the melbourne jewish report - june edition

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VOL. 37 Friday, 8 June 2018 / 25 Sivan 5778

Fostering a closer Jewish community

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SMART TECHNOLOGY SAVING LIVES

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$4M FOR JEWISH SECURITY

INTRODUCTION TO KINDER AT YESHIVAH - BETH RIVKAH x

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A tribute to the memory of Rabbi Sholom Gutnick RABBINICAL COUNCIL OF VICTORIA RABBI PHILIP HEILBRUNN OAM The news of the passing of Harav Sholem DovBer Hacohen Gutnick Z”L was received by us all with great sadness. Born in Russia in 1924, at aged 3, Rabbi Gutnick’s family escaped KGB persecution and went to Israel and later to London where his beloved father, Rabbi Mordechai Ze’ev Hacohen Gutnick Z”L had been sent as a Shaliach of the Freediker Lubavitcher Rebbe. Rabbi Sholem studied in the Etz Chaim Yeshiva earning a great reputation for his exceptional diligence as a Masmid in Torah learning. He was closely exposed to the Torah learning of the great Rabbis in London at that time who greatly influenced his erudition. In 1948, after teaching and serving as a Rabbi in Europe and London for a brief time, Rabbi Sholem went with his mother to New York from where the Lubavitcher Rebbe sent him to Sydney Australia to teach Torah. Rabbi Sholem married his Rebbetsin Devorah Feiglin Z”L in 1952 and settled in Melbourne where, together with his wife’s support, he was to achieve his monumental life’s work for over almost seven decades. Responding faithfully to the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s directive, he was one of the prime movers in the establishment of the Yeshivah, first in Burwood and later in Hotham Street. He was a totally devoted teacher in the Yeshivah for over fifty years. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Yeshiva Gedolah and played a major role in its success for decades. Rabbi Gutnick became a Dayan of the Melbourne Beth Din shortly after his arrival in Melbourne and succeeded as Av Beth Din, a role he fulfilled conscientiously. He was in regular touch with most of the Gedolim of his time and maintained the reputation and authority of the Beth Din amongst the other similar tribunals throughout the Jewish world. Rabbi Gutnick retired as Av Beth Din about

fifteen years ago, facilitating its restructuring under the auspices of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria and the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Victoria. However, Rabbi Sholem Gutnick’s most prominent and enduring achievement was as the founding Rav of the Caulfield Hebrew Congregation. He, together with the Congregation’s Presidents, Boards and members, most of whom were of European birth and survivors of the Holocaust, succeeded in creating one of Australia’s leading Jewish congregations with an enormous membership. His commitment to Torah scholarship was evidenced by the fact that he devoted at least three hours a day to conducting shiurim at a high level in his Shule. He was a great and articulate orator who faithfully served his congregation for over forty years. Upon his retirement he assumed the position of Rabbi Emeritus, and for a while, during an interval between rabbis, returned to assist by leading his congregation again. In latter years Rabbi Gutnick was, for over a decade, a regular and most beloved and esteemed worshipper at the close-by Hamayan congregation. As a respected member of one of Australia’s great Rabbinic families, Rabbi Sholem Gutnick Z”L enjoyed a close and constructive relationship both personally and ‘professionally’ with his stepfather, Rabbi Osher Abramson Z”L, the Sydney Av Beth Din and a renowned Talmid Chacham. His relationship and collaboration in Torah and communal affairs with his beloved brother, Rabbi Chaim Gutnick Z”L added great lustre to the establishment of Melbourne as Torah-true community with an international reputation for excellence. We, the younger generation of Rabbis in Melbourne salute Rabbi Sholem DovBer’s contribution to our Jewish community and acknowledge with great respect the achievements and legacy he has bequeathed us.

June 2018

New Programs Manager - Leah Boulton NCJWA VIC LEE ANN BASSER NCJWA(Vic) is pleased to announce the appointment of Leah Boulton, as Programs Manager. Leah comes to NCJWA(Vic) from the world of marketing, advertising and design. She has worked in major advertising agencies in Australia and abroad and for the last 13 years has been the principal of Ginger Productions, branding & design. Leah has significant experience in the not-for-profit sector, with a strong commitment to social justice and community engagement. Her experience extends to the design and strategic thinking behind capital appeals. President and co-founder of Pathways Melbourne, an organisation providing counsel and support to those living within the ultra-Orthodox community who wish to explore the secular world, Leah brings a unique perspective to the role of Programs Manager. At NCJWA(Vic), Leah will be responsible for overseeing the management and evaluation of all existing programs including, Caring Mums, The Jam Project and the Seniors’ programs. She will also be integral

in identifying areas of need for new programs and the development and implementation of these. Leah is a member of the Senior Management Team at NCJWA(Vic) and we look forward to introducing her to our members, supporters and friends.

Save A Child’s Heart wins 2018 United Nations Population Award SAVE A CHILD’S HEART AUSTRALIA Global charity Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) has been named one of two institutional winners of this year’s 2018 United Nations Population Award. The international non-profit organisation, founded in 1995, raises funds worldwide to help save as many children as possible with heart disease from developing countries regardless of nationality, religion, race, gender or financial situation. Save A Child’s Heart Australia CEO Sharonne Antonir said the UN Award was a significant acknowledgement of the charity’s work providing life-saving cardiac surgery for children. “The UN Award raises important awareness of the work of Save A Child’s Heart globally - and the role Australians can play to help children worldwide who are in great need,” Ms Antonir said. “SACH treats children suffering from heart disease - including many children from areas ravaged by war or natural disaster, including Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and Haiti. “SACH simultaneously creates centres of medical expertise in developing countries to enable local physicians to treat patients from their own communities independently. “The work our organisation is able to undertake globally is all thanks to support from our donors, and our paediatric cardiac care team - who volunteer their time and medical expertise.” To date, Save a Child’s Heart have saved the lives of more than 4,740 children from 56 countries in Africa, South America, Europe,

Asia, and throughout the Middle East, and trained more than 150 medical team members from these countries. SACH doctors all volunteer their time to the organisation - which means that the full cost of life-saving heart surgery through SACH is only $20,000 per child. “We are inviting all Australians to partner with us to raise funds and support the incredible work of our charity to help children and families around the world,” Ms Antonir said. “This is a remarkable opportunity to be part of helping save the lives of children suffering from heart disease - as recognised by the UN Population Award - which recognises outstanding achievements in population and health. “Congenital heart defects are responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect - but we can work together to do something about it. “Australians can financially support SACH projects, including the International Paediatric Cardiac Center in Israel, SACH Medical Missions and Training Doctors. “I invite all Australians to consider partnering with us, to enable this significant work worldwide.” Australians can donate directly to Save A Child’s Heart Australia online via www.saveachildsheart.com/take-action/ donate/ and clicking through to the ‘Australia’ link. More information about Save A Child’s Heart is available at saveachildsheart.com.

Dr. Yayehyirad Mekonnen (Yayu) The first paediatric heart surgeon in Ethiopia Save a Child’s Heart has trained Dr. Yayehyirad (Yayu) Mekonnen Ejigu from Ethiopia to become the first paediatric heart surgeon in his country - which has a population of 40 million children under the age of 18. Dr. Yayu joined the Save a Child’s Heart outreach training program at the Wolfson Medical Center, Israel, in June 2012 for a five-year training program in cardiac surgery. Now in Australia, Dr. Yayu is completing a fellowship program at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, developing his specialised skills before returning to Ethiopia to work as the country’s first full trained paediatric cardiac surgeon, in 2019. His training has been made possible thanks to SACH, and its supporters and partners around the world. “I am 30 years old and was born and raised in Ethiopia. I have dedicated my life to achieving my dream of becoming a doctor. My career in paediatric cardiac surgery will be a challenge, but nothing will keep me from realising my life-long goal, to return to Ethiopia with this knowledge and skill. I had a fortunate chance of being taught by a professor of paediatric cardiology who was trained by SACH, in Israel. It was through this connection that I came

to know about the incredible organisation - Save A Child’s Heart Foundation. I was accepted to start a fellowship in paediatric cardiac surgery by the end of 2012 and since then I have been studying in Israel. Throughout my stay I have gained an abundance of knowledge and experience to bring back to my home country. In addition to my training, SACH will also sponsor doctors and nurses in the fields of paediatric cardiology, paediatric intensive care, anaesthesiology, paediatric cardiac nursing, and perfusion to complete a team to work in Ethiopia.”

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Australia-wide rollout Glick’s brioche style loaf exclulsively available in Coles supermarkets GLICK’S BAKERY Monday, 16 April 2018 Glick’s Bakery, Clayton South, VIC: Glick’s, the Australian owned family business, proudly announces the rollout of their Brioche style loaf exclusively available in Coles Supermarkets Australia-wide. Renowned for manufacturing quality breads, cakes and fine foods for both the retail and wholesale markets, the mouthwatering Brioche style loaf will be available in more than 750 Coles stores throughout Australia. No ordinary loaf, Glick’s Brioche style loaf, inspired by traditional French bread is made with delicious sweet dough. Thick, soft and golden, the Brioche style loaf is perfect for toasting, making French toast and sandwiches. Founded in the late 1960s by Mr. Mendel Glick OBM in a small retail shop on Kooyong Road Caulfield, Glick’s is a premium food business committed to the retail and wholesale supply of the finest European and traditional style breads, cakes, pastries, savouries and other food products. It has an exceptional reputation as a retailer within the Jewish and wider communities with retail stores in Melbourne and Sydney. Commenting on the nationwide rollout, Director Mr.

Chaim Glick said: “Partnering with Coles Supermarkets means Glick’s Brioche Style Loaf can be enjoyed by all Australians. We are thrilled to bring our traditional baking techniques and passion for the great traditions of artisan baking, to Australians everywhere.” Boasting a diverse selection of sweet and savoury products that has been enticing customers for decades, Glick’s is very proud of its reputation as Australia’s largest and finest kosher bakery. The Brioche Style loaf is now exclusively available only at Coles Supermarkets. As Mr Glick always used to say; “IF IT’S GLICK’S, IT’S GOOD!”

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June 2018

Victory Day at Montefiore Homes: An Unforgettable Day of Unity SUBBOTNIK SARAH BENDETSKY Just as the ANZAC Day is one of Australia’s most important commemorations, so too, the 9 May Victory Day* captures a special place in the hearts of Russian-speaking veterans and community members. With that in mind, the volunteers of Subbotnik, a local Jewish NFP, decided to spend the day with the residents of Jewish Care’s Montefiore Homes, among them many veterans, Holocaust survivors and ‘children of the war’. The morning started with an array of pampering activities offered by volunteers from all over Melbourne and included hair styling, facials, manicures, gentle massage and make-up sessions, much loved by the residents. Soon after, a talented photographer Ksenia Belova Palmieri arrived with a mobile photo studio equipment to create extraordinary portraits of each resident. Demonstrating their war medals in front of the camera while holding the black-andwhite images of their loved ones who perished in the war, it was a moving experience for the veterans and the volunteers alike. Later that afternoon, another group of volunteers gathered the residents for a heartwarming concert. An acclaimed violinist Alex Burkoy and musicians Isaak Droukman, Yakov Margulis, Victor Avrutis, Leon Yehuda Bondar and a budding singer Marina Yut entertained the audience with the well-known war songs. Isaac Droukman, the head of the Australian Southern Cross Bard Club said, “We were honoured to participate in the Victory Day Concert at Montefiore. I’ve never seen such an appreciative audience; when we began to sing, many of the residents sang along. At first, they

Volunteer Margarita Bond offering manicures to the residents during the pampering session

Alexander Burkoy, Victor Avrutis, Yakov Margulis, Isaak Droukman and Yehuda Leon Bondar performing for the Montefiore residents were a bit shy, but soon we found our common voices and the distance between the audience and the performers disappeared completely. It was a deeply emotional, bonding time.” After the concert, gifts, desserts, flowers and cards decorated by children, and even customised copper medals ordered for the occasion, were given out to the seniors to thank them for sacrificing their lives, health and everything they had for our peaceful future. “From all of the Elders and the Montefiore staff, I would like to say a big thank you for organising the Victory Day proceedings,” said Simon Avrutis, Facility Manager of Montefiore Homes. “The elders absolutely loved what was on offer! I feel fortunate to be part of a community that has organisations such as

Subbotnik providing great events for the seniors in the Jewish community.” “The generation of the veterans and victims of the war is ageing and needs our support. I believe that the best way to acknowledge their amazing contributions is not about sharing a beautifully designed post on social media once or twice a year. It’s about spending the time with them on the Victory Day, ANZAC Day and YomHaShoah, asking them questions, bringing home-made treats and showing that we remember about them on any other day,” said Sarah Bendetsky, Co-founder of Subbotnik. Subbotnik extends its tremendous gratitude to volunteers, sponsors and community partners including The Australian Forum of Speaking

Veteran resident Tovya Levit addressing the audience before the concert Jewry, Moishe House Melbourne-Kangarusski and Jewish Care Victoria who helped to make this event a reality! * Victory Day – A Veterans Day that occurs on 9 May and commemorates the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945.

Emunah Aussies in first ever Israel Chesed Day EMUNAH AUSTRALIA Just a few days after Pesach a group of hardy Australians gathered early on a drizzly Jerusalem morning. This mixed group - young, old and everything in between, came together to partake in the first Emunah Australia Chesed Day. And what a day it was. The heavens opened and we enjoyed a wet send-off from Jerusalem. We headed out through the desert to the Jordan Valley, and left the clouds behind. After a beautiful drive we arrived at our first destination, Kibbutz Gesher. Here we enjoyed the story of the Hydroelectricity station built on the Jordan River. An amazing sound and light show, as well as a personal tour to one of the remaining bridges, kept us fascinated. We then headed back on the bus to complete our journey to Afula. The Emunah Sarah Herzog Children’s Center in Afula has been around since 1949. It has seen a lot, but never a group of Aussies this large! We were welcomed by Shlomo Kessel, the Director of World Emunah. He spoke with us and showed us videos of some of the children at the Center. Sixty children live full-time at this particular Emunah home, having been removed from their own homes by Welfare agents for a variety of reasons. They are then joined by another 90 children who attend afterschool programs.With these fresh stories of neglected and abused children in our minds, we stepped out into the courtyard and saw happy children on the basketball

courts, shouting and playing with an apparent sense of carefree abandon. Next we joined the children for lunch, their standard Tuesday menu of chicken and couscous (with a few extras thrown in for our special appearance!) All were impressed by the standard of the meal, and enjoyed the delicious tastes whilst we sat and chatted with children and Sherut Leumi girls who volunteer at the Center. After our bellies were full it was time to get down to the work that we had come to perform. We divided into groups: we had painters, gardeners, bakers and animal workers! Everyone worked very hard at their respective tasks; planter boxes were weeded and new flowers were planted, a tired looking caravan was given a fresh coat of paint, delicious desserts were created, and a petting zoo was cleaned and mucked out! To finish off the day, a troupe of dancers made up of girls from the Center entertained us with some choreographed dance numbers. It was a wonderful show and we enjoyed a lovely dance all together with the children to end off our day. We all came home a little bit more appreciative of all that we have, and with a little bit more compassion for those who have not. Emunah provides not just a bed, and food, and clothes, but so, so very much more. By visiting the Children’s Center in person we all were able to feel the one thing that Emunah gives these children that no money can buy – love.

