Technion – Israel Institute of Technology’s annual social-technological hackathon is making a difference (see page 17). Pictured here are the 2024 winners. From left, Adan
The title words belong to Graham Chapman, British comedian, actor and writer, best known for his role in the comedy troupe Monty Python. In psychology practice, we are often helping our patients manage negative aspects of their lives. We spend time identifying triggers and how they impact people.
UK-based psychotherapist Helen Marie has suggested that to move forward we need to start paying attention to positives. She refers to these as glimmers. The definition of trigger in a mental health setting is:
• A stimulus that elicits a reaction;
• Something that brings on or worsens symptoms, often affecting people with a history of trauma or mental illness;
• Something that affects one’s emotional state, causing one to be overwhelmed or distressed; and
• A reminder of a past trauma, leading to feelings of sadness, anxiety, or panic.
Glimmer is defined as a faint or slight sign of something good or positive. For example, a glimmer of hope can be had even in a troubling situation.
It is important to not think in terms of opposites, namely just black or white. What we are attempting to do is to find hope – the proverbial silver lining.
Let’s consider what constitutes a glimmer and reflect on how many you may have overlooked over the past 24 hours.
What has been your tiny moment of awe? What sparked joy for you? Was it a beautiful sunset? An aromatic flower, perhaps?
In the past, I have written about relishing moments of happiness. Now I am asking you to savour these micromoments that result in a mood shift.
A glimmer can evoke an inner calm. It is also a reason to engage in mindful
practices in everyday living, namely meditation and/or prayer.
Each time we acknowledge a glimmer, it has a positive effect on our mental health and general wellbeing. When we experience a glimmer, we generate an automatic response. Seeing and appreciating a beautiful flower often results in a smile and a gentle sense of relaxation. This changed physiological response sends cues of safety to our sympathetic nervous system. We are infused with feel-good hormones –endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.
These hormones strengthen our nervous system and promote good health. It is another reason to start to
develop awareness of the glimmers in daily life.
Humans generate automatic responses, so the opposite happens when we experience a trigger. Our bodies will tense and we start to go into a flight, fight or freeze mode. Our nervous system responds accordingly and we start to generate large amounts of adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine.
Take the example of being stuck in a traffic jam. Our immediate response may be to take a tighter grip of the steering wheel, let out some expletives and to reflect on the situation negatively. Our bodies tense and the negative physiological response begins to flood our nervous system. Next time this happens to you, consciously relax your hands on the wheel, start to breathe deeply and listen to music or a podcast you enjoy. Your mind and body will thank you.
When we are relaxed, we start to have feelings of contentment. In short, we are more at ease and generate positive energy.
The last word goes to Karen Salmansohn, author and behavioural change expert: “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must, but take that step”.
Anne-Marie Elias is a psychologist in clinical practice for 25 years.
This month we introduce a new feature that we hope will be part of The Jewish Report for a long time, namely Yoni Glatt’s famous Kosher Crossword.
We are privileged to include it because it has been published in several prestigious publications abroad.
That includes The Jerusalem Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe.
Each month, Yoni gives his Kosher Crossword a title. As you can see, this month it is Leading Ladies.
Naturally, he will give you clues and we promise not to keep you on shpilkes. We will provide answers in the same issue of the paper.
Yoni grades his puzzles from easy to challenging. We will include that reference, so you can think even more of yourself if you successfully complete a difficult one.
62. Talks, colloquially
63. Org. that might confiscate a bottle Down
1. Beatty or Kelly
2. Raise up
3. Most squiggly
4. A famous Amos 5. He ruled long before 33-Across 6. Sound you might hear after an aliyah 7. Short appearances
8. Give notice
9. It's a hint
10. Head of a Canadian province
Georgia airport, for short
Haifa to Efrat dir. 17. Stuff in a drum 20. Holy Land letters 21. Slangy pronoun
He ran from Iran
23. ___ sore spot
24. Pro-Bowl defensive end Umenyiora
25. It's home to 47-Across Sq.
27. French Open divisions
30. Subway resident
31. Calls from the flock
32. Circular cereal
34. 22-Across married into this tribe
35. Indie folk band Bon ___
36. One of the holier fruits
37. "Equal" prefix
38. Katz and Artzi
40. Dwell
41. Donkey relatives in Asia
42. Cornhusker St.
44. Like messed-up makeup
45. Carrier Lingus
48. Automatic transmission gear
49. Grace's last name, on "Will & Grace"
50. Timeline unit
52. Comic Ansari
53. Grand Casino letters
54. Winner of the Thrilla in Manila
55. Where Rav Saul Lieberman taught, for short
56. Old intro to "long" or "now"
57. Sheep meadow
The JNF Annual Campaign 2024 will feature Eylon Levy, arguably the most recognisable face in Israel advocacy today.
Levy embodies the spirit and resilience that the Jewish community desperately needs right now. As the former official spokesperson for the Government of Israel during some of its most challenging times, he brings invaluable insights and a profound connection to our shared heritage. His presence and perspective offer not only inspiration, but also a much-needed sense of unity and purpose, reminding us of the strength and determination that define the Jewish community.
London-born Levy has been at the forefront of the PR-war, working to combat misinformation and antisemitism through hasbara (advocacy). Garnering a reputation for his quick wit and expressive eyebrows, JNF is thrilled to welcome Levy.
At a time when we seek inspiration and strong leadership, JNF is providing our community with a voice that embodies this deep connection to Israel.
Levy’s firsthand experiences and his role for the Israeli government offer us a unique perspective that can galvanise our efforts and reaffirm our collective
mission. Healing Israel’s south embodies JNF’s unwavering commitment to the future. This campaign marks the next crucial phase in supporting those communities devastated by the atrocities perpetrated on October 7.
JNF Australia has always supported the communities of Israel’s south. They have demonstrated their ability to raise
and distribute funds effectively and efficiently.
JNF National President Steven Salamon said that “the tragedy of October 7 and the global rise in antisemitism has served as an unfortunate reminder to us all of the importance of Israel as our Jewish homeland. Rebuilding our communities in the south and indeed, anywhere
the war affects, is vital to ensure the continuity of our communities and their crucial roles for the nation.”
In the wake of October 7, JNF’s Emergency Response Campaign raised more than $5 million, all of which was deployed directly to 28 communities and more than 15,000 families.
As the immediate emergency transitions to a phase of urgent ongoing needs, the JNF Annual Campaign continues its commitment to support those affected.
The focus of the JNF Annual Campaign will directly fund projects that provide essential facilities and services to address serious psychological and mental health challenges faced by our southern communities.
In addition, funds will support communal infrastructure projects that aim to rebuild and enhance these areas, making them even more vibrant than before, encouraging families to return and to attract a new generation of chalutzim (pioneers). JNF’s aim is clear: to be guided by those on the ground who know best what is needed and where. It now invites the community to join it in healing Israel’s south.
To book to see Eylon Levy at JNF’s Annual Event on September 3, go to www.jnf.org.au
RAMONA FREEDMAN KESHER COMMUNICATIONS
Soft landing. If I had a shekel for every time I heard that phrase upon mentioning I was moving to Ra’anana, well, I could buy the whole neighbourhood a falafel or two.
I have just made Aliyah to our Holy Land, as in, I am still counting the days, so it is fresh. The emotions were running riot before I boarded the Israel-bound flight on a one-way ticket. I was anxious. I was scared. I was … all-the-feels.
Sure, anti-Semitism has skyrocketed in our Great Southern Land since October 7. Sure, suddenly there are class action lawsuits being filed countering the complex, cold campus reality of our tertiary students. Sure, there is drama playing out daily and the Jewish community has had to mobilise like never before.
And yet, when you are born in a land and you are first generation, you grow up being told and taught that you’re in the Lucky Country. When your family has experienced the depth of trauma and tragedy, as seen within my extended family as a microcosm of the harrowing Holocaust, you appreciate what you have so much more.
So it was with me. In fact, I didn’t realise how much I loved living Down Under until the topic came up for discussion to emigrate. How would that be possible? My English level is sky high; conversely, my Hebrew level can be described as primary school-girl level, at best. On Yom Kippur afternoon, for example, did I sometimes skim sections of the Machzor when, through my hunger haze, the Hebrew text started looking a little more like hieroglyphics? Perhaps.
I view the world via a spiritual prism. I had the strong feeling G-d was guiding this. Even knowing that, I was petrified. Of change. Of war. Of it all.
Within ten weeks, between November and February, all three of my children moved to Israel. Simultaneously, my husband Oliver’s company wanted him closer to Europe, ideally in the northern hemisphere.
Long story short: permission to have a base in Israel was granted, discussions ensued, and with a change in tax laws (don’t ask me more, I honestly don’t know), it was deemed necessary to sell our house and cars, then wrap up meaningful communal work that I loved. It was all-systems go to declutter, donate and relocate.
We waved farewell at the airport, husband happy, wife teary and a whole new life chapter began – on Aliyah, to Israel.
“Welcome home” were the two words I was greeted with upon arrival by the Israeli-government appointed man from the Aliyah office. Toda Raba, but I wanted to say, actually my ‘home’ was on Clyde Street in North Bondi. My home was the local ’hood’ I knew and loved. My home was the place where I saw people from all cross-sections of my world; a gift you take for granted when you live in one city the majority of your life. My home was getting KA-certified Oakberry Acai and sitting on the grass with family and friends overlooking Bondi Beach.
And yet, when you think of it across the wide arc of time spanning Jewish history, you better understand this phrase and how apt it is. For reasons of persecution,
so many of us were flung across the Diaspora, landing in all corners of the globe. My paternal side had the majority of our family decimated during the Holocaust. Post-war, borders shut in Poland, boxing in remaining members. They finally made it to Israel in the 1950s, yet couldn’t make enough money to live. One family member had boarded a ship to Australia. Two brothers, cobblers by trade, the only survivors, settled in Sydney. And their grandchildren, including me, were born on Aussie soil.
And yet, flash forward to the here and now and I knew I needed to jump. Was I as brave as that heroic brother-in-law of Aaron, Nachshon ben Aminadav, a prince of the tribe of Judah? No chance. After the Israelites fled Egypt, they were trapped between a swirling sea ahead and the enraged Egyptian army behind. Oh, he jumped alright. And here I was thousands of years later, needing to make my own jump.
Deep breath. Shema Yisrael said. And off I went.
Last year I attended a shiur with a visiting British rebbetzin who now lives in Israel. After her insightful talk I mentioned the possibility of moving to Israel. She told me the most important aspect when making Aliyah is to know exactly which community you are going to. Community is everything. I asked her if she was happy. She emphatically said “yes”.
I knew the power of community well, having chosen to work at the epicentre of it. And I loved that feeling of belonging. I quietly communicated with my husband: If you want to give me half a chance of being happy, let’s know which shul community we are going to, rather than dropping into some random and remote region. Distil it all and community equals happiness. Jewish Australians have relocated to all parts of Israel, but one city oft mentioned was Ra’anana. I had only been there a couple of times, so what did I really know? I knew what a wise rebbetzin had told me. Prioritise community. If it meant I would have fewer crazy Aliyahintegration stories around the Shabbat table, so be it. I am never one lost for words. So, Ramona arrived in Ra’anana. Nervous, jet-lagged, but grateful. Oliver wanted to join a shul called Kehilat Lev Ra’anana (KLR) and deliberately chose a rental close by – so clever, given the summer heat.
