Welcome to ARK Centre

ARK Centre, with a synagogue at its heart both physically and metaphorically, has cemented itself in the hearts of the broad Jewish community in the area, particularly in this pandemic year.

ARK Centre had its modest beginnings around ten years ago when the founders organised to use a classroom at East Hawthorn’s Bialik College for Shabbat services, using a portable Aron Kodesh, later using the school’s hall for Yom Tov services, Bar Mitzvahs and Call Ups as numbers grew. Later we rented a house in the area to enable a much wider variety of activities to be held, including regular services, shiurim, dinners and lunches to celebrate Jewish festivals. There the foundation was laid for the warm, inclusive, exciting place that endures to this day.

It’s hard to believe that ARK Centre has been at our Cato Street home for over five years, consolidating our ability to offer a wide range of communal and religious events, enabling members and friends to connect or reconnect with their heritage, celebrate chagim, life milestones, and find comfort and support in tough times.

For many who come, regularly or infrequently, to ARK Centre, it’s a place where they find a sense of belonging. The team at ARK Centre ensures everyone feels valued, welcome and accepted for who they are.

We love to welcome the children who feel at home and who run around, play and participate in services, celebrations and various activities designed especially for them.

Central to our ethos is providing Authentic Orthodox Judaism for the 21st Century. In the main this translates as offering a broad spectrum of events, activities and programs – over and above synagogue services – to a broad spectrum of people. It’s that breadth that makes us not just a synagogue, but a Community Centre. At our core, we offer a modern-day approach to Orthodox Judaism enabling inclusive and genuine connections for our ever- changing community.

It’s that vision and commitment that means we ask the hard questions – of ourselves and of the established Orthodox leadership.

We strongly believe that we must provide both authenticity in our adherence to halachah and Orthodox Judaism and at the same time, with equal vehemence, balance that with relevance and meaning to people who seek connection through community in a 2020 kind of way.

ARK Centre aims to provide a place where everyone, no matter their age, or reason for being there, feels they belong in this place that gives them religious, spiritual, emotional and gastronomic nourishment.