Living a Jewish life in Tasmania is very rewarding, though does comes with challenges. Apart from enjoying our clean air, beautiful scenery, historic townscapes, and lower property prices, you get to make an active commitment to being Jewish. The congregation doesn’t employ a rabbi, which means there’s a strong do-it-yourself spirit in the community, and support and help are readily available.
Many Jewish services and consumer items taken for granted in larger communities take a bit of organising. In particular:
Until recently, when the fishery protection regulations changed, it wasn’t even possible to import bottled schmaltz herrings!
All this means that many Tasmanian Jews derive great satisfaction from baking their own challahs, Hannukah doughnuts and other traditional treats. Until kosher wine became available in Tasmania, visitors to Melbourne and Sydney were often asked to bring bottles back with them.
Of course, the advent of the internet has made some of the practicalities of Jewish living easier. Many items are obtainable at the click of a mouse, and b’nei mitzvot preparations can now be taught remotely from mainland Australia.
The congregation offers a range of Jewish communal activities. We organise a communal Seder every year, as well as an outdoor Purim party and a Hannukah picnic.
Services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur using the Progressive Machzorim are conducted in the shul, with Orthodox services usually arranged at other venues. Services are offered for many other yomtovim.
Lifecycle events such as baby namings, b’nei mitzvot and aufrufs can be held in the synagogue under the auspices of our volunteer lay leaders (free to members), or of mainland rabbis hired for the occasion. Chuppahs must be performed by rabbis.
The only functioning consecrated Jewish graveyard in Tasmania is a section of Hobart’s inner-suburban Cornelian Bay cemetery. There is no Jewish burial society. However, the congregation is able to oversee the funeral process, in particular by ensuring halachic requirements are met, and by liaising with private funeral parlours so that Jewish funeral customs are respected. Our lay leadership also conducts funeral services, at no cost to members. As well, a Receiving House is located next to the Jewish cemetery and is available for use in funerals.
The 2021 Australian census shows that 376 people in Tasmania identified as Jewish. The largest concentrations of Jews are in Hobart. There are no suburbs with particular Jewish clusters.