BCOD and Newtown welcome Elul

Ohel Devorah’s Elul Zoom event combined Mrs.Mina  Elbaum’s Shloshim with Elul words of inspiration by Rebbetzin Rivkah Groner and Story Presenter Mrs. Timmy Rubin.  At a Shloshim, it is customary to learn Mishnayos. In Pirkei Avos Perek 3 Mishna 10 Reb Chanina ben Dosa says, ‘Anyone who acts with love towards his fellow so that people find him to be pleasant, Hashem also finds pleasant, because that person has treated Hashem’s children well’. That mishna seemed like a perfect match for Mrs Elbaum and her kind, nurturing way. Mrs Elbaum was like royalty the way she warmly welcomed everyone into shule. She wouldn’t leave shule until she smiled and said something nice to everyone. She was like the Mezuzah on the door and was kissed by all who entered. Mrs Elbaum loved and cared about everyone. Rivkah also described how Mrs Elbaum loved davening and saying Tehilim so dearly.

Timmy Rubin ‘kept us on the edge of our seats as she shared her story of how she became who she is today’ said one of the RCWC event attendees. ‘We followed her fascinating journey from Melbourne, through India, Europe and New York before coming back to Melbourne. Thank you Timmy!

Newtown women’s Rosh Chodesh circle also had a wonderful evening welcoming in the new month of Elul. There was a wonderful attendance of ladies of all ages from around Sydney. Thanks to guest speaker psychologist Zipporah Oliver OAM for her personal and encouraging inspiration, taking us through the journey of time seeing where we’ve come from, where we’ve fallen short, trusting in hashem’s love to help us pick ourselves up and looking forward to forgiveness, healing relationships and reconnection to our own soul.

We got stuck into reading through some heavy duty Rosh Hashanah davening, and enjoyed real live singing as it befits a good farbrengen. The evening was dedicated to the memory and aliyas haneshomo of Elka Feldman’s grandfather Yaakov Yisroel Ben Shamai whose yahrtzeit is on the second night of Rosh Chodesh Elul and who loved the heartfelt song of a niggun.

It was also dedicated as a Refuah sheleima, complete and speedy recovery for a dear community member Judy Silver, Yehudis bas Shiphrah who is a stalwart of every event.

The ladies recalled that this now brings our Newtown Rosh Chodesh women’s circle to its anniversary month and immediately started planning for the next one!