the sydney jewish report - july edition 2019

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W W W. J C A . O R G . AU

FREE

VOL. 50 Friday, 5 July 2019 / 2 Tamuz, 5779

Fostering a closer Jewish community Free subscription to electronic copy go to www.thejewishreport.com.au

FREE BRCA TESTING FOR ALL

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I MET A SURVIVOR

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Emanuel School’s

Romeo and Juliet CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

PARENTING PAGE 11

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community

July2019

Free BRCA testing now available to all JENESCREEN

Although uncommon in the general population, 1 in 40 Jewish men and women carry one of three BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene faults. As awareness increases, more people are learning that a friend carries one of these gene faults.

Women who carry a fault in BRCA have a 70% risk of developing breast cancer and up to 40% risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Men who carry a fault in BRCA2 also face an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. If a woman becomes aware that she carries a BRCA fault, there are options available to her to either detect and treat breast cancer early or significantly decrease the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer through preventative surgery or riskreducing medications.

All of the children and siblings of a man or woman with a BRCA fault have a 50% chance of carrying the same genetic fault, and therefore testing is available to family members. For this reason, being informed that you carry a BRCA fault can provide important information for family members in addition to you alone.

If a young man or woman is aware that they carry a BRCA fault they also have the option of reproducing through a form of IVF which ensures that future generations do not carry the BRCA fault. Therefore this genetic information can be helpful for young adults before they begin a family.

Until recently, BRCA testing has been restricted to people with a personal or family history of breast/ovarian cancer. It has recently been shown however, that

more than half of Jewish people who carry a fault in BRCA1/2 are not aware of a family history of breast/ovarian cancer. These people, unaware of a family history, are not eligible for publically funded testing until they or a family member receive a diagnosis of cancer.

Now, with the support of Wolper Jewish Hospital and Ovarian Cancer Australia, Prince of Wales Hospital and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute are offering the Sydney Jewish community the opportunity to undergo BRCA testing through Jenescreen.

Legacy of Entebbe H.APPLEBAUM It was June, 27, 1976, forty three years ago.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and radical left-wing Germans hijacked an Air France, Tel Aviv/ Paris flight. At a stop-over in Athens, four terrorists joined those already on board. The hijackers refueled in Libya and landed at Entebbe airport in Uganda.

There, the syphilitic president, Idi Amin, surrounded by soldiers carrying machine guns, welcomed the passengers. Under delusions of glory, he offered his country’s resources to the hijackers.

The PLO wanted Israel to negotiate for the hostages by releasing imprisoned Palestinian terrorists who had already murdered scores of Israelis.

The first thing the hijackers did was collect the passenger’s identifying papers. Half the passengers were Jewish, most of them Israelis. Once they were herded into the large shed-like terminal, the passengers were separated. It was frighteningly like the concentration camp ‘selektions.’

Non-Jewish passengers were freed, but the 102 Jewish men, women, and children, were imprisoned in the terminal.

I was visiting my grandmother in New York at the time. Grandma survived a pogrom, and had seen her husband shot during the robbery of his little store. We sat at the kitchen table and the newspaper headline stared at us.

No country, no international force, was going to save the hostages. How could that be? Surely America, which stands for freedom, will send its’ forces, I thought.

Or perhaps it will be France?

“The world doesn’t care when a Jew is murdered,” Grandma said sorrowfully. I didn’t agree with her. The world couldn’t be such a cruel place. I was innocent, naïve, and ignorant. My family, like many other Jewish families of the time, shielded children from the atrocities committed on Jews throughout history.

My grandmother was right, though. No one cared, no country, organization or international force did a thing. A week went by and the Jews waited. They sang “Am Yisroel Chai,” and prepared themselves for death. They shielded the children, some as young as six.

Who were the men who held little children at gunpoint, who threatened to kill them if their demands were not met?

When they freed the non-Jewish hostages, they could have let the children go, but these men were not human beings. They were beasts, the same kind of beasts who murdered one and a half million Jewish children during the Holocaust.

My grandma was right, but she grew up in a world before the state of Israel.

She only knew of Jews as victims. Now there was a new player on the field. Our national pride was restored and we were masters of our fate.

The world didn’t care and Israeli planes, against all odds, rescued the hostages.

The world didn’t care, but it applauded the successful rescue and tried to hide its’ shame.

The hero of the rescue was its leader, Yonatan Netanyahu, who was the only one of the force to be killed.

Jews around the world celebrated, and Benjamin Netanyahu entered politics to honor his brother’s memory.

This is an online program offering free BRCA genetic testing to anyone (men and women) of Jewish ancestry aged 18 years and over, irrespective of their personal and family history of cancer. Instead of attending a clinic appointment, information about the genetic test is provided to you through an interactive website which you can work through in your own time, and consent to the genetic test online if you choose to be tested. At any time through this process you can contact a genetic counsellor with any questions or concerns. DNA is collected through a cheek

swab which is mailed to you. Results are provided within approximately 2-3 months.

Some people, including those with no fault identified, will be asked to attend the clinic to received results.

BRCA testing is now available online through JeneScreen. If you are interested in learning more about JeneScreen, please go to www.jenescreen.com.au or contact Nicole Cousens on Nicole.cousens@health.nsw.gov.au

OBK at Vinnies CEO Sleepout OBK

Last Thursday OBK provided dinner for the 400 CEO’s, business owners as well as community & government leaders who slept outdoors at the White Bay Cruise Terminal Rozelle to support the many Australians experiencing homelessness. St Vincents De Paul CEO Sleepout has been raising money through this event for many years. Last year they raised over 3 million dollars.

We provided the soup, rolls & cookies for everyone. A team of volunteers from OBK served 3 types of soup after listening to inspiring stories first hand from people who have experienced homelessness.

July2019

community

A night to help Israel’s most vulnerable WIZO

On the Wednesday 7th of August WIZO NSW will host a Gala Event with the hope of raising funds for a dire situation unfolding right now at WIZO Australia’s flagship project WIZO Ahuzat Yeladim in Haifa.

Perched atop Mount Carmel stands this residential boarding school for disadvantaged youth funded by WIZO Australia. All students at WIZO Ahuzat Yeladim reside in one of the three dormitories on campus - The Sonia and Don Marejn Dormitory, The Rae and Tom Mandel Dormitory and The Jonas Dormitory, a post-hospitalisation unit that provides the children with both a formal education as well as the psychological and psychiatric treatment they need.

Built almost 60 years ago, the Jonas Dormitory is now deemed to be below acceptable living standards. As such, the Israeli Ministry of Welfare recently ordered the renovation of this building so it adheres to licensing requirements and to continue to receive government funding. The Jonas Dormitory will be closed down if the renovation does not take place.

To meet the needs of today’s standards and qualify for government funding, the entire indoor structure of the dormitory must be renovated. This includes bedrooms, washrooms, showers, common areas, kitchens and staffrooms. Each student has a unique therapeutic program designed

especially for them by the therapeutic staff, with their individual needs and circumstances top of mind.

To guarantee the children of the Jonas Dormitory still have a place to call home, join WIZO for an unforgettable night in August, featuring Israeli TV personality and WIZO Youth Village graduate Eden Harel.

Harel is one of Israel’s best know TV

presenters, having been the face of MTV Europe in the mid nineties. After her contract with MTV Europe ended she travelled to India for a year and lived in a Buddhist monastery.

Today, Harel lives in Ra’anana, is baalat teshuva (someone who has returned to religion), and keeps the Sabbath. The mother of six can also still be seen on TV

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screens across Israel as the host of various shows and specials.

Although she has achieved so much, Eden Harel has never forgotten where it all began.

When she was only eleven, Eden went to the WIZO Hadassim boarding school, and credits WIZO with giving her the chance to succeed in life.

At the Gala, Harel will not only speak about her incredible and unconventional career path, but of how WIZO played a major role in her formative years, and how we should do all we can ensure that other Israeli children - like the ones at the Jonas Dormitory - are given the same opportunity.

The WIZO NSW Gala Event will be held on Wednesday 7th August at The Venue, 55 Doody Street, Alexandria.

The evening will begin at 6:30pm and guests will have the opportunity to hear about WIZO’s vital work in Israel, as it goes into its Centenary year 2020. Dinner will be served. The Power of Words Acapella group will be performing for the first time. There will be free undercover parking on the night and all donations are tax deductible.

To help us rebuild the Jonas Dormitory and support Israel‘s most vulnerable children, book your tickets today at www.wizonsw.org.au/gala or call the WIZO office on 9387 3666.

We need an uplift of 14% in 2019 to reach our target of $15 million to fully support all our programs.

Learn more about the programs you can support at www.donations.jca.org.au

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July2019

One day these children will be able to say, “I met a survivor” SYDNEY JEWISH MUSEUM The Sydney Jewish Museum announces the launch of a photographic book, I Met a Survivor. The photographs in this book, taken by award-winning photographer Nadine Saacks, capture intimate, lighthearted moments shared between Holocaust survivors and children not yet old enough to understand or grapple with the Holocaust.

The generation of Holocaust survivors is dwindling and when today’s young children

are old enough to have a conversation about the Holocaust, they may not be able to actually meet a survivor and hear their testimony. I Met a Survivor captures the importance of the younger generation’s interactions with Holocaust survivors before it is too late.

The concept for this book was borne from the ponderings of a member of the Jewish community who approached the Sydney Jewish Museum’s Community Stories department, wanting to initiate a project that

Our Eastern Suburbs Railway Line Turns 40

GABRIELLA UPTON

Yesterday, the Eastern Suburbs Railway had its 40th birthday since first opening on 23 June 1979. The ESR runs from Bondi Junction to Edgecliff, Kings Cross and Martin Place and was Australia’s first rail line to use magnetic strip tickets and turnstile ticket barriers.

Member for Vaucluse, Gabrielle Upton MP celebrated the milestone stating “There are almost nine million customer journeys a year from Bondi Junction Station to the city, which shows how much demand there is from our local community for this rail line. It is an institution and such an important part of how Eastern Suburbs residents get quickly and safely to where they need to go.”

“The Eastern Suburbs Railway was an exciting infrastructure feat at the time as it was opened with several new technological innovations including improved platform

lighting, closed circuit cameras and automated ticketing systems,” Ms Upton said.

Minister for Transport and Roads, Andrew Constance said “The ESR is a vital artery of the Sydney Trains network and it is fantastic to recognize this milestone in its service of helping move people around our city.”

In addition to the construction of the four new stations, the creation of the line included new viaducts across valleys at Woolloomooloo and Rushcutters Bay, and new underground platforms at the existing stations of Redfern, Central and Town Hall.

On its first weekend, 250,000 passengers took advantage of free shuttle rides on the ESR, reflecting the general public’s interest in the new underground. Services were integrated the following year with the Illawarra line via new platforms at Redfern, what is now known as the T4 line.

Farewell to Yvonne Shapiro OAM B’NAI B’RITH RETIREMENT VILLAGES It is with deep regret that B’nai B’rith Retirement Villages announces that Yvonne Shapiro OAM has decided to retire from the Board after many years of outstanding service. Yvonne has been a pillar of BBRV, having served both on the Board and as the Volunteer Village

Manager of Princess Gardens from 2004 to 2017. After having relinquished her role as the Village Manager, Yvonne continued her association with BBRV as a Director until June 2019.

The Board wishes Yvonne well in her retirement, and is confident that she will maintain her involvement with the villages and her strong friendship with many of the residents.

could help her start a conversation about the Holocaust with her own, now very young, children.

Introducing the Holocaust to young children can be difficult, but these photos, one day, can be a way to start that conversation. When these children, who are representative of all children, are of an age to learn about the Holocaust, they will have the photos in this book to look back on, to make the connection, and say “I met a survivor.”

I Met a Survivor features playful and sentimental photographs of 52 Holocaust survivors with young children, and abridged versions of the survivors’ stories and inspiring quotes.

The book is on sale now from the Sydney Jewish Museum shop.

To coincide with the launch of I Met a Survivor, the Sydney Jewish Museum is exhibiting the photographs featured in the book on its Ground Level.

July2019

community

Shaare Zedek Models Coexistence AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS OF SHAARE ZEDEK INC MIRIAM PACANOWSKI

Shaare Zedek Medical Centre is located in the heart of Jerusalem, crossroads of civilizations. Doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and patients of all races and religions leave their political allegiances outside the hospital and operate side by side to save lives and offer compassionate medical care to all.

When recent media reports in Israel described the separation of Jewish Israeli women and Arab Israeli women on maternity wards in several Israeli hospitals, the response was immediate and powerful.

A group of doctors established a forum “The Health System as a Model for Coexistence” and launched an initiative where medical teams from all sectors, irrespective of religion, race and gender, wore badges that stated “United. Not separated.”

These doctors posed for photos together as part of a Facebook campaign to promote unity, tolerance, respect and awareness.

