PROFILE

The magazine of the Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism

April April April April ---- May 2014May 2014May 2014May 2014 Nisan Nisan Nisan Nisan ---- Sivan 5774Sivan 5774Sivan 5774Sivan 5774

INSIDE:INSIDE:INSIDE:INSIDE: Presidential MusingsPresidential MusingsPresidential MusingsPresidential Musings Rabbinic ReflectionsRabbinic ReflectionsRabbinic ReflectionsRabbinic Reflections What’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBC Community NewsCommunity NewsCommunity NewsCommunity News What’s on in the wider What’s on in the wider What’s on in the wider What’s on in the wider communitycommunitycommunitycommunity World NewsWorld NewsWorld NewsWorld News . . . . . and more. . . . . and more. . . . . and more. . . . . and more

31 – 37 Harp Road Kew East Vic 3102 (PO Box 430, Kew East) Telephone: 03 9819 7160 Fax: 03 9859 5417 Web-Site: www.lbc.org.au E-mail: office@lbc.org.au

Come to our First Night LBC Communal Seder 6 pm for a 6.30 pm start on Monday 14 April

for a traditional service using our wonderful KDS Haggadah, with songs, a tasty catered menu and great company.

Suitable for all ages. Come along with your family or friends.

Bookings close Tuesday 8 April. Don’t miss out.

per adult member $50 per adult non-member $66

per concession member $47 per concession non-member $63

child member (under 13) $21 child non-member (under 13) $38

Our First Day Pesach morning service will be at 10 am on

Tuesday 15 April and our Chol Ha Moed Pesach service will be at

10 am on Saturday 19 April.

Our Final day Pesach service will be at 10 am Monday 21 April and will be led by Rabbi John Levi

On the first Friday of the month we invite you to ‘Shabbat at home’, in a private home where only reasonably small numbers can attend. Nevertheless, with a brief welcome to Shabbat and everyone sharing the catering, it is a pleasant experience.

Our Communal seder can be likened to a Shabbat at Home, in that it is another warm communal event,

with religious input, and a shared meal.

Don’t miss out - participate in our Communal seder - and come to one of our Shabbat at Home experiences.

In both instances, book through LBC office.

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We started the year by farewelling three young members, Naomi Black, Josh Fink and Josh Daniels, who are spending ten months in Israel on the Netzer Shnat program. Apparently they are enjoying the program, and we look forward to updates throughout the year.

We have been gratified by the enthusiastic uptake of our new Sh’ma

religious education program for children in Years 3-6. The program involves a weekly Monday afternoon Hebrew lesson and monthly programs based primarily around festivals and Shabbat. For a selection of the festival programs we are also running a concurrent fun but educational program for children in the preschool to Year 2 range. We have had two very successful monthly programs so far, on Shabbat and Purim. Thanks to parents who helped design the program and are now supporting it.

Our monthly Soul Shabbat services continue to be popular, as are the themed meals after each service

catered by Hynda Feldman; eating together fosters a real sense of community and creates new networks.

The brief monthly Friday Night Kids service conducted by Rabbi Jonathan also seems to be meeting an important need for families with young children.

The Annual LBC Brunch was, again, a huge success. Many people tell us that it’s an important feature in their calendar and that they really appreciate the opportunity to get together for an informal meal with other members of the congregation. Thanks to Tanya Warms, Kathy Deutsch and Sharon Marmor for all their work in organising it. Our monthly Chavurah lunches, organized by Ailsa Jean, are another highlight of the month.

In March our Israel Awareness Group organised a talk by Ido Agassi, an Israeli who creates hand-made books that are actually art objects. Kathy Deutsch did the work on this one, too.

We also launched a magnificent art exhibition by our very own Lazar Krum. The exhibition will be up for a couple

months, so everyone should have the opportunity to view these vibrant works on paper, and maybe purchase one.

We time our annual civic service so that it falls within the Kew Festival, and this year we were joined by many visitors – politicians, religious leaders and Venture Scouts (organised by Jerry Winston). At the end Rabbi Jonathan presented our retiring state member, Andrew McIntosh, with a copy of Let’s Bake and Cook (Edition 2).

And on March 15 and 16 a number of LBC members helped to stage the first ever Purim spiel produced as a cooperative endeavour by the four Victorian Progressive congregations. There’s a brief clip of some highlights on the both the LBC and PJV (Progressive Judaism Victoria) websites. Next year it will be ‘Megillah Mia – the ABBA Spiel’.

On Friday 28 March Gena Riess is being presented with a Union for Progressive Judaism Ner Tamid award at our monthly Friday night Shabbat service – for her work with Netzer. At the Shabbat morning service George Deutsch receives his Ner Tamid award for his work with LBC and the wider community. Stephen Freeman, the president of the UPJ, our regional roof body, is coming from Sydney to do the presentations.

Both the AGM and the annual lecture are on Sunday 30 March. We are absolutely delighted that Mark Dreyfus, Federal Member for Isaacs and former Attorney General, is delivering the lecture this year.

Julie is finishing two years as Co-President and so will soon be ‘Immediate Past President’. Her final request is that everyone who has not yet paid this year’s membership fee do so – and make a donation as well if you can.

- Julie Contole and David Rose

(Ed. Note: further information about many of the events mentioned here can be found throughout our magazine.)

Presidential MusingsPresidential MusingsPresidential MusingsPresidential Musings

Details at http://fbitravel.com.au/group/trips/50-chanukah-2014-in-myanmar or enquire through Ellen at PJV on 9533-9930

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Rabbinic ReflectionRabbinic ReflectionRabbinic ReflectionRabbinic Reflection

Pesach is all about freedom of course – reminding us of the importance of freedom, not just for ourselves or the Jewish people, but for all humanity. Indeed many people use the story of the Exodus as inspiration – for example the anti-slavery movement in America, where the Negro Spiritual ‘Go Down Moses’ became almost a ‘theme-tune’ (thanks to Wicki for the background!), originally titled "Oh! Let My People Go: The Song of the Contrabands" from Virginia, dating from about 1853 (The Contrabands was a Negro Spiritual group).

The Lord, by Moses, to Pharaoh said: Oh! let my people go. If not, I'll smite your first-born dead—Oh! let my people go. Oh! go down, Moses, Away down to Egypt's land, And tell King Pharaoh, To let my people go.

By 1872, the first lines had become the ones we are familiar with:

When Israel was in Egypt's land: Let my people go, Oppress'd so hard they could not stand, Let my People go…

To suit their purposes, "Israel" was introduced, and clearly represents the African-American slaves, while "Egypt" and "Pharaoh" represent the slavemaster. In that context, the meaning of "down" (to Egypt) converged with the concept of "down the river" (the Mississippi), where slaves' conditions were notoriously worse (a situation which left the idiom "to sell [someone] down the river" in present-day English).

As we sit down to our seder on Monday 14 April (and if you haven’t yet arranged to go to one, we can still fit you into the LBC Communal one – call 9819 7160), we may assume that slavery is a thing of the past. But this is by no means true. Though illegal, there are undoubtedly still countries around our globe where people are bought and sold and worked as slaves, from childhood until they drop – for example in the Congo.

A recent report from Walk Free, based here in Australia (http://www.walkfree.org), calculates there are 30 million (30,000,000) people enslaved around the world today – in ‘Jewish numbers’ that is five times as many as were killed in the Shoah – here, in our ‘free’ world today. The

highest percentage is in Mauritania (West Coast of Africa), at 4% (one in every twenty five people!). There are more people living in slavery today than the total number of people taken from Africa to America in the vast trans-Atlantic slave trade between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Of course, these shocking figures take in a huge variety of situations and degrees. But in a world – even in a country and city – where many people struggle with mounting debt, not enough food, inability to get employment or even a home to live in, we need to be aware, as we sit down to our seder, that the job is not yet done – in many ways, many millions of people in our world are not yet free.

