Zionist Federation of Australia Plenary Conference Report 16 August 2015 Page 1

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3 CONTENTS AGENDA... 4 EXECUTIVE LIST... 5 MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL BENJAMIN NETANYAHU... 7 MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA THE HON TONY ABBOTT... 8 MESSAGE FROM THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION THE HON BILL SHORTEN... 9 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE, WORLD ZIONIST ORGANISATION MESSAGE FROM ZFA PRESIDENT, DR DANNY LAMM REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GINETTE SEARLE JEWISH AGENCY REPORT ZIONIST COUNCIL OF NEW SOUTH WALES REPORT ZIONIST COUNCIL OF QUEENSLAND REPORT ZIONIST COUNCIL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA REPORT ZIONIST COUNCIL OF VICTORIA REPORT ZIONIST COUNCIL OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA REPORT THE AUSTRALIAN ZIONIST YOUTH COUNCIL REPORT AUSTRALASIAN UNION OF JEWISH STUDENTS REPORT Page 3

4 AGENDA Plenary Conference 2015 Sunday 146 Darlinghurst Rd, Sydney 9.30am 10.00am Registration and refreshments Welcome Reports, Resolutions and Constitutional Amendments President s report Treasurer s report Constitutional amendments Resolutions Presentations AZYC presentation Gabi Newman AUJS presentation Dean Sherr 11:00am Guest Speaker The Hon Malcolm Turnbull, MP in conversation with Shmuel Rosner Presentations Launch of new ZFA website ZFA s new Young Adult program Project Go 12:15pm Lunch Address by Israeli Ambassador, Shmuel Ben Shmuel 1:45pm Keynote Speaker Shmuel Rosner ISRAEL AS A JEWISH AND DEMOCRATIC STATE Presentation Shlichim mishlachat presentation Rinat Kedem Bart Workshop Session with Shmuel Rosner Jewish Values and Israel s Use of Force in Armed Conflict 4:45pm 5:00pm Closing remarks Hatikva End Page 4

5 EXECUTIVE LIST OFFICE BEARERS President Dr Danny Lamm Honorary Treasurer Greg Blashki Honorary Secretary and Zionist Council of Victoria President Sam Tatarka Immediate Past President Philip Chester Hasbara Chairperson Ian Samuel OAM Education Chairperson Miriam Munz Youth and Young Adults Chairperson Joel Burnie Members without Portfolio Sam Salcman OAM Roger Selby Dr Ron Weiser AM Dr Niv Tadmore Zionist Council New South Wales President Richard Balkin State Zionist Council of Queensland President Jason Steinberg State Zionist Council of South Australia President Alison Marcus Zionist Council of Victoria Vice President Sharene Hambur State Zionist Council of Western Australia President Jeffery Lin PRESIDENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF AFFILIATE ORGANISATIONS Ameinu Johnny Baker ARZA Barbara Ford Steve Denenberg AUJS Dean Sherr AZYC Gabi Newman Adiel Cohney Friends of Likud Alex Goodman Keren Hayesod UIA Australia Harold Finger OAM Page 5 Keren Kayemeth JNF Australia Peter Smaller Maccabi Australia Barry Smorgon OAM Mercaz-Mastori Australasia Eric Lundberg John Furstenberg Mizrachi Ian Waller SC Sam Seigel NCJWA Rysia Rozen OAM UPJ Stephen Freeman Steve Denenberg WIZO Australia Gilla Liberman Youth Aliyah Australia Bernard Weiss SHLICHIM - NSW Betar Ortal Dary Bnei Akiva Yonatan Sinclair Habonim Dror/Aliyah Ron Alter Hineni/Central Synagogue Aaron Kalman Netzer Yuval Nemirovsky (until June 2015) Tzofim Sarai Polk ZFA/WZO Ittai Aminoff SHLICHIM - VICTORIA Federal Aliyah and Jewish Agency for Israel Representative Rinat Kedem Bart AUJS Rachel Adams Betar Avi Michaeli Bnei Akiva Moriah Ben-David Habonim Dror Efri Bart

6 Hashomer Hatzair Anat Paz Netzer Nadav Shachmon Russian Speaking Jewish Community Sasha Klyachkina SHLICHIM WA Habonim Dror/Aliyah/Community Leon Schneider YOUTH MOVEMENT REPRESENTATIVES Betar Mattan Bejerano Bnei Akiva Avi Bart Habonim Dror Jarred Abrahams Hashomer Hatzair Jemimah Hoffman Hineni Lauren Gam Netzer Shira Appelboom OBSERVERS Arava Australia Partnership Ron Finkel Tamara Bruce Rachel Caplan Australian Forum of Russian Jewry Alex Taube Vladimir Tsivlin Life Member Nathan Jacobson OBE Theodor Herzl Award Mark Leibler AC Shmuel Rosenkranz Zionist Council of New South Wales Belinda Levy State Zionist Council of Queensland Hadas Palevsky State Zionist Council of South Australia Merrilyn Ades Zionist Council of Victoria Jane Rapke State Zionist Council of Western Australia Rena Hesselson STAFF Executive Director Ginette Searle Israel Office Director Yigal Sela Accounts Manager Sigal (Gili) Gafin Communications & Marketing Coordinator Hayley Hadassin Israel Advocacy and Media Director Ted Lapkin Aliyah Office VIC Miri Abramovich Aliyah Office NSW Shoshana Vitek Executive Assistant Shayndle Grinblat ZFA/WZO Shaliach Ittai Aminoff Young Adults Coordinator VIC Mina Cohen Israel Programs Coordinator Sarit Braver Israel Programs Assistants Elad Gafin VIC Yoav Silverstein - NSW Habayit Coordinator Hallely Kimchi Arava Australia Partnership Coordinator Stacy Hayman Arava Australia Partnership Assistant Elad Gafin RSJC Coordinator NSW Anna Maylis Page 6

7 MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL BENJAMIN NETANYAHU Page 7

8 MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA THE HON TONY ABBOTT Page 8

9 MESSAGE FROM THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION THE HON BILL SHORTEN Page 9

10 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE, WORLD ZIONIST ORGANISATION It is a pleasure to send this message from Jerusalem to the on the occasion of your 2015 Plenary Conference! Your remarkable success in actualizing contemporary Zionism has made you the flagship of Zionist federations the world over! In today's world of virulent anti-semitism and weakened Jewish-Zionist identity, I cannot overemphasize the importance of your commitment and the value of your achievements: whether in providing dynamic Zionist education in the schools, promoting the speaking of Hebrew or actively encouraging Aliyah. More olim, come from Australia than from many other western countries, are, at this moment, helping to transform the dreams of thousands of years into the realities of vigorous daily life in contemporary Israel! Your dedication and successes must serve as examples to other communities, in recognition of the simple truth that Israel's future is the shared responsibility of all Jews throughout the world. I wish to include a special note of heartfelt appreciation and best wishes to your President, Dr. Danny Lamm, whose incomparable leadership, resolute ideology and dedication has impacted not only the ZFA but the Jewish Zionist world! The powerful pro-israel energy that your federation has generated in your community and your concrete accomplishments have made you our most esteemed partner in the building and strengthening of Israel and in fulfilling its destiny as a vibrant modern country and a "Light unto the Nations." May you go from strength to strength! May we continue to work together in fulfilling our mutual and sacred mission. "May God bless you from Zion and may you benefit from the goodness of Jerusalem -- all the days of your lives." Avraham Duvdevani Chairman, World Zionist Organization Page 10

11 MESSAGE FROM ZFA PRESIDENT, DR DANNY LAMM I would like to welcome you to the 2015 Zionist Federation Plenary Conference. The year to date has been one of change, development, initiative, and unity both in Australia and in Israel, whilst simultaneously having been a period of tremendous challenge. The place of Israel in the global arena, and our responses to these challenges, have been a prime object of concern for the Zionist movement in Australia and worldwide. Most recently the P-5 agreement with Iran represents a policy of weakness and accommodation in the face of a dangerously evil regime that imperils not merely Israel, but also the entire Middle East. The has no hesitation about publicly voicing its opposition to this dangerous agreement. To paraphrase one of Barack Obama s favourite debating lines: the 1930s called and Neville Chamberlain wants his appeasement policy back. This agreement will undoubtedly bear consequences for Israel and the ZFA will continue to monitor the issue and speak out in strong and clear terms on behalf of the Australian Zionist community Our Israel advocacy efforts respond to misinformation about Israel in the media and also strategically present positive messages about Israel. Our recent response to Amnesty International clearly conveyed our dismay towards the doctored video footage used to support unsubstantiated war crimes allegations against Israel. We noted that after exposure of the fraudulent footage, Amnesty discreetly removed the doctored video albeit without any formal acknowledgement or apology. It was an inadequate measure and a crude piece of fraudulent anti-israel propaganda. We have and will continue to lobby Australian governmental bodies. We have and will continue to educate, facilitate understanding and engage both the Jewish community and the broader Australian community. We have and will continue to challenge the BDS movement and growing global anti- Semitism. The ZFA is committed to increasing our exposure to politicians and other community leaders, as well as increasing our media footprint. To that end, Past President and current ZCNSW Board Member Dr Ron Weiser AM has agreed to chair a new Public Affairs Committee of the ZFA, which includes representation from each state. There s never been a Page 11

12 more important time for the ZFA to ramp up its activities in this area. The Australian and international landscape has undergone change and it s our responsibility to ensure that the bipartisan Australian political support of the State of Israel is maintained. The world, which is increasingly antagonistic to the State of Israel, needs to have a counter balance to provide perspective and we aim to achieve that. We support Israel politically, economically and emotionally. It is imperative for the people in Israel to know that we support the Jewish State, especially when Israel faces existential threats. We need Israel for its input, Jewish education, contribution to our Jewish identification. We need Israel for the survival of the Jewish people. As is attested to in the Jerusalem Program, to which all Zionist organisations ascribe, the centrality of Israel in Jewish life is paramount for the very survival of Diaspora Jewish communities. Reciprocally, Israel needs the support of strong democratic nations and societies such Australia. The ZFA s role in this mutual connection is fundamental. As the umbrella body for Zionism in Australia we actively encourage a broad range of ideas and viewpoints. We have the responsibility to guide, encourage and support Zionist councils in the states especially those in the smaller states, enhancing our relationships with them and the various Jewish communities.. To this end we need to support active discourse on subjects that challenge our way of thinking, that take us out of our comfort zones and empower us to engage within the Jewish Community and outside of it. The ZFA has made several outstanding achievements in various programs and activities, which contribute to Zionism and Israel. Now we need to generate more. We encourage members of our affiliate organisations to add their weight, perspectives and attention to our ever-increasing role. In the past year, the ZFA s priorities have expanded to include several key new initiatives. The Habayit Home of Hebrew and Israeli Culture project, which commenced with WZO funds in 2013, has become a key connector for engagement with the Israeli community, as well as providing a wide range of programs focusing on Hebrew and Israeli culture. It has strengthened the development of the Israeli Scouts movement, which from its opening date in Melbourne in March 2014, now welcomes more than 150 participants to activities every week. On the strength of that development, a shlicha for Tzofim has been appointed in Sydney, and we are in the process of finalising the arrangements for a shlicha to come to Melbourne in the coming months. We continue to develop our relationship with the Russian Speaking Jewish Community both in Sydney and Melbourne. Our first RSJC shlicha is about to complete a stunningly successful term, which has resulted not only in the expansion of programs and connections, but has served as leverage for philanthropic support for a comparable ZFA project in Sydney, supported by a local professional, and to the inaugural Limmud FSU which took place in Melbourne in March and is hoped to be an annual event hereafter, alternating between Melbourne and Sydney Page 12

13 The ZFA is pleased to continue working closely with the Jewish Agency for Israel in bringing shlichim to Australia. Flying in the face of global trends, we maintain a team of professional educational emissaries, working with Zionist youth movements, the student movement, specific community segments and on Aliya, bringing their authentic experience, high levels of skills and training and a special connection to Israel. In 2014 we hosted the largest ever ZFA Jewish Educators Conference in Melbourne. With 500 formal and informal Jewish educators from across Australia and New Zealand, including youth movement bogrim, the ZFA presented an outstanding event with many high calibre international and local guests. Work is underway for the 2016 Biennial Jewish Educators Conference, which we anticipate will be even more successful. In April 2014, the ZFA assumed the auspice responsibility for the Arava Australia partnership project, a Jewish Agency for Israel P2Gether partnership. The ZFA s national focus and the integration of the project with other relevant work areas has been a fruitful and successful value-add to this important and innovative work. In yet another direct partnership arrangement, we are excited to be partnering with the world renowned Diller Teen Fellowship Program from September 2015 in an inaugural program in Australia. This program will enable specific connection and collaboration between teenage leaders in Melbourne and their counterparts in the Golan region in Israel. Fostering our future leaders is an ongoing priority and one which goes beyond working with youth and young adults. A priority going forward is to recruit an expanded lay leadership team, encouraging new and younger people to join the ZFA as volunteers whilst retaining the experience and knowledge base of the current leaders, who continue to serve with distinction and commitment. Israel is central to the communal activities that I have been involved in since my adolescence and indeed to my life. Israel is home to the majority of my close family. It is one of the most important components of my faith. It is the home of my ancestors and the home of my future. It is my Jewish home. It is our Jewish home. We can be proud of the professional team we have employed under the ZFA who are all delivering way above and beyond and expect an outstanding year ahead. Kol Hakavod and Toda Raba. Dr Danny Lamm President Page 13

