The Other Story: screening at the Jewish International Film Festival

The Other Story is an Israeli movie from director and co-writer Avi Nesher. It is a fascinating movie that juxtaposes relationships in the religious orthodox community, against secular relationships in modern-day Israel. Read more

Would I lie to you! The beginning at the Jewish International Film Festival

Would I lie to you! The beginning, or La verite si je mens! Les Debuts, is one of the many films playing at this year’s Jewish International Film Festival this year. Read more

Let’s talk about sex at the Classic

This year’s 28th JIFF kicked off in Melbourne last Thursday night at the Classic Cinema, signposting the start of a three-week movie feast, that focuses on Israeli and Jewish-themed films. Read more

Meet Michal Aviad

Michal Aviad is a director, scriptwriter, producer and senior lecturer at the Department of Cinema and Television in Tel Aviv University. Best known for her documentaries, Working Woman is a fictitious narrative that focuses on sexual and psychological harassment in the workplace. Read more

Working Woman: a movie review by Toni Susskind

Written by Michal Aviad, Working Women is a powerful movie that highlights gender exploitation, by turning the spotlight on sexual harassment in the office. Read more

Sobibor: a movie review by Toni Susskind

A highlight of the 2018 Jewish International Film Festival, Sobibor was a box office hit in Russia, taking in over $2 million in ticket sales. Read more

Instant Families: a movie review by Toni Susskind

When I first heard about Instant Families staring Mark Wahlberg as Pete and Australian Rose Byrne as Ellie, I thought, here we go again, another formulaic Rom-Com about a gorgeous couple adopting three very cute children. I was pleasantly surprised to see how wrong I was. Read more

JIFF’s Melbourne opening

This year’s JIFF kicked off with a bang of the Classic Cinema on Wednesday 24th October. Read more

Melbourne’s UIA Gala Dinner 2018

The 2018 Victorian UIA Gala dinner was this year held at the Crown Casino Paladium and M.C.’d by President Haley Southwick. Read more

John Howard given a standing ovation at UIA function

Former prime minister was the keynote speaker at the Victorian UIA Gala dinner. Read more

Stephen Harper talks to UIA Women’s Division

The 2017 UIA Victorian women’s division breakfast was attended by several hundred attendees addressed by keynote speaker former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper.  Read more

Fences: a movie review by Toni Susskind

Fences is a movie that takes its time exploring and unravelling the complexities of human reasoning and nature.  Read more

Bad Jews: a theatre review by Toni Susskind

Touted as the “The funniest play of the year” by The Washington Post, Bad Jews is a black comedy set in a New York Studio Apartment. Read more

Q+A with Jonathan Ornstein

Jonathan Ornstein has served as the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow since its opening in 2008. A QandA with Toni Susskind. Read more

Leifer sued again

A second  lawsuit has been launched in Melbourne’s Supreme Court against Malka Leifer the former principal of the Adass Yisroel School who is fighting authorities in Israel seeking to have her extradited to Australia to face charges of child sexual abuse. Read more

Mess Matters

“Mess Matters,” a Melbourne indoor play centre that promotes the concept of Messy Play, has teamed up with the “Melbourne Friendship Circle,” to run a morning play session, once a term, for special needs Jewish children. Read more

10 Cloverfield Lane: A movie review by Toni Susskind

10 Cloverfield Lane is a taut psychological thriller which draws you in and demands your attention. Read more

Gantz wanted to talk with demonstrators

Over 650 guests have attended the United Israel Appeal’s campaign launch gala dinner in Melbourne. Read more

UIA Women’s breakfast: Melbourne

Melbourne’s UIA Women’s breakfast was attended by over 500 supporters, with the aim of raising funds to support the Youth Futures project in Israel. Read more

13 HOURS: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi…a movie review by Toni Susskind

Directed by Michael Bay of Transformers fame, 13 hours attempts to retell the attack on a visiting US diplomat and a CIA compound that did not officially exist in Libya in 2012. Read more

How to Challenge Media Bias

Zionism Victoria in partnership with the Israel advocacy group, UIA and Zionist Federation of Australia, have presented a panel discussion “how to challenge media bias”. Read more

Zoolander 2 – a movie review by Toni Susskind

Similar to its predecessor, Zoolander 2 is a mix of satire and tongue in cheek humour that doesn’t to take itself too seriously. The jokes are more hit and miss than the original, but it is still an entertaining way to spend a night out. Read more

Felix and Meira – a movie review by Toni Susskind

Winner of several International film festivals, including best cinematography, screenplay, actor and actress, Felix and Meira is a thought-provoking movie, set against the backdrop of a tightly knit Hasidic community in modern-day Montreal. Read more

Room: a movie review by Toni Susskind

Based upon the novel by Emma Donoghue, I approached Room with a level of trepidation. Read more

Fund created to help widow of road accident victim

A 25-yr-old Melbourne man was killed in a road accident last week and a fund has been established to help his wife Rebecca who is five months pregnant. Read more

Bringing Jews back to the Community

The third annual ‘Pride Shabbat” service has been held at Melbourne’s Temple Beth Israel (TBI) in Victoria, as part of the 2016 Midsumma Festival, an annual event held to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) art and culture. Read more

Injured holidaymaker passes away

Melbourne father of four, Yitzchak Rosen, who had been holidaying with his family at the Nepean Country Club on the Mornington Peninsula where staff found him seriously injured has died in a Melbourne hospital. Read more

Mystery surrounds Melbourne man’s injuries

Melbourne father of four Yitzchak Rosen is fighting for his life in hospital after being found unconscious in the early hours of Thursday morning on the Mornington Peninsula. Read more

Silent no more

Billed as a night for reflection, understanding, healing and regret, Silent No More is Melbourne’s Yeshivah Centre’s response towards the widespread child sexual abuse which has existed in the school system since the 1980s. Read more