The Sydney Jewish Report - March Edition 2022

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VOL. 83 Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 / 5 Adar II 5782

Fostering a closer Jewish community

President Volodymyr Zelensky: Six Facts p4

Seniors' Living Feature Inside middle pages

THE TREE OF LIFE

p2

IMPOSSIBLE LOVE

p3

ESCAPE FROM UKRAINE

p6

CHOOSING LIFE

p12

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COMMUNITY

Validation, not judgment

ANNE-MARIE ELIAS People do not like to be judged. Evolution, however, has gifted us the ability to think critically, problem solve and form opinions. Our opinions can be interpreted as judgments. For example, a well-meaning person may pose the following question: “Do you think you should wear that shirt out rather than tucked in?” That individual believes the shirt would be better worn that way, but that is not how the one at whom the comment is aimed receives it. They interpret it as a judgment about their look. We are also master problem solvers of other people’s perceived issues … and we often get that approach wrong. Some time ago, in a staff meeting of psychologists, one of my colleagues spoke about a tough group therapy session. His colleagues automatically went into problem solving and advicegiving mode. Did you do this? Did you say that? And on it went. As the meeting ended, I noticed that the colleague that raised the issue looked frustrated and upset, so I asked him what was wrong. His reply: “I know how to run group therapy. I just needed

to vent. I wanted some validation about how tough my session was.” What is validation? It is acknowledgment and acceptance of someone’s experiences, thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Validation is seeing the wisdom in another's experiences, given their circumstances. Validation does not mean agreement or letting go of limits, or not allowing for contingencies or expectations. It is also not about convincing someone of another position. Validation is important because it provides empathy with and understanding of another’s experiences. It says to them that we recognise these as being “real”. Validation improves communication and relationships. People listen more to

what you are saying when they feel that you understand or, at least, are trying to understand their experiences. Some key steps to validation are: • Be present and pay attention. • Reiterate. That is, repeat what you believe you heard or observed. In the case of my colleague, someone could have said: “It sounds like your group gave you a hard time today”. • Acknowledge the other person’s feelings. • Be patient. • Be accepting and non-judgmental. In some circumstances we can validate by indicating that the experience someone is going through is common. An example is a feeling of anxiousness before a job interview … because interviews can be stressful. Stating that indicates to the person who has that sensation that they

are not alone. It is also important to be genuine – to stand alongside the person seeking validation as an equal (not as a superior). They are not necessarily fragile or incompetent, so do not treat them as though they are. Also, do not be defensive. Be willing to be corrected and apologise. Non-verbal communication is important and also expresses validation. For example, do not be afraid to tear up when you feel sadness or joy with another person. When validation is handled appropriately, the emotional intensity felt by the person seeking validation generally decreases and things slow down. When validation is handled inappropriately, the person seeking validation may experience an emotional eruption or a complete shut-down. Let me be clear, we impact one another profoundly. Validation tends to beget more validation. And, as a final note, do not forget about self-validation, while banishing self-flagellation. Please take a few minutes to watch a YouTube video on the subject: “It’s not about the nail”: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg Anne-Marie Elias is a psychologist in clinical practice for 25 years.

The Tree of Life (part 2) YERACHMIEL ISACOWITZ In the last issue of The Jewish Report, I explored the link between the Torah and the Tree of Life. Now it is time to look at the Torah as a dynamic legal and ethical system. Written Torah is constitution. It is divine in origin and therefore unchangeable, apart from emergency measures, which permit the sages of each generation to institute temporary overrides. An example of this is that the Torah prohibits making offerings on a bama (temporary altar) after the establishment of the mishkan (tabernacle) in Israel. Yet Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah the Prophet) many years after this prohibition came into effect, in his fierce battle with the Jews who were worshipping idols, challenged them to make a fire descend from heaven through offerings on a bama. They took up the challenge but failed. This constitution is required because there are actions we take that may at first seem innocuous, but can have huge ramifications in the spiritual realm. With proper qualifications and using the appropriate tools of deduction, Torah sages extract the wisdom of the constitution to determine Torah law. Talmud is legislation based on the constitution. The laws of the Talmud are generally unchallengeable, but for exceptional circumstances.

Rishonim and Acharonim (post Talmudic sages) are the equivalent of precedence. They apply Talmudic law to practical events. A most intriguing concept is eilu ve’eilu divrei Elokim Chaim (these and these are the words of the Living God). What this means is that you can have two, diametrically opposed views and both can be correct as both are derived from the Torah. So, how can they both be right? This can be likened to a prism. White light enters and diffuses into colours. One can correctly state that the light is whatever colour one is looking at, depending upon the angle at which one is seeing it.

Where this is not possible is in the world of halacha lemaase (practical law). While, once again, you may have differing opinions, in the end the law comes down on one side or the other. Practical law is also influenced by contemporary events. So, a Posek (a rabbi that has the training and qualifications to determine Torah law) will consult experts, be that in medicine, science, technology etc,, in order to arrive at a conclusion. The Gemora relates that the great sage Rav spent 18 months with shepherds, becoming an expert in blemished animals (which could invalidate offerings on the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem).

He became so knowledgeable that his opinion was not accepted as halacha since no-one else was able to reproduce his understanding. So, like a tree that grows and prospers, the legal and ethical system of the Torah, works its way through the equivalent of the leaves, branches, trunk and root system to propagate new growth. Torah is the Eitz Chaim (Tree of Life) – dynamic, practical and ever present. Yerachmiel Isacowitz is an independent Torah educator. E: risacowitz@optusnet.com.au W: torahconcepts.com FB: The Mem Channel

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COMMUNITY Opera Australia showcases impossible love OPERA AUSTRALIA Acclaimed French director Olivier Py’s new production of La Juive will finally have its Australian premiere at the Sydney Opera House this month. Pandemic restrictions shut down its scheduled opening in 2020, Big and tragically romantic, Fromental Halévy’s heart-wrenching opera about forbidden love between a Christian and a Jew offers audiences a rare treat. Two sopranos, two tenors and a world-class bass will raise their voices collectively. La Juive has been cast with some of the country’s finest singers developed by Opera Australia over the past decade. Sopranos Natalie Aroyan and Esther Song sing the parts of Rachel and Princess Eudoxie respectively. Bass David Parkin plays Cardinal Brogni and Diego Torre will feature as Eléazar. Argentinian tenor Francisco Brito will make his Opera Australia debut in the role of Leopold, having sung it in Konstanz, Germany, in 2018. Celebrated Italian maestro Carlo Montanaro will conduct the Opera Australia Orchestra and Chorus. Py’s updated setting of 1930s France will add to the drama.

Photo: Stofleth It will provide an extra layer of historical context to the secrets and impossible choices, bitter rivalries and persecution, forgiveness and sacrifice that play out. Halévy’s most successful opera, La Juive continues to deliver a relevant and important message

about religious tolerance. The opera features an impressive set and elegant monochromatic costume designs by Pierre-André Weitz and striking lighting by Bertrand Killy. Py’s version was called “highly impactful” and received a five-star review from Bachtrack when it premiered in

Lyon in 2016. It is a co-production between Opéra National de Lyon and Opera Australia at Joan Sutherland Theatre from March 9th to 26th. Bookings can be made on this link: https://opera.org.au/productions/lajuive-sydney/

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N E W S DR. YVETTE ALT MILLER COURTESY: AISH.COM

President Volodymyr Zelensky: six facts being close to corrupt figures and was accused of bringing in members of his TV production company as key political advisors. Within days, Russia declared a major provocation, extending Russian citizenship to people living in eastern Ukrainian regions controlled by separatist insurgents whom Russia was backing in Donetsk and Luhansk. Zelensky responded to this major assault on Ukrainian territorial integrity with humour, posting on Facebook that he would extend Ukrainian citizenship to people in Russia and others “who suffer from authoritarian or corrupt regimes.”

Ukraine’s youthful and unconventional Jewish president is inspiring his nation. As the war in Ukraine continues, many people around the world are rallying around President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s unconventional, Jewish, 44-year-old leader. Here are six facts about President Zelensky and the crisis in Ukraine today. 1. Grandson of Holocaust Survivors Volodymyr Zelensky was born on 25th January, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, a city in eastern Ukraine. His family is Jewish and, like many Ukrainian Jews, was scarred by the Holocaust. (Zelensky has often drawn attention to the fact that approximately a quarter of all Jews murdered in the Holocaust came from Ukraine, a fact that’s not widely understood.) During World War II, the town of Kryvyi Rih was occupied by Nazi Germany. It was home to a sizeable Jewish community and in the years before the Nazi takeover of the town, many Jews fled eastward. Zelensky’s grandmother was one of the Jews who left. “My grandmother was living in Kryvyi Rih, in a part of south Ukraine which was occupied by the fascists,” Zelensky explained. “They killed all the Jews who remained. She had left in an evacuation of Jews to Almaty, Kazakhstan. Many people fled there. She studied there. She’s a teacher. After World II, she came back. That’s where I was born.” In 2020, when Zelensky travelled to Israel to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, he told Israel’s then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stories about Ukraine during the Holocaust. Before he concluded, he said he had one more tale to tell, “about a family of four brothers”. Three of them, their parents and their families became victims of the Holocaust. All of them were shot by German occupiers who invaded Ukraine. The fourth brother survived. Two years after the war, he had a son and in 31 years he had a grandson. In 40 more years, that grandson became president, and he is standing before you today, Mr Prime Minister. 2. An “Ordinary Soviet Jewish Family” Zelensky describes his family as “an ordinary Soviet Jewish family.” He noted that since most instances of religious expression were banned in the Soviet Union, his family was not particularly

observant, but they were aware of their Jewish heritage. His family moved to Mongolia for a time while he was young, but returned in time for Zelensky to attend school in Kryvyi Rih. He grew up with Russian as his first language and also speaks fluent Ukrainian and English. In the early 1990s, after the demise of the Soviet Union, many Soviet Jews rushed to emigrate, moving to Israel or the United States. Approximately 1.5 million Jews fled in those heady years. Zelensky’s great aunt and her family moved to Israel in the 1990s, but he and his immediate family remained, joining several hundred thousand Jews who chose to stay in Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky attended the Kryvyi Rih Economic Institute, a branch of Kyiv National Economic University. He graduated in 2000 with a law degree. He met his wife, Olena Zelensky, a screenwriter and spokesperson for Ukrainian women’s rights, in college. (Olena Zelensky is not Jewish. President Zelensky has not commented on unsubstantiated rumours that he converted to Christianity.) Their daughter Oleksandra was born in 2004 and their son Kyrylo was born in 2013.

