Aussie Rules !!!!

Spectacular few days down under. After Shabbat in Melbourne. I spent the weekend in Sydney. I led the Shabbat AM service at one of the synagogues down here - and I think it went pretty well. It was a small congregation and I seemed to have finished the service about 20 minutes quicker than it normally would have gone, so most members of the congregation seemed to appreciate my speed.

Other things of note … I attended a meeting at a local hospital about ethical reviews for medical research. Basically, the Australian equivalent of the FDA requires that all medical research proposals go through an ethical board before they are approved. Clergy members rotate serving on these ethical boards (along with doctors, professors and others). One of the proposals that was heard had was designed to isolate tumors early in a cancer to see if a cluster of tumors spread to other parts of the body and potentially eliminating cancerous tumors earlier and limiting the need for reoccurring chemotherapy. The problem was in the research there were some very questionable side effects on the individuals being tested and there appeared to be, potentially, a conflict of interest between the individuals monitoring the study and the ones administrating the research.

So the balancing of the two … high risk = high reward, verses “do no harm.” A final decision wasn’t reached, it was sent back to the research company to answer more questions.

Had a great few days in Sydney. I’ll put some photos up next time I blog. Saw 4 former Moosilauke Campers. Went to Manly beach -- one of the classic Sydney beaches -- spent the day in Sydney, harbor bridge, opera house. Tasted a few of Sydney finest lagers. The pope, and a ¼ million others, are due in Sydney next week for “World Youth Day” - I’m glad I didn’t choose that weekend to visit. All else is great, off to Northern Victoria (do you know what that means) for a few days with one of the youth movements. Will blog and post photos then.

Photo of me at some gold rush town near melbourne