Latest RARA News

Part of Rabbi Menachem Aron's recent visit to Darwin included a special visit to the Darwin Holocaust Memorial and Education Center, hosted at the Darwin Military Museum in East Point.

Opened in August 2024, this exhibit takes the visitor through a powerful display of images, articles and artefacts from the darkest times of Jewish history.

The exhibit was delivered through funding provided by the Morrison government in 2022.

The exhibit also contains details linking the Holocaust to Darwin through a number of stories and facts.

Rabbi Menachem was privileged to meet up with Dr Norman Cramp, who has been heavily involved in the museum, and is a Military history expert, as well as an expert on the history of the Holocaust. Indeed, Dr Cramp authored most of the articles and descriptions contained in the exhibit.

Adjacent to the memorial is a reflection garden, where one can spend a few moments surrounded by beautiful gardens and reflect on those that were lost in the Holocaust.

If you're a local in Darwin, or just visiting, the Military Museum and Holocaust Memorial is a must visit. Make sure to stop by, you'll be guaranteed to learn something new.

Dr Norman Cramp and Rabbi Menachem Aron the Darwin Holocaust Memorial and Education Center, hosted at the Darwin Military Museum in East Point.

Some of the exhibits at the Darwin Holocaust Memorial and Education Center, hosted at the Darwin Military Museum in East Point.

Some of the exhibits at the Darwin Holocaust Memorial and Education Center, hosted at the Darwin Military Museum in East Point.

Some of the exhibits at the Darwin Holocaust Memorial and Education Center is located within the Darwin Military Museum in East Point, Darwin.

Rabbi Menachem Aron with Dr Norman Cramp and members of the local Jewish community. 

A very good morning from Darwin, NT!

Rabbi Menachem Aron is visiting for Shabbat this weekend.

 We are keeping in mind our friends in NSW that have been affected by the flooding. Hoping that everyone stays safe and dry.

Rabbi Yossi Rodal is the director of Hunter Chabad, a Jewish outreach organisation that serves people living in Newcastle, and Hunter Region in NSW. He recently returned from an 8 day mission to Israel. On Monday, he spoke with us and shared some of his experiences. Below is an article he penned on the flight back home, reflecting on his time in the Holy Land.

You may be familiar with the story of a king who promised 1 million dollars to the man that would be brave enough to swim across the crocodile infested river.

Only one person goes in and furiously swims and kicks, narrowly making it to the other side.

After congratulating the brave man, the king asked  if he had something to say, hopeful that his ensuing words would inspire others to face their fears, be courageous, etc.

"I have only one thing to say," proclaims the man. "Who pushed me in?"

During this past week, I had the privilege of being part of a group of Rabbis and Rebbetzins from NSW, visiting the length and breadth of Israel, receiving and giving strength and inspiration in the aftermath of Simchas Torah/Oct 7.

Sponsored by world Mizrachi, we were able to  meet people and go to places that aren't accessible to tourists.

I can honestly say that this has been one of the most impactful weeks of my life.

Besides for spending each day with fellow rabbis and rebbetzins, the people we met and the experiences we witnessed have left an indelible impression on me.

You see, I reckon I've met some very impressive people throughout the course of my life.  Movers and shakers, rich ppl, poor ppl, scholars, askanim,  you name it.

But here in Israel, it's a  different type of person that left a much deeper mark on me.

It's Yuval, a teacher in university who together with his electrician brother Eli, defended his yishuv from 12 armed terrorists, one with a rock in hand and  the other with the only gun in the region.

It's Bentzi, a soft spoken Rabbi who was called to identify hundreds of body parts mangled in the most unimaginable ways.

It's Ari, an ex sales rep who somehow fundraised for and provided thousands of life saving vests, helmets, boats, and civilian training for the southern communities.

It's Ruby, a bereaved father who's unbearable pain is palpable as he pleads for his son Itay's body to be returned from captivity in Gaza.

It's Yotam, an accountant who organised the entire evacuation of Kiryat Shemona's 24,000 residents and looked after their physical and mental health needs for 18 months.