One particular issue is food. Jewish festivals and celebrations are notorious for their over-catering. How much food is on the table for seder? How much has been

contributed for the needy? How many homeless people have you invited into your home for seder night? It is not too late to respond to the UPJ’s Mazon appeal – donate to BSB 021-241, account 495554928, or call with credit cards to 02 9413 1282, or post cheques (remember them?!) to Mazon, 28 Chatswood Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067.

Recently we have had some impressively high-piled tables for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs – with so much food it barely looks as if it has been touched by the time the guests leave! This is really unnecessary, especially because it is hard to find somewhere suitable to take it on to. The caterers are partly to blame – they simply produce too much food! But if you are organising an event, please tell them not to over cater. How about telling them you want 25% less food (and cost), and are sending 25% of their original quotation to Mazon, or the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre www.asrc.org.au?

Let’s take the messages of Pesach to heart. In our world today, no one’s freedom should be limited by lack of liberty, housing or sustenance. L’shalom Jonathan

Food for thought.Food for thought.Food for thought.Food for thought.

This morning I attended your annual Civic Service in the

synagogue, and I want to express my appreciation for that experience. It was my first time attending a Sabbath service, and

I had been looking forward to it with great anticipation.

The time seemed to go so quickly. I was made to feel very welcome, and I feel I learned so much by being present. I appreciated the opportunity after the 'Kiddush' to learn more about the Torah, and I thank Albert for conducting this session.

With renewed gratitude for this opportunity, Denise Mulcahy fcJ Secretary, Yarra Interfaith Network

LetterLetterLetterLetter

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What’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBC

We invite you to bring your younger family members to our activity - Friday Night Kids - from 5 to 5.30 pm, usually on the 3rd Friday in the month. Further date planned at present is 16 May. There will be no session in April.

The activity provides a short opportunity to have a story and sing some Shabbat songs and share candle-lighting and challah before everyone goes home to their own Shabbat dinner.

We precede a themed dinner with a short Erev Shabbat Musical service, currently the fourth Friday of the month.

The 2014 Soul Shabbat dinner in January was an Asian meal while in February 24 people enjoyed authentic Indian cuisine prepared by LBC members Rebecca and Joseph Joseph together with Esther and Ken Daniels. It

was a wonderful meal and I would like to thank Rebecca and Esther and families for their help and support and new friendship.

The dinners will resume again on the last Friday in May (after Pesach) with a theme to be confirmed. If any members would like to assist with the meal or come up with ideas for themes please contact me, Hynda Feldman, at hyndahf@hotmail.com.

If you haven't tried a Soul Shabbat please come along one month. It's a lovely way to make new friends and enjoy a musical Shabbat and a delicious and inexpensive meal together. More details in the e-Profile.

Please save the May date in your diaries and remember to book at www.trybooking.com/DIZX by 5 pm on the Wednesday prior to the dinner to reserve your place.

On 28 March, instead of a Soul Shabbat as above, we had a ‘Netzer’ BYO non-meat dinner after a short service at which Gena Riess was presented with her recently awarded Ner Tamid for all her work with Netzer. A truly special event.

6.30 pm: First Friday of the month

We gather to enjoy a short service and a delicious pot-luck (BYO) vegetarian/fish dinner in a private home. Because space is usually limited for these events, members should phone the office for details and bookings (remember, the office closes at 2pm on Friday).

If you’d like to make your home available, please let us know which month would suit you best, and how many people you can comfortably accept in your home.

We are always pleased to be able to offer items developed or made by members of the Leo Baeck Community. In addition to many other items, at present we still have the wonderful padpods, designed by our Ellie Robinson, available here at LBC for $24 (or you can order them online at www.padpod.com.au).

We also have a range of books, some written by members of our community (including our own LBC Cookbook), a selection of novelty and Australian themed kippot, and Shabbat, Yahrzeit and Havdalah candles as well as other items for sale.

Do have a good look - and ask us if there is something else you would like us

to stock. Purchases can be made during LBC Office hours.

As usual, large numbers of our members participated in this activity (see more pictures page 19) which always gives us a wonderful opportunity to get to know other LBC members better than we had done previously.

Thanks are due to our organisers who face an absolutely mammoth organisational task; to not only find hosts, but to allocate members to those hosts, and to follow up on any details where necessary. For this, we particularly thank Tanya Warms, Sharon Marmor, and Kathy Deutsch. However, we would still be absolutely nowhere without the generosity of our hosts, who make their homes available for this activity. This year we must thank:

Suzanne and Gary Adler, Danielle Clayman and Maurizio Tagliano, Marlis Cohen, Jack and Jo Cohn, Kathy and George Deutsch, Mannie Gross and Regina Bron, Sandra Hacker and Ian Kennedy, Golda and Joe Isaac, Sharon Marmor, Fairlie and Dennis Nassau, Terri and David Nathan, Monica Pet-terson and Jock Orkin, Kate Prinsley and Simon Moy, Caroline Rose and Paul Butler, Sue Rose and Gary Solomon, Shirley and Geoffrey Shiff, Val Silberberg, Fiona and Jonathan Spring, Ron and Virginia Steiner, Ruth and Michael Taft, Tanya Warms and Ken Opeskin, Goldie Zyskind.

In 2015,Tanya has advised, we may try a slightly different method of organising our Brunch, to assist in getting committed responses from our members - we may be asking you to ‘opt in’ ahead of time, if you wish to receive an invitation. More on this later in the year.

Shabbat at homeShabbat at homeShabbat at homeShabbat at home

Netzer dinnerNetzer dinnerNetzer dinnerNetzer dinner

LBC’s Judaica ShopLBC’s Judaica ShopLBC’s Judaica ShopLBC’s Judaica Shop Friday Night KidsFriday Night KidsFriday Night KidsFriday Night Kids

Erev Shabbat ‘Soul’ ServiceErev Shabbat ‘Soul’ ServiceErev Shabbat ‘Soul’ ServiceErev Shabbat ‘Soul’ Service

Our Annual BrunchOur Annual BrunchOur Annual BrunchOur Annual Brunch

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Defibrillator for Leo Baeck CentreDefibrillator for Leo Baeck CentreDefibrillator for Leo Baeck CentreDefibrillator for Leo Baeck Centre

Thank you for ensuring that your mail reaches us by always addressing it to:

PO BOX 430, Kew East, Vic 3102.

House of StudiesHouse of StudiesHouse of StudiesHouse of Studies

Zwinger Library Notes Zwinger Library Notes Zwinger Library Notes Zwinger Library Notes

10 for 10.30 am on Sunday 18 May ‘Einstein and Zionism’ - Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black In 2014, we are again offering sessions run by U3A, which LBC members are welcome to attend - even if you are not members of U3A.

Their program for April and May had not been finalised at time of preparing this material, but details of their sessions will be available on their website by early April.

Their Term will commence on 28 April. (Enquiries to

U3A Deepdene - ww.u3adeepdene.org.au Phone: 9817 7736

Email:

u3adeepdeneinc@gmail.com)

Our thanks go to Kew and Kew East branches of the Bendigo Community Bank for providing a defibrillator jointly for the Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism and the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra which rehearses at LBC.