14 REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GINETTE SEARLE Page 14 THE MISSION OF THE ZFA The is the peak body of all Zionist organisations in Australia and is responsible for developing, supporting and enriching a meaningful relationship between the Australian Jewish community and Israel and between the broader Australian community and Israel. The ZFA represents the Jewish Agency for Israel, the World Zionist Organisation, Masa Israel Journey and Taglit-Birthright Israel in Australia and, as such, is responsible for the management of a range of programs including short and long term Israel programs, programs for young adults, school educational programs, Aliya services and the recruitment and support of shlichim. The ZFA also presents the Biennial Jewish Educators Conference, the National Bible Quiz, seminars, visits to Australia by Israeli politicians, academics and opinion makers, undertakes advocacy, political campaigns and representations on behalf of our community to the Federal Government, with the media, the general Australian community and of course within our own Jewish community REPORT This report summarises the many and varied activities, responsibilities and programs undertaken by the ZFA since the Biennial Conference of 30 March The Biennial Conference, at which we welcomed the participation of the Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Mr Natan Sharansky, saw a transition of leadership. At the conference, Philip Chester stepped down after an eight year term of exceptional leadership, including sound management and expansion of existing programs, development of new initiatives and increasing the positive profile of our organisation. The Conference also saw the election of Dr Danny Lamm into the role of President, and the period which has followed has seen continued growth, increased scope and consolidation of several programs. ALIYA Aliya is a fundamental priority of the ZFA and the Israel Aliya Office is an integral part of our organisation. Our Aliya shlichim, Rinat Kedem Bart (Federal, Melbourne), Ron Alter (Sydney) and Leon Schneider (Perth), together with Aliya administrators Shoshana Vitek (Sydney) and Miri Abramovich (Melbourne), work as a cohesive and effective team to provide customised, specialist support and encouragement to intending olim. We are constantly striving to improve the service to olim and provide accessible, up to date information. To this end, the Aliya team has recently produced a comprehensive information kit for olim, which can be tailored to suit the needs of each individual and which is provided to them in both electronic and hard copy form. The kit includes relevant information on a range of issues and

15 procedures, and will assist the olim in both their preparation for Aliya and in their early days of absorption. In June 2015, the Aliya team conducted their first ever seminar, which included useful sessions with the consular officer of the Israeli Embassy. In the 2014 calendar year, 173 Australians made Aliya through the Israel Aliya Centre of the ZFA. To date in 2015, there have been 87 olim from Australia. The support of olim doesn t end when the olim leave Australia, of course. The ZFA Israel Office welcomes each new oleh with a warm and connection to the office as well as providing regular updates to olim, which include items regarding employment, recreation and other services which may be of interest. Since April 2013, the ZFA has contracted Telfed in Israel to provide absorption and support services for Australian olim in their first year. We have been delighted with the services provided, which go well beyond the formal requirements in the agreement. Telfed meets the olim at the airport and provides advice and support in areas such as olim rights, social services and education, as well as connecting new olim with compatible veterans in their new communities. Telfed now also enables Australian olim to avail themselves of highly subsidised rental accommodation which is owned by Telfed and provides additional value adds such as special events for lone soldiers before chagim. ARAVA AUSTRALIA PARTNERSHIP In April 2014, the ZFA assumed the responsibility for the Arava Australia Partnership (AAP). The additional value we bring to this project is partly through our national focus and connections and also, of course, by the integration with other ZFA work units and the team which is available to support the coordinator in her work. I am delighted to report on the outstanding success and increased levels of activity in this area. I particularly wish to record appreciation to the dedicated volunteers who work tremendously hard on each and every project and to the professional coordinator, Stacy Hayman, who was appointed in 2014 to manage this area of activity. Highlights during the period included: SIKUM SEMINAR Moshav Tzofar in the Arava was host to 130 AZYC Shnatties for part of their closing seminar in October This was the first time the closing seminar has been located in the Arava and it was a great success, for the participants and the partnership. IBC IN THE ARAVA Almost 150 IBC gap year participants visited the Arava in early In an enjoyable visit, participants also gained a good understanding of the AAP and how Arava International Center for Agricultural Training is helping change the lives of people in developing countries. 30 IBC gap year participants chose to spend five days in March 2015 volunteering in the fields. For many it was one of the highlights of their five months in Israel. HABONIM DROR WINTER CAMPS IN SYDNEY - Two madrichim from the Arava were selected and funded by the Partnership and sent to lead at Habonim Dror winter camp in Sydney in July From all accounts, this was a brilliant encounter and brought an authentic Israel spirit to the camps. Page 15

16 UPCOMING EVENTS ACACIA YEAR 10 DELEGATION MELBOURNE - Twelve year 10 students from the Arava will be billeted by families of Bialik College for 10 days in July/August 2015 and will, as usual, participate in a series of meetings, programs and experiences designed to foster the people to people relationships which are so key to the AAP. AGRI-SCIENCE DELEGATION - Six high level scientists/educators and agriculturists led by Israeli AAP Coordinator Orit Elkayam will take part in our inaugural Agri Science delegation in August September 2015 in Melbourne and Sydney. Delegates will be home hosted in Melbourne and will present at various events including a JNF gold patrons lunch, an AICC boardroom lunch and an assembly for 150 Mount Scopus students. We are still planning other community events to share our scientists secrets on how to grow more with less. HINENI SHNATTIES - will be in the Arava from 5/10-25/11 and will work and volunteer in the region. CULINARY DELEGATION - The year will end with a culinary delegation/taste of the Arava to Perth and Sydney to expand our Partnership nationally. Six delegates will be chosen from the many talented chefs and cooks in the Arava to share their skills with the Perth and Sydney communities late November/December TEACHER EXCHANGE - Three Australian teachers will be selected to participate in a Teacher Exchange program to the Arava in December 2015 January BIALIK CHAVAYAH - Approximately twelve year 10 Bialik College students from the Chavayah group will choose to spend from Monday 21- Thursday 24 December in the Arava. They will be home hosted by families. ACADEMY BJE - are planning to bring 50 participants from their Year 10 Israel program to the Arava in December THE KING DAVID SCHOOL - We were approached by The King David School to host 25 of their students on the Yesh program in the Arava for four days in December AUJS - Up to 80 participants in the AUJS Onward- Academy program will volunteer in the Arava from January 3rd January 8th ISRAEL HIGHWAY - Are planning to hold their opening seminar in January 2016 in the Arava P2G@20 - Will be an amazing Mega event in Israel from 4 7 April 2016 to celebrate the global Partnership s 20th birthday. EDUCATION The ZFA is committed to Zionist and Israel education. We work together with the Jewish Day Schools and other educational providers on both formal and informal education. Our Education Chairperson, Dr Miriam Munz, has extensive experience in educational leadership at the school and tertiary academic levels and her valuable input and contribution to our various educational initiatives is highly regarded. ZFA JEWISH EDUCATORS CONFERENCE 2014 The ninth ZFA Biennial Jewish Educators Conference was held in August 2014 at Mt Scopus Memorial College, Melbourne. With over 500 attendees from across Australia and New Zealand, Page 16

17 including 150 AZYC informal educators and a fabulous range of international expert speakers including Professor Avigdor Shinan, David Bernstein, Ricky Bernstein, Eli Kohn, Sarah Mali, Liat Cohen Raviv and Michael Gillis, the conference was hailed as an outstanding success. ZFA JEWISH EDUCATORS CONFERENCE 2016 Plans are well underway for the 2016 Jewish Educators Conference the 10 th since inception, which will take place on August, NATIONAL BIBLE QUIZ The National Bible Quiz was conducted by the ZFA on 7 December, 2014 and comprised a written test followed by a nail-biting public quiz, expertly moderated by Rabbi Ian Goodhardt. The winner was Chani Charak from Kesser Torah College in Sydney and the runner up, Le-le Kaltman from Beth Rivkah Ladies College in Melbourne, both of whom represented Australia at the world quiz on Yom Ha atzmaut Our heartfelt appreciation goes to Shira Bloch, who prepared both the state and national quizzes and whose advice and dedication to the Bible Quiz is invaluable. ZIONIST SEMINARS The Zionist Seminars program is one of the leading projects of the ZFA and JAFI in Australia, bringing talented and enthusiastic young shlichim to work intensively with students in Jewish day schools and the supplementary Jewish education system. In 2014, the King David School s team came out for Chodesh Iyar in April, followed by the remaining teams coming out in July August sees the King David School returning to the more traditional model of the July August teams. At the time of writing, teams are preparing to depart from Israel will mark thirty years of the Zionist Seminar project in Australia, a milestone we are planning to celebrate both in Australia and in Israel. DILLER TEEN FELLOWSHIP We are about to embark on our pilot year of running the Diller Teen Fellowship in Australia. The project, which fosters leadership development and activism among a cohort of year 9 year 11 students, will see the development of a relationship between Melbourne and the Golan Region, with which our cohort will partner. A project coordinator has been recruited, who is expected to commence in the role in early September. The participants will be recruited shortly after, and programming is set to commence before the end of Highlights of the 15 month program will be the visit of the Israeli cohort to Australia in April 2016 and the participation of all Diller Teen Fellows, including the Australian cohort, in the International three week program in Israel in July 2016, culminating in the International Diller Teen convention. ISRAEL ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS Israel advocacy in the ZFA is undertaken within our communities and of course, with media and general leadership. Page 17

18 The situation in Israel has required not only our constant updating of the community, through our regular Israel Advocacy alerts, but also responses to critical issues through a series of campaigns, rallies and media response. From solidarity rallies when the three teenagers were kidnapped and killed in June 2014, to campaigns and rallies during Operation Protective Edge and information updates during the 2015 Israeli elections, work on the advocacy front has been intense. In May 2015, we appointed Ted Lapkin to coordinate Israel Advocacy and in particular to focus on our public affairs and political engagement activities. Ted has succeeded in publishing several articles in mainstream media and is preparing high quality original materials which are circulated through our communities and via social media. In June 2015, the ZFA established a Public Affairs Committee, ably led by Dr Ron Weiser AM and which includes representatives from each state. COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS The ZFA continues to enhance our social media presence. In today s world, we find that people are looking to Facebook, Youtube and other social media for their news and opinion updates. We have a number of Facebook pages in the ZFA, targeted to various demographics. Our main Facebook page (facebook.com/zionistfederationaustralia) carries our original Israel advocacy pieces, statements by the ZFA as well as items of interest relating to Israel ranging from politics, society and lighter issues. We have a page dedicated to ZFA Israel Programs (facebook.com/zfaisraelprograms), one for the Arava Australia Partnership (facebook.com/australiaarava) as well as pages for our young adult demographics (facebook.com/hagshama; facebook.com/sydneyhagshama). We encourage engagement so please like our pages and join the online discussions. We are currently in the process of improving our website interface, both in terms of design and navigation. The new look ZFA website will be launched shortly, as will a refreshed format for our fortnightly newsletters. The ZFA regularly publishes articles in Jewish media print and online. These can be found in archive on our website or in the in the news album on the ZFA Facebook page. ISRAEL PROGRAMS The ZFA Israel Programs department, led by coordinator Sarit Braver, is responsible for the promotion and administration of Masa Israel Journey and Taglit-Birthright Israel programs in Australia. TAGLIT-BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL In 2014, the ZFA sent eight buses of 40 participants on Taglit-Birthright Israel programs, through ZFA Hagshama (2 groups), AUJS (3 groups), Chavaya/Chabad on Campus (2 groups) and ZFA Kangarusski (1 group). Unfortunately, funding was not available to support a Kangarusski bus for the July 2015 season, hence the total numbers of participants will be 280 in We gratefully acknowledge the support of Gandel Philanthropy whose generous contribution supports participants on three Birthright buses per year. The impact of Taglit-Birthright Israel has been extensively researched and analysed. It is indisputable that Taglit participants are more likely to marry another Jewish person, thereby contributing in a major way towards Jewish continuity. The anecdotal evidence from Taglit participant testimonials Page 18