Australian born and trained Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon, Director of the Division of Oncology at Shaare Zedek Medical Centre spearheaded this effort at Shaare Zedek.

Shani said, “The coexistence is felt in full force especially in Jerusalem, where there is a wide range of populations. We work together daily, side by side with a common goal of saving lives.”

Fellow Australian doctor, Prof Nathan Cherny OAM was also involved in this significant initiative.

As Jerusalem’s most central major hospital, Shaare Zedek has a long history of treating people of all races and religions in an atmosphere of compassion and

dedication to ethics. It has a zero tolerance policy for discrimination amongst the staff and patients of the hospital.

Shaare Zedek’s Director of Medical Ethics, Prof Rabbi Avraham Steinberg will visit Australia in September this year and will open the Royal Children’s Hospital’s 11th National Paediatric Bioethics Conference. The theme of the conference is “Respecting Different Perspectives.”

Prof Lynn Gillam, Academic Director and Clinical Ethicist, Children’s Bioethics Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital says, “Respect is a fundamental ethical principle – it seems that it hardly needs to be stated. But when there are differences in views and values, culture and religion, respect for each other in the face of these differences becomes ethically crucial.

“This conference will focus on re-affirming the principle of respect, and working out how to put it into practice in the diverse, high-stakes environment of children’s health care. We are excited to have Prof Steinberg give the opening address of the conference and look forward to hearing more about this wonderful Shaare Zedek initiative.”

Prof Agnes Bankier OAM, Chair of the RCH Human Research Ethics Committee and Deputy Chair of the AFSZ Inc notes, “Shaare Zedek is a unique hospital, located in the centre of the ancient city of Jerusalem. We are proud to host Prof Rabbi Steinberg during his forthcoming visit to Australia and look forward to a most worthwhile lecture tour.

For more information about Prof Rabbi Steinberg’s lecture tour, subscribe to our e-newsletter at www.shaarezedek.org.au

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community

July2019

Friendship Circle of Sydney celebrates their 10th annual Friendship Walk

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE

On Sunday, 1st of September 2019, Friendship Circle of Sydney will be celebrating the 10th year of their Friendship Walk and Family Fun Fair. This popular event is a hit for families, young people and adults, and proceeds of the event support Friendship Circle’s efforts throughout the year to build a more inclusive community.

Friendship Circle is a hub for interactive and engaging activities that bring together young people with and without disabilities for fun and friendship. With an annual volunteer base of over 400 people, Friendship Circle is a leading voice for inclusion in the Jewish community.

Friendship Circle’s unique approach has been successful in bringing

positive outcomes for young people with and without disabilities in terms of personal growth and connection to the community.

Many times, in the life of an individual with disability and their families, social isolation is a huge and hurtful challenge. Friendship Circle aims to fills that void and facilitates friendships through regular programs such as: weekly home visits, Sunday programs, holiday day camps, Jewish festival celebrations, sport mornings, adventure getaways and the famous Friendship Bakery, all while developing relationships and connections to the community. At the heart of Friendship Circle is a group of dedicated teenage volunteers from local high schools who give freely their time, devotion, and unconditional love and

support. Inspired by the magic of genuine friendship and further understanding, our members are encouraged to see the abilities in everyone, empowering us to develop a more connected and welcoming Jewish community for all.

Friendship Circle in Sydney began in April of 2007 and the first annual Friendship Walk event was held 3 years later in August 2009.

This year marks the 10th event and together with a special Father’s Day celebration, we invite the wider community to bring their families and celebrate and support the people involved in Friendship Circle.

The event kicks off with barista coffee being sold, socialising and then a stretch session and words from local elected officials. Walkers then enjoy the crisp spring

morning while taking in amazing views and enjoying each other’s company. Families usually stick around for the after party featuring entertainment and activities for the kids, a live DJ and a sausage sizzle.

Registration is free and can be done online or on the day. Most entertainment is at no charge, but donations are encouraged.

Sausages, carnival food and drinks will be offered for sale. Business sponsorship opportunities are available.

Register online at www.sydneyfriendshipcircle.org.au/ walk For information or call 0430093670 or email senderkavka@sydneyfc.org.au You can learn more about Friendship Circle and the programs we offer by visiting www.sydneyfc.org.au.

Equal Opportunities for Youth in WIZO’s care WIZO DIANE SYMONDS, NSW PRESIDENT Children with emotional and psychological difficulties require therapies, medication, and supervision in order to succeed. Without these things, school and a social life followed by work and a career will not happen.

WIZO’s educational frameworks provide the very best education, individual attention, and full support for all youth in our care.

WIZO runs specialty schools geared towards youth who need a different kind of framework in order to thrive.

WIZO operates Youth Villages & Special Education facilities. Five youth villages are home to 5,500 young people, 1,100 of whom live in the school’s dormitories and are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Each village has a unique approach and provides individual attention, education, therapies and guidance to each youth. WIZO invests heavily in every student, helping him or her overcome the difficulties of their background while providing them with options for the future. Here, special talents and skills are brought out and nurtured, allowing each youth to succeed in his or her own way.

WIZO’s three schools for special education include two vocational schools and

one technological high school, all of which cater to hundreds of youth with behavioural and emotional problems or who cannot succeed in regular school frameworks. Each school has its own specialized curriculum.

Recognizing each child’s individuality, natural abilities, and special needs, WIZO wants to ensure each child’s emotional well-being, personal development, and educational advancement.

WIZO’s schools are dedicated to meeting the needs of students who require special education and provide a ‘last chance’ for students who have failed in the traditional

school setting. The school works to enable every student to earn a degree or become skilled in a marketable trade, and to enlist in the IDF or National Service as part of their journey to becoming productive, responsible, independent and contributing citizens.

WIZO’s youth centres and youth clubs are where disadvantaged children receive tutoring, guidance, communication and leadership skills. They are given training in music and the arts that enrich their lives and create talented, confident young men and women. Instead of aimlessly wandering the streets, they learn to build a future. The

youth at risk programs include Warm Homes for youngsters who have no stable home life, programs of empowerment and guidance for girls, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah program, therapies, support groups and more.

At the far end of the at-risk spectrum, there are children who have suffered severe violence, trauma and neglect. They have a range of emotional or psychological issues and are introverted, incommunicative, and lacking in self-esteem. WIZO NSW flagship project WIZO Ahuzat Yeladim in Haifa is a boarding school for troubled youth. Every student receives essential services to heal and rebuild their lives. Ongoing therapy helps youth to cope with and overcome psychiatric and psychological deficiencies.

Counselling varies depending on the type of issue being addressed and the mental health of the child. Both traditional and nontraditional therapies are provided.

For more information about the work that WIZO does or to Sponsor a Child in WIZO’s care in Israel: call WIZO on 9387 3666 or visit www.wizonsw.org.au

July2019

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community

Join UIA on Inaugural Young Business Professional Mission with AICC UNITED ISRAEL APPEAL UIA and the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce is excited to collaborate on its first ever Young Business Professional Mission for young adults in September, during the same week as the recently-announced Israeli elections. This once in a lifetime experience will combine business, social and cultural activities, and the opportunity to experience Israel like never before whilst meeting like-minded people from around Australia.

The tailor-made program will provide a unique perspective into the commercial landscape of the ‘Start-up Nation,’ and participants will experience ground-breaking start-up companies and meet its leaders.

Current companies include Razor Labs, Waze, Airobotics, SimilarWeb, eBay and Team8.

The Israel experience will also include rare access to elite army units that have transformed Israel into one of the world’s largest technology incubators, as well as other fascinating sites including the Underground Emergency Rambam Hospital and Gaza tunnels, amongst many others.

Participants will visit various UIAsupported projects such as Net@ - a technology training program for youth at risk living on the periphery and an Absorption Centre - which assists new olim (immigrants) integrate into their new homeland, Israel.

Seeing the work of UIA first-hand provides a deeper understanding of the significance of the funds raised in Australia.

Staying at first-class accommodation and touring iconic sites such as the Old City of

Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, Old City of Acco and many more with superb guides, a visit to Israel wouldn’t be complete without enjoying its amazing food, culture and social scene.

Participants will also be able to experience the excitement of the Israeli elections happening whilst the Mission is taking place, and will gain an inside view of the political situation from expert guest speakers.

“We are looking forward to an incredible

business, social and networking experience.

Due to the limited number of spaces for this amazing opportunity, and the strong interest from across Australia, I encourage young professionals to book as soon as possible.

The collaboration between UIA - the premier fundraising organisation for the People of Israel and AICC - Australia’s leading business networking and thought leadership forum on this inaugural Mission will guarantee a first-

class Israel experience,” Young Business Professional Mission leader Jono Moss said.

The UIA and AICC Young Business Professional Mission is on 10-17 September 2019 For more information and to reserve your place, contact UIA: 9361 4273, missions@uiansw.org.au

If you believe in inspiring young minds, creating critical-thinking, confident, engaged learners, encouraging innovation and creativity and building strong community connections, your family belongs at Moriah College.

High School Open Day 19 August 2019 Visit www.moriah.nsw.edu.au to register

Queens Park Road, Bondi Junction, Sydney, Australia Tel: (02) 9375 1600 | Fax: (02) 9387 3490 Email: info@moriah.nsw.edu.au | www.moriah.nsw.edu.au

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July2019

Bringing “Sexy” Back to Ageing COA RACHEL TANNY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF COA SYDNEY

This June I had the privilege of presenting at Shalom’s Limmud Oz on the topic “Ageing Isn’t Sexy.” Of course, you and I both know the secret answer is that ageing is sexy! Unfortunately, most people in our society apparently don’t know that.

During my presentation I was able to share some stories from our members: some funny, some sad, and many very, very inspirational. Working with Sydney’s Jewish seniors inspires me every day.

Hopefully hearing some of these stories helped open people’s minds to the reality of what it’s like to grow older – the good, the bad, and the beautiful.

We also explored some stories about ageing in Judaism. Have you heard the story of Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah? At just 18 years old, he was appointed President of the Sanhedrin and of the People of Israel. He complained that nobody would take him seriously because he was so young. When he woke up in the morning, his hair and beard had turned white. Can you imagine that! Only getting respect if you are old.

Conversely, our age-old oppressors the ancient Egyptians believed that ageing

was a sign of illness. In fact, the first written recipe for a wrinkle removal cream was found on an Egyptian papyrus circa 2800 BCE! We then brainstormed ways to reduce stigma and ageism in society. One suggestion was a sexy calendar of older people, a la Calendar Girls – do we have any volunteers? We also asked how we can make growing older a more positive experience. Most of the ideas focused on things seniors themselves can change, such as taking up opportunities to attend programs, exercising, or making a greater effort to connect with family.

Finally, we brainstormed some services COA and other charities are not currently providing that perhaps we should be. The top recommendation was to provide more educational opportunities. Fitting then that June also saw our first ever COA-WIZO morning tea and Schmooze Room! If you’re interested in stimulating talks and missed out on Limmud Oz this year (or even if you made it to Limmud!) the educational opportunities don’t stop there.

Join us at COA for the Schmooze Room, COA Dinner Club, or our MDA and JNF meetings over the next months. They are perfect opportunities to both stimulate and educate!

Experience Israel like never before

Masada College Ivrit Scholarship and High Potential Learners Scholarship High Potential Learner classes cater differently for students who have the ability to work beyond the standard curriculum.

Scholarships are offered to students in Years 5 and 6 in 2020.

Ivrit Scholarships are offered to Junior and/or Senior School students who have a passion for Hebrew and desire to excel in a nurturing Jewish environment.

Test date: 27 August 2019 To apply: contact enrolments@staff.masada.nsw.edu.au

ELC-Yr 12 College Campus: 9-15 Link Road, St Ives T +61 2 9449 3744 E

JOIN ONE OF OUR MISSIONS Meet people who have shaped Israel’s history

See first-hand the work of the UIA

Visit Israel’s main attractions

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS / AICC 10 – 17 Sept DECEMBER MISSION 31 Dec – 9 Jan YOM HA’ATZMAUT 2020 28 Apr – 7 May Contact Philippa (02) 9361 4273 missions@uiansw.org.au

For e People of Israel

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July2019

Projection Bias

MOSAIC UNITED RABBI BENJI LEVY

CEO OF MOSAIC UNITED AND GLOBAL AMBASSADOR OF MORIAH COLLEGE

Whether it’s criticism of the person they are or the position they hold, everyone has seen an attack on others in some way, shape or form. Korach, the bearer of the name of this week’s parsha, was the child of Kehat’s second son, Yitzhar, and felt that he was entitled to a more significant leadership role. In an attempt to acquire the position of high priest, he attacked the leader of the Jewish people who he thought could grant it to him – Moses.

