Palestine – UN Special Rapporteur Bans Free Speech…writes David Singer
March 31, 2013 by David Singer
United Nations Special Rapporteur on “the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967” – Professor Richard Falk – has taken the extraordinary action to ban posts on his blog page “Citizen Pilgrimage”. Read more
Palestine – Obama utters the magic word “Annapolis”
March 25, 2013 by David Singer
President Obama’s use of just one word – “Annapolis” – stands out among the thousands he uttered during his three day visit to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman. Read more
Roll up, rollup the circus has come to town…writes Michael Kuttner
March 24, 2013 by Michael Kuttner
One week before Passover, the Festival when Jews worldwide commemorate the Exodus of their ancestors from slavery in Egypt and the 40 year journey to the Land of Israel, we are in the midst of media frenzy over the visit of the President of the United States and his entourage to our region. Read more
Bibi Plummets to Victory?…questions Dr Ron Weiser
March 22, 2013 by Ron Weiser
[mpoverlay]Israel has a new Government and at the time of writing, President Obama has arrived in Israel for his first trip there as President of the USA. Read more
Breaking the Eighteen Minute Rule
March 22, 2013 by Rabbi Michoel Gourarie
It is well-known that Matzah is baked very quickly. From start to finish it must not take longer than eighteen minutes…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more
The Obama Visit and American Jewry
March 21, 2013 by Isi Leibler
Israelis will enthusiastically greet President Obama in the course of his first visit to the Jewish state since being elected president. But they will also be apprehensively listening to his statements and hoping that his meetings will solidify the US-Israeli relationship. Read more
Austen Tayshus forms the Nobody Knows Anything Party
Inspired by comedian Beppe Grillo’s success in the recent Italian elections, but deflated by his raging antisemitism, I have decided to form my own political party here in Australia. It will be called the NKA (Nobody Knows Anything Party). It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to…writes Austen Tayshus. Read more
Palestine – The Unending Conflict
March 20, 2013 by George Peters
The Palestinians’ great misfortune is having been relocated some 30 miles within one vast Arab nation to reside with their co-religionists, speaking the same language, and practising the same customs, having been pressured to do so by their own leadership, of Arab National Committees, Arab Higher Committees, The Arab League and of course the Mufti…writes George Peters. Read more
Palestine – The One Question President Obama Must Answer
March 19, 2013 by David Singer
Is there one intrepid reporter – among the scores following President Obama during his momentous visits to Jerusalem and Ramallah this week – who will be prepared to ask President Obama this one critical question face to face at one of his scheduled press conferences: Read more
Exciting time at Angel Place
March 19, 2013 by Fraser Beath McEwing
The International Pianists in Recital series held in the Angel Place City Recital Hall began on Monday night with an eclectic program by young Korean pianist, Joyce Yang, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Changing the guard
March 19, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
VAJEX Australia Incorporated recently held its Annual General Meeting in the presence of patrons patrons Patron in Chief, Major-General Jeffrey Rosenfeld and Patron Jack Smorgon. Read more
A NSW Parliament take on the Israel-Palestine conflict…writes Judy Singer
March 18, 2013 by Judy Singer
The NSW Parliamentary Friends of Palestine went on a study tour to hell. Deep in the special chamber reserved for militants of the “Middle East conflict” an outrageous sight greeted our parliamentarians. Exactly as they expected, there were the Israelis, lolling about on deckchairs, brazenly sipping unattributed orange juice, while the Palestinians were forced to stand on their heads, neck deep in sewage. But as our parliamentary pack rushed to the elevators to prepare their reports, they missed the foreman’s whistle: “Morning shift’s over. Everybody change places!”