3. Career as a Comic Actor Zelensky never practiced law. He started acting in college and eventually founded his own production company called Kvartal 95 – “Neighborhood 95” – named after the area in Kryvyi Rih where he grew up. He turned to comedy and became a hit throughout the former Soviet Union, performing stand up and acting in some comic films. In 2006, he won Ukraine’s “Strictly Come Dancing” television competition. He also performed in Israel. He told an Israeli newspaper he’d done shows in “Tel Aviv, in Beersheba, in Haifa and in Jerusalem. In so many cities. So, I know Israel. I know people there.” In 2015 Zelensky began starring in a Ukrainian television show, Servant of the People. The year before, Ukraine’s unpopular President Viktor Yanukovych was forced out of office and President Petro Poroshenko was elected instead. It was a tumultuous time in Ukrainian politics: Russia invaded and later annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014; Russian-backed insurgents battled Ukrainian forces in the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of the country; and endemic corruption sapped Ukrainian’s confidence in their government. In Servant of the People, Zelensky played Vasiliy Goloborodko, a history teacher who shoots to fame after one of his students videos him railing against official corruption and becomes president. His character struck a chord with ordinary Ukrainians who longed for a plain-talking honest politician like Goloborodko. After years of playing President Goloborodko on television, Zelensky began to harbour political ambitions of his own. In 2018, he registered “Servant of the People” as an official political party. 4. President Zelensky Campaigning for the presidency, Zelensky relied on his comedy background, posting humorous speeches and skits on social media. His unusual campaigning style paid off: In Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election, Volodymyr Zelensky won an astonishing 73% of the vote. His path to governing wasn’t always smooth. He faced some accusations of

5. Recognizing Jewish History When Zelensky ran for office, the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro said to the New York Times: “He should not run because we will have pogroms here again in two years if things go wrong.” Those fears proved misplaced. Instead, Zelensky was open about his Jewishness in office. He oversaw an ongoing project to rename streets and monuments throughout Ukraine, erasing the names of Soviet figures and replacing them with Ukrainian heroes, including Ukrainian Jews in some cases. He began construction on a memorial at Babi Yar, the ravine outside Kyiv where Nazis murdered 100,000 Jews and other people. The Ukrainian city of Uman is the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and a major site for Jewish pilgrims to come and pray. Under Zelensky’s administration, plans are in the works to create what Zelensky called “a historical museum … a big part and … reconstruct(ion) of the synagogue” that Rabbi Nachman prayed in. The monument is to be called “Little Jerusalem”. 6. Resolution in Wartime In the first hours of the Russian attack on Ukraine, President Zelensky vowed to remain in Kiyv, Ukraine’s capital. On a hastily recorded video made on a mobile phone, he declared, “We are all here. Our soldiers are here. The citizens of our country are here …We are all here protecting our independence, our country and it will continue to be this way. Glory to our defenders. Glory to our heroes. Glory to Ukraine.” In the days since that first video, Zelensky has continued to urge Ukrainians to resist the Russian onslaught and has rallied his people to resist. His anguished visage and stirring rhetoric have in many ways become the symbol of the war in Ukraine. He’s described himself as “Target Number One” and his wife and two children as “Target Number Two”. Despite the danger he is in, Zelensky has vowed to stay and fight. One political observer, Yulia McGuffie, editor in chief of Ukraine’s Novoye Vremya news site, opposed President Zelensky’s candidacy in 2019, regarding him as a neophyte with no political experience. Today, Zelensky commands a 96% approval rating in Ukraine and Ms McGuffie, like many Ukrainians, is enthusiastically backing their president. “Full support and respect came, I think, after Russia started its war,” she told the BBC. “All Ukrainians have closed ranks around Zelensky. He is playing a uniting and … inspiring role, partly by his own example. He is leading a government that is repelling Putin’s army and for that many people sincerely admire and respect him.”

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Jewish opportunities at Jewish voice headlines UIA women’s event Seniors’ Festival COA SYDNEY The Jewish community is capitalising on the NSW Seniors’ Festival with a series of special events and activities for the over 65s. First up, COA and U3A will present “A Tsunami of Change” on 25th March. A free seniors’ forum and expo will be held between 9:30am and 2:30pm on 27th March at Easts Leagues Club on Spring Street in Bondi Junction The forum is titled “Making Aged Care Work for You and Your Family: How to navigate the system”. It has been organised by COA, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and the

Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce, The expo will feature local services – from Kosher Meals on Wheels to Home Care packages and entertainment. Those attending will be able to hear from seniors about their experiences navigating through the aged care system There will also be a panel of industry experts, including those from COA Sydney, Montefiore, JewishCare and Carers NSW. Finally, a plenary session will feature comedian, writer and women’s health advocate Jean Kittson. On 28th March, singer Sasha Pak takes to the stage. This year’s Seniors’ Festival also coincides with COA’s annual model seder, which will be held on 30th March.

Preparing panellists for the seniors’ expo on 27th March

UIA Sunday, 20th March is a special day for UIA Women’s Division across Australia with a significant campaign event to be held between 3pm and 5pm. It will feature an inspirational guest speaker livestreamed from the US, in support of the People of Israel. Those participating will hear from award-winning American journalist, author and the former opinion editor at The New York Times, Bari Weiss. Weiss’ controversial resignation from The New York Times drew heated coverage. She accused the newspaper of “caving to the whims of critics on Twitter” and defended freedom of expression. Weiss is the author of “How to Fight Antisemitism” and hosts a weekly podcast, titled “Honestly with Bari Weiss”. In 2019, The Jerusalem Post named her the seventh most influential Jew in the world. She has won several awards, including the Daniel Pearl Award for courage and integrity in journalism and Reason Foundation’s 2018 Bastiat Prize. The latter honours writing that “best demonstrates the importance of freedom with originality, wit, and eloquence”.

In 2019, Vanity Fair called Weiss the “star opinion writer” of our times. UIA NSW Women’s Division President Caroline Bolot said she was pleased to bring together hundreds of Jewish women to hear a world class speaker. “Bari Weiss bravely uses her platform to champion free speech and tackle antiSemitism in all its forms,” Ms Bolot said. The Women’s Division 2022 campaign in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth will focus on a project called “First-Line Families”. It aims to assist at-risk youth and their families, who attend Keren Hayesod-UIA supported Jewish Agency youth villages in Israel. UIA Australia and WA Women’s Division president Debbie Schaffer OAM said she was excited to be collaborating nationally for the first time. “Uniting to support a national project is also a first. It strengthens our efforts to provide those in need with significant help to navigate through the hardships that the pandemic has caused.” For more information, call 9361-4273 or email uiawomensdiv@uiansw.org.au To book, go to uiaaustralia.org.au/ourevents/nsw You can also join UIA NSW Women’s Division Facebook group for updates on its 2022 campaign: facebook.com/ groups/uianswwomensdivision/

PURIM HARBOUR CRUISE 2022 T 17 M 11 - 2 Enjoy a delicious Kosher Lunch, Live Music from Tony Mazel, Information on services for seniors in Woollahra, and all the fun of a cruise on Sydney Harbour. Arrive to the wharf by 10:30am for a special Megillah reading from Rabbi Kastel OAM!

Afternoon Tea Bari Weiss with

Award-winning journalist, author and former OpEd editor of the New York Times Boarding: Rose Bay Wharf, Lyne Park, Rose Bay.

Cost: $45 for COA members, $50 for non-members.

Sunday 20 March 3 - 5pm

Transport: to Lyne Park $5 for COA Members only

Booking Essential: Please contact Jackie at j.ryker@coasydney.org or by phone 83675051. Funding for this event gratefully received from Woollahra Council and Advantaged Care.

JOIN A SMALL GATHERING OR WATCH AT HOME & VIRTUALLY CONNECT WITH WOMEN AROUND AUSTRALIA TOGETHER WE WILL SUPPORT FAMILIES IN CRISIS THROUGH THE 'FIRST LINE FAMILIES' PROJECT IN ISRAEL

Book Now uiaaustralia.org.au No cover charge

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Escape from Ukraine

RABBI AVI BAUMOL Having managed a reluctant bus driver, exploding bombs, a seizure, and a dead car battery, Kseniia and Emre came to the Krakow JCC to help those who had it worse. In the past fortnight, the world changed. We had grown accustomed to a world which had learned the lesson of the 20th century and perhaps was earnestly trying to war less, to coexist more and to try to advance the world rather than regress. And then Mr Putin chose to unjustly attack the sovereign democracy of Ukraine, putting the lives of millions in peril. At the JCC Krakow, we are keenly aware of the plight of the Ukrainians and the existential threat Russia poses on Poland’s eastern border. With the intensity of evil wrought by an enemy regime, we also witness a groundswell of kindness exhibited by citizens all over Poland. The citizens as well as the government have mobilised to help those less fortunate, those displaced, those who managed to escape from the inferno that is Ukraine. We at the JCC have set up a help centre, with individuals coming in at all times to drop off supplies, food and toys for refugees and their families. I was sitting in the JCC and a young couple came in to see if they could help out. I asked them who they were and where they were coming from and they responded, quite emotionally, “From Ukraine. We arrived yesterday.” I asked them if they would sit down with me so I could write down their story to let the world hear first-hand of their frightening, yet inspiring, experience. Kseniia Stepanenko, from Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine on the border with Russia, together with her boyfriend, Emre Demircan (from Turkey), arrived after having travelled one hour to get to a bus, 48 hours on the bus, four hours walking (20 kilometres) and another four hours hitchhiking the remaining distance to the border. Kseniia’s family is still in Kharkiv and she was visibly shaken during the interview, but nevertheless she was determined to tell her story. They were woken at 5am by an explosion outside their apartment and they realised that they needed to leave immediately. Taking what they could, they booked a bus that was set to leave the country a few hours later and ran to the subway to reach the bus. Luckily, they secured the last two seats on the bus, which normally was destined for Poland, but due to the situation, the driver was only going to Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, 500 kilometres away. At this point, Kseniia and Emre engaged in what was going to be a true test of their determination and reason for successfully escaping — they began to try to convince first the people on the bus and then the bus driver to travel to the border, rather than just the capital. They and the people on the bus collected money to pay the exorbitant demands of