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The ABC’s Hubris MICHAEL DANBY MHR MELBOURNE PORTS On October 14th last year, the Australian published an article by its Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan. Given current events, I thought it was worth revisiting. Greg Sheridan 14/10/2017 “As the great Yugoslav dissident and democratic socialist Milovan Djilas once remarked: “In politics more than anything else, the beginning of everything lies in moral indignation.” Michael Danby, the federal Labor member for Melbourne Ports, has been feeling some moral indignation about the ABC’s coverage of Israel. He has been the Labor member for Melbourne Ports since 1998. Before that he was a union official and for a time worked for Jewish community organisations. Danby is Jewish. His father was born in a part of Germany that later became a part of Poland. Danby’s grandfather, though he had served in the German army, was, along with his wife and many members of his family, slaughtered at Auschwitz. Melbourne Ports is one of the two federal seats with the highest proportion of Jewish voters. Danby is not a single-issue politician but is a strong supporter of Israel who believes the ABC does not report the nation fairly. Frankly, no one could seriously contest that proposition. Danby is a passionate man, sometimes impetuous. He almost never gets invited on to any ABC program and the Melbourne-based Fairfax media never prints his opeds but merely attacks him from the left, as do the fellow travelling websites such as Crikey and The Guardian Australia. So occasionally he buys ads to make his point.

He has even used his electorate communications allowance for this, after checking with the relevant agencies that this was kosher, so to speak. He has bought advertisements to campaign for public transport in his electorate, for more federal infrastructure spending, for same-sex marriage, and sometimes for issues relating to Israel and, on a couple of occasions, Iran. A former chairman of the parliamentary joint standing committee on foreign affairs, he is an old-style social democratic internationalist with a passionate concern for human rights, free trade unions and the like. Danby took two ads in The Australian Jewish News over a couple of weeks to complain about the treatment of Israel by the ABC’s Sophie McNeill. The ABC’s Media Watch summarised one ad. It said: “The nub of Danby’s complaint is that two recent stories by McNeill received very different coverage. The eviction of a Palestinian family last month after a court returned their home to Jewish ownership scored a two-minute feature on the midday news. “But the stabbing to death of three members of a Jewish family in July did not receive such personal treatment and was reported only in the context of a surge of violence in which four Palestinians were also killed. They did not get feature treatment either. So, is that bias? Or part of a pattern?” It is honest of Media Watch to pose the question that way. Let me answer it: Yes, it is a pattern, and yes, it is bias. The ABC is consistently biased against Israel in a similar way to the BBC and for similar reasons. The overwhelming majority of ABC reporters and general broadcast commentators share a fairly narrow spectrum of world view, ranging from the middle left of Labor to the green left. This is why the ABC finds it so difficult to come to grips with, or even understand, the complaints this kind of bias generates. Within their world view these ABC broadcasters mostly behave professionally, and in the field often

with heroic distinction. But in that world view, as has been well established in countless books and studies, Israel represents, entirely falsely in my view, Western colonialism, militarism and racism. This gives reporters and producers an instinct never to represent Israel sympathetically. Jewish Israeli civilians (even victims of terrorism) are almost never portrayed sympathetically on the ABC, unless they are abusing their government or society. Then they are moral heroes. To humanise an innocent Jewish Israeli grandfather or child brutally murdered in their home by a terrorist seems somehow or other to be supportive of Israel, so it is rarely done. Danby in his ads was responding to this profound emotional truth. The ABC’s response to Danby’s criticisms is dismaying. It exhibits bullying, hubris and unchecked power. But first a word on McNeill. It is the case that she had a record, before her appointment as a correspondent, of pro-Palestinian activism. It is entirely legitimate for critics of her journalism to point to that history. It’s also entirely legitimate to criticise journalists. This may shock you, dear reader, but there have been occasions when I myself have been criticised, even indeed on the ABC, meaning the criticism came from taxpayers’ money. ABC broadcasters sometimes darkly refer to “dossiers” that have been compiled on McNeill, as though this involved nefarious access to ASIO files. What they mean by dossiers is articles and footage that McNeill herself has produced. In other words, judging a journalist by their output. Quelle horreur — surely only the Elders of Zion could plot such fiendish stratagems! The ABC issued a kind of papal document beatifying McNeill and condemning Danby’s criticism as “highly inappropriate”. McNeill herself issued a bizarre statement demanding Danby be censored. She said: “If using taxpayer dollars to print false claims about a journalist is allowed within parliamentary guidelines, then clearly they need to change.” Just take a step back and look at the larger

picture. Danby, who almost never appears on the ABC, has paid for critical but not remotely abusive ads, the basic accuracy of which is attested by the ABC’s Media Watch, in small-circulation newspapers that might reach 20,000 readers. In response he is attacked, mocked, vilified and condemned in many ABC news programs and by numerous ABC commentators to a cumulative audience in the hundreds of thousands if not millions. Surely even in the ABC someone must see this is a kind of parody of free speech. It’s more like the Chinese Communist Party discovering an enemy of the state preaching in a home church and simultaneously denouncing him in People’s Daily, Global Times and the Xinhua News Agency (irony alert, that sentence consciously involves exaggeration, don’t pretend to take it literally). …is not even the ABC aware of the true, astonishing weirdness of a body that gets more than $1 billion of taxpayers’ money each year trying not to answer criticism but to declare it “inappropriate”? A more sophisticated broadcaster would have interviewed Danby at length about his criticisms, even if the interview was robust or Danby’s views were answered by somebody else. The worst part of this saga is that Bill Shorten gave in to ABC pressure and admonished his colleague. Full disclosure: I have known Danby for more than 40 years, and admired him all that time. He is exactly the kind of person we need in parliament — passionate, fiercely independent, brave as a lion, taken up with human rights concerns in China, Tibet, North Korea, Darfur — a genuine internationalist of which there are almost none in Canberra. In taking on the colossus of the ABC, Danby spoke truth to power. Good on him.” Note: The ABC have since replaced their Middle East correspondent.

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June 2018

Tobin Brothers Funerals launches a Jewish Division TOBIN BROTHERS FUNERALS Australia’s largest family owned funeral company Tobin Brothers Funerals has launched a Jewish Division within their business. Founded in 1934, Tobin Brothers Funerals have a strong commitment and passion in servicing and respecting people of all religions and cultures, and are now able to service the Victorian Jewish community. Through their strong relationships with major Victorian cemeteries and with their own crematorium, Tobin Brothers Jewish Funerals will offer both burial and cremation services to the Jewish community. Manager of Tobin Brothers Funerals Jewish division, Brad Klibansky, believes the launch of the new Jewish Division is a big win for the Jewish community. “At Tobin Brothers Funerals we are privileged and honored to be able to offer funeral services to Victoria’s Jewish community”, Klibansky said. “The Jewish division of Tobin Brothers Funerals will give the community access to an extensive range of options as to how to bury, cremate and celebrate the life of their loved ones. We have a team of dedicated Jewish staff that is committed to meeting the special cultural needs of the Jewish

Community and have dedicated facilities to

East Burwood. In addition all their branches

ensure all Jewish customs are upheld and

have a State of the art audio visual system

respected.”

that will allow families to celebrate the life of

The Jewish division at Tobin Brothers Funerals throughout

has

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Victoria,

dedicated locations including

Malvern,

Cheltenham, Doncaster, Ashburton and

their loved ones through pictures and sound. The Jewish division of Tobin Brothers Funerals

has

also

established strong

relationships with progressive Rabbis and

Jewish civil celebrants who can work closely with families to help them through the burial and mourning process. Henry Buch, a civil celebrant who has worked with the team at Tobin Brothers over the years, says he is excited to be involved with the new Jewish division. “Since becoming a celebrant I’ve worked on many services for Tobin Brothers, helping families celebrate the lives of their loved ones”, Buch said. “I believe every person is unique and different and deserves to be farewelled in their own special way, and as a celebrant I love making this happen. I have really enjoyed working with the staff at Tobin brothers over the years and really believe they are the best in their field. Their professionalism and care for the deceased and their families is unrivalled and is why they have such a great reputation. I look forward to my continued journey with Tobin Brothers Funerals and working closely with their Jewish Funerals team in the future.” For further information visit tobinbrothers.com.au or phone (03) 8327 0036

Victorian State Government Commits to Security Upgrades at BWJCC

Smart technology saving Victorian lives

ZIONISM VICTORIA

AMBULANCE VICTORIA AND CHEVRA HATZOLAH

Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre has warmly welcomed the decision by Daniel Andrews’ State Government to supplement its funding of security upgrades at the centre by a further commitment of $500,000 in this year’s State Budget taking the total commitment to $1million. Sam Tatarka chair of Beth Weizmann said “The State Government led by Premier Daniel Andrews has been remarkably supportive of and sensitive to the needs of the Melbourne Jewish Community and in particular to the specific security challenges we face”. “Having delivered on the election promise of $500,000 made in 2014 in its first Budget, it has now supplemented that commitment by a further $500,000 to take into account the increase in scope and cost of the project as planning progressed”. “This funding will help ensure the safety and security of our tenants and visitors and support our participation in multicultural Victoria”. “The Premier has also been a supportive advocate for matching funding from the Federal Government to enable this vital project to finally proceed and we continue to hope that the prolonged wait for the Federal Government to respond favourably will soon be over”. Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre is the hub of the Melbourne Jewish Community and is located close to the demographic heart of the community it serves. Apart from providing secure office and meeting facilities for over 25 Jewish communal and charitable organisations it is also home to the Lamm Jewish Library of Australia, and the KOOK Community Kitchen. Hundreds of people visit and work in the centre each day and community festivals and events see large numbers enjoying the facilities we offer.

Ambulance Victoria, in partnership with Chevra Hatzolah, has launched a smartphone app that’s already helped save the lives of two Victorians. The innovative technology, called GoodSAM, is rolling out following a fourmonth pilot phase where more than 1,100 Ambulance Victoria paramedics registered as GoodSAM responders. An army of responders is set to grow into the thousands as registrations open to trained professionals such as firefighters, lifesavers, doctors and nurses. Ambulance Victoria CEO, Associate Professor Tony Walker ASM, said the revolutionary app was a game changer. “GoodSAM will play a key role in helping save more of the over 6,000 Victorians who suffer a cardiac arrest away from hospital every year. We’ve already seen lives saved as a result of the app, when off-duty Ambulance Victoria paramedics helped to save the lives of patients after responding to a GoodSAM alert.” “The two lives saved in pilot phase proves that GoodSAM is transformative technology for patients in cardiac arrest and highlights the impact trained bystanders can have in the critical minutes between a Triple Zero (000) call and emergency services arriving.” Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces someone’s chance of survival from cardiac arrest by 10 percent. Associate Professor Walker announced that Ambulance Victoria has partnered with Chevra Hatzolah, St John Ambulance, the Country Fire Authority, and Life Saving

Victoria to grow the GoodSAM responder community. “We have an army of responders on board already. Victorians shouldn’t be surprised if an off-duty lifesaver, doctor or firefighter arrives within minutes – they may be in their pyjamas but they are there to help save your life,” he said. “It takes a community to save a life. And we are growing this community – a community that before this technology wouldn’t have even known someone just a few hundred metres away needed their life-saving skills.” Associate Professor Walker said that while GoodSAM was an exciting innovation, it wasn’t a replacement for Victoria’s emergency services. “When it comes to cardiac arrest, seconds count. Bystanders have a vital role to play while emergency services make their way to the scene, and GoodSAM is all about harnessing that.

The GoodSAM app allows trained and trusted medical professionals to become ‘Good Samaritans’, sending an electronic call for help when people nearby are in cardiac arrest. It does so using GPS technology, notifying up to three responders of the patient’s location and the closest defibrillators while emergency services are on their way. “Over the last decade, the odds of surviving cardiac arrest away from hospital have more than doubled thanks to the incredible work of Victoria’s emergency and health services and more bystanders stepping in to help. GoodSAM is truly a game changer in terms of how we can to work together as a community to continue to improve outcomes for cardiac arrest patients.” To find out more about GoodSAM and becoming a responder, visit: ambulance.vic. gov.au/goodsam

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June 2018

$4 Million from Vic State Budget for Jewish Community security LABOR CANDIDATE FOR CAULFIELD SORINA GRASSO Recently, Premier Daniel Andrews and Robin Scott, Minister for Finance and Multicultural Affairs announced that $4 million from the 2018 Victorian State Budget would be provided to the Jewish Community for security upgrades. Of this, $1 million was allocated for security at Beth Weizmann Community Centre and the remaining $3 million to synagogues, other Jewish community organisations and community centres. The organisations and locations needing the most urgent upgrades were determined together with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria ( JCCV) and Community Security Group (CSG). Making the announcement at South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation, the Premier and Minister Scott were joined by Labor Candidate for Caulfield Sorina Grasso​, Minister for Trade and Innovation Philip Dalidakis , and Member for Footscray, Marsha Thomson, all members of the Jewish community. Jennifer Huppert, President of the JCCV and Rabbi James Kennard, Campus Principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College were also at the announcement. Minister Scott said the Jewish community was unfortunately the target of extremists from the far right and the far left

and Premier Andrews said, “The important thing is to be steadfast and consistent and 100 per cent certain in the support that we provide. Now for us that means 100 per cent support for freedom and inclusion and the right of Victorian Jewry to practice faith and culture.” He also called for the Federal Government to match the Victorian Government’s $1 million fund for

security upgrades at Beth Weizmann. Minister Scott said he was “Proud to be part of the Victorian Labor government which has no tolerance for anti-Semitism” and that “we will stand with the Jewish Community, we will do our share to protect the Jewish community” and Minister Dalidakis said “the Jewish Community had no better friend than the Andrews

Labor Government”. Sorina Grasso, Labor Candidate for Caulfield echoed those sentiments and partly in English, partly in Hebrew said she was delighted to be at the South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation, having lived in Israel as a child and gone to school at Beth Yaakov. ​

MAZAL TOV! Beth Rivkah Ladies College Premier’s VCE Award 2018

The Principal, Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, together with and community, wish a well deserved Mazal Tov to

Chava Tayar Religion and Society taught by Mrs Chaya Cowen

For a personal tour of the school, please call our parent liaison Michelle Blutman, on 9522 8222 or email michelle.blutman@ybr.vic.edu.au

Beth Rivkah Ladies College Educating for Life

www.thesleepcoach.com.au

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international

June 2018

Viral video star is an Orthodox education pioneer JNS.ORG ELIZABETH KRATZ Meet Rabbi Menachem Bombach, 41, the founder of Torah Academy-Midrasha Chasidit, a new yeshivah system in Israel focused on reducing poverty in the haredi community through education. Did you see a viral video (Youtube: Rav Menachem Bombach commemorates IDF rememberance day) last month on Yom Hazikaron of a yeshivah teacher leading an inspirational discussion about modern Israel with haredi high school students? So did everyone else in the Jewish Facebook world. But who is the instructor in the video, you might have asked? How does he know so much about secular Israeli culture, and why is he teaching about military service and the sacrifice of Israeli military families at a haredi high school? Isn’t what he is doing bucking the trend of that community’s self-acknowledged insularity? Meet Rabbi Menachem Bombach, 41, the founder of Torah Academy-Midrasha Chasidit, a new yeshivah system in Israel focused on reducing poverty in the ultra-Orthodox community through education, preparing them to attend college and enter the workforce. Bombach is in the United States for the next week, meeting with Jewish organizations and sharing his story in synagogues throughout the tri-state area. On his schedules are meeting with the UJA-Federation of New York; a large public event in Woodmere, N.Y.; and a Shabbat in Teaneck, N.J. Future trips, based on his newfound fame, are in the works, and will involve visits to other communities in Maryland and elsewhere. He has also visited and met with parents and educators in Satmar communities in Williamsburg, Monsey and Monroe, and other enclaves in New York and elsewhere. Bombach said the inspiration to create his school’s network came from his own life experience. “I did not speak a word of Hebrew until the age of 20,” he said in an interview with JNS. The rabbi noted that as a member of the Vizhnitzer haredi community; he “goes with the shtriemel,” in his words (referring to the fur hat worn on Shabbat and Jewish holidays). He comes from a home in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem where Yiddish was his first language, and even attended “an antiZionist cheder,” he said.

