Shalom |Live Stories – “UNORTHODOX”
February 28, 2019 by Community Editor
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Shalom | Live Stories in Sydney is back with a line up that will entertain, educate and enthral with their raw storytelling around the theme of “Unorthodox” and all that word implies and entails.
In the broadest sense of the word, Jews throughout history have often grappled with thoughts, ideas and actions that are contrary to what is usual, traditional, or accepted.
Featured speakers are:
- Abby Stein – an educator, writer, speaker, and activist. She was born and raised in a Hasidic family in NYC, and is a descendant of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidic Judaism. In that world, Abby attended Yeshiva and became a rabbi in 2011. She left the Hasidic world the following year and came out as a trans-woman in 2015. Since then, Abby has been working to raise support and awareness for trans rights and those leaving Ultra-Orthodoxy. She is in Sydney to participate in the Jewish LGBT World Conference.
- Joanna Weinberg– a cabaret artist, songwriter, composer and musician whose most recent play “The Secret Singer” showed at the Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst and has been picked up for touring in 2020. She was also an acclaimed stage actress and made world headlines in 1987 when she played Desdemona opposite black actor John Kani in racially-charged Johannesburg in the ground-breaking production of Othello, directed by Janet Suzman. ”People bought tickets simply so they could walk out in disgust when the play came to the kissing scene,” she says.
- David Leser– award-winning journalist, producer and author of 7 books, including a memoir: To Begin to Know: Walking in the Shadows of My Father which was shortlisted for the 2015 National Biography Award. He is also the editor of Paul Kelly: The Essays (2012), as well as Executive Producer of the award-winning Australian documentary Paul Kelly: Stories of Me.
David’s new bookWomen, Men and the Whole Damn Thing – about toxic masculinity in the age of #MeToo – will be published by Allen & Unwin in August 2019.
- Michael Stone– CEO of Holistic Services Group started his career in corporate finance and worked as an equities trader for a private hedge fund in New York City. On September 11, he was one block away from the World Trade Centre and was catapulted into action to find and create a meaningful life and pursue his passion in the field of well-being.
- Jackie Loeb – a versatile actor, vocalist, musician, voice over talent and writer, she has maintained her reputation as one of today’s most hilarious and gifted stand-up comedians, regularly playing Australia’s leading comedy venues and appearing on the award-winning sketch comedy television series Full Frontal and has appeared in all three series of the Comedy Channel’s Stand up Australia.
- Maryam Popal Zahid– an activist, advocate and writer who is passionate about supporting people in her community, with a focus on those from minority backgrounds. She is the founder and director of “Afghan Women on the Move”, an initiative which mentors refugee women, nurturing self-empowerment through art and cultural programs and storytelling and is currently working on her first one-woman play through a writers mentorship program at Blacktown Arts. Maryam has been recognised for her work with the Influential Mother of the Year from the NSW Afghan support association for her active role as a mother and mentor for many other members of the community. Maryam received ZEST award for her outstanding Volunteer work and community leadership in recognition of her contribution to Greater Western Sydney and was the 2018 recipient of Mother Teresa award.
- Yoram Symons – a slam poet from Melbourne, he is an Australian Poetry Slam State Finalist, Melbourne Spoken Word Prize Finalist, and back-to-back winner of the Grounded Battle of the Arts Spoken Word Competition. Yoram’s poetry weaves his Jewish identity into issues of politics, spirituality and evolutionary transformation. He recently released his first book – The Whale: A Poem about Religion, Sex and Evolution.
The event will feature a ‘Wild Card’ performer from the audience whose name will be pulled from a hat (if they wish to be in the running).
This will be a truly outstanding event with attendance expected to sell out and is capped at 150 people.
Wednesday 13 March, 7 for 7:30 pm | Urban Winery, Entertainment Quarter | $30 pp