Emre and Kseniia made it out of Ukraine and into Poland

the driver, they appealed to the driver’s conscience, begged, pleaded and cried in order to get him to take them to safety. The driver was initially not interested, but the more money he could make, the more willing he was to take the risk. The bus went through major cities in Ukraine, constantly slowing down to drop off some passengers and pick up others. They drove to Poltava, then Kyiv, Zhitomir, Rivne, Lviv and then through the border, Shehyni. Altogether, 48 hours on the bus, passing by tanks and soldiers, seeing explosions and bullets flying. Just to get out of Kyiv took four hours, as the streets were lined with cars and people. Everyone was so relieved to get out of harm’s way, but incredibly sad to leave behind loved ones. While they still had battery on their cell phones, they would get messages by the minute, as with every bomb or attack they needed to ensure that her parents were safe. At different times during the retelling of their story, Kseniia broke down: when she would recall her parents, or the graphic details of the trip, the people who were suffering on the way, or the feeling of having made it to safety while others were still in harm’s way. On the way from Kyiv to Lvov, at 10:30pm, while many were sleeping, the driver took a road off the beaten path, much to the chagrin and objections of Kseniia and Emre, who didn’t like the look of the route. Pretty soon they heard a big “boom” and saw an explosion of five to eight cannons. They hit the ground immediately. The soldiers told them to turn back straight away. After four hours going east, there was no longer any traffic and they finally relaxed, but then, after three more

hours, there were explosions again – this time from Belorussia. Twenty-five kilometres from the border, there was a long, long, long line of cars and at that point the driver said he was not going any further. Everyone had to get off the bus and start walking. Little did they know that it was the beginning of a five-hour trek alongside thousands of others trying to make their way to the border. On the road, it was a surreal sight, with people shedding their belongings as they marched on. They also saw fathers carrying their children on their shoulders for kilometre after kilometre, only to go back, having dropped off their children at the border, but not being allowed to cross themselves. Heartbreaking. Three kilometres from the border, Kseniia and Emre started seeing a whole bunch of people walking back. They were shocked and didn’t understand what was going on. The people explained that after waiting at the border for more than 26 hours they just couldn’t do so anymore. It was too difficult and too cold, as the temperature plummeted to below zero. They gave the young couple advice, which ultimately led to their success: “Try to find someone to take you in their car, because the lines for people walking amounts to tens of hours.” Out of the corner of her eye, Kseniia noticed a car trying to find its way. In it were a mother and her two children travelling to the border. Although it was far from easy, the mother finally acquiesced and Kseniia sat with a child on her lap, with Emre beside them. There was so much chaos at the border and if you missed one checkpoint, you

didn’t get a “golden ticket” – the ticket that would be required at all subsequent checkpoints. The mother did not get a ticket and for the rest of the trip Kseniia cajoled the border guards into letting them through. Reaching the final 150 metres, they were asked for their ticket. In her words: “We screamed at them and cried and begged. There were only three cars in front of us, but a lot of people who started moving forward pushed and pushed. Someone in the mob yelled ‘bomb!’ and people started running in different directions. We flung ourselves to the floor of the car to protect the kids. Our driver started having a seizure and Emre administered first-aid. Every few seconds there was banging on the car form people who were walking by. It was incredibly traumatic.” Because of her seizure, the border patrol took mercy on the woman. Then in between the two borders, the car’s battery died. Emre and Kseniia got out and literally pushed their car to safety. They then met the Polish border guard. Everything on the Polish side was so nice. Not one person was mean to them. They saw Polish soldiers carrying babies on their shoulders. From the border, they made it to Przemysl and from there to Krakow, in Krakow to the JCC to offer their support to other Ukrainians who are suffering worse than they did. Rabbi Avi Baumol is serving the Jewish community of Krakow as it undergoes a revitalisation as part of a resurgence of Jewish awareness in Poland.

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

Courage to Care makes Jewish speakers’ change at the top bureau launched JEWISH ORTHODOX FEMINIST ALLIANCE AUSTRALIA

COURAGE TO CARE Kathy Sharp has been named as the new chairperson for Courage to Care NSW, stepping up from the position of vice-chairperson. Ms

Sharp

involvement

has with

had the

a

six-year non-profit

organisation, an initiative of B’nai B’rith. Welcoming her upgrade, Ms Sharp said she looked forward to continuing the important work of Courage to Care. Through school education visits, public exhibitions and workplace programs, the organisation uses stories of bravery during the Holocaust as a catalyst for promoting moral courage and respect for diversity in a contemporary setting. Its work counteracts and rejects all forms of discrimination and injustice.

organisation. Mr Neishlos said Courage

Courage to Care NSW provides programs in NSW, ACT and Queensland. Ms Sharp takes over from Eltan Neishlos,

who

has

announced

Kathy Sharp

his

resignation from the board, after 16 months as chair. However, he will continue to serve as ambassador-at-large for the

to Care had been a huge part of his life and was proud of what the body had achieved. "We have developed a new strategic plan and set the wheels in motion for many years of growth and increased impact.”

The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Australia has established the first national Jewish women’s public speakers’ bureau. JOFA Australia president Nomi Kaltmann said 60 women from four states and territories have already signed up. Among their number are doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers, rabbanits, professors, kallah teachers and advocates. The bureau addresses a long-term problem synagogues and community organisations have. That is looking for suitable, qualified Jewish women to present at events and on panels. “JOFA Australia hopes that by creating this resource it will multiply the opportunities available for Jewish women across Australia,” Ms Kaltmann said. Details can be found on the JOFA website: https://jofaaustralia.com/ speakers-bureau/ JOFA Australia is the second international branch of the Jewish

Orthodox

Feminist

Alliance,

which

originated in New York City in 1997. The first was established in the UK in 2013. JOFA Australia aims to provide Jewish women with new opportunities. It promotes leadership and supports women’s

Torah

learning,

public

speaking, teaching and engagement in all areas of Orthodox life.

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

JUDAI C A

QUIZ

RABBI DAVID FREEDMAN The festival of Purim is a time of celebration – the story played out in ancient Persia – it involved danger, drama and the actions of the brave Queen Esther and her wise uncle Mordechai. It involved King Achashverosh’s wicked advisor who had evil plans to destroy the Jewish people. Esther intervened on behalf of all Jews and communicated Haman’s plot. The king reacted and the Jews were saved (of course, all is revealed in much more depth in the Book of Esther). Today, we revel, we rejoice, and we repeat this important chapter of our history. We also dress up in costume – kids and adults alike and we eat delicious triangular-shaped hamantaschen. We also send Mishloach Manot, or gift baskets, we give to those less fortunate and sit down to enjoy a sumptuous Purim seudah, or feast. Many readers have told us that this popular quiz is normally shared aloud at a Shabbat table – but in this edition this is … perfect for Purim! Rabbi Freedman has expertly woven questions together within the Purim framework.

Test your knowledge So, take a break from ‘hamantaschen overload’ and take part in this impressive Purim quiz! 1. In a Jewish Leap Year, does Purim fall in Adar 1 or Adar 2? 2. In which section of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) would one find The Book of Esther?

Good luck. Enjoy. Hopefully, learn something new about the joyous festival of Purim and its traditions.

3. How many times must the Book of Esther be read on Purim? 4. Did the story of Purim take place in the country currently known as Israel, Iran or Iraq? 5. What does the word ‘Purim’ mean? 6. Why do Jews fast on the day before Purim? 7. There are only two fast days in the year named after an individual - one is

Maccabi keeping youth active MACCABI Maccabi’s Mega Camp – a blend of sport and social events for years 3 to 6 – will take place in Sydney between 9am and 3pm from April 12th to 14th. The mornings will include a choice of basketball, soccer, netball and tennis, with social activities, including laser tag and Archie Brothers, in the afternoons. Maccabi NSW general manager Ori Danieli said the idea was to nurture interest in Maccabi from a young age. “Our objectives are to enable our youth to develop a passion for being

the Fast of Esther, what is the other? 8. Which German city established its own version of Purim in 1616 after a failed attempt to remove all the Jews from the city? 9. Who created the painting Esther’s Banquet in 1660? 10. What is the origin of the custom

active, to adopt a healthy lifestyle and form valuable, long-lasting relationships. “We would like the children to become familiar with the programs Maccabi offers and consider joining as members in future. He said Mega Camp also provided a springboard to develop, train and engage junior and senior leaders. For further information and to register, go to https://www.revolutionise.com. au/maccabinsw/eventsregister/131240/ Otherwise, contact Ethan Rosmarin at youth.NSW@maccabi.com.au or by phone on 0420 421 087. The cost is $80 a day and there are subsidies available for those in need.

to make a noise whenever Haman’s name is uttered during the reading of the Megillah? 11. Besides Esther, which other queen is mentioned in the Book of Esther? 12. What was Esther’s Hebrew name? 13. In what context are Bigthan and Teresh mentioned in the Book of Esther? 14. The hanging of Haman’s ten sons is said to be connected to what event

that took place on October 16th, 1946? 15. To which of the twelve tribes of Israel did Mordechai belong? 16. What was the relationship between Esther and Mordechai according the Book of Esther? 17. The blessing Shehecheyanu is normally recited when we do something for the first time each year. How many times do we recite this blessing during Purim? 18. Besides reading the Megillah, name one of the other mitzvot associated with the festival of Purim? 19. What is Adloyada? 20. There is Purim, and there is Shushan Purim – what is the difference? 21. The prayer Al Hanissim (For the miracles) is added to which two prayers on Purim? 22. Under what circumstances, according to the Mishna, would the Megillah be read, as part of the Purim celebrations, three days earlier than normal? 23. The Book of Esther is known for not containing God’s name. Which is the only other biblical book that shares this feature? 24. In rabbinic literature there is a work known Esther Rabbah – what is the nature of this book? 25. Which composer wrote the oratorio entitled Esther in 1718?

ANSWERS PAGE 14

Maccabi National Swimathon MACCABI The 11th MS Maccabi National Swimathon on February 20th attracted 50 people and had a dual purpose.

Money raised will be help Australians living with multiple sclerosis.mPart of the funds will also go to sending an Australian team to the Maccabiah Games in Israel in July. This year, the Swimathon coincided with a Walkathon and collectively the two events generated more than $16,000.

SENIORS' LIVING FEATURE JewishCare’s extensive offering JEWISHCARE JewishCare cares for and celebrates the seniors of our community every day. With a diverse range of clients from different backgrounds, providing a culturally appropriate and comfortable environment for everyone is always top of mind. CEO Gary Groves said JewishCare has many choices available for clients and their families, with flexible consumer directed care packages, which cater to the individual. “Our professional care managers will always guide people through the process to achieve the best outcome possible,” Mr Groves said. Recently, there has been an increase in those seeking support from JewishCare’s aged services team. “When we ask how they heard about us, it is almost always through word of mouth. Their friends are receiving holistic support and are very happy with our services. This is always an excellent benchmark for us,” Mr Groves said.

