A Historic Torah Dedication On The Sunshine Coast

This past weekend, more than three hundred people gathered together in Queensland for a Shabbaton and Siyum Sefer Torah.

Taking place in the Sunshine Coast, 100 kilometres north of Brisbane, the event was 18 months in the making, beginning in February 2021 when a joint pledge was made to donate a Sefer Torah to the Sunshine Coast Chabad House.

The Torah was donated by Mr. Josh and Robyn Goldhirsch and Mr. Mendel and Chaya Rochel Schachter, dedicated to the memories of the late Aron Goldhirsch OBM and the late Joel Schachter OBM.

To mark this special occasion, friends and family flew to the Sunshine Coast for a special Shabbos get-together. Staying in various accommodations around the area, the crowd came together at the Chabad House for Shabbos, davening and eating together for a full 25 hours.

The Shabbaton and Siyum were catered by Moshe Phillips of Events by Moe, who flew up to the Sunshine Coast and spent many hours ensuring everyone was well fed. Coordinating a Kosher event a two hour plane ride away from Melbourne was no easy feat, but Moshe took care of it.

Chabad of the Sunshine Coast was established by Mr. Saul and Beverly Spigler with Chabad of Rural and Regional Australia (RARA) in early 2020. Dedicated to the memory of Mr. Nissim Codron, the house is a hub of activity for Jewish life in the area.

The Sunshine Coast itself has experienced massive growth in the last decade, increasing by over 80,000 residents since 2011. The area is projected to grow to half a million people by 2024, and together with the growing population, comes a growing Jewish presence. Aware of this, Chabad of RARA saw the need to place a permanent family of Shluchim in the area to meet the needs of the Jewish community.

In early 2022, Rabbi Oshy and Liba Goodman and their three daughters moved to the Sunshine Coast as the Chabad Shluchim. They were paired up with the Sunshine Coast by Rabbi Menachem Aron, director of Chabad of RARA, who led a global search to find the most appropriate family with the necessary skill sets to lead the Jewish community on the Sunny Coast.

In the eight months that the Goodmans have been here, they have reached out to families of all demographics. Oshy is originally from Manchester, England, and Liba grew up in Moscow, Russia. To date, the Goodman’s are in touch with almost 300 families, with that number growing on a daily basis.

The special Shabbos provided visitors from Melbourne and Sydney the opportunity to see firsthand the work of Chabad in the area, with community members joining in the meals, and speaking about the proud Jewish presence that is growing on the coast. Many stories were shared of the impact that the Goodman’s have been having on the area, which extends from North Lakes in the south, all the way up beyond Noosa up to Gympie in the north, an area of 140 kilometres from top to bottom.

Prior to Shabbos, letters of the Torah were written in Melbourne at the homes of Mr. Josh and Robyn Goldhirsch and Mr. Max Schachter. Members of the Melbourne community came to participate in this great Mitzvah, and wish a Lchaim to the families.

One of the special guests that flew in was Dr. Rael Codron, together with his mother Sophie and uncle Richard. Dr. Codron, originally from Capetown, South Africa and now based in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, built the Chabad House in the Sunshine Coast, and dedicated it to his fathers memory, Mr. Nissim Codron OBM. Living and working in rural and remote areas, Dr. Codron grew close to Chabad of RARA over the years. Approximately five years ago, he began an online weekly Torah Chavrusah with Mr. Rafi Goodman in Melbourne, something that the two have kept going on a weekly basis.

By incredible Divine Providence, the Siyum fell out to be on 17 Kislev, the day of Dr. Codron’s father’s fourth Yahrtzeit. Dr. Codron was emotional during the Torah procession, and later said “This was the best day of my life since arriving in Australia.”

On Sunday, the first ever Siyum Sefer Torah in the Sunshine Coast took place in Mooloolaba, a popular spot in the downtown area. Crowds gathered in a local park, and were joined by local Members of Parliament Mr. Andrew Wallace and Ted O’Brien, local Jewish residents, and even more guests from Brisbane and interstate that flew in to be present at the historic Siyum.

After the final letters were written into the Torah, a lively parade ensued through the streets of the area, complete with music and dancing. It was a sight to see, being the biggest display of Jewish pride in recent history in the region.

During the Torah parade, members of the local community, as well as guests that had flown in were given the special opportunity to hold the newly-completed Torah and dance with it. For many, this was their first time seeing such a public display of Jewish pride, and the parade was a tremendous Kiddush Hashem.

On arrival at the hall, very joyous dancing took place as the Torah was welcomed into the community. For more than an hour, people danced and rejoiced with the new Torah.

Rabbi Oshy Goodman addressed the crowd gathered, expressing gratitude to all those that had put in a tremendous effort to make the Siyum happen. “It is an absolute honour for myself and Liba to be here to serve the community, and we look forward to meeting more local Jewish families in the near future.” Rabbi Oshy also touched on the significance of the Hakhel year, and how appropriate it was that everyone was coming together for this special occasion.

Following the dancing, speeches were delivered, and then a large buffet lunch was served. Many of the participants laid Tefillin, and Chanuka candles and menorahs were also distributed.

Mr. Saul Spigler, founder of Chabad of RARA said, “This has been an incredible weekend, and it is so special to be here. In such a short amount of time, there has been tremendous growth for Jewish life on the Coast. We wish Rabbi Oshy and Liba much success in the future, and thank them for all that they are doing for Jewish life in the Sunshine Coast.”

To dedicate a letter in the Torah and support the work of the Rabbi Oshy and Liba Goodman in the Sunshine Coast, visit charidy.com/chabadsunshine.

Spectacular photos by Drawn with light