Artistic lawyer
March 31, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Robert Kremnizer is well-known in Sydney for his legal prowess – but a new exhibition explores his talent in the field of art… Read more
Birth of the Blues
March 31, 2013 by David Weiner-Maccabi NSW
Maccabi Rugby started in Newcastle in 1968…today it has over 400 members – all invited to a pre-Maccabiah reunion. Read more
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
Waks’s testimony made public
Manny Waks and his father Zephaniah gave their testimonies to the Victorian Government Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations late last year. They have been made public. Zephaniah Waks talks of Yeshiva intimidation of the sexually abused in Brooklyn being harsher than that meted out by the mob and Manny Waks goes on the front foot in dealing with communal leadership…. Read more
Community group calls for Israeli boycott
March 29, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
An affiliate member of The Jewish Community Council of Victoria has called for the boycott of goods produced in Israel’s disputed settlements. Read more
Walt Secord endorses J-Wire
March 28, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Member of the Legislative Council and Shadow Minister for Water, Shadow Special Minister of State Walt Secord has endorsed J-Wire in the NSW State Parliament. Read more
Danby’s New Role
March 28, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Michael Danby has been sworn in as the new Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts. Read more
Victorian community says “NO” to Homophobia
March 28, 2013 by Jo Silver
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) at the recommendation of the JCCV GLBTI Reference Group is joining the “No to Homophobia Campaign” and will ask its affiliate organisations to sign up. Read more
Pushing the button
March 28, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
A 23-yr-old Israeli backpacker has become the first person to donate funds to a planned Holocaust memorial in Wellington which will feature 1.5 million buttons collected by local schoolchildren. Read more
Auckland farewells ambassador
Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand Shemi Tzur’s posting is drawing to a close. The Auckland Jewish community has bade him farewell. Read more
Israel at work in the South Pacific
March 28, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Israel is coordinating efforts by philanthropists and NGOs to improve life for the inhabitants of many South Seas islanders. Read more
Hyde Park on Hudson 2½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli
March 28, 2013 by James Berardinelli - Reelviews
Hyde Park on Hudson represents the odd marriage of an uninteresting, borderline-creepy “romance” and a peek behind the scenes of a notable but unsung historical event. 2012 has seen dramatizations of eras from the administrations of two of America’s greatest leaders. Read more
Rust and Bone 3/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli
March 28, 2013 by James Berardinelli - Reelviews
When Rust and Bone tells a story of a woman’s recovery from a devastating injury, it hits all the right notes, traveling a path that is poignant without being mawkish and triumphant without being saccharine. Read more
Old news is good news?
March 27, 2013 by Henry Benjamin
J-Wire quizzed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the “latest developments” in the Zygier case…. Read more
Danby becomes Parliamentary Secretary
March 25, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Federal Labor Member of Parliament Michael Danby has been made a Parliamentary Secretary. 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
Well not quite Good Night…more like Good Evening!
March 25, 2013 by Henry Benjamin
There has been an overwhelming response from our readership requesting that J-Wire stay alive and so it might.
Just because I want to take it easy does not mean that the service should come to an end.
In the hope that there is someone out there willing to take it over, let me say that J-Wire is for sale….to the right person at the right price.
In the meantime, I will keep it going, publishing limited posts during the interim period. It could continue if we could afford staff but for that we would have to substantially increase revenues…so if you know anyone with a few spare hours willing to sell advertising on the site then that just might make the difference needed. You can let me know on [email protected]. There will be remuneration.
I would also appreciate all the organisations we have supported telling their databases about J-Wire. An increase in the number of our subscribers would be a help too.
The door is just slightly ajar…
Once again Chag Sameach and have joyful Seder………
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
Thank you and Chag Sameach
March 23, 2013 by J-Wire
After five years of publication and approaching my 72nd birthday, I have decided to shut down the J-Wire site in favour of enjoying my remaining years in this glorious city of Sydney, this wondrous Australia and of visiting far off parts of the globe remaining on my bucketlist.
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all those who have supported the site with a special mention of those who contributed editorially including Fraser Beath McEwing, Isi Leibler, David Singer, Emily Gian, Michael Kuttner, Raffe Gold, Ron Weiser.
And to those who vented their enthusiasm through commentary and emails…thank you for your participation.
It has been a long and exciting journey and the years which J-Wire chronicled will be carefully archived.
I have particularly enjoyed the unreported co-operation with the Australian Jewish News and with other correspondents dealing with Jewish affairs. It is most satisfying that on most occasions we did not do battle with each other recognising that it was better to stick together as there are enough forces outside the community wishing to engage in activities producing negativity towards the Australian and New Zealand Jewish communities.
But all is not over. A new site is being launched which will restrict itself to op-eds and opinion pieces and include the arts
The site is www.jviews.org and I expect it to be functional within 24 hours.
Once again…thank you…and Chag Sameach. Enjoy your Pesach.
Henry Benjamin
Obama’s Visit to Israel: A Turning Point?…asks Isi Leibler
March 23, 2013 by Isi Leibler
Both American and Israeli leaders must have heaved sighs of relief as Air Force One departed from Ben-Gurion Airport with President Obama’s visit culminating on a high note for both parties. 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
A Muslim, a Christian and a Jew picked up an instrument….
While a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim meeting on the internet to record an album might sound like the start of a joke, these curious beginnings led to the formation of The Bridge Project, and their truly remarkable debut album. 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
No dramas at the Australian Islamic Peace Conference
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria campaigned to support multiculturalism in order to avoid antisemitism, religious intolerance or racial vilification from speakers at last weekend’s Australian Islamic Peace Conference. Read more
Ambassador Jones
Jeremy Jones, AIJAC’s Director of International and of Community Affairs, a former president and honorary life member of the ECAJ and an executive member of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has been appointed a 2013 People of Australia Ambassador. Read more
Inter-community Seder
March 21, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Over one hundred future leaders from a broad cross-section of faith, ethnic and political communities came together at a unique Passover dinner in Sydney on Wednesday night. Read more
Tzedek slams John Laws
March 21, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
Tzedek, an advocacy group for Jewish victims/survivors of child sexual abuse has told J-Wire it is appalled by the comments made by John Laws on 2SM in response to a caller who claimed to have been sexually abused since she was six years old. Read more
It’s time this charade called a Peace Process came to an end.
When will this charade ever end? On the eve of Obama’s arrival in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated for the umpteenth time “With a Palestinian partner who is willing to conduct negotiations in good faith, Israel will be prepared for a historic compromise that will end the conflict with the Palestinians forever.” Read more
Official war artist Holocaust works on display
March 21, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
18 works by the only Australian official war artist to directly capture horrific scenes of the Holocaust in Germany went on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. 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