It's Michael, who's son Yair was killed in Gaza a few months ago and all he can think about is if we've eaten enough and how others can do more mitzvot in memory of Yair.

It's Simcha in Chevron, with his mind boggling bravery, living in accute danger for 30 years to ensure the Jewish presence in the world's second holiest city remains.

And of course it's the average soldier, sweltering in the heat with all their gear as they bravely put their lives on the line to protect Am Yisrael.

And there are more heroes. Thousands and thousands and thousands more. They may be dressed in lab coats and suits, or perhaps overalls and nursing gowns,  but don't let their disguise fool you for a second. These are giants among men and women.

Ask them how and why they are sacrificing it all and they'll all tell you virtually the same thing. "Who pushed me in?" Im lo ani, az mi? (Coined by daniel Peretz a'h) If not me, then who?"

Some will continue. "How can I not realise that I am a part of a bigger picture? How can I not protect my kibbutz and my people? It's who we are as a people and I need to play my role in our collective destiny. There is something greater than my own needs and wants."

And as I sit on the plane on my long way back to Newcastle Australia,  I consider my own situation.  I can't recall ever having to run to a shelter in middle of the night, nor do I need to look around at the buildings around me knowing that are people there that want me dead. I don't have anyone in my family killed in the line of duty, nor has my life revolved around an injury suffered by a child on the battlefield, Thank Gd.

And yes, I have my own mission which comes with its own challenges, which I reckon are quite unique.

 I know that there are many people who look at what my wife Malki and I sacrifice, home-schooling and being the only frum friends of our children, making do without kosher food, rarely having a minyan, and other various challenges and they marvel.

 But wow, these people have left me feeling woefully inadequate in so many ways. These are real life heroes, giants who walk the Holy Land of Israel.

"And yet", I continue to ponder silently. (There may be a few tears happening at this point)  "I can take lessons from these giants and apply them to my daily life. I can be a giant in my own way. 

The next time we are struggling to cover the budget, I'll remember you Yotam and make sure the work gets done, come what may. After all, the mission is bigger than our problems. The funds will come with a bit of faith.

The next time I feel like I have too much on and I have no time to learn Torah, I'll remember you, Yair, who found time to keep up your impressive study regime even in the army.  Surely I can manage to make time for important things too.

The next time I have 6 backpackers around the shabbat table and feel like perhaps they are just there for a free meal, I'll remember them being on the front lines for us and serve them with the biggest and sincerest smile one can ever come up with.

The next time community members are apathetic and seem not to care, I'll remember you Ruby and how the entire nation came to support you when it really mattered, when the false pretences of disunity were torn away, revealing the one beating heart that we all share equally. 

And the next time I'm feeling like I can't do it anymore and just want to move back to a robust Jewish community,  I'll remember you Bentzi, who didn't want to identify a severed finger but did what had to be done. 

And the next time I struggle to support a person challenged with  physical  or mental health issues, I'll remember you Jeremy and the other injured soldiers we visited, and the beautiful lives they lead notwithstanding the chronic PTSD and injuries that they struggle mightily with.

And the next time I ask someone to come to shul or class and they seem not to care, I'll remember you the precious kedoshim of Nova, who were slaughtered because they were Jewish, and weren't asked if they had attended shul that day.

And finally, when I think that perhaps sometimes I am forcing myself to do this mission and struggle to find meaning and enjoy it through the good and also the bad, I'll remember you, the people of Alon Shvut, and I'll sing and dance my way through the challenges, persevering until I can find  the joy and beauty that is there for the taking.

I'd like to one day stand proud and tall among the Yotams, Michael's, Yuvals and Sharis of the world and tell them, "Your sacrifices are not in vain. You and your heroic lessons are alive and well here in far off Newcastle." 

I too can try to be a giant among my people. And so can you.

 Rabbi Yossi Rodal leads the Jewish community in the Hunter region, two hours north of Sydney. He recently returned from an Israel solidarity mission along with 25 others rabbis from NSW. Hear some of his first-hand accounts of the details of his trip.

Tonight and tomorrow we celebrate Lag B'omer!