Bendigo Community Banks have a charter which requires them to return a significant portion of their profits to their local communities. Kew and Kew East branches provide part of their funding to the Defib for Life program which puts defibrillators into community venues in their area.

Defibrillators are easy to use and training is provided. Hopefully, our defibrillator will never be used but, in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, it will significantly improve the prospect of survival.

The idea for this program arose from a case where a young footballer died who might have been saved had there been a defibrillator at hand, and similar cases.

LBC is an ideal location for a defibrillator as hundreds of people, many of them in an older age group, use the centre regularly. This includes people attending synagogue services, some Zelman Symphony players, U3A Deepdene members, and many other groups.

You can find information about Defib for Life at www.defibforlife.org.au.

Following our practice of having a ‘country’-themed Yom Ha’atzmaut dinner, this year please join us on

7 pm SATURDAY 10 MAY 2014

at a PERSIAN RESTAURANT in the eastern suburbs Our evening includes a talk on THE JEWS OF PERSIA/IRAN by Vida & Eddy Tavassoli

Please book through the LBC office 9819 7160 when restaurant and payment details will be supplied.

It is always nice to hear positive feedback, so we were delighted to be told recently by Rabbi John Levi that LBC has the best library of all the PJV congregations.

To enhance our library even further, Rabbi Levi recommended we add the following recently-published books. If anyone would like to contribute any of these or donate some money to purchase any of these we would be very appreciative.

Please contact our LBC office if you wish to donate money, or Gillian on 0417117310 if you would like to donate a book (just to check that some other kind person has not already donated it.)

We thank Marilyn Bronstein for donating a copy of her book Rabbis in Love, which will soon be available for borrowing.

The books recommended by Rabbi Levi are: David Bird: Nazi Dreamtime Amos Oz and his daughter: Jews and Words Daniel Silva: The Fallen Angel Margaret Taft: From Victim to Survivor Yair Lapid: Memories after my death Shavitsky: The Mystery of the 10 Lost Tribes Simon Sharma: The Story of the Jews, Vol. 1 Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal Eilat Mazar: Discovering the Solomonic Wall and The Palace of King David M Levitt: Hezbollah, the Global Footprint.....

If anyone has a computer they would like to donate to the library it would be much appreciated. Our current computer is outdated and very slow.

We are very happy to see people borrowing books from our library. Do try to come see it for yourself when you are next at LBC. As well as the display near the Shul we also have books on shelves in the two library rooms near the Kiddush Room. We always appreciate it if you leave the library tidy.

- Gillian Lubansky, Library convenor

What’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBCWhat’s on at LBC

LBC Yom Ha’atzmaut dinnerLBC Yom Ha’atzmaut dinnerLBC Yom Ha’atzmaut dinnerLBC Yom Ha’atzmaut dinner

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Regular activities at Leo Baeck CentreRegular activities at Leo Baeck CentreRegular activities at Leo Baeck CentreRegular activities at Leo Baeck Centre

Our LBC Study Group meets every Shabbat from 9-10 am, prior to our Shabbat service. Why not join them? Discuss the parashah of the day, or other matters of interest. Let us know if you would like to come.

Every Saturday morning, throughout the year, we hold our Shabbat services from 10 to approximately noon.

Sometimes we celebrate a special event at our services - a baby-naming, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, an Aufruf prior to a wedding, or a more secular event. Everyone is welcome, and we look forward to you joining in our regular prayers. And please stay afterwards to share in our Kiddush. Please discuss with us your options if you wish to sponsor a Kiddush for a special occasion in your life.

On the first Friday of the month we offer a ‘Sing in

Shabbat’ (see page 4 for details), usually in a private home, and we have a monthly Friday Night Kids activity (also outlined on page 4)

As you will also see on page 4 we have a monthly ‘Soul Service’ and followed by a ‘themed’ communal meal at Leo Baeck Centre.

We are a group for people who love to sing but perhaps lack confidence or experience, so a supportive and friendly environment is an important element of our group. We specialise in Yiddish, Ladino, Hebrew and Israeli songs but also tackle some songs in English, too. Participants are gently guided and encouraged by our fantastic musical leader, Sarah Mandie.

Our ongoing choir meets fortnightly on Thursday evenings, in a private home. If you would like to join us please let us know. We’d love to have you with us on 3 April and 1, 15 May.

We love being able to print contributions from members. Please keep them short and interesting. We can only print what we have been told about. We are very happy to format your items for you.

We are also very happy to receive photographs of our activities, but would prefer them to be forwarded

in .jpeg format.

Please have your articles, letters and advertisements for the June / July issue to the LBC Office

before 13 May 2014

Please note our email address is office@lbc.org.au

We are now printing Profile ‘in-house’. We sincerely thank Paula Messer for her very detailed proof-reading of most of the material in this issue.

Our classes have been thriving for some years now, and if you’d like to have fun and keep fit, come along every Tuesday and join in the fun

Beginners 9.30 am Intermediate 10.30 am

$5 donation per person per session

We are happy to take advance orders for the Book, which will be available for collection from LBC from 3 April, again with fantastic value, and which helps our LBC fundraising.

This year sees the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Melbourne Entertainment Book and the organisation is very excited to be launching its brand new alternative Entertainment Digital Membership!

This year members will be able to choose the traditional Entertainment Book Membership or, if they prefer, the Entertainment Digital Membership - a digital version of the Book that will allow you to redeem the offers on your iPhone or android smartphone.

Both versions will still sell for only $65, and are again filled with valuable and often exclusive offers from businesses like Taxi Dining Room, Young & Jacksons, The Portsea Pub, Glick’s Cakes and Bagels, Breadtop,

Mt Buller Ski Lifts, the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel and hundreds more!

Remember to order a Book or a Digital Membership from LBC so that you won’t miss out on all the benefits.

Next meeting of our Book Club is at 7.30 on 6 April, at LBC: don’t hesitate to come and join us for a discussion of the thriller The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva.

Can you suggest why Jewish writers do not write so many of these? Does the fact that Silva is Israeli have any influence on why his genre is murder mystery?

This book was recommended by a Rabbi (see Library article on page 5). Would you read a book recommended by a rabbi?

Deadline for next ProfileDeadline for next ProfileDeadline for next ProfileDeadline for next Profile

This edition of Profile was edited by Ruth Jacobs.

Articles are accepted as expressing the views of the author,

and not necessarily those of the Editor. Articles may be edited for reasons of length or clarity.

Advertisements will be accepted, please contact Office for details.

Profile is registered to Australia Post Publication No PP 325 999 10035

Regular happenings at LBCRegular happenings at LBCRegular happenings at LBCRegular happenings at LBC

Regular happenings at LBCRegular happenings at LBCRegular happenings at LBCRegular happenings at LBC

Study GroupStudy GroupStudy GroupStudy Group

Shabbat ServicesShabbat ServicesShabbat ServicesShabbat Services

Israeli DancingIsraeli DancingIsraeli DancingIsraeli Dancing

Beyachad Singing GroupBeyachad Singing GroupBeyachad Singing GroupBeyachad Singing Group

Entertainment Book 2014Entertainment Book 2014Entertainment Book 2014Entertainment Book 2014----5555

Book ClubBook ClubBook ClubBook Club

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Walking GroupWalking GroupWalking GroupWalking Group Art Exhibition and Sale at LBCArt Exhibition and Sale at LBCArt Exhibition and Sale at LBCArt Exhibition and Sale at LBC

Profiles for ProfileProfiles for ProfileProfiles for ProfileProfiles for Profile

Maccabi ‘Inter Shul Bowls Day’Maccabi ‘Inter Shul Bowls Day’Maccabi ‘Inter Shul Bowls Day’Maccabi ‘Inter Shul Bowls Day’

Our group has been active for some years now, regularly walking for an hour early on a Friday morning in the areas around LBC. The participants thoroughly enjoy keeping fit in good company.