Rabbi Menachem Bombach (standing) explained his school’s network to fellow members of the haredi community. Credit: Courtesy. He noted “there is no general education in the haredi community. After the Holocaust, the world of haredi was destroyed, and the Chazon Ish [Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, a founding leader of the haredi community in Israel who died in 1953], said that the postHolocaust focus of everyone’s efforts should be to rebuild the Torah world.” The kollel lifestyle—meaning that the man’s job is to study in a beit midrash all day—however, does not work for everyone and places incredible financial pressure on families because the primary breadwinner is usually not part of the workforce, he explained. While the majority of the world knows that “not every person is designed to sit and learn,” Bombach repeated, somehow this knowledge has not sunk into the haredi community, and it has led to a cycle of poverty and insularity, where they are taught to fear or not show proper respect for all that is “other.” The world is also “full of new challenges,” he added, and “if we don’t give students the tools to understand it, then when they are exposed to the world outside they will drop out.” The rabbi shared that he began learning both Hebrew and English after he got married and started working as a counselor for Russian immigrants in 1997. His realization that he lacked sufficient knowledge to help his students effectively compelled him to pursue secular schooling—first with an education degree from Moreshet Yaakov, and then with a master’s in public policy from Hebrew University. In 2001, he took over a school that was in

bad shape and rebuilt it anew, opening a school for Russian immigrants where he worked for many years. He prided himself most on “hiring good people” and was inspired by the school’s success to turn his educational focus to his own community where he grew up. “There needs to be a haredi workforce,” he insisted. “It is the most important issue facing Israel today, more dangerous from Iranian threat. Israel knows how to defend itself, but cannot defend itself from poverty and no educated people.” Bombach’s educational network now comprises a boys’ high school called Beitar Ilit, which was founded four years ago; a girls’ high school called Bnot Chayil, which opened two years ago; and a vocational school that is to open soon in Jerusalem. Plans to open cheder (elementary-schools) network are also planned. And he launched a program at Hebrew University for haredi college students. “We are also trying to find people who want to open schools like us to combine secular education with religious education,” he said. Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, a rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University, recently visited Beitar Ilit and gave a shiur (“lesson”) in Hebrew. In his words, he was “wowed” by the experience, noting that anyone who spends even an hour in the presence of these students and instructors “comes away a different person,” noting that Bombach and his team of unique educators are so committed to their mission that they don’t feel they have come to work at the yeshivah; rather, they come with a deep passion to serve

their students. “They give the students the bigger picture about life—how to go in Torah and yirat shamayim and how to integrate this later, everyone in his field, whatever he will pick,” Goldwicht told JNS. “Everyone who meets Rabbi Bombach will feel immediately what special work he does with the students and what a unique person he is,” added Goldwicht. ‘No answers to the big questions’ Bombach, who said he has had considerable private rabbinic support and others who are quietly watching his work, and have reserved judgement on his methods, said the parents of students have the most clarity on why the schools should exist. And there are two types: “Some parents want to stop the circle of poverty, and other parents take responsibility because they know the kids are not going to sit and learn all day.” The effect of haredim joining the workforce will not only allow members to support themselves financially, but will also ensure the health of the Israeli economy. “The schools are not just about matriculation. The students should be citizens and part of Israel. We are educating them to have solidarity for Israel. If they don’t, by 2028 haredim will comprise 40 percent of first-graders, and those students, if they grow up with no secular knowledge, will bring down all of Israel by the time they are adults. There will be no one to work.” Bombach noted that he is not trying to “change the haredi” or rock the boat in terms of belief systems. “But people need to finance themselves, and have respect for others and gratitude. If you meet a mainstream haredi now, he is confused with all the language and technology barriers he has. He has no answers to the big questions.” The rabbi noted that he has been catapulted to fame since his video went viral, and a number of moving experiences have resulted from it. One example: “A guy came to me from the Chabad community. He said, “My grandmother is a Holocaust survivor who lives on a kibbutz; she doesn’t want anything to do with us because she hates the haredim and how they are anti-Zionist. After the viral video, she called and said she saw another kind of haredim. She said, ‘I want to renew the relationship.’ ”

Two-State delusion divides American and Israeli Jews WWW.ISRAELNATIONALNEWS.COM MATTHEW M. HAUSMAN, J.D Perhaps Diaspora Jews are alienating Israelis and not vice-versa. Ronald Lauder’s recent New York Times editorial, “Israel’s Self-Inflicted Wounds,” exposed a growing rift between American and Israeli Jews over the elusive two-state solution, which has been further exacerbated by the violence currently roiling Gaza. Israelis from across the spectrum seem to recognize it as a chimera without historical foundation, whereas secular and progressive Jews in North America increasingly view it as doctrine to be imposed on others 5,700 miles away, regardless of the consequences. Two-state advocates often demand that Israel make concessions despite the antiSemitic rejectionism which permeates Palestinian society. But if forced on Israel, their solution would leave her with enemy sovereigns at her doorstep – as has been graphically demonstrated by the Gaza

situation. Americans who believe that most Palestinian Arabs accept the concept of “two states for two peoples” seem undeterred by surveys showing precisely the opposite or by the PA and Hamas Charters – though both deny Israel’s right to exist and one calls for genocide. Foregoing critical analysis, many accept the dubious Palestinian narrative while overlooking anti-Israel rhetoric that is revisionist on its face and anti-Semitic at its core. Whereas many proclaim they are saving Israel from herself, their seeming tolerance of Palestinian revisionism would suggest otherwise. Though generally assumed to be liberal policy, the two-state paradigm is increasingly accepted by self-identified conservatives (e.g., Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress) who are secular and/or affiliated with the non-Orthodox movements. Unfortunately, the paradigm is compromised by conflicting narratives that are irreconcilable. It presumes the authenticity of Palestinian national claims

that lack provenance, but which Palestinians legitimize by denigrating the Jews’ ancient connection to and continuous presence in their homeland. While Israel could agree to any resolutional framework for political reasons with an entity that accepts her existence, she cannot validate a myth that repudiates Jewish history and sovereignty. n his New York Times piece, Lauder suggested that Israel risks becoming repressive absent a Palestinian state, writing: “If current trends continue, Israel will face a stark choice: Grant Palestinians full rights and cease being a Jewish state or rescind their rights and cease being a democracy. To avoid these unacceptable outcomes, the only path forward is the two-state solution.” He also took issue with the orthodox establishment, suggesting its pervasive influence on Israeli society will alienate diaspora Jewry and lead to semitheocracy. Nobody can argue with his proIsrael bona fides. But what is concerning when such claims come from conservatives is that they invoke presumptions often

associated with progressives. These presumptions, however, begin to crumble when parsed against the “March of Return” and subsequent violence orchestrated by Hamas in Gaza, which though clearly rejectionist and anti-Semitic have been regarded favorably by the western media. Sympathetic bias was evident in news commentary that compared the Gaza protests to Martin Luther King’s 1965 march in Selma, Alabama, and thus analogized Hamas-inspired violence to American civil rights advocacy. Whereas Dr. King sought to unite people in the spirit of human dignity, however, Hamas aims to demonize Jews and encourage genocide. Any comparison between Selma and Gaza bespeaks either ignorance or artifice. Sympathy for the Gaza protestors has also been expressed by liberal groups like J Street, which issued a press release stating,

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How do we move on in life? WARREN GOLDSTEIN Public figures have been famously reluctant to admit the error of their ways. It’s a practice that goes all the way back to the beginning of human history. How do we respond when we are confronted with our own moral failings and misdeeds? Do we acknowledge openly what we have done wrong and take full responsibility? Or do we withdraw into our defenses, deflecting our wrongdoing, turning a blind eye and maintaining the façade? As it turns out, how we answer that question can change both the past and the future. On March 4, 1987, then-US president Ronald Reagan addressed the American people from the Oval Office about the Iran-Contra scandal. It involved senior government officials secretly facilitating the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo. Taking full responsibility for his role in the affair, Reagan famously said: “Now, what should happen when you make a mistake is this: You take your knocks, you learn your lessons, and then you move on. That’s the healthiest way to deal with a problem.... You know, by the time you reach my age, you’ve made plenty of mistakes. And if you’ve lived your life properly – so, you learn. You put things in perspective. You pull your energies together. You change. You go forward.” Unfortunately, this honest, unflinching admission of wrongdoing is often the exception rather than the rule. From Cambridge Analytica to the Panama Papers, Watergate, Harvey Weinstein and Lance Armstrong, public figures have been famously reluctant to admit the error of their ways. It’s a practice that goes all the way back to the

beginning of human history. When God confronts Adam after he has eaten from the forbidden tree, his response is to avoid accountability: “The woman whom you gave to me, she gave from the tree to me and I ate it.” Rather than accept responsibility and acknowledge his wrongdoing, Adam’s first instinct is to shift the blame. In his commentary on this verse, the Sforno contrasts Adam’s response with that of King David – who, when confronted by the Prophet Natan with regard to his sin with Batsheva, immediately responds: “I have sinned to God.” This is how we should respond when we realize that we have done wrong. In this week’s Torah portion, Nasso, we learn the mitzva of confession. The verse states simply: “If a man or a woman commits any sin... they shall confess their sin that they committed.” The Rambam, in his Laws of Repentance, defines the process of repentance and sets out its various components: regretting the mistakes of the past, desisting from that wrongdoing in the present, and resolving not to return to this course of action in the future. But there’s a fourth element, no less crucial to the repentance process – confession. Vidui in Hebrew, it is simply a verbal expression to God of our errors of the past and our resolve for the future, an acknowledgment of full responsibility and accountability for our actions. And to confess requires real courage and honesty. WHY IS verbal confession central to repentance? The Sefer Hahinuch emphasizes the element of transparency – that God knows all and sees all, and that by verbalizing our wrongdoing, we are acknowledging that our lives are an open book before our Creator. Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik has a different

take. He compares vidui to the mitzva of reciting the Shema and the mitzva of prayer to God. These mitzvot have deep internal, emotional, spiritual and intellectual components, and yet all are made concrete and tangible through verbal expression, which strengthens, gives form, shapes and makes impactful the deep internal processes taking place. So to explain, the internal process of the Shema is to accept God as the Master of the Universe and to crown Him as king in our lives. That is a very deep internal process, which is given expression by the reciting of the words of the Shema. Prayer is defined by our sages as the “service of the heart” – deep feeling of emotional and spiritual connection to God – yet this hidden aspect is made concrete and tangible through verbal expression by using a siddur, or prayerbook. By vocalizing the prayers, we reinforce, and give shape and form to the deep internal processes happening beneath the surface. In a similar way, the mitzva of confession gives verbal expression to the deep internal psychological and emotional process of personal change and repentance. The words of the vidui help us articulate and concretize the deep feelings of regret for the past and resolve for the future. Confession is also about repairing the damage our actions have caused, specifically to our relationship with God and with those we have wronged. The repentance process is about healing those rifts and restoring our connection to the people we have hurt, and also to our Creator. The Hebrew word for repentance is tshuva, which literally means “return.” Through tshuva, we return to that pristine state in which there was no distance or disconnect in our relationships. The Rambam says that when it comes to

wronging other people, it is sometimes necessary to confess not only privately to God, but to make a public confession and apology to the people harmed in order to rectify the damage. In addition to confession, we are also obliged to ask those we have wronged for forgiveness in situations where we have caused harm to another. The Rambam further writes that the victim of our misdeed needs to act with compassion and graciously grant forgiveness, and in this way, the relationships that have been damaged by our wrongdoing can be fully restored. When it comes to restoring our relationship with God, our confession is made before Him alone. The purpose, says the Maharal, is to help us restore our closeness to God, a natural state of being disturbed by our wrongdoing. Through the process of confession, we pour out our heart and affect a deep emotional reconciliation with our Creator. TSHUVA IS an incredible God-given gift to restore that which has been broken. Our sages teach that through the simple act of taking responsibility, of doing tshuva – acknowledging and sincerely regretting our wrongdoings, desisting from them in the present, resolving not to repeat them and confessing before God – we are given the opportunity to travel back in time and undo what has been done. Through honesty, accountability and true humility we return to a point in time in which our relationships were undamaged, and we renew and reinvigorate our connection with God and with those around us. It’s a second chance, the gift of a new start, an opportunity to begin afresh so the future is not destroyed by the past – and so we can look ahead with fresh energy, new hope and optimism. The author is the chief rabbi of South Africa.

