Yoni wins Diaspora Bible Quiz in Israel
May 20, 2022 by Emily Gian
The winner of the National Bible Quiz in Australia, Yoni Moss, and runner up Yehonatan Shroot, both of Leibler Yavneh College in Victoria, have travelled to Israel to participate in a training camp and fight for a spot in the final. Read more
Taglit-Birthright Israel registrations reopen after two years
March 31, 2022 by Emily Gian
With restrictions easing, the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and Taglit-Birthright Israel have announced that Birthright trips will resume from Australia, with groups departing for Israel in July for the transformational 10-day trips. Read more
Ginette is making a difference
March 10, 2022 by Emily Gian
Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Ginette Searle has been recognised on Masa Israel Journey’s 2022 list of 12 inspiring Jewish Women Who are Making a Difference. The list was released today in honour of International Women’s Day and recognizes a select group of leaders that inspire with their commitment to innovative leadership and for their word in advancing a brighter, more connected Jewish future. Read more
Chanukah with Kangarusski
December 18, 2019 by Emily Gian
120 people gathered in Sydney to celebrate Hanukkah organised each year by a group of Kangarusski volunteers has become one of the most anticipated events in the community, and this year’s celebration certainly did not disappoint. Read more
Diller feeds our community with C-Care
December 18, 2019 by Emily Gian
The lead up to Chanukah offers us a chance to think about how we spread light in the world and what our impact is. The Diller Teen Fellows, which is a part of the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA), created a spirit of volunteering and goodwill in our community, finding purpose through the art of giving. Read more
1200 attend the Festibayit
December 11, 2019 by Emily Gian
The Melbourne summer finally arrived and Hebrew music blared throughout Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre on Sunday, as Habayit, the home of Hebrew Language and Israeli Culture, held its 7th annual Festibayit Festival. Read more
Getting together in the Arava
November 18, 2019 by Emily Gian
It is not often that the stars align. So when many staff members, professionals and volunteers, of the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and Arava Australia Partnership (AAP) were in Israel at the same time to organise something special making the Israeli desert come alive. Read more
The Quiz that stopped the Federation
November 15, 2019 by Emily Gian
Melbournians may have had their eyes on the “race that stops the nation” in Melbourne, but in Sydney, our eyes were on the annual national Bible Quiz, which took place on Tuesday 5 November 2019 and was a fantastic display of the commitment of the contestants to their learning and to the Tanach. Read more
Gap year Zionist Youth seminar in the Arava
November 11, 2019 by Emily Gian
The picturesque views of the Arava and the fresh desert air provided the perfect backdrop for the Australasian Zionist Youth Council (AZYC) closing seminar bringing together 108 gap year participants from six of the Zionist Youth movements from Australia and New Zealand. Read more
Jerusalem Prize for Scott Morrison
August 29, 2019 by Emily Gian
The Zionist Federation of Australia has held its Plenary Conference in Sydney where delegates heard that the Zionist Federation of Australia, the Zionist Council of NSW and the World Zionist Organisation will be presenting the prestigious Jerusalem Prize to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Sydney in November. Read more
Apology from ACHPER?
August 21, 2019 by Emily Gian
The Victorian Deputy Premier and Minister for Education James Merlino has met with Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler and Zionism Victoria President Sharene Hambur who are confident that the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER), an organisation representing Victorian teachers, will offer a belated apology for distributing a factually inaccurate and deeply offensive Year 12 practice resource. Read more
ZFA calls on Australian government to pull UNRWA funding
August 2, 2019 by Emily Gian
The Zionist Federation of Australia has called on the Australian government to reconsider funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following the revelation of rampant corruption at the highest levels of the scandal-riddled organisation. Read more
ZFA condemns violations on Israel’s northern borders
December 7, 2018 by Emily Gian
Earlier in the week, the IDF announced the beginning of Operation Northern Shield after discovering Hezbollah efforts to construct a network of terror tunnels on the Lebanon border. Read more
Joint Jewish-Christian delegation visits Parliament House in Canberra
November 30, 2018 by Emily Gian
The Zionist Federation of Australia has co-hosted a delegation of Jewish and Christian groups for a visit to Canberra and Parliament House.