JewishCare’s programs and services for seniors extend to free social work and occupational therapy. These are designed to help people live independently for as long, and as successfully, as possible. To do so, staff work closely with families and other organisations, including Dementia Australia, Enable NSW and Assistive Technology Australia. To combat isolation, the team at JewishCare also offers access to many social clubs. Another key avenue of support is the special services offered to Holocaust survivors. Funded home support packages can provide up to 25 hours of support each week. JewishCare also assists survivors to access restitution through the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. If you or anyone you know needs help, feel free to reach out to JewishCare’s customer service officer Ruth on 1300 133 660 or email hello@jewishcare.com.au

Ernie and Leah Friedlander enjoying a JewishCare event at Marourbra synagogue

You’re in good hands

JewishCare is a member of the JCA family of organisations

seniors’ living feature | March 2022

JCA is most grateful JCA During December 2021 and January this year, aged care facilities were faced with unprecedented circumstances. A virulent strain of the coronavirus, Omicron, was wreaking havoc. The challenge was not only to keep the seniors in our community safe. It was also about ensuring there were enough carers and support staff to care for them and ensure they weren’t isolated and alone while trying to avoid the virus. Frontline JCA member organisations providing exceptional services in this space included COA Sydney, JewishCare, Montefiore and The Burger Centre. JCA CEO Alain Hasson has expressed his appreciation for the effort put in. “I would like to thank all the amazing staff and volunteers that showed up each day – be it to deliver meals, make a check-in phone call, care for our most vulnerable or to make sure our community and organisation stayed operational and functional.” He said that level of support does not happen without the cooperation of the community. “We want our donors, volunteers and supporters to realise the impact of their commitment at times like these. It allows program and service providers to

Dorit Mahemoff – a long-serving member of the COA team – assists clients at the centre (photo: Jimmy Pozarik) concentrate on what they do best and leave the funding to JCA,” Mr Hasson said. While the physical delivery of services was important, it was also crucial to combat social isolation. The organisations were able to connect with clients via Zoom, hosting events that were mentally stimulating and fun, while helping to keep families and friends together.

JCA’s 2021 campaign raised $13.5 million – with $2.5m of that amount scheduled

to

support

aged

and

community care providers, as well as covering a small part of the increased Covid-related expenses. “We are tremendously grateful to those that supported JCA’s campaign and to all our tireless volunteers,” Mr Hasson said.

JCA’s 2022 campaign will start in late March. The community will again be encouraged to lend its support to aged care service providers and other organisations that embrace education, advocacy and security, the Holocaust, history and heritage, culture, engagement and outreach, and community care. A full list or organisations is available at www.jca.org.au

seniors’ living feature | March 2022

Wolper’s high standard rehabilitation services WOLPER JEWISH HOSPITAL Whether your aim is to live life to the fullest or you are recovering from surgery, illness or injury, Wolper Jewish Hospital has a rehabilitation service that can help you. The hospital’s facilities include a fully equipped physiotherapy gym and hydrotherapy pool. Its team of physiotherapists and exercise physiologists are highly experienced in rehabilitation. Wolper offers a range of services aimed at restoring, maintaining and enhancing functional capability. These include: • Day rehabilitation, which is suitable for those who do not require inpatient nursing care. Nevertheless, these patients are, most likely, experiencing functional deficit caused by a range of conditions. These may be post orthopaedic surgeries, musculoskeletal conditions such as fractures, trauma or injuries and some chronic conditions. • MoveWell exercise classes are open to all members of the community wanting to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Classes include AquaMove (aqua aerobics), MoveStrong (strength and conditioning), MoveSteady (falls prevention and balance), BackInMotion (core stability and spinal health), MoveBig

(a Parkinson’s Disease class) and Tai Chi. • Private services. Appointments with Wolper’s physiotherapists and exercise physiologists are available. Wolper’s physios are highly trained in treating a wide variety of conditions – from injury and post-surgical recovery to illness and ageing-related concerns. Exercise physiologists prescribe specific exercises for clients with chronic illnesses or injuries. Wolper’s staff will help in determining which service is best for you. They can be reached on 8324-2261.

For those needing inpatient care following orthopaedic surgery or injury, Wolper’s rehabilitation ward provides treatment by an experienced team. That includes a rehabilitation medicine physician, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nursing staff. Wolper’s medical ward is fully equipped to provide restorative care for older people with complex medical needs. The service is run by Drs Sandy Beveridge, Elizabeth Harper and Nicholas Mills – well known geriatricians who specialise in rehabilitation.

They are supported by a full multidisciplinary team. That includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nursing staff, exercise physiologists, speech pathologists, social workers, dietitians and a discharge planner. Inpatients also benefit from a medications’ review conducted by Wolper’s clinical pharmacist Dr Ben Basger. Patients are assessed and a plan is developed specific to their needs to maximise function and promote independence. New to Wolper’s multidisciplinary team is Dr Louisa Norrie, a psychiatrist with a particular interest in the management of mental and cognitive disorders affecting the elderly. Referrals are made to Dr Norrie by the geriatricians or rehabilitation physicians when they suspect a patient is experiencing anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, distress, psychosis or other mental health issues. Dr Norrie will carry out an assessment and conduct cognitive testing, if appropriate. She will provide treatment while the patient is in Wolper and will make recommendations and referrals for ongoing treatment and support, if needed, upon discharge. For more information on Wolper’s full range of services, go to www.wolper.com.au

The JNF family wishes you a Shana Tova TH JNF 120 ANNIVERSARY Planning your rehab after VIRTUAL GALA EVENT hip or knee surgery?

5 OCTOBER 2021, You don’t have to do it8PM alone BUILDING ISRAEL SINCE 1901

Undertaking your rehabilitation as an inpatient is the optimal way for you to achieve your best possible recovery from surgery. Receiving specialised 24 hour nursing care and allied health support in our nurturing hospital environment will give you and your family peace of mind. As an inpatient at Wolper you will have easy access to comprehensive care from our medical, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietitian and discharge planning staff, easing your recovery. Our fully equipped rehabilitation gym and large hydrotherapy pool will provide all the equipment needed for you to reach your personal rehabilitation goals supported by our specialist staff. You’ll receive two personalised therapy sessions 6 days a week and 1 session on Sunday to assist your recovery. Pain management, wound care and personal care are all taken care of leaving you to focus on you.

NOA TISHBY DERMER ELON GOLD Post-operative rehabilitationRON at home has its limitations. It can place Actress, Writer, Israel‘s 18th Ambassador Actor & Comedian additional burden on families and caregivers and there is the risk that Producer & Activist to the United States patients prematurely return to their usual activities putting their recovery at risk. Inpatient rehabilitation reduces the risks and provides a holistic, FREE ONLINE EVENT staged approach to healing and a healthy recovery. REGISTER NOW! For further information, contact Wolper Jewish Hospital www.jnf.org.au/virtualgala or 1300 563 563 on 8324 2221 or see www.wolper.com.au

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

Choosing life: the Jewish roots of my will to carry on RON GOLD After a catastrophic spinal injury a decade ago, putting myself out there as a paraplegic was terrifying. I tapped into wisdom that helped me overcome fear. On Thanksgiving this past year, I “celebrated” the 10th anniversary of a near-death accident that left me a paraplegic with a spinal cord injury that meant I had to reassess my life values and priorities. Ten years later, I’m still at it. After a traumatic event, one’s religious path often veers toward one of the two extremes – to become Orthodox or just forsake God. Oddly, I’ve done neither. I was raised in a Jewish, Zionist family. There was little daylight between the two. This stems from my mum’s upbringing in the Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair in her native Lithuania. She was lucky enough to flee Europe just two years before World War II, but her friends and relatives in Hashomer perished, along with many other family members. That survivor’s guilt always hovered as the backdrop to our family’s Jewish affiliation, but as for faith and prayer guiding my daily life, it didn’t then and it doesn’t now. I recently wrote a blog for this 10th anniversary and cited three aphorisms I choose to live by as a paraplegic. It strikes me that those maxims that help me push on with a crushed spine are also inherently Jewish: Why not me? Why not you? In that essay, I flipped around my initial, instinctive “why me?” self-pity to help energise myself and others. No excuses and no passes for any of us. Certainly, I was reformulating the well-known “if not now, when?” Hillel quote I heard frequently in our home to include the continuation: “if I am only for myself, what am I? We can’t change the hand we’re dealt, but we can play our best possible hand. I have met many in the disability community that believe their injuries happened for a reason. That conclusion gives them purpose. I’ve also found purpose in showing others how to cope and deal with adversity. But was that mission preordained by Hashem? Of that, I’m dubious. I hope He/She has more important things to worry about. I believe the essence of Judaism is how we live our faith and how we act, rather than believing God is micro-managing each of our actions. True leadership is leadership by example. That point is made explicit in Hebrew, which bases its word for leadership, “manhigut”, on the root of the word “behaviour” or “hitnahagut”. And that’s exactly what I learned as a teen in the Young Judaea Zionist youth movement. Setting an example for others, l’shamash dugma, or being

Ron Gold and family at the Western Wall in Jerusalem (photo: Gil Troy)

a “dugma ishit” was our key tenet for teaching leadership and influence. For me, the parallel goes further. Those who are Jewish and those who have spinal cord injuries represent a small sliver of the world’s population – between 0.1 and 0.2 per cent. Both groups are immersed in a seemingly inexorable struggle for acceptance of who we are, while confronting the adversity that

The motivational speaker Professor Brene Brown speaks about the courage to be authentic and vulnerable – putting oneself in the arena and fighting when the outcome is uncertain and unknowable. She speaks dismissively of those “in the cheap seats, without being in the fight” and maintains we should never let criticism and vitriol keep us from being

absorbed antisemitic attacks during COVID, as we always do in times of stress, but I’ve been heartened by our ability to connect and support each other while remaining resolute. Some of the hardest, and dare I say most courageous, things I’ve done have been to put myself out there as a paraplegic. After my accident and dozens of operations and procedures, re-engaging

“After my accident and dozens of operations and procedures, reengaging on a social level with friends was hard enough, but doing so on a professional level was terrifying.”

on a social level with friends was hard enough, but doing so on a professional level was terrifying. Before that drowsy driver hit my bicycle head-on in broad daylight without braking, I was a managing director on Wall Street. I was running a sales desk, covering clients around the country and flying to Asia quarterly. Yet, the first few times I entered a meeting in a wheelchair with a roomful of

comes along with the struggle. We’re both notable and at times extraordinary, but as far as either one being chosen for this lot, I’m not so sure. Blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer believes adversity is one of the most potent forces in life. It shapes our character, clarifies our priorities, defines our path and fuels our greatness. Considering that he climbed the Seven Summits and kayaked the Colorado River, he may be on to something.

who we are. It is in my vulnerability and my fight for authenticity that my two identities align. COVID has many feeling the stress and strain of being “immobilised”. By contrast, throughout this pandemic and during the eight years before it started, I continue to be amazed how others with disabilities adapt and achieve with grace. They do so in the professions, in business, in sports, as well as with family and friends. Likewise, as Jews, we’ve

strangers petrified me. I realise now that I was finally processing the new me and that was mortifying. I can now attest to the fact that after doing so numerous times I am stronger

and

more

resilient

for

it.

