the 2014 jccv annual report

Transcription

JCCV
2014 ANNUAL REPORT ___
___ 1
Contents
NOTICE & AGENDA OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
2
ABOUT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF VICTORIA
3
JCCV EXECUTIVE 2014
4
PRESIDENTS:4
Victorian Jewish Advisory Board | Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies | Jewish Community Council of Victoria Inc
BOARD OF PATRONS AND COUNCILLORS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY
5
PLENUM MEETING DATES FOR 2015
5
MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER OF VICTORIA
6
MESSAGE FROM THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
7
MESSAGE FROM THE AMBASSADOR OF ISRAEL
8
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY
9
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, ZIONIST COUNCIL OF VICTORIA
11
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
12
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
22
REPORTS OF PORTFOLIOS OF THE JCCV
25
JCCV Affiliate Support Portfolio Report | Interfaith and Multicultural Activities Report | Community Research Portfolio Report
JEWISH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN (JEMP) ANNUAL REPORT
29
JCCV POLICY PLATFORM
30
APPRECIATION39
Notice & Agenda of
Annual General Meeting
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Jewish Community
Council of Victoria Inc will be held on:
MONDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2014 AT 8.00 PM
At the Beth Weizmann Community Centre
306 Hawthorn Road, South Caulfield
AGENDA
1. Apologies
2. Adoption of Minutes of the Annual General Meeting –
23 November 2013
3. Address by Matthew Guy MP, Minister for Planning &
Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship
4. Address by Professor Len Saxe, Professor of
Contemporary Studies at Brandeis University
5. Address by Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp,
Victoria Police
6. Presentation of Marion and Kurt Lippmann Scholarship
7. Report of the President, Nina Bassat AM
8. Report of the Treasurer, Ian Jones
9. Adoption of Reports
10. Appointment of Honorary Solicitors
11. Appointment of Auditors
12. General Business
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About the
Jewish Community Council
of Victoria
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria is the roof body
of Victorian Jewry, Australia’s largest Jewish community.
With sixty major communal organisations as its affiliates,
the JCCV represents the mosaic of political, cultural,
welfare, educational, religious and social associations
operating in Victoria.
The Victorian and Federal Governments, their agencies, the
media and ethnic and religious groups have long recognised
the JCCV as the representative body of the Victorian Jewish
community, speaking on its behalf on all matters affecting
its status, welfare and interests. The JCCV provides
leadership and a voice for Victorian Jewry of more than
60,000 members and to the wider Victorian community.
Through consultation, advocacy and working with
government, other faith and ethnic communities, the media,
service providers and the general public, the JCCV seeks to
achieve the following goals:
• Facilitation of harmony and positive relationships between
the various elements of the Victorian Jewish community
and between our community and the larger community
• Greater understanding of and respect for the Jewish
way of life
The JCCV’s priorities are:
• community security and safety
• representation to Government
• Shoah remembrance
• social justice
• youth engagement
• media/public relations;
• interfaith and multicultural dialogue
• professional development
• community events
• ensuring a fair voice for Israel
Our constituent organisations nominate delegates as
members of the Council which meets at regular Plenum
meetings. The Executive meets monthly.
HONORARY OFFICERS
President
Nina Bassat AM
• A thriving local Jewish community
Vice President
Jennifer Huppert
• A safer local Jewish community
Honorary Treasurer
Ian Jones
• Zero community tolerance of racism in general and
antisemitism in particular
• Wider knowledge and appreciation of the Shoah
(Holocaust) and its lessons
• A positive perception of Jews in Victorian society
• Continuing and enhancing the Victorian
community’s contribution to social justice
OUR VISION
A society in which members of the Victorian Jewish
community are able to live as Jews in peace and security,
participating fully and without prejudice.
Jewish
• A better society by promoting understanding and
cooperation between all faiths
• And in partnership with the Zionist Council of Victoria:
1.A more sophisticated public understanding of Israel’s
efforts to achieve peace and security
2.Effective counteraction of misinformation on Israel, the
Middle East and the Arab/Israel conflict
3.A greater understanding of Israel in relation to
contemporary Jewish identity
OUR MISSION
To be the recognised and responsible peak body and
voice of Victorian Jewry through advocacy, representation,
networking and collaboration, both within the Jewish and
wider communities.
OUR VALUES
• To be inclusive and representative of the diversity of the
Jewish community:
• To be independent and objective;
• To support Jewish continuity and the Jewish way of life; and
• To support Israel.
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JCCV Executive 2014
OFFICE BEARERS
PROFESSIONAL STAFF
President
Nina Bassat AM
Executive Director
David Marlow
Vice President
Jennifer Huppert
Business Manager
Hilary McMahon
Honorary Treasurer
Ian Jones
Project Manager
Jo Silver (resigned
Nov 2014)
Administrative Assistant
Julie Batty
PORTFOLIOS
Advisory
John Searle
Affiliate Support/Membership
Atida Lipshatz
Community Engagement
Anton Hermann
Community Research
Rimma Sverdlin OAM
Interfaith & Multicultural
Dr Helen Light AM
Online Engagement/Marketing
Daniel Fox
Resigned March 2014
Security
Jack Lipson
Strategy & Governance
Jennifer Huppert
COMMUNITY SECURITY GROUP
Security Director
Simon Glynn
Head of Operational Support
Justin Lipson
MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE – EX OFFICO
Anti-Defamation
Jeremy Samuel (nominee of
Dr Dvir Abramovich
resigned March 2014)
Dr Dvir Abramovich
Zionist Council of Victoria
Sharene Hambur
(nominee of
Sam Tatarka)
Presidents
Presidents of the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board, Victorian
Jewish Board of Deputies and the Jewish Community
Council of Victoria lnc.
As at 20I2, 28 people have served as President of the Jewish
Community Council of Victoria and its predecessor bodies,
the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board and the Victorian Jewish
Board of Deputies, since its beginnings in 1938. Maurice
Ashkanasy served on three non-consecutive tenns as
President Mr Robert Zablud served for six and half years,
making him the longest serving President and Mr lsi Leibler
AO CBE served for four and a half years.
The Victorian Jewish Advisory Board officially changed its
name to the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies on 7 May
1947 and became an affiliate of the Executive Council of
Australian Jewry when the body was formed in August 1944.
On 10 October 1988 the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies
officially changed its name to the Jewish Community
Council of Victoria. In 2000 the Jewish Community Council
of Victoria became an incorporated entity.
