Rabbis pray at the Kotel in Jerusalem. Photo: AJN file

PETER KOHN

EXTENDING a welcoming hand to Israel’s secular Jews has been a rewarding experience for Rabbi Ronen Neuwirth, an organiser from Israeli group Tzohar.

Established by a small group of rabbis in 1997 in the aftermath of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, the organisation embraces a religious Zionist view, and has dedicated itself to bringing communal harmony by trying to instil a greater sense of Jewish tradition.

“We have attracted secular Jews but also Orthodox Jews to our activities,” Rabbi Neuwirth told The AJN during the Sydney leg of an Australian visit.

For more than 10 years, Tzohar has provided a bridge to secular Israelis who seek to add more Jewish tradition to their lives, but feel the state-approved Israeli rabbinate does not respond to their needs.

The outfit has garnered the services of more than 700 rabbis, and much of its work is in its “Wedding Initiative” program, providing an alternative to the official rabbinate at weddings.
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Kristallnacht

AJN STAFF

IN late 1938 an elderly Aboriginal man named William Cooper delivered a letter of protest to the German consulate in Melbourne over the persecution of the Jews on Kristallnacht.

He was one of very few voices of protest -– nationally and internationally – against the rise of Nazism.

A documentary program about William Cooper (1861–1941) and his passionate advocacy for human rights titled One Blood will be broadcast during ABC Radio National’s Awaye! program on December 5 at 6pm.

Freelance producer Jessica Noske-Turner has produced the documentary after being inspired by the spirit and humanity of Cooper, who lived at Cummeragunga, the former Aboriginal mission station on the Murray River in Victoria.
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Bernard Korbman. Photo: AJN file

PETER KOHN

A NEW organisation of Polish Jews in Australia aims to strengthen ties between Jewish and mainstream communities in Poland, as well as among Jews and non-Jewish of Polish descent locally.

President Bernard Korbman told said the reason for the creation of the Australian Society of Polish Jews and Their Descendants (ASPJ), which has a membership of around 50 primarily “second-generation” people — the children of Shoah survivors — was because “the time was right”.

The group also has survivors among its ranks, including David Prince and Moish Fiszman, who are on its board.

According to Korbman, the organisation, which held its first annual general meeting on November 17, is a successor to the former Australian chapter of the postwar Federation of Polish Jews, pioneered by communal figures such as Aron Sokolowicz.
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Anti-Semitic graffiti. Photo: AJN file

WASHINGTON — The incidence of hate crimes in the United States during 2008 hit a seven-year high, according to data released by the FBI.

The 7783 documented hate crimes in 2008 represented a 2.1 per cent increase from 2007 and the highest since 2001.

Of the 1519 religion-based hate crimes, also at a seven-year high, 1013 — or 66 per cent — were directed against Jews and Jewish institutions.

The FBI report also found the highest number of crimes directed at blacks, Jews and gay men and lesbians since 2001.

ADL national director Abraham Foxman said: “While the increase in the number of hate crimes may be partially attributed to improved reporting, the fact that these numbers remain elevated — particularly the significant rise in the number of victims selected on the basis of religion or sexual orientation — should be of concern to every American.
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ISI LEIBLER

The exploitation of Judge Goldstone’s Jewish background by our enemies intensifies our obligation to confront the enemy within — renegade Jews — including Israelis who stand at the vanguard of global efforts to demonise and delegitimise the Jewish State.

Such odious Jews can be traced back to apostates during the Middle Ages who fabricated blood libels and vile distortions of Jewish religious practice for Christian anti-Semites to incite hatred which culminated in massacres.
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CHANTAL ABITBOL

JEWISH people are currently well represented in local politics in NSW, but more work needs to be done to recruit young Jews into politics, said rising Liberal Party star Anthony Boskovitz at a Limmud-Oz session. Law student Boskovitz, 25, has been a councillor on Woollahra council since he was 20. He said it was important to have Jewish people at the frontline as a “symbol”, especially in higher levels of government.

“We’re doing quite well on a local level. But in other areas, there are no Jewish people elected as Liberals in the state and federal level in NSW,” he said. “The political parties and the Jewish community should be working together to try to get more Jewish representation at a local level, and that will lend itself to gain more representation in the state and federal level.”

Waverley Councillor Yvonne Coburn, who co-chaired the session on Jews in grassroots politics, said she was encouraged to see in recent years the appointment of Jim Spigelman as NSW chief justice and Eric Roozendaal as treasurer. “This provides a momentum that I believe is not only positive, but which is something on which we can really build,” she said. 

She stressed, however, the role of a Jewish politician was to look after the interests of the community as a whole, “not just your own subgroup”. “It’s a complicated formula,” she said. “By your presence, you are helping the Jewish community. But at the same time, you become a symbol of the engagement of the Jewish community with the wider community … in relation to matters that are not partisan or tied to the special concerns of the Jews.”

Photo: Anthony Pratt … Australia’s wealthiest man, according to the BRW Rich 200 list.

AJN Staff

FOR the first time, Jewish businessmen have taken up the top three positions in the BRW Rich 200 list.

Despite the tough economic climate, the top three positions were taken by Jewish people Anthony Pratt ($4.3 billion), Frank Lowy ($4.2 billion) and Harry Triguboff ($3.66 billion).

Jewish families also took out the top three positions in the wealthiest family list Smorgon family ($2.2 billion), Liberman family ($1.8 billion) and Besen family ($1.73 billion). Rich 200 stalwart James Packer and last year’s leader Andrew Forrest dropped back following significant year-on-year losses in both the gaming industry and resources respectively. Read the full story

SAVING LIVES

AS Jews we acknowledge that the greatest mitzvah is to save a life. As Jews we also have a great sense of the fragility and preciousness of life, highlighted in the past days with the bushfire tragedy. In the city we are physically protected from such horror, but our thoughts and emotions have been very much present with the survivors and victims. 

Like many of us, I have experienced events in my life that have taught me the value of life. As a live organ donor who donated a kidney to my twin sister Jennifer more than 28 years ago in life-saving surgery, I have witnessed the miracle of transplantation. As a mother who lost my only child 22 years ago, my heart aches at the number of lives lost and destroyed in the bushfires, including so many children. Read the full story