This may sound odd but I am penning this piece in a room which is roughly five times my age.

As I sit in East Melbourne Shul, a one hundred and thirty year old structure, I marvel at how man made creations like buildings can so easily outlive G-d created entities such as humans. Yet paradoxically, the building, no matter how strong or vast, is so utterly lifeless and meaningless without us finite and fickle humans filling its air with prayer, song and meaning.

As the Rabbi, It is somewhat tempting to wax lyrical about the beautiful Shule. How when I walk off busy Albert Street teeming with frantic business people and late night revelers and take the five steps into the shule's doors, it's like entering a time warp or bubble of spirituality and peace. It is also tempting to bemoan the empty pews, the silent corridors, the dormant prayer books. But I shall resist.

Well actually, I can't resist telling one brief joke about Shule non attendance. The one about the Rabbi and the priest eating lunch together. The priest turns to the Rabbi and says, "Rabbi, as a man of wisdom and of the book, tell me, do you have any ideas on how to remove an infestation of mice from my church?" The Rabbis looks up wisely and replies, "well actually, I too had a mouse infestation and I dealt with it quite brilliantly, if I may say so myself. I gave them all Kippas and prayer books and barmitzvad them. And they were never seen in shul again!"

Well in the three months I've been at East Melbourne, it hasn't been all that bad really. There has been a minyan every Shabbat morning without fail. The average number of Shule attendees is rising steadily. Several new members have signed up. The Chanukah event was well attended. Friday night student dinners and regular Torah classes are restarting. And of course there are visitors and tourists coming through the doors daily. Mind you, there's not a mouse to be seen.

And there is a vision for the future. A vision of song and prayer, study and laughter; of an elegant and regal building restored to her former glory; of friends and family spending festive occasions together, and much more.

But the most central component of that vision is you. Without a community of individuals the vision evaporates in a flash, the music dies, the laughter ceases, and the lights are extinguished. Every one of you no matter your shape, status or configuration is at the epicenter of East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation.

There is a well known teaching explaining that the Hebrew word for congregation – tzibur is an acronym for three words Tzadik – the righteous Benoni -the average one and Rasha -the wicked one. All the diverse categories of human beings are included in the community. All are relevant. All are needed.

 When the Austrian emperor Joseph II famously remarked to Mozart that the "The marriage of Figaro" had too many notes, Mozart answered that there was neither a note extra nor a note missing. So it is in our community, just as in any family, there is not a person extra nor can there be a person missing.

On behalf of my wife Rachel, as well as my children Shneur Chaim and Menachem Mendel, I thank you for welcoming us to the community in the warm manner that you have and look forward to growing together as a community.

Rabbi Dovid Gutnick

Rabbi Gutnick can be reached by email at rabbi@melbournecitysynagogue.com or mobile 0430 384 948