Korach and his followers challenged Moses and Aharon: ‘It is much for you (rav lachem)! For the entire assembly, all of them are holy and why should you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem.’[1] Rashi explained that this attack was aimed at their abuse of power, in that they assumed too much prominence for themselves.[2] This is a rather strange accusation to make, ‘for the man Moses was very humble, more than any other person on the face of the earth.’[3] When someone wants to bring down a leader, their weaknesses are scrutinised and exploited. According to Moses himself, he had objective leadership faults

in that he was by no means an eloquent orator.[4]Korach could have picked on this overt weak point, or alternatively borrowed Moses’s sibling’s slander. [5] No man is perfect and Moses was no exception, but why did Korach pick on the one character trait, which Moses excelled in above all other men? Furthermore, why is Korach having the parshanamed after him when he is the clear villain?

Sometimes, before we look at who is being talked about, we need to look at who is talking. In a discussion of declaring deficiencies in others, the Talmud stated: ‘he who invalidates [others]... does so with his own blemish.’[6] In psychology, this is termed projection bias; a defence mechanism where one denies personal attributes and ascribes them to others.

Of all the potential flaws at his disposal, perhaps the reason that Korach accused Moses of a superiority complex was that he possessed an inferiority complex – he projected his pursuit for honour onto Moses. Moses responded subtly with the identical syntax that Korach used to accuse him, reversing Korach’s terms and insinuating that perhaps his accusation represents his own flaws: ‘It is much for you (rav lachem) sons of Levi!’ [7] In a society where often the greatest way to the top is on the back of others, we must be critical thinkers and consider the

slanderer, not just the slander. In recent times, the increasing dichotomy between liberal and conservative political leaders has led to both sides using projection as a weapon. Each will consistently accuse the other of tending towards any narrative that supports their stance and prioritising emotion over factual evidence in making decisions. In a recent study, Anthony Washburn and Linda Skitca assigned presentations to a group of random participants, containing correct results that were either consistent or inconsistent with their initial views on a range of topics. When asked what the information suggested, both conservatives and liberals were clearly motivated to interpret the information based on their own attitudes, irrelevant of whether this interpretation was correct. And when errors were pointed out, both sides rejected this inconvenient evidence at the same rate. The study concludes that “liberals and conservatives appear to be similarly motivated to deny scientific claims that are inconsistent with their attitudes.”[8] When we ourselves perceive flaws in other people, whether true or not, we must be very careful to analyse if we are the true possessors of these flaws. Ultimately, Korach’s pivotal position as a sage and Levite was not enough and he wanted more. Whilst Moses did possess certain

flaws, honour seeking was not one of them. The key to the Torah’s juxtaposition of the two primary protagonists was that whilst Korach needed to have what he wanted, Moses wanted what he had and the difference of these two positions is the key to contentment.

Perhaps the reason why the parsha is named of Korach is to teach us that we should all be wary of the bit of Korach that we contain within us. If we focus on ourselves and are happy with who we are, then we can aim to perfect our own flaws rather than projecting them on others.

[1]Numbers16:3. [2]Rashi on Numbers16:3.

[3]Numbers 12:3. [4]Exodus6:12; 6:30.

[5]Numbers12:1-3. [6]Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin70a. [7]Numbers16:9.[8] Washburn, A. N., and Skitka, L. J., ‘Science Denial Across the Political Divide: Liberals and Conservatives Are Similarly Motivated to Deny Attitude-Inconsistent Science’. 2017.

The writer is a recent immigrant to Israel from Australia and the CEO of Mosaic United, dedicated to creating meaningful Jewish connections for millennials ages 12-35. He previously served as dean of Moriah College and now continues to serve as their Global Ambassador. www.rabbibenji.com www.facebook.com/RabbiBenji/ www.instagram.com/rabbibenji/

Learning, exploring and growing through play to develop creative and happy lifelong learners

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10

community

July2019

Birthright Israel trip gears up for the summer season THE ZIONIST FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA With the support of Gandel Philanthropy our Principal Australian Partner of eight years, the Zionist Federation of Australia will send 160 young Australians, of which Gandel Philanthropy supports 80, on a 10day trip of a lifetime Taglit-Birthright Israel is a visionary program that provides the gift of a 10day educational tour to Israel for young Jewish adults aged 18-26. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about their Jewish heritage, to connect them to Israel in a real and meaningful way and to foster their Jewish identity and bond to their own communities.

The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) is proud to be the Australian partner of Taglit Birthright Israel, managing the process and sending more than 300 young adults per year on this remarkable program. To date, Gandel Philanthropy has enabled more than 1000 young Jewish people to participate in this program.

Excited participants met for the first time at pre departure sessions in Sydney and Melbourne. Each of the groups will include 40 Australian participants and will be joined for part of the trip by eight Israeli peers; adding a dimension of personal, relevant connection.

Two of these groups, run through the ZFA’s Hagshama have been generously supported by Gandel Philanthropy the Principal Australian supporter of TaglitBirthright Israel. . The generosity of Gandel Philanthropy since 2012 has enabled over 1000 young adults, many of whom were

Melbourne Hagshama participants with Gandel Philanthropy

previously unaffiliated with the Australian Jewish community and had never visited Israel, to experience this life-changing program. The other two groups preparing to depart in July are led by AUJS, which through Birthright provides Jewish students a unique opportunity to connect with their Judaism and with Israel in this most intensive and direct way.

“As Principal Supporter, Gandel Philanthropy is very proud that again this July, 80 young adults will be afforded the opportunity to participate in the life changing Taglit-Birthright program. Many of these young adults are largely unaffiliated with the Australian Jewish community and have never visited Israel. I was very pleased to be present at the Melbourne Taglit predeparture session and meet with a number

of the very excited participants,” said Nicole Brittain, Grant Manager – Jewish and Israel Programs, Gandel Philanthropy.

Ben Janover is a Madrich (leader) who will be leading one of the Australian groups in July: “I have no doubt that the participants will have a great time. The group is intelligent, dynamic and really eager to dive into all that Birthright will offer them. The best part is seeing how it’ll all unfold over the 10 days.”

Research conducted by the Cohen Center of Brandies University indicates that 72% of Taglit-Birthright Israel participants marry someone Jewish compared with 51% of non-participants. Taglit participants are 35% more likely than non-participants to feel confident in explaining the situation in Israel.

It is remarkable that a 10-day trip to Israel can change not only a person’s future but that of the Jewish people.

Taglit-Birthright Israel at first glance may be seen as a fun, free trip for young adults to travel and experience a foreign country.

However it’s so much more than that– it is a gift from the Jewish world to the young generation. Through Taglit-Birthright Israel, 18-26 year olds have an opportunity to connect to the State of Israel, to discover the country in all its complexities and to

Sydney AUJS participants

“Yes you heard right” From next edition, the Sydney Jewish Report will be delivering its paper to your home address for FREE! Email your home address to freesubscriptions@sydneyjewishreport.com

Sydney pre departure session

develop their personal identification with the state. They emerge with friends they would otherwise never have met, they experience a shared history and most importantly they make Israel a part of their present and their future.

Professor Gil Troy, Chair of Birthright Israel’s international education committee commented in a recent article 2019 ‘The Real Birthright: Inheriting our Jewish Story’ The Jerusalem Post June 19, “Birthright Israel works well, because – surprise! – It’s countercultural. It’s insight-seeking not site-seeing; it’s non-partisan in a highly politicized age, it’s about communitybuilding, emphasizing the “our” in tourism, not just the “I”; and it’s open and welcoming not authoritarian and programmatic.”

Since its inception in 2000, more than 700,000 young Jews from 68 countries around the world and more than 100,000 young Israelis have taken part in the TaglitBirthright Israel program.

Every year, approximately 300 participants from all around Australia enjoy this experience. Over 5500 Australians have already participated in this program, of which 4200 were visiting Israel for the first time and 800 originated in small communities.

300 Australian young adults who had not previously celebrated their Bar or Bat Mitzvah did so whilst on their Birthright trips.

ZFA Executive Director Ginette Searle says: - “Gandel Philanthropy have distinguished themselves as leaders of Jewish philanthropy. The vision and foresight of Mr and Mrs Gandel have enabled more than 1000 young adults to participate in this transformative program. The outcomes of Birthright are clear and backed by solid data – Birthright brings young people closer to Israel, to the Jewish community and to their own Jewish identity.”

Pre registrations for the DecemberFebruary Taglit-Birthright Israel trips will open in August, including a new group for those aged 27-32. Please email taglitbirthright@zfa.com.au to express your interest or for further information.

11

parenting

July2019

Finding the off switch when kids worry MICHAEL GROSE Rumination is the ruination of a peaceful mind.

If you’ve ever spent a sleepless night worrying then you’ll know how problems always seem bigger when you keep tossing them around in your head.

It can seem like everything is stacked against you. When this happens you’ve got to find the off switch so you can get away from your worries for a while.

The same principle holds for children and teenagers when they worry. Their problems just seem to get bigger and they need to turn them off or tone them down so they can ease their anxiety.

There are eight easy-to-learn strategies that you can teach your kids to prevent them from ruminating – going over the same thoughts and worries over and over again.

1. Broaden their vision Kids get tunnel vision when they worry.

They often can’t see the bigger picture.

For instance, a young person may fret over minor work matters such getting the exact font match for an assignment they are working on, and neglect to get the sleep necessary for good learning the next day. Sometimes it takes a wise adult to remind children and young people about what really is important to them.

2. Put their attention elsewhere Placing attention away from worries is an age old technique for parents and teachers. Commonly known as distraction, the act of focusing attention on something other than what causes them distress is vital for good mental health. Examples of distractions include – going outside, playing a game, shooting some basketball hoops or listening to music.

3. Give the worry a name Somehow giving a worry a name makes it feel less scary and more manageable.

My favourite picture storybook for toddlers ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on our Roof‘ by Hazel Edwards personifies fear of the dark as a friendly hippo. Much more friendly and easier to boss around if you’re a child.

4. Put your worries in a jar Wouldn’t it be great to put all your worries into a safe and throw away the key? As an adult you may do this when you take time out to watch your favourite TV show; or lose yourself wandering for hours online. Children need something a little more practical. They can write their worries on some paper and

lock them in away in a jar by the side of the bed at the end of the day. It’s good to know that their worries can’t get out because they are locked up tight.

5. Limit talking time It’s good if kids can talk about what’s on their mind but talking needs to be contained to prevent their worries from dominating their lives. Set aside ten minutes a day to talk about their worries and then put worry time aside until tomorrow.

6. Normalise rather than lionise their anxiety Anxious kids are very sensitive to their parents concerns and worries. One way we build their concerns is by continually reassuring them that things will be fine.

One reassurance should be sufficient most of the time followed by “I’ve already talked to you about that.” Continually going over old ground can allow worries to linger longer than necessary.

7. Give him the tools to relax My wife relaxes in front of the TV, which is sufficient for her to take her mind off her worries. Some people need a bigger set of tools including mindfulness and exercise to help us neutralise our worries.

8. Move baby move Get kids moving. Physical exercise is not only a great distraction but it release feel-good endorphins that help children and young people feel better and more optimistic about the future.

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12

parenting

July2019

Want to Be a Truly Responsible Parent? Do This...

BY KVELLER STAFF VIA JTA As a parent, you have a billion things on your plate, from packing lunches and scheduling doctors’ appointments to checking out Hebrew schools and figuring out how to save for college. But one of the most important things you can do for your family is often overlooked: It’s essential to have a plan in place for what happens to them if something happens to you.

“I was in a meeting today with a woman who is 35, and two-and-a-half years ago she lost her husband,” says Sally Kaplan, program director at the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan.

“She knows from experience how important it is to have documents set up that address this scenario — and what happens if you don’t.”

It’s not a fun topic, but it’s a critical one. If you die, or your spouse dies, before your children become adults, it’s imperative that there is a record of who will care for the children. It’s also important to note how you want your kid to be cared for — for example, will they attend public school or a Jewish day school? Will they have a bar or bat mitzvah?

Here’s what you — a responsible parent — need to do.

1. Designate Guardians No one wants to imagine they won’t get to see their children grow up, so deciding on guardianship of your kids is understandably an emotionally challenging decision. But if you don’t make this decision, a court will, so it’s in your best interest (and your kids’) to decide on a person you think is best, and then have a conversation with that individual to make sure they agree.

Numerous dynamics — from lifestyle choices

to educational wishes to financial means — should factor into your decision, and it’s likely no single person is going to check every box perfectly: Maybe you want to ask your warm and loving sister, but she doesn’t do Shabbat.

Or maybe you really like your brother-in-law, but his health isn’t great. If your kids have honorary godparents, they may be another good choice. The important thing is not to make a “perfect” match, but to make a good match with a person you know you can count on in an emergency situation.

2. Set Up a Will Wills are crucial documents that bequeath your assets — money, property, personal goods — as well as your guardianship choice.

A will may include a family trust, which is money that is set aside and handled by an appointed trustee until your children become adults. You can also choose an executor to handle your affairs and a conservator who handles your children’s finances until they come of age.

