Zionist Federation of Australia in Caulfield, Victoria, Australia | Community organisation

Zionist Federation of Australia

Locality: Caulfield, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9272 5644

Address: 306 Hawthorn Road 3162 Caulfield, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.zfa.com.au

Likes: 12457

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Community organisation

25.01.2022 In the dead of the night, did PM Netanyahu travel to Saudi Arabia with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman??

25.01.2022 Jonathan Pollard has landed in Israel, 35 years after his arrest. Read more: https://www.jpost.com//jonathan-pollard-makes-aliyah-offic

24.01.2022 Late last month, Australia in Israel welcomed Paul Griffiths as its new Ambassador, replacing Chris Cannan. Yesterday, Ambassador Griffiths posted this incredible picture of the most magical Israeli sky! It is making us dream of the skies opening and being able to visit Israel once again! Welcome to Israel Ambassador Griffiths. We look forward to our continued cooperation with Australia's Embassy in Israel and we hope that we can visit you in the Embassy sometime in the near future!

23.01.2022 Where are your Jews?? This speech at the UN by UN Watch's Hillel Neuer went viral back in 2017, and it is easy to understand why. So we thought we would share it again today, as 30 November is the "Day to Mark the Departure and Expulsion of Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran". This day has been officially observed in Israel since 2014. ... At the time of this speech, as countries such as Qatar, Sudan, Syria and Saudi Arabia took their turn accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing and apartheid, UN Watch's Executive Director Hillel Neuer would not stand for it. Taking the floor he asked the big question to Arab states - "Where are your Jews"? He declared, "Now I’d like to ask the members of that commission, that commissioned that report, the Arab states from which we just heard. Egypt, Iraq, and the others: How many Jews live in your countries? How many Jews live in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco? Once upon a time, the Middle East was full of Jews. Algeria had 140,000 Jews. Algeria, where are your Jews? Egypt used to have 75,000 Jews. Where are your Jews? Syria, you had tens of thousands of Jews. Where are your Jews? Iraq, you had over 135,000 Jews. Where are your Jews? Mr. President, where is the apartheid?" The response? An echoing silence throughout the hall. (Video from UN Watch)

23.01.2022 Did you know that today - November 30 - marks the official memorial day for the 850,000 Jews that were expelled from Arab lands and Iran in the 20th century? The date, of course, is significant because it comes one day after we celebrated the approval of the Partition Plan to create a Jewish state on November 29 1947. The day after the decision is the day that the Arabs started their concerted attacks against the Jews forcing them to flee the homes they had lived for millenni...a. Many suffered from violence and persecution. It is estimated that: 259,000 Jews fled from Morocco, 140,000 from Algeria, 100,000 from Tunisia, 75,000 from Egypt, and another 38,000 from Libya. In addition, 135,000 Jews were exiled from Iraq, 55,000 from Yemen, 34,000 from Turkey, 20,000 from Lebanon and 18,000 from Syria. Iran forced out 25,000 Jews. The stories of these Jews are lesser known, and an inconvenient truth for most of the world, who would prefer to talk only of Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. So today we remember the plights of these Jews, who fled their homes and journeyed across foreign lands to arrive in Israel, and we pledge to make sure their stories are never forgotten.

22.01.2022 President of the Zionist Federation of Australia Jeremy Leibler, voiced deep concern about Eitam’s nomination. No act that politicizes or compromises the mission of Yad Vashem should be taken, he insisted.

20.01.2022 This week marked the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the second intifada. Two months after the breakdown of the Camp David peace talks, Palestinian groups used the pretext of Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount to launch organised protests, which quickly morphed into a sustained campaign of suicide bombs and other forms of terrorism. One of the victims of this campaign was Australian citizen Malki Roth. In tonight's Lockdown Learning, we’ll be speaking with Malki's ...father, Arnold (both pictured here in January 2001). Arnold and his wife Frimet have honoured Malki’s memory by establishing Keren Malki, a charity that helps the families of severely disabled children. Arnold is also fighting to have his daughter’s murderer’s accomplice extradited from Jordan, where she lives in freedom, to the US, to face justice. The ZFA's Emily Gian will be speaking with Arnold about Malki, but also about the impact the second intifada had on Israeli society - still felt after 20 years. Join us TONIGHT at 8pm AEST (6pm in Perth, 1pm in Israel) right here on our Facebook page, or register to watch through Zoom, here: www.zfa.com.au/ll