VICTORIAN JEWISH ADVISORY BOARD
lsaac Herbert Boas
1938 - 1939
Dr Jacob Jona
1940 - Dec 1942
Archie Michaelis, MLA
(later Sir Archie Michaelis Kt)
1939 - 1940
Alex Masel
Dec 1942 - Nov 1946
Maurice Ashkanasy
Dec 1946 - 7 May 1947
___ 5
Presidents
VICTORIAN JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES
Maurice Ashkanasy
7 May 1947 - 0ct 1950
Leon Lasky
Dec 1962 - Dec 1966
Ben Green Oct 1950 - Aug 1951
Nathan Hirsch Beller OBE
Dec 1966 - Dec 1969
Bemard Cowen Aug 1951 - Dec 1951
Walter M Lippmann MBE AM
Dec 1969 - Dec 1972
Maurice Ashkanasy
Dec 1951- Dec 1954
lsi Joseph Leibler AO CBE
Dec 1972 - Mar 1977
Abraham Samuel Leibler
Dec 1954 - Dec 1956
Amold Bloch AM
Mar 1977 - Feb 1980
Trevor Rapke
Dec 1956 - 0ct 1958
Robert Zablud
April 1980 - Dec 1986
Nathan Jacobson
Nov 1958 - Dec 1961
Phil Symons OAM
Dec 1986 - Dec 1987
Maurice Ashkanasy
Dec 1961 - Dec 1962
Shmuel Rosenkranz
Dec 1987 - Oct 1988
JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF VICTORIA INC
Shmuel Rosenkranz
Oct 1988 - Dec 1990
David Klein
Nov 2000 - Mar 2001
Joe Gersh AM Dec 1990 - Mar 1993
Grahame Leonard AM
Mar 2001- Mar 2003
Leon Rosen
Mar 1993 - Aug 1994
Michael Lipshutz
Mar 2003 - Nov 2005
Geoffrey Green OAM
Sept 1994 - Dec 1996
Anton Block
Nov 2005 - Nov 2008
Nina Bassat, AM
Dec 1996 - Dec 1998
John Searle
Nov 2008 - Nov 2011
Dr Philip Bliss
Dec 1998 - Nov 2000
Nina Bassat AM Nov 2011- Nov 2014
Board of Patrons and Councillors
of the Executive Council of
Australian Jewry
COUNCILLORS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
BOARD OF PATRONS
OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY
Bassat Family
Jack Gringlas OAM
Dr Dvir Abramovich
Robert Lissauer
Barry and Suzi Carp
Josh Liberman
Nina Bassat AM
Tom May
Debbie Dadon
The Naphtali Family
Foundation
Sharene Hambur
Rysia Rozen OAM
Jennifer Huppert
Ian Samuel OAM
Dr Danny Lamm
John Searle
Dr Alan Finkel AM
Gandel Philanthropy
Pratt Foundation
D & G Goldsmith
Plenum Meeting Dates for 2015
2 FEBRUARY
8 PM
2 MARCH
8 PM
13 APRIL
8 PM
4 MAY
8 PM
1 JUNE
8 PM
3 AUGUST
8PM
Jewish Care (Victoria) Inc
7 SEPTEMBER
8 PM
Council of Presidents
12 OCTOBER
8 PM
Bialik College
Council of Presidents
16 NOVEMBER 7.30 PM
Community Awards Evening
23 NOVEMBER 8 PM
Annual General Meeting
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MESSAGE FROM THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
On behalf of the Victorian Labor Party, I congratulate the Jewish Community
Council of Victoria on another year of achievement.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria, and its affiliates, represent some
65,000 Jews and oversee every facet of Jewish life and culture in Victoria.
Organisations like the JCCV are at the heart and soul of a modern,
multicultural society – serving one community and enriching every other.
The Council’s promotion of religious tolerance, and its supervision of
community security, has made Victoria a safer and friendlier place.
The Council’s calendar of events and its commitment to aid, appeal and
emergency management has helped thousands of families in need.
This year has been typically eventful for the JCCV, with a schedule developed
by a committed Board and assisted by staff, volunteers and benefactors.
At the heart of the JCCV’s contribution are its people. To this end, I extend
my best wishes to Nina Bassat AM and I commend her service and advocacy.
On behalf of the Victorian Labor Party, I wish the JCCV a successful 2014 and
a good 5774. May the Council continue to enrich the lives of so many.
Yours in friendship,
November 2014
Tishrei 5775
Message to the Jewish Community Council of Victoria from Ambassador Ben-Shmuel
It gives me great pleasure to offer best wishes and a congratulatory message to the members of the
Jewish Community Council of Victoria on the occasion of the Annual General Meeting.
I would like to thank leaders past and present who dedicate themselves and give of their time, energy,
and talents to an organisation that does so much for our country- who help us brace ourselves against
enduring and imminent challenges and look to the future with optimism and hope.
I wholeheartedly congratulate President Nina Bassat AM as well as her Executive board upon the
conclusion of an effective and successful term of office. They have achieved much representing and
successfully leading this great organisation. Their tireless and longstanding service ensures that we
can embrace the years ahead united as one. I would like to also congratulate the incoming president
and wish them much success in continuing this work.
We live in profoundly trying times. Regional instability and the threat of those seeking to undermine
our legitimacy and deny our existence as well as the enduring challenge to maintain and obtain peace
are issues that continue to confront and elude our nation.
The State of Israel deeply appreciates the monumental efforts taken by the Jewish Community in
Australia and in particular the efforts of the JCCV in educating, uniting and advocating for the
community.
The solidarity of Zionist communities across the world and the activities in Australia are a tremendous
source of hope and inspiration. We are reassured of the ongoing dedication and vitality of Victorian
Jewry in part from the impressive work of this organization.
I wish the Jewish Community Council of Victoria the very best for the forthcoming year. I express my
sincere thanks to your organization for all that you do.
H.E. Shmuel Ben Shmuel
Ambassador of Israel to Australia November 2014
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Executive
Executive
Council of
of
Australian
Australian
Jewry Inc.
Jewry
The Representative
Organisation of
Australian Jewry
Level 2, 80 William Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Address all correspondence to:
PO Box 1114, Edgecliff NSW 2027
Tel (+61 2) 8353 8500
Fax (+61 2) 9361 5888
Web: www.ecaj.org.au
E-mail info@ecaj.org.au
PRESIDENT
Dr Danny Lamm
DEPUTY PRESIDENT
John Searle
HON. TREASURER
Robert Lissauer
HON. SECRETARY
Jillian Segal AM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Peter Wertheim AM
VICE PRESIDENTS
Yair Miller (NSW)
Nina Bassat AM (VIC)
Tony Tate (WA)
Jason Steinberg (QLD)
Norman Schueler (SA)
Daniel Albert (TAS)
Robert Cussel (ACT)
IMM. PAST PRESIDENT
Robert M Goot AM, SC
CONSTITUENTS
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies
of Victoria Inc
Jewish Community Council of
Western Australia Inc
Queensland Jewish Board of
Deputies
of South Australia
Hobart Hebrew Congregation
ACT Jewish Community Inc
AFFILIATES
Australasian Union of Jewish
Students
Australian Federation of WIZO
Union for Progressive Judaism
Federation of Jewish Aged
Care Services
Maccabi Australia Inc
National Council of Jewish Women
B’nai B’rith of Australia/ NZ
Jewish National Fund of Australia
Council of Orthodox Synagogues of
Australia
OBSERVERS
Council of Progressive Rabbis
Federation of Australian Jewish
Ex-Service Associations
New Zealand Jewish Council
Zionist Federation of Australia
6 Elul 5774
1 September 2014
Nina Bassat AM
President
Jewish Community Council of Victoria
306 Hawthorn Road
Caulfield South VICTORIA 3162
Dear Nina
Both personally and on behalf of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, I
want to say thank you and mazal tov on the completion of another outstanding
three year term of office as President of the Jewish Community Council of
Victoria.
