Our Values
In the spirit of Progressive Judaism, we continue to examine and refine our beliefs and practices. And as we look to the future, we affirm Halacha (Jewish Law) as an evolving process and recognise the responsibility of each member of our congregation to make informed choices about their personal Jewish growth and their personal role in sustaining our vibrant community.
We provide a home for all who seek to draw near to God and to community. We encourage the active participation of our members in all aspects of synagogue life, from our Shabbat worship to our many social and other activities taking place throughout the week.,
We value our role as a centre for lifelong Jewish learning and spiritual development within the synagogue, the community, and the home. Jewish education is a cornerstone of our Jewish life together – from our Meah Hebrew and Religion school students to the Introduction to Judaism class that is open to anyone in the community who would like to learn the basics of Judaism (holidays, rituals, life cycle, theology, texts, history, Israel, Jewish values, and more). Hebrew is part of our Jewish learning and services, and an ancient thread that binds us as a people.
Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) is among our guiding principles. Our social action and social justice work is, to us, a Jewish obligation, deriving from the Torah’s guiding wisdom that all are created in God’s image, that we are stewards of God’s world, that one should love one’s neighbour as oneself, and that we are to care for the stranger and the most vulnerable in society.
We serve as an extended family, valuing friendship and responding to the spiritual and social needs of our members. We are constantly strengthening and reaffirming our communal bonds.
We also value collaboration, a spirit of openness, inclusion and transparency, encouraging the positive contributions of all our members, and celebrating our diversity. We actively reach out to the broader Jewish and Sydney community with the goal of promoting understanding and mutual respect.
We are committed to the State of Israel, K’lal Yisrael (the inclusivity and plurality of the Jewish people) and the welfare of all humanity.
Four Pillars of NSTE
Inspiring Worship
Shabbat and Festival services are how we connect with each other, Am Yisrael (the Jewish people), our heritage, our traditions, and God. So come join us!
We strive to create inspiring worship experiences by:
- Fostering an egalitarian, welcoming and engaging environment that encourages participation by all, while respecting that we're all at different stages of our Jewish journey
- Sharing meaningful and relevant interpretations of Torah, as well as poetry and contemporary prayer alongside the ancient words of the liturgy
- Infusing music and communal singing in our services - to express and amplify joy, to bring soothing and comfort, and to uplift every soul in our midst
- Sharing prayers for individuals in need of healing of body, mind, or spirit
- Remembering loved ones we've lost, together
- Marking individual commemorations b'mitzvah, milestone birthdays and anniversaries, yahrzeit observance, retirement, becoming a parent or grandparent, and many other occasions), as well as communal observances (Yom HaShoah, Yom HaAtzmaut, ANZAC Day, and others), together
- Engaging our youth and teens to help lead services for the congregation, and providing a "KidSpot" with soft toys in our sanctuary
- Enjoying kiddush (refreshments and fellowship) after each service - a warm and lovely time to catch up with friends, meet new people, and chat with the clergy informally
- Streaming our services for those who cannot attend in person
- Developing capable lay leaders, who assist and partner with our clergy in service leading and Torah reading and by serving as Shammashim (helpers)
While there is no need to be nervous about attending our services, we understand that it can be daunting to enter a synagogue for the first time and that you may have questions. Feel free to reach out to us in advance, so we can welcome you, answer any questions, and help you feel at ease, and on the day or evening, our Shammashim and Board Members are present to lend guidance and make you feel at home. Some like to familiarise themselves with some of our common melodies and prayers, a few of which can be found on the links below - but the best way to learn is simply to come along!
Excellence in Education
Like our forebears in every generation, including the great sage Akiva, we believe in lifelong Jewish learning. Our egalitarian congregation embraces Jewish and interfaith families and learners at every age and stage of life.
We strive for excellence in Jewish education through:
- Our Hebrew and Jewish Studies classes for Years K-7 in our Meah Hebrew & Religion School
- Our egalitarian B'mitzvah program, and opportunities for Post B'mitzvah teen engagement
- Our Adult Education programs, including weekly Torah Study (on site and on Zoom), preparation for Adult B'mitzvah, and learning sessions on several festivals each year
- Our Introduction to Judaism classes for people seeking to learn about Jewish life, exploring their Jewish heritage, or considering conversion to Judaism
- Our Young Families programs for ages 0-8, including our new monthly Growing Souls Shabbat and family pizza dinner
- On site Apples and Honey Pre-School for ages 3-5
Living Tikkun Olam
NSTE strives to fulfill our age old duty to repair the world. Pirke Avot teaches that "while it is not one's duty to complete the work, neither is one free to desist from it" (2:16). The Torah beseeches us time and time again to care for and treat justly the most vulnerable people in our society, and that we were once "strangers in a strange land."
The Jewish mystics told of the scattering of God's light, which it is our duty to collect and piece back together. These teachings guide our social action initiatives, projects, involvements, and partnerships, which we pray reflect our values of:
- Pursuing justice, demonstrating our social responsibility within and beyond our own community. By raising awareness, through social action projects, and through our year-round "Livracha" collection basket in the foyer of our main building, we work to alleviate modern plagues, like poverty, hunger, homelessness, educational inequality, and domestic violence.
- Standing for human dignity, gender egalitarianism, equality and respect, and against prejudice, discrimination, racism, and sexism. We embrace LGBTQ+ individuals and families in our community, engage in interfaith dialogue, support asylum seekers and refugees, and work as partners with Indigenous Australians and their communities towards reconciliation and equal access to education and resources. Our sanctuary, bimah, and concert venue are fully accessible, and the Max Joseph building is equipped with a lift.
- Promoting religious pluralism. We support the work of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) in Israel, and in Sydney our leadership works with clergy of different denominations, while representing Progressive Judaism at communal gatherings and local events.
- Protecting the environment. We strive to protect the earth and climate around us, having worked with Creekcare in Chatswood for many years to minimise our local footprint, installed solar panels on our synagogue roof, upgraded our bathrooms, and maintained our garden which, rather than cut flowers, is the source of our bimah greenery on Shabbat.
Engaged and Caring Community
Our synagogue community serves as an extended family that values friendship and offers voluntary assistance to improve the lives of our members of all ages.
We aspire to engage, enable and empower our community through:
- Programs that meet our social and cultural interests, as well as our educational and spiritual needs
- Opportunities for members to build meaningful relationships with each other
- Learning the needs of our different demographics to inform our offerings and priorities
- Providing an effective Community Wellbeing program to keep us connected as an extended family, and to enable those who are unwell to return to health and to community
- Building a framework for leadership development within our community
- Providing enriching opportunities for volunteers to participate individually and as members of committees and task forces
- Teaching our members the skills to lead services and programs for the community