19 also points to the personal growth and the phenomenal development in Jewish and Zionist identity and the tremendous impact of the program. ONWARD ISRAEL ACADEMY In 2014, we worked with the Jewish Agency for Israel to bring their Onward Israel program together with AUJS Academy. This partnership brings a win/win to all parties with an enhanced program and the add ins provided by Onward Israel, as well as the significant financial support, participants were able to enjoy an excellent six week program in 2014 for substantially cheaper than the 2013 program, which was for only 5 weeks. Unfortunately, the target numbers were not achieved, with just over 40 participants involved. JAFI has however, agreed to support AUJS Academy with Onward Israel partnership for 2015 and it is expected that through an active marketing effort, target numbers for the program will be achieved. MASA ISRAEL JOURNEY Masa Israel Journey long term programs reached record numbers in 2014, with over 380 participants joining gap year, academic, post-university career development, Jewish learning and experiential programs of over five months duration. The Israel Programs Department focuses heavily on promoting Masa Israel programs options for eligible people, including working closely with program organisers, youth movements and schools. SHUK Israel Program Fair (Sydney and Melbourne) The annual Israel Programs fair the Shuk was held in both Sydney and Melbourne in March Program representatives from a wide range of programs presented stalls at each event. Alumni from the various programs spoke about their programs and experiences. In June, the first ever Israel Program Fair was held in Brisbane. SCHOOL FAIRS Israel Program Fairs were held in eight Jewish Day Schools across Australia (Perth, Sydney and Melbourne). All the gap year programs had stalls and gave short presentations on their programs. They all gained substantial interest and exposure from the fairs. 2015/16 ISRAEL PROGRAM BROCHURE The Israel Programs Brochure was redesigned and updated including new and exciting programs. It was inserted into the Jewish News in both Melbourne and Sydney and was distributed around the community. 2015/2016 PLAN Planned promotional activities for the coming year include: On campus presentations at all the Universities which have large Jewish student populations about the opportunities to study and intern in Israel. We are looking at creating a Humans of Masa book with personal stories from alumni of Masa programs. Page 19

20 An event for young adults in conjunction with AUJS. It will be a cocktail event with a panel of Jewish entrepreneurs/ innovators and Masa alumni who have gained professional experience in Israel. HABAYIT HEBREW LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CENTRE The ZFA was originally funded by the WZO to create a Hebrew Language and Culture Centre as a pilot project in Melbourne, along with two other locations worldwide. Our Habiyit centre was developed and is supported by the ZCV. Among the many and varied Hebrew and Israeli cultural programs delivered at Habayit are: Hebrew over lunch club conversational Hebrew classes at various levels, held in Habayit s rooms each week; Keytana Babayit holiday programs for primary school children, conducted in Hebrew; Hebrew Now - evening Hebrew classes for adults; Sha at sippur weekly Hebrew story time for pre-schoolers, conducted jointly with the Lamm Jewish Library of Australia; Siphrut-tea Habayit/ LJLA book club; Special events with speakers; VCE marathon Hebrew classes; Hanuka Babayit Annual Israeli Festival at the Beth Weizmann Community Centre which attracted over 500 people in 2013 and over 700 in This is Israel seminar series in collaboration with the ZCV and the Israel Aliya Centre; Shokolad Menta Mastik Habayit s participation at the Yom Ha atzmaut family festival. Future plans include: Habayit on the radio enjoyable, short Hebrew lesson segments which will be broadcast from J-Air radio; Open air cinema, in collaboration with the Classic Cinema; Sing along sessions learning Hebrew through music; Special presentations with visiting author, Orna Landau including a session for children and for adults. ISRAELI SCOUTS In March 2014, the Israeli Scouts (Tzofim) held their first meeting in Melbourne and the tribe has grown in leaps and bounds in its first year. Currently, over 150 young people participate on a weekly basis, with all programming conducted in Hebrew. Apart from the demonstrable success in building a thriving youth movement in such a short time, the Tzofim have also been successful in becoming part of the AZYC and the Australian Scouts organisation. The first shlicha for the Tzofim movement arrived in Sydney in June 2015 and is currently undertaking the essential research and groundwork prior to the formal establishment of a tribe in Sydney. A shlicha for Tzofim Melbourne has now been appointed and is due to arrive in the coming months. Page 20

21 RUSSIAN SPEAKING JEWISH COMMUNITY INITIATIVES As at the Plenary Conference, the first shlicha for the Russian Speaking Jewish Community (RSJC), Sasha Klyachkina will have completed her third year in Australia and be en-route back to Israel. Her term of shlichut has been transformational for the Russian Speaking Jewish Community (RSJC) and has been a stunning success. On the strength of her arrival, the first two Kangarusski Taglit Birthright-Israel buses were supported and two groups of young adults from the RSJC participated in the free ten day trips. These young people became the nucleus of the Kangaruss Key to Leadership program, developing the leadership capacity for the RSJC. Similarly, the development of activity and capacity resulted in the agreement to present the first ever Limmud FSU in Melbourne in March Over 250 people attended the two day residential conference, at which a stunning variety of speakers and artists, both local and international, presented. In September 2014, with the generous support of Harry Triguboff, AO, the Sydney RSJC Project commenced to complement the national work. Anna Maylis was subsequently appointed to the coordinator position and working with the shlicha, she has developed and delivered a broad range of activities for the RSJC while developing the sense of community and connection with Israel and the general Jewish/ Zionist community. Other highlights in the past year have included: Kultura Night in Sydney March 2015, at which over 150 people enjoyed a wonderful cultural celebration of Shabbat; Holiday day camps in Melbourne in April and June 2015, supported by the Genesis Philanthropy Group; Community Seder celebration of Pesach for 12 families; Lag Ba omer Kartoshka night Sydney over 60 participants enjoyed this family oriented event. Mothers Day Brunch Sydney - a multi-generational event, celebrating mothers and food! Ongoing social and cultural events for the Kangarusski Birthright alumni, which have been self-directed and organised. Notably, in recent weeks Kangarusski members in Melbourne have established their own organisation. We have selected a new RSJC shaliach for Melbourne, who we are expecting to arrive in the second half of The support of the Russian Speaking Jewry unit of the Jewish Agency for Israel is deeply appreciated. In particular we acknowledge the support and assistance of Natalie Shnaiderman and Roman Polonsky, both of whom visited Australia in March 2015, coinciding with Limmud FSU. We acknowledge the support of the Triguboff Foundation, who support the Sydney RSJC project, and the Pratt Foundation, whose support of the shlicha for the RSJC in its first three years has been invaluable. Page 21

22 SHLICHIM The ZFA partners with the Jewish Agency for Israel to maintain and develop the shlichut map in Australia. Working with the Jewish Agency, world movements and local partners, the ZFA is involved in the selection of shlichim, is their Australian employer, arranges and sponsors their visas as well as providing financial management services pertaining to their employment. A particular pleasure in my role is working with the head of the delegation of shlichim/ representative of JAFI in Australia. In December 2014, Neta Even Tzur concluded an outstanding term of service in this role, replaced by Rinat Kedem Bart. Our partnership is productive and mutually supportive. The current delegation of shlichim in Australia comprises: Rinat Kedem Bart Head of delegation and Melbourne representative of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Aliya (Federal) Rachel Adams AUJS Melbourne Avi Michaeli Betar Melbourne Ortal Dary Betar, Brisbane community Sydney Moriah Ben David Bnei Akiva Melbourne Yonatan Sinclair Bnei Akiva Sydney Leon Schneider Habonim Dror/ Community Perth Efri Bart Habonim Dror Melbourne Ron Alter Habonim Dror/ Aliya Sydney Anat Paz Hashomer Hatzair Melbourne Aaron Kalman Hineni / Central Synagogue Sydney Yuval Nemirovsky (until June Netzer Sydney 2015) Nadav Shachmon Netzer/ PJV Melbourne Sasha Klyachkina RSJC Melbourne Sarai Sahar Polk Tzofim Sydney Ittai Aminoff Young Adults WZO/ ZFA Sydney With a number of shlichim having recently completed or soon to complete their terms, and with new positions having been established, we are currently in the process of recruiting and preparing for new shlichim in the following positions: Hineni / Central Synagogue Sydney RSJC Melbourne Netzer Sydney Netzer/ PJV Melbourne Tzofim Melbourne* AUJS Emanuel School Sydney* Bnei Akiva - Sydney (* indicates new position) Page 22

23 YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMMING / HAGSHAMA The WZO partners with the ZFA to support a shaliach for young adults, who is located in Sydney. Ittai Aminoff manages this important area of activity nationally. Unfortunately, the funding support we had previously received from the WZO to support part of our Hagshama coordinators positions and operations ceased in December With staffing attrition in Sydney, we are now continuing to employ a coordinator in Melbourne. Key events, such as Yom Ha atzmaut celebrations and other social and cultural events, were conducted in both Melbourne and Sydney in ZFA Hagshama/ Young Adults runs two Taglit-Birthright Israel groups per year. In July 2015, both our shaliach and young adult coordinator served as madrichim for our groups, which we believe will result in increased success in follow up activity and ongoing Israel engagement of the participants. Initial feedback from the program has been exceptionally positive, with participants sending letters and testimonials expressing how the program has impacted on their lives, enhanced their Jewish identity and strengthened their connection to Israel. With the funding challenges, we reviewed the operations of this area carefully. It was felt that even with outstanding coordinators presenting creative and innovative events, attendance tended to be sporadic and there was little sense among attendees of a sense of a Hagshama community. Our review led to a new paradigm for young adult programming, which is centred on empowerment, leadership development and enabling young adults to be supported in creating their own events. Project Go, which is about to be launched, will provide: Leadership training; Mentoring; Support in content development; Support in logistics and marketing of events and Funding micro grants to young adults who create and deliver events which meet designated criteria relating to connection to Israel, audience and project objectives. We will be rolling out the project in the coming weeks and look forward to reporting on outcomes soon. AZYC The AZYC is the roof body of the seven Zionist youth movements. The ZFA actively supports the AZYC, including assisting with the planning, preparation and implementation of the annual Shnat opening and closing seminars. We also provide essential administrative and support, particularly in the financial area, to the AZYC. Over the past few years, the AZYC has continued to refine the Safeguarding Children guidelines. All movement leaders must undertake the relevant training and be familiar with the policies and procedures. The ZFA works with the AZYC in this area, in particular providing support and advice in any situation where incidents occur. Page 23

24 The AZYC is led by incredibly committed and talented young people and I congratulate Elli Dean on her successful year in the role in 2014 and Gabi Newman and Adiel Cohney who are leading the AZYC in AUJS The ZFA maintains a close connection with AUJS and provides strategic advice on a number of issues, as well as significant financial and logistical support. The ZFA continues to provide financial support for the AUJS shaliach in Melbourne. The ZFA and AUJS work closely together on AUJS s short term Israel programs, Taglit-Birthright Israel (3 groups per annum) and Onward- Academy (6 week program). AUJS is enjoying a successful year of campus Israel and Jewish activity, which we applaud. I congratulate Dean Sherr, 2015 President, for his leadership in the role to date and look forward to a successful year both on campus and in relation to AUJS Israel programs. SPECIAL EVENTS, MILESTONES AND VISITS 2014 BIENNIAL CONFERENCE The Biennial Conference of the ZFA took place in Melbourne on Sunday 30 March, 2014, with over 200 people in total attending. Our special guest speaker was Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel. It was indeed a pleasure for us to welcome him to Australia and to hear him speak on a range of topics. Notably, the Biennial Conference saw the retirement after eight busy and successful years of ZFA President, Philip Chester. Philip has made an outstanding contribution to our movement, not only in his term as president but over several decades prior. The conference was fittingly an occasion of many heartfelt tributes to Philip. The Conference also saw the election of Dr Danny Lamm into the position of President. Danny came to the role with decades of community leadership experience behind him, including most recently as President of the ECAJ and immediately prior to that, as President of the ZCV. JERUSALEM PRIZE, 2014 The Jerusalem Prize in 2014 (Melbourne) was awarded to Philip Chester, in recognition of his service to the Australian Zionist movement as President of the ZFA and in various leadership positions and activist roles over four decades. The prize was awarded at the Annual Assembly of the Zionist Council of Victoria in a joint presentation by the ZCV, ZFA and the Department of Diaspora Activities of the WZO. VISITS In the past year, we were delighted to welcome many VIP visitors to Australia, in visits coordinated and/ or hosted by the ZFA. The year was also notable for a number of key visits of high ranking Israeli MKs who were scheduled to visit, and whose programs were planned in great detail, yet who were ultimately unable to come to Australia for various reasons, including the outbreak of Operation Protective Edge. Page 24