Weihenmeyer was onto something. If I can carry on day by day as a paraplegic, and if we as a people can endure through the toxic vitriol, then maybe, just maybe, we have the toughness to deflect almost anything.

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

AROUND

T H E

COMMUNITY NOMI KALTMANN COURTESY: TABLET MAGAZINE For the past 30 years, Holocaust survivors have spoken at schools in four Australian states – Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. They are educating students with their powerful personal stories as part of B’nai B’rith’s Courage to Care. The Victoria branch alone has 30 survivors that share their testimony at more than 100 schools, reaching in excess of 10,000 children between the ages of 12 and 18 each year. Judy Kolt is one of those survivors who regularly retells her story to school children at the programs run by Courage to Care. Now well into her 80s, she became involved with the organisation about seven years ago, after the death of her husband, Hymie. “Courage to Care interested me because they teach that hate starts with just words. I think it is important to teach young people not to have prejudice against anyone, because it can lead to horrible things,” she said. “I find it extremely rewarding. I get some really good questions and the students really appreciate hearing my story.” When asked whether it is difficult for her to repeat her Holocaust experiences over and over again to so many different groups, Kolt highlighted the long-term trauma many survivors endure: “I relive the Holocaust every night. Whether I talk to children or not, I relive it. It’s actually a relief to pass it on to people.” Like Ms Kolt, almost all the survivors currently working with Courage to Care were children themselves during the Holocaust. But even this cohort is now in their 80s, which leaves Courage to Care facing an important question: How can they continue sharing firsthand testimonies in schools, when the remaining Holocaust survivors are reaching such advanced ages? At the core of Courage to Care’s educational activities is the “upstander” program. This is an immersive course conducted during school hours that teaches children about the importance of speaking up against any hateful or discriminatory conduct that they may witness. “We emphasise the people who helped me,” said Kolt. “There were at least 30 people who risked their lives to save me. Strangers. Some for money, some not. They risked their whole families. They were heroes. They were upstanders. They weren’t bystanders.” Janice Huppert is a long-time volunteer with the group – which has more than 150 such volunteers – and originally became involved, along with her late husband George, who was a Holocaust survivor. She has facilitated the upstander programs at schools across Melbourne. “We discuss the perpetrator, the victim, the bystander and the upstander,” she said. “We discuss prejudices and how the Holocaust happened, because of

The custodians of survivors’ stories

prejudging and intolerance. We want children to be involved in the conversation and to feel that they can do something if they see others being bullied or people who are being marginalised.” Ms Huppert thinks the program is a powerful way to educate Australian children, especially non-Jews. “We very rarely [do] the program with Jewish kids,” she said. “Some of the children have never ever met a Jewish person before and it’s important they know that being a bystander is not neutral.” While the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for Courage to Care, it didn’t prevent the organisation from forging ahead with its mission of creating a new generation of upstanders. “During COVID, we have had more bookings than we have ever had. Although many had to be postponed, we still managed to reach over 3,000 students with faceto-face and remote programs,” said CEO Mike Zervos, noting that face-to-face programs still provide a “deeper and richer experience” for both participants and the speakers. For teachers in the classroom, there can be no doubt about the impact of the programs that Courage to Care provides for Australian children. “The response of the children has always been the same: wide-eyed and amazed listening to the stories,” said Anna Redlich, an Australian teacher since 1978. “In year 5 and 6 the students are interested in Anne Frank and to be able to hear from an actual Holocaust survivor, they are like deer in the headlights. The message of being an upstander is really significant and emphasises the importance of the language we use.” She recalled a particularly poignant moment from one of the sessions she

witnessed two years ago: “The students were listening to Peter Gasper,” an Australian Holocaust survivor who speaks for Courage to Care. “It was so quiet; they were absolutely fixed on the story he was telling. At the end of the talk, a little boy walked up to Peter and asked: ‘Can I please shake your hand, Peter?’ “ But it’s not just the children who learn from the Holocaust survivors; the teachers in the classroom also benefit. “Even if they bring their laptops to catch up on administrative tasks during the Courage to Care sessions, in the end all the teachers stop dead in their tracks to listen to the Holocaust survivors,” Redlich said. “The teachers realise the wonderful teaching and learning opportunity it gives them to further consolidate the importance of being an upstander.” But as the number of survivors dwindles, Courage to Care is preparing for the next phase of delivering its important educational programs, using a new model: a “custodian” of a family’s Holocaust survival story. “Custodians are relatives of a Holocaust survivor who retell the story of survival to an audience,” said Zervos. “You have to try and keep the memories alive.” Allan Goodrich is one of these new incoming custodians, a child of two Holocaust survivors, Lodzia (Leah) and Abraham (Marian) Goodrich. They were Polish Jews who survived the war in Warsaw as a married couple before emigrating to Melbourne in 1947. Mr Goodrich’s father died in 1985 and his mother in 2002. Mr Goodrich, who has a professional background as an administrator, therapist and teacher, became interested in retelling his parents’ stories a few years ago. So far, his experience

as a custodian has been very healing. “I am now 70. I find it quite therapeutic to consider my parents’ story,” he said. “As a child of survivors, I have been impacted by family and cultural influences, and possibly also via epigenetics, which includes the biological trauma markers that may be passed on from generation to generation.” To date, Courage to Care has trained 10 custodian speakers. They come from a variety of backgrounds, but are mainly motivated by the organisation’s mission and a desire to keep their family’s Holocaust memories alive. It is expected that in the coming year, a growing number of children of survivors will become custodians. Mr Goodrich has done half a dozen presentations so far. “For the time being, as long as there are survivor speakers, out of respect to them and what they do, I believe it is important for them to have priority to tell their stories for as long as they can,” he said. Ms Kolt hopes that the children who hear her talk take away a powerful and important universal message. “Children still have to learn to stand up for others,” she said. “They must learn how to stand up for all marginalised people. For the alcoholic or drug addict. For the people that need help. For the refugees. That’s what I am trying to teach them. To the children, I stress not only my personal tragedy, but the fact that there are people that are willing to help and that each and every one of us should try to help someone that needs it.” This story originally appeared in Tablet Magazine (tabletmag.com) and is reprinted with permission.

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

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Judaica quiz answers 1. B oth – Purim falls in Adar 2, but a minor festival known as Purim Katan, or the Lesser Purim, takes place in Adar 1 2. T he third section of the Bible known as the Ketuvim or the Writings. Within, Esther is found in the sub-section known as the Five Megillot 3. Twice 4. Iran 5. I t means: Lots – referring to how Haman randomly chose the day on which to exterminate the Jews in the Persian Empire 6. T raditionally Jews fast the day before battle, as such they would have fasted on Adar 13 in the days of Esther, prior to the battle to determine their fate on Adar 14. Others suggest it commemorates the three days that Queen Esther and the Jews of Shushan fasted before she approached the king to intercede for her people 7. The Fast of Gedaliah 8. Frankfurt 9. Rembrandt van Rijn 10. T his stems from the injunction in the Torah to erase the name of Amalek, who was Haman’s ancestor 11. Queen Vashti 12. Hadassah 13. M ordechai overheard these two men plotting to kill the king. By informing the king through Esther, he was able to thwart the plot. The two conspirators were apprehended and hanged, and Mordechai's service was recorded in the royal chronicles and rewarded by the king 14. A fter World War II, some of the surviving Nazi leaders were tried at Nuremberg. On October 1st, 1946, 12 of the German defendants were sentenced to death by hanging for their part in the atrocities committed against the Jews and others. One of those convicted was Martin Bormann, who was sentenced in absentia. A second was Hermann Göring, who committed suicide in his cell just hours before the executions. The

remaining 10 Germans were hanged on October 16th, 1946 15. The tribe of Benjamin 16. Cousins (And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter Esther 2:7) 17. T wice. Before the reading of the Megillah in the evening and following morning. Note: in the morning one should also consider that the blessing is recited with the other Purim rituals of the day in mind 18. S ending food gifts known as Mishloach Manot; giving gifts to the poor – Matanot L’evyonim and holding or attending a Purim feast - Seudat Purim 19. T his is the term for a Purim carnival – it refers to the saying that on Purim one should celebrate to the extent that ad lo yada – one cannot distinguish between the two phrases: Mordechai is blessed, and Haman is cursed 20. P urim is generally celebrated on the 14th Adar, however within the walled city of Shushan (the country’s capital) fighting was more difficult and extended for an additional day. To this day in large walled cities such as Jerusalem, the festival celebrations are delayed for a day until Adar 15th – Shushan Purim 21. T he Amidah and Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) 22. S ummarising Mishna Megillah 1:2 - If the 14th of Adar occurs on a Sunday, the villagers advance their reading to the preceding ‘market day’, i.e., three days earlier on Thursday, Adar 11th. Those in large towns read it on the designated day, Adar 14th, while those who live in walled cities read it on the following day, Adar 15th 23. T he Song of Songs otherwise known as Shir Hashirim 24. E sther Rabbah is part of a larger collection known as The Midrash Rabbah. These are ancient rabbinic homilies on a variety of biblical books 25. George Frideric Handel

J-AIR 88FM is Australia’s only Jewish community radio station. J-AIR would like to introduce new presenters and shows to its schedule. If you are interested, please write to us at info@j-air.com.au Listen to J-AIR anywhere, anytime via podcast or on the Internet.

