Latest RARA News

While pure evil tries to take caravans, fill them with explosives, and threaten the safety of Australian Jewish people, we are busy here at RARA with using our motorhome for the good, turning it into a mobile synagogue and Jewish library on wheels, and travelling far and wide to reach every Jewish person.

We will continue to fill the world with light, and eradicate the terrible darkness that we have seen in recent times.

However your practice your Judaism, do it even more tonight.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Last week, we visited Henry, a 95 year old Macadamia farmer from South Africa. He showed us his father's 150 year old tefillin, which he wears daily, and we showed him the RARA torah. He shared some amazing wisdom on life, and we shared some words of inspiration.

Great catching up with David and saying the Shema in Brisbane, right before our volunteers begin their 2,000km drive back down to Melbourne.

David was so appreciative of a Jewish connection, as he's recently moved to town.

People coming together is our bread and butter here at RARA, and what's even better is when it is for a good cause.

In September last year, our rabbis headed up to Tiaro, a town 230 kilometers north of Brisbane, where a group of locals had come together in support of Israel and the Jewish people.

Despite so much hate being seen around, what doesn't always make it to the news is the great support that we have seen from local communities around Australia.

Thank you to Dave, the NAIN team, and others for coordinating this great event.

Now that's a Shul! What you're looking at is the historic, but very active Brisbane Hebrew Congregation's Margaret St Synagogue.

Built in the heart of the CBD in 1886, this 139-year old building has seen too many Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, and services to count.

This week, our volunteers Mendel Hurwitz and Mendel Gurewicz will be filling in to run the service while Rabbi Levi Jaffe is away.

But this isn't the first time RARA is visiting. Way back in 1977, during the inaugural road trip, Saul Spigler, Hershel Herbst and Yossi Loebnstein also drove all the way from Melbourne to Brisbane, and visited this very Shul then.

Old Bar, Port Macquarie, and Coffs Harbour. These are just some of the places that our dedicated volunteers have visited this past week, bringing the RARA Mitzva Mobile Library and its educational contents far and wide.

For Sam in Coffs, confined to a wheelchair, it was his first time being able to hold a Torah scroll in more than a decade. What a special moment!

BAGEL ALERT: DARWIN

We've received some very reliable intel that there are some very yummy Glicks bagels available at the Woolworths located in Hibiscus Shoppingtown, at 8 Leanyer Dr, Leanyer NT 0812.

There is even a photographic evidence of this spectacle.

Get them while they last!

Thank you to Lori for the heads up on this one.

Do you know where in Australia this magnificent spot is?

Mendel Hurwitz from California and Mendel Gurewicz from Florida have been at it for the past 4 weeks, spending time in Gippsland, the NSW South Coast, and more recently, just north of Newcastle.

They are spending their time bringing connection and a mitzva opportunity to regional Jewish families.

Earlier this week they assisted a family in Forster with hanging up some newly purchased Mezuzahs, and two weeks ago they hosted a small Shabbat meal in Bowral for some of the locals. In between, they have been busy going from house to house,  always with a smile, and ready to have a chat.

It's always incredible to see how welcoming our regional members are. They've never heard of these two young rabbis, and there might be a half century age gap between themselves and the rabbis, but the rabbis always feel welcome and invited.

Thank you to Mendel and Mendel for your great work. Driving all over the coast is hard work, but these guys don't bat an eyelid at it.

In between trips, we are sure to keep the RARA "Mitzva Tank" and mobile library clean.

Did you know that 50 years ago, vans like this were driven all over the USA, filled with young rabbis encouraging people to learn more about their heritage, and do a Mitzva. The vans became known as "Mitzvah Tanks". Like a tank fights in a war, these special vehicles are "tanks" against the waves of assimilation and indifference of today.

In Australia, the first "Mitzvah Tank" headed off from Melbourne in 1977, visiting areas along the east coast, and making it all the way to Brisbane.

Today, Chabad of RARA has two full time "Mitzva Tanks" that are driven by our volunteers, who travel far and near, eager to make a new connection with the next person.

To keep up with demand, we've got our eyes on adding a third of these special vehicles to our fleet, enabling even more travel and connection.

The town of Kadina is not exactly close to anywhere. Located on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, it is a two hour drive from Adelaide, and today it is home to just 5,000 people.

But winding the clock back more than 100 years, this town was home to the Rosenberg family, a Jewish family that moved there from Adelaide. Julius, or Yechiel Meyer, practiced as a jeweler in the town for 33 years. Today, the Rosenberg decendants still live nearby, and are proud of their ancestors Jewish heritage.

It is fascinating to see how even back then, living in a rural setting was no obstacles to living a Jewish life, and, at the end of it, being buried as a Jew.

Thank you to Yonason Jones for taking some time to visit the graves of this family, and for sending us these photos.

Peter lives in the Western District of Victoria. Hours away from any community, he has had a long journey to bring him here.

As a very young boy, his family was sent to the concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Miraculously, he survived, and only needs to look at his left arm to remind himself of the cruelty that his family experienced.

Yesterday, our volunteers Mendel and Yisroel paid him a visit, where he shared his story, and was eager to wrap the Tefillin right over the numbers branded into his arm, showing that indeed, we are here to stay, connected with our traditions.

Peter proudly said the Shema, and related to the rabbis that he regularly wears his RARA kippa, as a reminder to himself of who he is and where he has come from.

Chanuka in Coffs Harbour!

We had a lovely time celebrating the eighth and final night of Chanuka in the mid-north coast.

Thank you to all those that came out to mark this occasion and share some words of inspiration.

What a great way to mark the start of 2025.

Today, Mendel and Yisroel have made it to Kimba in South Australia - officially half-way across Australia.

They are headed to Streaky Bay, for a very special visit.

Are you Jewish and live anywhere on this map of South Australia? We'd love to visit you in the next few days!

Chanuka ended last week. It's was a week of inspiration, connection, and bright lights.

How are you continuing to spread the light of the candles today?

On Friday, Rabbi Menachem Aron and co made the 45 minute drive from Coffs Harbour to Gleniffer, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, to visit Ruth. Having celebrated her 101st birthday a few months ago, there was almost a century between her and Levik, Rabbi Menachem's son, who is four.

As sharp as ever, Ruth shared a picture of her Chanuka menorah all lit up from last week. It's always so lovely to catch up with Ruth!

Just a few days earlier, Ruth had mailed us an envelope asking for another box of Shabbat candles to be mailed to her, as she diligently lights the candles every Friday evening, and her supply was running low. Well, this time, we were able to hand deliver them straight to Ruth.

Wherever you are, at whatever age, Ruth continues to teach us that you can always stay connected.

Last night of Chanuka 2024 in Coffs Harbour NSW