Memorable Multiculturalism at Temple Beth Israel

I attend the Temple Beth Israel (TBI) fairly regularly on Saturday mornings and about two or three years ago I met a charming middle-aged couple Graham & Stella Edgar sitting in the same row with whom I was soon engaged in conversation prior to the start of the service. The following week they were there again and I quickly realised they'd joined the small dedicated band of "regulars"...

A few months later I received an invitation to their wedding and a few weeks later had great pleasure in attending the neighbourly nuptials at the Temple one Sunday afternoon with about 60 guests forming a huge circle around the happy couple under the "Chuppah" (wedding canopy).

The wedding at Temple Beth Israel.

Yes, the bride was noticeably nervous and was attended by her daughter acting as Matron of Honour. Their tiny toddler grandson, carefully carrying the ring on a white velvet cushion, perfectly performed his decorous duties at the appropriate time.

Unbeknown to most of the other guests and I was the fact that the Edgars had been attending conversion classes for some time - Graham having started on his own, later joined by Stella who initially wasn't interested. The Rabbi was delighted they'd decided to become formally married and everyone joyfully joined hands and danced a "Hora", a traditional Israeli song to the truly thrilling tune "Havanagillah", after which all pleasurably partook of a wonderful wedding breakfast.

It was later revealed that this couple, originally from New Zealand, had been married for approximately 30 years - and so another substantial brick of multiculturalism was added to the solid foundations of TBI with it's many barmitzvahs & batmitzvahs (13 year old boys & 12 year old girls) of Asian birth as well as adult folk from all around the world...

Congenial close ties have been established between some Sudanese Muslim families and TBI members with children of similar ages, visiting each other's homes & sharing outings, picnics etc. - more evidence of the importance attached to the necessary need for the direct dissemination of more information about diverse cultures in this confused mixed-up world...

Since writing the above, another delightful couple, Graham & Chris Smith, firm friends of the Edgars, have also become TBI regulars and I'm fortunate to have them sitting right next to me.

'till next time - in about 10 days

What I value most in my life today at nearly 89

No. 1 of course - family.... looking forward to new additions... last month I had the great pleasure of hearing of the safe arrival of greatgrandchild No. 10 to Sally & Gabe, Toby Bo Snyder..... I also enjoy the fervent facial expressions of the grandparents (for the first time) Vonne & Peter.

Harry with his 10th great grandchild, Toby Bo Snyder

I'll love hearing about Toby's growing-up antics, timidly taking his first steps, then the first day at kinder etc., and with the older great grandchildren highlights of school days, mastering musical instruments... then their overseas trips and first jobs and sometimes special news of perdurable promotions and sporting achievements......

I look forward to visits from my busy children - Peter, regularly, every weekend, Jo every Wednesday at Ardoch and Fridays at Essendon catching up with her sons & families...

I value very much the fact that in the whole of my life I've never suffered boredom....

I appreciate that I can still, with reasonable sight in just one eye, paint tiny decorous detailed pictures. I also value that I can derive splendid satisfaction from putting words to paper and then on to the computer and that I've learned to accept unpleasant or unpalatable happenings like losing my wallet or mislaying my specs and not panicking (most times...).

I also appreciate having no financial fears and that I'm able to be marvellously mobile and walk without any aids and can easily handle public transport and therefore being able to assist others less fortunate living in aged-care residential homes with voluntary work reading & discussing news & current affairs. I value muchly my general good health.... although in the past few months I've had 4 admissions to Cabrini for 2 - 12 day stays I always seem to bounce back from setbacks with a rapid recovery...

So I've decided - when I'm old, say 95, or over, in 7 years time (if I can remember)

• I'll not pretend to be young or be angry if referred to as old...
• I won't complain of being old...
• I won't form the habit of indulging in reminiscences...
• I won't compare the past with the present - claiming the past was much better...
• If I'm a bit deaf, unsteady on my feet or lame I won't advertise my infirmities but avoid obtruding them upon the notice of others as much as possible
• I'll speak cheerfully or not at all....
• I'll never indulge in cynicism, never sneer at youth,and try to appreciate what younger folk do....
• I'll continue never to be bored...
• I'll never give advice unless it's asked for, and then not ofter...
• I'll never be a nuisance or encumbrance so far as in me lies.
• I'll be as little disagreeable as possible and never use disagreeability to get my way
• I will cultivate the friendship & compainship of young children who usually undeerstand old age.
• I'll try to demonstrate that old age is a spiritual opportunity and not a physical calamity.
• Forced to become a bystander I'll try to be a helpful and cheerful one.
• I'll constantly count my blessings.

Konrad Adenauer (1867 - 1967, German poet & post World War 2 leader once said to his doctor - "I haven't asked you to make me young again - all I want is to continue getting older"............

'till next time, in about a week to 10 days.....

Our pet kangaroo "Henry Lawson"

One morning about 7.15am, just back from my morning swim, I came into the kitchen and heard Red Symons of ABC 774 talking about a pet kangaroo who was receiving a special award for knocking on the door of the farmhouse property where he lived and alerting the family to the fact of the father having been injured by the tractor in a paddock.

I immediately rang Red, with whom I often share a few words, telling him about our pet kangaroo who answered to the name of Henry Lawson. I then realised it'd make a good blog..............

Henry Lawson, playing with the grandchildren.

Some 30 years ago when we were living on our 30 acre property Prospect Hill Park at Wandin North - just 10 minutes past lovely Lilydale along the Warburton Highway, my then partner in my real estate business Ian Davis turned up one day on our doorstep caressing and cradling in his arms a truly tiny baby kangaroo he'd found in it's dead mother's pouch on the side of the road while away in the bush....... feeling sure that Marge and I would care and look after him (we jumped at the chance), he gave us a baby's bottle with which he'd been feeding him.

We had a beautiful old barn about 50 metres up the hill and we soon prepared him a cosy comfortable sleeping spot. He adored smoothly sucking the teat as he fixed his eager eyes on mine while I was comfortably seated in my favourite chair.........

The barn at Prospect Hill Park.

As he grew I soon introduced him to hopping along next to me as we wandered through the pine forest and open paddocks across the creek and around the swimming pool.

Gradually, as he grew more confident, he'd venture further afield but by now had become quite used to his name Henry Lawson, who was an early Australian writer and poet, and when I called out "HENRY!" he'd soon come into view boisterously bounding along the green-grassed paddocks - a spectacular sight.

At that time we only had three grandchildren, Stephen, Campbell and James, who adored him. I can't remember how long he was a beloved member of the Greenberg household but once when the boys were playing with him he suddenly excitedly extended his front paws and began throwing punches at Stephen!

It was obviously time for Henry Lawson to move on and I accordingly released him at the Healesville Sanctuary where he was soon enjoying the company of other kangaroos. A few days later I took the boys there to a large grazing group and endeavoured to see him but we couldn't recognize him among the others and when we shouted out his name a few times we were only rewarded with languid looks as though we were crazy.................

Strangely enough, Henry's boxing partner then, Stephen, is living quite close to him at Healesville........
 
'till next time, hopefully in about 10 days...