ZFA backs Scott Morrison
November 19, 2018 by Emily Gian
The Zionist Federation of Australia strongly supports the Government in reaffirming its commitment to review the possible relocation of its Embassy from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem and thus, formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
ZFA condemns Hamas rockets
November 13, 2018 by Emily Gian
The Zionist Federation of Australia strongly condemns Hamas and other terrorist organisations operating in Gaza for firing over 300 rockets at Israeli civilians over the course of a few hours. Read more
Jeremy Leibler replaces Danny Lamm as ZFA president
November 13, 2018 by Emily Gian
Jeremy Leibler has attended the Zionist Federation of Australia’s biennial conference as its new president. Read more
ZFA asks The Greens to condemn eco terrorism
June 28, 2018 by Emily Gian
The Zionist Federation of Australia calls upon Senator Richard Di Natale as leader of the Australian Greens to abide by its core principles and condemn the eco terrorism being perpetrated by Palestinians in Gaza against Israel. Read more
Two Aussie students meet Bibi
April 21, 2018 by Emily Gian
Two Australian high school students have had the experience of a lifetime after competing in the International Bible Quiz live on Israeli TV on Yom Ha’atzmaut, and meeting Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Read more
Running from the truth …writes Emily Gian
November 21, 2017 by Emily Gian
I accidentally found myself caught up right in the middle of the Run for Palestinian Human Rights event on Sunday. Read more
Herzl’s dream…writes Emily Gian
October 31, 2017 by Emily Gian
I have just returned from over a month in Israel with my family over the Jewish Holidays. In my head, I had been planning to write a piece about some reflections I had relating to Israel, Theordore Herzl and whether the Zionist dream had been fulfilled. Read more
ZFA policial seminar in Parliament House
September 19, 2017 by Emily Gian
The Zionist Federation of Australia has held its inaugural Political Seminar in Canberra. Read more
Warm welcome in Fiji
July 19, 2017 by Emily Gian
I have just returned from an overseas vacation with my family. My husband is Israeli and for some reason, I will sometimes get nervous if people ask where he comes from. Read more
The (not-so-hungry) Hunger Strike…writes Emily Gian
May 15, 2017 by Emily Gian
I took a gap year from University in the early days of the Second Intifada. At that time, sadly, there were terrorist attacks occurring in Israel, sometimes on a daily basis. In those days, there was one Palestinian terrorist whose name kept popping up again and again – Marwan Barghouti. Read more
Trumping Solutions…writes Emily Gian
February 17, 2017 by Emily Gian
Two days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American President Donald Trump met in Washington for the first time since the latter was inaugurated. The greeting was done in a far warmer manner than similar meeting between Netanyahu and Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama. Read more
Childish games…writes Emily Gian
December 23, 2016 by Emily Gian
Not long ago, a group of 49 State and Federal Australian MPs signed a petition critical of the alleged “cruel” mistreatment by Israel of Palestinian minors in detention in the West Bank (actually the number is 48 because at least one alleged signatory denies having signed it). Read more
UN-acceptable
December 10, 2016 by Emily Gian
During this year’s Australian Federal Election campaign, three candidates who were running for parliamentary office in my own electorate of Melbourne Ports were scheduled to debate at a forum co-hosted by the Australian Jewish News and Zionism Victoria…writes Emily Gian. Read more
What is happening at the U.N.?
December 8, 2016 by Emily Gian
Last week, the President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson, wore a Palestinian flag as a scarf to mark the UN’s “International Day of Solidarity of the Palestinian People”, a day set in the UN calendar for 29 November. The following day, six Arab-backed anti-Israel resolutions were passed. Read more
Trump’d…writes Emily Gian
November 23, 2016 by Emily Gian
I have thought about how I would write this for over two weeks now. Read more
Will the media ask for redemption this Jewish New Year?…asks the Emily Gian
October 5, 2016 by Emily Gian
One does not have to be particularly religious at this time of the year to take the opportunity to reflect on the past twelve months or so and to think of what will be in the year to come. Read more