That person might be their guardian or another family member. The importance of a will can’t be overstated, as it is one of only a few legal documents a court will recognize if someone chooses to dispute proceedings after your death.

3. Consider a Financial Trust Drafting a financial trust for your children is an excellent way to ensure the money you set aside for them is protected from taxes, and that a responsible adult (the trustee) looks after their best financial interests.

Work with your financial advisor or lawyer to decide how your money will be distributed to your children, at what age, and even for what purpose.

What Is Jewish Parenting?

RABBI BRADLEY ARTSON MYJEWISHLEARINING VIA JTA

One of the greatest mitzvot (commandments) in the , the very first command given to humanity, is that of bearing children. “Be fruitful and multiply” is the necessary underpinning of any Jewish community, since without renewed Jewish people, there can be no Torah, nor any Judaism either.

But parenting is more than simple biology.

Any animal can spawn, and most animals have the necessary instincts to guide their young through a relatively brief infancy before the new generation takes off on its own, guided by its own internal barometer.

Humans are distinctive in the extraordinary length of our infancy and youth, the extreme degree of dependence of our young, and our lack of instincts on which to fall back to guide us in raising our children.

Instead of biological drives, we rely on social norms and religious values to guide our parenting and to mold our children.

Our friends, our parents, books, rabbis, magazines and popular psychologists all instruct us about how to raise our children and what standards and expectations we can

rightly apply to them. Human parenting, then, is executed within a network of other adults, and is guided by the cumulative experience of our own communities.

In this sense, anthropologists also speak of the transmission of a traditional culture in similar terms. A culture is normally passed from one generation to another, from knowledgeable adult to learning child. Since the adult has imbibed the norms and practices of the culture from older acculturated adults, this transmission is often simply through exposure and through example — the stuff that memories are made of, i.e., watching Bubbe lighting Shabbat candles, sitting next to Zeyde at a Passover seder.

The Torah records that point clearly in Parashat Bamidbar, Numbers 1:1 - 4:20. The Torah portion opens by noting, “This is the line of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

These were the names of Aaron’s sons . . . ” What follows is a list of Aaron’s children and grandchildren.

This strange juxtaposition of Moses’ name with Aaron’s children raises an obvious question. In the words of the Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah, “Surely, ‘the line of Moses’

4. Create an Advance Directive This document allows you to make decisions about the type of treatment you want to receive if you are in a serious accident, say, or for endof-life treatment in cases of a terminal illness.

Often people wonder what the difference is between an advance directive versus a living will, and while they are very similar, living wills tend to focus on issues such as when to resuscitate or when to take you off life support, while advance directives focus on nuances of the types of treatments you would be comfortable receiving. An advance directive allows you to express your values and desires if you are incapacitated.

5. File a Healthcare Proxy and Power of Attorney A healthcare proxy is a document that appoints a person of your choosing to make medical decisions if you are unable. Similarly, a durable power of attorney assigns someone to make financial decisions if you become incapacitated. They can be the same person, or different people, depending on your situation.

Both of these documents are key for eliminating family fighting, and allow for a smooth process should something happen to you.

6. Buy Life and Disability Insurance Like death and taxes, talking about life insurance might sour your stomach, but it’s something every responsible adult should have. A life insurance policy is one of the best ways to financially protect your children in the unlikely event of your death.

Likewise, disability insurance provides a lump sum payout in the event you become injured or ill and unable to work and can cover your family when you need it most. Talk with

is not required here! Why, then, is it stated?”

The answer provided by the Midrash is that Moses’ name is listed alongside that of the natural father, Aaron, “out of respect for Moses, in order not to diminish any of his dignity.” Yet, we still must ask, what did Moses do to deserve being listed as a “parent” to Aaron’s children?

The answer is found in the commentary of Rashi (France, 11th century). Rashi tells us that Aaron’s children “are called the line of Moses because he taught them the Torah.

This teaches that whoever teaches Torah to the child of a friend, it is accounted as the bearer of the child.” Moses makes himself the equivalent of a parent by providing the Jewish identity of Jewish children. By teaching them who they are and where they belong, he really does perform the deeds of parenting.

As the children watched Moses fast on Yom Kippur, study Torah, build a sukkah, care for widows and orphans, eat matzah on Passover, keep kosher, dispense justice and observe the Sabbath, they absorbed his Jewishness without even knowing it. By teaching them the Hebrew alphabet, how to pray, study and live as Jews, Moses assured the continuity of Judaism and the Jewish

your financial advisor about how big of a policy to purchase.

7. Name Your Beneficiaries For assets like 401ks, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and brokerage accounts, be sure your beneficiaries are upto-date and create a single document that lists each account or policy with the name(s) of who it benefits when you pass. At least once a year, review your list of beneficiaries, and update accordingly as your family grows.

8. Write an Ethical Will An ethical will is a way to pass on your legacy and values to your children. It’s a place for you to record your hopes and dreams for the next generation, and recount personal stories that others can learn from. There is no right or wrong way to create an ethical will. “You can use whatever medium you prefer,” says Rabbi Abigail Treu, director of the Center for Jewish Living and the Sonabend Center for Israel at the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan.

Journals, a series of letters, or a video are all valid approaches.

“People usually receive a last will and testament when a loved one passes,” says Treu. “Imagine instead if the last piece of paper you receive from a loved one was a personal letter of what they hope for you, how they want your life to be, their values and a blessing for you.”

Though you can include whatever you wish, Treu cautions against commands such as “become a doctor” or “invest the money here.”

Instead, consider topics like, “lessons I forgot to teach you” and “what you mean to me.” Says Rabbi Treu,“This way, families can use it as a way of remembering and celebrating your life.”

People. Isn’t that precisely the role of the Jewish parent throughout time?

Today, far too many of us live without the ability to be Jewish parents to our children.

Instead of teaching Judaism to them, we learn from them what they have gleaned from religious school. In many homes, parents are unable to parent their children in this most important area of the child’s identity. How can we rectify that imbalance?

Every synagogue in existence is really an empowerment center, dedicated to providing Jews with the ability and knowledge to create Jewish homes and to teach their children Jewish ways and Jewish values.

Ignorance is no sin, unless it is the result of deliberate choice. Putting parenting back in the hands of Jewish mothers and fathers is precisely what rabbis, educators and adult education programs are eager to do. So, reach out to these potential parents of you and your children. Go and learn!

Reprinted with permission from American Jewish University.

July2019

parenting

The New Addiction: We need to stop our teens before the effects can’t be undone MORIAH COLLEGE JAN HART

The use of e-cigarettes is on the rise, particularly among high school students, and, given that the use of these devices is a relatively new phenomenon, we felt it important to provide students and parents with some relevant background information.

Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid to produce a vapour that is inhaled. The fluid usually contains propylene glycol, glycerol, nicotine and added flavouring(s). The devices are designed to deliver the aerosol directly to the lungs. Some resemble conventional cigarettes, while more recently developed devices look like everyday items such as pens or USB memory sticks.

The appeal of these flavoured e-cigarettes to adolescents has led to their rapid uptake around the world.

The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is concerned that e-cigarettes have ‘renormalised’ smoking. A worryingly recent study has also found that e-cigarette users were three times more likely than non-e-cigarette users to subsequently become tobacco smokers.

While the damaging impact of smoking tobacco is well known, the short and long-term health effects of e-cigarettes are still being researched.

SAFETY OF E-CIGARETTES Although the compositions of the e-cigarette liquids vary, they all contain a range of different solvents and flavouring agents which have the potential to increase the risk of developing

cardiovascular, cancer and respiratory diseases.

When overheated, the solvents propylene glycol and glycerine can produce dangerous levels of the carcinogens formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

The vapour can also contain: • Heavy metals such as aluminium, arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and tin, all of which cause adverse health effects.

• Particulates at levels that have the potential to cause adverse health effects for both the user and for bystanders. The World Health Organisation has warned that exposure to any level of particulate matter may be harmful and that levels of exposure should be minimised.

• Flavourings normally approved for use in food production e.g. cherry, cinnamon, vanilla and popcorn flavours which, when inhaled directly into the lungs, can be toxic and have been demonstrated to have a range of different deleterious effects.

The NHMRC has found that users of e-cigarettes typically experience a low rate of adverse effects in the short-term, with mouth and throat irritation the most commonly reported symptoms. The most common symptoms reported by those passively exposed to e-cigarettes included respiratory difficulties, eye irritation, headache, nausea and sore throat or throat irritation.

More serious adverse events have also been reported, with over 200 incidents in the US and UK alone of e-cigarettes overheating, catching fire or exploding, leading to disfigurement and life-threatening injury. The rising popularity of e-cigarette use internationally has also corresponded with an increasing number

of reported nicotine poisonings due to skin exposure to or ingestion of e-liquids.

The newest and most popular vaping product is the JUUL, which resembles a USB memory stick. This device now accounts for three quarters of the market share in the United States and every JUUL product contains a large dose of nicotine. Many lawmakers and public health officials in the US have criticised the company’s marketing practices, believing them to have targeted teens through social media influencers and their promotion of fruity pod flavours, which are now only sold online.

VAPING AND THE LAW IN NEW SOUTH WALES • E-cigarettes that do not contain nicotine are legal for use by adults. The sale and use of e-liquid nicotine is against the NSW Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008.

• The sale of e-cigarettes or e-cigarette accessories to a person under the age of 18 is illegal. NSW Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008.

It is also illegal to use an e-cigarette in a car with a child under the age of 16.

• Note: E-cigarettes have also often been found to be labelled incorrectly. Despite claims to the contrary, many do contain nicotine. Tests conducted by NSW Health in 2013 showed that 70 percent of the samples contained high levels of nicotine, even though the label did not state nicotine as an ingredient.

Nicotine is known to be very addictive and can impact on brain development in teenagers, affecting memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention and mood.

“While smokers build up a tolerance to nicotine, people exposed to nicotine for the

13

first time may experience mild symptoms of nicotine poisoning.”

A NSW Health Fact Sheet on the safety of e-cigarettes states that, “While smokers build up a tolerance to nicotine, people exposed to nicotine for the first time may experience mild symptoms of nicotine poisoning.”

VAPING AT THE COLLEGE AND COLLEGE EVENTS At Moriah College, students must not “possess, smoke, consume, use, or deal in tobacco, e-cigarettes, prohibited drugs, alcohol or assist another person to obtain, consume, use, or deal in such substances, on College premises including buildings, gardens, sports fields and car parks and at College sanctioned events, including camps, trips or tours conducted by the College.”

ADDRESSING THIS MATTER WITH STUDENTS While education regarding the dangers of tobacco and e-cigarettes is part of Moriah’s normal Personal Development, Health and Physical Education program, over the next week, PDHPE staff will be addressing e-cigarette use specifically with all High School students.

At Moriah College, the Wellbeing team is always on-hand to offer expert advice and assistance on these matters, and parents with any questions or concerns regarding their child’s health are encouraged to contact a member of the team for help and support..

14

international

July2019

Sacks at 70: ‘I feel younger than five years ago’ JUSTIN COHEN Rabbi Lord Sacks remains on the cusp of creativity and innovation as he celebrates his 70th birthday When sitting down to interview the one of the world’s foremost religious thinkers – a sought-after voice on faith on the state of the world today – the songs of Ed Sheeran are surely among the least likely topics to crop up.

Perhaps even more so when the interviewee is celebrating his 70th birthday today.

But after the best part of an hour with the then 69-year-old Lord Sacks, that’s the unexpected turn our chat takes as he discusses the lyrics of the British hit-maker’s Castle on the Hill and I get a rare insight into the down time of the man beyond the orator.

“Brahms is great to run to,” he says “but so is Ed Sheeran. Michael Jackson was also pretty good on running music. My iPhone has got terrific music; music to meditate by, chill to and music to run on my treadmill to”.

I couldn’t conceal my mild amusement. But perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised by his grasp of popular culture; his belief in a Judaism engaged with the world was after all at the very centre of his message on leaving the chief rabbinate four years ago.

Since then Lord Sacks has taken that message to communities from Mexico to South America and to the wider public, including when he became the first religious figure to take the main stage at TED’s HQ – an experience he describes as “ one of the most nerve-wracking in my life”.

That talk was streamed to 100,000 people in cinemas around the world and has been viewed more than 1.5m times online.

The peer has also innovated on social media, where a series of viral whiteboard animations voiced by Lord Sacks attract hundreds of thousands of views. While Lord Sacks had long planned for post-chief rabbinate life – “as I said to the government when it asked for my support for the Iraq war ‘have you got an exit plan?’” – he didn’t predict the extent of the interest in his message “We couldn’t have foreseen the impact of social media and the development of the internet.

This has created possibilities that never existed before, you can function globally in a way nobody could before, immediately and at low cost. It is also down to having the greatest team in the world.”