20.01.2022 Lahav Hakov writes: It was hard to predict in January 2020 that, by the end of the year, Israel would have relations with four more Arab countries. Now, it seems that even more are on the way. We were all so innocent when 2020 began. In January 2020, people around the world had not yet heard of the COVID-19 virus, and those who had outside of Wuhan, China didn’t know it would turn so many lives upside down. In Israel, January’s news cycle in some ways looked the same as t...oday’s we were heading toward a March election then, too but the diplomatic agenda was drastically different. Read on

20.01.2022 Reflection time. We took this photo in Tel Aviv on 31 December 2019 - the final sunset of 2019. Back then, the virus was still in our future, happening somewhere far away, and unable to touch the innocence of the moment. ... A lot has changed this year. We have all faced challenges, both personally and collectively as a community, that we never would have imagined staring out at the sunset at the end of 2019. In Israel and in Australia, there is reason to feel cautiously optimistic about 2021. We know that the clock ticking over to midnight will not automatically make the pain, difficulties and heartbreak of 2020 magically disappear. But we always have hope! And so, as the sun is about to set on 2020, we wish all of our friends from around the world a safe and happy new year. May 2021 bring with it peace, love, light, happiness and good health.

17.01.2022 !! Today marks 73 years since the United Nations adopted Resolution 181 and voted to establish two separate states alongside one another - one Jewish and one Arab. As you can see, 33 countries voted in favour, 13 against and 10 abstained. This is the breakdown: ... In favour: 33 Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Byelorussian S.S.R., Canada, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Iceland, Liberia, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Ukrainian S.S.R., Union of South Africa, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., Uruguay, Venezuela. Against: 13 Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen. Abstained: 10 Argentina, Chile, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mexico, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia. As Australians, we have always been very proud that Australia was the first country to vote in favour of Partition (even if it was just by virtue of where we were in the alphabet!) But Australia's role actually went much further than being the first country to vote in favour, as it was Australia's Foreign Minister and future Labor leader, Doc Evatt, who chaired the vote to admit Israel into the UN. Evatt himself actively campaigned for the resolution and insisted on the creation of the two states alongside each other. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and may we always find reasons to dance in the streets as they did on 29 November 1947! a critical moment in history, the Australian government was a trail blazer in setting the geopolitical and international agenda." And 73 years later, we can proudly still say that about Australia. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and may we always find reasons to dance in the streets like they did on 29 November 1947!

17.01.2022 The Zionist Federation of Australia welcomed the bipartisan motion moved in Parliament on Monday. Yitzhak Rabin was a giant of Israeli history, whose murder was felt deeply here in Australia, as it was around the world. Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler said, We thank Dave Sharma, Josh Burns, Julian Leeser and Mark Dreyfus for speaking to this motion with such heartfelt words. The lessons of Rabin’s murder are as important today as they were 25 years a...go, and we’re pleased that this was recognised in Parliament. The words of these MPs, from both the Coalition and Labor, in many ways echoed the words of then-Prime Minister Paul Keating who, in his condolence motion in Parliament 25 years ago, said, ‘Yitzhak Rabin’s life was a life that mattered. He changed, fundamentally and for the better, the society he led and the region of which Israel is part.’ Mr Keating’s words are as true today as they were in 1995. See more

16.01.2022 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them. ... #LestWeForget #RemembranceDay2020 * Picture not taken in 2020

16.01.2022 We were so pleased to hear from His Excellency Abdulla al-Subousi, UAE's Ambassador to Australia, at our Biennial Conference last Sunday. He continued the very warm relations established by his country to Israel and Jewish communities across the world and spoke enthusiastically of the benefits of peace. Of his comments, ZFA President Jeremy Leibler said, The Ambassador demonstrated a genuine commitment, not just to furthering peace with Israel, but to establishing a warm friendship with the Australian Jewish community. To watch an extended version of highlights from his speech ---> https://youtu.be/gxneIg0Rqc8