Respected Rav Elyada Goldwicht, founder of the hugely successful global Semichat Chaver program, is at the helm. KLR offers a meaningful, Torahtrue, communal experience in the heart of town, with most there having also made Aliyah. All here to help one another. Baruch Hashem for that.
On our first Friday afternoon, we had been in the Holy Land for barely two days. Reunited with our beloved
children, we were looking forward to spending Shabbat together. Deliveries began arriving at our door. First, a bright bouquet of flowers from our new shul and then other little treats from many in the area who knew how daunting Aliyah was. They included blue and white decorated cupcakes with Magen David’s on top and plants from family afar.
It was me in reverse. Normally, I was the person opening my door to guests in Sydney and now I was the new kid on the kosher block, so to speak. The irony of all this was that despite arriving during an active war, a sense of peace pervaded because I wasn’t alone. I was enveloped by this new KLR family. All in shul sang with joy for us … with us. I didn’t even know their names: we are all one mishpachah here, from the far corners of the globe. With tears in my eyes, I realised immediately that this country, this land has a neshama (a soul), like nowhere else.
Soft landing? Yes. Honestly, it was pillow soft … embraced by this new KLR shul community. Ramona in Ra’anana. I like the sound of that.
Ramona Freedman will be contributing a monthly column on all-things-Israel relating to her Aliyah journey. To contact her directly, please feel free to email: ramona@keshercommunications.com.au
JCA Bequest Manager Debbie Edinburg is passionate about the role she plays securing the future of our community through JCA Generations, the legacy program facilitating gifts in Wills.
“At JCA we believe in the power of legacy. It’s not just about what we do today, but about the lasting impact we can make for generations to come. Only together can we build a strong foundation for the future. For this reason, legacy giving – a bequest in a Will –means that work can continue long after a person has passed. It also means not relying on others to continue to support organisations that were meaningful to them throughout their lifetimes,” she said.
With 24 organisations supported by JCA NSW (including the ACT Jewish community), by leaving a gift to JCA in a Will, the impact ripples throughout the community.
A bequest will go towards programs and services that:
• Provide aged care for our seniors and community care for those with a disability and others experiencing mental health issues.
• Advocate for our community, combat antisemitism and ensure our safety and security.
• Support cultural and outreach programs that enrich Jewish life.
• Preserve Holocaust memories and Jewish history for future generations.
• Support Jewish education and develop Jewish identity one student at a time.
Bequests can be a general (unrestricted) donation that will provide JCA with the greatest flexibility to meet the community’s needs as they change over time. Alternatively, they can be directed to a specific sectors (as referenced above) –Security & Advocacy, Holocaust, History &
Heritage, Jewish Education, Aged and Community Care or Culture, Engagement & Outreach. All funds received are invested for the long term – at least 25 years – to future-proof our communal sectors.
JCA Life Governor and former Appeal Chairman Peter Ivany, together with his wife Sharon, have left a bequest to JCA. "I couldn’t feel better about JCA being the destination for long-term giving. It’s a model that has stood the test of time and many changing environments.
I’m absolutely confident it is the right model for the future planning of our community,” Mr Ivany said.
For anyone considering a legacy gift or bequest to JCA, it can be included when a Will is drawn up or added as a codicil to an existing Will. There is also the option of leaving a percentage of a total estate, a specific dollar amount or assets such as property or shares.
“A bequest is a personal issue and we recommend involving your family in your decision. You should also seek legal advice. No amount is too small. Everything adds up to something big, ensuring that our local Jewish community continues to flourish for your children and grandchildren, and the generations after them,” Mrs Edinburg said.
We have established a special Community Future Fund, under the guidance of JCA’s Investment Committee, that will manage investments for our community’s long-term needs and growth. Imagine the legacy we could leave for future generations if every member of our community left a contribution to JCA. It’s up to all of us to consider leaving something to JCA. If we value what we have I encourage everyone to get involved in providing a secure financial infrastructure that will be there for our children and our children’s children,” she said.
For a confidential discussion and to find out more, contact Debbie Edinburg on 9360- 2344 or email debbie@jca.org.au
ROBERT GREGORY AJA
Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, a profound shift in Australian politics has occurred.
The Australian Greens have fundamentally changed from the environment-focused party they once were. The new campaign from Advance Australia describes this best with the slogan, ‘The Greens – not what they used to be.’
Following the largest massacre of Jews post-Holocaust, the four federal Greens’ MPs were the only ones that rejected a motion condemning Hamas’s barbarism.
A litany of offensive stunts followed, which suggested the Greens never really graduated from university student politics.
The entire Greens delegation stormed out of the Senate, claiming Labor was too supportive of Israel.
Federal deputy leader Senator Mehreen Faruqi was forced to delete a picture she posted of the Israeli flag placed in a garbage bin, along with the words “Keep the world clean”. ‘Dirty Jews’ is an old antisemitic trope. The following day, members of the Jewish community held an unprecedented protest outside her office.
The party’s foreign affairs spokesman Jordon Steele-John was one of several Greens to erroneously blame Israel for a misfired Palestinian rocket hitting Gaza’s Al-Ahli hospital.
Astoundingly, the Greens have refused to condemn vandalism of Australian war memorials.
Although foreign policy is ostensibly a federal issue, the Green’s antipathy to the Jewish State permeates all levels of politics.
The NSW Greens promoted the rally at Sydney’s Opera House that degenerated into antisemitic chants, while one of their state Greens MPs, Jenny Leong, was embroiled in controversy after referring to the ‘tentacles’ of the ‘Jewish lobby’.
The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) celebrated NAIDOC Week with the endorsement of its Reconciliation Action Plan by Reconciliation Australia. AUJS is the first Jewish organisation in Australia to be endorsed.
AUJS’ Reconciliation Action Plan is a roadmap to strengthen AUJS’ relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It outlines specific actions and commitments AUJS will take to support reconciliation and foster mutual respect and understanding.
The plan was developed by a working group of AUJS student leaders from across the country.
After the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, AUJS decided to develop and implement the plan as a stepping stone for meaningful action towards reconciliation.
Jewish and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have endured shared experiences of persecution, dispossession and intergenerational trauma. These experiences have forged a profound bond between our communities, providing a strong foundation for mutual understanding and collaboration in the journey towards reconciliation.
The connection between the Australian Jewish community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
The Green’s Brisbane mayoral candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan declared that Nazis and Zionists were unwelcome at a rally opposing the Gabba Olympics. Almost all Australian Jews are Zionists. Besides the crude inappropriateness of grouping Jewish people in with those who murdered their families, it’s unclear why he connected Jews with this issue.
Across Australia, from Randwick to Dandenong, Greens councillors injected the Middle East conflict into local government by proposing anti-Israel motions.
Historically, Jews have been politically diverse. The twin shocks of the October 7 massacre and surging local antisemitism have unnerved the community.
It will be interesting to watch now how the community reacts to the Greens at the ballot box. The first opportunity will be the upcoming local council elections in NSW and Victoria.
It will also be worth keeping an eye on the next federal election, which could be as soon as later this year. The most likely impact from the Jewish vote will be in the two electorates with the largest Jewish population, namely Wentworth and Macnamara.
In Wentworth, Teal MP Allegra Spender is facing criticism over perceived lacklustre support for Israel, but she won’t have to worry about the Greens as they have never come close to winning.
A closer contest is Labor MP Josh Burn’s seat of Macnamara. Lately, a clash between Labor and the Greens, the latter may have sabotaged their chances. Labor, too, has lost Jewish support. With popular, Pro-Israel Indigenous candidate Benson Saulo, the Coalition may have its best chance of flipping Macnamara in years.
Whatever the results, the continued stunts from Greens MPs reinforces the message that they are not who they used to be.
communities exemplifies the power of solidarity in the face of adversity. Specific actions include participation in National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, cultural competency learning for student leaders and increasing economic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
AUJS will continue to collaborate on initiatives such as Derech Eretz, codelivered by AUJS and Australia’s leading Jewish social justice organisation, Stand
Up. Derech Eretz, which translates to “the way of the land” provides an opportunity to foster a relationship between Jewish young adults and the predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of Toomelah and Boggabilla in Northern NSW.
Post-referendum, the Reconciliation Action Plan supports the calls for treaty making and a process of truth-telling as essential to achieve reconciliation,
as expressed in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. AUJS welcomes the opportunity to work with interfaith groups and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to achieve the objectives of its Reconciliation Action Plan.
As AUJS continues to grow and evolve, its dedication to social justice remains a guiding principle, inspiring future generations of students to champion a fairer and more inclusive Australian society.
The commitment of UIA donors to supporting the People of Israel knows no bounds. Despite the ongoing turbulent and stressful situation that Israel is facing, UIA supporters feel more compelled than ever to show their unwavering support for our brothers and sisters in Israel at a time when they most need it – now.
As the son of Holocaust survivors, John Dobies understands the importance of providing fellow Jews with a place to not only survive, but to live and flourish. This is why John, 77, is a dedicated supporter of UIA. "I have complete faith that UIA will carefully consider how they spend the money given to them," he said. "Without Israel, there may be a reasonable possibility, but there is no certainty, we will survive."
“There’s not much that I can do as an individual, especially at my age,” John said. “That’s why I have decided to leave a gift in my Will through UIA to Israel. It is a win-win. Israel will benefit and I will have a clear conscience, knowing I have made my contribution to support the People of Israel.”
The challenges of life post October 7 and the resulting war have inflicted significant financial and psychological hardship on the People of Israel. The situation is particularly acute for the elderly, especially Holocaust survivors and immigrants from the former Soviet
Union, who have limited assets and lack an extensive support system of family and friends in Israel. Additionally, the shortage of low-rent housing in Israel exacerbates the difficulties faced by many elderly Israelis who do not own their homes.
In response to this critical need, UIA supports Amigour, Israel’s leading operator of public and sheltered housing facilities. Today, more than 7,000 low-income seniors across the country benefit from affordable housing and independent living in 57 Amigour homes throughout the country. Amigour residents enjoy a variety of programs and classes, while a devoted staff ensures that all their needs are met.
Currently, 2,700 Amigour residents live in Israel's south. They are fortunate to reside in sheltered housing units, which allow them to remain in their homes during rocket attacks from Gaza, as they cannot move to bomb shelters. Amigour has also been providing necessities, such as groceries and other household items, to its residents, as it is too dangerous for them to leave their homes.
Thanks to supporters like John Dobies, Amigour residents will continue to have a safe and supportive environment in which to live out their final years in the place we call home – Israel.
A gift in a Will is a powerful way to support the future of Israel’s vulnerable seniors. For more information, contact Michael Jackson on 9361-4273, email michael.jackson@uiansw.org.au or visit www.uiaaustralia.org.au
Israel’s largest welfare agency, facilitating 800 programs and touching 70,000 lives daily.
Late June saw the official launch of WIZO NSW’s younger division, Lev Echad, which aims to engage with women in the community aged 25 to 55.
The sold-out event, at the newly refurbished The Lawns of Double Bay, attracted nearly 200 people.
Nine members of Lev Echad gave a presentation, titled People. Moments. Stories., which encapsulated a 10-day Mission to Israel they attended.