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Let’s abolish Jewish celebrities JNS JONATHAN S. TOBIN Our willingness to treat Roseanne Barr as a Jewish voice worth listening to was a problem long before her racist tweet. JLike any embattled minority that needed positive role models, early- and mid-20th-century Jews living in the United States embraced celebrities with any sort of tie to the tribe. In that era, Jews were still largely excluded from many sectors of power and society, as well as subject to anti-Semitism. So American Jews were happy to treat any of their co-religionists who broke through to the big time—whether in entertainment, sports or any other endeavor—as heroes of a sort. Though most were not Jewish heroes in the sense that they used their celebrity to stand up for their people or to promote Jewish values or faith, they were still lauded for somehow succeeding in a world where the odds seem stacked against them. Subscribe to The JNS Daily Syndicate by email and never miss our top stories Happily, over the decades, the circumstances of American Jewry have changed for the better. Though the virus of anti-Semitism persists and motivates much of the hatred expressed against Israel, the barriers to Jews throughout American society have collapsed. Even as hatred continues to be a factor, it’s also true that Jews do not cower in fear at the power of enemies. We don’t need Jewish baseball legends to prove that we aren’t weak any more than we need songwriters or comedians to prove that we fit in, or Supreme Court justices and senators to establish the importance of our many contributions to society. So why are many Jews still obsessed with Jewish celebrities and willing to treat their utterances as important when we ought to know better? That’s the lesson some of us should have learned from the self-destruction of Roseanne Barr. The point here is not to add to the chorus of

Roseanne Bar speaking at the 2018 Jerusalem Post Conference in New York City. Credit: The Jerusalem Post. condemnations of her disgusting and racist comment about Valerie Jarrett, a key advisor to former U.S. President Barack Obama. There’s no excuse for that kind of verbal ugliness, which was neither funny nor cogent, about a person’s background or heritage, even if, in this case, she was a public figure whose work is fair game for criticism. Nor is the decision of ABC to cancel Barr’s recently rebooted hit television sitcom a question of free speech or related to her support of President Donald Trump. No one has a right to a television show, and if the network understandably doesn’t wish to be associated with her, that is its choice. What is worthy of discussion is the way the Jewish world, especially in the pro-Israel community, was willing to treat Barr as not merely noteworthy, but somehow possessing some insight into the world of politics or even the Middle East. As anyone who followed her Twitter account before the slur at Jarrett was published, the nicest word one would apply to Barr could

be “eccentric.” (Most of the time, “unhinged” was more apt.) The odd thing about Barr was that while she was once known as an ardent liberal with little interest in Jewish issues, in recent years she had become an open and vocal supporter of Israel and a critic of anti-Semitism. That was praiseworthy, but along with it came scads of tweets that were either unintelligible or the product of conspiracy theories. While it was nice to see a famous Jew support Israel at a time when so many Jewish celebrities are at pains to distance themselves from the Jewish state, you didn’t have to scroll down very far in her Twitter feed to realize that she was not exactly a reliable source of commentary. Yet that didn’t stop her from being booked at the annual Jerusalem Post conference in New York and treated not merely as a star, but as someone whose voice should be heard. I don’t so much blame the Post for trying to exploit her celebrity as I do a Jewish community that still labors under the delusion that what Jewish

celebrities say about politics or policy matters. I know that to some, the original version of her eponymous sitcom was a rare tribute to the American working class. Others liked the new edition because her character, like the actress, voted for Trump, and served as a touch of American working-class realism that made many on the left unhappy. None of that made her an authority on the issues of the day, but that didn’t stop many of us from cheering when her random comments on Twitter sometimes were supportive of Israel and vented anger at anti-Semites. That’s the thing about treating people who are famous for talents other than those rooted in knowledge and wisdom about contemporary social and political issues. Perhaps it is human nature to do so, but it seems to me that a Jewish community that should have long ago outgrown its infatuation with famous members of the tribe was particularly foolish to give someone like Barr this sort of treatment. The object lesson to be learned is not just that we are obligated to condemn hatred wherever we encounter it, especially when it comes out of the mouths of those who identify as Jewish. It’s that in a free society where Jews need no heroes in the way we once did, we should stop obsessing over Jewish celebrities—whether it means making lists of Jewish actors or tallying up how many of those suiting up for Major League Baseball can count as Jews (halachically or not). Difficult as it may be to do in a culture that glorifies notoriety for its own sake, it’s especially important for Jews who care about the furtherance of Jewish values to eschew the cult of celebrity. It may be a lot these days to ask to expect American Jews to find our heroes among the ranks of our great scholars and thinkers. But when you realize what comes from godding up the likes of Roseanne Barr, perhaps it won’t be so difficult. Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS — Jewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin.

Two-State delusion divides American and Israeli Jews FROM PAGE 9 among other things, the following: “J Street is saddened and disturbed by renewed violence today at the Gaza-Israel border… “While there are reports of a small number of Palestinians attempting to breach the fence or otherwise attack Israeli soldiers, the vast majority of those who have gathered appear to be exercising their legitimate and important right to engage in nonviolent protest… We call on Hamas to stop inciting violence within peaceful protests. We call on Palestinian leaders to resume efforts to negotiate a path to political reconciliation. And, echoing numerous Israeli peace organizations and political parties, we call on the Israeli government to ease the siege of Gaza, help alleviate the suffering of its people and actively pursue a two-state resolution to the underlying conflict…” The implication that Hamas usurped the protests of a peaceful majority does not jibe with facts on the ground. There was nothing incidental about the involvement of Hamas, which planned the violence in Gaza, knowing mainstream journalists would whitewash its coordinated mayhem, mischaracterize its intentions, and criticize any Israeli response as disproportionate. Apparently, Hamas could also count on western progressives to vouch for its supporters’ integrity and raise the false specter of Israeli culpability. On-site reports described widespread violence, with participants burning tires, pelting IDF soldiers with rocks, hurling incendiary projectiles, and breaching the security fence at the border. The unrest has been pervasive and not limited to extremist

outliers; and notwithstanding fatuous reports of Israeli soldiers killing young and elderly Arab civilians, almost all casualties have been identified as terrorists or adults of fighting age, including members of Hamas’s “Nukhba” commando unit. Moreover, the renewal of violence to coincide with the US embassy opening in Jerusalem has been described by non-Israeli military experts as a coordinated, tactical terrorist operation. Despite Hamas’s admission that most of those killed were terrorists, liberal Jewish groups nonetheless have publicly mourned the deaths of “innocents.” And news reports from Gaza continue to portray the violence as an understandable expression of frustration over “the occupation.” Although Israel’s complete disengagement in 2006 illustrates the absurdity of such claims, it is ignored by activist reporters who persist in characterizing Gaza as occupied despite the lack of any Israeli presence or rule Dishonest reporting and claims of disproportionate Israeli reactions are intended to evoke false images of Jewish colonial repression – images that are reinforced by liberals who support the revisionist myth that Israel’s existence without a Palestinian state violates the intent of the original Mandate for Palestine. Such arguments are nonsense, however, insofar as the San Remo Convention of 1920, the Transjordan Memorandum of 1922, and the Palestine Mandate of 1923 never advocated creating a state for “Palestinians,” who had no sovereign existence and whose national identity would not be invented for decades. To the extent these enabling documents may have contemplated an Arab state alongside a Jewish one in the ancient Jewish homeland, that intent was fulfilled by

the creation of Transjordan (Jordan) in 1921. This history – not Palestinian mythology – should set the parameters for any resolutional framework. It is well and good that Israel is a vibrant democracy that respects minorities and encourages free participation in the electoral process. Israel’s primary existential purpose, however, is to provide national autonomy for Jews in their homeland. Her equal treatment of all citizens, whether Jewish or Arab, is a projection of her ancestral values and starkly contrasts with the ethnic and religious persecution and strife that characterize the rest of the Mideast. And yet, progressives never condemn countries like Saudi Arabia for financing extremism, subjugating women, and suppressing speech, or Iran for persecuting non-Muslims, killing gay people, and exporting terrorism. They prefer instead to denounce Israel using an assortment of unsupportable straw arguments. One of easiest calumnies is to accuse Israel of apartheid, because the mere use of the word inflames passions beyond reason, especially among those who are unaware that it is a crime with a specific definition. The International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute of 2002 defines “apartheid” as consisting of acts “committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.” This definition hardly fits Israel, however, where Arab citizens have the same legal rights as Jews, live where they want, and serve in government as Knesset members, cabinet ministers, and judges. Another common subterfuge is the “demographic time-bomb” argument, which

claims Arab population growth will displace Jews and result in the suspension of democracy to maintain Jewish supremacy. But Israel’s population last year totaled approximately 8,680,000, broken down by percentage as 75% Jewish, 20% Arab, and 4.5% “other.” Moreover, Jewish birthrates are higher than those of Arabs, even among secular Jews, and they continue to rise as Arab birthrates decline, both in pre 1967 Israel and in Judea and Samaria. Finally, those who believe two-statism is necessary to preserve Israel’s democracy also tend to represent orthodoxy as a threat to democratic freedom, though orthodox hegemony does not seem to bother average Israelis. The anti-religious fervor of secular non-Israelis seems to ignore the fact that orthodox influence is maintained through Israel’s political process and is ultimately subject to domestic political pressures. It seems, however, that what secular progressives really want is to remake Israel in their own image from afar. Perhaps it is diaspora Jews who are alienating Israelis, and not vice versa. Regardless of motivation, secular Americans often sound presumptuous in declaring what would be best for Israel – oblivious to how their partisan ideals might threaten her sovereign integrity. If they are truly concerned about Israel’s survival, however, they would do well to learn her history, acknowledge the reality of Palestinian rejectionism, understand what is really happening in Gaza, and recognize that Israeli citizens are capable of determining their own national needs and priorities.

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Reviewing a month of hypocrisy and moral decadence WORDFROMJERUSALEM.COM ISI LIEBLER Never have we witnessed such morally decadent political behavior as what has transpired these past weeks. Paradoxically, this occurred in the wake of a series of incredible Israeli achievements. It was Israel’s founding leader David BenGurion, an avowed secularist, who stated, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” Kibbutz galuyot – the ingathering of the exiles – has become a reality. Israel has emerged as a military and economic superpower, is water-independent and is a major high-tech powerhouse. Its standing on a global level is unsurpassed. The Donald Trump administration, in contrast to its predecessor, treats Israel as a genuine ally. It abrogated the bogus 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, imposing tough sanctions on them despite the bleating of the Europeans who are desperate to continue appeasing the Iranians. In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that the Iranians pull out of Syria and desist from engaging in international terror and explicitly warned them to cease calling for Israel’s destruction. No longer is Israel facing Iran alone. At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to maintain a friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also called on Iran to withdraw from Syria. Today, Israel is in great demand and sought out by many countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Last month, Israel scored a remarkable military victory against the Iranians and virtually destroyed their infrastructure in Syria in overnight raids, suffering no casualties. This was followed by the dramatic disclosure of the Mossad, which, having incredibly purloined literally half a ton of Iranian classified documents, demonstrated to the world with conclusive evidence that the Iranians were lying when they claimed that they had no intention of creating a nuclear bomb. The peak of Israel’s jubilation came with the American administration’s opening of its embassy in Jerusalem in a gala ceremony that thrilled the nation. Despite repeated criticisms and condemnations of this by European and other countries, Israelis were in an exuberant mood that climaxed with Netta Barzilai’s spectacular win for Israel at the Eurovision song contest. Now we turn to Gaza. There have been continuous complaints about the appalling living standards and high level of unemployment in Gaza. The bulk of funds

from Israel and other countries flowing into Gaza are siphoned off by Hamas to produce rockets, dig tunnels and prepare for a military confrontation with Israel. The most obvious example is the concrete – allowed to enter Gaza by Israel – being diverted to terror tunnels in lieu of building homes. As recently as last month, Hamas rejected vital medication from Israel to avoid showing Israel in a positive light. If Hamas would cease its obsession to destroy the Jewish state, Israeli and global aid would pour into the country and could transform it into a Middle Eastern Singapore. But the abject living conditions of those under its rule do not concern Hamas, whose primary aim remains “armed conflict” and the destruction of Israel. After its efforts to undermine Israel with rockets and tunnels had been thwarted, it used the opening of the U.S. Embassy and 70 years of the Nakba as the pretext to launch a new campaign against Israel, enlisting thousands of Gazans to storm the borders and actualize their claimed “right of return” to Israel. Hailed to the outside world as “peaceful, nonviolent demonstrations,” the participants were provided with maps of nearby Jewish towns and encouraged to bring weapons in order to kill as many Jews as possible and take Israelis as hostages. Peaceful farming communities only a kilometer beyond the border were intended as their initial targets. They descended en masse to the borders hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails, and bringing pipe bombs, grenades, machetes and guns as well as sending burning kites, some emblazoned with swastikas, to destroy Israeli fields. Hamas proclaimed that the purpose of this campaign was to bring an end to the Jewish state and that the casualties would be celebrated as martyrs, their families compensated. The Israeli government responded in the same manner as any nation whose borders were attacked by swarms of terrorists seeking to murder their civilians. The IDF was instructed to ensure that no terrorist cross the border. While doing their utmost to avoid needless casualties, soldiers had no choice but to resort to live fire when terrorists tore down the barriers and penetrated Israel. Hamas operatives were instructed to dress in civilian attire. Extras and their families were also bused in and promised payment for their services and larger sums if they became injured. Maps were posted on Facebook displaying locations of Israeli homes, schools and daycare centers adjacent to the border. Many youngsters and even infants were pushed to the forefront, forced to assume

the role of human shields. During almost two months of rioting and attacks on the border, over 100 people were killed and thousands allegedly wounded. Although Hamas itself proudly proclaimed to its followers that the majority killed were Hamas activists, it announced to the world that this was a massacre of innocent people peacefully demonstrating. The higher the number of casualties, the more Hamas rejoiced. Despite clear visual evidence of the violent Hamas attacks to break through the borders, the liberal media – which had been frustrated with Israel’s recent run of successes – totally adopted the Hamas lies and carried screaming headlines describing callous, bloodthirsty Israelis killing peaceful protestors, including women and children. Political leaders joined in the hysteria, accusing Israel of responding disproportionately, implying that if 500 Israelis had been killed, the death of the Hamas thugs would have been more justified. Some, like Turkey’s anti-Semitic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accused Israel of war crimes and even of treating the Palestinians worse than the Nazis treated the Jews. It was only the U.S. that stood by Israel’s right to defend itself, vetoing a call for a commission of inquiry by the U.N. Security Council. It was joined by Australia in the U.N. Human Rights Council, where the hypocrites passed a resolution calling for a commission of inquiry into Israel’s actions without even referring to the Hamas provocation. This has been one of the worst examples of double standards and the pogrom atmosphere generated against Israel. Fourteen countries, including five EU member states, to their eternal disgrace, stooped to the depths of depravity when they stood aside and abstained. Included among these were purported friends of Israel like Germany, the United Kingdom and Hungary. Their complete passivity when Israel is condemned for defending itself against terrorists committed to its annihilation is nothing short of moral turpitude. Shame on them! Despite the monstrous ongoing massacres in the region, purported human rights NGOs, the U.N., the leftist media, and most government leaders used this episode as a pretext to demonize and condemn Israel. Setting aside this despicable behavior and the echoing of the incendiary murderous script crafted for them by Hamas, what is truly macabre is the behavior of sections of Diaspora Jewish communities. Fringe groups in both the U.S. and U.K. have been publicly demonstrating in favor of the Hamas killers and even holding surreal recitations of the

mourner’s kaddish, naming the individuals killed. This is the equivalent of reciting kaddish for dead SS soldiers who shared the same genocidal objectives against the Jews as Hamas – truly a chilul Hashem, a desecration of God’s name. Even beyond this demented fringe, many Jews are publicly expressing grief at the death of the terrorists. Yet they do not express any sadness that our adversaries are obscenely providing human sacrifices by positioning women and children in the line of fire to capitalize on casualties so as to demonize Israel for public relations purposes. Rabbinical sermons have referred to the bulk of those killed as innocents, even though Hamas leaders themselves claim that 85% of them were their operatives. On May 14 at its graduation and ordination ceremony, the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College shamelessly chose as its guest speaker the fiercely anti-Zionist author Michael Chabon. Anti-Defamation League head Jonathan Greenblatt wrote that “it is a horrific tragedy that so many people have been killed and wounded at the Gaza border.” Would Greenblatt have said this about the masses of Nazis and German civilians killed in the course of World War ll? There is a serious sickness among Jews when so many feel more concern about the death of those seeking to kill us than anxiety for their own kinsmen. No country facing such attacks on its borders would act with greater restraint than the IDF. No country would fail to take such steps to protect its territorial integrity and the life and limb of its citizens. Nevertheless, the world is clinging maliciously to the lies promoted by Hamas, a terrorist organization that does not even try to hide its goal of murdering Israelis. Hamas claims its supporters are engaging in peaceful demonstrations and being butchered by Israelis with a lust to massacre Palestinian children. Yet, Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar explicitly told Al Jazeera TV, “When we talk about ‘peaceful resistance’ we are deceiving the public.” And in the midst of the campaign, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar told his people, “We will tear down the border and we will tear out their hearts from their bodies … and eat the livers of Israelis.” Peaceful demonstrations?! This column was originally published in the Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom