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

RABBINIC

THOUGHT

Investments in our vestments

RABBI LEVI WOLFF CHIEF MINISTER THE CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE There is a recent societal trend that, for want of a better term, I choose to coin ‘Covid-Casual’. Over the past couple of years, this has filtered through every aspect of our lives – from footwear to loosefitting garb – for obvious reasons. So many of us have been working via Zoom and communicating online from home. Add the sum of all parts up and this equals, as the kids say – a ‘chilled vibe’. A congregant recently noticed that I had not been wearing ties on Shabbat over the summer and he missed them. Pre-pandemic, someone joked to me that if a man was walking down the street donning a tie, he was either a rabbi or a real estate agent! I smiled. Is ‘casual’ king? It seems to be a global trend exacerbated by Covid realities. After all, it was Mark Twain who penned the proverb, “Clothes maketh the man”. What does Judaism have to say? Recent Torah portions have gone into detail about the special garments worn by the Priests, or Kohanim, when serving in the Temple, outlining additional adorning items worn by the High Priest, or Kohen Gadol. Our rabbis explain that this was required not for G-d, rather for the people, as a reminder of the distinctive role of Kohanim and their special responsibilities. It is fair to say that clothes count. The slogan on your cap often says something about what you believe in; the type of Kippah reflects who you are. Even though we are all so timepoor nowadays, ‘investments in our

vestments’ are genuinely warranted. I have ruminated and reflected about this, and I choose to raise my chin, flick my shirt collar up and don a tie for Shabbat or Yom Tov in Shule. This is not because one person mentioned it once, more to mindfully invest in looking our best. In no way am I suggesting all do the same, yet think about how that outer public layer applies in your world. Wear your favourite shoes or shirt, add jewellery that makes you smile or has true meaning. If you make it special, it becomes not just another day, it is Shabbat! After all, we refer to our holy Day of Rest as our Shabbat Malka – our Queen, our bride. For such a regal and

respected reality, surely we must dress to impress! Let’s endeavour to exhibit our best selves over Shabbat or a High Holy Day – whatever guise that means for you and yours. Quicker than you can say “Spin that Graggar”, we will get to reimagine our garb in a completely novel way for one special day – that is our joyous festival of Purim. This dress-memo is entirely different to our typical shule clothes – we select and dress up in costume. This is a long-standing custom first originating in medieval Italy and we embrace it annually. There are many reasons why we dress up on Purim. To recap: wicked Haman wanted the Jews destroyed, the King’s

new wife Esther bravely advocated on behalf of her threatened people; he listened and acted; Haman’s plans were thwarted. The Jews of ancient Persia: saved! We are reminded about how G-d remained hidden throughout the Purim miracle. We dress up and can wear fancy-dress facial masks. Also, for those less fortunate, accepting charity may be acutely embarrassing, so wearing a disguise may be an ideal ‘clothes-tonic’ to counter that. It is safe to say that for me, there will be no ties in sight this Purim! Wishing all a Freilichen Purim.

Purim: it is all in the name RABBI MOSHE D. GUTNICK THE KASHRUT AUTHORITY In Jewish teaching, a name is not merely a random word, rather it reflects the nature and essence of whatsoever or whomsoever is named. Sometimes this connection is plainly visible within a word’s structure. For example, our forefather Jacob is called Ya’akov as during his birth he grabbed the ekev, the heel, of his twin brother, Esau. Ya’akov was later called Yisra-el, as he had wrestled with both ‘man’ and the ‘Divine’ (‘- el’) and emerged victorious. On a deeper level, the Jewish people is referred to by his two names. Firstly, Ya’akov - we bear this name when faced with a multitude of spiritual and physical difficulties. Ya’akov is the quintessential underdog needing assurance from G-d, “Do not be afraid my servant Jacob”.

We are also called Israel as, with G-d’s help, we transcend the limitations of this world. With this spiritual security, there ought not be any challenge or battle to fear because the ‘war’ in whatever guise, has been won before it begins. Israel personifies the Jewish people who recite and hear, “The Lord our G-d the Lord is one” – “there is no other” beside Him, and no one can stand in His way. Two names with distinct meanings reflecting two different ways via which we assume our place and our relationship with G-d. Exploring the upcoming festival through this prism, Megillat Esther teaches that it is called Purim, “after the Pur [a Persian word for lottery] … that Haman threw”. The King’s wicked advisor, Haman, did this to determine the most fortuitous day on which he would carry out his evil plan; he wanted to diarise his preferred date of annihilation. Does it make any rational sense that this should be the name of the festival? Intriguingly, the name Purim does reflect the essence of the festival.

What was the miracle of Purim? There was no dramatic splitting of the Red Sea, no plagues unleashed. Just a few key characters at the right place and time. Esther, the adopted daughter of Mordechai, became Queen and Mordechai then communicated through Esther about the plot to assassinate the King. Mordechai refused to prostrate himself before the king’s vizier, Haman, who was a rabid anti-Semite. Haman was unsatisfied with the plan to kill his individual enemy, deciding Jews were to blame en masse. Esther until then had kept her religious identity a secret, she risked her life to see the King and bravely revealed she was a Jewess. Haman was then hung on the very gallows he prepared for Mordechai. A compelling story to be sure, so was it all coincidental? No. At that time in ancient Persia, there were no dramatic displays of clapping thunder and lightning – no portent representing the degree of danger. Yet in the megillah, we learn this is a festival that Jews will

celebrate forever. Flash forward 2,500 years to the modern day, it is one of the most joyous in our calendar. This is why it is called Purim – in Persian, not Hebrew. This is why it is referred to as a lottery. Precisely because it took place in Persia while we were still exiled, it has a name in the language of our ancient exile. Precisely because Hashem’s hand was not overtly visible, it is named after the lottery that Haman callously threw. He thought he was randomly selecting the ‘best’ day to destroy us. In truth, there is nothing by chance, everything is in Hashem’s hands, and he chose the day of our victory. Purim has sustained us throughout our entire exile, it reveals that no matter where we are and no matter in which era, HaShem’s providence remains with us, now and always. Purim: there is just so much within this name.

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

F O O D I E S'

CORNER SOUL GOURMET Welcome to the Foodies’ Corner for 2022! Thank you for the positive feedback over the summer – many kosher recipes have been tried and enjoyed thus far and requests have come in for more, from milchig to fleishig to pareve and everything in between! Within each edition you’ll find kosher culinary inspiration right here. We commence with a much-loved melt-in-your-mouth recipe by Alan Bender, the chef extraordinaire of KAcertified caterer, Soul Gourmet. His team continues to enhance the kosher landscape of Sydney – particularly on the Upper North Shore. Late 2021 saw a strategic move into a modern HQ, located within the North Shore synagogue premises which has allowed the team to bake and create – on repeat! Soul Gourmet’s fudge selection is legendary and has to be tasted to be believed and there are weekly Shabbat offerings delivered on Friday mornings to the St. Ives Greengrocer. From chicken soup to fish balls to beef pies to sushi there’s a plethora of choice in the savoury department – including the herring offered four ways: chopped, Danish, mustard and pickled. Sweet treats include rugelach, chocolate mousse, cinnamon scrolls and more. On this page you’ll find the recipe for Slow Braised Brisket + Root Vegetable Mirepoix. What, pray tell, is a ‘mirepoix’? It is a flavour-based mix of aromatics, made from gently cooked finely diced vegetables. The result is a depth

Slow braised brisket + root vegetable mirepoix

of flavour perfectly paired with this succulent meat that has to be tasted to be believed! (Preparation time 30 minutes, cooking time 4 hours) INGREDIENTS 2-3kg brisket (with a little fat left on) ½ bunch celery sliced thinly 3 large brown onions peeled and roughly chopped 6 large carrots peeled & sliced into thick slices 2 swedes/parsnips/turnips peeled & sliced 175gm jar of MasterFoods wholegrain mustard

250mL Barbeque Sauce (preferably one with a smoky flavour) 2 Tablespoons Masterfoods Tuscan blend seasoning 1 sprig of rosemary Oil spray METHOD Preheat the oven to 200°C Spray one large roasting dish, line it with one sheet of foil and baking paper (easier to clean later). Add a dash of oil to this prepared roaster, place the brisket fatty side up and spray the top with oil. Rub all the mustard onto the meat, and then give a good schmear with all BBQ sauce. Add Tuscan seasoning

and rosemary. Take all pre-prepared vegetables and place around the sides of the brisket in piles if necessary (just don’t place vegetables on the meat directly). Tightly cover with a sheet of baking paper and a layer of foil. Bake for three hours. Remove the top foil/paper lid and return to the oven for three minutes or until the dish caramelises. Allow the meat to cool completely before removing from the dish. It can then be either ‘pulled’ or sliced. The roasted vegetables that have retained their shape can be served as a side dish to the brisket. Remove the juices and any vegetables that may have lost their shape from this long cooking time. Use a stick blender for a smooth consistency, depending on taste preference, add some BBQ or tomato sauce and/or a dash of red or white wine to the purée (not more than one cup in total) to make more gravy. To maximise all the cooking within one roasting dish for a larger one-pan dinner, add 500gms of baby potatoes and 250gms of green beans to the dish. Savour the flavour – enjoy! To contact Soul Gourmet for any kosher catering needs, call Alan Bender on 0422 553 493 or visit www.soulgourmet.com.au

South African tashen SOUL GOURMET Given this is the Purim edition, KA-certified Soul Gourmet is sharing a treasured longheld recipe for South African Tashen. This much-loved version of the symbolic Hamentaschen presents as larger than the conventional biscuit variety, with a soft bread-like pastry coupled with incredible inner fillings (two are showcased below). Hamentaschen takes the culinary Purim spotlight as it is a gastronomic representation of how the Jewish people emerged triumphant over the wicked Haman and all enemies. It is emblematic of defying Haman’s memory, yet simultaneously it is a fabulous festive fuel, enabling us to celebrate all-things-Purim with maximum buzz. The talented Alan Bender first used this recipe back in Johannesburg, he has opted for his legendary Monn filling to comprise of pitted dates … and poppy seeds of course! (The fillings are best made in advance) Monn Filling (Poppy Seed) Ingredients 150gr poppy seeds 200gr pitted dates Method Place poppy seeds into a small pot, fill with water. Simmer for 3-4 hours (ensure the pot does not boil dry, or seeds may burn).

Strain and allow seeds to cool and dry completely. Add pitted dates and blitz in a food processor until mixture is a sticky black mass (if dry add a few more dates & repeat until it is a sticky but firm). Cheese Filling Ingredients 500gr Quarg cheese (Tempo brand) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 10ml good quality vanilla essence (e.g., KA-certified Queen Fine Foods vanilla) 150gr white sugar ½ lemon squeezed (juice only) 1 egg 1 cup plain flour (for binding) Method Combine all except flour (conduct quick taste test here to adjust taste to personal preference). Mix the flour in slowly until a semi-firm cheese dough forms. Wrap and place in the fridge. Before use, this cheese dough may feel too firm, if so, add a dash of milk or cream and mix. If too soft add a little flour – only if needed. Basic Dough Ingredients 1kg plain flour 200gr white sugar

10gr salt 20 gr dry yeast 2 eggs 125ml oil (vegetable, canola or sunflower) 375ml water 15ml vanilla essence Knead until it becomes a smooth, velvety ball that is soft and slightly sticky. Divide into balls each weighing 100gr. Place on an oiled tray in a cool area (not refrigerated). Alan recommends you pour a glass of your favourite beverage because now the hard work starts!

