EURO TOUR: AUSTRIA

May 21 - 26: We were met in Vienna and taken back to the place we would be staying for the next five days - the Lauder Business School (amazing a Jewish university campus). With no real idea of what to expect (or, in fact, how anything was work) it was a bit like wandering around in a slightly fuzzy dream. But the dream, at least, was very picturesque as we were to stay on campus - the grounds and much of the buildings had been the palace retreat of the Austro-Hungarian Empress Marie Therese (although we were later informed that the part we stayed in was a later addition that had more recently been used as an insane asylum...it was still very pretty!).

We were taken to meet Rabbi Shai Boas who took us to our rooms and then for lunch, where he slowly been to add colour and focus to our picture. It seems that the European Center for Jewish Students is in fact a Chabad organisation which provides events and guest speakers for Jewish students and Jewish communities all over Europe. While it is not only for Chabad, it is run and supported largely through Chabad channels. The mist was starting to clear...

That night David was to give his first talk in the tour - and his only talk in Hebrew. It was soon revealed that the talk would be to a Chabad audience (in fact, perhaps the most religious audience that David has so far addressed). It was not an easy start and it highlighted to David that more religious audiences will have questions about some of his datings. But for all that, people seemed to enjoy it. We were then taken to have dinner at Simchas, one of Vienna's several kosher restaurants, and one of the best kosher restaurants we have yet visited...naturally, of course, we found ourselves without great appetites (wonders of wonders, ironies of ironies!).

The following day (Twe had free because that evening it was Lag B'Omer - although we were invited to join the students that evening for a Lag B'Omer BBQ. I wasn't feeling so bad, so during the day took a little trip to see the Jewish district of Vienna and, of course, to try some of the local food! Here are some pictures from our wanderings in Vienna which is really a very pretty city:









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David and I joined the students, Rabbi Boas and his wife Sivan, Rabbi Kigel and his wife Yael at the BBQ and bonfire down on the banks of the Rhine and it was very pleasant. In hindsight, however, it wasn't such a great idea for me. The following morning I woke with a nasty case of conjunctivitis (and terrifying red eyes), a chesty cough and was, quite frankly, very ill. So, I spent the next two days in bed, only getting up to eat. This was hardly a good thing, but the one positive aspect was that it had happened in Vienna, where we were staying for several days (as opposed to a different city each day which was coming up on the tour), had wholesome and regular meals and comfortable accommodation.

Friday night was David's second talk of the tour. He spoke after dinner in the campus dining hall, giving his talk: How to Covert the Pope - Successful and Failed Attempts to Bring the Messiah. The talk was a resounding success - indicated by the large number of students who stayed and listened and took part in the discussion (somewhat unheard-of we were told).

The remainder of Shabbat was quiet for me (but my strange sick-noises made it less restful for David) and I only stirred for lunch in the dining hall and seudah shlishit at the Kigels' (which was lovely).

On Sunday we attempt another short exploration of the city, but I was still too pathetic to allow us much success as tourists. That evening was the last of David's talks in Vienna, where he gave The Whole of Jewish History in One Hour to around 70 of the girls (the boys were at some swimming event) from the Lauder school and a few others from around the city. They loved the talk and David did a super job.











Monday morning came and I was still sick. We had a long and serious discussion about whether I was too ill to continue on the tour, but I steadfastly (or stubbornly, depending on your perspective) refused to consider going home. Poor David then found himself escorting a coughing and bloodshot-eyed wife to the airport to begin a crazy tour of eight cities in ten days.


Looking good? Me with Yael Kigel, (Rabbi) Michael Kigel and Michael's mother at lunch before leaving...


Points to consider about the Jewish community of Vienna: with a population of around 8,000 (roughly the same size as Perth), the is still very European in its conduct - Jewish businesses are very discreet, many do not even have signs advertising themselves. The community consists of a significant Chassidic community, large proportion is Bukharian and there are at least five kosher restaurants! The city of Vienna still fairly actively remembers the Jews killed in the Holocaust, the city takes racism and especially Antisemitism very seriously, but it still happens. Chabad has an amazing presence and set-up in Vienna and the people running the show are very impressive.