Current News
France sets annual Dreyfus commemoration day
Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 6:28 pm
France will hold an annual day honouring Alfred Dreyfus, the French-Jewish military officer who was falsely accused of treason in 1895, President Emmanuel Macron declared on Saturday. Read more
Cancer experts alarmed by teen sunbathing trend in Israel
Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 6:04 pm
A new nationwide survey commissioned by the Israel Cancer Association has revealed a troubling trend: nearly one-third of Israeli Jewish teenagers continue to sunbathe frequently, despite widespread awareness of the risks associated with ultraviolet exposure. Read more
JNF Australia launches 2025 campaign to rebuild and heal Israel’s North and South
Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 5:41 pm
JNF Australia has launched its 2025 annual campaign, Together, We Rise With Israel, inspired by the resilience shown by Israelis since the October 7 terror attacks and recent Iranian missile strikes.

Eli Sharabi meets President Herzog Photo: Haim Zach (GPO)
Headlining this year’s campaign is former hostage Eli Sharabi, 52, who will visit Australia to share his harrowing story of survival. Sharabi was held captive for 491 days after being abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Upon his release in February, he learned that his wife Lianne and daughters Noiya and Yahel had been murdered that same day.
“Surviving captivity has shown me the power of resilience and the unbreakable spirit of the Israeli people,” Sharabi said. Now a global voice for hope and remembrance, his visit to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth is expected to galvanise the community.
Eli Sharabi met Israel’s President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence this week.
During their meeting, Sharabi presented the President with his book “Hostage”, a powerful and rare testimony of his harrowing experience in captivity. He also announced that the book has been translated into English and will be published in the United States on the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre.
In an emotional appeal directed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump, Sharabi said: “This is the moment. We are waiting and hoping. The families of the hostages need closure, they need peace, they need their loved ones home, whether alive or, God forbid, to be buried with dignity. I ask both the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Israel to make the final effort and bring this to an end.”
The JNF 2025 campaign will support a suite of recovery initiatives, including water infrastructure in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, therapeutic learning and trauma support in Nir Oz and Ein Hashlosha, reforestation at Misgav Am, and mental health programs in Kiryat Shmona.
“For nearly two years, Israelis have been under siege, yet remain determined to rebuild. We must match their resilience with action,” said JNF Australia CEO Doron Lazarus. “This campaign is about more than infrastructure — it’s about restoring lives and hope.”
Since October 7, JNF Australia has backed over 60 recovery projects, with the 2025 campaign reinforcing its long-standing partnerships with frontline communities.
“What October 7 taught us is that Israel needs the Diaspora more than ever — and we need Israel,” said JNF Australia President Pam Krail. “Our greatest weapon is strength from within.”
Lazarus added: “The missiles may have shattered homes — but not hope. Together, we rise with Israel.”
Eli Sharabi will visit Sydney on 2nd September, 4th September in Melbourne and 7th September in Perth.
To secure your ticket, please visit www.jnf.org.au or call 1300 563 563. Tickets go on sale on 10th July. Prices for tickets in NSW
are $80, in VIC they’re $72 and in WA they range between $15-54 per ticket. Additional guests to be announced.
Ohad graduates as a doctor in Gaza
Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 5:01 pm
While his classmates celebrated the completion of their medical degrees, Ohad was serving inside Gaza. Read more
New Israel-EU agreement opens humanitarian aid routes, increases flow to Gaza
Friday, July 11, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Israel and the European Union have agreed to significantly expand humanitarian aid access to Gaza, officials confirmed Thursday, following weeks of negotiations aimed at improving aid delivery and reducing the risk of diversion to Hamas. Read more
Australia’s plan to combat antisemitism: Same here please asks the NZ community
Friday, July 11, 2025 at 4:35 pm
New Zealand’s Jewish leadership has issued an urgent call for the Government to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to combat antisemitism, in light of Australia’s bold new plan and the re-confirmation of a neo-Nazi group on New Zealand’s terrorism watchlist.
Read more
Security guard, 20, killed in Palestinian terror attack
Friday, July 11, 2025 at 9:32 am
A 20-year-old Israeli man was murdered in a terrorist attack outside a shopping centre near the Gush Etzion junction south of Jerusalem on Thursday. Read more
Graffiti, drones, and cash drops: Israeli indicted in Iranian spy pot
Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 6:09 pm
State prosecutors indicted 27-year-old Or Beilin of Be’er Yaakov for alleged espionage on behalf of Iran. Read more
U.S. sanctions UN rights monitor for ‘political warfare’ against Israel
Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 6:02 pm
The United States has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, citing her efforts to push for International Criminal Court action against American and Israeli officials. Read more
Hostages the priority as Gaza conflict grinds on
Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 5:47 pm
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his meeting with US President Donald Trump focused on freeing hostages held in Gaza, as Israel continues to pound the Palestinian territory amid efforts to reach a ceasefire. Read more
Hamas says ready to free 10 hostages as part of talks
Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Hamas says it has agreed to release 10 hostages under ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, saying ongoing talks for a truce are “tough” due to Israel’s “intransigence”. Read more
Segal’s antisemitism report urges bold reforms across education, media and migration
Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 4:17 pm
In response to a 300% surge in antisemitic incidents across Australia, a landmark action report was today launched with the support of the government, aimed at combating anti-Jewish hatred.
