My quiet suburb has no bars and one cafe. But that’s not why we speak in whispers
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There are some pretty cool clothing and accessories shops along nearby Carlisle Street, attracting fashion-savvy shoppers from as far away as Caulfield. Once, I met the owner of The House of Balaclava on the street while wearing a new hat I had bought from him. In my imagination, the owner joked, “I’m sorry, but this is the best I can do,” but thankfully he actually said “nice.”
As East St Kilda is a largely family-oriented residential suburb, there are plenty of parks and playgrounds. Alma Park, for example, is vast and gorgeous, with majestic old eucalyptus trees you’ll want to hug. There are recreation areas for picnics, exercise, playgrounds, a secluded area for dogs and a football/cricket oval. Around the park there are some beautiful old churches, a monastery and a school.
There is also a huge cemetery. But last time I checked, there were no vacancies and there was no chance of any residents moving in any time soon.
Just around the corner from Alexander Street is an old white-painted building that resembles the old Parliament House in Canberra. This building houses a world-renowned rabbinical college that offers accommodation for students from many locations studying Jewish law to qualify as rabbis.
Many schools, both public and private, are a feature of East St Kilda. There are so many educational sites that they can be seen from the moon.
There is Masada Hospital on Balaclava Road. It takes its name, ironically, from the highland castle located on the shores of the Dead Sea in Israel; This castle is famous for being the last bastion of the Jewish rebellion against Roman occupation nearly 2000 years ago, and the remaining fanatics chose suicide rather than be captured and enslaved by the Romans.
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Like Elwood, East St Kilda is home to many Jewish families; Many people like mine fled Europe after World War II to escape antisemitism. But the only problem with having a significant number of Jewish residents is that East St Kilda also attracts neo-Nazis who like to scare Jews.
The burning of the Addas Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, just south of East St Kilda, was a brutal and glaring reminder of how precarious life could be for diaspora Jews. With antisemitism clearly on the rise, some are beginning to feel that they have outstayed their welcome.
But on Friday nights, Saturday mornings, and Jewish festivals, there are many religious Jews, some dressed in traditional Eastern European Hasidic garb, others in more modern attire, greeting each other as they walk to the synagogue with their children in tow.
Additionally, the traffic authority sets pedestrian traffic lights to turn on automatically when Jewish law forbids us from turning them on. Councils also allow community organizations to close sections of streets to celebrate various Jewish festivals.
Although it may lack bars, pubs, live music venues and bistros, ultimately East St Kilda remains a beautiful, fairly peaceful, inclusive and, some might say, boring suburb. But it’s also one of the most harmonious and inclusive suburbs around.
Henry Herzog is a consulting materials engineer.