They brought to life the moving experiences they had touring the country. That included visits to the army base Nachal Oz, WIZO daycare centres that double as bomb shelters and Kibbutz Be’eri (which was targeted on October 7). An excursion to Makom Balev, a women’s shelter entirely funded by WIZO NSW and a celebratory barbecue for IDF soldiers a kilometre from the Gaza border were also part of the Mission. The women travelled to Eretz Yisrael to learn more about WIZO and the impact the organisation has on the country. It is
The launch of Lev Echad started with a video of Israel’s Eurovision representative Eden Golan performing October Rain during a Hostage Family Rally in Tel Aviv attended by members of the new group.
Now, thanks to the Israeli Mission, members of Lev Echad have firsthand knowledge of Israel’s needs and is better equipped to target its fundraising to ensure it goes directly to the people and places supported by WIZO.
Announced at the event was the muchanticipated Annual Fundraising Campaign, which this year will be held on Sunday, 25th August. Keynote speakers will include international actor and advocate for Israel, Nate Buzz, digital influencer and champion for calling out antisemitism online, Zara Cooper (Clammy Fraud), emergency nurse at Soroka Hospital, Raya Gal and the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin. An exclusive cocktail event with Nate Buzz – just for Lev Echad members – will be held before the Campaign launch.
Tickets are available through the WIZO website: https://wizonsw.org.au/
While SAJE is based in Sydney, it caters for students across Australia and even overseas. Students from Queensland, Western Australia, Byron Bay and Indonesia are currently joining for lessons on Zoom.
SAJE is open to all jurisdictions that come under the Sydney Beit Din and that includes all of Australia other than Victoria. In coming months, SAJE staff will visit some of these places to catch up with current students in person and meet prospective ones.
In a number of instances, SAJE has been a home to those who started their conversion in another country before migrating to Australia. Lais Fulgencio is coming to the end of her conversion journey that started in Brazil and has continued at SAJE.
“As a Brazilian native now living in Sydney, I've found invaluable support through the SAJE program on my journey to Judaism. After years of solitary study and challenges in Brazil, I was initially anxious about moving my conversion process to a new country. However, SAJE has transformed my experience,” she said.
“The program offers far more than just an organised curriculum. It connects us with remarkable rabbanim and rebbetzins from across the community who generously share their wisdom, guiding us in understanding halacha and living Judaism authentically.
“Most importantly, SAJE has provided a community of fellow converts who truly understand each other's experiences. Gone are the days of struggling in isolation. We celebrate milestones together, share resources and offer emotional support. This shared journey brings a distinct comfort and alleviates the loneliness many of us faced before.
“The Sydney Jewish community's warm welcome, coupled with SAJE's structured support, has made this transformative and intense process less daunting. While our journeys to reclaim our neshamot are deeply personal, SAJE ensures they're not solitary.
“To everyone involved with SAJE and this incredible community, thank you for fostering an environment where no one has to feel alone. Your support empowers us to embrace our faith with courage and conviction.”
SAJE is committed to bringing the best educators that the community has to offer to front its classes. Dianne Kucher (Di) is one of those teachers, beloved by all SAJE participants.
Over Di’s career, she has taught Jewish Studies to preschoolers, middle and high schoolers, Bat Mitzvah students and adults. Teaching diverse groups has brought her joy as she has shared her love of Yiddishkeit/Judaism. “It’s always a mission with passion in building Jewish identity, knowledge and practice,” Di said.
“The students need to learn ‘who they are, how they are expected to live, what to learn and to be proud of their wonderful heritage’”. This is what Di believes keeps our Jewish children resilient, continuing into adulthood as active and strong Jews.
“Finally, the opportunity I had always wanted came along, namely to help people on their conversion journey to Judaism. This was a new mission – to share the beauty, philosophies, teachings and, even, the rigour of what our religion offers.
“I was thrilled to join the SAJE faculty to teach Hebrew literacy. Professionally run, with sincere, talented teachers, SAJE was offering these young men and women guidance and community as they learn in interactive classes.”
Di has devised a four-lesson course enabling students who have never seen an Aleph or Bet at the start of lesson 1 to transition to being able to read multisyllable words and sentences in Hebrew by lesson 4.
The students are told that this is not ulpan. They are not learning Hebrew discussion or writing.
That can follow later. In this course, they learn the Hebrew letters and the sound each letter makes. Adding the vowels then makes the words come alive. They
have fun learning the guttural letter sounds by pretending to clear a stuck fish bone from their throats. Hebrew is, of course, phonetic. What you see is what you read.
Following the Torah reading and participating in shul services and tefillah/ prayer are fundamental to Jewish practice and therefore the students finally turn to a siddur/prayer book and listen to a recording of shema … following along, then chanting along.
“I lay out a picnic of many food groups, to help with learning and reciting the brachot/blessings. Learning is more than listening and reading, it’s touch, taste and emotion,” said Di.
“I learn so much from the wonder and sincerity of these SAJE students. They ask probing questions, ask for more work to help them accelerate and show gratitude for each new idea and lesson. It is a privilege for me to be part of the SAJE program.”
YVETTE ALT MILLER COURTESY AISH.COM
The renowned sex therapist was a Holocaust survivor, former Israeli soldier, and a proud Jew.
“Dr Ruth” Westheimer, the Jewish woman who helped countless of people in their intimate lives, has died at the age of 96. In over 40 books, on television and through her popular syndicated radio show, Dr Ruth educated millions of people, providing accurate, clear information about sexuality at a time when the topic was taboo. Dr Ruth reassured people that sex was a normal part of life.
Few of her many fans realized that Dr Ruth – a diminutive, motherly figure with a thick German accent – was a decorated military hero in Israel and that her life was marked both by the Holocaust and by her intense devotion to Jewish life.
Orthodox Jewish childhood
Dr Ruth’s parents met in a way that is fittingly romantic for their daughter’s later career in romance: her mother Irma took a job as a housekeeper for the Seigel family in the German town of Weisenfeld. She and Julius Seigel, her employer’s son, fell in love, married and moved to Frankfurt, where Dr Ruth was born in 1928. Irma and Julius were Orthodox Jews and raised their daughter – named Karola Ruth Siegel –in a warm Jewish home. She was their only child and later fondly recalled going to synagogue regularly with her father.
Upheaval during the Holocaust
The last time Dr Ruth saw her beloved father, during Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass” (November 9-10, 1938), she was ten years old. Nazi members and ordinary citizens took to the streets in towns throughout Germany, Austria and in parts of Czechoslovakia. Over 1,500 synagogues were destroyed; 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses were burned down and ransacked; hundreds of Jews were beaten, raped and murdered. Over 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Among them was Julius Segal, Dr Ruth’s father. She later recalled watching as he was bundled away outside their apartment window.
Her mother and grandmother realised that no Jew was safe in Germany and secured a place for young Ruth in a group of 300 Jewish children who were being sent to Switzerland as part of a Kindertransport. The Kindertransport missions brought about 10,000 Jewish children to safety in countries including Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. These children were saved, but at the cost of losing their families: no adults were allowed on the transports. Dr Ruth never saw her family again. After the war, she believed her parents were both murdered in Auschwitz.
In Switzerland, Dr Ruth lived in an orphanage. She later recalled that she and the other Jewish children were treated badly, forced to do housework and take care of the younger children. Girls were not allowed to attend regular high school. By day, Dr Ruth learned how to do housework in an all-girls school. At night, she would steal her way to one of the orphanage’s stairwells, where the lights remained on, and study from the
books of a Jewish orphan who would share his textbooks with her.
Heroism in Israel
After the Holocaust, at the age of 16, Dr Ruth – along with her friend from the orphanage – moved to Britishruled Mandatory Palestine, in presentday Israel. She began going by her middle name, Ruth and lived in various kibbutzim.
At that time, the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine was besieged: beset by violent attacks from hostile Arab forces and forbidden by the British from accepting the tens of thousands of ragged Holocaust survivors who were begging to move to the Holy Land. Dr Ruth later described how she joined the precursor to the modern day IDF (Israeli Army): “At the age of 16, I immigrated to Palestine from Europe, where I became a member of the Haganah, the main underground army of the Jews. I learned to assemble a rifle in the dark and was trained as a sniper so that I could hit the centre of the target, time after time. As it happened, I never did get into actual combat, but that didn’t prevent me being severely wounded. I almost lost both my feet as a result of a bombing attack on Jerusalem” (on her 20th birthday).
In the same article, Dr Ruth also explained why she felt, as a female Jewish combat veteran, that it is so important for all Jews to defend the Jewish state: “Now were it up to me, I would abolish all warfare. But having lost my family at the hands of the Nazis, I know that we need our armed forces in order to protect our freedoms. And there is no reason why our troops have to be composed only of one sex.”
Finding love and building a career
Dr Ruth married three times; she later said “the third one was the real marriage”, lasting from 1961 to her
to create a role for her to help her fellow citizens. Dr Ruth’s tenacity paid off: at the end of 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Dr Ruth as New York State’s – and the USA’s first – “Loneliness Ambassador”, charging her with helping combat the growing scourge of loneliness. Dr Ruth told The New York Times “The first thing to do is have the courage to admit you’re lonely. Then you can do something about it.”
She opened up about her own experiences with loneliness: “I’ve known loneliness, even extreme loneliness, during my 95 years. When I was ten years old, I was separated from my family and never saw them again. When I was 20, I was caught in a bomb blast and almost died and wondered what would happen to me. Also, I lost my husband of 35 years to a stroke in 1997. And I’ve been lonely at other times too. So, when I read about the loneliness epidemic, given my history and my experiences as a therapist, I knew I had to join the fight against loneliness.” She encouraged people to go out, when possible, and to forge connections with others. Sadly, Dr Ruth suffered a stroke soon after being appointed Loneliness Ambassador and had to curtail much of her public work.
“Am Yisrael Chai”
husband Fred Westheimer’s death in 1997. After teaching kindergarten for a time in Israel, Dr Ruth moved with her first husband to Paris, where she earned a degree in psychology at the prestigious Sorbonne university. She later moved to the United States and in 1970 received a Doctorate in Education from Columbia University.
She worked in a variety of jobs related to public health and trained as a sex therapist, working part time while her children were in school. Her career took off seemingly overnight in 1980, after she agreed to host a 15-minute show that aired at midnight on a New York radio station. Her short show was called “Sexually Speaking”, and her amusing, fact-based and direct style of conveying information quickly gained listeners. The New York Times noted in 1984 that her show boosted her “from obscurity to almost instant stardom”. The radio station quickly expanded her show, first to a one-hour long slot, then to two hours, capitalising on their new star’s ever-expanding popularity.
In 1984 Dr Ruth began hosting her own television show in the US. In the 1990s she appeared on a similar program about sexuality and sexual health in Israel. She provided lucid, accurate answers to listeners’ and viewers’ questions, and helped remove many of the taboos against discussing sexual health. Dr Ruth was warm and relatable, and was funny, while treating questions about sexuality with the respect they deserved. She used to teach her audiences that sex was a healthy part of life; sometimes she explained that the goal of a loving, respectful relationship was “shalom bayit”, a Hebrew expression meaning peace in the home.