16.01.2022 It has been a wild and crazy year here at the ZFA. A global pandemic that brought the world on its knees certainly was not what we expected of 2020, but we are so proud of what our amazing departments managed to achieve this year! So as we all reflect on the year that was and cautiously look forward to the year ahead, set yourself some realistic goals for 2021 with the ZFA! Wishing you and your families a safe and happy new year. May the skies open and may peace continue to... come to the Middle East! Arava Australia Partnership AZYC Habayit Masa Israel Journey AUS Taglit Birthright Australia Diller Teen Fellows Melbourne Kangarusski ZFA Israel Aliyah Centre - Australia

15.01.2022 Take us back to a time where so many people could rejoice at the Kotel on Succot. And take us forward to a time when the skies are open and we can return to the land flowing with milk and honey! " , , , ' " You shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of a etrog tree, the branches of date palms, twigs of myrtles, an...d brook willows; and you shall rejoice before Gd, your Gd, for a seven day period. Chag Succot Sameach! !! Photo credit: - : eitan asraf

14.01.2022 Yesterday, the Zionist Federation of Australia together with the IACC Israel-Australia Chamber of Commerce held an official welcome to Australia's new Ambassador to Israel, His Excellency, Paul Griffiths. ZFA's Israel Office Director Moriah Ben-David greeted Ambassador Griffiths on behalf of the ZFA at the virtual event and told him this anecdote that was too good not to share. She began "Paul, Your arrival brings a new and positive wind in these times of covid-19. And this... refreshing wind is much needed. It highlights the connections and the togetherness that all the bodies attending here today, usually have. This welcoming event is an opportunity to celebrate these connections. You know, there is a famous picture of our first Prime Minister here in Israel, David ben-Gurion, where he’s doing a headstand. I’ve learned recently that he explained why he used to do headstands. Apparently, he had back pains, and his therapist told him that to strengthen his body, he must strengthen his mind. See, as a child, Ben-Gurion was weak, and always felt insecure. So, to strengthen his mind, he was supposed to perform acts that seemed impossible. This is why, David Ben-Gurion used to do headstands. Because people thought it would be impossible for him to do. By the way, after that, his back pains disappeared. I think that this story symbolises the story of the state of Israel. The state that proves that the impossible is possible." The event also featured a fantastic video of a diverse range of Australian Olim of various backgrounds, Israelis with interesting connections to Australia as well as relevant bi-lateral organisations. Speaking about the video, Moriah said, "We are so proud of the Australians who have come here, for their achievements and their contribution to the Israeli society. To do the impossible. Not only do they hold different senior positions in many fields, they manage to bring the Australian flavour to Israel." She continued, "We see the embassy as our partner in strengthening the connection between Australia and Israel. Our collaboration and cooperation add so much to this bond and I am looking forward to continuing the strong partnership we have and specifically to working with you Mr. Ambassador, and maybe you’ll catch the everything is possible fever." Best of luck, Ambassador Griffiths! Australian Embassy in Israel

14.01.2022 This photo, the media's misrepresentation of it, and the phenomenal work of organisations such as HonestReporting as a result of this, was one of the turning points for us when it came to advocating for Israel and fighting against media bias. Hard to believe we have all been at this for 20 years. Of the moment, HonestReporting writes: Today marks 20 years since Tuvia Grossman, the bloodied "Palestinian," appeared all over the media, leading to the creation of HonestReportin...g. On Sep 30, 2000, The New York Times, AP and others published a photo of a bloodied young man seen near a club-wielding Israeli policeman. The caption read: An Israeli policeman and a Palestinian on the Temple Mount and the pose suggested that the Israeli policeman was responsible for the injuries of the Palestinian man in the foreground. In reality, the man was not a Palestinian Arab at all, but a Jewish American yeshiva student named Tuvia Grossman. Grossman had been pulled from a taxi in Jerusalem by an Arab mob and severely beaten. Similarly, the seemingly threatening policeman, a Druze Israeli called Gideon Tzefadi, was actually standing over Grossman and *defending* him from the mob. Seeing his son's picture in the NYT,, Alan Grossman sent the following letter to the newspaper: that Palestinian is actually my son, Tuvia Grossman, a Jewish student from Chicago. He, and two of his friends, were pulled from their taxicab while traveling in Jerusalem by a mob of Palestinian Arabs, and were severely beaten and stabbed. That picture could not have been taken on the Temple Mount because there are no gas stations on the Temple Mount and certainly none with Hebrew lettering. In response, the NYT published a half-hearted correction which identified Tuvia Grossman as an American student in Israel not as a Jew who was beaten by Arabs. Responding to public outrage at the original error and the inadequate correction, the NYT reprinted Tuvia Grossman’s picture this time with the proper caption along with a full article detailing his near-lynching at the hands of Palestinians rioters. The first correction also noted that Mr. Grossman was wounded in Jerusalem’s Old City although the beating actually occurred in the Arab neighborhood of Wadi al Joz, not in the Old City. For years after, the media distortion had an ongoing, real-life effect as Arab groups adopted Grossman’s photo in their propaganda campaigns, cynically using a bloodied Jew as a symbol of the Palestinian struggle. Among others, an official Egyptian government website used the photo on its photo gallery, and the Palestinian Information Center incorporated Grossman’s photo into its homepage banner.

