A New Torah to Make the Spirit Grow

MELBOURNE, Australia [CHI] — Melbourne’s new wholistic growth center, Spiritgrow, celebrated its ‘coming of age’ when it held its first Siyum Sefer Torah’ this past Sunday. Over 250 people crowded the soothing contours of the Spiritgrow building, after a colorful procession led by a retinue of drums and bongos from Caulfield Park along Balaclava Rd.

The Torah, dedicated by the Smorgon family, represented by Steven and Kathy Smorgon, and the Brown family, represented by Beverly Brown, for Spiritshul, has an interesting background story. When Spiritgrow opened its doors two and a half years ago, its target members were Jews who had been deprived of Jewish teachings and spirituality. Its shul, Spiritshul, which started a year later was designed as a way of teaching spiritually inclined, but not knowledgeable men and women the skills and content of davvenning. Its décor of bean bags became a ‘brand’ for Spiritshul.

A year and a half later Spiritshul boasts a sizable community of Jewish men and women and children – including those with a capacity to daven and those who have now advanced from their early stages a year earlier. It continues to attract new attendees who are drawn to Rabbi Menachem Wolf’s style of shul leadership that includes humour, a running commentary, meditation, and Chabad Niggunim. A big attraction is also the sushi and sake Kiddush Friday nights (as well as a parve vegetarian plus meat cholents before Shabbat Musaf!).

To date, Spiritshul had to borrow Sifrei Torah for its services. Now, through the generosity of these two families, as well as a beautiful Kesser donated by the Eva Samuel and Michael Samuel Families, and a stunning breastplate donated by David Bardas families, local Sofer, Rabbi Eli Gutnick, was able to procure a magnificently scribed Sefer Torah from Israel.

The moving Siyum brought tears to many eyes as both Rabbi Menachem Wolf, and his father, Rabbi Laibl Wolf, described the meaning of the occasion with great poignancy.

The Spiritgrow – Josef Kryss Wholistic Centre is fast becoming a magnet for the younger set with its monthly single dinners that have capacity crowds of 150 and more, plus its weekly sessions in Jewish meditation for stress management and its spirituality classes based on classic mystical texts like Sefer Tanya. And for Mums and tots – every Monday morning mothers meet for insights, games, sharing with Rebbetzin Rochel Wolf. And Spiritgrow’s dedicated cuisine centre has Rebbetzin Leah Wolf teaching the culinary skills of health and Jewish cooking.

For information, Rabbi Menachem Wolf can be contacted on info@spiritgrow.org or (03) 9509 7211