New York’s "Loneliness Ambassador" Dr Ruth worked until her final months. Observing the rise in loneliness in recent years, she lobbied the state of New York
Despite the fame and wealth her career brought her, Dr Ruth always lived in the same three-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights, an Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of New York where she’d raised her family. She attended several synagogues regularly and was active in a range of Jewish causes. A patron of The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City, Dr Ruth urged people to visit the institution, explaining: “It’s like a grave for my family who don’t have graves.” In 2021, she established the Dr Ruth Westheimer Scholarship in Psychology at Ben-Gurion University in Israel.
She enjoyed a busy social life. On Shabbat, she often visited friends. She was fond of quoting the end of the poem Aishet Chayil, A Woman of Valor, which is traditionally sung on Friday evenings before Shabbat dinner. She believed the song’s line “many women have excelled, but you outshine them all” is the most romantic in all of literature. This is how all men ought to regard their wives, she would tell guests at Shabbat dinners.
Dr Ruth often spoke of her grandchildren, Ari and Leora, and how they are living proof that the Nazis failed to wipe out the Jewish people. “When I look at my Ari and Leora,” Dr Ruth wrote, “I know that the Nazis weren't able to accomplish their supreme goal. Yes, they destroyed my family, including my beloved parents and grandparents, but they couldn’t eradicate my will to live and pass on to my children and grandchildren my love for Judaism, Israel and the Jewish people. For me, the phrase ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ –‘The Jewish people lives’ – holds special meaning.”
NOMI KALTMANN COURTESY TABLET MAGAZINE
Australian Jews are targeted by boycotts, harassment and intimidation. Is this the end of a golden age, or just a blip in a long and overwhelmingly positive history?
Throughout its history, Australia has been overwhelmingly good to its Jewish community. From an original group of eight Jews who arrived on the First Fleet in 1788, the community has grown to more than 100,000 today.
Significantly, the country welcomed thousands of Holocaust survivors after WWII. Among them was Berysz Aurbach, who sought refuge in Australia in 1947 after witnessing the tragic loss of nearly all his family. Aurbach, now 103, is one of the last remaining survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. And he told me he has never experienced any antisemitism in Australia. “There are good people in Australia,” he said. “They always want you to be a good citizen. If you are bringing good things to Australia, they leave you alone.”
A quick look at Australia’s Jewish communities shows that they are exceedingly vibrant, with dozens of Jewish schools, cultural organisations, synagogues and kosher restaurants. Being Jewish in Australia has never been seen as a bar to success, with Australian Jews occupying senior positions in government, including treasurer, attorney general and governor general.
Since October 7, however, Aussie Jews have been shocked by an explosion of antisemitism, including doxing, boycotts of Jewish businesses and violent attacks. One of the most troubling incidents occurred when a WhatsApp group dedicated to combating antisemitism in the arts had its information leaked and compiled into a “Jew List”. This spreadsheet was created with the intention of boycotting and harassing Jewish artists.
Although isolated antisemitic incidents are not new here, when Melbourne’s Mount Scopus Memorial College, one of Australia’s largest Jewish day schools, had the graffiti “Jew Die” scrawled on its fence in late May, the incident was so shocking that prime minister Anthony Albanese weighed in with a statement on X, noting: “No place for this in Australia or anywhere else.”
“Is this something new?” Aron asked about the new wave of antisemitism in Australia. “Or is this something that was under the covers the whole time? That’s a very difficult question to answer.”
Jeremy Leibler, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, believes that Australian Jews are experiencing a seismic shift. “I believe that the golden age for global Jewry has likely come to an end,” he said. “In Australia, we have seen a dramatic rise in antisemitism in almost every part of society.”
Leibler, who doubles as a partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler, one of Australia’s most prestigious law firms, recently helped draft a submission to Australia’s government that weighed in on a parliamentary review.
His focus? The urgent necessity to overhaul laws about doxing – the intentional online exposure of an individual’s identity, private information or personal details without their consent – especially considering the disproportionate impact on Jewish individuals in Australia post-October 7.
“I believe that the government announced the review in good faith and intends to make necessary changes so that this sort of behaviour is clearly unlawful and real action can be taken to protect the individuals impacted,” Leibler said. “However, at this stage the consultation period is still underway so it is too soon to know where it will land. But I remain optimistic.”
Josh Moshe, the 33-year-old grandson of Holocaust survivors, was born in South Africa, grew up in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 2010. He is currently an acclaimed Jewish saxophonist living in Melbourne. Alongside his wife, Maggie, he operated a well-known gift shop in Thornbury, a trendy enclave in the city’s northern suburbs.
“For most of the time I’ve lived here, I’ve felt like [Australia] is peaceful, quiet and relaxed,” he said. “As for being a Jew, its fine. No one cares if you’re Jewish or not.”
However, all of this rapidly changed for Moshe after October 7, after he was added to the WhatsApp group that was doxed. The backlash against him and his family was swift. “We were sworn at, the shop was graffitied with ‘Glory to Hamas’ and we were told to ‘F off – we don’t want Zionists in Thornbury,’” he said.
Thornbury doesn’t have a large population of observant Jews, so Moshe, bewildered by the hostility directed at him and his family, believes that his family was unwittingly thrust onto the front lines of the conflict. “We were the only more or less observant Jews in the northern suburbs with a public profile,” he said. “Those factors meant we were heavily exposed and vulnerable to this sort of attack. It’s a very anti-Zionist area. I always knew that and I always felt that. I was more or less happy living there for a while. But I also think that’s why we were the most exposed.”
As the doxing campaign against him gained traction, Moshe found out that the worst was yet to come.
“People were attacking my [online] music profile. Then attacking my business and then Maggie’s personal profile, even though she wasn’t in the [WhatsApp] group,” he said. As part of this harassment, their five-year-old son received death
appear to be limited in scope and there are no widespread reports of other Jewish owned shops closing, mass emigration or schools shutting.
“I see a lot of rising anti-Israel and antiZionist sentiment, but I don’t see that as antisemitism. I don’t think it is the same thing. I’m not seeing the conventional tropes, such as spilling over into public and explicit accusations of Jews controlling this and that,” said a Jewish Australian academic who asked to remain anonymous, concerned that speaking out publicly like this may lead to backlash or even doxing. “There are many families in Melbourne who have been directly impacted by the Holocaust – either as survivors or as their descendants – and the Jewish community is particularly sensitive about antisemitism. But in their anxiety, people are perhaps not recognising what a government or political machine that is against Jews actually looks like. It would look completely different from what we have in Australia today. But I have learned that people don’t want to hear this view. My opinions or historical perspectives can trigger them, so often I find it safer to keep my views to myself.”
threats. “Then people started tagging the band I was in [on social media]. Instead of coming to speak to me, [the band] publicly fired me via an Instagram post.” Moshe is now suing his former bandmates for defamation related to that post.
After months of sustained abuse, Moshe and his wife decided to close their shop and move it to a suburb close to Melbourne’s Jewish heartland.
“A few of our suppliers have been supportive, but, yeah, the vast majority of our customers and other shops in the strip [in Thornbury] were very quiet and some of them even joined in on the pileon,” Moshe said. “It was shocking to see how quickly; … seven years of being neighbours and being business associates counts for nothing.”
The antisemitism faced by the family has garnered significant attention in Australia. It was even highlighted in a documentary, hosted by former treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
“I know [participating in the documentary] it has every chance of further damaging my music career, but on the other hand, I have to speak about what’s going on,” said Moshe. “We wouldn’t tolerate this with any other ethnicity. In honouring the memory of my grandparents and their families, I am compelled to speak about this rising hatred, despite the further backlash I will receive.”
There’s no consensus what the growing feeling of unease among Australia’s Jewish community represents. Is it the end of the golden era for Jewish people in a country that has historically been welcoming? Or is it a minor blip in relations?
“In 1945, the Jewish demographer Joseph Gentilli had predicted that by the 21st century, there would be almost no Jews living in Australia,” said Suzanne Rutland, a professor emerita at the University of Sydney. “This prediction has proved to be totally false because of the influx of immigrants, particularly after the end of the Second World War with the Jewish Holocaust survivor migration. Hence, as an historian, I do not believe in making predictions.”
While stories, like what happened to Moshe and his family are horrific, they
David Slucki, associate professor at the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University, tends to agree. “We are understandably hyper-vigilant” in Australia, he said. “So, when the situation globally is heightened, the way it is, it’s not surprising that people might see it as an existential crisis.”
However, Slucki, who is a Jewish and a Holocaust historian, questioned whether this current feeling of heightened stress for the community represents the existential crisis that some see it as. “There needs to be more nuance around the conversation,” he said. “Our governments at the local, state and federal level come out regularly in support of Jews and against antisemitism, which is something we have rarely seen throughout history. They don’t always get it right, but they are clearly seeking ways to address rising antisemitism. And yet I routinely hear people talk how similar the current situation is to 1930s Germany. As a historian of the Holocaust, I [find] that sentiment very troubling.”
While Australian universities have had pro-Palestine encampments, Slucki, who works on campus every day, does not feel that they have the same sting as their American counterparts. “I can’t speak for all universities, but I know that Monash has worked really hard to maintain a safe environment,” he said. “The university administration takes antisemitism and discrimination very seriously and has been consultative with me and leaders within the Jewish community. In my own work as a director of ACJC, I have felt colleagues on campus to be very collegial. I’ve seen a willingness from my colleagues who have sharp disagreements to talk and engage. In some ways I’ve seen the best of the academy [since October 7.] There is unquestionably antisemitism in Australia, but I still feel like, on balance, things will settle and it will still feel like a pretty good place to be Jewish.”
Despite the hardships that are currently facing the Jewish community, when I asked 103-year-old Aurbach if he wanted his children and grandchildren to leave, he responded quickly and without hesitation: “I want them to stay in Australia.”
For Claude, support from the team at Help at Home by Montefiore has brought joy and independence.
At 88 years young, Claude Hakim’s zest for life is apparent and her independence is key to her daily happiness. Living independently at home in Sydney’s East, Claude’s deteriorating eyesight meant her family was increasingly concerned about her safety.
As Claude’s daughter Nicole recognised her mother’s increasing need for assistance in navigating daily life, she called the care coordinators at Help at Home by Montefiore and was impressed by their understanding of the differing needs of ageing clients and their attention to detail.
“There was immediately a connection with the Help at Home team,” said Nicole. “They understood mum’s specific needs and interests.
The most amazing thing is that they frequently pair mum with someone who speaks French, so she can chat in her native
tongue and there is so much consistency with the carers. She has a real relationship with them.”
It’s one of the essential aspects of the care provided by Help at Home, Montefiore’s athome support service: every client’s care plan is tailored to meet their specific needs.
Claude is now legally blind and crossing roads on her own is no longer safe. Getting out and about for daily walks is an essential part of Claude’s life. Several times a week, a carer from the Help at Home team accompanies her on a walk in Centennial Park or to the marina at Rose Bay. “I need to walk. I don’t want to feel confined to my home. I can maintain my freedom and we don’t just walk – we talk! It's like having a friend by my side.” Beyond aiding her in outdoor activities, Help at Home by Montefiore has extended its support to her passion for baking.
Despite her inability to use the stove or oven safely alone, Claude's love for entertaining remains undiminished. With the assistance of her caregivers, she continues to whip up delectable treats, so she can share the baked goods with friends and family.
"My mother's joy in entertaining is infectious," said Nicole. "Help at Home has not only provided her with practical assistance, but also emotional support. With their support, I know that mum is okay and she is doing something she loves to do, walking, talking, baking – with people who
have become her friends. The support has made such a difference to her life and to mine."