25 We were pleased to welcome the following visitors from Israel: Natan Sharansky March In addition to Natan s presence and address at the ZFA Biennial Conference, he presented at communal forums in Melbourne and Sydney, including a session for the Russian Speaking community. Ada Spitzer Vice President, Taglit Birthright Israel May Haim Cohen World Zionist Organisation May Yehuda Setton JAFI. Educators Conference guest speakers also spoke at communal events Professor Avigdor Shinan, Sarah Mali, David and Ricki Bernstein and others. Dr David Breakstone - WZO Professor Len Saxe Brandeis University November Chaim Chesler, Roman Kogan Limmud FSU March Liat Cohen Raviv Diller Teen Fellows May ZFA ISRAEL OFFICE Yigal Sela, the ZFA Israel Office Director, represents the organisation in Israel. In addition to working closely with our partners in the Jewish Agency for Israel, Masa Israel Journey, Taglit Birthright-Israel, the World Zionist Organisation and many other agencies and organisations, the Israel office of the ZFA is intrinsically involved with organising value add programs for our group Israel programs. For example, the ZFA works with the AZYC to prepare both the opening and closing seminars, including the annual ceremony at the Park of the Australian Soldier to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of the Lighthorse Brigade. In June 2014, the inaugural Rafsodia program was presented for all Australian group gap year participants. This initiative of Yigal s saw the participants work in teams to build rafts which would hold 25 people and then sail them across the Kinneret. The program occurred again in 2015 and was, once again, a highlight for participants and a wonderful way to build leadership, teamwork and an understanding of group dynamics. 2015, being the ANZAC centenary, saw a very special ceremony being held at Mt Scopus Military Cemetery, which was attended by several hundred people, including over 150 Australian gap year participants. The Australian Embassy, which presented the ceremony, is to be congratulated on a most fitting and beautiful event, which was attended and addressed by Israel s President, Reuven Rivlin. In 2014, the ZFA commenced a strong partnership with the Masa Education Department to deliver a seminar on Israel Activism and Engagement to our gap year participants. The three day seminar, which was attended by almost all groups in 2014, was carefully reviewed and somewhat amended for In April 2015, over 240 Australians on gap year programs participated in a one day introductory seminar at Ramat Rachel conference centre. Several days later, 70 selected participants went further to attend a three day seminar along with participants from other countries. The Australian participants were by far the largest delegation at the seminar. They greatly enjoyed the seminar and their keen participation and insights was appreciated by other attendees and organisers alike. The program was developed jointly by the Page 25

26 Masa Education department, with input from Yigal and myself, and I was privileged, along with Ittai Aminoff, to have the opportunity to attend the seminars and present sessions. ROOF BODY OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT As the roof body of the Australian Zionist movement, the ZFA gathers for periodic Executive Meetings. We are proud to represent the Zionist movement across its political and religious spectrum. At this Plenary Conference, a motion will be moved to accept the Australian Forum of Russian speaking Jews as affiliates of the ZFA and we will be pleased to have the AFRJ welcomed formally into the Zionist movement. WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS 2015 In October 2015, the 37th World Zionist Congress will take place in Jerusalem. This has required substantial effort from the ZFA to assemble the slate of Australian delegates to the Congress. The ZFA constituted an Australian Area Election Committee, including representatives of the various factions, to determine the process of selecting the Australian delegations. In early 2015, we received notification that we had been granted an additional mandate, based on our population growth and volume of Zionist activity, taking our allocation to 13 seats. After a somewhat challenging and protracted series of negotiations, the AEC has now agreed with 100% consensus on a delegation which includes: ARZA 4 delegates Mizrachi 4 delegates Ameinu 1 delegate Australian Forum of Russian Jewry 1 delegate Friends of Likud 1 delegate Mercaz Masorti 1 delegate Meretz 1 delegate I pay tribute to Danny for his leadership, determination and perseverance in ensuring a broad-based, mutually agreed slate in what at times was a difficult negotiation process. We are extremely grateful to Sam Salcman OAM, who is ably chairing the Australian Area Election Committee, a complex role requiring sensitivity, knowledge and diplomacy. Roger Selby is serving as Deputy Chair and is providing substantial support in terms of sound advice and sheer hard work. We also thank Philip Chester who, in his professional capacity and pro bono, has provided legal support during this process. We are satisfied that the outcome is a strong, effective and broadly representative slate at the Congress on behalf of Australia. reflecting the diverse but united nature of the Zionist community. STATE ZIONIST COUNCILS The ZFA operates through and in partnership with the Zionist Councils in each state. Our movement relies on each council to represent the Zionist movement in its particular state and carry out a full program of Zionist activities throughout the year. We aim to continue and expand our professional and communal collaborations in the coming year. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the lay and professional leadership of each of the Councils: Page 26

27 Victoria President: Sam Tatarka, Executive Director: Jane Rapke NSW President: Richard Balkin, Executive Director: Belinda Levy Western Australia President: Jeff Lin, Executive Secretary: Rena Hesselson Queensland President: Jason Steinberg, Office Manager: Hadas Pavelsky South Australia President: Alison Marcus, Office Manager: Merrilyn Ades We are also delighted to be strengthening our relationship with the ACT Jewish community, as well as working cooperatively with the Zionist Federation of New Zealand. ISRAEL VISITS ZFA lay leadership and staff were well represented in Israel over the past year, attending conferences, meetings and special training sessions. ZFA President, Dr Danny Lamm is a member of the JAFI Board of Governors, serving as the Aliya Chairman. He attends JAFI and WZO Executive meetings and conferences on his regular visits to Israel as well as meeting with key JAFI and WZO representatives who deal with ZFA issues. I was, as noted earlier, lucky enough to be a guest of Masa at the Israel Engagement Seminars in April May 2015 and also visited Israel in June 2015, attending a series of meetings and engagements together with Danny. With a full schedule of meetings, interviews and attendance at the Rafsodia, the visits were both eventful and productive. Sarit Braver, ZFA Israel Programs Coordinator, visited Israel to undertake intensive Masa Israel Journey meetings and training. By visiting many programs, as well as getting to know key Israelbased Masa staff, Sarit gained valuable insights which will assist her tremendously in carrying out her important role. Hayley Hadassin, our Communications and Events Coordinator in Sydney successfully applied for and attended the Nachum Goldmann Fellowship program in June 2015, supported by the ZFA. This high level international program for year olds provides an excellent professional development opportunity for anyone in the Jewish community sector, professional or volunteer. Gili Gafin, ZFA Accounts Manager, was brought to Israel by JAFI in 2014 to meet and work with her JAFI counterparts, particularly in relation to the financial management of the shlichim delegation. Shayndle Grinblat, ZFA Executive Assistant, was a madricha on AUJS Taglit-Birthright Israel program in December 2014, while ZFA Melbourne Young Adult Coordinator, Mina Cohen and ZFA/ WZO shaliach Ittai Aminoff led Hagshama s Taglit-Birthright Israel groups in July ZFA STAFF The ZFA is managed by a team of committed and passionate professionals, each of whom is not only dedicated to their own area of responsibility, but who work as a cohesive team. I thank each of the staff listed below, be they full time, permanent staff or part time casual staff without you, we would simply not be able to operate the range of activities that we do at the levels we are achieving. Page 27

28 Miri Abramovich Aliya Administrator Melbourne Ittai Aminoff Young Adults / WZO Shaliach Sydney Sarit Braver Israel Programs Coordinator Melbourne Mina Cohen Young Adults Coordinator Melbourne Gili Gafin Accounts Manager Melbourne Elad Gafin Arava Australia Partnership Melbourne Assistant Shayndle Grinblat Executive Assistant Melbourne Hayley Hadassin Communications and Sydney Marketing Coordinator Stacy Hayman Arava Australia Partnership Melbourne Coordinator Hallely Kimchi Habayit Coordinator Melbourne Ted Lapkin Israel Advocacy and Media Melbourne Director Anna Maylis RSJC Coordinator Sydney Yigal Sela Israel Office Director Jerusalem Yoav Silverstein Israel Programs Assistant Sydney Shoshana Vitek Aliya Administrator Sydney *position under recruitment Diller Teen Fellowship Coordinator Melbourne ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND APPRECIATION ZFA OFFICE BEARERS I pay tribute to the leaders of our organisation, in particular those who have taken on positions as Office Bearers of the ZFA. Danny Lamm leads by example, devoting countless hours in the execution of his role. His passion and commitment to the Zionist movement has been borne out over many decades, and his experience and knowledge is priceless. Greg Blashki Honorary Treasurer contributes to the organisation in myriad ways, well beyond his financial portfolio. He brings an objective approach to many dilemmas and issues and is an indispensible member of the leadership team. Sam Tatarka serves as both the Honorary Secretary and Vice President (ex officio, as President of the ZCV). We value his insights, his strategic approaches and his commitment on the state and federal levels of our organisation. We are privileged that two former presidents of the ZFA continue to contribute their time, experience and ideas to the ZFA. Immediate Past President, Philip Chester remains on the office bearers group and maintains key advisory roles in many areas. His wise counsel and continued support is tremendously valued. Ron Weiser, AM has been instrumental in the development of the RSJC Sydney program, maintains a key involvement in our activities in NSW and has recently taken on the role of Chairman of the new Public Affairs Committee. Sam Salcman, OAM has taken the role in 2015 of managing the complex processes around organising the Australian representation to the World Zionist Congress, including serving as chairman of the Page 28

29 Australian Area Election Committee. He has undertaken this demanding role with meticulous attention to detail and his trademark dedication to task. Miriam Munz serves as the Education Chairperson of the ZFA. Under her expert direction, the 2014 Educators Conference was a great success and she is already working towards the 2016 conference. We are grateful to have her depth of experience and knowledge as a Jewish educator among our ranks. Ian Samuel OAM continues to serve with dedication as Chairman of Information, a role he has maintained for several years. We thank him for his tireless efforts, which include intense involvement in campaigns, rallies and responses to critical issues in Israel within our community. Niv Tadmore joined the ZFA as an office bearer in He has taken a particular interest in the projects dealing with the Israeli community, as well as providing valuable contributions in other areas. Joel Burnie serves as Youth and Young Adults chairperson, an area which is critical for the future development of our community and which he has undertaken with enthusiasm. I also thank the representatives of each of the state Zionist Councils, who sit on the Office Bearers group and ensure that their states are part of the deliberations: Richard Balkin President, ZC NSW and ex officio Senior Vice President, ZFA Jeff Lin President, SZC Western Australia Jason Steinberg, President, SZC Queensland Alison Marcus, President, SZC South Australia Sharene Hambur, Vice President, ZCV ISRAELI EMBASSY IN AUSTRALIA The ZFA has a close relationship with the Israeli Embassy in Canberra and its staff, including Ambassador Shmuel Ben Shmuel, Consul Anat Ben Shitrit and Spokesperson and Cultural Attache Dorit Herscovici. AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN ISRAEL We are privileged to have an outstanding Australian representative in Israel, and we thank Ambassador Dave Sharma who is always available to meet with Australian leaders and community representatives, including our gap year participants. KEREN HAYESOD We thank Keren Hayesod for their consistent and significant support for the activities of the ZFA. SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS Although we receive financial support from several organisations and institutions, I wish to acknowledge in particular the Pratt Foundation and its Director, Sam Lipski for the very substantial support they provide to us. We are grateful to Mr Harry Triguboff AO and the Triguboff Foundation for their support of the RSJC project in Sydney. Page 29

30 Mr John Gandel AO and Pauline Gandel, of Gandel Philanthropy have recommitted to support three buses per annum for Taglit-Birthright Israel support which results in the transformative effect on the participants. We thank Mr Greg Rosshandler, whose newly committed contribution is assisting the ZFA in our important work in the Israel advocacy and media fields. OUR PARTNERS IN ISRAEL I acknowledge the ongoing support of the following personnel in Israel: Avraham Duvdevani, Gusti Yehoshua Braverman, Dubi Barel and Ori Leizer of the World Zionist Organisation. Natan Sharansky, Alan Hoffman, Ayelet Shilo Tamir, Shay Felber - Jewish Agency for Israel Liran Avisar, Ofer Guttman Masa Israel Journey Gidi Mark, Professor Ada Spitzer - Taglit Birthright- Israel Natalie Shnaiderman and Roman Polonsky Jewish Agency for Israel RSJC Unit Tzofia Dimant, Yehuda Setton, Eran Berkovich, Rotem Yehoshua JAFI Andrea Arbel, Orit Elkayam JAFI P2G, Arava Australia Partnership World heads of the Zionist youth movements IN CONCLUSION Working at the ZFA is a privilege and an honour and despite the many challenges the role presents, I am grateful for the opportunity to be engaged professionally in an area in which I am personally committed. As all prospective staff are advised, there s no such thing as a 9-5 day, and you can t do any job in this organisation without being passionate about Israel and Zionism. I sincerely thank the lay leaders, the staff, the affiliate organisations and the wonderful Australian Jewish community who, by their passion, dedication and love for Israel, enable the ZFA to flourish and be internationally recognised as one of the strongest Zionist communities in the world. Ginette Searle EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR July 2015 IN MEMORIAM Erwin Lamm, z l We remember and pay tribute to Mr Erwin Lamm, z l. A lifelong passionate Zionist leader and a member of the ZFA Executive for decades, he leaves an inspirational legacy. His personal example of activism, ideological commitment and determined efforts is one which generations to come will emulate and respect. Page 30