Seeing the light unto the nations SIVAN RAHAV MEIR I looked up the full text of the speeches delivered here in Israel in recent weeks, and I thought, as I have done in the past as well, that we had let the grandiose words slip through the net. It happens almost every time a highranking guest comes to Israel. The media is on the lookout for the instant headline concerning the political or diplomatic situation, or about Hamas or Iran. However, in the quest for a newsworthy comment, we tend to miss out on an important message being conveyed, for it is not considered “newsworthy” enough. The following are sentiments expressed by three presidents and one businessman in recent weeks in Israel, and their comments certainly are newsworthy. Read these speeches and take note of what drives Israel’s guests. It is not mutual interests, but rather justice, morals, and doing the right thing. Juan Carlos Varela, the president of Panama gave a powerful speech at the President’s Residence last week. In a voice trembling with emotion, he spoke of his university roommate who was murdered in an airplane terrorist attack committed by Hezbollah in

1994: “I lost one of my best friends because of Hezbollah terrorism. This is the reason why you can be assured that wherever I go, I will always support you. I will always defend the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Panama is the only Latin American country that joined the coalition against ISIS. I made this decision because in life one has to do what is right. The right thing was to join the coalition against ISIS and the correct thing is to defend Israel’s right to defend herself against terrorists who are trying to infiltrate her borders. I admire this country, I admire her people and I admire her leaders. You are always fighting for an ideal and a purpose and I want to learn more about you.” In a later interview, Varela added: “Even someone who is not a believer becomes a believer when he visits Israel.” Horacio Cartes, the president of Paraguay echoed these sentiments when he spoke at the opening ceremony of his country’s embassy in Jerusalem: “Many people ask me why I decided to move our embassy to Jerusalem and I answer that we want to be in the right place. We do not owe you anything and you do not owe us. It is simply the right thing to do.”

Panama has a population of 4 million, and Paraguay’s population numbers 7 million. Another country that moved its embassy to Jerusalem is Guatemala, which has a population of 17 million. President Jimmy Morales spoke at the opening ceremony: “I ask you to also honor the president of our parliament and our chief justice because all three presidents supported the embassy move. I feel at home here. We admire the spirit of Israel. We share brotherly love. You are a light to the Nations, God bless you.” Maybe the reason we suppress these compliments is that they obligate us or pose a challenge to us. No Israeli leader would go to Guatemala and tell the hosts that they are a “Light to the World.” So why do our guests say it to us? What does it mean for us? This brings us to another visit a few weeks ago that barely received any media coverage. I cannot understand why no one has prepared a short video clip with choice quotes from these speeches. Jack Ma, the founder and owner of the Chinese e-commerce website Alibaba made a request to the organizers of his visit to Israel: “I do not want to only meet people from the business community, I want to have some

Judaism as well.” During his meeting with Nobel Prize laureate, Professor Yisrael Auman, Ma said: “You have brought a unique spirit to the world and the power to change it and so I want to learn about your story. I hope that one day we will also have a similar story to tell.” In his acceptance speech upon receiving an honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv University, Ma noted: “You are a miracle. I asked people why you are all so smart and they said it is because we were homeless and the only thing that cannot be taken away from such a person is their intelligence. You people remind us that education is of paramount importance. We have to appreciate our brains and not our property and money.” We are world champions in giving media prominence to the criticisms heaped upon us. While it is certainly important to listen to our critics, should we not also take good notice of the compliments we receive? How can we ensure that they also get prime coverage?

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Guy Promises Big ST KILDA HEBREW CONGREGATION Leader of the Opposition Matthew Guy MP this week pledged $300,000 to the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation should he be elected Premier at November’s state election. The surprise announcement was made last Shabbat from the pulpit in front of a packed crowd of congregants at Melbourne’s iconic Shule. Following the Shabbat morning service a presentation was made to Mr Guy, who was accompanied by Member for Caulfield David Southwick whose family has a long association with the Shule, in recognition of Mr Guy’s strong support for the Synagogue and his long standing support for the wider Jewish community. Mr Guy has attended St Kilda Shule numerous times in recent years. In reply to the presentation, Mr Guy spoke to the packed crowd of at least 600 people who were in attendance that morning to celebrate two Smachot. Praising the strong contribution St Kilda Shule has made to the wider Victorian community since the Shule was established in 1871, Guy also referred to the 700 visits made annually to the Shule by other faith groups and both public and private schools. St Kilda Shule’s senior rabbi Yaakov Glasman expressed his appreciation to Mr Guy for the pledge, as he has to political leaders of all political parties for previous pledges and grants, and acknowledged

Rabbi Yaakov Glasman with The Hon Matthew Guy MP that the Shule was in need of funding to modernise some of its ageing infrastructure. Referring specifically to the Shule’s large meat kitchen, its smaller dairy kitchen, the toilets and other ancillary rooms, Rabbi Glasman pointed to the fact that some of these building are over 90 years old. “They could certainly do with a sprucing

up” Rabbi Glasman said, “but it’s important to be mindful of the fact that the Shule’s premises are used regularly not only by its members but by thousands of people per year from the wider Victorian community, both Jewish and not Jewish”. On 5 August this year the Shule will be commemorating 100 years since the

knighting of Sir John Monash, a long standing member of St Kilda Shule who also served on its Board, where Mr Guy will attend as one of a number of high profile speakers. “Things are going really well at the moment” Rabbi Glasman enthused, “there’s a certain buzz around St Kilda Shule and lots of people are talking about it”.

The Benefits of Tikkun Olam BIALIK COLLEGE “A successful tikkun olam activity is one in which you do something that you love to do, at the same time as doing it for the betterment of the community” says Tia, Year 9 student at Bialik College. It is with this attitude that students at Bialik endeavour to make the world a better place, one affirmative activity at a time. Over the course of the years, Bialik’s tikkun olam (“Repairing the World”) program has been diverse, including activities like helping out at the Posh Opp Shoppe, mentoring students at local schools (especially those lacking in resources), preparing and distributing meals to those in need, visiting the sick, entertaining the elderly, raising money for various charities and so much more. After looking for more ways in which Bialik can serve the Jewish community, the school adopted a new program: Masterchef, in collaboration with Our Village Kitchen. Our Village Kitchen is a group of Bialik parents who regularly cook Shabbat meals, which are distributed in the community. The meals are gratefully accepted by families who would not have otherwise been able to enjoy a nutritious and plentiful Shabbat meal. Romy Bursztyn, Our Village Kitchen Program Facilitator, says, “The Bialik College Student Kitchen is a hub of activity on Friday afternoons, with a production line of kids prepping and cooking, cleaning, labelling and packaging. This program encompasses not only kitchen and life skills, but a deep understanding of the joy of giving back to others through making nourishing food.” Bialik students have also taken on many other meaningful volunteer

projects such as gardening and weeding for a respite home, raising money to shop for homewares for a disadvantaged youth who was transitioning from a shelter to their own home and hosting sports events for young people living with disabilities. A favourite activity for Bialik students and staff alike, is the weekly challah bake, which raises funds for the organisation, Challah 4 Hunger. Every Friday, the delicious smell of challot baking permeates the school signalling to all that Shabbat is on its way. Communal responsibility is one of the cornerstones of a Bialik education and students embrace the College’s tradition of raising money for worthy causes, spreading kindness and helping out where needed.

Leibler Yavneh College’s performance of Beauty and the Beast LEIBLER YAVNEH COLLEGE Yavneh has a reputation for delivering outstanding musical productions and this year’s production of Beauty and the Beast is surely one of the very best. Lyrics written by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice are beautifully crafted and the Yavneh cast make full use of the imagery and rhyme. It’s hard to know where to begin with praise for the performance as so many of the young actors excel. Noa Strum as Belle, has a remarkable vocal range. When on stage she dominates with her presence and depiction of her character; one can easily see a career in theatre. Doron Adler as the Beast is inspired casting. He has an innate ability to master the character of the beast, yet emotions run high as he shares his deep love for Belle. Judah Slonim is a wonderful Gaston, the intensity of his performance alongside the comical Lefeu (Maxim Eydelnant) is one of the many highlights of the show. The comical antics of the couple, Cogsworth (Yael Goldberg) and Lumiere (Simeon Rubin) provide the audience with lots of laughs throughout the night. Ruby Alford as Mrs Potts delights all with her beautiful performance. The younger budding star performers Ellie Goldenberg (Babette) and Jodie Silberthau (Chip) all add colour and musical skill that further adds to the entertainment. From the fabulous dancing

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choreographed by Michi Wenig, as assisted by Aimee Raitman to the insightful directing by the talented Katie Weston the production captivates the audience for its 120 minutes duration. Katie Weston’s skilled direction is clear from the flawless performances and exquisite transitions from scene to scene. College graduates, Eytan Meyerovitz and Ari Goldberg both utilised and heightened their impressive skills assisting the cast in the many months of preparation for this mammoth production. Jonathan Skovron, who for years dazzled audiences as a student performer has again outdone himself this time as Musical Director. He embraces the music and adds depth to its interpretation. A wonderful night of entertainment with sterling performances from the cast, beautiful costumes, amazing 360 degrees set. We can’t wait for the 2019 Yavneh production. Star Rating - 5 stars

Outdoor Education at The King David School THE KING DAVID SCHOOL Outdoor education is an integral part of the learning environment at The King David School. The program extends students’ learning into the outdoors and uses scope and sequence to transition learning from one year to the next. Outdoor education is an ideal complement to classroom learning, with a structured program to ensure that students learn valuable ‘life skills’. The King David School Outdoor Education program takes an adventure-based, holistic approach to education, requiring the metaskills of decision making, problem solving, personal development and leadership. It also educates our students about social and ecological sustainability. Students from Years 3 to 11 participate in the Outdoor Education program and are given the opportunity to participate in a range of activities located in the outdoor environment. These include rogaining, ropes courses, hiking, climbing, abseiling, water based activities, bivouacking and cooking in bush settings. Recently our Year 9 students returned from 2 weeks in the Grampians as part of a year-long program, New Horizons that is designed to offer students opportunities to look outside themselves and to engage in the wider world. The aim of the program

is to build students’ independence and resilience and develops life skills. Students spent two weeks, exploring the area including independently camping in groups for several nights and learning about rural Victoria. This outdoor program is run by Indigicate, a team of experienced outdoor educators whose programs are designed to teach Indigenous connection and use Outdoor Education as a means of delivering authentic Indigenous curriculum.

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Learn, Unite and Achieve at Yeshivah YESHIVAH - BETH RIVKAH COLLEGES LISA FRENKEL A Heart for Learning at YBR The learning opportunities available at Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah Colleges attract and engage all members of the school community – providing opportunities for imaginative and creative participation by the youngest children, to inspiring events and activities for the older ages. At Beth Rivkah, an extensive Jewish cocurricular offering is in place. Secondary students participated in the ‘Impart by heart’ ba’al peh (learning by heart) program that helped students prepare for Shavuos by increasing their Jewish Studies General knowledge. With the incentive of earning points for their learning which could then be redeemed for sefarim and Judaica prizes, the program was accessible to all students regardless of their Jewish studies knowledge. A special Sunday ‘taste and test brunch’ was held for registered students to learn together and be tested on their newly acquired knowledge. Beyond Beth Rivkah Secondary’s ba’al peh learning program, a variety of pre-Shavuos events were held across Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah, facilitating extra learning opportunities between parents and their children and developing interest and involvement in the chag. In addition, a captivating morning of learning with a Shavuos flavour was held at the Beth Rivkah Beit Midrash for mothers in the YBR community, drawing in a crowd of old collegians, mothers, grandmothers, aunts and staff. Yeshivah Primary students took part in an impressive pre-Shavuos learning event with students participating in ‘chevruta’ learning (learning in pairs or small groups). These learning groups consisted of students across various year levels, encouraging students to share their Shavuos knowledge. Students worked together

hosted a pre-Shavuos evening of inspirational and interesting presentations ranging from stories of people reconnecting to Judaism, to floral and cooking demonstrations. The evening provided an opportunity for GELC parents to garner ideas for Shavuos and socialise beyond the kinder gates. Along with learning about receiving the Torah, dairy foods and the 10 commandments, children at the Gurewicz Early Learning Centre were enthralled by a visit from the animal farm, where current GELC students and children enrolled to attend in 2019 enjoyed discussions about the animals and formed links between dairy and the animal that provides it. Children created delightful floral decorations to adorn the yom tov table and delectable dairy creations and replicas of Mount Sinai were produced.

to plant individual pot-plants to decorate their homes for Shavuos. Yeshivah students in Foundation also enjoyed creating beautiful paper flowers to gift to their families for the chag while Yeshivah Secondary students delved into the meanings and elements of Shavuos and developed a deeper understanding of the festival. For the parents of children in the Gurewicz Early Learning Centre (GELC), the YBR Pre-Schools

Camps Unite at Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah Colleges Ahead of the colder weather, Yeshivah and Beth Rivkah Secondary students embarked on school camps – with Beth Rivkah Secondary venturing to Campaspe Downs in Kyneton and Yeshivah Year 7 and 8 students spending a week at Camp Nillahcootie. Unity was a consistent concept across both the camps - with Beth Rivkah’s camp theme centred around ‘Belonging’, while ‘Achdus’ (unity) underpinned Yeshivah’s camp. Beth Rivkah students were invited to engage in many fascinating shiurim, all revolving around the camp theme. Students explored the theme of Belonging in Torah, in Jewish History and within Jewish Communities today. The theme spilled over into the Thursday night activity, independently run by the School’s senior student leaders, where students worked in groups and were guided through six stations, all of which revolved around different elements of Beth Rivkah, past and present – creating an amusing

and entertaining evening of reminiscing and laughs. The enjoyment and bonding continued at the camp bonfire where students roasted the customary marshmallows and enjoyed a kumzitz (uplifting songs) around the fire. Beth Rivkah students also put their courage and athleticism to the test, attempting activities ranging from the giant swing to rock climbing and abseiling and participating in sporting contests. At the Yeshivah camp, students spent time enjoying adventurous activities ranging from archery and abseiling to hikes and canoeing. A mud run proved challenging and memorable, whilst various learning topics ranging from Golems to topical issues also punctuated the week away. Games and quizzes promoted communication and cooperation between students and night activities encouraged students to get back to nature and become more acutely aware of their surroundings. A night hike and bonfires provided opportunities for students to work together and strengthen friendships. Students across both the Beth Rivkah and Yeshivah camps relished the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones and team building activities and thrilling and challenging activities gave students the chance to cultivate relationships and foster closer connections with fellow students. Beth Rivkah Student Receives Premier’s VCE Award YBR extends Mazal Tov to Chaya Tayar (a 2017 graduate of Beth Rivkah Ladies College) who was the proud recipient of a Premier’s VCE Award in Religion & Society. This award places her in the top five students in Victoria in this subject and reflects her hard work and dedication to her studies and the exemplary pedagogy and care of the teaching staff at Beth Rivkah, in particular her subject teacher Mrs Chaya Cowen.

