In our busy lives in Australia in the 21st century is it possible to hold true to the traditional Jewish values of peace, truth and justice or have we lost them somewhere along the way?
Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service, will discuss the role of 'Jews as Global Citizens'. Speaking of her own experiences in the developing world, Ruth will propose how modern Jews, who enjoy greater affluence and more influence than ever before, can do their part to alleviate poverty, hunger, violence, disease and oppression. Sharing the words of dedicated Jews – college and rabbinical students, community leaders and skilled professionals – she will tell of the enormous transformative impact volunteering and advocacy can make in the modern era. By embracing our obligation to assist all people in need, regardless of race, religion or nationality, we have the capacity to ensure social justice for coming generations. As Jews who take seriously our role as global citizens, we will contribute to tikkun olam, the fixing of the world.
Historically there have been those who somehow identify themselves as being of the Jewish faith and/or 'race' but have views which put them at serious odds with the mainstream Jewish community. This session will attempt to outline the issues and possible motivations of so-called 'self-hating Jews'. It is hoped this will be a thought-provoking session, and decorous discussion will be encouraged while understanding that it is a highly emotive topic for many in the Jewish community.
Australia, Israel and the USA have detained militants in Afghanistan and the West Bank. Although engaged in the use of armed force for political and paramilitary objectives, detainees are not recognised soldiers or POWs. Is their detention a war crime or is their situation new and needing new law? This topic addresses the international law issues.
Every year, I and many professionals are required to do continuing education for registration purposes. Many people get that 'Oh no, it's rego time again!' feeling. What if I am audited? I get that feeling when I see movies with subtitles. Continuing education is a very Jewish concept. This session looks at my take on continuing education, both secular and Jewish. Enjoy participating!
Does your child have a learning difficulty? Three prominent specialists in the area - Dr David Evian, a Behavioural Optometrist, Ms Renee Mill, a Psychologist, and Dr Shelley Hyman, a Paediatric Neuropsychologist - will be discussing various learning, concentration and behavioural issues. Diagnosis and therapies will be included in the discussion. The session will include a joint question-and-answer discussion forum. This is a double session so all questions can be answered.
‘What Makes a Man a Man’ is a multimedia virtual mentoring program for men, offering access to the struggles, successes and insights of 16 well-known Australian male public figures and providing an invaluable resource for men who have not had appropriate male mentors in their lives. The presentation will offer highlights from interviews, and personal reflections from panel members, and will provide the opportunity for attendees to reflect on their own encounters with mentors and their own potential to take on such a role.
Food plays a central part in many Jewish families. At Rosh Hashana we eat honey cake and dip apples in honey; on Shabbat it's challah, chopped liver and chicken; on Pesach we serve kneidlach and gefilte fish; and so it goes on. Many parents become stressed, and dread mealtimes, when their children don't eat what is served to them. This presentation will give parents and grandparents some strategies to deal with food refusal and fussy eating.
Does your child have a learning difficulty? Two prominent specialists in the area - Dr David Evian, a Behavioural Optometrist, and Ms Renee Mill, a Psychologist - will be discussing various learning, concentration and behavioural issues. Diagnosis and therapies will be included in the discussion. The session will include a joint question-and-answer discussion forum. This is a double session so all questions can be answered.
The rapidly increasing demand for organ and tissue transplantation has promoted tissue engineering and stem cell research as promising approaches for regenerative medicine. We have used those techniques to build a 3-dimensional heart tissue patch for people after a heart attack and to create an artificial pancreas for type 1 diabetes patients.
A brief analysis of how racial vilification and, in particular, antisemitism are getting a green light in Australia and elsewhere, and how the resonances with the rise of Hitler are growing.
Are Israelis rude? Are they too loud? Too chutzpadic? This session is a comic performance portraying an immigration experience of different generations from Israel to the Australian diaspora. We will examine the causes and sources of Israeli mentality as well as the attitude of local Jewish community and Australian society in general towards Israelis. In our presentation we will challenge you to consider the cultural differences in a new light. (A special thank you to family members, colleagues and friends who have kindly agreed to participate in this program and shared their stories with us.)
With over a century of combined experience in Jewish education and Jewish community work, this panel provides a rare opportunity to hear stories of some of the successes and failures that these community elders have experienced. Panelists will reflect on what makes education successful, what good education looks like and comment on the future challenges facing the community
The question of the relevance of the 'yamim' (HaShoah, HaZikaron, Ha'atzmaut, Yerushalayim) isn't one that's examined in great depth - the baseline assumption being that these days are of unquestionable relevance and significance for each member of the community. But what if they're not? Does the problem lie with the individual or with the communal approach to commemoration and celebration? We'll explore the relevance of these events; whether they're 'working' and engaging people positively and leaving them fulfilled; what the barriers to widespread engagement are; and whether we're doing enough to get young people to commemorate and celebrate.