Almost 2,000 years ago, the great Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai—teacher, mystic, and fearless defender of Torah—knew the exact day he would leave this world. He gathered his closest students and requested that they celebrate instead of mourning:

“This day is my hillula. With one bond I am bound to the Holy One… on this day, there is no sadness.”  — Zohar

The Talmud says a “great fire” surrounded his home that night. His students sang. They danced. And they passed on his charge: Every year on this date, rejoice.

 Are you around Fremantle, WA? Please join our volunteers, Yaakov and Nochum, for a BBQ in the park, this Thursday!

Jewish people across Australia were able to celebrate Pesach this year, thanks to the efforts of a large team of volunteers that travelled far and wide to ensure that no Jew is without a Seder, or Matza, for Pesach.

Headed by Rabbi Menachem Aron at Chabad of Rural and Regional Australia (RARA), a multi-faceted approach was taken, with people being engaged in a variety of different ways.

RARA oversaw Public Pesach Seders being coordinated in four different locations around the country, and for hundreds of other families, Matza, grape juice, and other Pesach staples were made available on the RARA online store, and shipped around the country.

First up was Darwin, a city of 120,000 people in the north of the country. Home to about 200 Jewish people, Chabad of RARA has been visiting and hosting Pesach Seders there for more than 20 years. This year, Eli Selek and Shneur Gurevitch, as well as three rabbinical students from Yeshivah Gedolah - the Rabbinical College in Melbourne - made the trip up, spending one week in the area, and hosting a Seder for 40 people on the first night of Pesach.

Jessica, who has lived in Darwin for the past 3 years, shared, “I really appreciate the Chabad crew coming to Darwin. The rabbis explained everything that was happening during the Seder and what page of the Haggadah we were up to.”

Oliver, who attended the Seder with his wife, related that he most enjoyed everyone getting together to share a meal and celebrate Pesach.

Moving back 3,000 kilometres down towards the coast, another group of volunteers visited the inland city of Toowoomba, a two hour flight and 1.5 hour drive from Melbourne. This quite city is home to the site of the very first Shul ever built in Queensland in the late 1800’s, and today, a small but vibrant Jewish community. The Seder was coordinated by Sruli Shapiro and Tzvi Levitin and a group of rabbinical students from the Yeshivah Gedolah in Melbourne. Yossi Matoci, a long-time local in Toowoomba hosted the Seder at his house, which was attended by 30 people from all different age groups and backgrounds. 

Crystal and her young daughter attended the Seder, and shared “This year the Seder was smaller, which gave me a chance to meet and talk to the other people. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Rabbi did an excellent job. He was funny and engaging and ran the Seder very well.”

Down in New South Wales, two hours from Sydney is the beautiful Blue Mountains. This year, just meters from the world famous Echo Point - Three Sisters Lookout, a very large Seder was hosted that saw over 100 people attend across both nights. A team from Melbourne led by Yeshivah College Shluchim Maish Geisinsky and Nechemia Herson made the trip up, and were assisted by Mendel Hoffman from Sydney. Arriving just over 48 hours before the Pesach weekend began, they worked tirelessly to ensure that everything was ready for the grand Seder night.

Becky joined the Seder had a great time, and shared, “The boys were so warm and inviting. They really made us feel comfortable and they were so talented in the kitchen- all the food was delicious! Avraham and Rabbi Moshe engaged with all the guests so nicely. Thank you!”

And lastly, Levi and Dina Rosenbaum from Melbourne headed up to Chevron Island, a neighborhood in Queensland’s Gold Coast, where they hosted 30 people for the Seders, including holiday makers from Melbourne, locals, and Israeli travellers. One of the Melbourne visitors shared, “I really enjoyed meeting such diverse people. Levi and Dina were so warm, and it was great to connect over the Haggadah and share new insights into the Pesach Seder.”

For those unable to make it to a community Seder, Chabad of RARA offered a “Seder at home” kit with the essentials for making a Seder in any setting, as well as an online store with a large selection of Pesach items.