Inspiring tomorrow’s creators MOUNT SCOPUS COLLEGE VICKI DAVIS Mount Scopus College students love to imagine and create and they have recently begun using an innovative new tool to help them discover and explore. Sphero is a small sphere shaped robot that can roll, turn corners, change colour and be programmed and controlled from an iPad, and has allowed Mount Scopus students to learn in a whole new way. Spheros are used across all Mount Scopus’ primary campuses and helps develop problem solving skills and collaboration amongst students. Year 1 students recently worked in pairs using the language of location and mapping to direct Spheros around a small obstacle course. In Year 2 Spheros are being used as part of a design unit, with students using recycled materials to plan and design an obstacle course of ramps and tunnels. They analyse, research, redesign and construct during this process and then use Spheros to test their final designs.

Mount Scopus students learned about direction, location and coding as they designed an obstacle course for Spheros

A lunchtime coding club offers students the chance learn more about coding the robots and an after school coding experience for Years 2 and 3 will further expand the opportunities to work with Spheros. Sphero has an easy and intuitive coding programme that allows young students to make their Sphero ball do basic actions like move in a certain direction, stop, change colour and make sounds. Year 6 students will use Spheros in maths lessons on geometry, where they will design a course on paper for the Spheros, which incorporates the shapes and angles they are learning about, and then create them as a physical course, including light and sound in the programming. Students can expand their knowledge even further during lunchtime enrichment activities with Spheros, as well as drones, Lego, animation and more. Spheros provide a wonderful resource as an gateway to coding as well as engineering, design and digital technologies.

Mount Scopus College Years 4 and 5 students taking part in a Sphero lunchtime enrichment activity

Chabad Melbourne Celebrates 20th anniversary with historic torah CHABAD MELBOURNE Last week saw History being made in Melbourne. A Sefer Torah was being given for the first time in 100 years to Melbournes Downtown City Area. The Sefer Torah was given by Mr. Sam Briskin and his Family in loving memory of Mr. Mark Briskin Z’L to Chabad Of Melbourne CBD and welcomed by it’s Shliach Rabbi Chaim Herzog. The Sefer Torah was completed by the Sofer Rabbi Eli Gutnick in the Block Arcade where a large sector of the Jewish Community attended. This was followed by singing and

dancing on Collins Street accompanying the Sefer Torah to the Melbourne Town Hall in the center of the City. A catered Seudah took place in the Melbourne Town Hall where Rabbi Herzog addressed the audience and was followed by Mr. David Southwick, Member for Caulfield who spoke and danced with the Yeshivah Gedollah Shluchim to the accompaniment of live music, this encouraged the the crowd to get into the act and created an atmosphere of liveliness and happiness. Rabbi Herzog is celebratring The Chabad of Melbourne’s CBD 20th Anniversary this year

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FINANCE Reviewing your mortgage – Why you should be doing it now and what’s involved LOGIXFINANCIAL Life is busy, and constantly changing. As our circumstances change so do our needs. This includes the need for appropriate financial solutions and products with features akin to your requirements. This is why reviewing your home loan and exploring your options is a critical and very worthwhile exercise. It’s incredible to discover how many people set their home loan and don’t review their loan product or interest rate for years and years, whether they know they can do better or not! Why should you be reviewing? There are any number of reasons and advantages to reviewing your loan, 2 such examples are: Interest Rates Over the last few years, structural changes in the market, as well as new products being introduced may mean that the product structure and interest rate which you once agreed to and was the best in the market

at the time, may not be as competitive in today’s terms. If you are not in a fixed rate loan or haven’t reviewed your rate recently with your lender, there is every likelihood that your rate could be improved, the only question is by how much. Lenders often rely on the majority of people just to sit tight. Admission of this concept is that if you do go through the effort of refinancing, the banks are rewarding this behaviour with very large discounts for new business. Life Stage The needs of a First Home Buyer, are very different to those of an established home owner, but often as we navigate from one life stage to the next we often overlook reviewing some of our most important financial levers such as your home or investment loan. So, now that we are all aware and agree that something should be done, let discuss your plan of action. Contact Logix Financial Services and

arrange a review. Staying with your existing lender and restructuring your facilities may result in a better outcome, however, typically the best financial outcome is to refinance, let’s go through some of the factors you should be considering though: Some Tips to Consider Don’t get caught by a “honeymoon” period rate, this may save you money for a year or two and then come back and bite you when the rate defaults to a higher rate after the “honeymoon” period. Don’t get caught out by the headline Standard Variable Rate that is advertised. Some banks have a higher standard variable rate but are prepared to negotiate higher discounts to the standard variable rate. Focus on the net rate after discounts, this way you are comparing apples with apples. Take into account all costs involved in the exit of your existing bank and the entry cost to your new bank. How much pain is involved in the refinance process? – Pain is a relative concept. You could

spend hours searching the internet for a cheaper gadget in order to save hundreds of Dollars, at the same time you are not prepared to invest a couple of hours (at most) to save thousands of dollars. LogiX Financial Services make the process as pain free as possible by Crunching the numbers to work out if it is worth refinancing Preparing the application on your behalf Handling both the exit and the entry What should your next move be? Contact LogiX Financial Services to do a comparison of your current loan to what is available in the market. If you can improve your deal then spend the time to gather the information needed to apply for the refinance. Leave it to your broker to complete the application and facilitate the switch. 0413 163 486 justin@logixfinancial.com.au www.logixfinancial.com.au w w w. l i n k e d i n . c o m / i n / j u s t i n - d a v i s 26427b61

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Are Business Growth Risks an Oxymoron?.. And 5 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make BAS & MORE BOOKKEEPING AND VIRTUAL CFO AVI BENDETSKY Every business owner dreams to grow their business. You dream about it. I do, too. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here. However, dangers are lurking in such hopes. So… should you just forget about expanding? Never! But avoiding the common mistakes of rapid growth can save and scale your business time and again. RISK 1: Not Watching Your Cash Flow As your business expands, it’s easy for expenses to exceed revenue. If you then have a quiet time or a bad economic period it can do your business in. Avoid bandwagons like “managing by objectives” or “team-based decisionmaking”. There’s nothing wrong with the basic premises of many “new business operations” but unfortunately, in our zeal for bigger and better, we tend to throw out what’s tried and true. RISK 2: Not Maintaining High Standards of Leadership During the Time of Change When you get committed to expanding your business, sometimes, important things like employee satisfaction, team building,

and customer relations get neglected. As your business grows, you can expect more revenue, and it’s tempting to go on a “spending spree.” Growth may require building capacity or hiring new staff or purchasing new equipment. But proceed with caution and keep in mind that your customers and your employees don’t always adapt to change as

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quickly as you’d like. Be sensitive to their anxiety. Be reassuring that your business still values them. Expansion may involve outsourcing and handing over some of the day-to-day operations to someone else. However, it’s essential to keep your finger on the pulse of your company. Keep a keen eye on things your leadership role may need when you are expanding. As your company grows so, too, you need to be sensitive to lapses in your leadership skills. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Anything worth doing should be done gradually and with a carefully crafted plan. RISK 3: Not Keeping Track of Business Trends and Forgetting to Delegate As a small business owner, it’s easier to be an all-rounder, but as the company grows, can you handle it on your own? Remember, it’s not your job to make all the decisions 24/7. Take time to understand how your role may change as the company expands. As a CEO, you have to spend your time effectively, know how to plan, communicate clearly where the business is going, motivate and delegate. For instance, ask yourself whether you have a solid plan for collecting accounts receivable. If you’re billing and not collecting quickly, it’s easy to find your business in a state of needing a debt collector. That’s why, it’s vital to have a trusted bookkeeper to analyse your figures and ratios while you can focus on further development, client retention or upskilling staff. Another pitfall is thinking that success is measured in increased sales. More sales don’t always mean higher profits; what matters more is how much money is left in your bank account at the end of the day. So too, don’t rush to hire new staff. Introducing Key Performance Indicators, known as the KPIs, might help to upskill your existing staff and increase their productivity while saving your overheads by one more salary at least. RISK 4: Not Staying on Top of Your Clients’ Mind Bigger does not necessarily mean better or even more profitable. Don’t let the quality of your customer relations slump because of attention to rapid expansion.

Even if you are out there winning over new clients, it is vital to keep your present, loyal customers happy. As a leader, you need to do what Steve Jobs called “thinking differently”. Stay on top of mind of your existing clients, identify new customer niches and develop products winning against the competition. You may have gotten into growing your business in an economic boom or upturn for your company, but you need to be prepared for a business downturn, too. We all know what happened to fibre optics companies and dot.com enterprises. RISK 5: Putting Your Company on Cruise Control Finally, when things seem to be progressing swimmingly, don’t rest on your laurels and put the company on cruise control. There is a tendency in businesses and organisations to take a breather, sit back, enjoy the success, and pat yourself on the back. Meanwhile, your competitors might develop a solution that will overtake the market. There is always a need to consider what you should be doing to take your company to the next level. As a business owner, you need to have a growth mindset. Yes, I know, I said: “Don’t get in a rush to grow.” However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t challenge yourself and your employees to keep your enterprise fresh and responsive to your niche market. Anticipate the growing needs and interests of your clients. A company that sits back smugly will be overtaken by one that is attuned to the changing wants and needs. It’s just a matter of time. So, if you want to see your business reach new heights, be courageous to grow with it. Research the market, try new things, and invest in your team. With these tools, you can expand while avoiding the pitfalls that can cost you your business. Forewarned is forearmed. Improve your business efficiency and grow profits with BAS & MORE Bookkeeping and Virtual CFO. Contact us on today on 1300 227 770, info@basnmore.com.au or basnmore.com.au

17

finance

June 2018

2018 Federal Budget CATALYST FINANCIAL PTY LTD JARED BALKIN On 9 May 2018, Scott Morrison delivered his third budget with a forecast budget deficit of $14.5 Billion for 2018-19. The treasurer announced that this budget is about creating a stronger economy, creating more jobs, guaranteeing essential services, and the government living within its means. The treasurer said that the economy will be strengthened by providing tax relief, backing business to invest and create jobs, guaranteeing essential services, keeping Australians safe, and controlling government expenditure. Key Change for Small Business The treasurer announced that in this budget the government is backing business to create jobs. The key small business tax benefit announced is that the immediate tax deduction for assets costing less than $20,000 will be extended until 30 June 2019 for businesses turning over less than $10m per year. In addition to this, the government

proposes to enact the following measurers, commencing 1 July 2019, which will impact small businesses: Remove tax deductions for wages where a business fails to withhold PAYG; Remove tax deductions for payments to contractors that don’t provide an ABN and the business does not withhold PAYG; Limit cash payments made to a business for goods and services to $10,000. Key Changes for Individuals The key announcements that impact on individuals are: From 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2022, a new “Low and Middle Income Tax Offset” will be introduced to provide tax relief of up to $530 per year. Taxpayers earning under $37k will get a $200 offset, taxpayers earning between $37k and $48k will get an offset up to $300, and taxpayers earning between $48k and $90k will be eligible for the maximum offset of $530. The maximum offset will phase out between $90k and $125k; From 1 July 2018, the top threshold of the 32.5% tax bracket will increase from $87k to $90k; From 1 July 2022, the top threshold of the 19% tax bracket will increase from $37k to $41k; From 1 July 2022, the top threshold of the 32.5% tax bracket will increase from

$90k to $120k; From 1 July 2022, the maximum Low Income Tax Offset will increase from $445 to $645; From 1 July 2024, the top threshold of the 32.5% tax bracket will increase to $200k, removing the 37% tax bracket completely. At the same time, the top tax bracket of 45% will start at incomes over $200k; The previously proposed Medicare Levy increase from 2% to 2.5%, commencing 1 July 2019, will not proceed. Key Changes Relating to Superannuation The government has announced the following superannuation changes, effective 1 July 2019: The maximum number of members in Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs) will increase from 4 to 6; Individuals aged 65 to 74 will be exempt from passing the work test in order to make voluntary contributions, if they have superannuation balances below $300k in the first year that they do not meet the work test. SMSFs that have a history of 3 consecutive years of clear audit reports and have lodged their tax returns on time, will only need to have their financial statements audited every 3 years instead of annually;

Fees charged by superannuation funds will be capped at 3% for accounts with balances below $6,000; Superannuation funds will not be allowed to charge exit fees when a member decides to rollover to another fund. Key Change Relating to GST From 1 July 2019, foreign tour operators selling Australian hotel accommodation will be required to register for GST and charge GST on their hotel accommodation sales, if their annual turnover of Australian accommodation is $75k or more per year. Foreign tour operators have been exempt from being obligated to register for GST and charge Australian GST on their Australian hotel accommodation supplies since 2005. Australian hotel accommodation is increasingly being booked online from offshore based suppliers and this change will bring them in line with Australian accommodation suppliers.

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finance

June 2018

Timing The Market 1ST STREET TIMING THE MARKET, OR TIME IN THE MARKET? Property investment is still at a high point in Australia right now, and more and more people from all walks of life are striving to commit to an investment strategy to generate future wealth. However, with house prices having skyrocketed in the last 5 years, a major point of confusion amongst investors is whether timing the market or time in the market is more important to increase wealth generation. Despite a whopping growth in property value in the last few years, with Sydney in particular experiencing up to 50% growth since 2013, investors rest assured that you haven’t necessarily “missed the boat.” The key when investing in property is to look at the bigger picture - and the bigger

picture involves a much longer investment cycle than a few years in a booming market. TIMING THE MARKET Fluctuations in property values occur in cycles and there’s no denying that when you get the timing right, you can fast-track your profits. Alternatively, if you get the timing wrong, your financial return can be heavily delayed. Timing the market effectively can mean that you benefit from two growth cycles rather than just one, creating a completely different outcome as the years go by. However, the timing is never going to be perfect so waiting for that ‘perfect timing’ can simply mean wasted opportunities. It is true that those investing in property now will have to wait far longer for their property to experience oversized growth than buyers a few years ago, however this should not deter wannabe investors.

