Our Partnerships

Partnerships for a Stronger Community

Our goal is to deepen existing partnerships and grow new partnerships to:

• expand on best practices in synagogue management

• offer events and programs to our community and the broader community

• create new opportunities for publicity and awareness of our community and its activities

• expand outreach opportunities, including interfaith

Emanuel Synagogue

We partner with Emanuel Synagogue by sharing best practices and we are searching for ways to collaborate on programs. For example, our Boomers and Beyond Task Force is working with Emanuel to explore how we might combine programs that are suitable for this demographic.

Board of Progressive Jewish Education

NSTE is pleased to be working closely with the Board of Progressive Jewish Education (BPJE), having had representatives of our community (including one of our Board Directors) on the Board of Directors of BPJE. Work is being undertaken to evolve our educational programs. We are grateful to BPJE for the grant assistance it provides to NSTE in support of our Meah Hebrew & Religion School, which is now under new leadership.

Willoughby Council 

Willoughby Council continues to be a strong supporter of NSTE, attending many of our events. NSTE has participated in the Council's community building events.  We were especially proud to participate in the Council's community stories event where our late Garry Braude (z’l) and Nola Braude were honoured when their book was released. We have also shared, with members of Council, some details about how we deliver our Community Wellbeing programs.

Jewish Arts

Jewish Arts, initially created as a result of a partnership with NSTE, has grown from strength to strength and we continue to seek opportunities to partner events with this organisation. In addition to the weekly Israeli dance classes that are presented at NSTE, we hosted a very successful Tikkun Olam Multicultural Exhibition (TOME) in VJs and participated as a choir in the recent Third Australian Jewish Choral Festival.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies

In July 2015, we hosted a Shabbat Dinner at NSTE, which was organised by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.  The purpose of the dinner was to engage with our local communities in Chatswood and environs, affording them the opportunity to experience a Shabbat Service and experience Jewish culture and tradition in a safe and friendly environment. As a result, we built strong bonds with the Armenian Church community, as well as local Korean and Chinese communities. Since the event, we have continued to strengthen the relationships with members of these communities, as well as with the Willoughby Council.

Union for Progressive Judaism

NSTE continues to be an active supporter of the Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ), Australian Reform Zionist Association (ARZA), the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) and the United Israel Appeal (UIA). These organisations are important pillars of our local and worldwide Jewish life and help us express our values of Tikkun Olam and Ahavat Yisrael.

Presidents of North Shore Jewish Communities

After the Shabbat Project in 2015, a committee of Presidents of the North Shore Jewish communities was formed. It has been valuable for NSTE to learn about each of our sister communities, the challenges they are facing, and the solutions they have explored to address these. We have sought to focus on what we have in common, and look for opportunities to work together and support each other. We also welcomed a representative of the Board of Directors of The North Shore Synagogue to attend one of our Community Wellbeing briefing sessions.

Netzer

Netzer and NSTE continue to enjoy a vibrant partnership, with Netzer playing a key role in the lives of our members aged from eight to 18, and our slightly older young adults playing key roles in Netzer leadership.

Mazon

Finally, NSTE supports MAZON, a Jewish response to hunger by providing non-perishable food items at High Holy Days, as well as encouraging members to make financial contributions.