Would you like to join them? Ring us in the office.

We are still considering resurrecting our former regular column profiling members of our community, but in a different format to that used before. A deafening silence was the response to our last request for information/a volunteer.

Who would you like to know more about? Let us know.

Would you like to write for us? (You won’t have to pass an exam to be acceptable!) Joel and Ruth Solomon together with Madeline and Manfred Franklin (shown L-R below) again represented LBC in the annual tournament held in February in memory of Jenny Goldberg .

The LBC team acquitted themselves very honourably, being beaten by representatives of the Docklands Chabad by only 1 point on a countback, while the percentages were equal. Perhaps the Chabad team had a divine advantage, as they had a rabbi on the team.

Nevertheless, our team says they had a fun day, and hope that more LBC members will join them next year.

New exhibition at LBC

by Melbourne artist Lazar Krum:

Paper Journey - works on paper 1969 - 2013. Melbourne artist Lazar Krum is the subject of a new exhibition at the Leo Baeck Arts Centre focusing on a broad variety of abstract and figurative works on paper created over the past 44 years.

The exhibition will be on display until May 25. Viewing times will Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (and Wednesdays from 9 April) 10am to 1.30pm.

Items on display may be purchased, and additional copies of those which are prints are available.

Our exciting new for children from Year 3 has commenced successfully, and we would be very pleased for you

to spread the word of its existence to friends and relations.

We are always very pleased to accept new enrolments. Term 2 will commence on Monday 28 April 2014.

For further information please check our website, www.lbc.org.au, or contact our office on 9819 7160.

sh’ma program

LBC excitementLBC excitementLBC excitementLBC excitement

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Congratulations toCongratulations toCongratulations toCongratulations to

New members since last ProfileNew members since last ProfileNew members since last ProfileNew members since last Profile

Condolences toCondolences toCondolences toCondolences to

Robyn Krause-Hale and her family on the death of her father, Aaron

Derek Prinsley, and Kate Prinsley, and family, on the death of Sasha; wife, mother, grandmother

Alec Huze and family on the death of his mother Dora

Shirley Cohen and family on the death of John. A public celebration of John's life will be held on Sunday 13 April at The Upper Gallery, Montsalvat, Eltham, 11 am to 2 pm. All most welcome

Special birthdaysSpecial birthdaysSpecial birthdaysSpecial birthdays

April

Jack Cohen David Davies Ayal Marek

Nadia Okraglik Julia Rose

Karen Silberberg

May

Mario Blitzman Vicki Brous Michael Cohn

Christine Lederman Paula Messer Danielle Pogos Sam Scott

Natalie Tavassoli Lilla Thiele-Evans

Madeleine Thiele-Evans

Special wedding anniversariesSpecial wedding anniversariesSpecial wedding anniversariesSpecial wedding anniversaries

April: Sue Selwyn and Barry Novy

B & S Aarons, Anonymous, T & J Beer, D Brous, S Cohen, H & M Cooklin, P & R Eisler, A & H Feldman, M Gottlieb-Drucker, E & R Gross, J & G Isaac, L Jacobs,

A & J Kaye, H Kaye, A & D Kerron, E Lednar, P & M Mandie, B Morrison, D & S Prinsley, R & E Redlich,

C Riess & J Contole, M & J Rozen, R Shapero, V Silberberg, J & F Spring, E Taft, J & M Taft,

D Tropp-Boas, S Winocur

As usual, we particularly thank the ‘repeat donors’ on this list, and we apologise for any errors or omissions.

Our very much appreciated volunteersOur very much appreciated volunteersOur very much appreciated volunteersOur very much appreciated volunteers

Ailsa Jean, Marlis Cohen, Kathy Deutsch, Hynda Feldman, Jenny Gold, Alison Harcourt, Jeanne Isaacs-Armitage, Chris Lederman, Gillian Lubansky, Sharon Marmor, Terri Nathan, Paula Messer, Tanya Warms, Helen Wolfram,

and to all our Board Members and others who continue to generously donate their time and efforts throughout the year to committees and event planning; and also to anyone whose name has been inadvertently omitted. (Please note, the people who helped with our Annual Brunch are specifically thanked on page 4.)

Community NewsCommunity NewsCommunity NewsCommunity News

Loryn Einstein and Mark van den Berg on their recent wedding.

Suzi Riess for passing her written paediatric exam

Barry Fried, Max Gross, Ferenc Price

Rachel Nankin will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah at 10 am on Saturday 12 April.

We wish her, and her family, Mazeltov at this special time.

Forthcoming LBC Bat MitzvahForthcoming LBC Bat MitzvahForthcoming LBC Bat MitzvahForthcoming LBC Bat Mitzvah

Thoughtful People (22 Jan Thoughtful People (22 Jan Thoughtful People (22 Jan Thoughtful People (22 Jan ---- 27 Feb 2014) 27 Feb 2014) 27 Feb 2014) 27 Feb 2014)

‘WOMEN IN JUDAISM’ major Shabbaton conference.

We are planning to hold a FIRST for Australian Jewry – a major conference in FEBRUARY 2015.

Since Eve (if not Lilith!), women have had a crucial role in the development of Judaism – yet, for a variety of reasons, we have not properly seen them or heard their voices.

This has slowly begun to change over the post-war years, especially in Progressive Jewish circles. We will be gathering women Rabbis from across Australia and beyond, and their writings –

and we need YOUR HELP to organise this significant undertaking.

Please contact the office if you’d like to be a smaller or larger part of the planning and organising group, or would be able to assist over the Shabbaton weekend. Please contact the office, 9819 7160 or lbcassist@lbc.org.au

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Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black may be reached on the LBC Office number, or on rabbi@lbc.org.au He is normally unavailable on Thursdays,

except for emergencies.

2013 LBC Executive: Co-Presidents

Dr Julie Contole 9853 2057 Mr David Rose 9818 6585 Vice Presidents Mr Michael Fink 9481 1606 Mr Mannie Gross 9859 8277 Hon. Treasurer Ms Marlis Cohen 9859 2391 Immediate Past President Dr Tom Beer 9808 1547 Our AGM was 30 March: new 2014 Board members will be listed next issue

2013 LBC Board: Mr John Burgess 0419 507 823 Dr George Deutsch 9817 5555 Mr Ron Steiner 9818 4665 Ms Lisa Sylvan 9819 4483

Dr Jon Taft 9822 8422 Mr Michael Taft 9429 4408 Mr Martin Toone 0417 551 676 Normal LBC Office hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 2 pm Contact through Office: ph: 9819 7160 fax: 9859 5417

Mrs Ruth Jacobs Admin. Secretary Ms Karyn Hall Resource Officer (vacant) CARE group Ms Gillian Lubansky Library

LBC contact numbersLBC contact numbersLBC contact numbersLBC contact numbers

Survey SnapshotSurvey SnapshotSurvey SnapshotSurvey Snapshot

Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey. The Board is committed to ensuring that LBC reflects the needs and desires of its members. That’s why late last year we commissioned a survey to gather as much information as we could from our members in a broad and accessible way.

