading to the south coast of New South Wales, as well as the Blue Mountains.
Let us know if you, or anyone you know, would like a visit from our volunteers.
We wish the young rabbis much success on their trip.
They are pictured here getting a rundown of some of the best tips and tricks for spending five weeks on the road.
Looks like Mr. Koala here wasn't too happy when we came to visit. Maybe he wanted more of a heads up?
How many of the BIG things around Australia have you made it to?
Nochum and Eli made some great connections in Warrnambool and Mildura last week.
Today, they fly to Launceston in Tasmania, where they will be spending the next three weeks visiting families in regional areas there, in conjunction with Chabad of Tasmania.
Are you regional in Tas? They'd love to come over and say hello!
Safe travels!!
Sometimes our volunteers make a Shabbat for 20 people. And sometimes for 1 person.
This past Friday night in Mildura, Philippe came over and spent many hours deep in conversation about what it means to be a Jew in 2024. Of course, the discussion was hosted over a scrumptious meal that Eli and Nochum spent Firday afternoon preparing.
The Jews of Australia may be spread far and wide, but we here to ensure that each and every one is able to remain connected.
Philippe arrived before Shabbat began, and was able to have to opportunity to lay the Tefillin and say the Shema, pictured here.
And he'll be continuing the connection as well, joining us in Melbourne in September for the annual Jewish Discovery Weekend!
Eli is on the phone in Mildura, looking to connect with local Jewish people. Know anyone up that way?
Eli and Nochum have spent the past few days in the seaside city of Warrnambool, getting in touch with some of the local Jewish population.
Yesterday, they met up with Reg, and Eli invited him on board the mobile library for a catch up and some study. With a library of books to choose from, the two settled on the Tanya, a book all about the Jewish soul, first published over 200 years ago.
It may be cold out there, but the warmth of this meeting could readily be felt during this special encounter.