But he suggests ever-developing technology – alongside weakening families and communities beyond religious groups – is one reason for increasing numbers of people turning to political extremes. “Humans can get used to almost anything: poverty, disease, war. What they can’t get used to is change. So they search for certainty and those certainties tend to lead them to extremes. When you’re trying to live by simple truths in a complicated world, you do become extreme.”

He sees this trend continuing. “We don’t know quite what the impact of, for instance, artificial intelligence is going to be. We are living in a very uncertain world and it’s going to become more uncertain. So it’s more and more important to safeguard support networks and there’s nothing more powerful than strong communities and families.”

Lord Sacks is convinced that the religious voice is more crucial than ever. “When politics is divisive, religion has a duty to unite.”

Despite having his eyes firmly trained on the future and having “made it an absolute point of principle” not to tread on his successor’s toes, he heaps praise on Chief Rabbi Mirvis for “creative” initiatives including Shabbat UK and education programmes for women.

He also “salutes” the Chief Rabbi’s decision to go to Limmud, despite his own decision not to. “I knew that Limmud is a fraught issue in the Jewish community, rightly or wrongly. For all my 22 years in office I said every rabbi that wanted to go should do so with my blessing.

The Chief Rabbi going has not ended the controversy and I knew that my going would not end it either.”

He says restrictions are a natural byproduct of leadership. “I felt privileged for the whole of my chief rabbinate. But when you’re captain of the team you have to play by the rules of the team. That means you can’t always say and do what you would do as a private individual. So for the last four and a half years being able to speak in my own voice and make my own decisions without necessarily worrying about others has been exhilarating. People have noticed. I feel a lot younger than I did five years ago.”

Having overseen an explosion in Jewish

school places under his chief rabbinate, education remains a key focus today – whether through the launch this week of a curriculum bringing together his teachings with classical sources or in America where leaders have asked for his help. “American Jewry will never be like Anglo-Jewry because it’s bigger and has a different political culture.

But the bigger respect in which we’re different is that we’ve built day schools. In America now, outside the Orthodox community, the religion is haemorrhaging. In many ways British Jewry remains strong in a way that American Jewry has historically been strong, but today is beginning to weaken at the edges. We’re trying to tease through what would constitute a major campaign of the kind we did in AngloJewry under Jewish continuity.”

Sticking with America, he said he “understood” the criticism over his key role in helping Mike Pence draft his much-lauded Knesset speech. But Sacks said that while “they were looking at a person”, he was focused on issues. “It was the vice-president of America delivering a message on behalf of the American government about recognising Jerusalem. Whoever had been the person I would, if asked to help, have done so.”

As he hits the big 7-0, just ahead of the Jewish state, he praised the country as “young for a 70-year-old nation” that thrives “because it empowers the young”. Though the announcement last week of the first official Royal visit came as a surprise at a moment of political deadlock, he praised the “wisdom and courage” of the move during the birthday year. Though he understood the difficulties for the British authorities, he said the Royals “had probably wanted to go before”.

The country’s greatest challenge, he insists, remains to find a way to embrace and bring together Israelis of all religious levels. He said: “Israel’s president, a man I hugely admire, has been speaking in recent years about an Israel of four minorities: the secular, the religious, the ultra-religious and the Palestinians who do not share a common narrative. We are the world’s experts in creating narratives. Where is the vision in Israel of a society that embraces both some very holy people who are to Israel what the priesthood was in biblical Israel, plus a religious and secular public who, though they may be secular, are to a large degree very open indeed to Judaism if it is not forced on them.

As for the birthday boy, there’s little sign of the “semi-retirement” for Lord Sacks that Prince Charles referred to back in 2013.

He was recently honoured with a lifetime achievement award at Jewish News’ Night of Heroes, which he describes as “one of the best communal events I’ve ever attended because it lifted our moral and emotional horizons”.

He insisted his “young team” keeps him fresh (he wears a Fitbit on his arm to track his healthy lifestyle) and says that continually moving outside his comfort zone – including comedy video with Ashley Blaker – keeps him from going stale.

He is currently working on his chumash, “the biggest project I’ve ever undertaken”, and is promising a five-part series on BBC radio on the big moral issues facing humanity.

“I’m looking after my health,” he says. “I’m exercising as hard as I can because this work needs to be done.”

Headstones smashed at Jewish cemetery in South Africa JTA MARCY OSTER Four headstones were knocked over and smashed at a Jewish cemetery in suburban Cape Town.

It was the third incident of vandalized Jewish gravestones in South Africa in the last week, The Times South Africa reported.

In the latest episode, the vandalized headstones were discovered in Strand

over the weekend.

Stuart Diamond, head of the Cape Jewish Board of Deputies, told the newspaper that the vandalism is not believed to have been an anti-Semitic act.

“I am concerned about antisocial behavior becoming pervasive in our cemeteries, which we want to keep sacred. But I do not believe that this was a deliberately anti-Semitic act,” he said.

A police report was filed in the latest

incident.

Israel Hayom reported Sunday that police fear the recent violence at the Jewish cemeteries is “the work of an active neo-Nazi cell.”

“These incidents, unfortunately, spread like wildfire and have become a global trend, and these are very serious incidents that must be stopped immediately before they kill Jews,” the deputy chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel, said in a

statement, Israel Hayom reported.

“The South African police must stop these attackers, and it is the South African government’s responsibility to act accordingly against such incidents. If this is indeed the actions of a neo-Nazi cell, we must put an end to it, the sooner the better” In December, 39 gravestones were vandalized in the Jewish cemetery in Wellington, near Cape Town, in an antiSemitic attack.

July2019

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Postmodernism and Israel: Fluidity of words has real-world implications EITAN FISCHBERGER Any country with similar laws to the Jewish state would be considered democratic, yet only for Israel has democracy’s definition been altered. Is it a product of semantics or politics?

The debate as to whether anti-Zionism is a form of anti-Semitism has been used to pummel Israel supporters into submission by claiming that criticism towards Israel is merely the former, even when the criticism transgresses all parameters of acceptable critique and veers into the territory of bigotry.

Likewise, the phenomenon of “intersectionality” has been used to silence supporters of Israel by claiming that they are privileged oppressors, and therefore have no right to participate in the discourse. However, I believe that Postmodernism serves as a far deadlier weapon against Israel than even the former two, albeit far less obviously.

Defining postmodernism is nigh impossible since defining it goes against its view that there are no objective definitions. Put simply, postmodernism is a multidisciplinary movement, characterized by skepticism, relativism and subjectivism. It rejects reason, objective reality, and more broadly, modern Western philosophy as built upon the foundations of the Enlightenment.

Postmodernism has been weaponized against supporters of Israel through its assertion that language itself is not rigid, but malleable. In

other words, any word can have an assortment of different meanings, and no definition is more correct than the other.

Through Postmodernism, certain keywords are used in a fluid manner in order to delegitimize Israel, even though they bear no relevance to Israel whatsoever. These keywords are essentially redefined, or the conditions for the word to apply are drastically lowered, solely for the sake of permeating society’s collective consciousness and distorting Israel’s image.

That is how the word “apartheid” has become associated with Israel, despite Israeli Arabs, Druze and Ethiopians serving in the highest echelons of the Israeli government, parliament and judiciary. Sure, racism and discrimination are endemic to every society, and always will be, but labeling Israel an apartheid state is woefully inaccurate.

Then there is the oft-heard contention that Israel is committing a Palestinian “genocide,” even though the Palestinian population in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip continues to grow at a rapid pace.

One of the most egregious perversions of language came courtesy of the United Nation’s 1975 resolution declaring that Zionism is racism. Although this resolution was subsequently nullified, its idea took root, and for many, Zionism will forever be synonymous with racism.

A prime example of this trend is the redefinition of the word “refugee,” whereby every refugee in the world sheds this status once they resettle in another country, and

their descendants do not receive refugee status either. Only Palestinians are considered refugees even after resettling, and their descendants inherit this status indefinitely.

Another example is the erroneous characterization of Israel as undemocratic.

True, Israel has some controversial laws.

However, it has also constitutionalized human dignity and liberty, has frequent and fair elections, holds its leaders accountable by law, and its LGBTQ citizens enjoy more rights than anywhere else in the Middle East. Any country with similar laws to Israel would be considered democratic, yet only for Israel has democracy’s definition been altered.

Needless to say, numerous other examples of redefinition are available. This fluidity of words has real-world implications. It has prevented the adoption of universal definitions for words like “terrorism” and “anti-Semitism.” This allows organizations such as Jewish Voices for Peace to invite convicted terrorists like Rasmea Odeh to speak at their events, actors like John Cusack to either foolishly or maliciously tweet anti-Semitic drivel, and terrorist organizations like Hamas to operate relatively unobstructed on the international stage, since, as the old adage goes: “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”

Likewise, time is wasted debating whether Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn are anti-Semitic or not, instead of simply relying on a definition, and then fighting the wretched anti-Semites wherever they rear their ugly heads.

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Speaking of Omar, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi perfectly epitomized the postmodernism problem when she remarked that Omar “has a different experience in the use of words.”

What does “different experience in the use of words” even mean? This ridiculous ambiguity of language has hijacked Western political discourse, which allows comments like these to be excused by the U.S. Speaker of the House and the public at large.

None of the above is meant to absolve Israel of criticism, which it often deserves. Rather, it is meant to reaffirm the notion that although conflicting narratives and opinions may exist, there is still an objective reality. Israel took too long to understand the power of language to influence the collective consciousness and international law, and it is now paying the price.

This phenomenon must be fought tooth and nail.

Overcoming this challenge will be difficult.

Words define the rules of the game, and the words are already stacked against us.

However, we cannot win if we do not play. We need to start playing, and the restoration of objective language is as good a starting point as any.

Eitan Fischberger, an intern at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, is pursuing his bachelor’s degree at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC) in Israel. Previously, he interned at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations in New York. He is also a CAMERA Fellow for the upcoming academic year.

Palestinians and the Bahrain Conference: Condemning Arabs While Asking for Arab Money KHALED ABU TOAMEH In 2009, the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz announced his country’s decision to donate $1 billion to contribute to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

The monarch made his announcement during an Arab economic conference in Kuwait. The Saudi pledge never materialized, mainly because of the continued dispute between the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip and Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank.

The king undoubtedly had good intentions and sought to help his Palestinian brothers, especially the two million residents of the Gaza Strip who remain in dire need of financial and economic assistance.

When King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz died six years later, the Palestinians did not hesitate to show their contempt for the Arab leader who had offered to help improve their living conditions and ensure a better future for Palestinian children.

The contempt was so intense that Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem booed down a preacher, Ismail Nawahdeh, who mourned the death of the Saudi king. As Nawahdeh read the statement, hundreds of Palestinians began shouting slogans denouncing the late monarch.

A decade has passed since King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz offered the $1 billion donation to the Gaza Strip, but it seems that nothing has changed in the world of the Palestinians.

The Palestinians are now incensed with Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states for agreeing to attend a US-led conference in Bahrain. The main purpose of the conference, held under the banner “Peace to Prosperity,” is to help the Palestinians build a prosperous and vibrant society. “With the potential to facilitate more than $50 billion in new investment over 10 years, the plan presents the most ambitious and comprehensive international effort for the Palestinian people to date,” according to the plan, which was

released on June 22 and will be presented to participants of the Bahrain economic conference.

As expected, the Palestinians, who are boycotting the Bahrain conference, have rejected the plan, dubbing it a “bribe” to entice the Palestinians to relinquish their “national rights.” While the Palestinian rejection of the plan did not come as a surprise, their strong condemnations of the Arab states that have agreed to attend the Bahrain conference are an indication of the disdain in which the Palestinians hold Arab leaders and governments.

In the past week, Palestinian officials and factions were unanimous in making a lastminute appeal to the Arab states to heed the Palestinian call for boycotting the economic conference in Manama, Bahrain. The largest Palestinian faction, Fatah, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, said in several statements that anyone who attends the conference would be considered a traitor. Fatah also went a step further by urging Arabs to stage demonstrations in front of Bahrain’s embassies in their capitals.

The Palestinian strategy is clear: to incite the Arab masses against their leaders and governments. The Palestinian attacks are no longer directed against US President Donald Trump and his “Zionist” advisers, Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.

Now the targets are the Arab heads of state, particularly those who are seen by Palestinians are being in collusion with Israel and the Trump administration.

The late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz, despite his desire and ambition to help the Palestinians have better lives, was ridiculed after his death. The Palestinian refusal to mourn him during Muslim prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque is the most degrading act a Muslim can perform against a fellow Muslim.

It is as if the Palestinians were saying that King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz was a bad Muslim and a traitor -- and, as such, he did not deserve to be honored in a mosque. Such

disgrace is generally reserved for Muslims who commit the most serious sins and crimes.