While the LBC Board reflects a cross-section of members, we were determined to provide as broad a base as possible in reaching out to our community to seek members’ views and ideas as we prepare for LBC’s immediate and longer term future.

The survey attracted 179 responses – an overall rate of

34% – an excellent and gratifying response from our members. From the survey we have learned or confirmed that:

* LBC plays an important role in providing members with a direct connection with the Jewish

community as well as providing life cycle and High Holyday services.

* The three most significant reasons members gave for joining were:

To belong to a Jewish community To attend High Holyday or Festival services Being attracted by Progressive Judaism’s

ideas and practices. * Provision of B’nei Mitzvah and pastoral care services is regarded as critical (96%). * LBC’s membership is an ageing demographic with a

distinct lack of members in the 30 to 50 year old age group.

* LBC’s membership is loyal – 65% have been members for over 10 years, including 53% for

20 years or more. * Increasing the membership base was regarded a

high priority, including, as a key element, maintaining financial viability. There was support

for LBC’s policy that fees should reflect a member’s ability to pay and their circumstances

but not for reducing fees across the board. * Members want social events as fundraisers. * Most members believe LBC is covering a sufficiently

broad range of activities, with youth activities identified as the key area where increased

attention could be paid. * Comments about our religious services reflect the

broad spectrum of members within our community; there was a range of views, and constructive suggestions were received around length of service, format and music. Music was generally seen as a very important and good part of our services.

* Many responses indicated that we are seen as an inclusive and welcoming community.

Thanks to those who, as part of their response, indicated they would like to directly assist the LBC community in some way; we are in the process of contacting those people who volunteered to do more.

We will continue to explore the best ways to serve our community and to ensure that LBC has a vibrant and sustainable future. The Board is currently focussed on future planning that incorporates a range of members’ views, including those received via this survey. Your responses to the survey have been very helpful, and appreciated, in providing clarity and focus for our planning.

If you want any more information on the survey, including a copy of the full report, or wish to share further views, please contact the office on 9819 7160.

10

Tue 1 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Wed 2 Apr 10.30 am: Exercise group @ LBC Thu 3 Apr Entertainment Books now available from Office 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 8 pm: Beyachad Singing Group - off-site Fri 4 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 6.30 pm: Shabbat at home - call office 9819 7160 to book Sat 5 Apr 9 am: Shabbat study group

10 am: Shabbat morning service at LBC 10.30 am: Shabbat morning service at Ballarat synagogue - please take non-meat contribution for kiddush/lunch Sun 6 Apr 7.30 pm: Book Club Mon 7 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Exhibition is open to viewers 5 pm: B'M class 7 pm: Board meeting Tue 8 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Final bookings for LBC Communal seder Wed 9 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Thu 10 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Fri 11 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Sat 12 Apr 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat HaGadol morning service BM: Rachel Nankin 12.30 pm: Chavurah (shared) non-meat lunch 2 pm: Fine Wine and Fine Music - Charles Valentin Alkan - presented by Mannie Gross, with wines presented by Ailsa Jean 7 pm: LBCinema - Fill the Void - $10 per person Mon 14 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 5 pm: B'M class 6 for 6.30 pm: LBC Communal Seder Tue 15 Apr 10 am: First day Pesach service Office Closed

Wed 16 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Thu 17 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Fri 18 Apr Office Closed Sat 19 Apr 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat morning service Mon 21 Apr 10 am: Last day Pesach service Office Closed Tue 22 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers

Wed 23 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 10.30 am: Exercise group @ KHC Thu 24 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Fri 25 Apr Office Closed -Anzac Day Sat 26 Apr 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat morning service Sun 27 Apr BM mentoring - ttbc Yom HaShoah Mon 28 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 5 pm: B'M class 5 pm: Sh'ma program - Ivrit Tue 29 Apr 9.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Beginners 10.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Intermediate 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Wed 30 Apr 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 10.30 am: Exercise group @ KHC

Our calendar for April . . . . . Our calendar for April . . . . . Our calendar for April . . . . . Our calendar for April . . . . .

11

. . . . and May. . . . and May. . . . and May. . . . and May

Thu 1 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 8 pm: Beyachad Singing Group - off-site Fri 2 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 6.30 pm: Shabbat at home - led by Shannyn Gelbart. Book with office 9819 7160 Sat 3 May 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat morning service at LBC Sun 4 May 11 am - 4 pm: tbc Tech Workshop (see page 18) 2.30 - 4.30 pm: Sh'ma Program - Yahadut Mon 5 May Yom HaZikaron 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 5 pm: B'M class 5 pm: Sh'ma program - Ivrit

Tue 6 May Yom Ha’atzmaut 9.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Beginners 10.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Intermediate 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Wed 7 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 10.30 am: Exercise group @ KHC Thu 8 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Fri 9 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Sat 10 May 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat morning service at LBC 12.30 pm: Chavurah (shared) non-meat lunch 7 pm: Annual Yom Ha’atzmaut dinner - Persian theme offsite - details given on payment. Mon 12 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 5 pm: B'M class 5 pm: Sh'ma program - Ivrit 7 pm: Board meeting Tue 13 May Deadline for material for Profile 9.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Beginners 10.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Intermediate 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Wed 14 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 10.30 am: Exercise group @ KHC Thu 15 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 8 pm: Beyachad Singing Group - off-site

Fri 16 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 5 pm: Friday Night Kids 7 pm: Soul Shabbat & Dinner Sat 17 May 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat morning service at LBC - our Volunteers’ Shabbat 7 pm: LBCinema - Palestine - between 2WW and 1948 - $10 per person Sun 18 May 10 for 10.30 am: Einstein and Zionism Lag B'Omer 3 pm: B’nai Mitzvah Sunday Workshop Mon 19 May 2014 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 5 pm: B'M class 5 pm: Sh'ma program - Ivrit

Tue 20 May 9.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Beginners 10.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Intermediate 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Wed 21 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers 10.30 am: Exercise group @ KHC Thu 22 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers Fri 23 May 10 am - 1.30 pm: Art Exhibition is open to viewers for the final time. Sat 24 May 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat morning service at LBC Mon 26 May 5 pm: B'M class 5 pm: Sh'ma program - Ivrit Tue 27 May 9.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Beginners 10.30 am: Israeli Dancing - Intermediate Wed 28 May 9 am: Profile mailout 10.30 am: Exercise group @ KHC Sat 31 May 2014 9 am: Shabbat study group 10 am: Shabbat morning service at LBC

12

What’s on within our wider communityWhat’s on within our wider communityWhat’s on within our wider communityWhat’s on within our wider community

The inaugural Melbourne Jewish Writers Festival 31 May – 2 June 2014, will be a biennial event beginning with a Saturday night gala followed by two days of concurrent sessions. The program will showcase prominent and emerging Australian and international writers, who are Jewish or explore Jewish themes in their work.

The program includes a wide range of literary related activities that will explore contemporary issues and Jewish culture, life and literature and their universal messages.

All forms of writing will be showcased and all age groups targeted. It is planned to be a wide-ranging and inclusive festival.

Highlights include international authors, Dara Horn and Matthue Roth (USA) and Zeruya Shalev (Israel) and via video linkup, Irving Yalom in the US and David Grossman in Israel; panel discussions; interviews; poetry and prose readings; book signings; a poetry slam; speed dating for book lovers; book therapy - advice on books by librarians; and an open mike event.

Rachel Berger will host a gala evening on Saturday 31 May with several festival guests on the theme “It Started with a Word”.

