Our history

Our shul began in the lounge room of John and Ginette Searle. The first service, held on Parshat Yitro on 10 February 1996, was attended by nearly 100 people and included a baby naming.

No one could have predicted how quickly the shul would grow and a few months later, a meeting to discuss Blake Street’s future was held and the shul’s founding principles were formulated. These principles still guide the policy and decision making of the kehilla.

With the shul fast outgrowing the Searles’ lounge room, new premises were needed and we moved into 936 Glenhuntly Road in time for Rosh Hashanah that year. This was followed soon after by the appointment of Rabbi Yirmi Garfunkel as the shul’s first rabbi. We moved to our current home in November 2005.

Rabbi Ian Goodhardt led the shul from 2008 until 2017, and Rav Noam Sendor was appointed in 2018. Our kehilla continues to grow through meaningful Jewish engagement.