Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld on Bondi Beach and the Sydney Jewish Community

So our good friend I have been Sion Shinfeld who of course has been on this show a million times on different topics uh most often about camp that he's been running for the last 30 plus years and KE each and every summer brings him to a variety of places including Australia and yesterday when we spoke we said it would be a good idea to get his perspective because obviously we've never been there but he's been there many many times and uh can certainly relate to the area geographically and to the community in terms of what they're going through and here he is. Ryan Seinfeld, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> Good morning. Always a pleasure to be here, but uh under these circumstances. >> So, you were first introduced to the Jewish community in Australia back in 1994. That was the first trip you took there. >> No, actually the first trip I took to Australia was because of Yeshua University Yeshiva University's Counterpoint program. >> Wow. We have Rab Michael Friedman in the office who actually was I was on his team the first year that was in 1987 I think. >> Was that Sydney or Melbourne? >> So that was Melbourne and um that really opened my eyes to a a whole new world and we'll talk about the contrast but when when I got there >> you think of Australia when when you're just living in America Australia is like the most far right a different planet and in those days there was no internet and there was no texting. Uh so when you got there you actually felt like wow this is like the through the twilight zone to a different Jewish community on a different planet >> isolated. Right. >> Right. Different Rabanam different challenges different pisa. I mean >> even even being in 90° weather. >> Exactly. That was I was just going to mention >> ending early you know. >> Right. Exactly. Which is one of the reasons why K still goes to Australia to end tishabove at 507. We always talk about that this religion was not geared toward the western toward the southern hemisphere, right? You have to admit and certainly not to that part of the world. But anyway, yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry. >> So I So just when when you get when we got to Australia and what struck me was uh this Jews who made a life such a beautiful life so far away in the you know what we consider at least in the middle of nowhere. And um just a few things that that struck me then. >> Well, just to note that you then consistently grew to know it even more during the 80s, the '9s, obviously the last 25 years, etc., etc. >> Right. I went twice with Counterpoint. Once Rab Fred was my group leader and once I was a group leader and counterpoint was a very formative program for so many people the careers even >> even I you know the first Shira which uh comes up in a few weeks some of the motivation to start that was the what I shared with kids in Australia. So we worked with a school there called Mount Scopus. Mount Scopus at the time was the largest Jewish school in the world >> in what city? >> In Melbourne, >> right? And I was introduced to a new term. You know, I grew up in far away. I was like, you know, just a regular. We didn't think so much about thinking about our Jewism. We just did our Judaism. But we I got there and suddenly there was a new term called Jewish identity. >> Right. >> I never heard that. >> People were culturally Jewish. The school they didn't go to was observant. That type of thing. >> Right. Exactly. Right. And what I learned about the Melbourne Jewish community, it was such a powerful Jewish identity. Like in America, we had, you know, 60 70% intermarriage. in in Australia it's very small. >> And when did you get to Sydney? At what time do you start getting getting familiar with the Sydney Jewish community? >> Right. So >> I went there during my count point years once or twice with Hillbecker but then um through Ken Nisharam we spend time both in Melbourne. First one shop is in Melbourne one shops in Sydney. We're in New Zealand where there's no Jews and suddenly I always tell the kids after two weeks of no Jews suddenly we're going to you're not going to believe how special it's going to be just to see a Jew walking in the street and we go to Melbourne and we go to Sydney and I went to them share a little bit. >> Yeah, sure. >> Um just over the couple of last couple of days people don't really even get understand Bond Beach. What's Bond Beach? Is it a beach? Is it people >> Well, not just that. We also are curious like how does it relate to the central Jewish community? Like is it right there? Is it an important part of it? Is it, you know, Burough Park to Flatbush? Like we're trying to figure out exactly, you know, what it is in relation to what we're familiar with, >> right? So Melbourne is like the strongest Jewish community, I would say, if I could measure it in terms of restaurants, which of course is always good barometer for, >> of course, it's the only barometer. >> Uh, so Melbourne has multiple restaurants, you know, maybe five to 10, you know, eating establishments, and Sydney really has only one or two. >> Um, but there's a strong community in Melbourne, very strong. Then there's also another strong community in Sydney, but not I would say as strong. Um what you what you get to learn very soon is when you get to Australia is that where here you