I want to especially thank you, your Officer-bearers, members of the Executive,
representatives of Affiliates and members and staff for your unfailing co-operation
with, and assistance to, the ECAJ at all times. In the last twelve months your
work with a wide range of more than thirty-five other faith groups and ethnic
communities in Victoria in support of the ECAJ’s campaign to preserve existing
protections against racial vilification under Federal law was invaluable and
contributed much to the eventual success of our work.
20
August 2013
Kol hakavod to you and your team also for your vital work in so many policy
14
Elul 5773
areas and for realising many other important goals and milestones in the last year
including:
Nina Bassat AM
• Extensive Child Protection: training for 20 Jewish community or-ganisations
President
(including
Secular,
Progressive,
Jewish
Community
Council
of Victoria Conservative, Ortho-dox, Adass) in
developing
child protection policies and procedures over a six months period,
306
Hawthorn Road
with ongoing
coordination
and support – no longer an issue to only be
Caulfield
South VICTORIA
3162
discussed in whispers.
Dear
Nina of our Overview of the Jewish festivals booklet for politi-cians,
• Launch
Victoria Police, healthcare professionals, pastoral carers, emergency service
It gives
me great
behalf
of the Executive
Council of Australian
personnel
andpleasure,
other faithonand
community
or-ganisations.
Jewry, to extend a hearty mazal tov to you on the completion of another
• Jewish immersion
days forof
State
and pastoral
care workers
from a
outstanding
year as President
the politicians
Jewish Community
Council
of Victoria
variety of faiths.
(JCCV).
• Obtaining over 25 Jewish community organisations to sign up to the No to
Once
again we are
indebted to you, your Officer-bearers, members of the
Homophobia
campaign.
Executive, representatives of Affiliates and members and staff for your unfailing
•Major events
such
as Yom
Hashoah
co-operation
with, and
assistance
to, the
ECAJ inCommemoration,
its representations Babi
to the Yar
Commemoration,
partnering
in Stand
with Israel
rallies,
Yomdomestic
Haatzmaut
Federal
government on
a wide range
of issues
covering
many
policy
areas,
as
well
as
advocacy
for
Israel.
Cocktail Party at State Parlia-ment and Rosh Hashanah Lunch with State
Politicians,
& multicultural
I commend
the Multifaith
Council especially
for its events
efforts in helping to organise more than
70
members
of
the
Victorian
parliament,
from
both
the Coalition
and Labor
The Jewish community in Victoria has been well
served
by the JCCV’s
patient,
parties,
to
join
their
Federal
colleagues
in
signing
the
London
Declaration
on
ongoing efforts in building and strengthening relationships with the political sector
Combating
Antisemitsm,
bipartisan
support
for which
an importantother
public
on all sides of
Victorian politics,
the media,
NGO
leadersmakes
and organisations,
statement
by ourcommunities,
political leaders
against antisemitism
andcouncils.
racism generally.
faith and ethnic
the education
sector and local
The JCCV
makes a vital contribution to making our community’s voice heard on issues of
concern to us. Much of this work is out of the public eye and goes unrecognised,
1
but is of critical importance.
___ 10
Executive
Executive
Council of
of
Australian
Australian
Jewry Inc.
Jewry
The JCCV has also continued to play a constructive role in the affairs of the ECAJ
and has been of inestimable help to our organisation in fulfilling its vital functions
at the national level.
I look forward to continuing with your successor the excellent and productive
working relationship we have enjoyed.
I commend you also for your written and oral submissions to the Victorian Government Inquiry
into Handling of ChildWith
Abuse
Religious and Other Non-Government Organisations and cobestbywishes.
The Representative
ordinating 22 Jewish organisations in Victoria, including the day schools and shules, at a series
Organisation
of to establish best practice policies, processes and performance indicators for the
of meetings
Australian Jewry
purpose of preventingYours
child sex
abuse, including mandatory reporting protocols.
sincerely
Level 2, 80 William Street
Sydney NSW 2000
The Council's continuing efforts to build and strengthen relationships with the political sector
politics, the media, NGO leaders and organisations, other faith and
ethnic communities, the education sector and local councils, are of critical importance to the
Tel (+61
2) 8353community.
8500
Jewish
The
Council's efforts in these areas make a vital contribution to making our
Fax (+61 2) 9361 5888
community’s
voice
heard
on issues
of AM
concern
to us. Much of this work is out of the public eye
Web: www.ecaj.org.au
Robert
Goot SC
E-mail info@ecaj.org.au
and is sometimes not fully appreciated.
President
Address allon
correspondence
all sides ofto:Victorian
PO Box 1114, Edgecliff NSW 2027
PRESIDENT
Dr Danny Lamm
My sincere thanks to you and the JCCV for your constructive contributions to the deliberations
of the ECAJ and affording our organisation invaluable assistance in fulfilling its vital functions
at the national level.
DEPUTY PRESIDENT
John Searle
HON. TREASURER
Robert Lissauer
With best wishes.
HON. SECRETARY
Jillian Segal AM
Yours sincerely
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Peter Wertheim AM
VICE PRESIDENTS
Yair Miller (NSW)
Nina Bassat AM (VIC)
Tony Tate (WA)
Jason Steinberg (QLD)
Norman Schueler (SA)
Daniel Albert (TAS)
Robert Cussel (ACT)
Dr Danny Lamm
President
IMM. PAST PRESIDENT
Robert M Goot AM, SC
CONSTITUENTS
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies
of Victoria Inc
Jewish Community Council of
Western Australia Inc
Queensland Jewish Board of
Deputies
of South Australia
Hobart Hebrew Congregation
ACT Jewish Community Inc
AFFILIATES
Australasian Union of Jewish
Students
Australian Federation of WIZO
Union for Progressive Judaism
Federation of Jewish Aged
Care Services
Maccabi Australia Inc
National Council of Jewish Women
B’nai B’rith of Australia/ NZ
Jewish National Fund of Australia
Council of Orthodox Synagogues of
Australia
OBSERVERS
Council of Progressive Rabbis
Federation of Australian Jewish
Ex-Service Associations
New Zealand Jewish Council
Zionist Federation of Australia
20 August 2013
14 Elul 5773
Nina Bassat AM
President
Jewish Community Council of Victoria
306 Hawthorn Road
Caulfield South VICTORIA 3162
Dear Nina
It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the Executive Council of Australian
Jewry, to extend a hearty mazal tov to you on the completion of another
outstanding year as President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria
(JCCV).
Once again we are indebted to you, your Officer-bearers, members of the
Executive, representatives of Affiliates and members and staff for your unfailing
co-operation with, and assistance to, the ECAJ in its representations to the
Federal government on a wide range of issues covering many domestic policy
areas, as well as advocacy for Israel.
I commend the Council especially for its efforts in helping to organise more than
70 members of the Victorian parliament, from both the Coalition and Labor
parties, to join their Federal colleagues in signing the London Declaration on
Combating Antisemitsm, bipartisan support for which makes an important public
statement by our political leaders against antisemitism and racism generally.
1
2
President of the Zionist Council of Victoria to the Jewish Community Council of Victoria
2014
On behalf of the Zionist Council of Victoria, it is my great pleasure to extend greetings to the Jewish
Community Council of Victoria on the occasion of your forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
I wish to congratulate the JCCV on a successful year of activities and activism in the Victorian
community. I commend your president, Nina Bassat AM on her leadership this past year, and the
JCCV Executive for your important and ongoing work engaging the community. To David Marlow
the Executive Director, Hilary McMahon, Jo Silver and Julie Batty I applaud you for your dedication
and accomplishments.