Leaving the Four Prisons
March 15, 2013 by Rabbi Michoel Gourarie
In the weeks leading up to Pesach there are four special Torah portions that are read in the synagogue in addition to the regular weekly Parsha: Read more
A night of percussive passion…writes Fraser Beath McEwing
March 14, 2013 by Fraser Beath McEwing
For concertgoers who like an adrenalin hit, the second concert in the SSO Master Series filled the bill. Four romantic composers poured on syrup, explosions and tail wind flying that delighted many, but left the classicists harrumphing into their post-concert coffee. Unashamedly, I fell into the delighted class – without being totally convinced by all the offerings, however. Read more
Mulling over our new Government
March 14, 2013 by Isi Leibler
Bravo! Unless there is an unanticipated last minute reversal, belatedly, after six tortuous weeks of horse trading, spins and hypocrisy, Israel will have its 33rd government. Read more
A Recipe For Peace and Understanding?…writes Michael Kuttner
March 13, 2013 by Michael Kuttner
The Israel Resource News Agency in Jerusalem recently commissioned a documentary on the subject of education in UNRWA schools. In an explosive exposure of what is really happening behind the scene in these places of learning, the full extent of hate education being carried out in these schools is revealed. Read more
2013 Board for NAJEX
March 11, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
The New South Wales Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen & Women has announced its 2013 Board. Read more
Palestine: Suspending Disbelief Is An Unbelievable Hoax…writes David Singer
March 11, 2013 by David Singer
Beware failed negotiators like Dennis Ross when they continue to pontificate on the possibility of the two-state solution. Read more
You can do it
March 8, 2013 by Rabbi Michoel Gourarie
WE have often focused on various important and necessary strategies for personal growth, such as taking risks, putting in effort and attention to detail, and being diligent. However the success of these strategies depends on another fundamental human attitude – confidence. Lack of confidence comes from a hidden insecurity, a belief that we are not strong or skilled enough to succeed…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more
Israel Bashing in the Israeli Movie World…writes Isi Leibler
March 7, 2013 by Isi Leibler
It is a depressing reflection of our times, when many of us heaved a sigh of relief when neither of the two Israeli documentary Oscar nominations received awards. Read more
Love letter to Hamas – Paul McGeough’s front-page profiles of Khaled Meshal…writes Sharon Mittelman
March 6, 2013 by Sharyn Mittelman
The Age and Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday dedicated their front pages to a profile of Hamas leader Khaled Meshal – interviewed in Qatar by Fairfax senior journalist Paul McGeough. There were also a number of subsequent articles on Meshal by McGeough over the weekend in those papers. Read more
The Broken Streamer
A Melbourne play – a migrants’ tale. Read more
The ZFA beats to a different drum
ABC-TV’s “The Drum” recently addressed the issue of Israelis who hold an Australian passport or vice versa following the death in custody of Bez Zygier. The Zionist Federation of Australia’s president t Philip Chester responds…. Read more
Fashion panel at the museum
March 3, 2013 by Community Editor
Two new B’nai B’rith Retirement Villages team members
March 3, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Sydney’s B’nai B’rith Retirement Villages recently welcomed two new members on its Management team. Read more
Be Specific
March 1, 2013 by Rabbi Michoel Gourarie
Have you ever resolved to change a habit or a negative behavior and found it too difficult to sustain? Have you ever had good intentions that remained in the world of thought and were never implemented?…asks Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more
Calling all Emanuel former pupils
February 28, 2013 by Community Editor
Sydney’s Emanuel School will celebrate its 30th anniversary next month and if you are one of its alumni, you are invited to the party. Read more
Israeli Politics: On the Edge of the Precipice…writes Isi Leibler
February 28, 2013 by Isi Leibler
There is madness in the air. Israel faces extraordinary challenges whilst virtually all our leaders uninhibitedly continue their intrigues and machinations in pursuit of power. They regard their responsibility to the national interest as a distant mirage uttering occasional hypocritical rhetoric. Read more
Victorian teachers welcomed back
Fourteen Victorian educators have been welcomed back from the 2012/13 Holocaust studies course at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem. Read more
Israel’s Oscar nominees tell us something about Israeli society…writes Or Avi-Guy
February 22, 2013 by Or Avi-Guy
There are two Israeli films among the nominees for the 2013 Academy Award for best Documentary; Dror Moreh’s “The Gatekeepers” and Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s “5 Broken Cameras” (My review of “5 Broken Cameras” can be found here). This is yet another achievement for the Israeli film industry, which keeps on punching above its weight and produces world-acclaimed films, often acknowledged in film festivals around the globe. Read more