might go to a town and there's a Kabad house, >> right? >> Um I guess the Reb the sent Rabbi Groner over there and basically the default of Jews in Australia is connected to Kabad knows it might be 25 kabads and might be one MRI house you know in the community. So Melbourne is very powerful unified. >> So even those who are not quote unquote part of the Kabad community are very familiar with the Kabad leadership. Rabbi Schlanganger must have been a leader for all. I mean we're hearing about it, but you're describing it that everyone knew him. Everyone, you know, had a perspective about how important he was to the community, >> right? You know, the Kabad, it wasn't like there was a Kabad house in Sydney. Everybody in Australia is Kabad just about. And uh so Melbourne is the strongest Jewish community, but Sydney the the Jews there are centered in Bondai Beach. And I just want to tell you like Bondi Beach, what a unbelievably beautiful place it is. It's not like a beach town. It's a Jewish community that's >> residential area. >> Residential. It's a culde-sac beach. I always tell my campers, you're about to see the most beautiful inner city beach in the world. And there must be 20 shooles there. Like 18 of them Kabad in the in the that area. Oh, yeah. At least at least 20 shooles. Yeah. >> And that would be where the kosher restaurant is. I mean, >> yeah, that's where the kosher restaurant is. It's Some are close to the beach. Some are maybe like a 10-minute walk from the beach. But >> so when you >> and if I'm Jewish and live there, I'm within walking distance of all of this. That's >> You're right. You're in walking I mean Yes. You're walking distance of the beach. And like I said, from the beach you would, there used to be a cafe called Katsy's um Glicks, I'm sorry, Glicks Cafe. Glicks is like this kosher bakery chain in Australia makes some amazing kalas. They And >> where's the trip? >> Yes. And you know, just like maybe a three-minute walk from the beach to Glicks. But again, it's not a beach that people come to for vacation. It's where But it's funny you say that, right? But Sion Shinfeld is here. He's been to Australia a million times and I'm almost accurate with that number. Uh because the world as it's telling this story about what happened there on Sunday night is painting a picture as if it's a big tourist attraction and everyone knows about it and it's a place where celebrities at times go to relax and you know be isolated as you indicated. So it did seem to me like that as much of it of it as it's a community as you describe that there is a that it's well known around the world in certain circles. Well, somehow the Jews decide to settle in the most amazing piece of real estate on earth, you know, which is >> and it does attract people. People do vacation there. >> People I mean, people go there maybe to use the beach, but it's not, >> you know, it's I wouldn't say it's like a vacation area. There's a couple hotels on the beach front, but overall it's really just >> the locals are predominantly the ones using it. >> Yeah. Right. And our camp goes there and of Shabasite. We take this walk. It's called the Bondai Beach Walk, which is this beautiful walk around the rocks and the around that beach. And I I just tell the kids, you know, how beautiful and lucky we are. >> Does that include the infamous bridge that we keep seeing? >> Yeah. So, the bridge is about a 20-minute uh car ride down into the central business district. So, the Bondai is a suburb of the main city of Sydney. >> And and if you were told before Sunday that there's a Kabad celebration on the beach, would you have realized what the location was of that party? Like would you have been able to envision exactly where it would be? >> Yeah. The only thing I can compare it to in New York is like Central Park. >> Okay. But Central Park >> if someone says it and they're familiar with it, they know exactly what >> but imagine but imagine Central Park is really just one beautiful green area. >> Or if someone would say the reservoir area of Central Park, the whole world knows what that means. >> Right. Exactly. Right. And if it's a Kabad celebration, it's >> so when you first heard the news, your first reaction is, you know, I I've just been there. I just like >> Right. Yeah. Even though just to define that a little bit more, walking in Sydney, I always tell also my campers that Sydney is the most beautiful modern city in the world. It's just amazing. It's an amazing city. Really, >> nothing around here compares to it. >> No, nothing compares. Really, really nothing compares. We have beautiful skylines every once in a while, but walking around Sydney, it's there's a there's like an uplifting almost like La Havil. You go to Yusha, you feel like this on a beautiful day in you, you feel Sydney almost every day, you just feel this uplifting, shining beauty. It's um you know, the human structures that they built on the Sydney harbor, including the bridge and the opera house, really uplift you in some way. And the Jewish community then is located in the most beautiful inner city beach. So of course the tragedy is felt what happened in the city is felt by everybody. But I would say for our confing on Sydney beach until on Bondi Beach until >> until a few days ago was just the most relaxing openhearted. I always said, you know, if I had the funds, I would buy a condo overlooking the beach in Davin Cabala Shabas overlooking