For Claude, Help at Home by Montefiore represents more than just a care service; it embodies a lifeline to independence and companionship. Through its support, she has been able to maintain her sense of self and autonomy, refusing to let her visual impairment impede her.
“It gives me life again. I am a person who needs people, so every week when we go out and about to the park, walking in the fresh air, it just brings me so much joy,” said Claude.
The support and continuity of care provided by the team at Help at Home by Montefiore is invaluable to Claude and her family, allowing her to continue her enjoyment of life.
To find out more about the social, emotional and domestic support Help at Home by Montefiore care professionals can provide to you or your loved one, call 1800 978 711 or visit montefiore.org.au/help-at-home/
Live with choice, dignity & wellbeing in your home or in one of our welcoming residential care facilities.
Exceptional care, tailored to your needs. Discover living with real care at one of our welcoming Montefiore Residential Care campuses. Private ensuite rooms set in beautiful grounds, quality dining and wide-ranging activities, together with award-winning clinical & allied health services. Accommodation ranges from low-level care to high care needs & specialised dementia care.
Leading aged care across Sydney: Randwick Woollahra Hunters Hill
Did you know that Help at Home by Montefiore provides personalised and flexible Home Care services that allow you to continue to live independently at home?
Help at Home by Montefiore is a trusted, industry-leading home care provider offering care packages for seniors, ranging from social & emotional support to domestic, clinical and allied health assistance.
ROBBIE CLIFFORD CEO COA
COA understands the importance of staying active and healthy, especially for seniors, as it contributes to longevity and overall well-being.
With that in mind, COA has been refreshing its calendar to offer a diverse range of opportunities designed to enhance the lives of seniors in the community.
Whether it's learning a new skill, gaining insights into various topics, making new connections or just having fun, COA is committed to providing engaging, fulfilling and beneficial experiences.
For the remainder of winter and into spring, the COA team is working hard to bring you exciting events and opportunities, including:
• Intergenerational chess: A chance to connect with others through a community wide tournament, bridging generations and fostering meaningful interactions. Chess enthusiasts with decades’ experience are delighted when they are challenged by a child under 10 who surprises them with a checkmate!
• Music and mindfulness workshops: Interactive sessions that combine the calming effects of mindfulness with the joy of music, promoting relaxation and mental wellbeing.
• Horticulturalist talk and green wall revitalisation: Green thumbs will have the chance to learn about seasonal plants and get their hands dirty helping to revitalise a green wall, creating a pleasant space for relaxation and socialising.
• Beatles trivia and sing-a-long: Enjoy a fun-filled event celebrating the
• First aid education for over 60s: Understand vital signs, learn essential skills and have your questions answered by a healthcare professional.
Many of COA's activities and events are made possible thanks to the dedication of volunteers who generously share their expertise and enthusiasm.
For example, weekly tai chi sessions and social bridge games are led by passionate volunteers.
Art classes are conducted by an accomplished art teacher who brings creativity and inspiration to the group, encouraging artists to engage with their inner Chagall or Frida Khalo. During all our activities, participants have the chance to grab a tea or coffee and enjoy having a chat with others in the group.
If you have a special talent or skill that you’d like to share with the COA community, we’d love to hear from you.
Whether you love to bake cakes, are great with computers, play an instrument or are good with a drill, we are always keen to add new activities to our calendar.
Your contribution could make a significant difference to enriching the experiences of our members. Please get in touch to explore how you can get involved and help make a positive impact. Email coa@coasydney.org or call 9389-0035.
Whether your aim is to live life to the fullest, you are recovering from surgery or looking for warm and empathetic end of life care, Wolper Jewish Hospital has a service that can assist.
Inpatient services include rehabilitation for individuals requiring care following orthopaedic surgeries or injuries, as well as restorative care for older people with complex medical needs. The restorative care service is managed by geriatricians specialising in rehabilitation.
All inpatients receive support from a multidisciplinary team that includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nursing staff, exercise physiologists, speech pathologists, social workers, dietitians and a discharge planner. Also, while in the hospital, patients can benefit from a medication review conducted by Wolper’s clinical pharmacist, Dr Ben Basger. Patients needing mental health support may be referred to Dr Louisa Norrie, a psychiatrist specialising in the management of mental health and cognitive disorders affecting older people.
Day rehabilitation is suitable for people who no longer require inpatient nursing care and who are experiencing functional deficit caused by a range of conditions. These can include post orthopaedic surgery, musculoskeletal conditions such as fractures, trauma or injuries and some chronic conditions. Day rehabilitation
may also be suitable for people who have not previously been hospitalised for their condition.
Wolper’s popular MoveWell exercise classes are open to all members of the community wanting to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Classes include AquaMove (Aqua aerobics), MoveStrong (strength and conditioning), MoveSteady (falls prevention and balance) and MoveBig (a Parkinson’s Disease class).
The hospital’s physiotherapy clinic makes Wolper’s skilled team of physiotherapists and exercise physiologists available for private appointments. Physiotherapists are highly trained in treating a wide variety of conditions, including injury, post-surgical recovery, illness or concerns related to ageing. Exercise physiologists prescribe specific exercises for clients with chronic illnesses or injuries with the aim of improving or managing their condition. All patients are assessed and a plan is developed specific to the patient’s needs to maximise function and promote independence.
In keeping with Jewish customs, our palliative care service offers a caring and reassuring environment that allows patients to maintain their dignity in an atmosphere of traditional values. Wolper’s palliative care staff are specially trained to provide counselling and support for both patients and their family members. Our focus is primarily on pain relief, symptom control and enhancing quality of life.
For more information on any of Wolper’s services, please go to www.wolper.com.au or call 9328-6077.
Have you been told you need to improve your fitness? Recovering from illness or injury? Want to stay in great condition? There’s a class for you at Wolper Jewish Hospital.
MOVEWELL GYM CLASSES
A range of group fitness classes focusing on strength and conditioning, falls prevention, core stability and spinal health. We also offer specialised Parkinson’s Disease classes.
Classes offered 5 days a week, from 7:30am to 5pm.
MOVEWELL AQUA CLASSES
Experience the rejuvenating and therapeutic power of exercising in warm water. Classes offered 5 days a week and Saturday mornings.
PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINIC
Private appointments are available with Wolper’s physiotherapists and exercise physiologists. The team is highly trained in treating a wide variety of conditions from injury, post-surgical recovery, illness or concerns related to ageing such as falls prevention.
AQUA AND GYM CLASSES NOW AT WOLPER IN WOOLLAHRA AND BERESFORD HALL IN ROSE BAY
PCompetitively priced
PLong-established reputation for clinical excellence
P All welcome - previous Wolper admission not required
For the third time, a quiet valley in western Ukraine was transformed into a den of superheroes. JDC's Superheroes' Camp offers Ukrainian families – including many who have fled their homes and all of whom are living through a third summer of conflict – a chance to tap into their hidden superpowers, powers that build resilience and allow them to survive the ongoing crisis. And for the third summer, Sasha Kyrychenko was there as a counsellor.
"Each summer, I return home full of inspiration and ready to share this warmth," Sasha said. For Sasha, one of the camp's superpowers is the way it builds and embodies community. Indeed, it was after his first summer as a counsellor that Sasha learned he was Jewish.
Before the conflict, Sasha was not particularly interested in exploring his roots. But when the crisis occurred, Sasha began volunteering with Ukrainians who had been internally displaced (IDPs). Most of the other volunteers were members of the Jewish community and they quickly became friends.
Given Sasha's experience working with IDPs, these new friends recruited him to join them as a counsellor at JDC's first Superheroes' Camp, which catered specifically for displaced Jews. At camp, Sasha spent the summer immersed in Jewish culture. When the counsellors met up for a postcamp debriefing, one of them heard Sasha mention his grandmother's name and urged him to investigate his background.
To his surprise, he discovered he was Jewish. Now actively involved in Jewish life in his hometown of Kyiv, Sasha keeps returning to the Superheroes' Camp.
Sasha feels the community of Superheroes' helps build his resilience. "I think every Jew – in Ukraine and around the world – should understand they can't overcome darkness on their own.
We need the light and warmth of community to get through." Sasha gets this light at camp and passes it on. "We can all be superheroes," he said. "When, despite the cruel reality, we can still see beauty, we are superheroes'." The camp’s impact extends beyond the summer, as the bonds formed and the resilience built there acts as support for participants throughout the year. It is a testament to the strength of community and the hidden potential within each individual.
Each day at Superheroes' Camp is filled with activities designed to empower and inspire. From teambuilding exercises to creative
workshops, every moment is crafted to help participants discover their inner strength. The camp also offers psychological support, helping families cope with the traumas they have faced.
The counsellors, many of whom have experienced displacement themselves, serve as role models, showing that it is possible to overcome adversity and find joy again.
The impact of Superheroes' Camp is profound, creating ripples of positivity that extend far beyond the camp itself. Parents report that their children return home with newfound confidence and optimism. In turn, they inspire their communities, spreading the message that resilience and hope are possible even in the darkest of times.
In addition to the direct benefits for campers, the Superheroes' Camp also fortifies the broader Jewish community in Ukraine.
By fostering connections and a sense of belonging, the camp helps to preserve Jewish culture and traditions. This is especially important in times of crisis, when cultural identity can be a source of strength and resilience. The camp’s emphasis on Jewish values and heritage ensures that these traditions are passed down to future generations, keeping the community vibrant and united.
To learn more about the impactful work of JDC (The Joint) globally, visit https://thejoint.org.au/
How many common words of 5 or more letters can you spell using the letters in the hive? Every answer must use the centre letter at least once. Letters may be reused in a word. At least one word will use all 7 letters and have a direct Jewish connection.
Proper names and hyphenated words are not allowed. Score 1 point for each answer and 3 points for a Jewish-related word that uses all 7 letters.
Rating: 15 = Good; 21= Excellent; 26 = Genius
ANSWERS PAGE 22
Caution: The material in this article is of a sensitive nature and may trigger certain readers. Please carefully consider that before reading on.
Professor Gila Kahila Bar-Gal is an exceptional academic whose diverse and fascinating research crosses veterinary medicine, archaeology, paleontology, anthropology, animal domestication, evolution and conservation of cultural heritage and wildlife forensics. After October 7, BarGal’s unique talents were called to help in identifying bodies.
In the months following the horrific attacks, Gila volunteered at the National Center of Forensic Medicine (Abu Kabir). She undertook an assignment she could never have imagined. Gila, whose research focuses on interpreting DNA from archaeological samples and
DNA in the specimen is very low,” BarGal said.
In the case of the October 7 victims, the age of the bones was not the challenge. It was the fact that the terrorists set homes and bodies on fire, often using accelerants, resulting in severely burned remains. “The remains of the victims varied, including burned samples. The problem was the lack of presence of DNA in samples that were exposed to high temperatures like that,” Bar-Gal explained.
Bar-Gal’s skill at extracting and amplifying DNA to arrive at a profile for comparison for police and other databases added value to the efforts at Abu Kabir. Her experience in forensics and preparing evidence for use in court was also critical to identification that could be accurately relied upon.