Method Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Break and check 3 eggs, beat with a fork and add 50ml of water to make an egg wash. Roll the dough balls out into rounds of at least 10cm diameter. Brush each round with egg wash. Monn filling: take some in your hand and form into a firm ball about 4cm in diameter. Place Monn balls onto the centre of the rolled dough discs pinching the disks closed so that each forms a triangular shape. Fold over the pinched seams and pinch again. Brush with egg wash. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and repeat until half the dough discs are filled. Prick each side once with a fork. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown (about 18 mins). To check they are ready, lift each Tashen off the baking paper and if the underside is golden brown, it is cooked. Cheese filling: Place one heaped tablespoon of cheese filling in the middle of the remaining dough discs & repeat the same method as the Monn Tashen. Bake until golden brown. Happy Purim! Please call Alan Bender if you have any recipe-related questions. If you would like to order these freshly baked and readymade, call Alan @Soul Gourmet on 0422 553 493. Note: Monn Tashen are Pareve and Cheese Tashen are Dairy (Chalav Yisrael).

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

F O O D I E S'

CORNER DR. YVETTE ALT MILLER COURTESY: AISH.COM Classic Jewish foods have some compelling stories behind them. 1. The quintessential Jewish brunch: lox, bagels and cream cheese It’s the ultimate Jewish sandwich. It’s also the result of generations of Jewish innovation. Bagels have long been associated with Jewish cooks. Though they share similarities with other baked and boiled pastries in central Europe, bagels might have been an invention by Jewish cooks to get around anti-Jewish laws forbidding them to bake bread. In her book The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread, Maria Balinska describes a 1267 decree by a committee of Polish bishops forbidding Christians from buying foods made by Jews, including bread. Since bread was defined as pastry that was baked, the thinking goes, some enterprising Jews got around this decree by boiling rolls instead. Making rolls with a hole in the middle allowed for more even cooking and the Jewish bagel – which is boiled then finished off in an oven – was born. Lox is similar to other smoked fish in northern Europe, but Jewish lox has a unique twist. Food historian Gil Marks notes, “At the beginning of the 20th century, Jews in America developed their own form of smoked salmon, soaking it in light brine or occasionally dry curing it with salt and sometimes brown sugar,

Why these foods are so quintessentially Jewish then cold smoking it.” (Encyclopedia of Jewish Food by Gil Marks.) This uniquely Jewish way of curing salmon results in lox’s characteristically silky texture. Even Cream Cheese has a Jewish story. Invented in upstate New York in the 1870s, cream cheese was at first a purely local delicacy. In 1907, a pair of Jewish brothers from Lithuania named Isaac and Joseph Bregstein who’d moved to New York, began mass producing cream cheese in Brooklyn. 2. Gefilte Fish and Horseradish Sauce It’s the ultimate Friday night first course. In fact, Shabbat is the reason why gefilte fish became so popular among Jews. It all started about a thousand years ago in Germanic lands, when chopping up fish with onions and spices, and then stuffing the mixture back into a fish skin became popular. (Gefilte means “filled” in Yiddish and old German.) Yet the dish caught on with Jews most of all, since gefilte fish is ideally suited to a Shabbat meal. (Today, it’s most often served in a loaf, not stuffed into fish skin.) For one thing, picking out fish bones from a meal is something that traditional Jews refrain from doing on Shabbat since separating items in that manner is prohibited on Shabbat. Gefilte fish solves the problem; there are no pesky fish bones to remove.

Gefilte fish can be made with any type of fish. The Talmud describes fish as part of the ultimate Shabbat meal. The sage Rav Yehuda is asked how to “delight” in Shabbat. His answer: “With a dish of beets, a large fish, and heads of garlic.” (Talmud Shabbat 118b:2). That same passage might help to explain why horseradish sauce is such a perfect accompaniment to gefilte fish. Also called chrain, which means horseradish in Yiddish, the Jewish version is sweet and slightly spicy. Horseradish root is grated, then mixed with sweet, grated beets. The resulting bright pink condiment can be found in the kosher section of grocery stores and makes a perfect accompaniment to gefilte fish. 3. The Ultimate Jewish Sandwich: Pastrami on Rye “One of the great inventions of the American deli was pastrami,” notes food historian Claudia Roden. While the name pastrami invokes other cured meats from the Balkans, such as “pastrama” in Romania or “pastirma” in Turkey, pastrami is a uniquely Jewish invention, which originated among Jewish immigrants in the Lower East Side of New York in the late 1800s. “The Jewish deli started when lone male immigrants were forced to buy kosher meals from Jewish neighbours,” Rodin says. “Soon there were hundreds

of small neighbourhood kosher delis catering to workers and families in which the women also worked.” (The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York by Claudia Roden.) Jewish pastrami is made from brisket and is incredibly labour intensive. After being cured in brine, it’s then coated with spices including bay leaves, juniper berries, pepper, garlic, and paprika and left to “dry cure” for weeks, as the spices slowly cook the meat. It’s then smoked and, finally, either braised or steamed. The result is a silky, intensely spicy, delicious meat with a distinctive dark red hue. Pastrami is traditionally served on rye bread, another Jewish staple. While rye was and remains a popular grain in much of eastern and northern Europe, Jews became especially associated with rye bread. In many eastern European towns before the Holocaust, “Jewish bakers supplied both Jews and non-Jews with bread, bagels and other baked goods,” observes the Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut (YIVO), a historical association. “Jewish” rye was made with a distinctive sourdough starter called roshtshine, which resulted in a tangy, dense rye bread that kept for a long time. In the 19th century, Jewish bakeries commonly made huge loaves of rye bread that weighed anywhere from seven to 11 kilograms and had to be baked for between four and six hours.

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

F O O D I E S'

CORNER

Kosher KApers

RAMONA FREEDMAN THE KASHRUT AUTHORITY The festival of Purim is almost here and that gives us all free reign to indulge in so many KA-certified treats and sweets! At this time, we don’t just think about our immediate family, we think bigger and arrange or pack Mishloach Manot, fulfilling the mitzvah of giving to friends and family. We smile to see how happy it makes our children (and yes, adults too!) to dress up. We also give to charity and hear the Book of Esther – it is a story of triumph over adversity – a story of bravery and how G-d was quietly orchestrating it all. Let’s dive into all-things kosher for Purim. Our KA-certified bakers, caterers and other member of our KA Family are ensuring all on offer is perfect for Purim. Here’s a snapshot of what you can find around town in some bakeries (with ordering details below). The KA is excited to reveal that this year, for the first time, a dynamic duo – Soul Gourmet and Sweet As Funk – will be collaborating. Boxes of Mishloach Manot will be on offer including the colourful and packedwith-flavour signature dehydrated fruit, iced biscuits with a festive imprint of ‘Purim Sameach’ and Soul Gourmet’s legendary South African Tashen – in Monn (Pareve) or Cheese (Dairy, CY) varieties (or both!) Another box will house the legendary Soul Gourmet biltong and other Sweet As Funk goodies.

KA PRODUCT UPDATES

Sweet Chick Little Luxuries Mishloach Manot So many within our community eagerly await the arrival of Patisserie Le Marais Hamentaschen – this year they will also be available at the Upper Heights bakery. Enjoy three Pareve options: raspberry, apricot and poppy seed. In addition, the Grandma Moses team comes to the Purim party with a swag of sensational hamantaschen offerings. These include two Pareve options: jam and poppy seed, along with a Dairy variety featuring Nutella (not CY). They also offer the much-loved yeast version with cream cheese or poppy seed fillings too. The Bagel Co., Jesse’s Bakery, The Sweet Chick and Friendship Bakery are also ready for you with fabulous offerings! If you’re looking to send a fruit basket – look no further than Rimon Catering – all selected fresh at the market by The Fruit

Man himself, Ze’ev Aronstam – perfect for this season of giving and receiving. It is a mitzvah to sit and take part in a Purim seudah and this is the moment to talk savoury – Mendy’s is here with its comprehensive menu on offer – from pizzas to pastas to sides to mains – purchase from a plethora of options so it is fun for all to perhaps try novel menu items. Grunfeld’s Catering is a must to add to your Seudah – from fried fish to mushroom pancakes to salmon, salads and more (all pareve). The family will just love it all. This city is ready to embrace Purim – we don’t take for granted we can celebrate together! There is so much more to share, check in via KA’s Facebook Group (The Kashrut Authority of Australia & NZ) for daily updates in the lead up to this happy holiday. Purim Sameach from The KA Team!

Here’s a snapshot of kosher news around town: • To order the Sweet As Funk/ Soul Gourmet Mishloach Manot, call Natalie Levy on 0407 441 474. • To order hamantaschen from Patisserie le Marais, call Joel Barda on 0406 027 194 & to order from Upper Heights call Zohar on 0450 545 194. • To order Grandma Moses hamantaschen, call Tracey Freinkel on 0403 130 003. • Mendy’s Purim orders must be placed by 10am Wednesday March 16th. Order online: www.mendys. com.au or call 1300 636 397. • Visit www.rimoncatering.com.au to order your Purim fruit gift basket!

• Call Avi on 0402 085 948 to order from the Grunfeld’s menu for your Purim seudah and Shabbat meals – visit www.grunfelds.com.au. • Spirit of Bondi’s unique Moldovan alcoholic beverages are now available at three new locations: Steve’s Cool Booze @ 686 Anzac Parade, Kingsford; Bondi Beach Cellars @ 50 Hall Street, Bondi Beach & Camperdown Cellars @ 140-144 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown where you can also find the locally made KA-certified Pomme de Bondi made by boutique distiller, Levi Menaker. • Jewish International Film Festival

(JIFF) will be screening at Randwick Ritz cinemas this month – purchase KA-certified choc tops, fresh hot popcorn and each ticket holder is entitled to pick up one half-filled pita pocket by Pita Mix too. • Savion restaurant opening times: Sunday-Thursday 9am-6pm, Friday 9am-1:30pm. To place an order, call 02 9130 6357 or visit 1/38 Wairoa Avenue, North Bondi. • OMG Decadent Donuts East Sydney will be offering a kosher gluten free, dairy free donut stall every Wednesday within the Oxford Street Bondi Junction mall.

