Hairspray: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

The spark burns brightly in Hairspray, a delightfully breezy musical with discrimination as its theme. Read more

Ray Chen plays Mendelssohn: a music review by Alan Slade

Ray Chen, the Taiwan-born Australian violinist who came with his parents to Brisbane as an infant, played his 1715 Stradivarius “Joachim” violin in a spectacular rendition of Felix Mendelssohn’s E-minor concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor, New Zealand’s Gemma New, in the Thursday afternoon series in the just-reopened concert hall of Sydney’s Opera House. Read more

Blowin’ in the wind

Readers of a certain vintage will remember this popular song released in 1963 and top of the hit parade for some time. Read more

Kissinger: Good or Bad?

Whatever you may think of Henry Kissinger, he has been the most influential secular Jew by birth (outside Israel) in world affairs in recent times. Read more

A new film about Shimon Peres whitewashes the consequences of his policies

This essay is dedicated to the 1,409 men, women and children who were murdered as a result of the Oslo process, which involved unilateral concessions to an unrepentant terrorist organization, a policy conceived by Israeli politician Shimon Peres, who died in 2016 at the age of 93. Read more

Grant for up to 45 million shekels to bring foreign filmmakers to Israel

The Israeli government aims to positively brand the country and improve the economy through a rebate project that could grant up to 45 million shekels ($13.9 million) toward the production of foreign films and TV series in the country over the next two years. Read more

Win a copy of “The Happiest Boy on Earth”

The JDC (The Joint )Australia is running a competition to win one of five copies of the late Eddie Jaku’s new children’s book. Read more

L’Chaim – to Life: Ronit Fraid – the JNF Dinner a night of play

Maurice Klein speaks with Ronit Fraid, President of JNF Victoria, about the upcoming Annual Gala Dinner Event, in support of the children of Israel’s South. Read more

Study shows viruses can kill gut bacteria of Crohn’s, bowel disease

Many of the microbes that live in our gut are good for our health, while others contribute to inflammatory bowel disease or other disorders. Read more

Mahmoud Abbas and the Munich massacre: Time to face the truth

The families of the Israeli athletes massacred at the 1972 Munich Olympics have announced a boycott of an upcoming 50th-anniversary commemoration in Germany. Read more

Why the world won’t care about Abbas’s ‘Holocaust’ lie

There’s something almost pathetic about the outrage generated after the latest comments by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. Read more

Shabbat Eykev: Bread is not enough

It is a strange sentence. “I provided you with the Manah so that you should know that a person does not live on bread alone.” And then, the Torah goes on to extoll the physical richness of the land the Israelites are coming to and how it will provide all the food they could want. Read more

Laurinda: A Melbourne Theatre Company production reviewed by Alex First

Bullying and racism are not acceptable in any environment and yet the schoolyard can be a hotbed of discontent. Read more

Feintooner

This week’s cartoon: Poker Faces Read more

I am Emilia Bassano: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

What’s the truism? Behind every great man, there is a woman. Read more

A talk with a Palestinian lawyer in Ramallah

In 2018, we had the opportunity to visit Ramallah with our German friend, former journalist, Johannes Gerloff. We had just visited Yasser Arafat’s tomb and were returning to our car when we encountered a rather irate Palestinian lawyer who was happy to engage with us and what he shared was revealing. Read more

Hebrew University: Desert regions may be best predictors of climate change in wetter areas

When it comes to the world’s climate, in the past decade, planet Earth keeps sending us its summer siren’s call. According to NASA, nineteen of the hottest years have occurred since 2000, with 2016 and 2020 tied for the hottest on record. This summer is already making worldwide headlines, with England scorching beyond 40 degrees Celsius. Read more

Tu B’Av unites six Sydney youth organisations

Read more

B’nai B’rith Courage to Care’s change of leadership in Victoria

Dr Tony Weldon stepped down as Chair of B’nai B’rith Courage to Care (Vic.)at its recent Annual General Meeting where the organisation celebrated its 30th anniversary. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Helena Rubinstein  – an young Jewish entrepreneur who created a beauty empire

Helena was born on 25 December 1870. She was the eldest of eight daughters born to Polish Jews – Augusta and Horace Rubinstein. Read more

Rushdie and the Satanic clerics of Iran

In May 2015, the PEN Literary Gala presented its Freedom of Expression Courage Award to the slain cartoonists of the French satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo.” Read more

What are the origins of tefillin?

Ask the rabbi. Read more

Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine – Interviewing author Ali Shihabi

A plan proposed by Ali Shihabi  – a Saudi author and commentator on Middle Eastern Politics -proposing the merger of Jordan, Gaza and part of the West Bank into one single territorial entity to be called “The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine” – has received little attention in the Israeli media or been commented on by Israeli politicians since its release on 8 June. Read more

Confronting South Africa’s official anti-Zionism

In no other democratic country in the world has anti-Zionism enjoyed the kind of mainstream success that it has in South Africa. Read more

Saudi social-media influencer: ‘Hope our nation will sign a peace treaty with Israel’

Saudi social-media influencer Mohammed Saud, who recently made both waves and friends by playing Israel’s national anthem “Hatikvah” on the oud, tells JNS that “Saudi Arabian citizens are starting to learn much more about the Jewish people around the world.” Read more

Jewish Valentine’s Day

I would hazard a guess that some fifty per cent of people who call themselves Jews had no idea that last Sunday was the Tisha B’Av, Ninth of Av, much less fast. Read more

On the other hand

They are off and running. Read more

Unmistaken disparates

Two news items, totally unconnected, caught my attention because they both are perfect examples of how Israel is a leader in innovation and at the same time a favourite target of double standards. Read more

Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine vote winner for Lapid, Gantz, Bibi

With Israeli elections due in October – the major players vying to become Israel’s next Prime Minister – current caretaker PM -Yair Lapid, current Minister of Defence – Benny Gantz and current Opposition Leader – Bibi Netanyahu have yet to issue any statement on the Saudi plan released on 8 June to merge Jordan, Gaza and part of the West Bank into a single territorial entity to be called The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine. Read more

Shabbat VaEtchanan: Do they admire us?

Almost hidden in the long speech of Moses this week are two sentences that I have great difficulty reading because even though they are magnificent, they fall short of reality. Read more

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