During the past year, the JCCV has displayed outstanding leadership in managing a range of issues
arising in our community such as domestic violence, asylum seekers, organ donation and youth
alcohol consumption and in developing and nurturing the relationship of the Jewish community
to interfaith groups.
The ZCV is proud to maintain a close collaborative relationship with the JCCV on a range of activities
and projects. We join leadership in representing the Jewish community in the public, political
and media spheres to broaden understanding of community issues and strengthen the Victorian
relationship to Israel. In particular, this year we took the lead together in planning and executing
community programs to demonstrate our solidarity with Israel and to combat rising anti-Semitism.
We acknowledge your valued support for community projects such as Yom Hazikaron and Yom
Ha’atzmaut. Joint activities such as the Yom Ha’atzmaut Reception at Parliament House help to
strengthen the relationship of Jewish community organisations with political leadership.
I congratulate Nina on her very successful tenure as president of the JCCV; it has been a great pleasure
to serve with her. I welcome Nina’s successor Jennifer Huppert and look forward to maintaining the
excellent working relationship we enjoy with JCCV’s lay and professional leadership.
We continue to work together effectively and continuously for the benefit of the Victorian Jewish
community and I look forward to the continued partnership of our organisations in the coming year.
I wish you hatzlacha raba for all your endeavours.
Bevirkat Zion
Sam Tatarka
PRESIDENT
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President’s Report
INTRODUCTION
As the elected roof body, the Jewish Community Council of
Victoria (JCCV) is mandated to represent, to advocate and
to provide support and structure for the Jewish community.
As always, there is an imperative to balance external
representation and community strengthening. The
representative role has this year been of critical importance,
particularly in the seven difficult weeks in July and August
when the Israel-Gaza conflict and the concomitant rise in
antisemitism brought a degree of strain and unease to our
community.
Whilst most of our thoughts and anxiety during that time
were focused on Israel and on its efforts to protect its citizens
from constant rockets and the terrorist threat posed by the
tunnels, there were also local issues, particularly about the
ugliness surrounding the pro-Palestinian rallies and the
outburst of antisemitic vitriol, and JCCV worked assiduously
to allay local concerns.
At the same time, the JCCV remained very mindful of the
fact that our community needed to be supported and united.
We therefore continued unabatedly with our core initiatives.
A number of these began during the previous two years and
have come to fruition this year, and indeed have exceeded
our expectations, particularly in the social justice area.
Also notable this year has been the increase in the
cooperation and collaboration between organisations, with
a greater readiness to partner and work jointly, making this
a stronger and more cohesive community.
REPRESENTATION Political, Police, Interfaith and Multicultural
POLITICAL
The heightened level and degree of antisemitism and antiIsrael sentiment has resulted in disquiet and a sense of
insecurity in the community.
It was therefore heartening to see the strong bipartisan
political support which has been received for Israel and
for the Jewish community. At least in part this is due to the
close working relationship which the JCCV has with both
Government and Opposition. There were a number of
public statements by politicians
in support of Israel, as well as
strong condemnation of antisemitic
activity and emphasis on the need
to maintain social cohesion and
the
harmonious
multicultural
environment on which Victoria
prides itself.Much of the early
part of the year was dominated
by efforts to prevent the repeal of
the RDA, where JCCV played an
active role at State level. David
Marlow worked assiduously to bring together a substantial
coalition of community, ethnic and faith groups to issue a
joint statement “Racism is Not Free Speech”
JCCV has worked hard to ensure that parliamentarians
know and understand the Jewish community, and to that
end, has held a number of events and meetings.
A Politicians Jewish Familiarisation Day was held in March
2014 with State members of parliament of all sides of
politics. This included visits
to the Jewish Museum of
Australia, the Jewish Holocaust
Centre, Temple Beth Israel,
Jewish Care and the Beth
Weizmann Community Centre,
and concluded with a briefing
on the issues faced by our
community, including the
community’s concerns regarding Israel.
The annual Yom Ha’atzmaut Cocktail reception for State
and Federal politicians and communal and faith leaders
was held jointly with Zionist Council of Victoria at Parliament
House and as always, was extremely well-attended with
warm messages of praise and goodwill for Israel and for
the Jewish community from Premier Denis Napthine and the
Leader of the Opposition Daniel Andrews.
Reinforcing their support, a significant number of
Government Ministers and members of both parties visited
synagogues and other communal facilities during the IsraelHamas conflict, including the Premier Dr Denis Napthine.
This year’s annual Rosh Hashanah
parliamentarians had a record
attendance. The luncheon
was again organised by David
Southwick MP and Marsha
Thomson MP, who co-chair
the Parliamentary Friends of
Israel Group and provided
yet another opportunity for
the JCCV to brief and update
members of parliament on
issues and concerns facing
our community.
luncheon
with
In addition to the above, JCCV has also held a number of
meetings with Federal and State members of parliament and
various Ministers to discuss community concerns and needs
as they arose, including in the areas of community and
school security, child sexual abuse survivor support services
and seeking action by Universities to effectively address
antisemitism on university campuses.
These included a meeting with Matthew Guy MLC,
Minister for Multicultural Affairs and David Southwick MP,
Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services
at which we were able to raise a number of communal
matters, including the JCCV multicultural agenda and issues
of security. Security was also on the agenda at a meeting
with David Southwick MP, Assistant Commissioner Andrew
Crisp, Chief of Staff of Kim Wells MP and Simon Glynn.
There have also been other meetings throughout the year with
Minister Guy and David Southwick MP, including on the Racial
Discrimination Act (Section 18c) and on working closely together
with Government in maintaining community harmony.
___ 13
JCCV also held a meeting with Daniel Andrews MP, Leader
of the Opposition and Marsha Thomson MP, at which they
were briefed by Simon Glynn of the CSG on security issues.
our community and enabling us to live safely as Jews in the
Victorian community.
I have also met with the Nick Wakeling MP, Martin Foley MP
and Martin Pakula MP.
INTERFAITH AND MULTICULTURAL
There have been a number of JCCV meetings with Federal
Members of Parliament, including Josh Frydenberg,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Minister Kevin
Andrews MP, Leader of the Federal Opposition Bill Shorten
MP, Michael Danby MP and Mark Dreyfus MP.
This year, given the cataclysmic events occurring throughout
the world, the JCCV has been more mindful than ever of
the need for close interfaith and multicultural ties in order
to maintain understanding and community harmony.
The JCCV has successfully built strong ties and worked
productively with various interfaith and multicultural groups,
as well as having created relationships across a number of
communities.
At a meeting with Michelle Rowland MP, Federal Opposition
spokesperson for Multiculturalism and Michael Danby MP,
David Marlow provided a full briefing of JCCV activities on
Section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA)
We continue to be indebted to David Southwick MP and
Marsha Thomson MP for the work they do with and for our
community and in particular, for their strong and articulate
support for Israel.
I was invited in my
position as President
of the JCCV to
represent the Jewish
community at the
National Memorial
Service for Victims of Flight MH17 as well as at the Victorian
State Memorial Service. Our participation was significant as
recognition of our community and as an acknowledgement
of our role in the wider community.
POLICE
The JCCV continues to have a close and co-operative
working relationship with Victoria Police which ensures that
the Police are fully apprised of the needs of our community.