As the Palestinians were condemning Arabs for agreeing to attend the conference in Bahrain, Palestinian leaders repeated their appeal to the Arab states for financial aid. On the one hand, the Palestinians are condemning Arab countries for attending a conference aimed at boosting the Palestinian economy and improving living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On the other hand, Palestinian leaders have no problem begging their Arab brothers for urgent financial aid.

The Arabs, however, seem to have become familiar with Palestinian tactics and, other than lip service, they are not poised to part with their money in the near future in favor of the Palestinians.

On June 23, Arab foreign ministers were scheduled to meet in Cairo to discuss the Palestinian appeal for a “financial security net” from the Arab states, on the pretext that Abbas and his government are facing a severe financial crisis and are unable to pay full salaries to their employees. This is not the first time that most of the Arab states meet to discuss the “financial crisis” facing the Palestinians.

The Palestinians, for their part, are not pinning high hopes on the Arabs, particularly in light of the Arabs’ failure to fulfill previous promises of financial aid. The Palestinians are asking the Arabs to give them $100 million each month to help them “face political and financial pressure” from Israel and the US administration.

In the coming days, the Palestinians are expected to step up their attacks and denunciations of the Arab states for being in collusion with Israel and the Trump administration. Mass protests planned in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the meeting of the conference in Bahrain will also see Palestinians strongly condemning Arab “traitors” who attended the economic workshop.

The Palestinians realize that some of the key Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, are no longer prepared to wait for them and have decided to board the train whose final destination is prosperity and economic opportunities for both Palestinians and Arabs.

The Bahrain conference could mark the beginning of a “divorce” between the Palestinians and many Arab countries. The Palestinians may soon discover that their Arab brothers have priorities that supersede the Palestinians’ everlasting financial selfimmolation, priorities such as the Iran threat and their own new economic uncertainty.

The Palestinians had nothing to lose by attending the Bahrain conference or accepting the economic plan. Instead, they chose to reject the billions of dollars the US economic plan is offering them and incite their people against Israel and the Trump administration.

Even more serious is the Palestinian effort to incite Arab masses against their leaders – a step that is sure to aggravate tensions between the Palestinians and the Arab world.

In a scenario that is best characterized as bizarre, the Palestinians’ denunciation of Arab heads of state as traitors comes at the very moment that they are banging down their doors, begging for cash.

This time, however, the Arab leaders are refusing to be the Palestinians’ suckers.

The image of the Palestinians’ posthumous humiliation of the late Saudi king is difficult to forget.

The decision of six Arab states to attend the Bahrain conference despite the Palestinian boycott call shows that the Arabs have chosen to endorse a new direction – one that will leave the Palestinians to fend for themselves in a hell of their own making.

For their choice to thumb their noses not only at the US but also at influential Arab states, the Palestinians are likely to emerge as the biggest losers.

Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.

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If only the Palestinian leadership really wished for peace ALEX RYVCHIN The economic component of the Trump administration’s intensely awaited plan to achieve an end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been released.

Formally titled Peace to Prosperity, the proposal contains a three-pronged program of investment and reforms to transform the Palestinian economy and society through the injection of $US50 billion ($71.8bn) of foreign investment, opportunities for ­ordinary Palestinians in employment, education, even recreation, and the establishment of a transparent and competent Palestinian administration, without which businesses will have no confidence to invest and Palestinian institutions will continue to wither.

The plan assumes, correctly, that peace building and viable Palestinian self-government will ­ require far more than glamorous signing ceremonies on manicured lawns. In offering unprecedented opportunities while maintaining diplomatic and economic pressure on the bloated, inert Palestinian leadership, US President Donald Trump has overthrown the old discredited order of attempting to get the Palestinians to negotiate in good faith by extracting upfront concessions from Israel.

Yet the latest proposal, astute as it may be, is destined to fail, just like more conventional diplomatic efforts of previous administrations. This is because the Trump plan, like all others, is founded on an irredeemable fallacy: that the Palestinian leadership wants to end the conflict.

Long before the Trump plan was tabled or its contents were revealed, it was predictably rejected out of hand by the Palestinian

leadership. Any plan that promises to “empower the Palestinian people” and “improve the public sector’s ability to serve its people” is a threat to the status quo by which the leaders of the Palestinian movement have attained personal status and wealth while shedding all accountability to the people they claim to serve.

Saeb Erekat, the perennial “chief negotiator” for the Palestinians, announced a boycott of the regional conference in Bahrain at which the plan is being presented.

Erekat’s three-decade career as a negotiator has resulted in three rejections of a twostate solution, which would have delivered the Palestinians statehood over territory equivalent in size to 100 per cent of the area of the West Bank and Gaza, with a capital in east Jerusalem, an end to the blockade of Gaza and a solution to the Palestinian refugee ­problem.

The equally longstanding and self-serving Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi, who lauded Saddam Hussein for “standing up for Arab rights, Arab dignity, Arab pride” following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, and notoriously opposed the historic Oslo Accords because they recognised Israel, called the Bahrain conference “delusional, irresponsible” and “an insult to our intelligence”.

Ashrawi has a Sydney Peace Prize to her name and the adoration of Bob Carr and parts of the global left, but not a single, tangible legislative or diplomatic achievement in three decades of public life.

The petulant refusal of the Palestinian leadership to even consider a proposal intended to offer ordinary Palestinians an alternative to war, conflict and victimhood is a betrayal and a crime but is impeccably

consistent with earlier Palestinian responses to international efforts aimed at giving them statehood.

When in 1937 the British first proposed resolving competing Jewish and Arab claims to the land through partition and the creation of a first-ever independent Arab Palestinian state, alongside a Jewish state on just 4 per cent of the British Mandate territory, the reaction of the Palestinian leadership was an outright “no”, backed by widespread violence and calls for the “liberation of the country and establishment of an Arab government”.

When the UN held consultations throughout the country in 1947, again seeking to mediate peacefully rival claims to the land, the Arab leaders boycotted the proceedings.

Periodically, some Palestinian leaders have admitted that their strategy of boycott backed by violence has been utterly ruinous.

Palestinian jurist Henry Cattan admitted the 1947 boycott had been “unfortunate”.

Palestinian unionist Majdi Shella ­admitted the Palestinians “have a long tradition of boycotting e ­ verything. Sometimes boycotting is the easier road. If you want to do nothing, boycott.”

Yet the Palestinians have refined their instinct for rejection and political selfimmolation to such an extent that they appear to know no other path.

This is why Palestinian rioters destroyed greenhouses left to them by the Israelis following the unilateral ­ Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. This is why last year Palestinians in Gaza set fire to the Kerem Shalom border crossing through which medicine, aid and consumer products intended for the Palestinians are transferred.

Far from holding Palestinian leaders accountable for their betrayal of their own people, instead supporters of the Palestinian cause in the West uncritically have backed the latest Palestinian boycott, thereby making themselves complicit in the entrenched ­ culture of violence, corruption and bigotry of the Palestinian leadership.

After all, just as Palestinian leaders have been enriched by their own obstructionism, one wonders what anti-Israel activists would do with themselves if the Palestinians ever chose peace and prosperity over perpetual conflict.

Perhaps the most telling statement on the Trump proposal came from a senior Saudi diplomat who called the Palestinians “irresponsible” for refusing even to entertain a proposal intended to provide immense benefits for their own people.

“History and Allah have brought a real opportunity,” the diplomat said. “The blood conflict had lasted too long. The Saudis and all Gulf states plus Egypt and Jordan realise that the age of war with Israel is over.”

It took the Arab nations three failed invasions of Israel and decades of economic warfare and fruitless diplomatic skirmishes finally to recognise that the Jewish state is neither temporary nor a threat to their interests. One wonders how many more decades of boycott and bloodshed will be needed before Palestinian leaders finally chart a new and constructive course.

Alex Ryvchin is co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the author of The Anti-Israel Agenda – Inside the Political War on the Jewish State (Gefen Publishing House, 2017).

Republished from The Australian

Moriah College Commences Master Planning To Prepare For New Innovations In Learning Environments MORIAH COLLEGE Moriah College has embarked on a master planning process with the New South Wales State Government to address the school’s educational needs for the next decade.

“Rapid advances in technology, together with increased connectivity, means that our students are learning new things in new ways,” said Moriah College President, Stephen Jankelowitz.

“For teaching to be relevant and meaningful, our educators need to be visionary, imaginative and adaptable with teaching and learning spaces to match. Our Queens Park campus requires an upgrade that aligns with our effective teaching methods and provides the modern, flexible and technology-rich spaces to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s world.”

A State Significant Development Application (SSDA) will be lodged with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in the coming months.

The master plan includes the creation of new Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) facilities and an Independent Learning Centre (ILC) for high school students, as well as expanded open, green spaces to allow for greater social interaction and enhanced collaborative

knowledge sharing. The master plan also includes potential upgrades to the Early Learning Centre (ELC) based on an increased demand for places.

Currently, Moriah College can accommodate up to 1680 students from the ELC through to high school. The application will seek a 20% increase in numbers to satisfy demand over the coming decades.

The proposed design of innovative learning environments will enable Moriah College to grow sustainably and ensure that future teaching and learning needs are met.

Another important priority of the master plan is to address the traffic circulation around Moriah College and to redirect vehicle access away from nearby residential areas on Queens Park Road.

Moriah College has engaged architectural firm fjmt to prepare the master plan and detailed designs for the initial stages of the project. Moriah College and its consultant team will begin an open, transparent and detailed consultation period with its nearby neighbours, stakeholders and community over the coming months.

For further information, contact Colby Crane, Urbis Engagement on 0447 247 161 or ccrane@urbis.com.au.

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Unity through community at Masada College MASADA COLLEGE Term Two at Masada College resonated with the theme of community, which is built on the foundation of respect, tolerance and understanding.

The term began with Yom HaShoah and the importance of memory. When we as Jews remember, we most commonly do so through action: tzedaka, lighting a candle or prayer. Why? To remind ourselves of our God-given mission to make the world a kinder, better place.

This was followed by our annual Living Historian presentations. By interviewing and then retelling the stories of courage and hope of Holocaust survivors in our community, students learn to never underestimate the power of community in times of need. Yet the power of community is not only felt during times of need; it is also at its most palpable during times of joy.

And Masada College has had many joyful moments this term as well. Our Junior School hosted a Schlissel Challah Bake where students witnessed the power of unity as they learnt that individually we are but a strand of challah, but together we can nourish a family. And neither rain nor cold could dampen our spirits as students, parents and teachers came together for Generation Sinai learning followed by a very special Mezuzah Walk.

Students were enthralled seeing their learning being put into practice as new Mezuzot were affixed to doors around the campus.

From Generation Sinai and a special Mezuzah Walk to a Schlissel Challah Bake, term two infused unity into the Masada College community

Our Year 9 students spent some time at St Edmunds College for students with a wide range of disabilities.

There, our students were taught the value of inclusion and understanding fundamental values to our College. Of course, the multitude of Chagim celebrated and commemorated across the College, as they always have been, including Yom

Ha’atzmaut, Yom Hazikaron, Lag Ba’Omer and Shavuot speak to those members of our community who started Masada College more than 50 years ago.

These pioneers were committed to ensuring that our children understood and were proud of their identity and learnt about their religion, traditions and heritage - a commitment that Masada College continues to fulfill today.

A celebration to remember

KORNMEHL CENTRE EMANUEL PRE-SCHOOL

Kornmehl Centre Emanuel Pre-School recently celebrated its 20th birthday with over 120 special guests including the Kornmehl family, past and current parents and teachers.

Terry Aizen, Pre-School Director since 2005, honoured and remembered the late Paul Kornmehl, whose vision to build a preschool came to fruition in 1999, as well as Paul’s daughter, the late Anita Kornmehl.

With the Kornmehl family’s continuing support, the Pre-School has grown in capacity and facilities. Terry Aizen shared: “Our program is busy and the children in our care are stimulated and challenged in all areas of their development. They are supported during their two years with us to reach their full potential and move onto Primary School as capable, confident and enthusiastic learners.

“It’s truly wonderful to see families returning again and again with their second, third and in some unique cases, even fourth child. This creates continuity, the building

Amber Langman, Year 11, finding her 2006 and 2007 pre-school class photos

of deep and meaningful relationships and the cementing of strong foundations and friendships.”

Ashley Cohn, past Kornmehl Pre-School student who is now in Year 6 at Emanuel School, shared her memories with guests: “It was always a highlight for us to have our parents and grandparents visit and volunteer their time. Watching them cut up fruit in the mornings, help bake challot and hamantaschen, or lend a hand in the garden helped make Pre-School feel like home.”

Keeping it in the family, music was provided by 33 Degrees, a Jazz Trio, comprising Emanuel Alumni, two of whom are also Kornmehl Pre-School graduates.