TIME IN THE MARKET It’s true that time in the market is the most crucial factor when considering purchasing investment property. Long-term plans must be front of mind when investing and if this is the case, the performance of your property over the first few years should be irrelevant in comparison to the eventual financial gains you will make. So what is considered a “long term” investment? A minimum of 10 years is generally a good rule of thumb, with the hope that you would experience two significant growth periods during that time. The key take home message is that for those serious about building a profitable property portfolio, focus on your end goal and remove any fixations on perfectly timing the market. Acknowledge where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Utilise your knowledge and assets wisely to get there, whether on your own or with the

help of a mortgage broker. That is ultimately the difference between genuine and lasting investment wealth, and those hoping to earn a quick buck through property. 1ststreet.com.au 1300 17 87 87

Why Now is a Great Time for First Home Buyers 1ST STREET For young Australians with their sights set on buying property, now is the time. As housing demand continues to fall and property prices plateau, there is great opportunity for first time buyers to lock down a somewhat ‘affordable’ piece of real estate. So what is causing the market to change and open doors for the younger generation to finally spend their hard earned savings on property? Investors are slowing down The huge force that has stood as the primary competition for first-time buyers has been investors. To even out the real estate playing field, banking regulators have tightened their rules, to limit the availability of credit for investors. Similarly, governments have also started to increase taxes for foreign buyers and banks have become stricter on these individuals trying to get home loans in Australia. These protocols have cut out a solid chunk of competitors

within the market for younger Australians to pursue their property dreams. Banks are offering special loan products Banks have started coming out with specific loan products tailored for first home buyers. An example of this is a 3 year fixed rate loan at a slightly reduced rate. This option means that first home buyers feel certainty about their repayments for the first

3 years of their loan with no surprise rate increases. This option also allows for an offset feature, which is essentially a savings account linked to the home loan. For new mortgage holders, it means the interest payment due on the loan is calculated only on the net balance of the loan less the savings account. Government incentives

Government incentives for first-home buyers have been around for numerous years. However, in previous years whilst the property market was booming, these incentives held little relevance due to the hugely inflated property prices. Since prices have fallen over the last 12 months, the incentives hold more appeal. In NSW, there are three options for first home buyers*: Stamp duty exemption for properties under $650K and concessions for properties up to $800K First home owners grant of $10K for new homes not exceeding $600K or for those building their own home where total cost does not exceed $750K First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme allowing voluntary contributions to be made into ones super fund, with a maximum of $30K to be released to use towards the purchase of a first home * For incentives in other Australian states and territories, check the Office of State Revenue website. 1ststreet.com.au 1300 17 87 87

How much can you borrow? PRINCIPAL MORTGAGES Many people have no idea how lenders determine a persons or couples borrowing capacity for residential lending yet this is the most common question asked of a mortgage broker. When a lender considers how much money they will lend a customer they consider two items, item 1: what is the percentage of the property value being borrowed (otherwise known as the loan-to-value ratio (LVR)) and item 2: do the borrowers meet the lender’s servicing requirements? Issue 1 is simple to calculate as you simply divide the loan amount (say $800,000) by the property value (say $1,000,000) and the resulting ratio (80%) is the LVR ratio. If the LVR ratio is above 80% the lender will require the borrower to pay mortgage insurance which is a one-off insurance premium to insure the lender against losing any money should the borrower be unable to repay the loan. If you are in the medical (Dentist, GP, Specialist, Optometrist, Pharmacist, Veterinary Practitioner), accounting (Accountant,

Actuary, Auditor, Finance Manager, Chief Financial Officer), legal (Barrister, Lawyer, Judge, Solicitor) or mining (Surveyor, Mine Surveyor, Quantity Surveyor, Geologist) industry there are lenders that will waive mortgage insurance and allow you to borrow up to 90% of the property value without paying any insurance premium. This can save you up to $60,000. Item 2 is generally more complex as item 1 as lenders servicing calculators require a broker to input income, existing debts, living expenses and credit card limits. As you can appreciate some of these inputs are not simple to calculate and the experience of your mortgage broker can play a big part. The majority of lenders will assess existing debts at an assessment rate using principal and interest repayments (currently around 7.5%) and will allow the applicant to estimate monthly living expenses so long as it is higher than the national average of the Household Expenditure Measure (HEM). This estimate takes into account factors such as the application type (single or joint) and the number of dependants that the application

support. Living expenses is currently a topical issue as the Banking Royal Commission has raised concerns about lenders not taking any action to verify expenses disclosed by customers. As a result many lenders are now reviewing bank statements and credit card statements of applicants and questioning living expenses if they appear to be too low. The table below provides an example of the borrowing capacity for a couple using different monthly living expenses. As highlighted above a couple with living expenses of $5,000 per month can currently borrow $293,000 less than the same couple with living expenses of $3,000 per month. The information above has been provided to assist consumers in understanding the complexities when applying for a home loan or investment loan. By using a mortgage broker with appropriate experience you can understand the different policies of the different lenders as well as the likely implications of submitting an application to a particular lender. If you would like a free consultation with a highly

experienced mortgage broker please call Shaun Bettman on 0416 074 956 or email at Shaunb@ principalmortgages.com.au.

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lifestyle

June 2018

Identifying Threats to Relationships ZIPPORAH OLIVER O.A.M The relationships between family, friends, work colleagues, romantic partners and individuals who we encounter in our lives are all governed by different styles of connecting and can have different challenges. The fluctuations of life often change the dynamics of our relationships. We may have entered into a given relationship with assumptions, dreams and expectations, which have not remained constant. However, as elements of ourselves, our circumstances, and the contract of our relationship change, we may need to redefine and re-negotiate the nature of that relationship. Relationship breakdown, poor relationships and estrangement can be explored in counselling with the aim to achieve stronger connections, or to determine what is appropriate for the relationship going forward. If the relationship is found to be no longer viable, dealing well with its dissolution is a worthwhile goal, especially when there are others who will be impacted by the dissolution, particularly children and relatives. Counselling can provide an open, safe, objective space for the members of the relationship to analyse the situation, explore the options, set realistic goals, acquire new skills to deal with the situation and to determine the best way forward.

Relationship counselling is not necessarily always problem focused. Individuals can undertake relationship counselling to advance and optimize their relationship, which may contribute to improved quality of life and sometimes improved general health and mental wellbeing. RELATIONSHIP THERAPY CHECKLIST Here are some identified themes that relationship counselling can help with: • Addressing infidelity or other forms of betrayal • Being able to communicate your needs and negotiating a sustainable path • Breaking negative patterns in the relationship, e.g. ‘The Blame Game’ • Challenges in communicating and/or connecting • Challenges in intimacy • Challenges posed by parents, extended family and in-laws, including creating healthy boundaries • Commitment issues • Conflict around finances • Control issues • Developing a deeper understanding of the self to support choosing a future partner well • Developing ways to deal with resentment, anger and conflict in the relationship • Feeling able and safe to express opinions and thoughts • Going forward into a new relationship,

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identifying elements to avoid and elements which require on-going awareness • Issues around rejection, alienation and abandonment • Loss and grief issues • Navigating a work/family/partner balance • Navigating cultural differences • Navigating issues associated with the observance of Judaism which impact the relationship • Navigating shared roles • Internet challenges to the relationship • Pressures associated with illness and/ or disability • Recognising and addressing emotional, physical and verbal abuse • Recognising and understanding the impact of the past, including trauma • Recognising, understanding and managing family of origin issues as they impact the individual and the relationship • Reviewing the original attraction and understanding the journey to the present situation • Step parenting • The changing nature of the relationship • The loss of the dream, and the need for a new ‘contract’ • Trust issues • Understanding expectations within the relationship and ascertaining what are realistic goals going forward • Understanding and learning to manage feeling judged, criticised and overlooked

• Understanding the contribution of each partner to challenges in the relationship • Variance in outlooks and styles of parenting • Variance in priorities, goals and styles of behaviour

Zipporah Oliver O.A.M. has over 24 years of experience in the field and is committed to applying her skills to help clients achieve the optimum outcome. She brings to her practice her personal dedication to integrity and a lifetime commitment to helping people cope with life challenges. In 2006 Zipporah was awarded the Order of Australia for her honorary work in disability and for her broad-spectrum community service. If you would like to contact Zipporah feel free to call on 0438 345 770 or visit www.zoliver.com.au.

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lifestyle

June 2018

Forensics Asian-Style SHUTE THE MESSENGER CARMEL SHUTE Melbourne Jewish crime writer, Liz Porter, has long had a fascination for forensics. After writing two award-winning books in which she looked at the way forensic science was used to solve crimes in Australia, the UK and the US, Porter decided to check out the way that crime was committed and investigated in various Asian countries. Researching Crime Scene Asia: when forensic evidence becomes the silent witness (June, Big Sky Publishing), she noticed some specific national characteristics when it comes to murder – especially in the way that killers dispose of their victims after committing their crimes. “Crimes are often uniquely connected to the kind of country where they were committed,” Porter says. “And, as a result, different kinds of forensic expertise come to the fore. In Australia, with our wide-open spaces, we have many cases where special forensic skills are required to try and find out where, in a vast stretch of land, a body may have been buried. Here, as in the US, forensic scientists also get a fair bit of practice at examining bodies that have

been lying in bushland for decades and working out what happened to them. By contrast, she says, in Singapore most people live in tiny apartments and there are very few open spaces to bury a body – and certainly almost nowhere to dispose of a body without being seen by someone. “There have been several cases of bodies being dismembered, packed into

Celebrating Leonard Bernstein MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Celebrate the life and music of one of the twentieth century’s greatest composers, Leonard Bernstein. Experience the composer’s greatest hits, electrifying scores and joyous symphonies in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Festival of Bernstein. Guest conductor Bramwell Tovey returns to Melbourne to pay tribute to the composer whom he met in 1986 when he stepped in to conduct the opening night of a Bernstein Festival with the London Symphony Orchestra. Bramwell Tovey said of his mentor: ‘There’s something about the music that is extremely contagious. His music puts a spring in your step. His music makes you feel better. It just makes you glad to be alive. I have never met anybody in my life who was more thrilled to be alive than Leonard Bernstein.’ Tovey and the MSO will take a biographical journey through Bernstein’s musical roots through his mentor Aaron Copland, the music of Gustav Mahler and the Jewish faith in Bernstein Classics, which includes the composer’s First Symphony and the Chichester Psalms, which he wrote based on the Lamentations of Jeremiah and the Book of Psalms. The MSO will celebrate Bernstein’s love affair with New York in Bernstein on Broadway, capturing the composer’s many musical theatre works which painted the most vivid picture of life in the ‘city that never sleeps’. This concert will offer a rare insight into the composer’s mind with Bernstein devotee Bramwell Tovey at the helm and

parcels and thrown into rivers. So the local police and forensic scientists have expertise with ‘headless body’ cases.” Crime Scene Asia contains 16 cases from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hong Kong, and one from Sydney, in which a Singaporean spent eight years in jail for a murder before being acquitted and freed because of forensic evidence – and some terrific work by Sydney barrister David Dalton SC. Researching the book, Porter was also reminded that Aussies were to be found everywhere in Asia –not just getting in trouble as tourists but working as lawyers and forensic science experts. Porter’s favorite is former Australian Federal Police scientist David Royds.

Testing family ties KODACHROME (M) REVIEW BY ALEX FIRST

on the keys performing favourite works Wonderful Town, On the Town, Candide, Peter Pan, Fancy Free and West Side Story. As part of the Festival, MSO’s Associate Conductor Benjamin Northey will lead the Orchestra through the popular classic romantic tragedy West Side Story – Film with Live Orchestra, when the MSO plays Bernstein’s brilliant score and memorable songs live while the film is shown on a big screen. West Side Story – Film with Live Orchestra Friday 27 July at 7.30pm & Saturday 28 July at 2pm [selling fast] Bernstein Classics Wednesday 15 August at 7.30pm Bernstein on Broadway Saturday 18 August at 7.30pm Venue: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne Bookings: mso.com.au | 03 9929 9600

“Royds was the chief Australian scientist on the forensic investigation of the Bali bombing in 2002, in which 202 people died, 88 of them Australians. The forensic science achievements of both the Australian and the Indonesian scientists wouldn’t have been out of place in a Hollywood script,” she said. “In fact, they were so good that Australian film-maker Michael Jenkins wrote them into an Australian TV series. Richard Roxburgh was playing Royds, which would have made the scientist very famous. Shooting started in Bali in late 2005. But then there was another bombing, and the Balinese authorities shut the production down. “This investigation is one of the very few real-life cases where the scientific discoveries were as dramatic as they are on the TV series CSI.” Porter is a former award-winning legal affairs reporter for The Sunday Age. She is a year-round sea swimmer at Melbourne’s Middle Brighton sea baths and a chorister in a pop music choir. Crime Scene Asia will be launched by Maggie Baron (former forensic scientist): 6.30pm Wednesday 20 June – Readings St Kilda, 112 Acland Street. Free but please RSVP 18 June to carmel@shute-the-messenger.com

Noticeably manipulative, but easy to watch, comes this father/son story – a pair on a road trip, with the former’s nurse in tow, attempting to reconcile their considerable differences at the end of the dad’s life. Music executive Matt (Jason Sudeikis – Downsizing) is going through a rough patch. Kept in his job due to past successes, he is now very much on borrowed time. Long out of sight, out of mind, is his philandering photographer father Ben (Ed Harris – Mother!). The two are estranged and haven’t spoken or seen each other for years. Suddenly, out of blue and when at a low ebb, Matt is contacted by his dad’s nurse Zooey (Elizabeth Olsen – Wind River). Ben is dying and wants Matt to drive him across the country to the last place in the world that still develops Kodachrome film. You see there is a short-term use by date on both Ben and on traditional photographic processing (the film outlet is short on chemical supplies and is calling a finite halt to proceedings). Most reluctantly and cajoled into doing so, hauling half a lifetime of baggage and resentment with him, Matt hits the road with Ben and Zooey. This is going to be a rough ride. On 29th December, 2010, The New York Times ran an article by AG Sulzberger under the headline For Kodachrome Fans, Road Ends at Photo Lab in Kansas. It was about the discontinuation of Kodachrome film. Sulzberger, who wrote from the US Midwest, received a tip from a New York-based reporter, who’d heard that the last machine in the world that could develop Kodachrome film – in a lab in Parsons, Kansas – was being retired. In this era of high-speed tech obsolescence,

the story was an endearing footnote in the evolution of film. What lifted it up from being yet another technobituary, was the pilgrimage nature of the event. The individual stories of photographers that sent rolls of film or had travelled to Kansas (from across six continents), which Sulzberger focused on, humanised what was happening. It also tapped into the cult love that accompanied Kodachrome film processing. Novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper (This Is Where I Leave You) was tapped on the shoulder to develop the concept of one generation giving way to the next using the discontinuation of Kodachrome as a backdrop. Canadian director Mark Rasso (Copenhagen) – the film was shot in Toronto – came on board. I dare say you will be able to readily pick the pathway, but without wishing to sound twee, it is the journey that matters. What initially hits you is the strength of the language used by these two bears – Matt and Ben – locking horns. They are often particularly harsh and unrelenting. While Sudeikis and Harris’ performances are decent, Elizabeth Olsen more than holds her own as Ben’s carer. She exudes warmth without the role turning syrupy sweet. One of Kodachrome’s features is the score. Many of the softer tunes really tug at the heartstrings. In fact, the whole film – not just the music – is predicated on consciously playing with emotions. As the credits start rolling a number of superbly photographed images strike a chord. The movie was, in fact, shot on Kodachrome stock. The best way to enjoy Kodachrome is to simply go with the flow, rather than questioning the obviousness of the filmmaking or even the integrity of the story. Rated M, it scores a 6½ out of 10.

