Conference Information
We extend our sincere gratitude for your registration to attend the Simcha 2023 conference. We eagerly anticipate meeting you and trust that the Lord will abundantly bless your time with us.
Location:
The venue for the conference is our Caulfield Messianic Centre at 206 Bambra Road, Caulfield South, VIC 3162. The nearest train stations are Glen Huntly and Caulfield, with a tram stop on the corner of Glen Huntly and Bambra Roads. Please plan to arrive well before 6 pm on Friday, or ahead of the first session you plan to attend. This will allow ample time for parking and the collection of your conference pack, which includes a wristband required throughout the event.
Parking:
Parking is available on Bambra Road or nearby side streets. We kindly ask you to be considerate of local residents and avoid blocking driveways. Note that some areas have a 2-hour time limit on Saturday morning, so please relocate your car accordingly to prevent fines.
Meals:
Regarding meals, Friday night’s Shabbat dinner is a buffet. If you have specified dietary requirements, simply mention your name to the catering staff, who will guide you to compliant food options. On Saturday, morning tea and afternoon tea will be provided, with a separate table for those with specific dietary needs. For lunch and dinner, you can explore nearby cafes (a list will be provided in your conference pack) or bring your own and dine in our Dining Hall. Sunday will include morning tea, and the conference will conclude before lunch, allowing you to explore nearby cafes or enjoy a meal on your way home.
Livestream:
For those wishing to revisit sessions or are unable to attend all registered sessions, we have provided links to the various livestream sessions on this conference page Please refrain from sharing these links, as they are only meant for registered attendees.
If you have any questions before Friday, feel free to contact us at (03) 9563 5544 or at [email protected] If you have any questions during the conference, feel free to ask any of our available staff or volunteers.
Conference Schedule (Subject to Change)
| Friday 24 November | |||||
| 4:00-6:00pm | Registration | ||||
| 6:00-6:30pm | Shabbat Candle Lighting and Prayers | LIVESTREAM | |||
| 6:30-8.00pm | SHABBAT DINNER (Resources Room Open) | ||||
| 8:00-9:00pm | Teaching Session 1
Tim Sigler – The Servant Songs in Summary |
LIVESTREAM | |||
| Saturday 25 November | |||||
| 9:00-10:00am | Shabbat Shacharit Service
Teaching Session 2 Tim Sigler – The Syntax of the Servant |
LIVESTREAM | |||
| 10:00-10:30am | Morning Tea | ||||
| 10:30am-12:00pm | Shabbat Family Service
Teaching Session 3 Tim Sigler – The Salvation of the Servant |
LIVESTREAM | |||
| 12:00-2:00pm | Lunch (Resources Room Open) | ||||
| 2:00-3:00pm | Workshop 1
(Sanctuary) Simon B, Lawrence & Louise Hirsch: The Host Israelis Network and ZulaRoo |
Workshop 2
(Dining Hall) Jen B: The Background to the Arab-Israeli Conflict |
Workshop 3
(Upstairs Lounge) Sharon Dingjan, Paul Cohen & Eleanor Miles: The Messianic Training Centre |
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| 3:00-3:30pm | Afternoon Tea (Resources Room Open) | ||||
| 3:30-4:30pm | Workshop 4
(Sanctuary) Simon B, Lawrence & Louise Hirsch: The Host Israelis Network and ZulaRoo |
Workshop 5
(Dining Hall) Jen B: The Background to the Arab-Israeli Conflict |
Workshop 6
(Upstairs Lounge) Sharon Dingjan, Paul Cohen & Eleanor Miles: The Messianic Training Centre |
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| 4:30-7:00pm | Rest/Prayer and Dinner Break (Resources Room open) | ||||
| 7:00-9:00pm | Worship
Teaching Session 4 Paul Cohen – The Suffering Servant in the Brit Chadashah |
LIVESTREAM | |||
| Sunday 26 November | |||||
| 9:00-10:30am | Teaching Session 5
Tim Sigler – Suffering Like the Servant: The Cost of Discipleship |
LIVESTREAM | |||
| 10:30-11:00am | Morning Tea (Resources Room Open) | ||||
| 11:00am-12:00pm | Final Teaching Session 6 & “Lord’s Seder”
Lawrence Hirsch: Serving the Servant |
LIVESTREAM | |||
| 12:00pm | Group Photo | ||||
Conference Speakers
Tim Sigler
Tim possesses a remarkable 35-year track record of imparting knowledge about the land and people of Israel. His extensive academic and personal involvement with the language, history, culture, and geography of the biblical world make him a truly exceptional instructor for individuals seeking a deeper understanding of their Bibles within their original context.
Tim’s journey is marked by notable achievements, such as nearly two decades of teaching at the Moody Bible Institute, more than seven years of pastoral experience in the United States, and a significant period of residence and work in Israel, including his contributions to the Israel College of the Bible.
Rabbi Lawrence Hirsch
Lawrence and Louise were both born in South Africa and have been serving the Messiah amongst Jewish people since 1990. Lawrence and Louise are the Co-Founders of Celebrate Messiah Australia and Lawrence works as the Executive Director of Celebrate Messiah Australia.
Lawrence is a Jewish believer in Yeshua who had a traditional Jewish upbringing culminating with his Barmitzvah at the age of thirteen. In 1983, Lawrence and his family emigrated to Australia.
It was in Melbourne that Lawrence came to faith in Messiah. Amazingly at the very same time, Louise, Lawrence’s childhood sweetheart also came to faith in Jesus while still living in South Africa . Lawrence and Louise were married one year later and took up residence in Melbourne. Lawrence and Louise now have four beautiful children.
In 1990, Lawrence and Louise trained and worked in South Africa for five years. In October 1994, the Hirsch family returned from South Africa to take up their vision of sharing the Gospel with Jewish people in Australia. It was in 1995 that Celebrate Messiah was born. Lawrence and Louise have been involved in planting several messianic congregations and have had the privilege of leading many Jewish people to faith in Messiah.
Lawrence is the messianic Rabbi of Beit HaMashiach Messianic Congregation in Melbourne and is also actively involved in mission work in Israel, Russia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen was born in the Netherlands in 1963. After finishing High School in 1983 he went to live in Israel and spent a brief period in a Yeshiva (Jewish Theological College) in Jerusalem. Paul met his wife Sue in Israel and later immigrated to Australia where Sue had grown up. Sue became a believer in Yeshua (Jesus) in 1984 and was instrumental in Paul becoming a believer in February 1987. In 1992 Paul was elected president of the “Messianic Jewish Alliance of Australia” and later became an officer of the “International Messianic Jewish (Hebrew Christian) Alliance” (1992 – 1994). Over the past ten years, Paul has volunteered and worked in evangelism and teaching for several prominent ministries to the Jewish people. He has a heart to see his people know the love and grace of their true Messiah. He and Sue have two children, three grandsons, a granddaughter, and they all reside on the Central Coast of NSW. He is the teaching elder at Brit Chadashah a Messianic Fellowship in Sydney.