Yvonne Krenzien, Paul Kornmehl’s daughter, reflected on the evening: “Dad would have been so chuffed and Anita so proud. The love and thought that went into the celebration was unparalleled in my experience. Dad’s vision was to not only to have a school to educate but his dream was to create a community that starts there and goes on forever. I think that Dad’s dream was realised.”

Jim Kornmehl, shares memories with the guests

Emanuel School’s Romeo meets his Juliet EMANUEL SCHOOL Emanuel School’s High School production of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet played to an audience of over 600, with cheers and bravos that brought the house down.

Co-directors Samantha Bauer, Head of Drama and David Camp, Head of English, worked for many months with the cast, to develop a highly-polished, engaging and memorable production. “Our vision to direct Romeo and Juliet has finally come to fruition. We are so proud of our amazing cast for their enthusiasm and dedication to this play. From the first rehearsal, the cast were committed to embracing and engaging with the Shakespearian verse.

Their perseverance to grapple with the text and give meaning to the language is truly remarkable. It is no easy feat to perform Shakespeare, and this group of talented actors has worked tirelessly to bring his words to life on stage.”

Despite some of the difficulties caused by knives falling apart, stubborn blood

pouches and candles that would not behave, the cast worked together to learn dance moves, throw punches, dust chairs and send entertaining text messages to the Prince of Verona.

Jessica Lowy, Year 10, who played Juliet, thanked the staff who helped bring the Bard’s work from page to stage: “This has been the most amazing experience and I’m so grateful that you let me be a part of it. Thank you for making this play as insane, hilarious, fun, unique and meaningful as it was. I’ll never forget it.”

Andrew Watt, Principal, was greatly impressed by the talent and commitment of the many cast members. “They conveyed sensitivity to the content of the play and maturity in dealing with confronting themes. The performance of the play’s tragic ending brought some in the audience to tears and the students’ energy and enthusiasm throughout created a truly memorable and uplifting experience.”

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Mount Sinai College investment pays off MOUNT SINAI COLLEGE

The journey began 6 years ago for Mount Sinai College with an architectural design competition. The stated goal: to reflect the aspirations of the team of educators who were looking to make education more relevant and meaningful to our children.

Principal Phil Roberts says, “We are now telling our story like never before. Honouring tradition. Embracing change. If ever there was a slogan that so captured the essence of what has been one of the College’s most astounding and influential transformations, it is this.”

There are those unique features that have never been lost. The uniqueness of a Jewish school with its customs, traditions, festivals, rituals and commemorative days. The Jewish music that is heard through the corridors and even the smell of challot on a Friday remind new parents of their multisensory experiences at a Jewish school. And Mount Sinai has always had a warmth, an exuberance, an energy that is borne out of these traditions which it continues to honour.

“Our design is an architectural expression of the contemporary, relevant Apple Distinguished School we have become. A school that reflects 3 archetypal learning spaces: the ‘cave,’ a private space for learning; the ‘campfire,’ a place where people gather to collaborate in learning; and the ‘watering hole’ which is a place for sharing information and discoveries.” says Roberts.

The classrooms and various spaces with their flexibility and versatility are aligned to current teaching methodology and hence planned. Roberts elaborated that “most importantly, our staff were prepared after years of professional learning to work in these spaces.”

This has been the difference at Mount Sinai - a teaching team of certified Apple Badge teachers working in an Apple Distinguished School all of whom know how to use these facilities to their maximum effectiveness.

Anthony Berman, President of Mount Sinai College noted that everything has been “purpose-built”’- a centrally positioned and family-centred library, the stunning Tree of Life sculpture and Magen David motif, and the external canteen which beckons the community each morning. “Everything was designed to welcome and bring our Mount Sinai community together. Simply put, this is architecture that says “come in and meet the family”.

“We have evolved from one classroom in the back of the shule to what we have today and our Maroubra shule and school stand as pillars of community strength and unity for a growing population of Jewish families”, says Roberts.

“Today we walk around and see the most stunning, imaginative, and stimulating educational environment you’ll find anywhere in the country, but it all means less if our focus is not equally on the calibre of the boys and girls who have graduated from and who characterise Mount Sinai College.”

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The Great Synagogue Wows At ‘Women Of Worth’ Weekend THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE ‘It is not our roles that define us, but the integrity and bravery we bring to those roles; It’s not what we do, it’s how we do it.’

Proverbs 31 The Great Synagogue’s ‘Women of Worth’ WOW Weekend is back to WOW the women of Sydney. An initiative of the vice president, Caroline Lewis, this must-do weekend returns on Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 July, 2019 and offers Jewish women from all walks of life, a program of inspiring speakers and a varied range of interactive discussions and activities.

The engaging theme around ‘Friendship, Family, Fearlessness, Fun, Faith, Food, Fashion and the Future’, has been created to empower and energise women of all ages and stages and attract cross-generational and cross-communal participants. Designed not to fund-raise, but to spirit-raise, we once again have the support of communal organisations who are on board to help promote the weekend and involve their members in the program.

Shabbat morning will coincide with the final and beautiful choral service with Cantor Joshua Weinberger who is making aliyah with his family. Weekend activities start with a delicious communal lunch preceding Registration, and conclude with a celebratory champagne high tea. Our outstanding speakers secured for the event include: - ‘Speed Friend-ing’ with Juliet Lewis to start the weekend making new friends and

finding old ones; - Justine Sless, Melbourne comedian sharing her exploration of her Jewish roots as an adult; - Physio Rebecca Reicher connecting us with our pelvic floors so we can laugh – and sneeze – with confidence; - Judith Levitan sharing her journey towards becoming the first Orthodox woman in NSW to receive ordination (smicha).

- Danielle Chiel & Bobbi Mahlab making a difference in so many women’s lives through mentoring and empowerment; - Michaela Kalowski quizzing three generations of family: Myrna Kangisser,

Robyn Bernitz, Danielle Goodman & Megan Bernitz on “Things My Mother Never Told Me”; - Challenging discussions on Sexual Consent with Dr Ellie Freedman interviewed

by Hilary May Black; - Rita Bratanis & Zehava Heinrich interviewing one another on the trials and tribulations of being migrants returning to Australia 30 years apart; - ‘Taking Control of End of Life Choices’ panel with medical experts Dr. Susan Hertzberg, Dr. Judith Lacey & Simone Green RN facilitated by Dr Yvonne Selecki; - Young Madeleine Buchner’s big initiative,

Little Dreamers for young carers, which won her JCA’s Shark Tank; The newest initiative of The Great and for WOW is ’12 Over 12’ taking place on the Shabbat afternoon as the Sydney Women’s Tefilah Group supports 12 women over the age of 12 (ages 31–84) commemorating their Bat Mitzvah in a unique and moving Mincha service. This culminates in a Havdalah experience to celebrate the end of Shabbat before participants have the option to attend the annual ‘Women of Diversity’ Dinner, going by coach courtesy of JBoD, to Parramatta, to join over 400 women from a wide variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds to chat, eat, sing and dance.

Caroline Lewis says, “The WOW Weekend is a celebration of the women in our Jewish community and beyond, held at the majestic Great Synagogue, Sydney. Our vision was to create a modern and crossgenerational event where women spark and rekindle friendships, cry with sadness and laughter and share several ‘WOW’ moments together. This year’s line-up promises fresh ideas, new experiences and different perspectives with plenty of time to pause and reflect, develop and share new connections leaving participants feeling more connected, revitalised and replenished.”

Tickets are available from the Synagogue’s WOW Website at: https://www.greatsynagogue.org.au/wow2019 For more information about the WOW Weekend contact The Great Synagogue Office on (02) 9267 2477

JNF Filming at Kesser Torah Shared Experiences of the Shoah with Year 10 KTC Girls KESSER TORAH COLLEGE At the end of Term 1 this year, year 10 girls at Kesser Torah College had the privilege of interviewing three Holocaust survivors about their life stories. Mr. Jacob Enoch, Mr. Eugene Grunbaum and Mrs. Ruth Leisner captivated the students with their stories about life in Europe before the war, their experiences during the war and how they came to Australia and built their lives here.

At the end of Term 2, after many weeks of hard work, the girls invited Jacob, Eugene

and Ruth, to a presentation of their stories and, more importantly, the lessons and values they imparted to them over their hours spent together talking. It was very inspiring for the girls to meet people with incredible life wisdom who, despite the hardships they endured, have such positive outlooks on life and devote their time to speaking to the next generation in the hope of decreasing anti-Semitism and increasing unity, acceptance and compassion. Thank you so much - Rene Ichilcik for all your help and support with the event.

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JEWISHLearning QUESTION OF THE MONTH:

WORD OF THE MONTH

The Traveler’s Prayer: What You Say Along the Way

Mi Sheberach (‫)מי שברך‬ Pronounced MEE sheh-BAY-rahch, this Hebrew phrase literally means “may the one who blessed” and refers to a series of Jewish prayers beginning with those words, most commonly a prayer for healing.

MYJEWISH LEARNING VIA JTA

BY RABBI SIMKHA Y. WEINTRAUB

MYJEWISH LEARNING VIA JTA RABBI SHEFA GOLD In Judaism, it is the journey, not the destination, that matters.

The Traveler’s Prayer — or Tefilat Haderech in Hebrew — is said as we embark on a journey. It is meant as an assurance of safety along the way. When we leave the comforts and familiar surroundings of home, it’s natural to feel a bit vulnerable or apprehensive, so it’s a good time to remember that we are ultimately safe, guided, and blessed.

This prayer can be chanted at the onset of a journey by foot, car, bus, boat, train or plane. It can take us to a place of calm and spacious awareness. It reminds us that God is with us and to pay attention to the gifts that might otherwise be missed along the way.

The foundational story of Judaism — which is remembered, celebrated and relived every single day — is the story of a journey. In the beginning, we journey into existence. Then we journey with Abraham into the unknown and then into the entanglements of family dramas. We journey from there down into Egypt and into the suffering and constriction of slavery (the Hebrew word for Egypt is Mitzrayim, literally “the narrow place.”).

Our journey from slavery to freedom, from Egypt to the Promised Land, represents the journey of awakening.

Major Jewish holidays celebrate important points on that journey. On Passover, we commemorate the leave-taking. On Shavuot, we celebrate the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai along the way.

Sukkot reminds us of both our fragility and abundance as we journey forth.

In fact, everything that is important to our spiritual development as a people happens along the way.

There is a yearly cycle of readings from Torah that all Jews follow, which leads us from the very beginning of creation to the moment when we are about to arrive in the Promised Land. And then we never really get there. After all that anticipation, all that promise, we start over again. We’re right

back at the beginning.

If the destination was the point of it all, then this might become very frustrating. But it is the journey that matters.

We read this story again and again — discussing, analyzing, and extrapolating about it endlessly — because it is meant to be a mirror of our own soul’s journey. By reflecting on our journey, we are meant to wake up to both the wonder and magnitude of each and every step, and the amazing miracle of the whole journey in all its glory, absurdity and sweetness.

There is a way that these two awakenings—to the miracle of the journey and to this step right here beneath our foot — are symbiotic.

The moment when we can step back and marvel at the twists and turns, the synchronicities and blessings that have brought us to the here and now — that is the moment of realization that every step matters. Walking with that kind of awareness, deliberately opening to the grace of each step, enables a vision of the wide perspective of our whole amazing life’s journey.

Each of us walks the path of a valiant hero on a remarkable journey, filled with the human adventures of birth, illness, romance, divorce, loss, triumph, heartbreak, healing and aging into wisdom. And yet we often just accept it all as boringly normal and tedious.

Traveling is a reminder that all of life is an extraordinary adventure. Traveling awakens curiosity and wonder and brings those qualities to every step of life. Being awake in this way is a paradox. With each step, we arrive in the Promised Land and all there is to do is celebrate. Yet we are also always forever on our way there, stumbling, dancing, opening to all it means to be human, remembering that it is the journey that matters.

Chanting the words of the Traveler’s Prayer blesses this journey, connecting to Holy One who sends us and opening to the possibility that wherever we think we’re going, the destination is in fact the fullness of life, joy, wholeness and peace.

One of the central Jewish prayers for those who are ill or recovering from illness or accidents is the Mi Sheberach.

The name is taken from its first two Hebrew words. With a holistic view of humankind, it prays for physical cure as well as spiritual healing, asking for blessing, compassion, restoration, and strength, within the community of others facing illness as well as all Jews, all human beings.

Traditionally, the Mi Sheberach is said in synagogue when the Torah is read. If the patient herself/himself cannot be at services, a close relative or friend might be called up to the Torah for an honor, and the one leading services will offer this prayer, filling in the name of the

one who is ill and her/his parents. Many congregations sing the version of the Mi Sheberach written by Debbie Friedman, a popular Jewish folk musician who focused on liturgical music. (That version can heard in the video, and its lyrics read, at the top of this article.)

