When security clashes with hospitality

Welcoming newcomers has become increasingly difficult for Jewish organisations as security tightens. 

By Jarod Rhine-Davis

After moving from Perth to Melbourne, Joshua Finn tried to go to synagogue on a Friday night. A friend had recommended a congregation and planned to accompany him but pulled out at the last minute. 

Finn arrived alone and “basically didn’t get in”. He left feeling “quite awful”.

Finn understands why those responsible for security could not simply accept an unknown person’s assurances. “I wouldn’t necessarily do that for someone else,” he said, “so I wouldn’t expect someone else to do it for me.”

But as an experience in a culture that values hospitality and claims every Jew is part of the community of Israel, the encounter was an utter failure. 

Nor was it unusual. Sound engineer Colin Krycer had a similar experience when he arrived at a Melbourne synagogue at about 8.30am, well before a surrogacy panel was due to begin.

Nobody was stationed at the entrance, and the doorbell went unanswered. While Krycer waited outside, Community Security Group (CSG) personnel approached and began questioning why he was there.

They asked him the rabbi’s name. He didn’t know. “I wasn’t there for the rabbi as such,” Krycer said. “I was there for the event.”