Over 250 such packages were shipped all over Australia, enabling Jewish people to celebrate wherever they were. Shana from Port Macquarie in New South Wales shared, “this is an incredible service to the Jewish community of rural and regional Australia. Well done!”

Margaret, who lives in Ballarat, hosted her own Seder and ordered Matza and other items from Chabad. “I really enjoyed just everything!  I am so very grateful for the Pesach supplies!  It made celebration and observance so much more meaningful. Thank you.”

One notable story took place in collaboration with Rabbi Dudu Lider from the Beit Chabad in Melbourne. A package had been sent to Lavi, an Israeli traveller working on a cattle station some 10 hours from Brisbane. Although the package did arrive at the local post office a week before Pesach, widespread flooding in the area meant that the two-hour drive from the station to the post office was impossible. Rabbi Lider used his contacts, and was able to coordinate a private plane to pick up the package from the post office, and land on the farm where Lavi was working. In a video of the package arriving, Lavi’s eyes light up at the sight of a Kippa, matza, and a bottle of grape juice.

Thanks to RARA, over the Pesach season well over 1,000 people were engaged in celebrating the Passover holiday, whether they live 20 minutes from Melbourne, or across the country.

In addition to the Seders that Chabad of RARA coordinated themselves, Rabbi Menachem Aron was also instrumental in placing young Yeshiva student volunteers around Public Pesach Seders around Australia. Some 40 young bochurim headed out to 17 different locations, from as far as Margaret River in Western Australia to Cairns in Queensland, and lots of places in between, to ensure that Chabad Rabbis around Australia would have the help they needed to bring Pesach to the masses.

Chabad of RARA and the RARA Foundation would like to thank our donors, supporters, and friends for ensuring that Pesach this year could run so smoothly, and that so many Jewish people had access to what they needed, no matter where.

As we look ahead, RARA is as busy as ever, with a new group of travelling rabbis last week making the trip 3,500km from Melbourne to Perth via road, (that's Yaakov and Nochum above, halfway across the Nullarbor!) where they will be spending the next two months visiting families in the south of Western Australia. And over the coming months, five more such trips will be taking place, ensuring that no Jew is left behind.

The Seder table is all set for the 2025 Pesach Seder in Toowoomba, QLD

The view from our campervan this week, as our volunteers Yaakov and Nochum travel from Melbourne to Perth

Over 250 boxes of Pesach supplies were shipped out all over the country

Our team of volunteers getting ready to head up to the Blue Mountains to host a Pesach Seder

Yaakov and Nochum make it across the Nullarbor

Over 40 young rabbinical rabbis headed to 17 different locations around Australia to assist with Passover events

Shipping out supplies all over the country in time for Passover

 We shared hand made Matza with people from Margaret River to Mullumbimby

 Over 500 individual boxes of Matza were sent out this season

Our volunteers getting ready to head up to Darwin to host a Pesach Seder

 Our volunteers on the way to Toowoomba

The Blue Mountains Pesach Seder table is all set

Have you driven down this road? Our volunteers did yesterday!

Have a good Shabbos, and be sure to light the Shabbat candles before sunset tonight.

You might have noticed that the motorhome in our recent posts is not our usual one that goes around Australia. That's because our RARA Mitzva Mobile Library is undergoing some very exciting upgrades... stay tuned for the stunning results!

And a very special thank you to all those that have made this project possible.

Do you live in rural or regional Western Australia?

We'd love to say hello!

 Some pictures coming in of the beautiful outback South Australia from our volunteers on the road.

Have you been to Australia's longest wooden jetty?

Our volunteers visited it today, in Port Germein in South Australia. They are well into their cross-Nullarbor journey.

Still lots of extra stock matza available!

Head over to our online store for our clearance sale - Matza and our other Pesach products taste great year-round.

Some under-the-hood stuff for this morning: Without going into too much detail, we noticed last night that certain posts of ours had been removed from certain platforms. Which got us thinking that if the only way you get your updates from us is via one platform, if that platform goes down, we might not hear from each other any more! And we would certainly miss you. So you may want to bear that in mind, and consider signing up to receive email updates from us as well.

Have a great week ahead!