Australian government condems attacks on Israeli diplomats
In a statement from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia has condemned the attacks on Israeli diplomat in India and Georgia. Read more
SBS rules that “The Promise” does not vilify Jews or Israelis
An internal investigation by SBS into complaints of anti-Jewish racism associated with the four-part series The Promise, broadcast in late 2011, has concluded that “the series does not, demonise Jews either individually or as a collective, nor deny their individual and collective right to self determination and therefore does not vilify Jews or Israelis.” Read more
ECAJ “The Promise” Complaint not about Bias
Harold Zwier and Larry Stillman were published in The Age [ Letters 18/1] and agree with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) that the Jewish characters portrayed in The Promise are generally unsympathetic in comparison with the Arab characters, but disagree that this bias amounts to antisemitism.
The ECAJ’s complaint is not about bias. It is about racist stereotyping of Jews throughout the series. Numerous examples are listed in the Table provided by the ECAJ and in the text of the complaint itself.
All of the principal characters who are Jewish are portrayed in a deeply negative way – betrayers (the Judas stereotype), murderers of innocents (blood libel), thieves (Fagin), ruthless and amoral (Shylock) and so on.
If a series about the Israel-Palestinian conflict portrayed every Arab character as a murderous terrorist, betrayer or thief or a vocal supporter of these, perhaps the racism would be more evident to Messrs Zwier and Stillman.
The reference to the Nazi propaganda film is solely to illustrate that an award-winning, critically-acclaimed film can nevertheless be deeply tainted by racism.
I do not believe that every criticism of Israel is antisemitic. [I wonder what the reaction would be if Palestinians or Arabs and Muslims were depicted is such a negative manner and SBS were to promote DVDs to ensure wide coverage.] It is equally false to suggest that no criticism of Israel is antisemitic. There is clearly some overlap. The test is whether the criticism makes use of anti-Jewish stereotypes. The Promise certainly did so.
Michael Burd
Toorak, Vic.
New Exhibition at Yad Vashem
Traveling to Israel? Already there? Yad Vashem is launching a new exhibition to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Read more
Chabad opens in Queenstown
A new Chabad House has opened in Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand…and has had a successful debut Shabbat.
Israeli IT at work in Australia
ClickSoftware , the Tel Aviv-based world-leading provider of automated workforce management and optimisation solutions for the service industry, today announced that KinCare, one of Australia’s leading providers of in-home and nursing care services, will be implementing ClickSoftware Cloud. Read more
The Promise – ECAJ complains to SBS
Peter Wertheim, the executive director of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has written a formal complaint to the SBS Ombudsman following the screening of The Promise, a drama series portraying both the contemporary Israel/Palestine conflict and the situation during the British mandate prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Wertheim’s analysis is extremely thorough… Read more
Anyone from Safed?
Israeli architect Nili Portugali is making a documentary about the Israeli city of Safed and is looking for anyone who may be able to contribute to her project. Read more
Ray Ginsburg – Eulogy
Victoria Nadel, the President of The National Council of Jewish Women of Australia NSW Division delivered a eulogy at the funeral of Ray Ginsburg who passed aaway this week at the age of 103. Read more
Chanukiah lights up Brisbane
A six metre tall menorah was lit in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall this week. Read more
Jewish College Aboriginal resident becomes a doctor
Dr Josef McDonald, a member of the Awabakal tribe, graduated from the University of NSW as a doctor the 16th December…the 3rd graduate of the Shalom Gamarada Scholarship Program. Read more
The story of the Dreidel
The Chanukah festival has three central motifs – light, miracles, bravery – which are expressed through the spinning of the dreidel. But how did this spinning top – a game so beloved by children and, let’s admit, by adults as well – become one of the main symbols of Chanukah?…writes Itzik Peleg. Read more
Jewish Radio Off the Air
Multicultural broadcaster SBS Radio has taken 17 language programs off the air during the summer break…including Ivrit and Yiddish. Read more
Monte says ‘thank you” and receives an award
Sydney’s Sir Moses Montefiore Home has hosted its volunteers on a harbour cruise to thank them for their work in 2011. Read more
From Masada, Emanuel and Kesser Torah with Pride
Sydney’s Masada College, Emanuel School and Kesser Torah College have announced the highlights of their students’ successes in the HSC. Read more
A Broken Promise
West Australian Labor senator Glenn Sterle has written to SBS questioning the multicultural channel’s decision to screen “The Promise”… a drama series focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Read more
NSW Greens and BDS
The NSW Greens have reviewed their involvement in the BDS declaring there is a “diversity of views”. Read more
Nursing Scholarships for Jewish Care
Two of Melbourne Jewish Care’s Registered Nurses have been awarded prestigious Aged Care Nursing Scholarships, administered by The Royal College of Nursing Australia. Read more
UIA and Hagshama share premiere
Hagshama Sydney and UIA Young Leadership recently hosted 80 young adults at the Arthouse Hotel on Monday, 21st of November for the special premiere screening of the movie “Leah” produced by Daniel Remer. Read more
B’nai B’rith Concert
The B’nai Brith Fellowship Group’s monthly concert was held at the King David’s Rebecca Magid Centre recently…writes Deidre Wainrit. Read more
European-funded Breaking the Silence Alienates Israelis
From November 13-16, Hebrew University sponsored a conference on “The Potential Role of Transitional Justice in Ongoing Conflict”…write Anne Hertzberg and Naftali Balanson. Read more
Israeli Academic on the Survival of Maori and Pasifika languages
World-renowned linguist Professor Bernard Spolsky will be keynote speaker at an upcoming symposium ‘Building a multilingual society: creating habitats for language survival’, focusing on the survival of Māori and Pasifika languages. Read more
Rabbis and Family Violence
The Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence together with The Rabbinical Council of Victoria has launched a book…the ground breaking publication, “WILL MY RABBI BELIEVE ME? Will He Understand?” – Responding to Disclosures of Family Violence in a Rabbinic Context. Read more
ECAJ Responds to Rhiannon
Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon has issued a statement calling on the Israeli government “to immediately release Michael Coleman”, an Australian member of the Freedom Waves to Gaza Flotilla, who has been arrested by the Israeli Defence Force…a statement that has met with a sharp response from The Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Read more
Australian Friends of Israel to be launched in Melbourne
The Zionist Council of Victoria (ZCV), together with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) will proudly support the launch of the grassroots group Australian Friends of Israel (AFI) this month with an inaugural event on November 16 at the Beth Weizmann Community Centre. Read more
Packaged Care
Jewish Care Victoria was recently selected to deliver a new type of Community Aged Care package known as Consumer Directed Care packages. Read more
Jewish Film Festivals
Check here for the full program for both the Melbourne and Sydney Jewish Film Festivals… Read more
Shechita continuity assured in Australia…
Dr Danny Lamm, the president of the The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has written to the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to thank him for the Government decision to maintain Shechita in Australia. Read more
New Teacher for The Emanuel School
Martin Yafe’s arrival at Emanuel School represents the latest phase of the Jewish and Hebrew Department’s vision for the School where they are working with students beyond the classroom, enhancing their Jewish experiential education. Read more
Training the Body as Well as the Mind
Sydney’s The Emanuel School is in the middle of a two week Healthathon for primary students which will run until November 4. Read more