In addition, she brought to the table
would make it impossible to undertake the work. She found this especially so when dealing with bones that she knew to have belonged to juveniles. Having personally known many of the victims from when she lived in one of the kibbutzim that was attacked, Bar-Gal had many challenging moments. “The first week I got remains to sample, they were labelled with names and locations. It was very difficult,” Bar-Gal recalled. After that, she asked for all specimens to be de-identified, which helped to distance herself from the victims and focus on the work.
Bar-Gal is currently on sabbatical from the Hebrew University and is working with the University of Sydney. She will be participating in events in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, where she will recount her harrowing experience and
Owner of GT Communications, Social & Political
Commentator, Author, Broadcaster & Columnist
Director of the Ancient Israel Program at Australian Catholic University
In the world of technology and innovation, a "hackathon" has become a powerful tool for problem-solving. It’s an intense, collaborative event that brings together diverse groups of people – often programmers, designers and subject matter experts – to work on specific challenges within a limited timeframe, usually 24 to 48 hours. Hackathons foster creativity, encourage out-of-the-box thinking and often result in prototype solutions that can be further developed into real-world applications.
The Technion's Taub Faculty of Computer Science has taken a significant step to addressing mental health challenges. Its annual social-technological hackathon, "CS Hack – Doing Good" recently focused on developing innovative solutions to improve mental resilience in the wake of October 7 and the Swords of Iron War (the war against Hamas declared by the State of Israel in response to the surprise attack).
For 24 intense hours, 140 computer science students from various degree streams worked tirelessly on their inventions. What set this hackathon apart was its unique collaboration between tech-savvy students and mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. This interdisciplinary approach ensured that the technological solutions were grounded in real-world therapeutic needs.
The winning team showcased the event's innovative spirit by developing a virtual reality (VR) treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) centred around cooking. This creative approach combines VR technology with therapeutic techniques, allowing users to engage in virtual cooking experiences enhanced by nature scenes and personalised music selections. The idea was inspired by a poignant personal story of loss and healing through cooking, highlighting the potential of everyday activities in trauma recovery.
Other notable projects included an AI tool for personalising PTSD treatment, a system for cancelling triggering sounds for PTSD sufferers and a platform simplifying access to rights and benefits for army reservists. These diverse projects demonstrate the wide-ranging applications of technology in addressing various aspects of mental health and support.
The hackathon's focus on PTSD and mental resilience is particularly timely. Since October 7, tens of thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians in Israel have begun
rehabilitation, with many facing not only physical challenges but mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Expert insights from professionals like Colonel (Reserve) Professor Eyal Fruchter highlighted the evolving understanding of PTSD and the crucial role technology can play in its diagnosis and treatment. The event also benefited from partnerships with organisations like Restart NGO, which works to improve the lives of wounded soldiers, bringing real-world perspective to the technological innovations.
The hackathon's success lies not only in the innovative solutions developed, but also in raising awareness about mental health issues, particularly PTSD. By involving students in this challenge, the event is fostering a new generation of technologists who are conscious of, and committed to, addressing mental health concerns.
As we navigate an increasingly complex world, initiatives like this hackathon at Technion offer hope. They show that by combining technological expertise with mental health knowledge, we can develop practical, innovative solutions to support mental resilience and improve lives. This event serves as an inspiring model for future collaborations between technology and healthcare, paving the way for more effective, accessible mental health support.
For 100 years, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has strengthened the State and people of Israel. No institution holds more promise for its future.
It educates global entrepreneurs, develops pioneering technologies, expands our scientific frontiers and betters life around the world.
DAVID SOLOMON AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS OF TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
The new Exploration, Leadership and Innovation (ELI) program created by Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a groundbreaking leadership, gap-year and university preparation initiative aimed at empowering Jewish youth.
It is the first gap-year program in Israel to offer Jewish youth from around the world an opportunity to enrich their identity and leadership skills through an immersive college-preparatory approach. This process facilitates engagement with Judaism, Jewish and Israeli culture, and the Startup Nation, alongside world-class academic training, extracurricular activities and mentorship opportunities with key Israeli public figures.
Spearheaded by diplomat, entrepreneur and academic Dr. Ronen Hoffman, ELI revolutionises the traditional gap-year experience and will help strengthen relations between Israel and Jewish communities globally.
How does ELI work?
Run in English and offered through The Lowy International School at TAU, ELI draws on Israel’s and TAU’s leadership across a diversity of sectors. Students
can participate in the program for either five or ten months, and will choose academic for-credit classes from across five study areas, namely:
• Israel and the Middle East;
• Jewish Peoplehood;
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation;
• Environment and Sustainability; and
• The Best of Science and Human Thought.
ELI combines classroom instruction with immersive experiences, including visits to significant sites and workshops on cutting-edge topics such as cyber security and artificial intelligence. Students also benefit from mentorship with Israeli public figures, service-learning projects, Hebrew language instruction and extracurricular activities.
When does it run?
The inaugural cohort of ELI students will start their journey at TAU in September 2024. There will be two intakes each year, which works well for Australian school leavers who can join the program in Israel’s Spring semester (January).
Comments by TAU leadership
TAU President, Professor Ariel Porat underscores the program's role in strengthening ties between Israel and global Jewish communities. “Ensuring this continued legacy has never been more critical, the ELI program is an
ELI is the first gap-year program in Israel to offer Jewish youth from around the world an opportunity to enrich their identity and build leadership skills through an ambitious and immersive college-preparatory approach.
Offered through The Lowy International School at TAU, the program runs in English and draws on TAU’s global reputation in entrepreneurship, research, and leadership, and on Israel’s rich Jewish history and present.
Choose for-credit classes from across five areas of study:
• Israel and the Middle East
• Jewish Peoplehood
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Environment and Sustainability
• The Best of Science and Human Thought Program duration: 5 or 10 months
exciting new way to strengthen the connections between Israel and young Jewish people everywhere.”
TAU Vice President International, Professor Millette Shamir stressed the immersive learning environment and mentorship opportunities. “Youth from around the world will be given the opportunity to not only develop lifelong purpose, but to immerse themselves, in preparation for their higher-education journey, in an environment of academic excellence and mentorship with some of the best in academia and Israel.”
Head of the ELI Program, Dr. Ronen Hoffman emphasised the importance of investing in young leadership development, drawing on his extensive career cultivating the next generation of changemakers. “During much of my career as a diplomat, politician and entrepreneur, I have focused on young leadership development … by working with universities and other institutions and by founding programs like Camp Kimama.
To see a better world, we need to be supporting the next generation as much as possible.”
You can watch a short interview with Hoffman here: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=2C_Voc4GVtA
Key benefits
The ELI program allows students to:
• Equip themselves with essential leadership skills and a versatile entrepreneurial toolbox.
• Explore university life and enhance their academic skills;
• Develop their identity and interests in an inclusive and pluralistic setting, embedded in Jewish values; and
• Achieve a nuanced understanding of Israel’s rich diversity and its position in the Middle East.
ELI represents a pioneering endeavour in gap-year education, poised to shape the trajectory of Jewish youth worldwide. By blending academic rigour with cultural immersion and leadership development, TAU's ELI program offers a transformative experience, grounded in leadership, innovation and mutual understanding, that prepares students to thrive in an increasingly complex global landscape.
For more information, go to https://bit.ly/ TAU_ELI and https://international.tau.ac.il/ eli-gap-year, or contact David Solomon, Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University CEO at davidsolomon@aftau.org.au.
The Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University website is https://aftau.asn.au/
international.tau.ac.il/eli-gap-year gapintl@tauex.tau.ac.il
RABBI EFREM GOLDBERG COURTESY AISH.COM
Each and every one of us needs to take a step back and take ownership over how we interact.
When the peace and harmony of Shabbat concluded and we learned the news of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, among my many thoughts was the question: what if?
A series of anthologies titled “What If?
The World's Foremost Historians Imagine What Might Have Been” examines turning points in history and what might have been if particular moments had gone differently. One moment that broke differently at Poitiers in 1356, at Gettysburg in 1863, or in Berlin in 1945, could have altered the entire tapestry of modern history.
So, what if? What if Donald Trump had not turned his head at the last moment and instead of being shot on the tip of his ear was assassinated as the shooter intended? Would a dangerous and irreparable division have resulted, with violent and grave consequences for the country? Who would have replaced Trump as the Republican presidential nominee and how would the election have been impacted?
Reflecting on his brush with death, Trump said it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening’.
President Biden called on Americans to “lower the temperature” in politics and said that Americans “must stand together”. Trump said that the miracle is motivation to pivot to a message of unity. While the assassination attempt was the act of an individual, many are blaming the level of rhetoric and extremist language in politics on both sides. Comparisons to the most evil men in history, descriptions of a threat to democracy, claims that the election is a matter of life or death create an atmosphere that is not only toxic, but clearly dangerous.
While Trump may be the highest profile attempted assassination of late, there have been no shortage of shootings and attempts to kill both Republicans and Democrats. Since the United States Congress was established in 1789, 15 of
its members have been killed while in office and 14 have suffered serious injuries from attacks. Of those killed, 10 were Democrats, four were Republicans and one was a Democratic-Republican. Of the four members of Congress physically attacked since 2011, Gabby Giffords (D), Steve Scalise (R), Rand Paul (R) and Angie Craig (D), two are Democrats and two Republicans.
Similar divisiveness, discord and dangerous demagoguery exist in Israel as well. Many blame the 1995 murder of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, the head of the Labor Party, on incitement from his political adversaries and their followers. Others are concerned today with the relentless inflammatory language levelled at current prime minister Bibi Netanyahu, the head of Likud. Both in Israel and America, each side points a finger at the other, blames the other and calls on the other side to improve. An objective observer will conclude that the left and right in both countries have contributed to the poisonous and perilous polemics and that neither side adequately calls out their own for what they contribute to the noxious atmosphere, even while calling for unity themselves.
Politicians and political parties profit off the industry of extreme and inflammatory
language. Anger and fear generate outrage, which translates to dollars and to votes. But it also leads to division, hate and, even, to violence.
We, the people
Ultimately, it is up to each and every one of us to turn down the temperature, to be sensitive to and regulate how we speak, what we say and the tone we take. We, the people, must recognise our own autonomy and take ownership over how we interact. We can and must model how to disagree agreeably, how to debate and discuss ideas and policies, and not repeat, promote or advance ad hominem attacks against people.
King Solomon’s insight in Proverbs (18:21): “Death and life are determined by the tongue”, feels particularly poignant. Soon, we will begin to observe the three weeks culminating in Tisha B’Av, the most inauspicious day on our calendar, marking the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and the countless calamities and suffering in our history. Our rabbis taught that the cause of our millennia-long exile was sinat chinam, baseless hatred that can be traced all the way back to the dispute between Joseph and his brothers.
The Torah tells us that Joseph’s brothers
hated him to the point that v’lo yachlu dabro l’shalom – and they could not speak to him peaceably (Genesis 37:4). The Ibn Ezra explains, “they could not speak to him peaceably – l’shalom, to mean that they couldn’t even greet him with “Shalom”. It wasn’t just that they couldn’t talk about the issues they disagreed about, or that they didn’t want to be close, loving brothers. The hatred and intolerance had grown so deep that they couldn’t stand to even extend greetings to one another, or to be in a room together.
When we disagree with people, we withdraw from them and stop speaking to them. We see them as “the other”, different and apart from us. As our communication breaks down, the dividers rise higher and we can’t find a way to break through them.