The Australian Jewish community is generally perceived as a prosperous, supportive and affable community – and this is largely true. However, there are certain dreadful realities that lie beneath the surface that challenge this perception. The incidence of poverty, domestic violence and sexual abuse in our community are issues we can neither ignore any longer or remain ignorant about. This session will consider evidence on the extent of poverty, with comparative reference to Sydney and Melbourne; the increasing number and public profile of revelations of child sexual abuse; and the unspoken subject of domestic violence and how we can support its victims.
Hear from a panel of young change-makers about what they deeply care about and how they are prepared to take action. Join educators and mentors in the Jewish Social Justice field to hear about how our community can continue to reinvigorate itself and provide meaningful connection points for youth. Join in the conversation: Have you seen youth make an impact? What opportunities do you offer youth to shine? Facilitated by Janet Granek (Jewish Aid Australia), Ruth Tofler Riesel and Carole Schlessinger (Kids Giving Back) and Isabella Satz (Emanuel School Prefect).
This session will describe the bond between Jews and Aboriginal people. For example: Ngarigu linguist Dr Troy and native Revived Hebrew speaker Professor Zuckermann will explore perspicacious insights applicable from the Promised Land to the Lucky, albeit linguistically Unlucky, Country. Dr Troy will share her views on Israel, following a trip sponsored by the Yachad Foundation, in which Prof. Zuckermann introduced her to the Hebrew revival. Prof. Zuckermann will propose the establishment of 'Native Tongue Title' - to compensate Aboriginal people for linguicide.
Joshua Nelson talks about growing up as an African-American Jew and other Jewish communities of African descent – from Ethiopia and other places you might be surprised to hear about. This session offers a new look at issues of race, ethnicity and cultural identity.
Two of Australia's senior Jewish educators reflect on whether pluralism is good for our Jewish community. This session offers a stimulating mix of real-life examples and audience participation.
Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service, will discuss the role of women living in the developing world and the enormous challenges they face. Ruth will explain that despite these challenges, women frequently serve as the catalysts for positive social change. She will highlight the women’s empowerment work of AJWS, which supports projects that help local women transform their own lives and create lasting and meaningful change for themselves, their families and their communities.
To what extent is there hatred between Jews and Muslims? Is it based in sacred texts? Do Islamic and Jewish sacred texts promote hatred, intolerance or coexistence? What to make of the prophet video violence? - And other honest discussions about modern contemporary hatred and what is being done. Some reflections, experiences and dilemmas from the coalface of interfaith relations and educational efforts with marginalised and disconnected youth.
South African Jewry has lost much of its proud community to emigration, with many moving to Australia. It is the only country which has official relations with Israel yet simultaneously bans elected representatives and civil servants from visiting what many politicians call ‘an Apartheid state’. Every day, many young Jews turn away from Judaism while others turn to right-wing religiosity. Despite this, individuals from the community continue to excel professionally, there is a high rate of Jewish day-school attendance and an unprecedented level of engagement with the Zionist youth movements. Is this a community in trouble or one that is thriving? Time for questions and discussion included.
A film that every Australian needs to see, followed by a panel discussion and action opportunities. The film Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea relates the story of the ‘refugee’. What pushes people to leave home? What do they leave behind? What do they fear? Why do they choose this path? And what does it take to turn someone into a ‘boat person’? The panel includes a Darfuri community leader, who will share his refugee story; representatives from the Asylum Seekers Centre, who will share information and facts about asylum seekers in Sydney; and Janet Granek, from Jewish Aid, who will reflect on how the Jewish community can help with this complex global problem. This is a double session.
Infertility is a very lonely and isolating experience. Hear from the co-founders of The Australian Jewish Fertility Network (AJFN), Shterny Dadon and Jodie Lowe Ariel, joined by co-organiser Leanne Whitten, to hear their journey to help raise awareness of the struggles and hardships of infertility and provide solutions in a supportive environment. Also hear from AFJN’s rabbinic advisor Rabbi Yoram Ulman, who supervises all halachic fertility treatments in Sydney. The AJFN is a one-of-a-kind organisation aiming to provide a vibrant online presence for people within the Australian Jewish community who may be experiencing infertility or would like more information on the issue of fertility. AJFN provides resources, information and offers both financial and emotional support to couples struggling with infertility.
One way of looking at tantrums is to describe them as 'attention seeking'. In previous generations, indeed, the response often was 'That child just needs a good hiding.' When we have an angry, upset or sad child in front of us, we often have an urge to ignore them, exile them or take over the problem. Diane will help us sort out whether we are dealing with a wobbly of control, upset or despair, with practical suggestions about what we can do. This is part of Diane's 'Temperament, Tips and Tachlis' series.