Meetings with senior police, explaining our security concerns
and the issues created by the rise in antisemitism have been
held frequently. These meetings are generally held jointly
with the Community Security Group (CSG) and include
the annual “Schmooze with the Blues” lunch, where in an
atmosphere of friendly social interaction informal discussions
can be held on matters on which we can work together.
Apart from meetings which occur as needed, there is
structured contact with Police, as part of the Victoria Police
Multicultural Portfolio Reference Group, the Victoria Police
Multifaith Council, and oongoing JCCV representation at
the Police Community Encounters program, which is part
of the Introduction to the
Contemporary
Policing
phase for new recruits
during their first week at the
Police Academy
The close contact and
briefings which the JCCV
has with politicians and
with Victoria Police have
been effective in creating
support for Israel and for
Early this year, the JCCV launched the “Overview of
the Jewish Festivals” booklet which is
an extremely useful tool in providing
information to Government, to Police,
to health professionals, to interfaith and
multicultural bodies, as well as to the wider
community, about the basics of Judaism,
about the historical background of Jewish
life in Australia and about our festivals.
JCCV acknowledges and thanks the
Victorian Multicultural Commission, Golds
World of Judaica and FBI Travel for jointly
funding the booklet.
Some of the work of the JCCV in the area of
interfaith and multiculturalism includes:
•JCCV is a member of the Victorian Multifaith Advisory
Group (MAG), the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria
(ECCV), Spiritual Health Victoria, the VEO HRC Reporting
Racism Working group, the Faith Communities Council of
Victoria (FCCV) and the Jewish Christian Muslim
Association (JCMA) where we jointly work on issues and
help arrange cross-communal events and educational
activities
•Interfaith events have been held with the Catholic
and Anglican communities to create better
understanding across the faiths, and to highlight
positive interaction between Jews and other faiths
___ 14
•
Events
have
been
held
with a number of ethnic
communities,
including
the
Chinese, Indian, Thessaloniki and Polish communities to build
friendships and create coalitions
against intolerance and racism.
•I have represented the JCCV
for the past three years on
the Steering
Committee of
the Kynnections project, which
is a Federal Government
funded leadership program
for Jewish,
Christian
and African Muslim students.
Last year, the Jewish participants
came from Mt. Scopus Memorial
College and Bialik College,
and this year from King
David School
These personal contacts, based
on friendship and goodwill, help
to break down stereotypes and
immeasurably improve understanding and relations between
our communities.
COMMUNITY
Whilst ensuring that we fulfil our role as “the Voice of Victorian
Jewry” by productive representation of our community, the
JCCV never loses sight of the fact that the well-being and
effective functioning of the Victorian Jewish community is a
focal point of our agenda.
During 2014, the JCCV has been very effective in
strengthening and supporting our community, particularly in
the area of social justice.
Child Protection
The JCCV Child Protection Reference Group which was
formed in 2013 developed a strategic plan for putting in
place a structure that would ensure, as far as possible, the
safety of our children.
I am immensely grateful to the
Reference Group for their thoughtful,
dedicated and professional input.
The strong Chairmanship of
Andrew Blode, the commitment
of Rimma Sverdlin OAM and the
enthusiasm and drive of JCCV
Project Manager Jo Silver, together
with the professionalism and
outstanding training by Katherine
Levi were supported by invaluable
contributions from Anton Hermann,
Vicki Gordon OAM, Marilyn Kraner,
David Marlow and Debbie Wiener, all of whom brought to
the Group expertise and a deep understanding of the issues.
I felt privileged to be part of this Reference Group.
To put in place the best possible child protection in
our community, the JCCV has this year conducted a
comprehensive five month training program for Jewish
community organisations to help them develop appropriate
policies, procedures and processes for the protection of
children within their care from sexual abuse.
It has been an extremely successful initiative and one
which has changed communal attitudes and thinking.
Every spectrum of our community was represented, with
participation by sixty leaders from twenty diverse Jewish
community organisations, including schools, synagogues
and community organisations.
One of the outstanding aspects of the workshops has been
the ability of participants from wide-ranging backgrounds,
including Adass Israel, Jewish Care, Temple Beth Israel,
Kehilat Nitzan and Maccabi Victoria, to name just a few,
to work together collaboratively and closely, focusing
on together creating the best possible outcomes in child
protection.
There will be ongoing workshops to assist organisations to
make their policies concrete, as well as a program in 2015
for more organisations and induction programs for new
staff, as requested by program participants.
The collaborative and intelligent interaction between the
education sector participants, who represent almost the
entire Jewish Day School system and UJEB and of the
welfare sector is a clear indication that the culture within that
section of our community has undergone a major change,
with a far greater awareness of the need for policies and
procedures not to just be on paper, but to be understood
and implemented right across the board.
JCCV is also involved in the Government consultations on
proposed child safe standards for Victorian organisations,
headed by Bernie Geary, the Commissioner for Children
and Young People.
JCCV, in partnership with ECAJ, Jewish Care Victoria and
New South Wales, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and
the Rabbinical Council of Victoria has made a submission
to Federal Government for funding to extend the existing
counselling and psychological services that Jewish Care
delivers to survivors of child sexual abuse.
The community response to the JCCV Child Protection
training program and the other work being done by
JCCV and community organisations has shown that with
perseverance and a targeted approach, cultural change can
be achieved.
YOUTH ALCOHOL PROJECT (YAP)
The JCCV Youth Alcohol Project (YAP) which has been
operational for four years continues to provide age and
culturally appropriate programs to the Jewish day school
students. This is achieved through education sessions for
students and parents, with participation by the majority of
Jewish day schools, including Bialik College, King David
School, Leibler-Yavneh Mount Scopus Memorial College
and Sholem Aleichem.
___ 15
YAP has been successful in obtaining a grant from Glen Eira
City Council to develop and deliver materials and tools for
students and parents.
YAP has become a partner in the Alcohol Policy Coalition,
placing the JCCV as part of a group that is in the forefront
of alcohol issues. It will also enable the YAP Project Officer
Debbie Zauder and the YAP Committee to network with
personnel from the partner organisations and keep abreast
of current trends, research and programs.
Debbie Zauder and Rimma Sverdlin OAM, are dedicated
to and drive this initiative and are ably supported by the
had-working YAP Committee, consisting of Rachael Bajayo,
Danny Elbaum (who also presents to the students), Ruth
Casen, Rabbi Ian Goodhardt, Michelle Kornberg, Jacqui
Lerner, David Marlow, Brian Samuel, John Searle and Ann
Wollner all of whom I thank for their continued interest and
commitment.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP
The JCCV “Connects” young leader program was launched
in late 2013 and contact with the young leaders involved
has been maintained through social media and invitation
to relevant events and development opportunities in the
community, such as the Youth panel at the Kristallnacht
Commemoration.
We have worked closely with AUJS, particularly on the issue
of antisemitism on campus and always from the perspective
that AUJS leadership has an equal if not more prominent
leadership role in discussion on how these matters should
be addressed. AUJS and AZYC also participate in our Shoah
commemoration.
JCCV has taken over the administration of the Marion and
Kurt Lippmann Foundation scholarship program, which
provides an annual scholarship to a young communal
professional for professional development.