Increasingly, the Mi Sheberach has moved into other settings and other junctures. Chaplains, doctors, nurses, and social workers are now joining patients and those close to them in saying the Mi Sheberach at various junctures—before and after surgery, during treatments, upon admission or discharge, on the anniversary of diagnosis, and more. We present it to you here, in English translation and in transliteration from the Hebrew, as a resource for you as you confront the challenges of illness.

Mi Sheberach in Hebrew Transliteration The transliterated text below presents the prayer with correct pronouns for male and female patients. The word before the slash is for males, the one after for females.

Mi Sheberach Avoteinu: Avraham, Yitzhak, v’Yaakov, v’Imoteinu: Sarah, Rivka, Rachel v’Leah, Hu yivarech virapei et hacholeh/hacholah _____________ ben/bat ______________ HaKadosh Baruch Hu yimalei rachamim alav/aleha, l’hachalimo/l’hachlimah, u-l’rap’oto/u-l’rap’otah, l’hachaziko/l’hazikah, u-l’chay-oto/u-l’chay-otah.

V’yishlach lo/lah bim-hera r’fuah shlemah, r’fu-at hanefesh u-r’fu-at hagoof, b’toch sh’ar cholei Yisrael v’cholei yoshvei tevel, hashta ba’agalah u-vizman kariv, v’no-mar, Amen!

Mi Sheberach in English Translation May the One who blessed our ancestors - Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, -Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leabless and heal the one who is ill: ________________ son/daughter of ________________ .

May the Holy Blessed One overflow with compassion upon him/her, to restore him/her, to heal him/her, to strengthen him/her, to enliven him/her.

The One will send him/her, speedily,a complete healing — healing of the soul and healing of the body —along with all the ill, among the people of Israel and all humankind,soon,speedily, without delay, and let us all say: Amen

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lifestyle

8 Tips For Better Sleep In Winter THE SLEEP COACH CHERYL FINGLESON In winter we are exposed to less sunlight, colder air and more carbohydraterich meals, and these can have a significant impact on the human sleep cycle.

The change in light can have a big effect on the time and quality of your sleep. “Light directly impacts the pituitary, which secretes melatonin.”

Melatonin regulates the body’s sleep-wake cycles. Lack of light can cause the body to produce more of the chemical, making the body feel tired and sluggish.

For some prone individuals, the lack of light during the winter months or during the transition from autumn to winter can also induce seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

SAD is categorised by full-fledged depressive episodes that take place regularly during times of seasonal change.

Another significant factor affecting our winter-time sleep is the volume of hearty, dense carbohydrates that we bring to the table.

The hormone leptin is affected by eating a surplus of these types of foods, and this is associated with metabolism and appetite.

The change in the levels of leptin in the body ends up disrupting the sleep cycle, and these disruptions will cause the body to further alter hormone levels.

Tips for getting great sleep in Winter 1. Don’t turn the heater on if you switch it on, only turn it on for a short period of time Chilly rooms make us want to switch on the heater, but this is not always the best thing to do when trying to get a good night’s sleep. We actually need our core temperatures to drop a little in order to fall asleep. What’s more, when the night air is too dry or too warm it will dry out the body’s mucus membranes and make the body more susceptible to illnesses such as the cold or flu.

2. Only eat carbs in moderation I recommend maintaining a moderate diet, avoiding excessive carbohydrates and ensuring that plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as part of the winter diet. When our sleep cycle gets disrupted, we wind up craving these foods more but in fact they disrupt our hormones slightly, to the detriment of our sleep. This can become a vicious cycle.

3. Overheating can lead to less sleep, nightmares Many parents worry about their children and babies feeling cold. But in fact, little ones who are TOO warm won’t sleep well (adults don’t sleep well if they feel overheated either).

In fact, toddlers and preschoolers who are too

warm at night may be more inclined to have nightmares and disrupted sleep. So avoid the urge to pile on fleece.

4. The magic number is 20.

The ideal sleep temperature for most children and adults is around 20 degrees Celsius.

5. Do a skin check on your child ‘Skin check’ – feel the chest or stomach for the real temperature of your child, as the child’s face and hands should be comfortable to the touch and even a little cool but not cold.

For newborns who are swaddled, I recommend a onesie or piece of footed clothing made from natural fabrics. Over top of this, parents can swaddle the baby in a cotton blanket. Just be sure that your swaddle is snug enough that your baby can’t kick the blanket loose, but not so tight that he or she can’t move his legs and breathe comfortably.

For slightly older babies who are no longer swaddled, it is advisable for parents to consider a sleep sack. It provides warmth without the suffocation dangers associated with loose blankets.

Once children can make a few independent choices, parents can lay a blanket across the bottom of their beds and fold it like a paper fan so they can just grab the top and pull it up if they feel chilly.

6. Invest in sheets Polar fleece sheets are a good investment and woolen underlays are great at regulating temperatures.

7. Insulate your home Installing thermal curtains on windows and external doors can help to keep the cold out, and good insulation can make a big difference.

8. Get out the humble water bottle A hot water bottle popped under the covers before bedtime can be both warm and comforting, to children and adults alike! Just don’t leave it in the bed overnight, use a cover, and be careful when filling and emptying “It is imperative that families take control of their sleep health, especially in winter,” inconslusion. “Good sleep is vital for growth, development, health and happiness. There are plenty of tools available to improve sleep and settling. And if parents can’t do it alone, there is professional help on hand too. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!”

Here’s to healthy, happy sleeping for you and bub in the cold weather Warm Sleeping 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 Our Blog has gone live! Check it out at www.wordpress.com/cherylthesleepcoach

Cheryl Fingleson is an international sleep consultant.

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is above all a matter of faith, of belief and of religion. The notion that the three Abrahamic faiths -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism -share common values concerning peace, Even back in the days when you could still social justice and humanity may well be use the term “peace process” true. But that has never with a straight been the case when face, the odds of solving the Jerusalem issue it comes to this city.

History is filled with were already pretty long.

Then, I would have claims, conquests, crusades, occupations, put those odds a bit north massacres and violence of impossible and in the name of a little south ofI 14, 5774 Things hopeless. possessing Jerusalem, are even 2014 / Adar not sharing it. worse now.

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1990, SACRED claims to the city as a your voice over the add SPACE. September 1996, September to change capital); it is driven by Things in Jerusalem would (never mind 2000 and of But it should be no us know. course one way letenough be bad (see below) involving surprise that given if stories isreligion and children what’s and debate, transpired in recent not just Jews, those shuls the perfect each other’s year --begins storm were driven weeks politics and passions Muslims and Christians new by attend different that the themselves thatmembers As the only Jerusalem area has not been a proximity as well as nationalist Report, in the Middle East, has often become scene of this. alike are opening a bloodywhen and political and strengthen flash point, often conflict.

Sydney Jewish adults the and and But that inaugural enlighten was not to be. Jerusalemchapter of learning Continued on page In compiling of schools. create a newspaper 34 from this, our • Connect, Page 20

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July2019

Top Shelf Animation TOY STORY 4 (G) ALEX FIRST

Fans of the franchise that kicked off in 1995 thought the toys’ story had ended when Andy brought his long-loved pull-string cowboy Woody (the voice of Tony Hanks) and the gang – including Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Slinky (Blake Clark) and Rex (Wallace Shawn) – to live with Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw).

She is a young friend of the family who – like Andy – has a huge imagination when it comes to her toys.

It turns out though that that was just the end of Woody’s story with Andy.

Now that Andy has gone off to college, Woody’s loyalty is to Bonnie.

But as Bonnie gears up for her first day at kindergarten, she’s feeling a little apprehensive.

So, Woody – who no longer has pride of place in the playbox – takes it upon himself to pop himself into Bonnie’s schoolbag to ensure she is okay.

Little does he know that it will be him to the rescue when Bonnie is feeling decidedly alone.

Unbeknown to Bonnie, it ends up being Woody who digs through the rubbish bin to retrieve a few art supplies for Bonnie, which helps her craft her new toy crush.

An ice cream stick, a red pipe cleaner, a plastic spoon and fork combined, namely a spork, and mismatched eyes and voilà an unsteady on his feet character in Forky is born.

That is merely the starting point though in an adventure that will see Woody, Forky and the other toys accompany Bonnie on a family road trip.

That in turn leads Woody to an unexpected reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (Annie Potts), but not before things turn decidedly uncomfortable for Woody.

Toy Story 4 is directed by Josh Cooley and

written by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom.

Longtime Toy Story collaborator Randy Newman composed the score and wrote two new original songs.

There is a lot of enjoyment to be derived from Toy Story 4, even if overall it didn’t consistently reach the glorified heights of the three that came before it.

The theme of finding your inner voice certainly resonates.

There is heartache and yearning, joy and adventure as the toys to which children become so attached are moved aside or discarded.

The animation, as always, is magnificent.

The tender moments are especially poignant.

The biggest story arc, and therefore concentration, is obviously centred on Woody and Hanks grabs the vocal role with aplomb – very much making it his movie.

Not unexpectedly there are moments of genius here that elevate the art form.

The most obvious example is turning a throwaway plastic spoon and fork into a cherished toy. Who would have thunk it?

But it works and works so well, even if the critter created from the rubbish bin wanting to return to the rubbish bin is overplayed.

The move to the darker side in introducing the second hand shop characters was bold and brave, but I am not convinced it was the right move.

A vintage doll (Gabby Gabby, as voiced by Christina Hendricks) and four ventriloquist dummies were downright horror film creepy and could well scare the littlies.

In summary, Toy Story 4 has flair, but I wasn’t as moved as I was with the earlier instalments.

Still, it is a fine piece of work.

Rated G, it scores an 8 to 8½ out of 10.

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July2019

Israel’s Coastal Plain is the World’s Next Big Food Destination The idea is for a food-driven travel story about Israel’s Northern Coastal Plains (Tsafon Mishor haHof), which is the stretch of coast that extends about 60 kilometers between Netanya and Haifa (20-70 minutes north of Tel Aviv). The region has not been covered internationally as a culinary destination, but there is a lot of really cool stuff happening there.

Amos Sion (Helena Chef) is the one who initially told me about all these places, a few of which I’ve now checked out for myself and love.

He attributes the recent boom in this area to a couple of factors: for one, chefs are being priced out of the city ,so they’re heading north to tackle their dream projects. But also, there are tons of farms and vendors of incredible quality in this area -- many of them generations-old Arab suppliers -- so chefs feel like they’re getting first pick of the country’s best ingredients.

This area’s proximity to Tel Aviv by car or train makes it completely accessible for anyone visiting the city. Of all the spots listed below, the furthest is only about 45 minutes away TLV center.

THAI MACHTERET (THAI UNDERGROUND) Bilu 10, Kibbutz Karkur On Wednesdays and Thursdays this couple opens up the backyard of their own private Kibbutz home, and serves exceptional Thai food to area fanatics. Local chefs, especially, are hitting it weekly — it’s kind of their unofficial Industry Night hangout. This place is about as underground as you can get, hence the name.

His breads have a shorter shelf life but, when consumed in short order, they are the otherworldly! (Debra this is legit one of my favorite spots in Israel! You should check it out regardless. The best bread of my life !)

Thai Machteret (Thai Underground) YANAGI Kibbutz Sdot Yam Two seasoned sushi chefs from Minato Sushi in Herzliya left and opened a small sushi counter in the corner of the dining room of Kibbutz Sdot Yam. Sunday-Thursday, guests are treated to some of the tastiest & freshest sushi in the country, with views of the Mediterranean Sea. MARGALIT WINERY Inbar St 27, Caesarea Area sommeliers say Margalit is producing the best wine in Israel hands down. It is the first boutique winery in the country and its wine has a unique quality that has captured the interest of wine drinkers across the country and abroad. The on-premise experience there is so lovely. Tastings and nibbles are offered in generous portion, and

everyone is incredibly warm -- it’s a familylike experience.

HELENA RESTAURANT Ancient Port of Caesarea This seafood-centric Chef Restaurant is practically falling into the Mediterranean Sea it’s so waterfront. It’s located in the Ancient Port of Caesarea, but don’t call it “touristy” — it’s a thoughtful gem coveted by locals, and uses mostly ingredients sourced from local villages and vendors. Chef Amos Sion (and partner, the famous fishmonger Uri Jeremias) serves modern Mediterranean cuisine, house-smoked and house-cured meats & fishes — and he finishes off most dishes in their wood burning oven.

TOFU AN Derech HaAtsmaut 74, Binyamina This is a Japanese Tofu Kitchen that makes its own silky soft tofu in house, and is said to be among the few restaurants in the whole country making authentic Japanese cuisine.

It’s tiny, warm & friendly and a total local sensation. A reservation is a must!

EL CHANAN BAKERY Kibbutz Mishmarot This beautifully rustic cafe & bakery by Eldad Shmueli is located at the entrance of Kibbutz Mishmarot and offers an incredible array of breads, yeast cakes, pastries and sandwiches. He has a different approach to bread baking than most Israeli bakers.

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