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Our community

Or Chadash is currently a lay-led shul and community supported by many volunteers. A roster of talented men and women deliver weekly Divrei Torah, while services and programming are coordinated and led by members of our community.

Each person comes with a different background, and provides a different perspective, to encourage the development of a community that engages and respects a variety of opinions.

Our teachers

Rabba Adina Roth
Rabba Adina Roth is a Jewish educator and psychologist. She ran B’tocham education, a program for b’nei mitzvah before coming to Sydney to become Director of Jewish Life at Emanuel. 

She received her rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat in 2024. She loves tanach, Midrash, aggadah and running and yoga.

 

Ben Ezzes
Benjamin Ezzes (BA/BEd [Hons 1st, Sydney]) is the Assistant Head of Jewish Studies at Moriah War Memorial College. In a communal capacity, he serves as Chair of the Education Committee at the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and as an Education Consultant for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. He has been teaching high school for eight years and, in his spare time, likes to drink tea.

Ben gives a monthly shiur at Or Chadash, typically (but not exclusively) on Shabbat Mevarachim.

 

Sarah Charak
Bondi local and lifelong Or Chadash member Sarah Charak is a lawyer and Jewish educator. She has studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Nishmat and Drisha and worked in educational and leadership roles in the Sydney Jewish community including at Bnei Akiva, Limmud Oz and the Sydney Women’s Tefillah Group.

 

 

Rabbi Mike Nasielski
Raised in Sydney, Rabbi Mike Nasielski has lived and traveled around the globe. He received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York CIty in 2020, and was Or Chadash's Rabbi-in-Residence from 2023 to 2024.

He currently serves as Rabbi at Montefiore in Sydney.

 

 


 

Leadership

President - Anita Zaid

Anita has been a member of Or Chadash since its inception 25 years ago.  She became the President of OC in July 2023, having previously served on the OC Committee.

As a professional change manager, Anita is able to work with the congregation to evolve and develop while maintaining OC’s trade mark welcoming and friendly environment.

Anita follows in the footsteps of her late father, Miki Sterling, who was the President of Coogee Shul for many years, and her brother Tommy Sterling who was the president of OC over 20 years ago and is the current President of Maroubra Shul.

Anita brings humour and warmth to the role of President and loves to interact with OC’s members and visitors.

She is married to Eugene, also a stalwart of our minyan. Their two university-aged sons Josh and Eli have grown up at OC and continued to be involved.

 

Vice President - Daniel Harris

 Daniel arrived in Sydney a couple of years ago from Mullumbimby on the NSW north coast. In Mullumbimby he was a community leader, and played a fundamental role in building and organising the Northern Rivers Jewish community. He was born in New Zealand and spent time in Melbourne, and was devoted to building Jewish life in both these places.

Daniel works in water policy and strategy for the NSW Government and is passionate about environmental issues. Among his many diverse interests he loves Jewish learning, running and music.

Sat, 9 November 2024 8 Cheshvan 5785