31 JEWISH AGENCY REPORT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE JEWISH AGENCY IN AUSTRALIA The Jewish Agency Mishlachat has 15 Shlichim in Australia today. Rinat Kedem Bart Rachel Adams Ron Alter Efri Bart Moria Ben David Ortal Dary Aaron Kalman Sasha Klyachkina Avi Michaeli Yuval Nemirovsky Anat Paz Sarai Polk Leon Schneider Nadav Shachmon Yonatan Sinclair Official Representative of Jewish Agency For Israel & Federal Aliyah Shlicha in Australia and New Zealand AUJS, Melbourne Federal Habonim Dror & Aliyah, Sydney Habonim Dror Shaliach, Melbourne Bnei Akiva Shlicha, Melbourne Betar, Sydney & Community Brisbane Hineni/Central Synagogue, Sydney Russian Speaking Jewish Community Betar, Melbourne Netzer/Progressive Communities, Sydney Hashomer Hatzair, Melbourne Tzofim, Sydney Community, Aliyah & Habonim Dror Shaliach, Perth Netzer/Progressive Communities Melbourne Bnei Akiva, Sydney This year the Mishlachat is expected to increase by 20%, with the opening of 2 Tzofim Shlichuyot (Melbourne Shaliach is expected by the end of the year) and a new position for AUJS Sydney and Emanuel School (also expected to start by the end of the year). Even before this increase, the mishlachat in Australia is the largest per capita mishlachat in the Jewish world. We are proud and privileged to be a part of this, especially at a time where financial difficulties result in cut-downs of educational activities and Zionist education, elsewhere in the world, can sometime be under prioritized. In addition, we are expanding our activities within the communities and the programs which are running; Israeli Communities in Melbourne and Sydney, Brisbane's community, etc. Page 31

32 The JAFI Mishlachat works in full cooperation with other Israeli Shlichim, especially WZO Shaliach Ittai Aminoff. In addition, we work closely with the New Zealand Shlichim especially the community Shlicha, Roni Israeli. This year the Shlichim from New Zealand participated in one of the Shlichim's seminars, and we intend to increase this cooperation. We value team work and the professional and personal support that the Mishlachat offers. Hence, we hold annually 3 conferences for Shlichim, 24 local staff meetings, and numerable social events. Shlichim today see the mishlachat as their family in Australia, and as the most valuable support and motivation source for them. The shlichim s work involves not only their specific youth movement or organization, but also the support of various ZFA and State Zionist Council activities, education projects in schools, activities for Jewish children who do not attend Jewish day schools, Israel advocacy, a public speaker service and more. In every state we try to find ideas and projects with which to promote and engage Jewish children, youth and adults with Zionism. We often work in collaboration to reach the goals of our shlichut. Examples of this during the passing year were "Sydney Votes Israel" a unique project of the Shlichim working together to raise awareness for Israel's passing election in different communities. The Melbourne Mishlachat has lead together several Mishlachat events bringing Israel from a personal perspective to different organizations (Jewish Schools, Synagogues, etc.). The Mishlachat works very closely with the leadership of youth and young adults in our community, both individually through the organizations the Shlichim work with, and as a mishlachat through guiding and mentoring organizations like AZYC, ZYC s and AUJS. The Aliyah department has focused on professionalizing the services provided to new Olim and on outreach to the community. At the end of last year, we issued a personalized kit for the new Aussie Oleh with printed information. We have held different farewells for new olim, as well as social events and info nights prior to their Aliyah, in youth movement's camps as well as for the general Jewish Community. This year, we held for the first time a professional conference for the staff in the Aliyah offices, combining lectures and meetings with partnering organizations. Wearing both hats of Jewish Agency's Representative and Federal Aliyah Shlicha, there has been an emphasis on outreach to the community. During the last 6 months alone, I have participated in over 20 lectures and panels with different organizations on topics related to Israel and my personal experiences (i.e. Jewish day schools, Shuls, youth movements, Limmud, etc.) In addition to the Shlichim, the Jewish Agency operates the Zionist Seminar Programs together with the ZFA, which is entering its 30th year. The Zionist seminars provide informal education programs designed to strengthen and enrich students connection with Israel and Jewish tradition. Our highly experienced staff brings their own compelling life experiences as young Israelis and their working knowledge of informal education to provide in-school or Page 32

33 off campus seminars that create opportunities for the students to clarify their attitudes and relationships to Israel as young Jews making decisions about their future. This year we have 7 teams going out to the following schools: Leibler Yavneh College, Mt Scopus Memorial College, Bialik College, Emanuel School, The King David School, a joint team to Masada College, Academy BJE and Carmel College, Perth. The Arava partnership is continuing to grow and develop. This year we concentrated on strengthening the professional work and the cooperation with the ZFA, while bringing the partnership to different communities in Australia. We have reached a peak number of delegations and the Arava will be hosting numerous new delegations including Hineni Gap year, Betar year 10 program, IBC, opening and closing Seminar of the AZYC and much more! We are looking forward to continuing these important projects, in addition to developing unique fitted projects for the Jewish Community in Australia. I would like to thank the ZFA for the valuable partnership and ongoing support. We have no doubt that continuing working in full cooperation will enable us all to bring the best services and programs to the Australian Jewish Community. I would also like to thank the amazing Mishalchat in Australia, and the Jewish Agency's staff in Jerusalem for all their support, especially Shai Felber for his ongoing guidance. Rinat Kedem Bart Head of Delegation Page 33

34 ZIONIST COUNCIL OF NEW SOUTH WALES REPORT OVERVIEW It gives me great pleasure to report on the activities of the Zionist Council of NSW (ZCNSW). The ZCNSW and continues to achieve results which are out of all proportion to the limited resources at our disposal. I-SOCIETY This Young Adult Division is the most recent initiative of the ZCNSW. I-Society is operating under the direction of our Director of Young Adult Activity, Rikki Parker. Rikki was formerly our Office Manager and has proven herself to be extremely competent and I have no doubt that she will lead this new division from strength to strength. IST The ZCNSW was again been instrumental in ensuring that the IST programme at Moriah and Masada colleges received subsidies from JAFI last year. A record number of over 100 students from both schools participated in the programme. SCHOOLS We continue to build our relationship with the day schools in Sydney as well as with the Board of Jewish Education (BJE). A special thank you is also due to Giora Friede, President of the Board of Moriah College, John Hamey, Principal and Rabbi Benji Levy, Dean of Jewish Life and learning, as well as Wendy Barel, Principal of Masada College, for their ongoing support of our programmes and for being so receptive to our input. I also want to pay tribute to Moriah College for their generosity in making their facilities available to us for our Yom Ha atzmaut celebrations. NSW BOARD OF JEWISH EDUCATION We continue to build the Council s relationship with BJE and have engaged in a number of new initiatives with BJE which will, I am sure, continue to bear fruit in the future. Page 34

35 AIJAC We have hosted a number of events together with our friends from AIJAC. I thank Colin Rubinstein, Jeremy Jones and Anthony Orkin for their ongoing support. SYNAGOGUES We continue to work closely with a number of the synagogues in Sydney and I particularly want to thank Rabbi Levi Wolf and the Board of Management of Central Synagogue for their support and for so often co-hosting our events. NSW PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDS OF ISRAEL I want to thank the Hon. Gabrielle Upton M.P., former Chairperson of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel for all her wonderful work in leading the Parliamentary Friends since its reestablishment and wish her well in her new role as Attorney General for NSW. I extend our congratulations to the Hon. Bruce Notley-Smith MP and the Hon. Walt Secord MD on their recent election as Chairman and Vice-Chairman. I am sure that they will continue to lead the Friends from strength to strength. Together with the other members of the committee these outstanding parliamentarians are wonderful advocates for Israel and their efforts are much appreciated. EMBASSY OF ISRAEL Our sincere thanks to Ambassador Shmuel Ben Shmuel and former Deputy Chief of Mission, Meir Itzchaki and the Embassy staff for their support. Their advice and knowledge is truly valued and we are grateful that they have so often made themselves available to attend our events. Richard Balkin President Page 35

36 ZIONIST COUNCIL OF QUEENSLAND REPORT INTRODUCTION The State Zionist Council of Queensland (SZCQ) is the coordinating roof body for Zionist organisations in Queensland. SZCQ s mission is to lead and encourage Jewish and Zionist activity and expression within Queensland, to represent the Jewish community, to promote and communicate Israel s interests within the broader Queensland community and to promote Queensland s relationship with Israel. KEY ACTIVITIES Zionist Family Fun Day (Sunday 7 December 2014) A successful games and picnic day was held at the Brisbane Jewish Community Centre, in conjunction with Betar and Sinai College. The SZC Qld Executive agreed to hold another Family Fun Day on Sunday 6 December 2015, with the continuing co-operation of Betar, Sinai College and maybe Maccabi. UIA Qld Appeal 2015 and a Farewell to Tony Leverton (Sunday 1 March 2015) All SZC Executives and affiliates attended the UIA 2015 Fundraising Appeal at which Brigitte Gabriel was the headline guest speaker. This was the biggest UIA function in Qld since 1967 and a huge function for the Qld community, 300 people attended! Brigitte Gabriel spoke over an hour and touched everyone s hearts with her amazing story and her huge love for Israel. SZC outgoing president, Tony Leverton was in charge of the security and coordinating and took a huge part at this event. That was also Tony s last function and unfortunately, Tony left the country few days after. As a farewell to Tony, Jason Steinberg made a special thank you speech and represented a gift on behalf of the SZC, a special Mezuzah to take overseas: Ladies and gentlemen, tonight it is my honour to give a vote of thanks to Tony Leverton who in a few days time leaves Brisbane and moves to Holland to be with his daughter. Tony is one of those special people who comes into a small Jewish community like ours and takes on challenges with open arms, dedication and inclusiveness. Despite hailing from New Zealand, I can say that you ve probably done enough in your 12 short years here to be considered a true Queensland. Throughout his time in Brisbane, Tony has worked above and beyond for our congregations, Maccabi, Sinai College, SZC and QJBD, including the CSG. All of this voluntarily, all of this selflessly and all of this with devotion. Page 36

37 At all times Tony has been the consummate community professional enthusiastic, with a drive to be inclusive, supportive and all the while promoting our community and Jewish values. According to Leo Rosten, the author of The Joys of Yiddish, a mensch" is "someone to admire and emulate someone of noble character. He says the key to being 'a real mensch' is nothing less than character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible and decorous. Well, I think Mr Rosten needs to amend his definition to simply say, for the meaning of a real mensch, see Tony Leverton. However, Tony, I think the move to Holland is a pretty drastic move to make sure you can t be elected to another Queensland communal organisation. Tony, on behalf of all Queensland Jewry and particularly those who have worked so closely with you thank you for your commitment, friendship and efforts. We thank you for being a real mensch and like all great leaders you leave our community in a much stronger position than before you came. We hope you stay in touch, we hope you remain in good health and we wish you a safe journey on the next chapter of your life in a faraway, and much colder, land. And, in the coming months and even years, if you have the desire to get back involved there is always conferencing and skype! We have a small gift for you to thank you and to remind you of us. Ladies and gentlemen will you please join me by raising your glass and thanking Tony. YOM HASHOAH (Sunday 12 April 2015) In conjunction with the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, the Gold Coast community, SZCQ and QJBD organised a visit to South-East Queensland by Vic Alhadeff, Chief Executive Officer of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. His grandparents, from Rhodes Island, were murdered in the Holocaust. Vic was the guest speaker at two Yom HaShoah commemorations Brisbane and Gold Coast. There were excellent attendances at both functions, the events had candle-lighting, readings and music, with a good involvement of younger people, and attracted several politicians. YOM HAZIKARON (Tuesday 21 April 2015) The Queensland observance of Yom HaZikaron was held in the Givat Tzion Synagogue, Greenslopes. It included candle-lighting, poems, prayers and reading parts by different community members. Around 60 people attended this event, with many Israelis present. With grateful thanks to Maya Chester-Haviv for her special organising skills as well as all those who participated to ensure this was a well-attended and dignified commemoration. Page 37