In November, we will be launching the inaugural JCCV
Young Leader Award at the JCCV Community Awards
evening to help recognise and encourage energetic and
innovative young leaders in the Jewish community.
GLBTI WORKING GROUP
The JCCV Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex
(GLBTI) Working Group continues to assist the JCCV in
formulating policy and action to address the mental health
issues arising from homophobia and community alienation
in the Jewish GLBTI community.
I found it very rewarding to chair the GLBTI Working Group
and thank my fellow members
Doron Abramovici, Sally Goldner, Julie Leder, David
Marlow, Fay Oberklaid, Andrew Rajcher, Rita Rousso, John
Searle and Jo Silver, all of whom have made a valuable
contribution to the work of this Group and ensured that the
Group has a sense of direction for next year.
The ongoing work has been made possible by the receipt by
JCCV of a HEY (Health Equality Youth) Grant from the Youth
Affairs Council to focus on communication and produce a
video, with input from young people, about the importance
of inclusion.
PASTORAL CARE
The JCCV Pastoral Care Working Group, with funding from
Spiritual Care Victoria works to improve the quality and
effectiveness of pastoral care in hospitals for the Jewish
community.
Over the last twelve months,
JCCV has delivered the
following:
• In order to better understand
our community and our
special needs, a Jewish
community immersion day
was
conductedfor
24
pastoral care coordinators
of various faiths at the
conclusion of which a panel of Orthodox,
Conservative and Progressive Rabbis participated in the
closing Q & A session.
•JCCV Pastoral Care Working Group has prepared an
information booklet for pastoral care workers and
healthcare professionals, to assist them in working with Jewish patients.
• Shabbat dinners were organised for non-Jewish pastoral care coordinators to provide information about Judaism and to break down stereotypes.
None of this would have happened without the input of the
Working Group, chaired by Jo Silver, and consisting of Heather
Tan, Michel Laloum, Rabbi Dovid Gutnick, Sue Morgan,
Rabbi Yosef Nerenberg and Rabbi Adam Stein and I thank
them all for their hard work and commitment to this very
important initiative.
KEY COMMUNITY EVENTS
JCCV events form an integral part of Victorian Jewish
communal life, and provide a focal point for community
unity and continuity. This includes addressing affiliate
meetings, speaking at events and participating in functions
for a broad section of our community.
The JCCV continues to deliver a strong program of key
events and activities, including:
• Shoah Remembrance, with a poignant and professionally
produced
Yom
Hashoah
Commemoration
commemorating the 70th anniversary of the destruction
of Hungarian Jewry and a Hazkara ceremony held at the
Shoah Memorial at Carlton Cemetery
• Babi Yar Commemoration commemorating one of the
most tragic and for a long time, lesser known events in
the history of the Shoah.
___ 16
• Assistance to Shoah
survivors with restitution
a p p l i c a t i o n s
and
certifying
Life
Certificates and JCCV
is represented on the
Jewish Care Restitution
Committee
• Yom
Ha’atzmaut
parliamentary
cocktail reception co
hosted with the Zionist
Council of Victoria (ZCV)
• Memorial for Kidnapped
Students
and
two
Israel Solidarity Rallies,
jointly with ZCV and other organisations, with
both events demonstrating the strength of the commitment
of Victorian Jewry to Israel and our sense of identifying
with it
•JCCV Community Awards Evening recognising the
significant contribution of volunteers in our community
with this year’s JCCV General Sir John Monash Award
being awarded to Professor Louis Waller AO, who
has made an immense contribution to many aspects of
communal life
COMMUNICATION
JCCV has sought to actively engage the community as
widely as possible.
The JCCV website www.jccv.org.au provides a summary of
activities, as well as media releases, the Online Community
Calendar and links to a large volume of information.
Additionally, JCCV engages with the
community via the JCCV Directory
and Diary, by means of “Jewish
Community in Action” , which is
the quarterly JCCV e-Bulletin which
reaches in excess of 10,000 people
and through “What’s Nu”, the
online affiliate bulletin, which keeps
affiliates in touch with community
activities and events.
We have been increasingly active
on social media in communicating
and also in promoting activities,
programs and action items, as set
out elsewhere in this report.
We have greatly increased our media coverage and
acknowledge the assistance in this of The Australian Jewish
News, J-Wire and J-Air.
• Seven JCCV Plenums are held each year
ENHANCED COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NETWORKING
JCCV aims to increase its engagement with the community
and to help develop expertise and professionalism within
our community organisations. To achieve this, the JCCV
has hosted a number of seminars and workshops to inform,
involve and support our affiliate and non-affiliate Jewish
community leaders and professionals, including:
•Seminars and workshops on management, leadership,
personal development and philanthropy including with
Adam Slonim, David Cygielman, the Founder and CEO
of Moishe House and Andres Spokoiny, CEO of American
Jewish Funders. These sessions are attracting a wide
cross-section of the community and from the uptake, it is
clear that they are considered to be a valuable
contribution
to
p r o f e s s i o n a l
development and to
networking.
•
Forum
on
Organ
Donation for the Jewish
community
• Forum on the Rights and
Responsibilities of Elderly
People
The above initiatives are
targeted to strengthen our
community, to empower it
and to unite it and I believe
that aim is being achieved.
The level of collaboration which we have seen across
the Jewish community has been outstanding, with close
cooperation across a number of important areas to the
community, most notably in:
• Pro-Israel rallies, in Caulfield and on the steps of
Parliament, held during the Israel-Hamas conflict
involving JCCV, ECAJ, ZCV, ZFA and AIJAC as well as
other community groups clearly demonstrating community
support for Israel
• The services of support and memorial service for the three
kidnapped Israeli boys, involving all streams of religion
within
the
Jewish
community
coming
together
to
share
our grief and show
support for the families.
• Twenty diverse community organisations working together
over five months to participate in and share ideas as part
of the JCCV Child Protection Training program to develop
policies, processes and procedures to protect our children
from sexual abuse.
• Diverse streams of Judaism, including Rabbinical Council
of Victoria, Progressive Judaism Victoria, and Kehilat
Nitzan (Masorti) together with Jewish Care, cooperating
to develop new materials, improve service delivery and to
educate non-Jewish healthcare professionals as part of
the JCCV Pastoral Care project.
___ 17
COMMUNITY SECURITY GROUP (CSG)
COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS
The Community Security Group, which constantly monitors
the risks which face our community, raised the security
level in July. The heightened security risk and the rise in
antisemitism resulted in a
far heavier burden being
placed on CSG Victoria.
The JCCV Constitution provides that a Council of Presidents,
composed of the Presidents and Vice Presidents of each
affiliated organisation, together with the Executive, shall
form an advisory body making recommendations to the
JCCV.
The volunteers responded with great dedication and the
professional staff of Dave Friedman, Dan Goodhardt,
Justin Lipson, Adrian Goldberg, Jason Blumenthal,
Tiffany Goldstein, Sharon Karliner, under the extremely
competent leadership of Simon Glynn, again showed its
total commitment to the protection of the Victorian Jewish
community and we owe a debt of gratitude to all of them.
Simon Glynn briefed communal leaders on security issues
at the Plenum meetings in February and August, as well
as briefing affiliate Presidents at a Council of Presidents
meeting.
