After judges from the Sydney Beth Din are found in contempt of court by the NSW Supreme Court, David considers the wider implications of this precedent, and how Beth Dins need to adapt to their role when embedded in secular society [Times of Israel and J-Wire]
In The Orthodox Jewish Guide to Following Australian Rules Football, David reflects on the history of Orthodox Jews’ efforts to follow the local sport that is played on Saturday/Sabbath. With the finals coinciding with the High Holydays in September each year, and this year the grand final taking place on Yom Kippur itself, the intensity is raised a notch or two. [Times of Israel and J-Wire] The follow-up article One Day, Two Grand Finals compares the…
We have a criminal justice system, but how often and under what circumstances is it able to deliver just outcomes? To understand this, let’s first consider the important features that make the system work: an independent judiciary, the assumption of innocence until proven guilty, that both sides of a case are heard, a trial before a jury of ones peers, and the due process surrounding all of this. These are the essential ingredients to reaching…
Since the passing of his father in December 2017, David has written several articles on the theme of Jewish mourning as he embarked on that journey. This post will be updated as new articles are added. Latest update: Mar 2019. Reading guide: these articles are best read in order, particularly if you are in mourning. They are best understood when read at the corresponding time in your own mourning period. Date Theme/Topic Link Jan 2016…
With the passing of a new Jewish year and the fresh spiritual energy this brings to the world, there is a palpable buzz around the Yeshivah as we approach something that has never happened here before: democratic elections. The intersection between democracy and Orthodox Judaism is a complex one that is still developing, and after a baptism of fire over the last few years, our community is likely breaking new ground in its transformation from closed to…
We don’t really have any control over whether we have grandchildren and we have even less control over whether those grandchildren are Jewish. In this ELI Talk, David Werdiger recounts a conversation with a friend at shul that spurred his thoughts over what we do actually have control about when it comes to grandchildren and Jewish continuity. Drawing on the model of Jewish discourse and the latest in digital technology, ELI Talks capture, transmit, and…
As the restructure process at Yeshivah Centre inches forward, and we draw closer to elections, the big question is: who will nominate to hold board positions on the new legal entities that will operate the school, shule, and other business units of the Centre? Three new legal entities will require over twenty people to put their hands up. There are a few challenges in taking the leap from where we are now to where we need to be. 1. Despite…
In a follow up to his article about The Kaddish Club, David Werdiger reflects on the personal journey so far saying kaddish and leading the prayer services every day [Times of Israel]
This morning I attended an event to pay tribute to Michael Dubs for his service of over 25 years to JewishCare and its precedent organisations. As president and board member of Jewish Community Services (JCS), and as a member of the loan committee, he made an outstanding contribution to the Melbourne Jewish community, and in particular to those most in need. The most important thing Michael did for me was to recruit me into JewishCare. It happened back in…
The Unetanneh Tokef prayer says it so powerfully and poignantly: “On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed … who will die at his predestined time and who before his time“. There is a natural order to the world: people grow old and die, and their children bury them. When that happens, it is sad, not tragic. In recent weeks, that natural order has been thown out the window in our community. Three lives have…