38 YOM HA ATZMAUT (Sunday 26 April 2015) Members from the Communities of Brisbane, Gold Coast and even some from Northern NSW came together to celebrate Yom Ha atzmaut, Israel s 67 th birthday at the Jewish Communal Centre at Burbank. The day was marked with great Israeli food (Kosher Sabich and Falafel), colourful live Israeli music by Shai Shriki and ShakShuka, Israeli dancing, communal stalls, rides (a giant jumping castle with slides, laser tags, a trackless train) and ponies. Blue and white face painting and blue and white balloons were made for the kids. Special visitors this year were Gabi Newman and Adiel Cohney from AZYC (Australasian Zionist Youth Council) who brought young vibes along and represented the ZFA. The evening closed with a fireworks extravaganza. Around 300 people attended this event. Congratulations to State Zionist Council leadership, members and affiliates for making the Yom Ha Atzmaut celebration so successful and Toda Raba to everyone involved! YOM YERUSHALYIM (Sunday 17 May 2015) The anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem was celebrated in Brisbane with an event at the Jewish Community Centre. Around 20 people attended. Sport and games activities entertained the children. Hoping for more organisations and support for next year. Arrangements for the Yoms This year, again, the State Zionist Council worked closely with a number of Jewish community organisations to help create moving and memorable events for the April to June period, from Yom HaShoah to Yom Yerushalayim. I am especially grateful to the cooperation we received from the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, Betar, Sinai College, the Jewish Community Centre, the Sunshine Coast Jewish Community Council and the Gold Coast congregations, as well as all those community organisations who participated with membership and stall involvement. These events have proved central to the life of the Queensland Jewish Community and it is important that we all continue to pay attention to ensuring that the wide variety of Jewish interests that they represent are catered for in a suitable and inclusive manner. COMMUNAL SHLICHA ACTIVITIES (ORTAL DARY): As a joint SZCQ, QJBD and ZFA initiative, sufficient funding has been raised to enable a Shlicha in Queensland on average once a month. This is great news as it will mean that not only will Betar s needs be better met, but that the Queensland Jewish Community will benefit from this presence with an increased number of social and educational programs that reach beyond Betar activities. SZCQ is pleased to promote the interests of its affiliate Betar whenever possible. In February 2015, Ginette Searle, Rinat Kedem Bart and Ortal Dary came to Brisbane to meet with Jason Steinberg and Tony Leverton to plan the Shlichut. Jason described some initial goals: AUJS After a quiet period, AUJS now is in full power- having participants in every meeting and is supported by the AUJS Shlicha and others. SZC invited them to the ZFA conference; Also AUJS invited Queensland members to their leadership training. AUJS has Page 38

39 joined for a Shabbat Dinner at BJPC to experience Kabalat Shabbat. They are now able to function on their own. Israel families across the spectrum - Aiming to build a larger database, to engage with this group, to engage them with the Jewish community and to attend to functions. For now, we keep the focus on building the community. First meeting was at Ronit Baras s house, 14 people came, all very keen to take part. They wanted to focus on 'bringing Israel' to the community, kids, youth and young adults, social and business network. They discussed cultural and social gaps between the local Jewish and Israeli communities. By now they established a board of 20 members. The first function is coming soon- BYO picnic on June 28 th and a board meeting on June 29 th. The next four functions are all in planning process. Betarim - Brisbane and the Gold Coast, going well! Israel advocacy SZC is supporting the QJBD s Israel Advocacy program, which is up and running well now. Libby Burke and Rachel Murphy started the advocacy functions. The first function was on 27 th of April and the second was on 11 th June, with a special guest speaker, Dr Nir Boms. Future goals, June December 2015: Israel programs- We would like to promote all Israel programs much more among the Qld community. An info night is planned to bring past participations from different programs to market it among the young people. 150 anniversary- We would like Ortal to be involved to help engage AUJS and Betar in the activities. Israeli communities To promote the Jewish Community and Jewish organisation among the Israelis, to introduce the QJBD and SZC and hopefully to get them involved or to attend more functions. Maybe if they will have an organized board, they can become affiliated with us (potentially by Ronit Baras). Also we are hoping to approach the Gold Coast Israelis as well. All organisations and affiliates to the QLBD and SZC are welcome to suggest activities or to get Ortal involved in activities and programs and utilize her for communal benefits. APPRECIATION On behalf of the SZCQ, I record my deep appreciation to ZFA President Dr Danny Lamm, Immediate Past President, Philip Chester, Director, Ginette Searle and the ZFA team for their advice and encouragement. Also, as outlined earlier in this report, Tony Leverton retired from his presidency of the SZC and moved to Holland. Tony was a powerhouse of communal activity and it has been difficult to fill the void left by his departure. In discussions with the ZFA, it was agreed that until a suitable president be identified for the SZC, Jason Steinberg would be the acting Page 39

40 president and Paul Gould would be the vice-president. This brings the SZC and QJBD a lot closer together and in a small community, this has been beneficial. We look forward to another great year as our community grows from strength to strength. Jason Steinberg, Acting President State Zionist Council Qld Page 40

41 ZIONIST COUNCIL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA REPORT The SZC SA has continued to support the community throughout the last year. As in past years, activity has continued to focus on events related to the calendar. We have continued to seek opportunities to bring speakers to Adelaide wherever possible. Ittay Flescher was the Rabin Memorial Guest Lecturer for Ittay has made several well received visits to Adelaide, and on this occasion he discussed the comparison of two film treatments of captives in conflict zones from the US and Israel. Yom Ha shoah saw the arrival of Dr Avril Alba, who spoke to a large gathering about the Hungarian Deportation on the 70 th anniversary of those events. As always Avril was enthusiastically greeted by many members of the community who have watched the development of her career with enthusiasm and pride. The Yom Ha zikaron observance supported members of the Tarbut Society and others in their remembrance of those lost in the struggle to preserve Israel. Yom Ha atzmaut again saw significant involvement of members of Tarbut, who put great energy and enthusiasm into a night of falafel, singing and dancing, with entertainment provided by visiting musicians from Melbourne. We supported the communal Chanukah Picnic, and provided a prize as part of the Beit Shalom Cheder prize giving. The JPPI research provided the opportunity for a vigorous community discussion using the template that was provided. It was interesting to note that some of the participants were otherwise not often engaged in other activities, but this initiative engaged their interest. JAZY is currently holding the annual Winter Camp, and has again benefited from the involvement of Bogrim from a range of Zionist movements. We are currently working with our local Bogrim, who are coming to the end of a prolonged dedicated commitment to JAZY, about plans for the maintenance of our unique movement over the next few years. We have a significant number of young children who are enthusiastic participants, but no young people of an age who are prospects for Shnat for a year or two. We have two prospective models under consideration, and these are being canvassed with the AZYC. Page 41

42 The SZC has also assisted in the nomination for the annual Youth Achievement Award. Charlotte Gillespie won the award for 2014 recipient will be announced shortly. Dr Jack Gubbay has sponsored this award to recognise the qualities he has seen displayed by former members of JAZY, Netzer and Habonim Dror. The Youth Worker Calendar has once again been expertly brought to print by Merrilyn Ades, and while the numbers of advertisers and recipients are fewer than in previous years, this single fund raising endeavour continues to be worthwhile financially, and as an aid to the community. This year the Council has undertaken an audit of our finances, and the auditor has made some important recommendations concerning insurance coverage that are being implemented. This is part of a process to continue to engage the widest possible interest in the functions of the Council as we continue effort to provide for appropriate continuity for our activities. To that end we are considering revisions to the Constitution to more accurately reflect our circumstances. Once again many thanks to the small number of dedicated individuals who keep wheels turning: Merrilyn Ades (WIZO) who is also the Office Administrator, Eva Phillips who is or has been Treasurer for not only SZC but a number of community groups, Sue Musry & Annetay Henderson Sapir, (alternating JNF representatives) Yuval Yarom, Avida Yanovsky, Dahlia & Zvi from the Tarbut Society and Charlotte Gillespie and Hanna Daych representing JAZY. Earlier this year Pamela Mendels OAM left Adelaide to return to her home town of Sydney with her husband Dr Alan Mendels. Both Pam and Alan have made significant contributions to the community. Alan was an active member of JNF for many years and Pam demonstrated extraordinary dedication. For 35 years Pam singlehandedly prepared a weekly thirty minute program on community radio: Jewish Half Hour. No visiting speaker or visitor escaped her microphone, and with grace and diligence she brought news, music and items of interest to her listeners. It was this commitment that earned Pam her very much deserved formal recognition. We wish them both a happy and healthy retirement. Alison Marcus President Page 42

43 ZIONIST COUNCIL OF VICTORIA REPORT The past year and a half has been full of exciting and demanding challenges for the Jewish world and for the Zionist Council of Victoria. Over the past year we have endeavoured to synthesise, harmonise and represent the interests of our affiliates in a coherent voice for Israel. That task is not a simple one given the spectrum of views held by our affiliates and the many voices with which they speak. Nevertheless, the welfare of the State and the wellbeing of its citizens is the theme that unites us all no matter where we sit on the political or religious spectrum. Zionism Victoria At its Executive meeting held on 17 March, the Zionist Council of Victoria (Australia) resolved to rename itself as Zionism Victoria to better reflect our mission as a vigorous, engaging organisation offering a range of programming and services that connect Victorians to Israel. The launch of the new name is expected to take place later this year. Solidarity When Israel faces significant challenges, our community joins as one to demonstrate support and advocate on Israel s behalf. A year ago, we prayed together for the return of kidnapped Israeli teens Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gil-Ad Shaar, and upon learning of their tragic murder we gathered at Beth Weizmann Community Centre for a moving tribute to their young lives. Soon thereafter, as Hamas rockets threatened Israeli cities and Israeli reservists were called for active duty, over two thousand people attended a community solidarity rally in Princes Park in Caulfield. We provided support and comfort to Israeli soldiers through a community-wide letter writing campaign and educated our community with sessions about Operation Protective Edge and the proliferation of Anti-Zionism/Anti-Semitism. As the operation continued over 3000 supporters joined together for a Stand With Israel - Rally for Peace on the steps of Parliament House in the Melbourne CBD. This second rally was, again, a real community effort, and we are grateful that Israel s supporters from many faith communities joined us in decrying violence and the senseless death on both sides caused by Hamas and in calling for peace for the people of Gaza and Israel. Diversity It is not only during times of crisis that we witness the strength of the diversity of our Zionist community. In the past year and a half, the community has participated in two exciting Jewish People Policy Institute workshops in which diaspora communities were given the opportunity to deliberate and provide input on issues facing Israel and the Jewish world. Both workshops were moderated by Community Relations Chair John Searle, and each had over 35 participants Page 43

44 representing a broad spectrum of age, religious and political affiliations, who deliberated a range of serious questions in order to formulate a response for the JPPI on behalf of our community on the topics of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and Jewish values and Israel s use of force in armed conflict. It was a great pleasure to sit with this diverse group of dedicated Zionists as they respectfully grappled with these important issues. Education & Advocacy Israel continues to achieve outstanding success in many areas and to thrive culturally, academically, scientifically and economically. In March of 2014, we were proud to provide a demonstration of ReWalk, the innovative exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to walk. ReWalk, along with a range of other Israeli medical innovations, was highlighted at this year s Israel Exhibition: MediFuture in Queens Hall at Parliament House. Our 2014 exhibition of Israel's achievements, Innovation for a Better World, similarly demonstrated Israel s astounding creativity and success in spite of its difficult and complex political and security situation. Israel Advocacy continues to be a major focus, and our high quality alerts, research and analysis of events in Israel via is both widely distributed and widely commended for the clarity and insight that it provides. With the elections in Israel, we kept people informed with our dedicated web page and frequent posts. Our After the Elections panel discussion, co-sponsored by ZFA and the AJN, provided outstanding post-election analysis. We provided a myriad of opportunities for our community to meet and be entertained, educated and inspired by a range of speakers and outstanding cultural and social programs. Some examples of interesting and engaging programs offered over the period under review include: A community conversation with Dr Mohammed Al-Hadid of the Jordanian Red Crescent Society and Uri Shacham of Magen David Adom. Dr Al-Hadid was the chair of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Standing Committee who successfully lobbied for Magen David Adom s inclusion in the international humanitarian organisation. A community conversation with Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Jewish Agency during which we discussed a plethora of topics ranging from his days as a prisoner of the FSU to his involvement in a solution for prayer at the Kotel to his views and connections with the Diaspora. A public lecture by Knesset Deputy Speaker Mr Hilik Bar who discussed the imperative to assertively pursue a two-state solution, even in times of conflict, and the challenges faced in doing so. An entertaining night of Jerusalem trivia in celebration of Yom Yerushalayim. Yom Hazikaron & Yom Ha atzmaut The theme of this year's Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha atzmaut programs was yad b yad, (hand in hand) to demonstrate our solidarity with Israel in times of joy and in times of remembrance. Yom Hazikaron was a solemn and meaningful event for the nearly 1000 attendees who gathered at Robert Blackwood Hall at Monash University to commemorate Israel's fallen and victims of terror. There was an emphasis on the pain of bereaved families whose lives are upended by the loss of their loved ones. Page 44