Funding continues to be an issue and the financial viability
of CSG is ensured by the ongoing hard work of the Advisory
Board, chaired by Mark Gandur, who has taken over from
long-serving Chairman Roy Tashi OAM. Were it not for the
fundraising efforts and the oversight by the Advisory Board,
the CSG would not be able to protect our community as
ably and fully as it does and this is something which the
community is beginning to acknowledge.
Whilst working this year at a more intense level, including
an increased work load in the collection and collating of
antisemitic incidents, the CSG has also enhanced and
strengthened its interaction with State and Federal Police
and is planning to implement greater interaction and
commitment to schools and all communal institutions.
The CSG volunteers, professional staff and Advisory Board
provide an invaluable service to our community and we
express our gratitude to them for their commitment, which
this year has been extraordinary.
JEWISH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN (JEMP)
JEMP Technical Committee (TC) meets on
a regular basis in order to ensure that it is
ready and able to respond in the event of
any emergency and to that end, maintains
its level of preparedness to co-ordinate
resources.
The TC, consisting of Danny Elbaum, Rabbi Ronnie Figdor,
Frank Gaensler, Simon Glynn, Justin Lipson, Andrew
Litwinow, David Michelson (chair), Saul Midler and myself
interacts closely with the Emergency Service Organisations
(ESO) and a number of municipalities, as well as undertaking
regular youth group and AUJS education and briefings.
I am greatly indebted to Kathy Kaplan OAM, Executive
Administrator who supports the TC with great commitment
and professionalism and to the members of the Technical
Committee, which is the backbone of JEMP, for so generously
giving their time and expertise, putting in many hours of
volunteer work for the community.
Council of Presidents meetings were introduced in 2012
and have continued to be held since then. The input of the
affiliates has been extremely useful in formulating JCCV
strategy and I appreciate the fact that so many Presidents
have made an effort to attend.
Issues which have been addressed at these meetings include:
• Plenum format and location of plenums
• Delegates and their responsibilities
• Appeals Allocation system restructure
• JCCV Affiliation fees
• Child Protection
• Pastoral Care
• Strategic planning for the community
• GLBTI harm minimisation Social Justice Issues
• Youth Involvement
• Succession Planning
• Community Security Group Updates
Matters on which I have been particularly grateful for the
advice of the Council of Presidents have been;
•The location of Plenums, with the Presidents supporting
my suggestion that three Plenums each year should
be held at the venues of different affiliates. The initiative
has invigorated Plenum attendances and created better
understanding of the work of the affiliates. I would like to
thank this year’s participating organisations, Kehilat
Nitzan Conservative (Masorti) Community, Progressive
Judaism Victoria and Theodor Herzl Social Club for the
generosity with which they have offered their premises
and addressed the Plenum, which has enabled delegates
to learn more about each other’s activities and concerns.
• The guidance and participation of the Presidents enabled
the JCCV to successfully launch the “No to Homophobia
Campaign” with an extensive sign up by communal
organisations, creating a safer and more welcoming
community for our GLBTI members.
• The need to create a more transparent and more rational
affiliation fee structure was a matter of concern for the
JCCV for many years. The input and encouragement of
the Council of Presidents
meant that a new structure has
been
developed
and
accepted by the Plenum.
• Strategic planning for the
community has now been put
on the agenda and I
have everyconfidencethatthe
Council
of
Presidents
will address this matter
conscientiously
and
co-operatively.
___ 18
•JCCV Child Protection program was embraced by
the community with wide communal participation and
outstanding results.
The collegiate and considered participation of the affiliate
Presidents and Vice-Presidents and of the JCCV Executive
on the Council of Presidents acting as an advisory body has
been one of the highlights of my term of office, as it reaffirms
my strong faith in this community as a close and cohesive
one and I thank all who were part of this group for working
in a consultative way for the good of our entire community.
JCCV FUNDING
Patrons
There is no doubt that much of what has been achieved in
the past three years has been enabled by the generosity,
both financial and by way of support and encouragement
of the Patrons.
Not only has the funding meant that we could expand our
work in a number of critical areas, it has also allowed us to
concentrate on ”core business” instead of constantly having
to be concerned about the financial viability of the JCCV.
I extend my gratitude to the Patrons, who must derive a
great sense of satisfaction in knowing what a large role their
generosity plays in the welfare of our community.
Estate Jakob Frenkiel
The Estate of Jakob Frenkiel has very generously supported
the work of the JCCV over the last three years, as well as
supporting other communal organisations.
I greatly appreciate the support and the interest of the
Executors of the Estate, Richard Greenfield and Emilio
Bortignon in JCCV activities and in particular in the Youth
Alcohol Project.
The distributions by the Estate are made with a great deal
of consideration of what would most benefit our community
and they make a significant difference not just to the JCCV
but to many sections of the Victorian Jewish community.
Jewish education in schools and on University campuses.
The CJES is administered by the JCCV, with oversight by
the CJES Committee, consisting of Alan Samuel JP, Hilary
McMahon, JCCV Business Manager and myself.
The Council for Jewish Communal security, under the
oversight of the CJCS Committee, consisting of JCCV
Honorary Treasurer Ian Jones and myself, enables tax
deductible donations to be made for communal security,
whether it be to the CSG or to communal buildings for
security protection or physical security.
The JCCV administers the CJES, the CJCS, The Trude Weiss
Foundation for education support and The Marion and
Kurt Lippmann Foundation, which provides scholarships
for young Jewish community leaders. The administrative
work for all of the above is carried out by Hilary McMahon,
with assistance in monitoring CJES compliance from Alan
Samuel JP and in monitoring all compliance from Ian Jones.
I thank all of them for their commitment and for their careful
attention to these matters.
ECAJ
JCCV works closely with ECAJ President Robert Goot AM
SC and Executive Director Peter Wertheim AM. I appreciate
their support and advice, as I do that of Julie Nathan and
Alex Ryvchin, who are always available to discuss matters
of common interest and concern. We thank Robert Goot
AM SC for coming to
Melbourne to brief
JCCV delegates at the
October Plenum on the
work which the ECAJ
has done this year and
to provide an overview
of future direction.
The relationship between ECAJ and the State roof bodies
is vital to the wellbeing of our entire community and I
congratulate the ECAJ on maintaining the strong and
collaborative relationship as well as its vigorous and targeted
representation of Australian Jewry, both within Australia and
internationally.
Donors and Appeals
APPRECIATION
The generous donations of major donors and in particular
of Mr. and Mrs. P. Birnbaum, the Erdigroup and the Werled
Foundation w in maintaining its financial viability. I thank
them for it their continued donations and I thank our
entire community for its support of the JCCV through our
Community Appeal.
Many people have contributed greatly to enable and
enhance the work of the JCCV, not only this year, but
throughout the three years of my term of office.
My gratitude goes also to all the participating synagogues
for their cooperation and generosity in each year enabling
the JCCV to hold a Kol Nidrei Appeal.
COUNCIL FOR JEWISH EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
(CJES) , COUNCIL FOR JEWISH COMMUNAL SECURITY
(CJCS), TRUDE WEISS FOUNDATION, THE MARION &
KURT LIPPMAN FOUNDATION
The Council for Jewish Education in Schools (CJES) is the
entity which provides tax deductibility for donations for
I have already acknowledged elsewhere in my report the
work of the various JCCV committees, working groups and
reference groups which have worked so hard to help us turn
our vision into reality.