13.01.2022 Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat has passed away at age 65 after a battle with COVID-19. Inappropriate comments will be moderated.

13.01.2022 Israel, as always, a symbol of coexistence and tolerance. Here are Muslim medics working for the Israeli relief and ambulance organization United Hatzalah of Israel on Yom Kippur. East Jerusalem volunteers staffed five ambulances around Jerusalem to allow their Jewish colleagues to fast and pray on this holy day. It is something you will not often read about in parts of the international media. Kol hakavod to these wonderful volunteers!

12.01.2022 If you are looking for a reason to smile this morning Check out this video of siblings Tamar, Itai and Ariel, who for the past six months have been volunteering at nursing homes across Israel, singing to tenants after seeing on the news the loneliness that residents have been experiencing due to the COVID-19 crisis @almogbenzikri on Twitter

11.01.2022 Lockdown Learning special mid-week session this Wednesday 30 September at 8pm AEST! This Wednesday night we will be speaking to Arnold Roth for Lockdown Learning. An Australian Israeli (and well known to members of the Melbourne Jewish community), Arnold’s daughter Malki was murdered in a suicide bombing in August 2001. Since that time, Arnold and his wife Frimet have honoured Malki’s memory by establishing Keren Malki, a charity that helps the families of severely disabled c...hildren. Arnold is also fighting to have his daughter’s murderer’s accomplice extradited from Jordan, where she lives in freedom, to the US, to face justice. Next week marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the second intifada, of which Malki was a victim. We’ll be speaking with Arnold about Malki, but also about how the intifada changed Israeli society. Join us this Wednesday, 30 September, at 8pm AEST (6pm in Perth, 1pm in Israel) right here on our Facebook page, or register to watch through Zoom here: www.zfa.com.au/ll

11.01.2022 Yesterday, the ZFA held its Biennial Conference. 2020 has been a challenging year, but looking back, we are so proud of all that we achieved both before COVID and during! Thank you for joining us along the journey whether it was face-to-face or on one of our many online sessions over the year! Take a look at what the ZFA and all of our amazing departments got up to in 2019/2020. The year is not yet over, but we are planning ahead for next year and we cannot wait to see you ...face-to-face in 2021! Israel Aliyah Centre - Australia Arava Australia Partnership Diller Teen Fellows Melbourne Habayit Kangarusski ZFA Taglit Birthright Australia Masa Israel Journey AUS AZYC Music:

10.01.2022 Palestinian leaders are failures who have consistently missed opportunities for a settlement with Israel and who are aligning themselves with the enemies of Saudi Arabia, former Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan said in an interview with Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV that aired Monday. Read on and let us know what you think

09.01.2022 SAVE THE DATE! A taste of the Arava International Film Festival from the comfort of your living room right here in Australia (or really, anywhere in the world!!) The Arava Australia Partnership and Habayit invite you for a screening of Kilometer 147 - the Israeli Academy Award Winner for Best Short Film 2018. ... This event is free and aside from the film , will also feature an interview with the producer of the Film Festival Eyal Shirai and director of the film. The premise of the film is that a camel's body lies in the middle of a desert road, exactly on the 147th kilometer, on the border between two towns. Neither of them agrees to take responsibility for it. Sunday 13 December 2020 8pm AEDT / 11am Israel More details to come!