An open letter from Benny Gantz
Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 10:14 am
Dear Members of the Australian Jewish Community, Read more
Previous Articles and Features
Video
Shelley Segal and Prince Chapelle
Sport
Fox fired up for canoe world titles after rough results
Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 3:44 pm
Jessica Fox has had mixed results since her stunning double Olympic triumph, but the canoe great expects to again deliver at the world championships in Penrith. Read more
In a class of her own: Aussie paddling GOAT wins again
Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 6:14 pm
Three days after turning 31, Jessica Fox has landed yet another World Cup canoeing gold in France to take her unmatched tally to 35. Read more
Highs and lows as Fox takes gold from World Cup opener
Monday, June 9, 2025 at 6:29 pm
Olympic champion paddlers Jessica and Noemie Fox have experienced mixed fortunes at the first World Cup round in Spain. Read more
Israeli soccer star strikes to seal crown for England’s Leeds United
Monday, May 5, 2025 at 6:58 pm
Israeli international Manor Solomon fired Leeds United to the English Championship title on Saturday with a stoppage-time winner in a 2–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle. Read more
Features and Articles
Nazi chic and soft-soaping the Jew-baiters
Let’s conduct a thought experiment. Let’s imagine that Nazism had broken out of its wartime German-dominated confines and had become the creed of millions throughout the West. Read more
One of the phenomenal aspects of life in Israel is a determination, after any tragedy, to rebound, rebuild and renew. Read more
A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First Read more
Most of the problems we face today are as a result of them having in the past been “kicked down the road” for someone else to confront. Read more
For the past two years, I’ve been conflicted, even close to despair, over whether real peace is ever possible in Israel, and under what conditions. Read more
War and Peace Read more
Reading the Middle East correctly will be vital to Israel’s security
Prime Minister Netanyahu has shown that he too adheres to the ‘Begin Doctrine,’ which says that no country that threatens the existence of the Jewish state will be allowed the weapons to do so. Read more
The fight against antisemitism needs an upgrade
If we want to fight antisemitism today, why do we keep talking about the past as if it alone will save us in the present? Read more
Have you heard... ?
Stand with Israel by being there this September
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 5:55 pm
UIA says for so many of us, Israel isn’t just a destination – it’s a longing. Our homeland. A place we’ve dreamed of standing in, not just for ourselves, but for something greater. Read more
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Gregory Vaisman, co-founder of Sputnik Russian Television and Cultural Association and long-term St Kilda resident, has passed away the age of 86. Read more
Jewish comedy returns to Bondi with Kosher Theatresports
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at 6:05 pm
Kosher Theatresports, an improvisational comedy show known for its blend of quick wit and Jewish humour, is set to return to the Bondi Pavilion Theatre on Sunday, August 31.
JNF educators tour returns, offering deep dive into Israel for teachers
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at 4:46 pm
After a two-year hiatus, the JNF Educators Study Tour is set to return, offering a unique, all-expenses-paid experience for Australian and New Zealand educators eager to explore Israel’s rich cultural and environmental landscape. Read more
Friday, June 27, 2025 at 4:40 pm
Lalo Schifrin, the composer who wrote the theme for Mission: Impossible and more than 100 other arrangements for film and television, has died at 93. Read more
Young-Gen
Moriah Scholars in Entrepreneurship Program ignites innovation and visit to Israel
The Moriah Scholars in Entrepreneurship Program is uniquely designed to inspire entrepreneurship and innovation among our Year 11 students. Read more
Moriah College students excel in HSC
Moriah College’s Class of 2024 has delivered exceptional results in the Higher School Certificate (HSC), underscoring the school’s academic rigour and commitment to holistic student development. Read more
Emanuel School celebrates exceptional 2024 HSC results
Sydney’s Emanuel School is celebrating the outstanding achievements of its Class of 2024 in the Higher School Certificate (HSC). Read more
Two Mount Scopus students achieve ATAR score of 99.90
Mount Scopus graduating class’s efforts have gained praise from principal Dan Sztrajt. Read more
Jessica Fox wins another top gong at Sport NSW awards
Champion paddler Jessica Fox has won another gong, named Sport NSW’s athlete of a year for a remarkable sixth time.
Read more