If you would like to know more, or wish to book for any sessions, please refer to info@mjwf.com.au

Like most other not-for-profit organisations, we rely heavily on our volunteers to ensure that necessary tasks are undertaken successfully. Every issue we thank our volunteers, but this is really insufficient recognition, and there is always the risk that someone’s quiet, backroom, contribution will be overlooked.

Many of LBC’s activities would not occur unless we had dedicated volunteers who were prepared to plan, implement, cater for, liaise with our office and do the multitude of other tasks connected with ‘getting the show on the road’. Just look at this issue to see the successful results of the input of many volunteers!

We invite all our volunteers - whether you do your voluntary work here, or with other organisation - to attend our Shabbat morning service at 10 am on 17 May, so that we can show our appreciation for your efforts and input. In case we miss you when sending out invitations - please come anyway.

As a member of the LBC Board and a graphic designer of many years in industry and in my own graphic studio, I realised that I should not hide my abilities from others. Therefore I made a conscious decision, encouraged by others, to put my hand up to be convenor of a reconstituted LBC Arts committee.

But, if we are to re-establish the previously extremely successful Committee I need your help - at whatever level and in whatever capacity you feel comfortable with.

I believe that having a Lively and active Arts committee provides LBC with a dimension that says ‘life’.

Please consider volunteering to join me in this adventure.

- Martin Toone, LBC Board member

7.30 pm Saturday 10 May $30 per head Book by 6 May through Gerry Hamer 9857 9909 or

hamerg@bigpond.net.au

Hynda Feldman, an LBC member, breast cancer survivor and NBCF Speakers Bureau Representative, is available to chat to other women and men going through a similar journey. Talking to someone that has gone through something similar can be reassuring and calming. She can be contacted on 0418 108 340 or by email at hyndahf@hotmail.com.

Reform Judaism Magazine & WUPJ premiere their

second Jewish World Travel Guide.

In partnership with the World Union, Reform Judaism magazine has just released the 2nd Annual RJ Insider’s Guide to Jewish World Travel — where to go, what to see, what to eat, and how to connect — exploring Paris, Melbourne, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Jamaica, Warsaw, Budapest, Prague — and premiering the first-ever map of Reform congregations worldwide.

The articles are searchable via RJPedia atop the Reform Judaism magazine homepage. Click on “Travel & World Reports” and then select the applicable country.

What’s on in our wider communityWhat’s on in our wider communityWhat’s on in our wider communityWhat’s on in our wider community

What’s on in our wider communityWhat’s on in our wider communityWhat’s on in our wider communityWhat’s on in our wider community

Breast Cancer informationBreast Cancer informationBreast Cancer informationBreast Cancer information

Volunteers’ Shabbat Volunteers’ Shabbat Volunteers’ Shabbat Volunteers’ Shabbat ---- 17 May17 May17 May17 May

Melbourne Jewish Writers FestivalMelbourne Jewish Writers FestivalMelbourne Jewish Writers FestivalMelbourne Jewish Writers Festival

B’Nai B’rith Hatikvah Unit Trivia NightB’Nai B’rith Hatikvah Unit Trivia NightB’Nai B’rith Hatikvah Unit Trivia NightB’Nai B’rith Hatikvah Unit Trivia Night

Seeking Seeking Seeking Seeking SpecialSpecialSpecialSpecial VolunteersVolunteersVolunteersVolunteers

Information for Jewish TravellersInformation for Jewish TravellersInformation for Jewish TravellersInformation for Jewish Travellers

13

World NewsWorld NewsWorld NewsWorld News

World NewsWorld NewsWorld NewsWorld News

Our schnatties reportOur schnatties reportOur schnatties reportOur schnatties report

Our PJV ‘Beatles Spectacular’ PurimspielOur PJV ‘Beatles Spectacular’ PurimspielOur PJV ‘Beatles Spectacular’ PurimspielOur PJV ‘Beatles Spectacular’ Purimspiel

This year not one but THREE of our LBC 18 year olds, Josh Fink, Naomi Black and Josh Daniel, are having an amazing gap-year experience with Netzer in Israel. Josh D is on 'Machon' (the Institute) and Josh F and Naomi B are in the 'Etgar' flat, where they have to plan, shop, cook and clean as well as study and explore Israel! The William Kaye Memorial Fund may be able to assist those planning to go in 2015 - or any qualifying study trip before then - but applications have to be lodged by the end of this April. Details can be found at lbc.org.au.

Josh F writes: 'One more week in Etgar, one more week full of experiences and challenges for us. On Thursday we had our first History class with Ilana, a young teacher who is going to show us the past of Israel by visiting the places with historical relevance all around the country. This first class we spent it in the City of David in Jerusalem, where some of us chose to walk the same underground water tunnels that King David used to capture the City thousands of years ago.

Here, our weekend began. Some people stayed in Jerusalem; some others travelled to the corners of the country: Kibbutz Lotan (South). Naomi went to Karmi’el

(North) and others went to Tel Aviv. Of the people who stayed, about eight went to have Shabbat dinner with a Kabbalistic Hassidic Rabbi (who doesn’t define himself as part of any particular branch of Judaism!). After meeting him at the Western Wall, we traversed the maze of the Old City to arrive at his house. After being greeted by his family we commenced a very entertaining and thought-provoking shabbat dinner, where our host enquired about

our Judaism and in return answered our questions about his views on Judaism and “halachic laws“. All of this was accompanied by great food and drinks.

On Sunday afternoon we had our volunteering session. Some started a gardening project in a pluralistic school, others went to the open house for the LGBTQ community, others to the experimental school, and two of us started a project for collecting food for the poor. After this, we had a group meeting for discussing some topics about the flat and the communal living, which ended up being kind of a “balagan“ (mess, chaos, catastrophe, end of the world…). There was also an event for raising money for the Sudanese refugees with lots of traditional food, live music and dancing!

We started the second day of this week with Hebrew class followed by either Sins in Judaism or Gender in Judaism. Both of them turned to be really interesting and even challenging. The day continued with Israeli Politics and ended with a really enjoyable Hadracha (leadership) class.

On Tuesday our Seminar about Israeli peripheries started and since then we’ve explored Ben Gurion's life, as well as the life of the Bedouin people and the Ayalim move-ment (a group of young volunteers who kind of follow Ben Gurion's idea of populating the periphery by helping to develop this areas as well as providing cheaper accommodation for students and young families).

It’s been a really interesting week, full of information,

enjoyment and surprises. Todah rabah Netzer

Glowing reports have been coming in from all sides for our PJV Purimspiel this year. Participants from across the PJV and their audiences had a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

We thank our LBC participants: Julie Contole, Esther and Ken Daniels, Anna Dart, Jonathan Keren-Black, Yvonne McBean, Fairlie Nassau, Colin Riess, and Martin Toone. And thanks also to those who pitched in on the night of the performance, especially David Waksberg for his help in the kitchen.

Thanks to our ‘on-the-spot’ photographers: Tanya Warms, David Rooseboom and Reuben Urban.

14

Access to EulogiesAccess to EulogiesAccess to EulogiesAccess to Eulogies

Funding your children’s futureFunding your children’s futureFunding your children’s futureFunding your children’s future

A Quiet Contemplative MomentA Quiet Contemplative MomentA Quiet Contemplative MomentA Quiet Contemplative Moment

Rabbi Jonathan keeps electronic copies of his eulogies. If you should ever require a copy of a particular one,

please ask us.

Bequests to Leo Baeck Centre Our Centre, like other synagogues, is dependent on donations to ensure its continuing existence.