The antidote is in our hands and we remind ourselves of it three times a day when we pray. Our practice of taking three steps backward at the conclusion of the Amidah comes from the Talmud which states, “One who prays must take three steps back and only then pray for peace” (Yoma 53). Rabbi Menachem BenZion Zaks explains that we cannot pray for, nor achieve, peace if we are not willing to step back a little and make room for others and their opinions, tastes and personalities. After literally stepping back, we ask, “Oseh shalom bimromav, God, please bring peace” and we then turn to our right and to our left. Achieving peace and harmony means bending towards those on the right of us and those on the left of us, acknowledging them, engaging them and making space for them. That is a prerequisite to the shalom, the peace we crave.
Ballot, not bullets
In America and in Israel there are so many issues that deserve legitimate, vociferous debate. From elections to army service, from gun control to abortion, from judicial reform to religious coercion, there are complicated issues with multiple perspectives. They elicit strong emotion and passionate positions, but they cannot and must not sow irreversible division. We cannot allow our differences and strong opinions to make us unable to say hello to one another, or to see someone we disagree with as “the other”.
We cannot allow the feelings of unity and togetherness that followed October 7 to vanish or fade away. We can point a finger at others for how they have returned to rhetoric, or just like when you point an actual finger, we can recognise there are three pointing back at ourselves and take responsibility for our role and contribution to conversations.
As we approach the three weeks, don’t just ask and ponder “what if” about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Ask what if we all took responsibility for how we speak, for keeping the focus on policies and issues, and not on people, for avoiding language that inflames and incites, and instead using language that persuades and influences.
What if we looked to our right and to our left religiously, politically and in every other way and brought the great blessing of peace by bowing to what we have in common, rather than what divides. What if.
RABBI LEVI WOLFF CHIEF MINISTER THE CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
The Olympic Games are in full swing in Paris and, as always, it attracts global attention. We watch dreams come true and, “yes”, dreams also crumble – the agony and the ecstasy played out in real time.
Imagine you have been preparing for years to compete at the Olympics – it has been your overarching focus and ambition. You have worked incredibly hard, made sacrifices and desperately want to win.
In this fitness-infused hypothetical, you also know that only one person can emerge the victor and win Olympic gold in your event. For different reasons, it just won’t be you. Fear not, there are two other medals up for grabs – silver and bronze.
Which would you rather win?
Intriguingly, research shows athletes are happier finishing third. In the study, When Less is More: Counterfactual Thinking and Satisfaction among Olympic Medallists, Dr Victoria Medvec and colleagues examined the reactions and postgame statements of Olympic silver and bronze medallists, assessing their state of mind.
Research showed that bronze medallists tended to be happier than
those claiming silver. Strange, because surely second place should be better than third.
Not so, apparently. The answer lies in the perspective. The silver medallist thinks, “I almost won gold and was so close to being the Olympic champion, but missed out and lost.” The bronze medallist reflects, “I was almost out of medal contention, almost awarded nothing, but I won!” Often, the silver medallist can’t help but focus on the achievement that might have been, while the bronze medallist celebrates the achievement that has been.
A reframing of their remarkable achievement by second place getters would surely make for a happier and healthier outlook. It is all about the mindset.
So often, we allow beautiful blessings to be overshadowed by our internal dialogue – our pining for what might have been. Only a small proportion of us naturally think like a bronze medallist, that is looking inwardly and recognising the great goals met against the odds. We don’t need a private session with a sport psychologist to tell us that in life, the value of your ‘medal’ depends upon your mentality.
The timeless gift of our Torah predates all ancient Olympiads by millennia. Within it, we learn so many life lessons, including
viewing life’s victories – from gold medal performances to participation – through a positive prism.
Olympians personify tenacity, resolve, discipline and drive, and also display impressive teamwork. They are – and always have been – inspiring. We are so excited to cheer for our Central family member, decorated Olympian and
RABBI ARON MOSS
This issue, The Jewish Report introduces a new, regular column, being a questionand-answer piece from esteemed rabbi Aron Moss.
Rabbi Moss is regularly questioned on a vast array of topics and is known to give helpful and practical advice, which he will now share with us.
If you have a query for the rabbi, please email him at rabbimoss@nefesh. org.au Rest assured, if we publish your question and the rabbi’s answer to it, your name will not appear in the paper.
Question
I need some tips on how to get my children to respect me. I speak nicely to them and they don’t listen. I yell at them and they don’t listen. That’s when I really lose it. Whatever happened to the Ten Commandments: Honour Your Father and Mother? Does that not apply to kids these days?
Answer
There is a deeper interpretation of that commandment. “Honour your father and mother” can be read in a way that flips the onus back on the parents. Do you want your kids to listen to you? Then honour the father and mother within you. Each of us has an inner child and an inner parent. The child is our emotional, irrational and unreasonable self. That part of us is moody, sensitive and erratic. Our inner parent is the voice of reason, calm and self-control. This is our rational
side, our deliberate, thought out and methodical self.
We need to honour the parent inside of us and give it authority. Our mature self, not our childish self, should direct our behaviour. Think before you react. Consider what you say and how it sounds. Don’t allow your impulses to rule your life. Honour the father and mother in you.
This applies to all areas of life, but even more so when parenting children. Honour your inner father and mother, and your kids will too. Allow your inner two-year-old to run the show and your real two-year-old will take the hint and do the same.
If I yell at my kids to go to bed, not out of concern for them, but because I am in a bad mood, over-tired or preoccupied with my own stuff, they know it and don’t respond well. At that moment, I am not a parent, I am just another child being bossy. I have lost my authority. Why should they listen to me?
I first need to parent my inner child. Rather than reacting from a place of emotion, I need to consider my response and remain calm, firm and deliberate. Then I am modelling to my child what it means to be a grown-up. And I am reclaiming the authority – first over myself and then over my child. They still won’t always listen to me. That’s fine. They are behaving like children. At least I am not. My job is not to control my children. My job is to control myself.
Rabbi Aron Moss is the director of the Nefesh Centre in Bondi Beach. For more information, go to: www.nefesh.org.au
world champion Jessica Fox, who is the best slalom canoeist in the world. She will be competing in three events: Kayak Slalom, Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross. Kayak Cross debuts in Paris and the good news keeps coming. Jessica’s younger sister, Noemi, has also qualified to represent Australia and will be competing at her first Olympics. Kol Hakavod to the whole Fox mishpachah, including their mother and coach Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, herself a bronze medallist from the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Reflecting the challenging times of late, the largest ever security operation is currently in place, with armed Shin Bet agents tasked with protecting Israeli athletes. So many have received death threats. They included a blunt warning that if they arrived in Paris to compete, they would be killed. There have also been references to a repeat of the massacre at the Munich Olympics in 1972. May all 88 brave and talented Israeli Olympic athletes, along with the team’s staff, remain safe, ensuring they can compete with clear minds and full hearts.
We are the Down Under cheer squad for Jessica, Noemi and all Jewish Olympians around the world. We are so proud of you all.
When we appreciate that we have literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the person we will forever, then we can understand that to live a finite life, even as our souls transcend physical reality, is the greatest gift of all.
Philosophy is concerned with the big questions. At least, that’s many people’s understanding of the practice of wisdom. But in an era of professionalisation and hyper-specialisation, your neighbourhood philosophy professor is as likely to ask how many grains of sand make up a heap as they are to be pondering the good, the beautiful and the true.
Of course, some questions have been confronted by all societies at all times. Like, ‘what is the meaning of life?’ and ‘how do we face the bitter reality of death?’ And the problem is, our answer to the second question can raise some thorny issues with the first.
Take the pithy and consoling formulation of Epicurus. That ancient Greek philosopher, the founder of the school of Epicureanism, pointed out that death is nothing to us as “when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not”. In other words, when we are alive, we are clearly not dead, so what’s the problem? And when we are dead – well, there is no living, conscious to worry about it.
Contrary to popular use of the word, Epicureanism is not the philosophy of knowing what wine to pair with your brisket, but an ethos that sees the goal of life to be the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. For Epicurus, you only get one shot at life and you want to enjoy it as much as possible.
However, that approach raises some uncomfortable questions. If life is transient – “a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness”, in Vladmir Nabokov’s phrasing – then what is the point of … anything, really?
Even the most hedonistic, heedless approach to living has to recognise that ultimately there is no purpose to any of it. Alternatively, you might live a life of duty, sacrifice and kindness. But in the very long run, everyone you help will cease to exist. No amount of saintliness will prevent the heat death of the universe.
So why even bother? One traditional consolation has been religious faith. Death is not the end. There is more to life than we can comprehend with our mortal senses alone. There is a plan and purpose, even if we can’t make sense of it with our electron microscopes and deep space telescopes.
Contemporary Swedish philosopher Martin Hagglund has another approach, one seemingly at odds with a religious perspective. Far from rendering life meaningless, he insists, transience is precisely what gives our life meaning in the first place. Life is fragile and rare, and that is why we value it so dearly. Indeed, Hagglund insists, the very “finitude of flourishing is an essential part of why we are devoted to making flourishing actual and keeping it alive.” We cherish the gift of life and we do everything we can to safeguard our lives – our own and others –and make them as full and rich and good and interesting as possible, because we know that life is an all-too-brief moment of opportunity.
It’s a provocative idea that raises questions about the meaning and purpose of a religious life.
Many religions are preoccupied by a concern for the great beyond: whether you will be saved or damned, if your ultimate destination is heaven or hell, whether your next reincarnation will be favourable, or how to escape the cycle of samsara.
But when did you last hear a rabbi give a sermon about the fate of your immortal soul? It is a fundamental principle of Jewish thought that we are not just material bodies. Yet, we don’t really spend much time talking about the fate of our Neshama. Pits of sulphur and demons with pitchforks just aren’t part of the everyday Jewish lexicon.
Even talk of the Messianic redemption, another central tenet of Jewish belief, is a kind of utopian vision of transforming the world we currently live in, to a holier, more wondrous place.
Jewishness can often feel like a strange mix. On the one hand, Orthodox Jewish practice is almost a caricature of a religion. Ours is a faith where the rabbis have strong opinions about the correct way to tie your shoelaces. At the same time, there are plenty of people who would have no qualms about wolfing down a cheeseburger on Yom Kippur who nonetheless strongly identify as Jewish and feel deeply connected to the Jewish community at large.
And then there’s the question of how and when to fulfill Jewish law. Even –perhaps especially – the most exacting observer of the halacha, normative Jewish religious practice, would break those laws to preserve a human life.
Of course, in doing so they would be respecting the halacha, which holds that saving a life is more important than just about any other law. But why would that be? Life is temporary; halacha was given to us by the Creator of all, who transcends mere time and space. Why should we ever let worldly concerns get in the way of enacting eternal principles?
One of the classic reference points for thinking about this world and the next comes from Pirkei Avot – a collection of the sages’ ethical-spiritual reflections. In chapter 4, Rabbi Yaakov says “this world is like a waiting room before the world to come; prepare yourself in the waiting room, so that you may enter the banquet hall.” At first reading, it sounds like he’s saying that this life really is just all about the fancy gala to come. We have plenty to do while we’re waiting around for the next world, but it’s all really a prelude to the main event.
Immediately after, however, Rabbi Yaakov says the following: “More precious is one hour in repentance and good deeds in this world than all the life of the world to come; and more precious is one hour of the tranquility of the world to come than all the life of this world.”