A film that every Australian needs to see, followed by a panel discussion and action opportunities. The film Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea relates the story of the ‘refugee’. What pushes people to leave home? What do they leave behind? What do they fear? Why do they choose this path? And what does it take to turn someone into a ‘boat person’? The panel includes a Darfuri community leader, who will share his refugee story; representatives from the Asylum Seekers Centre, who will share information and facts about asylum seekers in Sydney; and Janet Granek, from Jewish Aid, who will reflect on how the Jewish community can help with this complex global problem. This is a double session.
Adelaide's unaffiliated Jewish youth group this year is co-led by madrichim with primary affiliations to Hineni, Habonim, Netzer and Beitar. Is this model unique to Adelaide, or is it something other regions might like to explore?
Dr Cathy Kezelman, President of Adults Surviving Child Abuse (national peak body for adult survivors of childhood trauma), and Manny Waks, President of Tzedek (advocacy group for Jewish victims/survivors of child sexual abuse) discuss how we can all work together to address the issue of child sexual abuse. Both Manny and Cathy are victims/survivors of child sexual abuse. This session will be moderated by the Sydney Editor of the Australian Jewish News, Josh Levi.
It is said that when Jews arrived in Argentina, they left their rabbis behind. Unlike most communities worldwide, this Jewry was established around culture, politics and love of Israel. This session will be about the past, the present and the vision of the future of this other Southern Hemisphere Jewish world.
Cast your mind forward 20 years – what does Australian Jewry look like? Is the Lucky Country still home to a Lucky Community of proud, prosperous Jews? Or will we see a community dispersed by the rising cost of property, divided by political/religious clashes, and gutted by assimilation and intermarriage? Come and hear the perspective of these Gen Y Jewish professionals and lay leaders across youth movements, AUJS, and Israel-focused and communal organisations on what the future holds for Australian Jewry.
What does intermarriage have to do with the Holocaust? More than you'd think. For many survivor families, the prospect of a child or grandchild marrying out is a source of immense tsouris and conflict. But does intermarriage really threaten Holocaust remembrance? Do we need to reorient ourselves to the ways in which the third-generation chooses to commemorate the Shoah? Using two literary sources, this talk explores third-generation remembrance through the prism of a divisive issue.
In Orthodox communities, living a 'Torah lifestyle' is often contrasted with having lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans/intersex (LGBTI) experience. As a halachically observant man with extensive experience in Jewish communal outreach, Gávi will share his insights about how LGBTI Jews can live a Torah lifestyle. He will discuss guidelines and halachic approaches to make Orthodox communities safer, healthier and more welcoming environments for LGBTI Jews. All are welcome.
A panel on College life including professionals who work in the field, as well as current students and college graduates from both Australia and overseas. They will discuss their experiences, how it shapes/shaped them and what benefits there are, as well as the challenges, compared to living at home. We would like to present the difference between the USA/Canada and other societies, where this is a rite of passage, and compare this with Australia, where it is far from the norm. Allison Conyer will speak on the social implications this has, as an educator passionate about young adult education and development.
Join Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service, to learn about the politics behind the global hunger crisis. Speaking from her own experiences in the developing world and on Capitol Hill, Ruth will propose how we can influence our government to address the root causes of hunger and poverty and put an end to the world's growing hunger problem from the ground up. Sharing the words of dedicated volunteers, students, community leaders and skilled professionals, Ruth will tell of the enormous transformative impact we can make as global citizens working to ensure lasting social justice.
Australian Jewish communities are, in large part, a product of post-War immigration. The expectation of governments was that Jews, along with other immigrants, would assimilate, with loss of language, values and outlook. But this did not happen as anticipated. This discussion will consider the nature of Jewish integration over three generations – and likely changes in Jewish life over the next decades.
The secular movement gleefully counts up the increasing numbers of 'No Religion' responses in the Census, looking forward to religion's demise altogether. It holds that democracy is essentially secular and will eventually erode religion's role in society. But what does the research into the 'No Religion' category tell us? And is religion contrary to democratic values?
Historically American Jews have been leaders in liberal and labour-related causes, voting heavily for Democratic candidates. Conservative Jewish individuals and organizations have challenged this reality, suggesting that Jews were acting and voting against their economic and communal interest. Most recently, both presidential and congressional elections have thrust Israel into the centre of this question as well.
The issue of dual citizenship is crucial in current citizenship thought and one of considerable importance in contemporary political/policy debates in Australia and internationally. This is of particular importance in the context of global migrations and is also of considerable relevance to Jewish people vis-a-vis Israel.
