Newsletter Weekly Guest Statement

Danny Hochberg
Co – President UPJ

Last weekend I had the privilege of representing the UPJ at our biennial Yaakov Lieb Mendelson Shatz Course residential weekend in Melbourne.

There’s a lot to talk about, not least of which is the name of our Shatz Course!

Let’s start with what exactly a Shatz course is. Another name often used is Shaliach Tzibur Course. Essentially, it is a program for lay leaders, to guide them in running services, whether for Shabbat, Chagim, or any other occasion. Lay leaders are crucial in our Union, particularly in smaller communities that do not have a Rabbi. Even in larger communities, lay leaders play a crucial role in supporting Rabbi’s or stepping in to allow Rabbi’s a break or to go on holiday.

Our program is run over an 8-week period and includes a residential weekend. It was organised by Daniel Pedroso from the UPJ Board, who also attended. The course is being led by Rabbi Fred Morgan, emeritus Rabbi of TBI. Rabbi Fred is an amazing teacher who combines an incredible depth of knowledge with a wonderful empathy and a wicked sense of humour!

It’s been at least 8 years since the UPJ has run a Shatz course, and there must have been pent-up demand, as we have 23 participants. Even more amazing, they represent the four corners of Australia and New Zealand, with participants from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in New Zealand; and Melbourne, Sydney, Northern Rivers, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth in Australia. They are an amazing cohort, who will surely go on to lead not just as lay leaders but also as future leaders of their communities.

I attended the residential weekend held at Leo Baeck (LB). LB was the perfect venue for the program, and the community was so welcoming and helpful, keeping our students well fed and allowing them to practice their skills in a “real Shule” environment. It wasn’t all learning. There was plenty of fun to be had with a pizza and trivia night organised by LB. The weekend marked the half-way point of the course for the participants. We hope that upon graduation, they will add value to their communities. We look forward to seeing them at the upcoming Biennial, B’Yachad Kadimah, and at next year’s Shir Chadash where they can continue their training by adding music to their prayer.

Now to the name of our course.

I am pleased to announce that Roger Mendelson has confirmed he will sponsor the Shatz Course, in both 2026 and the program in 2028.

The total value of the sponsorship is $40,000 over 4 years.

The program will be named the Yaakov Lieb Mendelson Shatz Course after Roger’s grandfather who was born in Ukraine, with little formal education but a passionate belief in education. Roger was only 3 when he died but cites, he was a major influence in his life.

We are very grateful to Roger, who is a past President of both TBI and the UPJ, for his kind donation, and honoured to have the course named after his grandfather, Yaacov Lieb Mendelson.