Fairfax clarifies Project Gaza Story

Last weekend’s “Good Weekend” featured a story on the Gaza flotilla by Paul McGeough…Fairfax has published a “clarification” about “facts” presented in the article. Read more

Claims Conference Fraud: Apologise!

This week, the full extent of the fraud and theft of funds specifically earmarked by the German Government for Holocaust survivors was disclosed by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The money was stolen from the Hardship Fund and the Article 2 Fund, administered on behalf of the German Government by the Claims Conference. Read more

Find your rabbi

Chances are you have a Chabad Rabbi if you belong to an orthodox congregation. 4,000 of them posed for a group shot outside the Chabad HQ in New York this week. Can you spot yours?… Read more

Glad to be home

A letter arrived in the mail yesterday for Liz Pozniak….a ticket voucher from Qantas and an apology for her nervous time on board QF6  , the second of their aircraft to have had an engine burst into flames within a week. Read more

When Sun Meets Moon – Your weekly feature from Rabbi Gourarie

Most nations use one of two calendar systems. Many cultures have a solar calendar with a year of 365 days. Others, such as Muslims, use a system based entirely on lunar months that last an average of 30 days. Read more

Cost of Jewish Day School education slashed in Auckland

The New Zealand Government is to to integrate Auckland’s Kahimah School into the country’s education system, slashing the costs to families of a Jewish education for their children. Read more

Montefiore Annual Fete

The sun shone for  the Montefiore 87^th Annual Fete last weekend at which an estimated 1200 supporters of all ages came along to enjoy a fabulous day of fun. Read more

Kristallnacht inter-faith in the city

Martin Place, in the heart of Sydney, set the stage for a unique inter-faith Kristallnach commemoration…the following report from Catholic Communications – Sydney Archdiocese. Read more

Open letter to Judith Whelan (Editor Good Weekend) and Peter Fray (Editor SMH)

Dear Judith and Peter,

Paul McGeough’s piece on the “motley-crew of cash strapped activists” who took on Israel features a small but significant breakout “FGM movers & shakers” which outlines what “hooked” our heroes towards the Palestinian cause. Two FGM members identify the tragic death of Mohammad Al-Dura. McGeough elaborates “The 12-year old boy died at Netzarim Junction, in his farther’s arms after being shot by the Israel Defence Forces.”

Ten years on, it has comprehensively been proven that Mohammad Al-Dura was not shot by Israel. Many news outlets the world over, including the BBC in June this year, have issued apologies and clarifications for wrongly accusing Israel of this crime.

The image of a boy shot dead in his helpless father’s arms during an Israeli confrontation with Palestinians has become the Pietà of the anti-Israel movement. As the Atlantic Monthly noted, while the compelling evidence will not change pro-Palestinian minds—”the episode offers an object lesson in the incendiary power of an icon”.

This incendiary power goes a long way in Paul McGeough’s mythological world, and no doubt your readers have the smarts to discern this, but shame on the Good Weekend for your part in continuing to promote this libel.

David Faktor

Bondi

Gift of Life Founder U.S. Jewish Community Hero of the Year

Jay Feinberg founded the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Fioundation after seeking a match to save his own life. It took him 60,000 attempts to do so. He has been named Jewish Community Hero of the Year. Read more

New face at UIA NSW

The United Israel Appeal of NSW is delighted to welcome Basil Reichman to the new position of Director of Planned Giving. Read more

Everything Old is New Again

The iconic “21” restaurant in Sydney’s Double Bay is back in the hands of the Schiffer family. Read more

Remembering the past in Be’er Sheva

19-yr-old Brandon Alter, a Melbourne-born participant in the Zionist Federation of Australia’s Israel by choice program spoke in Be’er Sheva at the Australian Light Horse military memorial. Read more

Getting together before saying goodbye

After spending 2010 in Israel on various MASA Israel Journey Gap-Year programs, 150 participants from the 6 Zionist Youth Movements and Israel By Choice gathered in Be’er Shevaat the annual ‘Sikkum Seminar”. Read more

First Chumash in Australia on show at the Great

One of the oldest printed copies of the Hebrew Bible, a beautifully illuminated Koran, a Psalter dedicated to Queen Victoria, a book by the “father of Australian music” Isaac Nathan and the first Chumash to be brought to Australia are all part of a new exhibition at Sydney’s The Great Synagogue. Read more

Claims Conference fraud – local Survivors secure

17 people have been charged in New York following an FBI investigation into a fraud which has resulted in $42.5 million being paid by the Claims Conference as a result of falsified claims …Sydney-based Claims Conference board member Robert Goot tells Australian survivors dependent on the CC that their pension funds are secure. Read more

At the Expense of the Survivors

17 people have been charged in New York following an FBI investigation into more than US$42 million compensation being paid by the Claims Conference in false claims…Isi Leibler writes. Read more

The hunter is hunted

Against the backdrop of a resurgent far-right movement that won nearly 17% of the votes in recent elections and with increasing antisemitism in Hungary, Simon Wiesenthal Center Israel Director Dr. Efraim Zuroff, the Nazi hunter who tried in vain to bring Australian accused war criminals to justice,  finds himself on trial in Budapest in a lawsuit filed by an Hungarian Nazi war criminal responsible for the murder of hundreds of Jews. Read more

Palestine, UNESCO and Legal Realities

The cynical Arab use of UNESCO to pass resolutions concerning two Jewish sacred and biblical sites – the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem – is part of an ongoing Arab obsession to deny any Jewish claims to sovereignty in any part of the West Bank. Read more

Without Prejudice

B’nai B’rith in Sydney has re-published a book designed to counter racism and discrimination to be distributed to more than 5000 schools in NSW. Read more

…and their voices will not fade

The Sydney community commemorated Kristallnacht last night…with one eyewitness recounting that fateful day in 1938 and with a deeply moving address by the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site and State Museum. Read more

Meet Matt Levett – guest of the Federal Police

Matt Levett visited Australia last year as a guest of the Australian/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council…he renewed his acquaintance ship with AIJAC this week on a visit to Australia at the behest of the Australian Federal Police. Read more

Military men, a philosopher and the Morality of War

Four military ethicists discussed the morality of war at the NSW Jewish National Fund’s major campaign function. Read more

Kristallnacht remembered in Sydney

Kristallnacht will be remembered tomorrow night in Sydney at a commemoration to be addressed by Dr Piotr Cywinski, the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Read more

Guess who’s coming to MAIGS…

Sydneysiders…and father and daughter, Peter and Jacqui Lowy will play in basketball events at next month’s Maccabi Australia International Games…but they will not be sporting the green and gold. Read more

Israel strongly represented at the ASPA awards

Four Israeli films have been nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be held at the Gold Coast next month. Read more

Radio journalist’s fear of Poland

A very personal journey through Poland, from a festival of Jewish culture in Warsaw to a tiny village in the south-east of the country. This is a story about fear and memory, hope and delight…featured on ABC’s Radio National Read more

Spirituality in the fight against substance abuse

The  CEO of Sydney’s The Jewish House has taken part in an international conference dealing with substance abuse. Read more

I am not an anti-Semite, but………….

“I’m not antisemitic, I’m anti-Occupation”. Read more

Howard continues to support Israel

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard spoke with foreign correspondents in Sydney and took questions from the floor…one quizzed him on his support for Israel in his current book. Read more

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