45 Yom Ha atzmaut was celebrated in grand style with a spirited concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre. The family festival that followed the next night at Beth Weizmann drew a record crowd of over 2000 who came to enjoy an impressive range of Israel-related activities. Flags of Israel adorned Federation Square, young adults danced the night away at the Israel Birthday Bash, a program cosponsored by the Zionist Council in partnership with eight young adult organisations. Our 2014 Yom Ha atzmaut cocktail party for political and communal leaders, co-hosted by the JCCV, was held in Queens Hall in Parliament House. Then Premier Dr Dennis Napthine and Leader of the Opposition Daniel Andrews both delivered addresses that emphasised the special place that Israel and the Jewish people have in the hearts and minds of Victoria's body politic, and Israel's ambassador to Australia Shmuel ben Shmuel also addressed the 300 guests emphasising Israel's common interests with Australia. In 2015, we returned to The Windsor and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with a new government whose leaders, including Premier Daniel Andrews and Leader of the Opposition Matthew Guy, expressed similar sentiments. Relationships with the Victorian Government Political leaders and the vast majority of the members of the Parliament of Victoria consistently demonstrate their support for Israel and the Jewish people and are becoming increasingly aware of the issues that concern us and impact on our safety and security. David Southwick MP (Liberal) and Marsha Thompson MP (Labor), as co-convenors of the Victorian Parliamentary Friends of Israel, have been very active in ensuring that their colleagues have access to informed opinion on issues of concern as well as generally enhancing understanding of the Jewish community and the issues we hold dear. This year, our state politicians from both sides of the spectrum stood with us in solidarity while Israel was under attack. The Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, and the state government demonstrated their keen understanding of the key issues that plague our community. These unfortunately include a need to address our security concerns, particularly in light of the worrying trend of attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions in Europe and elsewhere in the World. The State government s commitment of a $500,000 grant toward the cost of a much needed security upgrade at the Beth Weizmann Community Centre was most welcomed and an acknowledgment of the important and central role that the Beth Weizmann Community Centre plays in the field of social cohesion and multicultural activity in our community. The Lamm Jewish Library of Australia (LJLA) The LJLA continued to ramp up activities outside its core function as a library including hosting Habayit, the Home for Hebrew and Israeli Culture; story time in Ivrit (with a companion program for mothers and children in English); the Israeli Scouts (Tzofim); art exhibitions; the Jewish film club (in conjunction with the Australian Friends of the Hebrew University); a daily Talmud shiur and playing host to the Jewish bereaved parents organisation. The inaugural Melbourne Jewish Writers' Festival was an overwhelming and outstanding success. During the two days of sessions, eager and engaged audiences enjoyed interviews, panel discussions, book signings, poetry readings and more, showcasing some of the best home-grown and overseas writers. The calibre of speakers, topics and Page 45

46 themes was exceptional, and the feedback from writers and festival-goers was uniformly enthusiastic. The Kosher Open Kitchen (KOOK) has become an essential component in the effort to fulfil the vision of LJLA becoming a true communal hub. KOOK has offered a range of programs and services including pre-pesach koshering, cooking activities for youth movements, schools and communal organisations and a cookbook launch and demonstration for the Melbourne Jewish Writers Festival. KOOK s newest initiative, the Inaugural Culinary Tour of Israel will take place in October. KOOK s activities are supported by a significant grant from the Estate of the late Jakob Frenkiel and are a lasting tribute to this generous man who survived the Holocaust and rebuilt his life in Australia. Remembrance We note with sadness and warm memories the passing of long-time supporter Erwin Lamm last year. His passing has left a void in the Jewish community that will be impossible to fill. I had the privilege of knowing and working alongside Erwin for a number a years and was proud to be able to call him a friend. A passionate Zionist leader and a member of both the Zionist Federation of Australia and the Zionist Council of Victoria Executives for many years, Erwin leaves an inspirational legacy of a love of Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael that is eternal. The Zionist Council of Victoria is honoured to have been the recipient of Erwin's tireless energy and dedication, and his legacy will be a lasting one. Acknowledgements We congratulate the on another year of great achievements and thank them heartily for their generous partnership and support. The Zionist community of Australia is fortunate to benefit from the able leadership of Dr Danny Lamm and of the ZFA s Executive Director, Ginette Searle. We are grateful for the many patrons, sponsors and supporters who are vital to our ability to do our work. In particular, we appreciate the major communal partnership we share with Keren Hayesod/United Israel Appeal. These partnerships strengthen the entire community and its connection to Israel. The Zionist Council of Victoria operates with the contribution of its full executive and portfolio holders each of whom is deserving of a vote of thanks. I am most especially indebted to the members of the Zionist Council of Victoria Board who give unstintingly of their time, expertise and wisdom. My deepest gratitude to Vice Presidents Jeff Morrision and Sharene Hambur; Immediate Past President Dr Danny Lamm; Honorary Secretary and Public Relations Chair Liora Miller; Treasurers Daniel Goodman (through October 2014) and Mory Kalkopf; and Information Chair Ian Samuel OAM. I would like to record the Zionist Council of Victoria s appreciation for the work of the Community Security Group whose efforts are apparent at every communal event. We also recognise and deeply appreciate the commitment and dedication of Beth Weizmann s security chair David Michelson. The activities of the Zionist Council of Victoria would not be possible without the dedication and competence of the professional staff. Jane Rapke continues to serve as Executive Director with professionalism and dedication beyond the call of duty. We are served by an excellent team of Page 46

47 talented and incredibly dedicated people. The team comprises Sean Nochomovitz (Accountant), Jodi Liebenberg (Executive Assistant), Sandra Sochen (Advertising Manager), and Eileen Freed (Special Projects & Communications Manager) as well as the Building & Security Manager of Beth Weizmann Community Centre, Mile Stojanovski and LJLA Director Leonie Fleiszig and her team. We recently farewelled Shira Richtman, who brought great energy and creativity to the organisation and who will be missed. We were delighted to welcome temporary staff members Daniella Silverstein and Atida Lipshatz who assisted with several projects during the year. This will be my final report to the Biennial Conference as it is my intention to stand down as President of Zionism Victoria later this year following five years as the head of this wonderful organisation. Transition is never easy but I am very confident that my vice president and successor Sharene Hambur will do an outstanding job in coming years. I look forward to watching the movement go from strength to strength as we meet and overcome external and internal challenges and embrace the achievements and milestones of Israel and our community. Sam Tatarka PRESIDENT Zionism Victoria Page 47

48 ZIONIST COUNCIL OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA REPORT EVENTS The State Zionist Council WA conducts regular meetings and is constantly assessing and meeting the changing needs of the Perth Jewish Community. We have run a range of activities in 2014/2015 as detailed below. Leon Schneider is the community shaliach and the Habonim Dror shaliach. He excels in these roles and is enthusiastic in his engagement of the community CAFÉ IVRIT These Sunday morning lessons are well attended. SZCWA/ Habonim Dror Shaliach Leon Schneider and B nei Akiva Shlicha Lea Greenfeld work together to teach Hebrew to members of the community. Classes are held at the Jewish Community Centre. ARIK EINSTEIN TRIBUTE 15 February, 1 March In response to the passing of Arik Einstein, the State Zionist Council, in conjunction with members of the Israeli Community of Perth dedicated two nights to the life and music of Israeli cultural icon Arik Einstein. YOM HAZIKARON 4 May Shaliach Leon Schneider organised and ran this moving and emotional evening. The Deputy Israeli Chief of Mission, Meir Yizhaki, addressed the crowd. Ori Dembo told a personal story of his experiences of loss. The story of Ammunition Hill was recounted and a video was shown telling the moving story. YOM HA ATZMAUT 5 May The SZC partnered with Maccabi and hosted the community Yom Ha atzmaut Celebrations at Carmel Primary School. Dinner and live music provided by local Israeli band Sound of Israel gave an Israeli feel to the evening. This was followed by a short formal ceremony including an address by Jeff Lin, President of the SZCWA and Alan Shear, President of Maccabi. Deputy Israeli Chief of Mission, Meir Yizhaki, gave an address. Guests were also treated to a flag march, video greetings from all the Perth Shnatties and a wonderful performance by Ben Goldstein (X- Factor finalist) from Sydney. Mickey Shaked also provided live music followed by community hora dancing. Page 48

49 BRING BACK OUR BOYS 22 June After the terrifying abduction of Naftali, Gilad and Eyal, emotions were running high in the Perth Jewish Community as in other Jewish communities around the world. The Bring Back our Boys event was held at Carmel PS at the Sylvia and Harry Hoffman Hall. Around 1000 people attended the event and were addressed by Bob Kucera, President of the Friends of Israel WA and Matthew Blumberg from the Perth Community, psalms were recited. Members of the community were then given the opportunity to sign letters to the families and these were passed onto the families in Israel. PEACE RALLY IN THE CITY Sunday 20 July Operation Protective Edge evoked emotional responses in the wider community. Supporters of Israel gathered in the city to show the mostly unreported side of the story that Israel and its supporters yearn for peace. The Peace rally filled the inner city with Israeli and Australian flags and drew interest from the public and unexpected amounts of support. Around 400 people attended the rally and others joined as interest grew from the public. VISIT BY DR DAVID BREAKSTONE - 13 August Vice Chairman of the World Zionist Organisation, David Breakstone, visited the Perth community. He spoke to the leaders of the various Jewish community organisations at a dinner and then addressed the wider community later that evening. ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL - 28 August 5 September Held in conjunction with AICC and Luna Palace Cinemas, the Israeli film festival opened to a record Opening Night crowd. Friend of Palestine WA organised a protest outside which ensured a very successful film festival as patrons swelled the cinema. ISRAELI CULTURAL EVENING - 30 August An Israeli cultural evening was attended by over 160 people. Live Israeli music was performed by the Sounds of Israel. Israeli food was for sale and was eagerly purchased by the crowd. SZC COMMUNAL CALENDAR The State Zionist Council has established a communal calendar for events to be held by the Zionist organisations in Perth. At the initiative of the shaliach, Leon Schneider, organisations were invited to send representatives to a community meeting to add their events and to learn how to use the calendar. All who attended were impressed by the idea and enthusiastic about using the calendar. YITZHAK RABIN EXHIBITION 6, 7 November A Yitzhak Rabin Exhibition was held at the Jewish Community Centre. The Zionist organisations in the community organised groups to attend the exhibition and Carmel High Page 49

50 School students were taken through by Leon. The wider Jewish community also attended in small groups. CHANUKAH CELEBRATION 21 December The second Annual Community Chanukah celebration was a hit. All community organisations are invited to contribute and most do. The event was a well-attended carnival style family event. There was food and drinks for sale including fairy floss and sufganiyot. Activities for children, teens and families included arts and crafts, pony rides, bouncy castles, rock climbing, Zorb Soccer, live entertainment, and candle lighting. The event is run jointly by SZCWA and Maccabi WA COMMUNAL CALENDAR Follow up meetings have been held with the Zionist Organisations to keep up the Zionist calendar. The calendar is proving a useful tool in the community. CAFÉ IVRIT Café Ivrit continues to draw learners of Hebrew. ISRAELI MOVIE NIGHTS The SZCWA is planning to reintroduce Israeli Movie Nights this winter. These were successful a few years ago but attendance dwindled. It is hoped that the community will again be enthusiastic after a break. YOM HAZIKARON 21 April Following much the same format as 2014, the 2015 Yom Hazikaron ceremony was held at the Sylvia and Harry Hoffman Hall. A personal story was recounted by Shacham ben Barak who lost a friend and an uncle. Candle lighting was carried out by representatives of the youth movements and Carmel School. Prayers were recited and the story of the Lamed Hay was told. This was followed by a video. Sounds of Israel provided the music. YOM HA ATZMAUT COMMUNITY CELEBRATION 22 April Yom Ha atzmaut was once again held at the Carmel School grounds in partnership with Maccabi. Entertainment was provided outside by Sounds of Israel and in the Sylvia and Harry Hoffman hall by Mickey Shaked and a variety of local musicians and dancers. The event focussed on being an Israeli food extravaganza, Café 61 provided, falafel, shwarma, shakshuka and salads. Yoffee Toffee provided delicious bourekas, cupcakes and rogelach. Greetings from the Perth Shnatties in Israel was shown by video. The event was followed by spontaneous hora dancing. UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2015 Israeli film Festival August/September Tekes Rabin Page 50

51 Round Table Discussions to be introduced to discuss topical events in Israel Culinary Delegation from the Arava December. Planning is underway to host the Culinary Delegation from the Arava. The SZC will be hosting the delegates and coordinating events, dinners, cooking demonstrations and a trip down to Margaret River. COMMUNITY CHANNUKAH CELEBRATION Sunday 6 December The SZC and Maccabi will once again host the annual Community Chanukah Celebration at the Maccabi Grounds with all the Jewish Community Organisations participating. In addition to all the activities and attractions we will have the Culinary Delegation from the Arava take part and present cooking demonstrations. Jeff Lin President Page 51