that beach. And that's I told my campers, you guys, you know, I have some wealthy campers that come every once in a while. I say, if you have guys want to buy me just a present, that condo would be fine, you know, overlooking that beach. And to think now of going back to that beautiful beach that people every morning just walk on and have a coffee and to think of it almost like uh you know like a holocaust like >> a terror scene. >> A terror scene where we're going to have a memorial. I'm sure the is going to build a memorial there. It's just life-changing. And I know that this is nothing in in terms of the big picture, but as we watch all of this, we're curious how far is that bridge where these terrorists were shooting to the area that we're talking about. >> Right. So our our camp stays in a hostel right across the street. Literally across from that bridge. Yeah. From that >> of the bridge. >> From the bridge. That bridge is simply >> You could have been the one taking that video. God forbid. >> Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. >> And that's how far from where the thousand people were. >> So that it's >> two-minute walk, a five-minute walk. No, like a 30-yard work. Yeah, that bridge is simply the way to get from the >> literally perched a top there overlooking a massive crowd that's right underneath them. >> Yes. In fact, I still ask myself the miracle or just somehow >> not more people >> not more people were killed. It's hard to imagine because they're sitting right there on that bridge. In fact, I wrote a um a message uh to my campers the following message. Um, um, just so the rest of his dear cameras, I am sure you all know that we walked over the bridge the shooters were on as we walked on the beautiful Bandai beach in Bandai. We all have a special responsibility to internalize all that went on today forever. As we are some of just a small number of USA Jews who truly know the Bondi community and that special area, I hope we are able to cherish the victim's memories and make sure that it somehow makes us better and more concerned Jews so that we grow from their sacrifice. >> Wow. Right. Ben Shinfeld's here through his work with Kab Confe and other avenues. He's been very familiar and continues to be very familiar with the Australian Jewish community and specifically Sydney Sydney and Bondi Beach as we're discussing this morning and um of all of this and there's so much to obviously unpack with this whole terrible attack. But but you just you just revealed something to us that I think is so impactful and that is how close these monsters were to a thousand Jews or whatever the number was. and they went ahead and just started randomly shooting at them and and unfortunately obviously that's why we have so many victims and people in the hospital but just to comprehend that especially for an area you're familiar with is just unfathomable >> right yeah I didn't realize that that it wasn't clear that yeah that bridge is just a few >> a few yards >> I kept thinking like it's you know far off but the the weapons gave them an opportunity to reach these people etc. No, no, just just a few feet away. Ah. >> Um. All right. So, the um I assume you've been in contact with actual residents. I have to assume because you are dealing with them every summer, right? I mean, >> yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just >> I mean, is it all just about, you know, texting about shock and and mourning and funerals and and not sleeping and trying to get through all of this? >> Yeah. It's um I mean I spoke to someone who lives right across the street from the beach and they they said they were walking there just a few minutes before >> you know even Rab Rabbi Olman Rabbi Schlanganger is Rabbi Omen's son-in-law Rab Schlanger I happen to teach teach now in Tanif Kabad Academy and Rabbi Schlonger's cousin Rabbi Lewis is the first cousin to Rabbi Lewis but Rabbi Omen is the head of the Sydney Bezdon and we ate by his shel a number of times with him Friday night so yeah everyone's very connected there it It's everybody. We know Rabbi Schlonger's brother very well who's now in Jerusalem sitting Shiva with his mother, >> right? >> So crazy the whole thing. >> On the way here I was thinking there was there's a almost the irony. There's a very special Jew who was Nifter. His name was Norman Rosenbal. I don't know if you ever >> Sure. The Crown Heights attack. >> Right. Right. So So >> Norman was the uncle's brother. >> Right. Norman's uncle's brother. And I remember you know he would come to America. >> Yeah. I don't know how he did it. He was back and forth a million times >> 25 times. He he probably changed the mayoral election his ad advocacy. Right. >> So, I was just thinking that Australia always felt for us like the safest place. When I went to Australia, it was like this idealic Jewish community. The Jews were connected. Even the Jews that weren't connected were connected >> and it was just a safe place to be. And, you know, Norman's brother, Yank, was killed here in America, but Australia was safe, you know. But now, >> just just the opposite, you know. >> Well, sort of. Yes. There was a stabbing in Crown Heights last night. So, you know, >> crazy. Um, what about the general community? Does the Jewish community of Sydney Fondai Beach get along with their neighbors and, you know, regular people who are not Jewish there? Like, is it is it a is it a cohesive group