If you would like to consider making a bequest in LBC’s favour in your Will, it would be gratefully accepted and used in an appropriate way for the future benefit of our congregation.

Information re a suggested form of words is available from the LBC Office.

Yom HaShoah falls this year on 27 April.

Merciful parent who dwells on high. in Your great mercy remember in mercy Your upright, blameless, and deserving children, and their holy communities that were destroyed in their great numbers in the Holocaust. Their lives were taken as they honoured Your name. Beloved and precious in life, even death cannot separate them from us. May God remember them for goodness along with all the world’s righteous. And let us say: Amen

Am Yisrael Chai The People of Israel is Alive.

Mishkan T’filah, page 554

We p l a n o u r d a i l y l i v e s b u t h a v e y o u

p l a n n e d f o r y o u r d e a t h ? R e l i e v e t h e s t r e s s

o n y o u r f am i l y a n d c o n t a c t B e t O l am n ow .

���� p r e a r r a ng e d a n d p r e p a i d f u n e r a l s .

���� Be t O l am i s a c c e s s e d b y o n e p h o ne c a l l

9 8 8 3 - 6 2 3 7 – 2 4 h o u r / 7 d a y s e r v i c e .

P l e a s e c o n t a c t R ho n d a N i r e n s J P o n 9 8 8 3 - 6 2 3 7 o r

R h o n d a@ j ew i s h f u n e r a l s . o r g . a u

F o r m o r e i n f o rma t i o n , r e f e r t o o u r w e b

s i t e www . j ew i s h f u n e r a l s . o r g . a u

A n o t - f o r - p r o f i t f u n e r a l s e r v i c e

w h i c h c a t e r s f o r t h e n e e d s o f a l l J e w s

n o m a t t e r t h e i r a f f i l i a t i o n .

Kew Festival dances Israeli at LBCKew Festival dances Israeli at LBCKew Festival dances Israeli at LBCKew Festival dances Israeli at LBC

ContemplationContemplationContemplationContemplation

Join us weekly

- Tuesday morning at LBC (see diary and

page 6)

15

Events for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmautEvents for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmautEvents for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmautEvents for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut

Our Yahadut Purim excitement Our Yahadut Purim excitement Our Yahadut Purim excitement Our Yahadut Purim excitement

For further information on these two events, please contact the Zionist Council of Victoria on 9272 5544. Seats for the Yom Ha’atzmaut concert can be purchased directly through the Melbourne Recital Centre. Yom HaZikaron - May 4 Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University, Clayton The tekes (ceremony) for Israel's Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror is a meaningful tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the defence of Israel or as victims of terror. Admission is free of charge; reserved seating is available for a $18 donation. Please contact zcv@zcv.org.au for more information.

Yom Ha’atzmaut Concert 7.30 pm May 5 - Melbourne Recital Centre The Melbourne Recital Centre will be filled with the spirit of Israel as we celebrate 66 years of Israel’s independence. The festive concert will feature a selection of familiar and contemporary Israeli music performed by local artists and headlined by internationally recognised Israeli-Australian artist, Lior.

Our younger children had a wonderful morning of Purim

activities with their families, our Sh’ma

Program teachers, and Natalie Krasnostein who had them engrossed with her story-telling skills.

The Netzer-made chocolate Hamantaschen were - as usual - a real success, and the children really got into the swing of dressing up as kings, queens and various

villains (and others).

Bring your children or grandchildren and join our next Yahadut program for littlies for Shavuot, on

1 June from 2.30 - 4 pm.

Thank you, Julie Contole, for the photographs.

16

Let’s preserve our best legal weapon against racism.Let’s preserve our best legal weapon against racism.Let’s preserve our best legal weapon against racism.Let’s preserve our best legal weapon against racism.

JEREMY JONES THE AUSTRALIAN MARCH 18, 2014 12:00AM THE frenetic game and tremendous atmosphere at the recent Sydney football derby, with Sydney FC triumphant over the Western Sydney Wanderers, were what I, and many other sports fans, would like to be our final memories of the game.

Instead, the revelations of racial and religious abuse directed at a classy and inspirational player, Ali Abbas, have dominated post-match discussion.

Racism is, unfortunately, a reality in contemporary Australia. The best means to redress it and provide recourse to the victims of racist intimidation and harassment is currently the subject of vigorous public debate. For more than 18 years, one of the options available to those innocent Australians who have found themselves targeted by bigots and bullies has been Section 18C of the Federal Racial Discrimination Act.

In all that time, precisely one adjudicated complaint has been the subject of public controversy. The law, in my opinion and that of so many involved in work to promote fairness, tolerance and community harmony, has made a good contribution towards building a more decent Australia.

In my capacity as a senior elected officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, I was involved in a number of cases, all of which set precedents and helped define what is, and is not, acceptable to the Australian community.

Before the introduction of the law, a Tasmanian woman who had spent many hours distributing racist leaflets and cassettes and selling racist books and videos at markets

had refused all supplications to stop harassing and vilifying members of minority groups.

When the law was introduced, she was instructed to cease her behaviour, which she did. Reports of racial incidents in her State dropped about 90 per cent.

Before the law, an Adelaide man employed a variety of platforms to propagate anti-Jewish conspiracy theories. After complaints under 18C his denial of the Nazis’ genocide was found to be unlawful.

The newspaper of a small political party in Queensland

published an article alleging Jews were acting to destroy Australia’s moral fabric and to take over the economic and political system. Due to 18C, the writer was dropped by the paper and the party apologised.

An ubiquitous internet search engine was providing links to extreme racist, conspiracy-theory sites when users entered the terms “Jew” and “Australian”. After clear evidence was produced that the links were to pages in breach of 18C, the search engine corrected this anomaly.

A Sydney-based Arabic-language newspaper republished items from Middle East sources that defamed Jews and Judaism, initially defending their action as being in the public’s interest.

After a complaint under 18C, and a conciliation, the paper apologised and published an article condemning racism and another calling on Jews and Arabs to work together in Australia’s interests.

Under the law as it stands, only a person who belongs to the group that has been vilified and harassed has the right to complain.

I am aware, nonetheless, of cases involving indigenous Australians and people of African and Asian backgrounds which were also resolved under 18C, yet would have festered without it.

18C has proven to be a means to have recalcitrant racists cease harassing others, of sending a message that bullying by bigots is unacceptable and providing a means for people to have their rights to live their lives free from harassment and intimidation protected.

Under other Australian laws, individuals who have been the victims of malice can take advantage of defamation laws to defend their reputation and social standing.

But when entire ethnic, national or racial minorities are depicted as immoral, corrupt and even existential enemies of Australia, the only recourse is 18C.

Under other Australian laws, a person cannot falsely claim a product for sale or a service to be provided will bring benefits to the purchaser.

But when false claims are made about individuals, 18C provides potential consumers of lies with the ability to judge the quality of descriptions of classes of people.

To take away or to diminish the provisions of 18C is to take away and diminish the confidence many Australians have that our society cares more about the victims of racism and the quality of life of targets of bullies than for the hateful, bigoted minority.

Jeremy Jones is director of international and of community affairs at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council. Photo: Sydney Morning Herald

- continued from page 17 And indeed the world is a different place – and undoubtedly a better place - because of John Cohen’s untiring efforts through all these years.

He was a funny man, said Shirley, who rightly, gets the last word. Complex, unresolved – and it was always hard for him to talk about feelings – I’ll miss him.