52 THE AUSTRALIAN ZIONIST YOUTH COUNCIL REPORT 2015 so far, has been a remarkable year for the AZYC. The structure and education within our movements are strengthening and modernising, and it has been a pleasure to work with the seven Zionist youth movements currently in Australia, Bnei Akiva, Habonim Dror, Hashomer Hatzair, Netzer, Hineni, Betar and Tzofim. The newest Tzofim, joined the AZYC at the beginning of this year The youth movements are currently in a critical period of time. The classic role of the youth movements which has worked for over 70 years is becoming outdated. This has resulted in a decrease in numbers and also an uncertainty placed upon the movements as their role in our community is no longer as defined as it has been in the past. The AZYC recognises this, however we still believe that Zionist and Jewish education is a relevant part of our community. Learning about Jewish identity, Israel and leadership are just some of the concepts which will never become outdated as long as youth are wanting to identify with our community. If you combine this with the common knowledge that our youth movements will ensure the continuity of our community, it is safe to say that we are still needed here in Australia. Over this past year, I am happy to report some accomplishments of the youth movements. It was fantastic to see over 130 chanichim from all across the country participating in the shnat program this year. Our five day seminar which began as soon as the chanichim arrived in Israel, gave the chanichim a glimpse into the culture of Israel, and a taste for the year to come. Furthermore it was impressive to see the chanichim from youth movements unifying, and engaging in each other's ideologies and culture. What they also realised is, that despite their differences, the similarities between them are much greater and more important. The shnatties have also participated in other seminars this year, instilling in the chanichim the importance of being one unified Australasian Zionist body. During Anzac Day, the movements were privileged to meet the president of Israel "Ruby" Rivlin. Next, a ZFA/ Masa seminar saw our chanichim engaging in Israel activism, the feedback from this seminar was very positive. It saw chanichim learning with others who were not part of the shnat program, opening their eyes to a very different perspective and offered them a unique learning experience. The next seminar was Rafsodia, where the chanichim worked to build rafts which they then sailed across the Kinneret. It was a blast for all! Throughout the remainder of the year more seminars are scheduled to take place and we hope they are as successful as the first half of the year has been. Our next accomplishment is Think Tank which was previously known as "Bogsem." Bogsem has been a weekend seminar which has been run for countless years, it focuses on bringing the youth movements together to discuss Jewish and Zionist issues. This has proved in the past to be somewhat irrelevant to many of the participants. After numerous workshop Page 52

53 sessions, we are pleased to announce that this year the change to Think Tank is including some of the following concepts: a half day seminar on mental health and related illnesses education, specific focus groups working on new initiatives to combat some of the youth movements challenges, external educators coming in to work with madrichim on how best to engage their respective age groups, a hadracha intensive, and many more initiatives which will result with tangible skills the madrichim can take back to their respective movements. The main accomplishment of the AZYC is our weekly activities; it is no easy task for our 300 bogrim, who run weekly programs for over 2000 chanichim. I am always amazed to see the passion and dedication in youth movements. From grade 3s who bring unbelievable ruach (spirit) to their activities, to year 12s who attend programs in between their study, to 18 year olds who choose to spend their gap year in Israel studying and leading. Lastly the madrichim who spend endless hours planning programs and camps. You will not find many other countries in the world which have such active youth activities all year long, and our movements should be commended for this. It is amazing to see how kids are embracing their Jewish identities and shaping their own Zionist experiences. Camps also continue to be the highlight of the year for movements. Winter machane is just around the corner, with record numbers for some of our movements. Camps are a time for new chanichim to experience the movement as its peak, and is the main catalyst for weekly movement attendance. I therefore want to emphasize how important our summer and winter machanot are for the continuation of our movements. Lastly the AZYC has been working very hard to become accredited by the Australian Childhood Foundation. We know our education is extremely important, but also, the safety is of our chanichim is paramount to the success of our programs. Policies and guidelines which were implemented in 2013 are being upheld and improved upon, The movements, have gained a new set of skills, being aware and interested in not only the physical wellbeing of their chanichim but also their mental wellbeing. The movements are showing the upmost responsibility for this cause, and we hope the accreditation is not too far off in the future. The AZYC is moving forward in many ways, however we are faced with challenges, old and new, which lead to a lack of progress. The toughest challenge is the amount of Jewish students attending non-jewish schools. The government school system does not allow our madrichim entering their schools. We therefore find it difficult to engage government school kids as it is often the madrich-chanich relationship which brings chanichim to the movement especially when they are in high school. Therefore despite having the number of kids out there, we are struggling to reach them. Another challenge is competition from many different facets within the community. Many alternative organisations are appearing, which offer very similar products to the youth movements. This is resulting in many kids not wanting to attend youth movements as they are already receiving something similar from another organization. This overcrowding is Page 53

54 leaving the movements with less support and resources than in previous years. Another main challenge the AZYC faces, is funding and tangible support. Each youth movement has their own support network, which is not surprising; this however leaves few supporters of the AZYC. Even though the AZYC is the youth movements, it makes it very difficult to run and create initiatives when we have very little support network to call our own. Moreover, like any youth organisation, our turn over is virtually every year. This has resulted in each AZYC executive needing to first learn the role, before we can even begin to flourish, and that takes almost half the year. This has caused much angst within the movements and is the main reason we are yet to receive the Australian Childhood Foundation accreditation, despite working tirelessly for the last 3 years. It also prevents long term planning and goals from being accomplished. I am excited to announce an initiative that will be happening the end of August. The AZYC will be hosting a forum called "Moving Where?" The aim is to discuss the future of the youth movements with a range of people from the community. In this event we aim to combat some of our challenges in the hope that we can remain proactive and modern, and understand the community's wants and needs. We are hoping to find tangible support and some new initiatives that will appeal to the community. We are also hoping that from this event we can run a campaign to show Australia truly what makes the youth movements unique and powerful. When asked what makes the AZYC and youth movements so special, there are many ways to answer. What gives me the most inspiration is watching the chanichim grow up to love and care for their movement, to see the passion of the madrichim working hours on programs and camp. No matter what hardships the movements face they continue with passion and enthusiasm. I am in absolute awe of the madrichim I have seen this year, and truly believe they do not get enough credit. To conclude the AZYC report, I would like to thank all of the AZYC exec and every boger that makes our movements tick. Your leadership inspires the Jewish community and without it, the Australasian Jewish community would be incomplete. You volunteer so many hours of your time and often without any recognition. Your programs and camps are incredible and provide youth with empowerment and overall skills to be a better person. I hope to see you all continue your amazing work over the next six months and beyond. I would also like to thank the who has spent many hours working with us and provide us with unconditional support. Lastly I would like to thank my fellow tzevet members, Adiel Cohney and Rinat Kedem Bart, who have been incredible in everything they do, from support, to advice, and to new ideas! I am proud to be a part of the AZYC and look forward to seeing what we all accomplish in the future. Gabi Newman Adi Cohney Rinat Kedem Bart (Chairperson) (S gan) (Shlicha) Page 54

55 AUSTRALASIAN UNION OF JEWISH STUDENTS REPORT The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) is the federal body for Jewish student societies at universities, colleges and TAFEs, and is present on more than twenty-five campuses and seven regions across Australia and New Zealand. Our mission is to provide meaningful Jewish experiences through engagement, enrichment, development and action, thereby strengthening community and enhancing Jewish life. AUJS provides its members with a wide variety of events and activities both on and off campus. These include social, cultural, educational, political and religious events as well as national conferences, campaigns and our international programs. NATIONAL EXECUTIVE The AUJS 2015 National Executive was elected at the Annual General Meeting in September 2014: Chairperson Dean Sherr (VIC) Vice-Chairperson Elenore Levi (NSW) Treasurer Michael Fisher (VIC) Political Affairs Director Julian Kowal (VIC) Conferences Convener Andrew Schnapp (VIC) Campaigns Coordinator Ashleigh Werner (NSW) The Regional Presidents who sit on the National Executive are follows: New South Wales Avia Madar Victoria Samantha Meyerson Western Australia Natasha Ross New Zealand Maya Netzer Small Regions Chair (SA, QLD, ACT) Daniel Brazil (QLD) Additionally, I acknowledge all campus and regional officers who dedicate their time to bringing Jewish life to their campuses and advocate tirelessly for Israel. AUJS Staff Executive Director International Programs Director Shlicha Liraz Poorian (NSW) Hagar Shelly (NSW) Rachel Adams (VIC) Page 55

56 ISRAEL PROGRAMS The ZFA continues to be a key partner in AUJS short-term Israel programs. AUJS Academy Onward Israel, running in conjunction with the Onward Israel group for the first time, took our longest-running Israel program into a new and exciting chapter in its distinguished history, offering participants an extended six-week program at a reduced cost. This year s program was a great success and we are pleased to renew the Onward Israel-AUJS-ZFA partnership for AUJS will sends three Birthright buses to Israel each year. Our July 2014 program will send 40 participants to Israel, whilst our December 2014 January 2015 program sent 80 participants. We look forward to continuing work with the ZFA to improve our short-term programs in 2016 and into the future. We are working hard and with the much-appreciated support of the ZFA to re-establish AUJS Aviv as a premier long-term program for school leavers. We also continue to run the AUJS Leadership Development Program (AUJS LDP), our premier leadership program for AUJS union leaders, which recently travelled to Israel, the United States and Germany. FOLLOW UP Always one of the most challenging aspects, AUJS has seen rapidly improved results from our efforts to engage Israel Program returnees on their return. In 2015 we have seen incredible numbers of AUJS Academy, Aviv and Birthright participants attending our conferences and events and being engaged on a high-level with our activities. As a product of AUJS Academy myself, I can attest to the magnificent opportunities AUJS programs give us. As our events, such as our Purim parties in NSW and VIC saw record attendance this year (with nearly 400 in Melbourne and 300 in Sydney), much of this growth can be attributed to strong attendance increases of IP returnees (as well as some great planning from dedicated AUJS Aviv and Academy graduates who now occupy significant leadership positions in AUJS). CONFERENCES Conferences represent one of AUJS s most effective efforts in connecting Jewish students across Australia and New Zealand. AUJS will be running four national conferences in 2015: AUJS Summer, our leadership training conference held in February each year; AUJS Winter, our social conference; National Assembly and AGM to elect AUJS s future leadership; and AUJS s Political Training Seminar AUJS PTS in Canberra. Additionally, AUJS runs two executive planning retreats each year for the National Executive. AUJS Summer AUJS s annual summer leadership conference for 2015, AUJS Summer, took place in February in Victoria. It brought together 70 AUJS leaders to provide them with the skills required for Jewish engagement on campus as well as for Israel advocacy and running campaigns. AUJS Summer featured both AUJS and community-run sessions and workshops in order to ensure high skill levels in advocacy and leadership on campus. It was also an Page 56

57 opportunity for students from across Australia and New Zealand to get to know each other and start sharing and creating ideas for the year ahead. CAMPAIGNS 2015 will be marked with campaigns on educating about the Holocaust, Yom Ha atzmaut celebrations, campaigns on peace and cooperation, and campaigns targeted at the wider community to educate them on various aspects of Judaism. We ran our first Israel campaign, an election-themed educational campaign Israel Represent, earlier this year, to promote and educate about Israel s thriving democracy. We are currently planning Peace Week for early second semester, which will explore on-the-ground initiatives to promote peace and mutual collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians as a positive and powerful alternative to promote peace in Israel and Palestine, in stark contrast to the negative and wrongful BDS campaign. CONCLUSION Much of AUJS s work would not be possible without the support of our many community partners and friends. I would like to express my sincere thanks to JCA NSW and to our many donors and patrons in Victoria. Thank you to The Shalom Institute, UIA and ZFA for their continued generous support as well. Thank you to the Jewish and Zionist Councils and Boards of Deputies across Australia and their leadership. We are grateful for the friendship of The Shalom Institute in NSW. Thank you also to The ZFA, who are a key partner in AUJS s Israel programs and the AUJS Shlichut, and their support is invaluable. Finally, on behalf of the AUJS community, I send my very warm thanks to Danny Lamm, Ginette Searle, Greg Blashki, Gili Gafin, Sarit Braver, Yigal Sela as well as Philip Chester and Joel Burnie and the entire ZFA team for their support. The ZFA is an invaluable partner and support for AUJS growth and success, both in Israel Programs and in our wider activities on and off campus. Dean Sherr Chairperson Page 57

58 We express our thanks to the following for their generous support of the ZFA and our projects: Pratt Foundation Gandel Philanthropy The Harry Triguboff Foundation Peachtree Capital Dr David Cook Dr Danny Lamm Milton Levine Dr David Slonim Dr Abe Zelwer Page 58

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