over there? Because we keep getting this picture from the media that, you know, everyone's so friendly and nice and, you know, live well together. Is that the impression you had? >> It certainly was the impression. I look I've been going to Australia for 33 years. >> It's the overwhelming impression I've had >> and dealing with vendors who are Jewish and not Jewish. >> Just wonder wonderful people. Australians in general are very openhearted and uh I loved it. I mean New Zealand one of the reasons why I went back to New Zealand and New Zealand Australia share a type of culture is because of how openhearted and nice the people were. And you know I'm a big humanist. I like seeing >> the you know the nicer. But I I will tell you one incident. This summer I was standing on right by that bridge if I tell you right by that bus was parked. There's a bus but right by that bridge I'm outside my bus. Of course I'm wearing my yamaga and a Middle Eastern >> gentleman >> gentleman walks by and says are you Jewish? I said yes. I can't say everything he said on air but he said I hate bleeping Jews. >> Fill in the blank. Right. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's what he said to me straight. And that was the first time in my life that I, you know, felt like this visceral hatred for Jews. >> Did he just move on after that? >> Yeah, he just I mean I'm a big guy. I'm a big guy. He moved on. >> He saw you weren't backing down. >> Um but no, it was it was scary actually to be honest. And >> what a commentary. A place that you regard as one of the safest and one of the most serene place on and it's all infiltrated there as well. Right. >> Every the whole world is now you know. >> Right. Right. I'm sure there are a lot of like the the hero kungu >> there are a lot of good people a lot of good of all religions and of all >> 100% >> but uh it is the fact that Australia this idealic place both in my heart and for many people that Bondai beach which is probably the most idealic place in Australia in terms of >> do you know that flower salesman they he operates right near the bridge you know >> have you ever run across him or not >> he was a >> they said he was a flower salesman near the bridge I did not >> that's what I read >> okay >> and he saw what was going on. And instead of, you know, looking for safety somewhere, the guy used every ounce of energy in his body to take down this terrorist, which was unbelievable. I mean, you saw it, so you know what I'm talking about. >> Um, does this at all, I forget about, you know, your business operation. We could discuss, you know, KE and getting people to come another time, but does this affect what's going to be happening in June and July for you? Like, is this or that hasn't even entered your mind? Um, you know, it's hard to make decisions, you know, like unfortunately, you know, >> but do you think about it? >> Um, I do think about it that even the last couple years we've been a little more cautious in terms of where we've gone and when we've gone to different places overall, it's still, you know, the Jewish community in Australia is still very established and still beautiful place to visit. So, >> um, and again, the contrast from New Zealand where there are kimat no Jews and coming to Australia and seeing Jews is always so special to us. And the I is Sydney your base when you go skiing and stuff or that's a different area of Australia. >> Actually the the ski mountains are between Melbourne and Sydney. So we spend one Shabas in Melbourne. >> Um and then we then Right. A few days skiing and >> that's the general mitzio itinerary. Right. Shabas. A week skiing and then another Shabas. >> Yes. Exactly. And the best is if you could ski Arab Shabas and then bring that. >> Right. You've talked to us about that. >> I love that. I still love that. Even this Friday I may be going to Hunter Mountain. If you ski Araf Shabas or by Shinfeld, how much time does one need to leave in order to properly prepare for Shabas and have your candle lighting at the appropriate time? How how much what type of what type of uh schedule would you make for yourself in that situation? >> Again, you have to have the chunk cooking from Thursday night, of course, and the flunking. But, uh, overall, you know, if you go to Hunter Mountain, let's say this Friday, if you go to Hunter Mountain, >> is there still a presence there? Is there a minion or not? I mean on Kaneka every day in Hunter mound there's usually minions. Seriously? Yeah. And of course you have the Malora Hotel. I didn't realize that. I for some reason I thought maybe because you stopped going there you have NA. I thought the community had disbanded. I don't know. >> Yeah. No but now you have that kosher hotel there. Wow. Very nice. And there's Yeah. A couple minan. >> So this weekend you'll be up there. >> Um could be. Yeah it should be. There's a lot of Jews that go up to Hunter Kaneka. So if you want to let's say if you want to go skiing >> and let's say candle lighting is 410. Okay. Well you and you also have to light Kaneka candles before Shabas candles. Right. So let's say you want to light let's say you would do the single approach and light kanak candles at 3:50. Okay. Let's say you would do that. Then how what time would you have to get off the slopes in your opinion? And if you say 3:45 I'm going to slap you. >> Now you could you could leave Hunter at 12:30. You know as you get to 8:30 12:30 and