-edited from the eulogy prepared by Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black

17

Vale John Cohen OAM: Vale John Cohen OAM: Vale John Cohen OAM: Vale John Cohen OAM: 19 Sept 1919 – 18 March 2014

We honour John Cohen, described in Jim Connor’s coming biography as an amiable, silver-haired grandfather, a compassionate, philosophical man who survived the Holocaust, who journeyed from apocalypse to eucalypts!

He was born as Jacob in Cologne, Germany in 1919, 4th of 5 children, to Hiller Aaron and Basha Cohen. The family later moved to Safed in Palestine, but his father lost an arm in an industrial accident. They came back to Europe to try to seek compensation in 1933 when the Nazis came to power, and were trapped in Germany. His father’s eldest brother Samuel escaped and eventually settled and survived in London into the 1960s – his sister Sara and her daughter Schulah were hidden near Brussels. Tragically Sara was shot by a lone remaining sniper when coming out to celebrate on the day of liberation. Nine year old Schulah, John’s niece, was taken to a kibbutz in Palestine, and still lives in Israel.

John’s own recollections of Germany were limited but he remembered being isolated at school and bashed by

Hitler youth, and even later in his long life he often continued to feel like an outsider.

Thankfully, in 1937, he was sponsored by his uncle Solomon to migrate from Germany to Perth, and has never forgotten how lucky he was. He travelled with his cousin Billie Cohen, arriving in Perth in January 1938. Initially he stayed with his uncle Solomon, aunty Mary and cousins Billie, Anne and Ethel, bewildered by the hot January weather, the opposite of what he had left in Europe. He had never before seen a beach, or surf. He spoke little English and had to communicate with his hosts in Yiddish, which his cousins didn’t understand. He also had little education, no trade, no profession. He couldn’t drive, nor even understand the driving instructor, which meant that his attempts to be a truck driver were unsuccessful! It is worth remembering this as we recall John driving himself to meetings all over Melbourne even up to the last few months. His next job as a tailor’s apprentice lasted only a few weeks, until he ended up becoming a labourer in a flour mill. Uncle Solomon was strictly orthodox and they did not see eye to eye. John moved into a boarding house, feeling again like an out-

sider, neither a part of his Uncle’s Jewish world, nor of the Australian culture.

But eight months after arriving in Australia, his life reached a pivotal point when he was employed as a junior house manager at Wesley College in Perth, where he stayed for about four years. During this time, the war broke out, he was deemed to be an enemy alien, and had to report daily to the police station. Wesley’s Headmaster intervened after a few weeks and guaranteed that John could continue to live at the school under his guardian-ship. The following year John tried to join the Australian Air Force and then the Army, but was rejected from both. The rejection particularly hurt John as it was by Captain Alex Masel, a well known German immigrant in Perth himself, who, John felt, should have known better than to suspect his own loyalties after all he and his family had been through.

After the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942, the Australian Government established Labour Corps, and those previously considered enemy aliens were offered call-ups. John was allocated to wood-cutting in Australia’s South West but wrote regularly, and

unsuccessfully, seeking a transfer to a combat unit. During his army service, John was able to start formal studies, and relished the academic challenges. Through the rest of his life he was an avid student on a very wide range of subjects, and developed wide knowledge which he was always ready to share.

His studies continued at the University of Western Australia, where John met Shirley at the University Labor Club. In fact it turned out they were also both members of the Communist Party (but you didn’t tell people that!). They remained friends, and when John got a placement at Ballarat, and Shirley was teaching halfway to Kalgoorlie, he contacted her to say they needed a head for the Primary School – why didn’t she come and marry him! In this romantic manner their wedding was agreed and contracted in 1950! Children followed. He was so busy with improving the world as

they were growing up, whether as Head of the Adult Education College, or local Councillor or Mayor, or a hundred other roles, that he was often an absent parent, leaving much of the hard work to Shirley. Yet I am sure his love was never in doubt. He was proud of his family as they grew up, found partners and eventually had their own children, and even gave him two great grandchildren!

Well aware of his Jewish background, as well as his frustration with the orthodoxy that he had encountered, John was a cultural Jew, perhaps somewhat ambivalent about actively maintaining the religious aspects, emphasising more his humanitarian and socialist leanings through much of his life.

It was only over the last few years that John and Shirley rejoined a Jewish community, and he decided that he did want a Jewish funeral.

At his 90th birthday celebration in 2009, hundreds of friends and family gathered – itself a remarkable commentary on the 62 years since he had arrived as a lonely and traumatised refugee from Germany. John had chosen to use the reparations he received to rent four holiday units every year at Mallacoota where the growing family would gather.

In 1960, John was able to sponsor his youngest sister Judith and her family to come to Melbourne from Israel, and Judith and her daughter Vardi still live here.

John made a difference - a huge difference to Eltham, to Australia, to the world. He raised a close and loving family from the world of war and hatred and dislocation he had experienced.

He taught thousands of young people and especially adults directly, and, through the institutions and organisations he was involved with, also indirectly. He became a teacher, even an academic, and a prolific community worker.

He taught and modelled understanding, tolerance, respect for and interest in difference and diversity. The award of his OAM showed that the challenges and rejections were in the past. He was finally acknowledged for all that he gave. John put into practice the Jewish imperative of Tikkun Olam – of acting as God’s tool to heal and repair and improve the world.

- concludes on page 16

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Could Could Could Could youyouyouyou use help? . . .use help? . . .use help? . . .use help? . . .

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is moving . . .The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is moving . . .The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is moving . . .The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is moving . . .

The ASRC has located new premises, and will be moving from West Melbourne to 214-218 Nicholson Street, Footscray on 23 April, and opening there on 1 May.

22 April will be the last day for dropping-off donations in West Melbourne, and 2 May is the first day they will be accepting donations in Footscray.

At the new centre, deliveries should be made through their garage, pictured, on Albert Street Footscray.

Their opening hours will continue to be Monday - Friday, 10 am - 5 pm, and they look forward to our continued support.

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2014 LBC Members’ Brunch 2014 LBC Members’ Brunch 2014 LBC Members’ Brunch 2014 LBC Members’ Brunch

Some of our happy Brunchers are pictured on this page - please see the article on page 4

Thanks to all our photographers

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Sketching and doodling can be very relaxingSketching and doodling can be very relaxingSketching and doodling can be very relaxingSketching and doodling can be very relaxing

Our Board member Martin Toone has done a number of drawings in this style as he has a fascination with jungles. He has drawings from Vanuatu, Cambodia, Vietnam, earlier days in Bali and from local areas here. The concept for this particular drawing is ‘the journey’, hence ‘Lechi Lach’.

“The Menorah being such a familiar motif and object of our Jewish culture over the centuries I felt that I could give it meaning in a way that it has roots which have wandered over the centuries as a result of persecution but still retained it significance as a symbol of hope. I have also included a variation of the plaited Havdalah candle with the intent to show the connectedness of Jews to one another, where ever they may live. Also intertwining are the words ‘Shema Isroel’ (sic).

This drawing is a response to my continual personal journey and it has given me great pleasure in its conception and execution.

(L’sim-chat cha-yim l’chi lach).”

‘What is Zentangle?’

Bunny Barr says ‘Zentangle is a new way of spending leisure time. Drawing patterns, one stroke at a time. Finding solace in a meditative sort of way. Tanglers are a wonderful, generous and sharing community. Join TanglePatterns.com and be inspired by the patterns and resources you find. Visit their web-page and get the focus of TanglePatterns.’

These drawings are by Bunny, who sends her regards to all her friends.

And don’t forget to visit our

‘Paper Journeys’ exhibition at LBC. See page 7 for details.