Yom Ha’azmaut celebrations
Australian Jewry celebrated Yom Ha’azmaut across the country with more events planned this weekend in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Einat Weiss and Philip Chester
In Sydney around 2,000 attended the Zionist Council of NSW event at Moriah College. “We may have organised it, but it was a community event and we are thrilled with the outcome” executive director Lynn Niselon told J-Wire.
Hilton Rosenthal, Jackie Frank Ohad Rein and Jono Karney
Apart from food stalls and rides, most of the Jewish organisations hosted stands at which they were ready and willing to explain the functions each one carried out within the community. Addressing the crowd were Richard Balkin the president of the ZCNSW, Einat Weiss political affairs attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Canberra and Philip Chester, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia.
A highlight of the evening were the finals of a talent competition organised by the ZCNSW. Contestants uploaded videos of their performances on to the ZCNSW web site on which the at home audience voted for their favourites.
Winner in the 19-39-yr-old slot was Sarit Michael with Reddam College’s Jono Karney taking out 9 to 18 division. All Sydney Jewish day schools were invited to participate in the competition and the finals were judged by Jackie Frank, the editor of Marie-Claire, music producer Hilton Rosenthal and Ohad Rein a member of ther popular band Old Man River.
In Melbourne, 800 members of the community packed the National Theatre in St Kilda as Major-General Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Zionist Council of Victoria president Sam Tatarka and Meir Itzchaki, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Canberra oversaw the transition from Anzac Day and Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha’azmaut.
Sarit Michael and Jackie Frank
Following school on Thursday, celebrations continued at Luna Park while in the city eight Israeli flags flew proudly in Federation Square.
Celebrations took place in Perth and Adelaide and Brisbane will fly the flag on Sunday.
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