About St Kilda Hebrew Congregation:
The St Kilda Hebrew Congregation, affectionately known as St Kilda Shule, is one of Australia’s oldest and most distinguished Jewish congregations. Located in the heart of St Kilda, the synagogue has served Melbourne’s Jewish community since 1871 and continues to be a centre of Orthodox Jewish worship, learning, and community life.
The congregation welcomes people of all ages through daily and Sabbath services, religious education, lifecycle celebrations, pastoral care, and cultural events. While firmly grounded in Orthodox Jewish tradition, St Kilda Shule has long played an important role in Melbourne’s broader civic and interfaith life, fostering understanding and contributing to the city’s rich multicultural heritage.
Shule facade
Shule interior
Shule interior
Eternal Lamp
Holy Ark
Copper Dome
Prayer Books
Memorial Book for Fallen ADF Soldiers who were part of the Shule community
Holy Ark
Chandelier
Torah Scrolls
Cantor’s Prayer Book
Curtain for the Holy Ark
Wooden Design for the Bimah (Central Platform)
History:
The St Kilda Hebrew Congregation was established in 1871, when Melbourne’s growing Jewish population began settling in the fashionable bayside suburb of St Kilda. Community leaders, including the prominent businessman Moritz Michaelis, recognised the need for a local synagogue, and the congregation was formally founded on 3 September 1871. Early services were held in the original St Kilda Town Hall before plans were made for a permanent place of worship.
The foundation stone of the synagogue in Charnwood Grove was laid in July 1872, and the building was consecrated later that year. As the congregation grew, the synagogue was enlarged during the 1880s, with its distinctive twin towers becoming a recognised landmark in St Kilda. For more than 150 years, St Kilda Shule has remained a place of prayer, learning, celebration, and continuity, preserving Jewish faith and tradition while contributing to the religious and cultural story of Victoria.
Faith Leader: Rabbi Yaakov Glasman AM
Rabbi Yaakov Glasman AM has served as the Senior Rabbi of the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation since 2011. As the congregation’s first Australian-born Senior Rabbi, he provides spiritual leadership through worship, teaching, pastoral care, and community engagement, continuing the synagogue’s long tradition as one of Australia’s leading centres of Orthodox Judaism.
Widely respected both within and beyond the Jewish community, Rabbi Glasman has been a strong advocate for interfaith dialogue, social cohesion, and community wellbeing. He has served as President of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria and later the Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand, and in 2021 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to Judaism, interfaith relations, and the wider community. He is also recognised as an engaging public speaker, educator, and counsellor, regularly contributing to discussions on faith, ethics, family life, and contemporary social issues.