Arab Shabas and there's usually no lines, no lift lines. >> So you could really have a great day of you know. >> So even at noon Friday you could get that Arab Shabas feeling. >> Yeah. There's nothing like it. The skiing, you know, skiing is a gift uh Hashem gave to the world. You feel nature, you feel the beauty of of of the world. >> Were there any other gifts that he gave to the world or would that be the exclusive one? I've been hearing about this Shabas thing being a big gift that God gave to the world. Where does that rank? >> That's what we should do one day. Rabbi Mod Seinfeld's top 10 gifts that God gave to the world. Exactly. That'd be an amazing segment, >> right? The red onion might be in there. >> Correct. How how would it not? How did that Would that be the only vegetable in there? That be the only vegetable make the list. >> Pomelo a vegetable. I forget if you know I'm not sure exactly what the category is. >> But I've stumbled. By the way, this could be a book. I am telling you if we did a segment and those who've heard our conversations before understand why this is such a good idea. You know how deep you are and how you think and how you experience life. I mean we got the idea I think from this conversation as well. But a top 10 right Seinfeld's top 10 gifts that Hakadesh Baraku gave to the world. I I'd have to start thinking if Shabas will make the list. I got to start thinking about Shabas. >> It makes the list automatically no matter what. Shabas >> if we did a bracket if we did a like an NCAA bracket would would Shabas be one of the number one seeds. It would always think like right before the you know this the last day six right before ski threw in the pomelo and the red onion. I always think >> and not the skiing that was a separate thing. >> No, skiing was a whole that was thought out that was thought out >> a part in and of itself. Right. >> Do we have any biblical figures that like the red onion? Have you ever come across? Is there anybody in Tanakh that felt like you do? >> I think there's one she did that theadas was the red onion. >> There you go. >> No, but honestly, pomelos are very special. And >> and and there's nothing in the fruit world that comes close to it. You're saying? In other words, if you were on a desert island and you were had a choice of one fruit, it's under a question that would be the one. >> It would be a pomelo from Thailand, to be honest. >> Has to be that. >> Yeah. >> How many times you been to Thailand? >> No, just once. But uh >> was that good? >> Yeah. So like that Araf Shabas feeling of skiing that that opening up a pomelo where you see just feel the beauty of brias ol in that fruit like so so compact. Yeah. Those are >> Do you agree because you've been to Israel known for its fruits and vegetables and obviously other parts of the world. Do you agree that in New York and New Jersey we just don't have high quality fruits and vegetables or? >> Yeah. Israel fruits do taste >> they completely out. >> Yeah they sparkle. >> Yeah >> they do. But just to come back to B. So one of those moments besides the fruits and all that walking on Bondai Beach would have been one of those moments of glory, you know, in the in the world and that's changed forever. Yeah. >> Unbelievable. Have you ever been there this time of year? >> No, I've never I've only >> It's funny, you know, everyone's in shorts at the Kanuka celebration. I'm like I'm like, "Wow, this is so strange that the lighting kic >> but in Sydney even in the winter it's it's could be 70 80 degrees." Like that's why I tell the kids we're in New Zealand. We're freezing. We're going to Melbourne. It's going to be fall. People ask me, "What's how do I pack for camp?" I say, "Well, here goes this." New Zealand is winter, Melbourne is fall, Sydney is spring, and Hawaii is summer. So, that's how you pack. >> So, if you see anybody in the airport with four different types of uh of outerw wear, they're probably on the Confe trip, right? >> That's crazy. Anyway, Hashem, um those of you out there who um What is the website for Confe? >> Uh yeah, confe.com. confe.com for information about the camp >> and uh we appreciate you coming by or Shinfeld can only imagine what the Sydney community is going through. Yeah, you wanted to add >> Yeah, just just in just we also have a girls camp boss conf that goes to >> Peru, Costa Rica. >> What's the weather there in July? >> Um Peru is actually you know it's sort of near the equator but it's a little winintry. We got to Machu Picchu and uh just you know even there driving you see on the walls of of this town you know 11 hours out of Lima you see Palestinian graffiti and all that. So wherever you go in the world you have to be I mean wherever you go to >> they they did in fact globalize the inifatada didn't they >> they did and and yet there are still such special people there and you know the kabads and kusco and you know amisol spreads light but there is a lot of light that needs to be spread. >> Oh 100%. I'm glad we put this together at the last minute. >> Yes, thank you. >> Rabbon Shinfeld, everybody, the skiing rabbi and in this context, somebody who's been to Australia many, many, many times and is very familiar with the community that's suffering right now. We have our brothers and sisters in Australia in mind, of course, during this very, very challenging week. More coming up. You're listening to a Kanuka edition Wednesday at JM in the A.M.