07.01.2022 ! Jordana Cutler is the head of policy for Israel and the Diaspora at Facebook. Her impressive CV includes also having been the prime minister's adviser on diaspora affairs and Israel's US embassy's chief-of-staff. On Lockdown Learning this Sunday, Jordana will speak about her role at Facebook, and about the explosion of online hate and Facebook's efforts and challenges in this context. But she'll also be speaking about the benefits Facebook has br...ought, including enabling the Jewish community across Australia and across the world to unite in common cause. Being the point person for diaspora affairs in both the prime minister's office and in one of the world's most influential companies has provided Jordana with a unique perspective on the health of and challenges to the Israel-Diaspora relationship - we'll be asking her about that, too! Join us this Sunday, 15 November at 8pm AEDT (7pm QLD, 7:30 SA, 5pm WA, 11am Israel) right here on our Facebook page, or register to watch through Zoom -> www.zfa.com.au/LL See you Sunday!

05.01.2022 It's hard to believe but today marks 12 years since the Mumbai terrorist attacks, which took place across a number of days and a number of locations in Mumbai, killing 164 people. One of the sites attacked was Nariman House, a Chabad House that was opened and run by Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who were both tragically killed in the attack along with four other people. Miraculously, their two-year-old son Moshe survived after waking up and running alone down a ...number of flights of stairs before before saved by his Indian nanny, Sandra Samuel. Following the attack, Moshe was taken to Israel by his nanny to live with his grandparents. Each year as we pass this anniversary, we are reminded that terrorism is terrorism, wherever it strikes. May the memories of all of the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, Rebbetzin Rivka Holtzberg, Bentzion Kruman, Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum, Yoheved Orpaz and Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovic, be forever blessed.

05.01.2022 Penny Wong - Senator for SA gave a keynote address at the ZFA Biennial Conference over the weekend. There, she reaffirmed the Australian Labor Party's support for the IHRA working definition on anti-Semitism. Thank you Senator Wong!

04.01.2022 A strong defence of Israel from Senator Kimberley Kitching at a UN Roundtable Prominent Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching gave the Keynote Address to a United Nations Roundtable on implementing standards and norms for peace and security as they look forward to the UN’s 100th anniversary in 2045. She noted that the only country which is regularly condemned by the UN Human Rights Council is Israel, which is the only country subject to a standing Agenda item.... She said, Israel is the only country in the Middle East with free elections, free media, free trade unions, free civil society, freedom for all religions, and freedom for women and for LGBTI people. Yet it is regularly condemned by a council dominated by counties which have none of these things. Senator Kitching’s strong leadership on these issues is long-standing. We are so pleased they are being noted internationally too. You can watch her entire speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3OvKWlOd30 (The part about Israel starts at around 15 minutes)

03.01.2022 We really love that as a result of normalised relations between the UAE and Israel, the former has signed an Israeli player to a two-year contract with a Dubai-based soccer club. We give this article extra points for the wordplay in the headline! Israeli-Arab Diaa Sabia, a midfielder who has played a number of times in the Israeli national team, had been playing for China’s Guangzhou R&F, before two-year contract with Dubai’s Al-Nasr. This would not have been possible before... the normalisation of relations. We hope to see more of this and other ways for the two countries to cooperate in the future!

03.01.2022 It is usually one of our favourite times of the year where we show you snaps of our 100,000 friends who visited the Kotel for Selichot prayers ahead of Yom Kippur. But 2020 had other plans, and as you can see from the photos, a significantly smaller crowd turned up given current COVID-19 restrictions. Yes, 2020 has thrown some major curveballs. But we are more grateful now than ever for good health, quality time with loved ones and fresh air. On this day we seek forgiveness..., we pledge to listen to one another more and we hope for peace to come to Israel in the year ahead. Wishing you all a Gmar Hatima Tova, May you be sealed in the book of life.

03.01.2022 Very sad. An Israel Air Force pilot and a cadet were killed on Tuesday after their light, single-engine training aircraft crashed in a field north of Beersheba. They have been identified as flight instructor, Itay Zaiden, 42, from Kibbutz Shoval, a major in reserves who flew F-16s, and corporal Lihu Ben-Bassa, 19, from Rishon Lezion, who was four months into the IAF’s training program.... Reports are saying that the plane crashed very close to the Kibbutz that Zaiden lived in. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. Sending our deepest condolences to the families of Itay and Lihu. May their memories be forever blessed.

02.01.2022 An oldie but a goodie! Takes the idea of a temporary, mobile dwelling to all new levels,and in these days of social distancing, it may just be the way to go! Chag Sukkot Sameach to our friends from around the world