How do we interpret those words? Maimonides connects them to King Solomon’s observation in Ecclesiastes that “there is no action, no reasoning, no knowledge, no wisdom in the grave to
where you are going." You have a short time on this earth – make every moment count!
But how do you make each moment count? By making sure you keep doing all the right things and avoid sinning so you go to heaven and bypass the fiery depths of hell? You’d surely still prefer the moment when all that do-gooding and sin avoidance is behind you and you can enjoy your hard-earned reward.
If we think of life as one of those game show contests, where you have to grab as much cash as you can get your hands on in the money booth, then you’d prefer to skip the rigamarole and receive a nice big bag of money.
But what if the doing is the point? When we recognise that each individual life is a precious, fragile jewel and we appreciate that we are given a once-a-lifetime opportunity to become the person we will forever be, then we can understand that to live, and to live a finite life, even as our souls transcend physical reality, is a unique gift.
Hagglund writes that “the prospect of our death opens the question of what we ought to do with our finite time – and thereby makes it possible to lead our lives in the first place – but it does not offer any answer to the question.”
Jewish tradition offers a way of living and opens our eyes to an existence beyond this life, but it shares the appreciation that there is nothing like the here and now – like the life we are living at this very moment.
Israel is a hotbed of innovation in the audiovisual sector, with film scripts and series ideas that have rocked the world. “Fauda”, “Shtisel”, “Euphoria”, “Hatufim” (the original inspiration for “Homeland”) and “False Flag” are just a few examples of the creative Israeli products that have stood out in global media. However, as inventive as they are, my compatriots born in this land of “Eretz Yisrael” would never have dreamed of the solution that Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jews of the diaspora, created for humanity when they invented Superman in 1938 because they don’t know what it’s like to be a Jew in the diaspora.
Jerry Siegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Lithuanian parents and Joe Shuster was born in Toronto, Canada to parents of Dutch and Ukrainian descent. They created the hero Kal-El, who was sent to Earth before his world was destroyed. Superman was introduced in “Action Comics #1,” published on April 18, 1938, although the cover date was June 1938. The editorial practice of dating the cover two months before the actual month of publication allowed the issue to stay on shelves longer, remnants of an analogue world.
This powerful metaphor of immigration and the search for safety reflects the duality of Jewish identity. Hence, my initial assertion. Only someone with the sensibility
It would be best if you met my other son, a doctor
of a diaspora Jew could conceive that a pair of ordinary glasses would be enough to hide Kal El’s second identity. This symbolic disguise illustrates the ability to walk in two worlds, hide in plain sight and maintain a secret and unbreakable core.
Superman and his duality sincerely represent the Jewish experience in exile. Clark Kent, Kal-El’s shy and awkward persona, reflects the creators themselves, Siegel and Shuster, who, like many Jews of the diaspora, existed in two worlds – a private one and a public one. At home, they were Jews, living with cultural heritage and traditions. Outside, they were citizens of the world, trying to adapt and thrive in cultures that did not always fully accept
Friday, Aug 2, 2024
them. For many Jews in the diaspora, living a double life is a necessity imposed by circumstances. Especially now in a world where antisemitism is once again a threat. The ability to “hide” one’s true identity can be the difference between life and death. Superman’s secret identity symbolises this need for concealment and disguise.
Furthermore, the creation of a hero like Superman, someone who possesses powers beyond human comprehension but chooses to live as an ordinary man, reflects the aspiration of many Jews in the diaspora to integrate and contribute to their adoptive communities, while carrying within them a history of resilience and strength. Kal-El is a foreigner in a new world, just as Jews are often foreigners in their lands.
The simplicity of Clark Kent’s disguise –just a pair of glasses – can be seen as a metaphor for the fragility of the barriers that separate public identity from private identity. For those who understand the depth of this duality, Clark Kent’s disguise is not just a plot device but a reflection of how identity can be subtly and almost imperceptibly moulded and remoulded. This perception is something that Siegel and Shuster, as Jews of the diaspora, intimately understood, as do many of us.
Superman and Clark Kent represent two facets of the same existence. With his modest appearance and reserved behaviour, Clark Kent lives in the world as an observer, while Superman is the personification of power and justice, a visible and unmistakable saviour. This duality
resonates with the Jewish experience of camouflaging in society while carrying a deep and indestructible identity.
Clark Kent’s transformation into Superman is an act of revelation, an affirmation of the true self that transcends the limitations imposed by fear and the need to “hide”. The idea of being a Jew at home and a citizen outside is something inherent to those who have had to survive in any country other than Israel. The diaspora taught us, the Jews of the diaspora, to be masters of disguise, to hide our true identity when necessary, but never to lose sight of who we are. Superman is, in many ways, a symbol of this duality. He is the hero who emerges when necessary, but also knows when to hide in plain sight, protecting his true nature with the simplicity of a pair of glasses.
You may be wondering why I’m making these connections. Calm down, I’ll explain. I wrote this text because the next Superman will be played by David Corenswet, a Jewish actor, closing a significant cycle in the character’s history and showing that art imitates life. David Corenswet, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the son of parents of Jewish descent. His selection for the role of Superman is mainly symbolic for me, and I hope you agree with me now.
In other words, with David Corenswet assuming the cape and the “S” of Superman, the character’s Jewish identity is finally recognized, reinforcing the deep connection between the hero and the Jewish experience in the diaspora. And that’s why you must meet my other son, a doctor.
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TERUMAH. Here is a list of some common words (“yes”, we know there are more words in the dictionary that can work, but these words are the most common): HAMMERER, REHAMMER, MAHATMA, RETREAT, TEETHER, THEATER, URETHRA, HARMER, HAMMER, HATTER, HEATER, HUMMER, REHEAT, RATHER, TEETHE, TETHER, THREAT, EARTH, ETHER, HAREM, HATER, HEATH, HEART, REHEM, TEETH, THEME, THERE, THREE, THRUM and TRUTH. Questions/comments, please email Yoni at koshercrosswords@gmail.com
Delightful feel-good entertainment, Mr Blake at Your Service is a fun filled romantic romp.
Andrew Blake (John Malkovich) is a successful English businessman who is pining the loss of his wife of more than 40 years.
Diane, a French woman, was the love of his life.
They met at a beautiful French castle when they were young and it was love at first sight.
She was on holidays and Andrew was hired as her English teacher.
They went on to have a daughter, Sarah, who now lives in Australia.
Since Diane passed away four months ago, Andrew has been struggling.
He and Diane promised each other that one day they would return to the estate where they met.
Now he makes that pilgrimage alone, not knowing how long he will stay.
Only he is at first mistaken for somebody who responded to an online ad for hired help placed by the cook, Odile (Emilie Dequenne).
The owner of the property, Nathalie Beauvillier (Fanny Ardant), is in financial peril, unable to pay the bills since her philandering husband died four years ago.
She would like to open up the place to guests, but for that to work she would need more staff and she can’t pay for that. In fact, her eccentric behaviour has her desperately replying to junk mail in the hope of winning a fortune.
That is when Odile – not knowing anything of Andrew’s background –comes up with the plan.
Andrew will become an English butler for a trial period in return for room and board.
In quick time, with his good-natured banter, Andrew changes the dynamic at the manor and of the household staff who inhabit it.
In the process, he too finds a new lease on life.
Among those affected by Andrew’s straight talking are the stickler for detail
and masterful chef who dotes on her spoilt cat Mephisto, Odile.
But she is far from the only one.
Andrew befriends a man who took a shot at him (literally), odd job guy Magnier, (Philippe Bas), who has designs on Odile.
And then there is the maid, Manon (Eugenie Anselin), who is rueing the fact that she has fallen pregnant and her boyfriend seems to have abandoned her.
Mr Blake at Your Service has been adapted to the screen from a hit novel by Gilles Legardinier.
It was translated into 17 languages and has sold more than a million copies across 22 countries.
Now, he has written the screenplay, alongside Christel Henon.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (MA) ALEX FIRST
Irreverent, ribald, aggressive and action packed, Deadpool & Wolverine is a deep dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the multiverse.
The rivalry and dynamic between Deadpool and Wolverine have long held fascination for fans of the X-Men universe.
Logan (2017) had marked the end of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine’s journey.
But the concept here is that Deadpool looks for a live Wolverine in an alternative reality.
The universe appears to have gone to hell in a handbasket and the pair teams up to save it from oblivion.
The story takes place six years after the events in Deadpool 2 (2018).
Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is long since retired as the mercenary Deadpool and lives a nondescript life (he starts the film as a used car salesman).
That is until he is prevailed upon by a bureaucratic organisation known as the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to don the red and black again.
He must find a way to convince a most reluctant Wolverine to join him.
Together, they confront Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), a mutant with telekinetic and telepathic powers, the twin sister of Charles Xavier.
The TVA agent pulling the strings is Mr Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), who would like to speed up the death of the Earth 1005 universe by using a Time Ripper.
Far-fetched material to be sure, with twists a plenty, but it will surely put a smile on the faces of even the hardest of hearts.
I could feel myself being manipulated, but gladly went along for the ride.
The charming characters and the way they are played, along with the surfeit of quips, elevate the movie above the ordinary.
I’ve typically viewed John Malkovich as a serious actor, but here he takes to the humour with gusto and a distinct spring in his step.
There is an elegance and stoicism about Fanny Ardant as a proud widow who fears for the future.
As Odile, Emilie Dequenne deftly balances rigid routine with vulnerability.
There is a timidity too about Philippe Bas as Magnier, a man who is highly capable professionally, but somewhat lacking in interpersonal skills.
And what is it about cats dominating screentime in movies this year? In quick succession we have had A Quite Place: Day One, Fly Me to the Moon and now Mr Blake at Your Service.
It is hard not to be impressed by the entitlement that Nouchka, a Persian, shows as Mophisto in this one.
Some of the French accents by the English actors may sound somewhat tortured, but there is no doubting the warmth and charm in this fairy tale.
Rated M, Mr Blake at Your Service scores a 7½ out of 10.
That is a machine that can mercy kill timelines. Confusing – you betcha. Hilarious –absolutely.
There is no doubt that a solid understanding of characters that constitute the MCU would enhance appreciation of what is on offer.
I would suggest that this is one for the purists.
Inside jokes aplenty and references to the real world make Deadpool & Wolverine so much more enjoyable.
It sets out to shock and provoke, and there are many sequences when is does.
Amidst the mumbo jumbo built into the script to try to explain what is going down (it is complex), there is also much
cleverness and hilarity. Ryan Reynolds has found his true calling. He is delightfully manic as motormouth Deadpool.
In contrast, Hugh Jackson says little as Wolverine, but brings grunt and anger to the role. He is darn good and doesn’t miss a beat.
Matthew Macfadyen is a proper English cad and stands out because of it, as does Emma Corrin as the “too cool for school” Cassandra.
It is all but impossible to ignore the significant role that one of the world’s ugliest dogs has to play in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Dogpool, as he is known, is a cross between a pug and a Chinese Crested.
Suffice to say, he has a tongue on him that is more akin to an iguana’s, which he uses to deliver Deadpool a face bath more than once.
The music choices – primarily pop numbers – are next level, with a series of inspired hits that accompany the protagonists’ journey.
Rated MA, Deadpool & Wolverine may be oh so silly, but it is also heaps of fun. Afficionados should love it. It scores an 8 out of 10.
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