We all know someone who is in an interfaith relationship but this session provides some insight into the lives of people in interfaith relationships. This is your chance to hear their stories first-hand. Our panelists will share their personal stories of intermarriage. We will focus on whether or not the current approach to Jewish continuity is effective or whether it is contributing to the problem.
How did London's Jewish community go from over-subscription in its schools, with court battles to persuade schools to admit children, to under-subscription overnight? What is the background to the UK's first non-Orthodox Jewish high school? What opposition did it face and was its 'overnight success really 'overnight'? What was the ethos of the school and what was the process of creating a pluralist ethos from scratch? The school's founding principal explains all!
Deep Ecology is a philosophy of nature which sees that underlying the environmental crisis there is a psychological or spiritual disease stemming from the illusion of separation between humans and the rest of the natural world. Arne Naess, Professor of Philosophy from Oslo University, Norway, pointed out that our "ecological ideas are not enough to protect the Earth, we need ecological identity, ecological self". With a presentation which includes music and poetry, John Seed shows us how to nourish our ecological identity and align ourselves with Earth.
Diane Levy believes that a well-behaved child is a pleasure to be with. If we can just get them to behave, we are freed up to enjoy their company. With highly practical, what-to-do strategies, Diane show us how to get our children to do as they are told. She tackles the difficult topics of hitting, biting, snatching, swearing and sorting out sibling scraps. This is part of Diane's 'Temperament, Tips and Tachlis' series.
The Gen08 survey of the Jewish community was completed by almost 6000 people in Australia. The project also conducted a number of focus groups, including more than ten discussions with young adults. This session will consider findings of positive and negative impacts of Jewish day school education, with a focus on differences in understanding provided by quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus group) research methods.
This line from Deuteronomy in the Torah speaks to the centrality of justice in Jewish life. Jewish tradition is concerned about how we treat the weakest in our midst and the concept of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) is one of the most universal and compelling values in Judaism. Hear from three leading activists in the field of social justice in Israel, the US, and Australia and around the world about where and how the Jewish goal to better the world is needed more than ever.
Are the youth of today apathetic towards Judaism? Do they try and get away from the community the first opportunity they get? This session will explore the way youth grapple with their Jewish identity and whether or not they are engaged by what the community is offering. The session will include discussion of an extensive survey I conducted with young members of the Jewish community, which produced some surprising answers.
The dark stage musical Cabaret declares, as only Liza and Joel Gray can, that “Money Makes the World Go 'Round”. A provocative thought and a catchy song, but is it true? Because all of us are obliged to manage our money, it is important that we consider its value and responsible use. Join Rabbi Robuck as we together examine the Jewish perspective on money and tackle ethical questions like: Are all ways of making money equally legitimate (what would you do for a buck?)? What balance, if any, is necessary between giving, saving and spending our money?
YiddishPOP is a lively, interactive program on the Internet that teaches Yiddish to speakers of other languages. Its lessons are built around animated movies and supporting features that introduce and reinforce vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, reading comprehension and writing skills through playful activities. New concepts are couched in everyday situations, adding context for learners and helping them master idiomatic and cultural nuances. This session will introduce YiddishPOP, including a demonstration of its movies and features.
Much of our children’s behaviour is the result of Nature rather than Nurture. In a light-hearted (with serious intent) seminar, Diane will help us understand our own personality and the personalities of the people (both tall and short) with whom we interact. “Once we can understand temperaments,” says Diane, “our interactions are much more likely to be positive and we are more likely to see personality rather than pest." This is part of Diane's 'Temperament, Tips and Tachlis' series, although each lecture is self-contained.
While there is no shortage of options outlining how one can practise Judaism in our community, the question of why engage with anything to do with Judaism is rarely addressed. This expert panel aims to shed light on this question from a range of perspectives.
Very often a simple idea ends up becoming a wonderful social justice program. Hear from four people who grew small ideas into services that have impacted on large numbers in different ways. What they did, how they did it and where they are now.
Six Muslims, six Jews, two days of program in Washington DC, preceded by a week of discussions on antisemitism, dialogue and the future relationship. This will be the first debriefing from a participant in what may well be pivotal inter-communal events.
Women shape the political agenda of Australia at all levels of government. If we are following the US trend where almost 40% of working wives now out earn their husbands (Liza Mundy, The Richer Sex) our financial power is growing dramatically. How is this being received? What lessons have been learnt? What will be the impact on society and the economy? How will gender roles, relationships and families transform? What will constitute the new glass ceiling? How will the children respond? How will Judaism react? Womanpower believes that Jewish Women and the ideas that matter to them constitute a significant part of our community debate.
