We run daily morning (Shacharit) services as well as Friday night and Yom Tov night (Minchah/Ma’ariv) services. Check our calendar for forthcoming service times.

Days of Torah reading:

  • Monday morning (Shacharit starts 6.45am)
  • Thursday morning (Shacharit starts 6.45am)
  • Shabbat morning (Shacharit starts 9.00am)
  • Shabbat afternoon (Minchah starts around 1hr 15min before Shabbat ends)
  • Rosh Chodesh (start of the Jewish month) (Shacharit with Hallel starts 6.45am)
  • Fast day morning (Shacharit starts 6.45am) – not appropriate for a simchah other than brit
  • Fast day afternoon (Minchah) – not appropriate for a simchah other than brit
  • Festival day mornings (Shacharit starts 9.00am)

Service times:

  • Shabbat/Yom Tov services commence 9.00am (Shule).
  • Non-Torah reading weekdays (eg Tue, Wed, Fri) services commence 7.00am (DC).
  • Mon, Thu, Rosh Chodesh services commence 6.45am (DC).
  • Sundays and public holidays services commence 8.00am (DC).

Honours: To give you an idea of how many people we could honour, consider the following but remember that we may have other people, not associated with your simchah, who may also need to be honoured on the day (download our call-up list here for Shabbat/Yom Tov mornings or afternoon Minchah):

  • Shabbat: Open the Ark (as many as 3 or more people. They will not need to say any Hebrew or make any blessings); 1 x Cohen; 1 x Levi; Israelites (as many as 5 or more people); Hagba’ah (someone who lifts the Torah. He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings but will need to be sufficiently strong, so this is not normally given to anyone under 18 or over 70); Gelilah (someone who wraps the Torah. He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings. Can be given to anyone under 18 or over 70).
  • Monday/Thursday/Fast day: Open the Ark (as many as 2 people. They will not need to say any Hebrew or make any blessings); 1 x Cohen; 1 x Levi; 1 x Israelite; Hagba’ah (someone who lifts the Torah. He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings but will need to be sufficiently strong, so this is not normally given to anyone under 18 or over 70); Gelilah (someone who wraps the Torah. He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings. Can be given to anyone under 18 or over 70).
  • Rosh Chodesh/Chanukah/Chol HaMoed: Open the Ark (as many as 2 people. They will not need to say any Hebrew or make any blessings); 1 x Cohen; 1 x Levi; 2 x Israelites; Hagba’ah (someone who lifts the Torah. He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings but will need to be sufficiently strong, so this is not normally given to anyone under 18 or over 70); Gelilah (someone who wraps the Torah.He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings. Can be given to anyone under 18 or over 70).
  • Yom Tov: Open the Ark (as many as 3 or more people. They will not need to say any Hebrew or make any blessings); 1 x Cohen; 1 x Levi; 3 x Israelites; Hagba’ah (someone who lifts the Torah. He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings but will need to be sufficiently strong, so this is not normally given to anyone under 18 or over 70); Gelilah (someone who wraps the Torah.He will not need to say any Hebrew or blessings. Can be given to anyone under 18 or over 70).

Kiddushim: An in-house, light kiddush is put on for the regulars each Shabbat and Yom Tov after the morning service. It has now become common practice that this kiddush is sponsored each week (from $400) by someone who wishes to celebrate a minor occasion – a birthday, Bar Mitzvah anniversary, wedding anniversary, yahrzeit, a baby naming or just to celebrate one’s return from overseas. The kiddush is attended by around 60 regulars.

For significant occasions, such as a Bar Mitzvah or Aufruff, typically the ba’al simchah will organise for a catered kiddush with waiting staff in either the Danglow Centre or the larger Adele Southwick Centre in the Samuel Meyers Hall. Kiddushim can be entirely stand around affairs, sit down affairs or anything in between. You can either organise for your own, Kosher Australia-approved caterer and pay our low venue hire fee or ask for our office to organise our own caterer (check out our sponsored kiddush options here) to handle your affair and the hall hire fee is on us! While we do not insist that a ba’al simchah includes the regulars in the kiddush, we very actively encourage ba’alei simchah to include the regulars because we do not wish to disenfranchise the people who come every Shabbat by making them feel left out. Where, for budgetary reasons, one cannot include the regulars we then ask ba’alei simchah to consider sponsoring a separate kiddush for the regulars.

Lechayim: A lechayim will be light refreshments following the prayer service on non-Shabbat and non-Yom Tov days as, formally, the word Kiddush comes from the prayer said immediately prior to eating on a Shabbat or Yom Tov. Occasions when you may wish to have a lechayim:

  • celebrating a baby naming (Consider some soft drinks, whisky, biscuits and cake. For something more fancy, consider adding tea/coffee)
  • celebrating a brit milah (This is a reasonably substantial occasion so the food will need to match the sense of occasion. Consider some soft drinks, whisky, biscuits, cake, club sandwiches or filled bagels, tea/coffee, possibly yogurt or little glasses of muesli)
  • celebrating a pidyon haben (This is a reasonably substantial occasion so the food will need to match the sense of occasion. Consider some soft drinks, whisky, biscuits, cake, club sandwiches or filled bagels, tea/coffee, possibly yogurt or little glasses of muesli)
  • celebrating an opsherin (Consider some soft drinks, whisky, biscuits and cake. For something more fancy, consider adding tea/coffee)
  • celebrating a Bar Mitzvah boy’s first call-up or putting tefillin on for the first time (Consider whisky, biscuits or cake)
  • celebrating an Aufruff (Consider some soft drinks, whisky, biscuits and cake. For something more fancy, consider adding tea/coffee)
  • commemorating a yahrzeit (Consider whisky, biscuits or cake)

Seudah Shlishit: Where a simchah has been called for a Shabbat afternoon (Minchah) service, it is customary to follow the service with a light meal including some challah, soft drinks, fish, some hard drinks and cake. Depending on the number of people expected to the simchah, the Seudah Shlishit might take place in:

Havdalah: This is a beautiful ceremony to mark the conclusion of a Shabbat or Yom Tov lasting just a few minutes and consists of the use of a plaited candle, some blessings, the smelling of spices and the drinking of wine/grape juice. Many people who choose to have a Shabbat afternoon ceremony (typically, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Aufruff) will often go into the Seudah Shlishit and then conclude with Havdalah.