The Diaspora minus the United States
Zionist Federation of Australia president Philip Chester will be a presenter at the Israeli Presidential Conference.
ZFA President Philip Chester
Chester is in elite company with current and former world leaders including Shimon Peres, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Mikhail Gorbachev and innovative academics Professors Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely, and Dr Rush Westheimer together with international superstars Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone and Israel’s Rita: at the 2013 Israeli Presidential Conference to be held in Jerusalem between 19-21 June.
More than 4,000 of the world’s most influential Jewish community leaders, entrepreneurs, celebrities, politicians and academics from around the world are expected to attend the conference.
Chester is one of five community leaders who will be on the 20 June panel “The Tomorrow of the 20%: Jewish Communities Outside Israel and the United States”.
“So much focus of discussion and news about Jewish continuity outside of Israel comes from the United States, but it is so important for others to note how different other Diaspora communities are from each other and from the United States,” Chester said. “The panel will be an opportunity for the rest of the world to see and understand different ways that Australia has maintained a strong Zionist and Jewish identity in the Diaspora. It will also give us a chance to have a dialogue with other communities and learn ideas and ways that may make our community greater.”
The other panellists hail from France, Mexico, the former Soviet Union and Israel. The panellists have a wide range of community, academic and business experience.
I am a very aged woman turning 86 on my next birthday. Attended day Jewish school for only 5 classes primary until the outbreak of WWII but never lost my belief in the duty of healing the world. Living in three countries had many varied jobs. Getting university degrees and other qualifications,and marrying two non Jewish men I never stoped to be a Jewess, but didn’t observed the rituals. Was probably no more than a dozen times in any synagogue always at the marriages or confirmations of friends. Volunteered in many organizations, mostly Jewish, but some of them not. Guess that are quite few similar people in our community and strongly commend their work. It is great to hear the voices giving us equal rites. Hope that everyone agrees. Lets be united.