Footnote – A movie review
April 21, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Israel has produced many movies over the years but none that this reviewer has seen has attained the quality of Footnote, a 2011 film written and directed by Joseph Cedar which won the best screenplay award at Cannes and was nominated for an Academy Award this year losing out to the Iranian film “A Separation”…writes Henry Benjamin.
Perlman tells a story
April 20, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Award winning novelist Elliot Perlman had a special tale to tell those who attended the functions commemorating Yom HaShoah at which he spoke in Sydney. Read more
Jacob’s violin plays at Auschwitz
April 20, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Jacob Vissel was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942…but yesterday his violin, in the hands of his great-granddaughter Ashleigh, played the theme from Schindler’s List at the entrance to the Nazi death camp. Read more
Empty wallets – empty memories
April 18, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
The International Tracing Service based in a small German town is the world’s largest archive of Nazi documents and has made a contribution to the Sydney Jewish Museum of wallets seized by the Nazis during WWII…stripped of their contents and the identities of their original owners. Read more
A lone voice for same sex marriage
April 12, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Steve Denenberg, the executive director of the Union for Progressive Judaism was a lone voice among the Judeo-Christian leaders being quizzed by a parliamentary group on same sex marriage. Read more
Face to Face: with Eyal Tiburger
April 10, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Eyal Tiburger is the the Director-General of Maccabi World Union. He visited Australia recently briefing leaders on the progress of the 19th Maccabiah to be held in Israel next year. J-Wire filmed an interview with him… Read more
Chometz – going, going…gone
April 6, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Ever wondered what happens when chometz is sold? J-Wire took its cameras into the Bondi home of Rabbi Pinchas Feldman and recorded the deal done with Liberal Member of the NSW Legislative Council David Clarke… Read more
Face-to-Face with Professor Konrad Kwiet
April 5, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Professor Konrad Kwiet is the German-born Pratt Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Sydney and resident historian at the Sydney Jewish Museum. J-Wire presents a filmed interview on the eve of a museum function to honour him for his contribution to his chosen field of endeavour. An interview not to miss…. Read more
Fishing for Pesach
April 4, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
A meshgiach is manning the new Kosher fish department at a supermarket in Melbourne. Read more
Hotel Knight
April 3, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
In 1991 French hotel giant Accor had no presence in the South Pacific…today they have more than 450 hotels and the man responsible for their success will be created a knight by the French Government at the end of the month. Read more
Sydney burials assured for 30 years
April 2, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
3,000 burial plots for the Jewish community have been announced at a new section at Sydney’s Rookwood Cemetery by the NSW Minister for Primary Industry Katrina Hodgkinson. Read more
Memorial Service for Johannesberg Educator
March 27, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
A memorial service is to be held in honour of Gary Block who was the deputy principal of Johannesburg’s King David High School. Read more
Terry makes it seven
March 25, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Marathon runner Dr Terry Diamond has completed his mission to run seven marathons in seven days to raise funds for a rare disease.
A violin plays at Auschwitz
March 19, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Its owner lost his life in Auschwitz but next month a violin will play the doleful tones of the theme from “Schindler’s List” under the former concentration camp’s iconic and tragic “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign…in the hands of his great-granddaughter. Read more
Tell a Tale of Israel
March 19, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
The Zemach family lives in Moshav Kadesh Barnea in the Negev…but for one year they are travelling the world meeting people and explaining the fabric of Israeli life. Read more
If You’re Irish, Come into the Parliament
March 16, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
The Irish parliament sent a special emissary to Sydney to participate in this week’s St Patrick’s Day celebration…Minister for Justice Alan Shatter. Read more
Exhibition of Jewish images from around the world
March 15, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
An exhibition by renowned photographer Emmanuel Santos featuring Jewish images from around the globe has opened at he Sydney Jewish Museum. Read more
Elli’s saviours now Righteous Among the Nations
March 13, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Last March Elli Mantegari travelled from her home in Sao Paulo to meet the children of the couple who hid her as a baby from the Nazis after learning the story the story at the age of 70. Yad Vashem has now declared the deceased Dutch couple the title of “Righteous Among the Nations”. Read more
Central turns Liberal
March 12, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Sydney’s The Central Synagogue hosted a very special guest for Friday night’s Shabbat service….Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott. Read more
The Proud Mother of Two Fallen Sons
March 6, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
More than 1000 UIA supporters sat in stunned silence as Miriam Peretz told them that she had buried two sons who died fighting for the IDF…one in Lebanon and the other twelve years later in Gaza. Read more
One man stands up for Israel
March 6, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
More than 200 protesters demonstrated in Washington outside the White House yesterday as President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu….with a lone voice supporting Israel coming from former Sydneysider Ari Briggs. Read more
Teaching the teachers
March 1, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
A Culture for Thinking teaches teachers how to encourage pupils to think out of the box and become enthusiastically engaged in their school projects. Read more
Politicians report on Israel visit
February 28, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council has hosted a meeting in Sydney at which three Australian members of Parliament told of their experiences on a recent visit to Israel. Read more
From Keyboard to Camera
February 28, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Well-known journalist Dan Goldberg is rapidly becoming a well-known filmmaker with his new series “Bushwhacked” to be screened on ABC-TV later this year. Read more
At lunch with Anne and Gerard Henderson
February 24, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Sydney Morning Herald columnist Gerard Henderson and his wife Anne, who together run the Sydney Institute, recently visited Israel. They told an Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council lunch meeting about their trip… Read more
Friends of Israel and enemies in Marrickville
February 22, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
At a function launching the revitalised NSW Parliamentary Israeli Friendship Group, Israel’s ambassador to Australia expressed his farewell to the pro-BDS Greens who drove last year’s anti-Israel campaign in the inner-Sydney suburb of Marrickville. Read more
Conversation with David Broza
February 20, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Israeli music icon David Broza is scheduled for concerts in Sydney and Melbourne next month. J-Wire spoke to him at his home in Tel Aviv. Read more
A Pianoman with a Story to Tell
February 17, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Gershon Wachtel is heading Down Under to appear at the Sydney Yeshiva’s Gala Dinner next week…he is a pianist for whom life has composed a sad sonata. Read more
Sydney Jewish Museum celebrates its 20th anniversary
February 17, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
The Governor of New South Wales, Professor Marie Bashir has launched the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Sydney Jewish Museum. Read more
Oprah Winfrey – “There’s more Chassidic Jew in me than I Knew”
February 16, 2012 by Henry Benjamin
Rabbi Motti Seligson who attained his smicha at Sydney’s Yeshiva Rabbinical College and worked for two years at Bondi’s Central Synagogue has interviewed Oprah Winfrey. Watch the video… Read more