• Oakberry Acai Bondi Beach now offers bags of Vegan Granola for sale. In addition, there is a new crunchy topping for Acai Bowls: Gluten Free Vegan Granola. The coconut milk added to the Oakberry Smoothie and the coconut chia pudding topping for the acai bowls are now designated as ‘Dairy Equipment’ not Pareve • Masterfoods BBQ Sauce 2 Litres is now KA-certified, Pareve • Masterfoods Garam Masala spice blend is now KA-certified, Pareve • A new 7-Eleven Slurpee flavour has been KA-approved in accordance with our soft drink policy: Mystery Blue • Absolut Watermelon vodka is now KAapproved • Nestle’s Nesquik Wholegrain cereal Made in France is not acceptable • Harris Farm Nude Garlic Gloves 250gm Product of China are acceptable. You can purchase fresh peeled garlic cloves as long as there is a visible element of the base or peel on it. In addition, you can purchase frozen peeled garlic cloves with this in mind, this includes garlic Product of China • The following Frantelle Zero Sugar sparkling waters are acceptable as per The KA’s Soft Drink policy: Pineapple/ Orange; Lime/Lemon; Raspberry/ Blackcurrant & Tropical Passionfruit • The following nine varieties of awardwinning Falcone’s breads are now available at Woolworths Double Bay for the first time: Super Soft Sandwich 700g; Soft smooth wholemeal 700g; Soft white fibre plus 700g; White Bread Rolls; Hamburger Rolls; Hot Dog Rolls; Lite Rye; Lebanese White & Lebanese Wholemeal. • New range of Fynbos Fine Foods (FFF) marinades, sauces, relish, rock salt blends & Cape Curry mix now on offer at Harris Farm stores e.g., Westfield BJ. Each is Pareve and has South African Beth Din logo on the label. • Lemsip Max All in One lemon (Dairy, not CY) • Be Light Rice Crackers available at Aldi are available in 4 varieties: spicy, mixed, traditional and plain (Kosher Australia certified, Pareve) • Barker’s New Zealand Lemon Curd & Passionfruit Curd (both Dairy, not CY) certified by Kiwi Kosher • Three Barker’s New Zealand sauces are kosher Pareve: Butterscotch Caramel; Classic Chocolate & Luscious Strawberry Sauce. • OsteVit-D: o Vitamin D3 Kids Drops - Pareve o Vitamin D3 (Tablets) – Dairy (not CY) o Vitamin D3 Liquid - Pareve o Vitamin D3 Plus Calcium (chewable) Pareve No Longer Produced: • Macro Woolworths Natural Sultanas • Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk UHT Milk • Coles Dairy Free Barista Soy Milk • Masterfoods hot sweet Thai chilli sauce • Table of Plenty Classic Dukkah and Veggie Roasters Golden Moroccan

From left: Fress Gourmet Gifts Purim treats, Mishloach Manot by Soul Gourmet/Sweet As Funk collaboration, The Bagel Co. Shortbread Hamentaschen and Friendship Bakery Hamentaschen Cookie Dough

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the sydney jewish report | March 2022

MOV I E

REVIEWS

Darkness pervades

THE BATMAN (M) ALEX FIRST Gotham City is a cesspool of evil and corruption. For two years the caped crusader has been trying to clean it up, but to no avail. The situated has deteriorated further. Promises of renewal and change have fallen on deaf ears. Now a madman is on the loose. The Riddler (Paul Dano) has begun wreaking havoc, killing those who purported to be good, decent and fair, but were anything but. The first victim is the Mayor. More will follow. Top city officials are disposed of in nefarious ways. Early on, The Batman comes face to face with a dexterous young woman who has her own agenda. Selina Kyle/Catwoman, like Bruce Wayne/The Batman, has a distressing back story. But Catwoman is looking for vengeance in a way The Batman is not, a path that would see her cross over to the dark side. Mind you, The Batman also has his moments. The Riddler’s reign of terror starts on Halloween and his cryptic clues lead The Batman on an ugly trail of death and destruction. On his side is a senior policeman, Lt James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright).

Among those standing in their way is nightclub owner The Penguin (a faciallyscarred, unrecognisable Colin Farrell). Another criminal mastermind with connections to Catwoman is Carmine Falcone (John Tuturro). He knew and also had an association with Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas. Andy Serkis portrays The Batman’s dutiful “protector” and confidante Alfred, who worked for Thomas Wayne. Dark, cold and humourless, The Batman has a hard edge.

It is not the first time, we have seen this approach to movie making involving the Dark Knight. Several actors, including Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and now Robert Pattinson have donned the cape on the big screen. Likewise, Zoe Kravitz follows in the footsteps of Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer and Lee Meriwether. The lack of emotion – other than anger – displayed by Pattinson may be

his trademark in The Batman, but that started to wear thin after a while. Kravitz has a feistiness that suits the role. There is a pompousness about the representation of The Penguin. The Riddler has an appropriate deranged quality. I found the story reasonably compelling for the first two thirds, before I felt the film lost its way and became, in short, ridiculous and unnecessarily inflated. It did not need an all but three-hour running time. The script could readily have been tightened without losing any vital plot elements. In fact, I would argue doing so would have resulted in a better film. Among the highlights is a car chase involving The Batman and The Penguin, and the appearance of another motor vehicle at a significant public event. The production values are strong. Grunge and the seething underbelly of the city are well captured. In writer (with Peter Craig – The Town), director and producer Matt Reeve’s (War for the Planet of the Apes) Gotham City fear is a tool. I simply wish he had wielded a less is more approach. The Batman has several impressive moments of high tension and drama, but it is also overindulgent and bogged down with platitudes and excessive exposition. Rated M, it scores a 7 out of 10.

Little in stature, big in heart CYRANO (M) ALEX FIRST Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French novelist, playwright and duellist who lived in the early to mid-17th century. His life was fictionalised in a play written by Edmond Rostand in 1897. The theatrical adaptation drew attention to de Bergerac’s big nose. That was also the focus (if you pardon the pun) of the 1987 movie featuring Steve Martin and the 1990 film starring Gerard Depardieu. Now more than three decades later, de Bergerac has been reimagined as a little person (Peter Dinklage). He falls in love with a beautiful and intelligent young woman (Haley Bennett) who grew up in the same town as him. de Bergerac’s stature doesn’t hold him back from anything other than coming out and telling the lady, Roxanne, how he feels. He is not afraid to speak his mind, is a master swordsman and a member of the King’s guard. He is also a most witty and incisive poet. Roxanne is being courted by the powerful Duke De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn), a man she is not the slightest bit interested in. But then she spots a new recruit to the guards, the handsome Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr). She is immediately smitten and so is he.

Roxanne informs de Bergerac of her interest and asks him to ask Christian to write to her. Only, while Christian may be good with his fists, when it comes to wooing a woman he is all at sea. So, it is that with Roxanne requesting de Bergerac look out for Christian, de Bergerac pens letters for him, completely winning her over with his

turn of phrase. Things are set to get a lot hairier though after Christian and Roxanne meet and Christian is not the wordsmith he appears to be on paper. Once again, de Bergerac comes to the rescue. And such is the case too when Christian and de Bergerac are both sent off to war on the front line by the

vindictive Duke. The questions are will Roxanne ever learn the truth and will true love win out? Cyrano circa 2022 is a romantic and dramatic musical. Erica Schmidt (wife of the film’s star Peter Dinklage) is the writer responsible for the unique interpretation of the ageold story. The score is by Bryce and Aaron Dessner, Matt Berninger and Carin Besser. Joe Wright (Atonement) directs. I was particularly taken by Dinklage’s resolute representation of de Bergerac. His inner turmoil is written all over his face. He is particularly expressive throughout. His eyes speak wonders. Bennett makes for a charming if starry-eyed Roxanne. Kelvin Harrison Jr ensures we are in no doubt that Christian is way out of his depth in trying to engage with Roxanne. Mendelsohn plays the Duke as suitably arrogant and entitled. Bashir Salahuddin comes across as sympathetic as de Bergerac’s superior officer and friend, Le Bret. Musically, I found Cyrano easy to warm to. The settings are picturesque. The movie was shot in stunning Italian locales. The production design is a major feature. Cyrano is a story with heart (pun intended) that I enjoyed watching. Rated M, it scores a 7½ out of 10.

20 AROUND

the sydney jewish report | March 2022

T H E

COMMUNITY JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Eddie Tamir is Artistic Director of the Jewish International Film Festival, which is on until April 4th. The Jewish Report asked him about the festival. What are the three films you would recommend everyone needs to see at this year’s Festival? Simone Veil, A Woman of the Century; Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song and Dirty Tricks. Do you have a personal favourite film in the festival and what makes it your favourite? Usually, I don’t answer this type of question because I have many personal favourites for various reasons. A Radiant Girl highlights the power of optimism. Is there anything new about this year’s festival and, if so, what? Presenting premieres of three Australian films: Mother Mountain, The Narrow Bridge and Marianne Mathy & Her Legacy. Also cranking up live performance elements. How many Jewish International Film Festivals have you overseen? 10 What are the biggest challenges you face in organising such a festival? Confirming Australian premieres of the best Israeli and Jewish films of the year.

Films to make you laugh, cry and think This is challenging as there are 50 film festivals nationally, many of which are competing for the same films, because Jewish storytelling happens in many countries. How many films do you watch before determining which ones are in and which ones are out of a Festival? Lindy (Executive Festival Director) and I watch about 300 films annually to arrive at the 50/60 films we present. What makes an appropriate festival film and which ones don’t make the grade? Our patrons are between 20 and 90 years of age, both Jewish and nonJewish cinephiles. Appropriate festival films are ones that appeal to any of these audiences and don’t cross the line into incitement and/or deceit – from crowd pleasers, arthouse films and Holocaust themes to contemporary Diaspora and Israeli films. When you start with a clean slate, what are you looking for? Something that makes me laugh, cry and think, hopefully in the same film. Films that are authentic to the Jewish experience that resonate universally. For more details about the Jewish International Film Festival and to book, go to www.jiff.com.au

Eddie Tamir

See the best of Jewish-themed and Israeli cinema at the 2022 Jewish International Film Festival, screening only in cinemas from March 3.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE —

Inspiring Opening Night Film Simone Veil, A Woman of the Century; rom-com Here Today, starring Billy Crystal; documentary Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, about the beloved performer; and Closing Night presentation The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem (pictured).

All tickets are now on sale jiff.com.au