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lifestyle

June 2018

Love hugs and kisses increase your child’s brain power

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There have been many tests, papers written and endless studies carried out over the years, all illustrating the connection and linking love, hugs and kisses with a child’s brain power, better health and often improved sleep habits. From the moment a baby enters our lives the universe as we knew it changes dramatically. We hear people admit how fulfilling it is having children in their lives. Comments like “I couldn’t live without them!” and “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my kids!” are frequently heard. It seems we have the capacity for unconditional love, love them dearly and want them to flourish and succeed throughout their lives. David Brookes (a writer for the New York Times) commented that much focus and pressure is placed upon children by their parents to achieve greatly whether in school, on the playing fields or the arts. The child often comes to realise that if they don’t succeed they lose their parental love. Unconditional love does not depend on high scores. It is one gift we can give our children, one that cannot be bought nor should be earned. So how does love and affection help our children to succeed? Children with loving, caring parents who interact with them, are often more secure and confident. When they are faced with adversity they know they can turn to their parents for guidance and support. Knowing they have this strong backup system, it often allows them to venture easily into new situations – like changing schools or trying something new. Without parental pressure they are nurtured and feel safe. Without this positive belief, it has been shown they turn to different ways in order to feel “good” about themselves. Frequently, as a study from McGill University shows, this may lead to obesity. A loving environment has been shown to increase memory and brain development! It also develops strong bonds within this family. It can make kids smarter. It cannot increase their IQ, but love and security can help them use their brain power fully. This will have an impact on their future lives, their careers and their own family relationships. They learn to enjoy physical contact. Those tiny fingers holding your finger so tightly whilst feeding, from that very first smile of recognition at about 6 weeks, to lifting their arms to be picked up, they learn positive contact messages. Again, if children don’t get hugs and warmth from parents as they grow older they look for it elsewhere.

Security comes in diverse ways. If they have been scolded for doing something wrong (touching an electrical outlet or hot cup of tea) that could cause harm, a loving hug immediately after this discussion lets them know they know that they are still loved. Falling asleep after a cuddle, or being patted, reassures the child of the love you have for them as they drift off. Especially if they are sad or ill, this reinforcement and demonstration of love works wonders. Now that we have learned that research results suggest that from the earliest age loving hugs, kisses and like experiences can affect and influence your children throughout their lives. The importance of care and nurturing cannot be over emphasized. Here are some simple ways to communicate your love for your kids. I believe in the million mark. You need to get one million kisses into the first few years because as they grow older it may get harder to get hugs and kisses. Don’t wait for birthdays to make them feel special – each day is a gift. So, show your love with a kiss as you walk past or whisper I love you!. A gentle massage after baby’s bath is very special. That extra bedtime story occasionally shows how special they are. Just before lights out share something they did that day to make you feel loved. Place a photo of some moment you shared in a frame in their room. As they grow older a treat in their lunchbox with “I love you” can lift a gruelling day. Laugh with them at their jokes. But never laugh at them. Choose the right times for hugs and kisses as they grow older. Perhaps just a hug after the soccer match when the game is over, says well done, whether they won or lost! Consistency and reinforcement are the key factors here. This is definitely a WIN - WIN story as everyone, parents and children, get to share in the love, hugs and cuddles. Every day is precious with your baby. Cheryl Zzz For more sleep tips and advice, please visit www.cherylthesleepcoach.com.au Or why not like our facebook page? www. facebook.com/thesleepcoach Cheryl Fingleson is a paediatric sleep consultant. As a mother of two, she very well knows the feelings of agony and desperation when you have a child that struggles to settle and sleep. She doesn’t believe in leaving babies or children to cry it out, nor in the practices of controlled crying. Her approach is to empower parents with the right tools and techniques to teach their babies and children to go to sleep calmly, happily and independently.

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CANDLES Friday, June 8, 2018

4:50pm

5:51pm

Friday, June 15, 2018

4:49pm

5:51pm

Friday, June 22, 2018

4:50pm

5:52pm

Friday, June 29, 2018

4:53pm

5:54pm

Candle lighting times have been taken from www.chabad.org

Except where expressly stated otherwise, content in The Melbourne Jewish Report, (“the paper”) is provided as general informations only. The articles in this paper have been contributed by a third party. The opinions, facts and any media content here are presented solely by the author, and The Jewish Report assumes no responsibility for them. It is not intended as advice and must not be relied upon as such. You should make your own inquiries and take independent advice tailored to your specific circumstances prior to making any decisions. We do not make any representation or warranty that any material in the papers will be reliable, accurate or complete, nor do we accept any responsibility arising in any way from errors or omissions. We will not be liable for loss resulting from any action or decision by you in reliance on the material in the papers. By reading the papers, you acknowledge that we are not responsible for, and accept no liability in relation to, any reader’s use of, access to or conduct in connection with the papers in any circumstance. Photographs submitted by individuals or organisations are assumed to be their property and are therefore not otherwise credited. All articles in this paper have received the expressed consent of the author to publish in this paper The Melbourne Jewish Report; ISSN 2204-4647 Publisher: The Jewish Report Pty Ltd (ACN 167302981) Comments or suggestions to: editor@thejewishreport.com Article submissions to: prepress@melbournejewishreport.com Advertising: Stacey email: stacey@melbournejewishreport.com Tel: 0416 353 086 website: www.thejewishreport.com.au Printer: Spotpress Pty Ltd

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lifestyle

June 2018

Timelessly enjoyable THE WIZARD OF OZ REVIEWED BY ALEX FIRST A beautifully realised, fun-filled family musical that combines heart with technological endeavour and craftsmanship, The Wizard of Oz provides cross-generational appeal. The London Palladium production was developed from the popular MGM screenplay. The movie, featuring Judy Garland in the principal role was released in Australia on 18th April, 1940. It was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and claimed two for Best Song and Best Original Score. It was based upon L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was illustrated by W. W. Denslow. The Wizard of Oz stage musical circa 2018 contains the beloved Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg songs from the film score, along with new music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The story revolves around young girl Dorothy, who lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and her little dog Toto on a farm in Kansas. Dorothy feels misunderstood and not listened to. The owner of the farm is a fearsome woman who threatens to do away with Dorothy’s dog. Fearing the worst, Dorothy runs away with Toto, only to be caught up in a tornado, which rips through Kansas, whisking Dorothy and her pooch away to the magical land of Oz. It is there that she meets the Munchkins, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wizard of Oz. She also encounters a scarecrow without a brain, a tin man without a heart and a lion without courage … as she attempts to find a way home. The talented cast of 28 shine in their respective roles. Sweet-voiced Samantha Dodemaide is pitch perfect in the lead (as Dorothy), Anthony Warlow has heaps of fun as The Wizard. In fact, the word fun describes the way the whole show has been approached. Lucy Durack has a twinkle in her eyes and

a spring in her step, radiant as Glinda, while Jemma Rix gives the Wicked Witch mock dastardly appeal. The heart of the story remains the coming of age of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion as they step up to the plate to save Dorothy – who realises there is no place like home – from the Witch’s evil clutches. Each of the respective actors has their time in the sun. Eli Cooper plays the forgetful “brainless” man of straw, Alex Rathgeber is prone to stiffening up on his heart-felt mission and John Xintavelonis often has his tail between his legs as a scaredy cat. Spare a thought also for the highly obedient and eye catching performances by the only real animal actors in the piece, the terriers Flick and Trouble trained up as Toto, who elicit sighs at every appearance (and

they are frequent). The good triumphing over evil storyline is always a winner and remains as pertinent as ever in an ever more testing world. The staging, costumes and animation are first rate. The sets are expertly rendered – starting with the rural setting in Kansas and triumphing with the striking dominant “green” of Emerald City and the inner workings of the Wizard’s lair. The arrival of the twister has quite a dramatic impact. It is impossible to overlook the changing, multi-coloured rainbow that remains a dominant feature of the story as does the representation of the Yellow Brick Road that leads to Emerald City, home of the Wizard of Oz. I loved the ensemble dance number following (spoiler alert) the demise of the Wicked Witch. It reminded me of the best

days of Michael Flatley’s Riverdance. The music is fabulous – melodic and very easy on the ear, including Over the Rainbow, Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead and We’re Off To See The Wizard. This production of The Wizard of Oz had its world premiere at The London Palladium in March 2011, before a North American opening in Toronto in December 2012 and a US tour from September 2013. Its Australian debut was in Brisbane in November 2017 and since then it has played in Sydney and Adelaide, before arriving in Melbourne. We have had to wait a while, but it has allowed the anticipation to build … and the wait has been well and truly worth it. The Wizard of Oz is playing at The Regent Theatre until 29th July.

Dystopian thrills UPGRADE (MA) REVIEW BY ALEX FIRST Big Brother is watching in this futuristic horror thriller from Leigh Whannell (Insidious: Chapter 3). Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green – Spider-Man Homecoming) barely makes a living fixing old cars. His attractive wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo – TV’s Winner & Losers) works in IT. The pair has a good relationship. All that changes though after Grey delivers a vehicle to a highly credentialed but off the grid tech guru, Eron (Harrison Gilbertson – Fallen), who has invented a chip called STEM. It is more powerful than anything before it, so powerful in fact that it may change the world. On the way home, when Asha’s self drive car malfunctions and refuses to yield to instructions the consequences are dire. Asha is killed and Grey is left a paraplegic without hope in a mugging. That’s when the tech guru’s chip comes into play.

Although reticent at first, Grey agrees to have it implanted into his all but lifeless body, giving him back the ability to walk and much more. Suddenly he is able to function at a very high level.

He even has a permanent voice in his head (Simon Maiden – The Dressmaker) that only he can hear and that he can call upon at any time to lend a helping hand. Together, Grey and STEM embark on a mission to avenge his wife’s death.

Superior artificial intelligence has been championed in many dystopian films, such as I Robot, and as cinematic technology continues to evolve the stakes are constantly upped. By the end the mind games being played here well and truly do your head in. I was highly involved from the outset. I really appreciated the representation of the future – the production design was first rate – and the development of the story arc. Revenge is always a great driver, but sometimes it is handled better in film than on other occasions. Such is the case in point in this one. It is not difficult to sympathise with Grey’s predicament and state of mind thanks to a considered performance from Logan Marshall-Green. I dare say that many will pick the real villain of the piece relatively early, but even if you do there are more surprises in store. Rated MA, Whannell has crafted an engaging and absorbing thriller with bite that scores a 7 out of 10.

June 2018

sports

Friends of Maccabi Catch Up Over lunch MACCABI The ‘ Friends of Maccabi ‘ group provides a forum for older current and ex-Maccabi Victoria club members (including Life members and Hall of Fame Members) to gather together and share memories and stories over lunch. These bi-annual lunches have been running for 11 years and are always enjoyable events, creating an opportunity for Maccabi ‘friends’ to continue to enjoy their connections with Maccabi and the community. Over 100 people attended the lunch, with highlights including; Mark Klapish (long time Maccabi stalwart and volunteer) creating a fun and friendly atmosphere as MC plus Jemima Montag (Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist for the 20Km Racewalk) joining her grandparents Les and Marj Apple and speaking about the hurdles she faced in winning her Gold Medal. Danny Lustig

also shared an inspirational story of the cricket club renaming the best clubman award as the Paul Fink award in honor of his continued life-long service to the club. The key guest speaker, Timmy Rubin CEO of the Mikvah, shared a number of comparisons between developing a spiritual strength and a physical strength. Her reinforcement of focus, practice and belief being relevant for many aspects of both day-to-day life and sporting commitments showed deep insight. Interestingly, as Australia’s only Jewish female prison chaplain, she is helping and changing the lives of many people through her service. Timmy’s refreshing view of the world was infectious and the audience wanted to know more about her stories from the Mikvah to her experiences as a prison chaplain. She left us with something to think about and a smile on the lips. The next luncheon will be held on Monday 29th October.

Simone Cohen appointed GM, Maccabiah Games 2021 MACCABI AUSTRALIA The 2017 Maccabiah Games is now a wonderful memory for so many athletes, volunteers, management and the community as a whole. We now look towards the 2021 games for new memories to be created. It takes years of rigorous planning and a dedicated team to prepare and send more than 500 Australian delegates (including athletes, coaches and officials) to the Games in Israel. In preparation for the Games, Maccabi Australia recently undertook a recruitment process to search for a General Manager to lead the team. We thank Sharon Marlow for her work in bringing together many

high-quality candidates. Maccabi Australia is delighted to announce that Simone Cohen has been appointed to the role of General Manager, Maccabiah 2021. Simone is highly enthusiastic and passionate about Maccabi. She has held various management roles in Maccabi Basketball and Ajax Cricket Clubs and most recently played a critical role in the organization of Junior Carnival 2018. Simone has a finance and marketing background and brings to the role exceptional organisational and project management skills, having worked for over 20 years in multinational companies. Simone is a natural leader and has a wonderful ability to build strong

relationships. We know our teams and our clubs will enjoy working with her. We look forward to seeing Simone bring together a cohesive team with a strong work ethic and culture to provide an athlete-centric experience. Simone is a valuable addition to the Maccabiah Executive Team, which includes Barry Smorgon OAM as Head of Delegation, Mikki Silverman, Chair of International Sport, Sydney Kahn as Finance Manager and Ellana Aarons, Executive Director of Maccabi Australia. “The Maccabi Australia board are thrilled with Simone’s appointment and know that she will lead our Australian Delegation with integrity, respect and passion” Mikki Silverman, Chair of International Sport.

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sports

June 2018

Telling the Triumphs & Tragedy of Jews and Sport in Australia PEOPLE OF THE BOOT ASHLEY BROWNE AND DASH LAWRENCE The stories of Australian Jews and their connection with sport has been captured for the first time in an edited book. People of the Boot: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Australian Jews in Sport released in May draws together some of the country’s finest sports journalists, writers and broadcasters to tell 26 unique stories. From Australian rules football and rugby league to lawn bowls and mountain climbing People of the Boot explores the country’s greatest acts of sporting triumph on and off field. Collection co-editor Ashley Browne, a senior writer with AFL Media, says the collection is long overdue. “These are genuinely remarkable sporting stories. You’ve got Sir Frank Lowy who saved Australian soccer in the early 2000s and put the Socceroos on the world stage. Lowy offers some very

honest and candid reflections. “Jessica Fox, a teenager who emerged from obscurity in 2012 to claim silver in canoe slalom at the London Olympics,

shares her inspiring journey. She’s claimed another Olympic medal since and remains one of the best canoeists in the world. “And then there’s Todd Greenberg. The most powerful man in the NRL. Whose sporting journey began playing cricket for Maccabi in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. He’s a rugby league outsider with a compelling story.” The collection charts early 20th century discrimination experienced by Jews in Australia’s sporting clubs and institutions through to integration across all codes, culminating in AFL premierships, world championships, baggy green caps and Olympic medals. It also shines a light on the profound legacy of Jewish sporting administrators, commercial leaders and even doctors, whose stories have never been published. Co-editor Dashiel Lawrence a longtime researcher and writer on Jewish community life in Australia says the collection breaks new ground.

“The literature on Jewish life and history in Australia is outdated. It pays very little attention to the role of sport and its part in individual or collective Jewish identity. “In conceiving this book, we wanted to cast aside some very well-worn assumptions

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what it means to be Jewish. We wanted to introduce new ideas about Jewish experience.” Published by Hybrid Publishers and funded through the support of website Plus61J and philanthropic group the Pratt Foundation, the collection includes contributions journalists Cherny,

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