15 January 2011

Canberra's Jews get a bath

| johnboy
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JTA reports that Canberra’s 600 strong Jewish community is opening a ritual bath house, or Mikvah.

There is no Jewish school or kosher butcher, and Orthodox and Progressive Jews share a community center for prayer services, but local Jews believe a mikvah will attract more Jews to the capital.

The building contains two ritual baths and three bathrooms and will be officially opened next month by U.S. Ambassador Jeff Bleich, who was active with the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee before he took up his post in Australia in 2009.

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The cat did it said :

From the name of the group behind this initiative (Lubavitch), these people would appear to be right-wing Orthodox, ie, the same mob that see nothing wrong with treating palestinians the way jews were treated in Hitler’s Germany. These aren’t your wacky ‘Friends’ -style New York Jews, with kosher food deli’s and eccentric aunts, but hard-liners who want everything closed on the Sabbath. No wonder moderate Jews give them a wide berth.

Thanks for that heads-up.

gospeedygo said :

What? One disklike?

Members of Canberra’s unwashed masses opposed to bathing, perhaps?

One of my best friends growing up was Jewish, and from what I saw of the Jewish community of Canberra they were nothing but extremely friendly, so all power to them as far as I’m concerned…

Pommy bastard7:52 am 16 Jan 11

p1 said :

Deref said :

Pommy bastard said :

One day the human race will grow up enough to leave nonsense like this behind.

I hope you meant religion, not baths. 😉

Well he is was a pom, and we know how they feel about washing.

Oy! I heard that matey..

The cat did it11:24 pm 15 Jan 11

From the name of the group behind this initiative (Lubavitch), these people would appear to be right-wing Orthodox, ie, the same mob that see nothing wrong with treating palestinians the way jews were treated in Hitler’s Germany. These aren’t your wacky ‘Friends’ -style New York Jews, with kosher food deli’s and eccentric aunts, but hard-liners who want everything closed on the Sabbath. No wonder moderate Jews give them a wide berth.

Deref said :

Pommy bastard said :

One day the human race will grow up enough to leave nonsense like this behind.

I hope you meant religion, not baths. 😉

Well he is was a pom, and we know how they feel about washing.

Waiting For Godot said :

I still can’t find any kosher pork. I think it’s in the deli next to the halal bacon 🙂

There’s a bloke named Pork Hunt who hangs around who might be able to help you. 🙂

Do they believe in a happy ending?

Looking forward to some hot crossed bagels this Easter (actually bought some one year).

Will they have gas or solar hot water?

georgesgenitals2:43 pm 15 Jan 11

I bet it’s cheap to get in.

Pommy bastard said :

One day the human race will grow up enough to leave nonsense like this behind.

I hope you meant religion, not baths. 😉

Ah, come on Mr Bastard! Who cares what people believe! If a bath brings more Jewish people to Canberra that means we’re a step closer to a kosher deli. Or, better still, a bakery!! Just think! Fresh challah! Fresh brioche! Fresh bagels! Rugelach! Latkes! Babkes! Blintzes! It’s paining me now. I think I’ll stop…

JessicaNumber12:45 pm 15 Jan 11

I understood “group organised something nice for themselves” and that’s just fine by me.

I doubt it, Pommy, superstitious cod’swallop is here to stay.
There are far more jews in Canberra than this “600” the article mentions, but the vast majority of them are far too sensible than to get mixed up with this kind of tribal seperatist nonsense.

Waiting For Godot12:05 pm 15 Jan 11

I still can’t find any kosher pork. I think it’s in the deli next to the halal bacon 🙂

Pommy bastard10:46 am 15 Jan 11

One day the human race will grow up enough to leave nonsense like this behind.

What? One disklike?

Gah! And still no kosher deli! Frozen challah mutter mutter mutter…..

Hmmm. I don’t think it will be like the bath houses I frequent in Sydney 😛

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