This has also been the case with the Yom Hashoah
Committee, of which I felt privileged to be a member.
My gratitude to Randi Grose, to Michael Cohen, to Lena
Fiszman, to Hilary McMahon, to Bram Presser, to Ariella
Leski – each of whom has brought sensitivity and depth of
understanding to the planning and execution of the Yom
Hashoah Commemoration.
To Randi Grose I extend my gratitude also for her enormous
input into the production of the JCCV Awards Night, one of
our key events.
___ 19
JCCV has achieved much in 2014. These achievements
have been made possible by the continued commitment
of the Executive and the expertise and dedication of the
professional staff.
As always, the contribution of the professional staff is far
above expectations. I am constantly amazed at the output of
the four people who produce it.
David Marlow, the Executive Director has, in the less than
two years in his position, got to know and has interacted
with much of the community, as well as representing the
JCCV on a number of external groups. He has a vast depth of
understanding of our community and of the role of the JCCV in it
and in the broader context. His professionalism and commitment
have brought a high degree of capability to the operation of the
JCCV. He has also ensured that not only is the JCCV an effective
roof body, but also that through media and social media the
community knows and understands what the JCCV does. It has
been a great pleasure to work with David Marlow and I have
appreciated his sound advice and support, as well as his tactful
guidance.
The JCCV Business Manager, Hilary McMahon not only looks
after all JCCV financial matters with outstanding competence,
but also oversees the CJES, CJCS, and the Foundations which
JCCV oversees. Hilary McMahon is also the events manager
for our many functions and communal events, sits on the Yom
Hashoah Committee and presents on Jewish life at the Police
Academy. Her work is invaluable and I cannot thank her enough
for it.
Jo Silver is an inspired Project Manager. Much of this year’s activity
has centred on the social justice program and she has driven
this with great enthusiasm and energy. In addition, Jo Silver is a
member of the Child Protection Reference Group, of the GLBTI
Working Group and chairs the Pastoral Care Working Group
and has been successful in obtaining grants for our projects. I
am grateful to Jo Silver for her dedication and total commitment.
Julie Batty in her position as Administrative Assistant deals with
reports, correspondence, data entry, assists with fundraising
administration and JCCV diary advertising and is the very helpful
first point of call for all enquiries to the JCCV. Julie Batty also
produces the popular and informative “What’s Nu”, the online
bulletin which keeps affiliates abreast of news and events. My
thanks to Julie Batty for her commitment and support.
Our volunteers Anne Livnat, Mervyn Chait, Rachel Davis and
Michael Rosen, have given generously of their time to assist the
JCCV and their support is very much appreciated.
Each member of the Executive has contributed generously and
thoughtfully to the decision making process.
Jennifer Huppert has been a strong, supportive and active
Vice President; Ian Jones has ensured that JCCV strategy
remains firmly grounded within our financial capacity and
has provided full financial reporting to the Executive and
the Plenum; Anton Hermann has brought a great deal of
experience to the Child Protection Reference Group, as well
as holding the Community Engagement portfolio; Helen
Light AM has continued her engagement in interfaith and
multicultural work and her highly respected representation
of the JCCV on the ECCV and JCMA Boards; Atida Lipshatz
has worked energetically and in a targeted way in interacting
with affiliates and seeking to enhance JCCV involvement
within the community; Jack Lipson has continued to be
an extremely competent and committed Security portfolio
holder; John Searle has provided measured and sound
advice with a wide world view and Rimma Sverdlin OAM
has been totally committed to ensuring that the JCCV keeps
social justice issues at the forefront of its agenda.
I have also greatly valued the input of the Ex Officio
Members Jeremy Samuel representing the ADC for part of
the year, Dr. Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC who
took his place and with whom I have worked closely and
co-operatively and Sharene Hambur, Vice President of ZCV,
who works with us to retain our strong working relationship
with the ZCV and who is always able to clearly perceive the
essence of the matter under discussion.
Together, the Executive and professional staff form an
outstanding team, working in a collegiate and innovative
way to produce exceptional results and I thank them for
their dedication, their support and the generosity with which
these were given.
CONCLUSION
Early in the year, as well as delivering in the areas set
out above, much energy was expanded, particularly by
Executive Director David Marlow in building coalitions
and working towards a positive outcome in preventing the
proposed amendments to the Racial Defamation Act. Not
only was this achieved, but it also resulted in much stronger
ties with a great number of organisations across many faith
and ethnic communities.
The challenges of the Israel-Gaza conflict and its impact on our
community, the rise in antisemitism and the heightened security
threat have driven much of our agenda from July 2014.
These issues have dictated our work with Government, with
the media, with Victoria Police and with other community
organisations. At the same time, there was the imperative
of maintaining security, ensuring that we monitor media
and critically, that we maintain community confidence and
contain communal anxiety.
Our community is strong and resilient, but we need to
continue to make it more effective through collaboration
and to remain vigilant in meeting the community’s needs for
confidence, security and unity.
Whilst I take pride in what our team has achieved in the
last three years, the most positive aspect of my term as
president of the JCCV has been the sense of consultation
and cooperation at every level. I am indebted to the
members of this community for their invaluable advice, for
their constructive input, for their willingness to continue to
build a community which is widely respected and above all,
for their support and friendship.
Nina Bassat AM
___ 20
Messages
of Appreciation
“On behalf of the board of the Ethnic
Communities’ Council of Victoria, I wish to
congratulate Nina Bassat AM, and the entire
JCCV executive, on an outstanding term
heading up the council. We wish Nina all the
best in future endeavours, and look forward to
working closely with the incoming President and
executive team.”
EDDIE MICALEFF
CHAIRMAN
ETHNIC COMMUNITIES’ COUNCIL
OF VICTORIA
It is with much pleasure that I send greetings
from the Council of Christians and Jews (Vic
Inc) on the retirement of Nina Bassat AM from
the Jewish Community Council.
Nina, of course, I know very well having served
with her on the Council in the 90s and then
succeeded her at the end of her first term as
JCCV president. They were difficult times with
severe financial restrictions but Nina showed
great leadership then as she has again during
this term she is now finishing.
Nina deserves much accolade for taking on
the leadership of the JCCV not once but twice
with numerous other community commitments
as well.
The Council of Christians and Jews wishes
Nina a happy healthy and peaceful retirement
and sends greetings to the new executive and
president.
With warm wishes
I pay tribute to Nina Bassat AM for her
leadership of JCCV in the role of President.
Through our interactions with the Jewish
Anglican Friendship Dinner and numerous
community events I have respected and enjoyed
her insightful contributions and her friendship.
PHILIP BLISS
CHAIRMAN, CCJ (VIC INC)
On behalf of Progressive Judaism Victoria, it
gives me great pleasure to congratulate Nina
Bassat at the conclusion of her position as
President of the Jewish Community Council of
Victoria.
I have had the pleasure of working with Nina
over the last couple of years initially as a
delegate to JCCV, but over the last eighteen
months working directly with her on a couple
of important committees. I came to appreciate
her true qualities of leadership. Her ability
to include all the organisations and different
streams of Judaism has demonstrated to
me her excellent political skills in a role that
can sometimes be both very frustrating and
demanding. I have seen first-hand the respect
shown to Nina by community, State and
Federal leaders and this is a testimony to her
wonderful character.
In the Jewish community there is no such thing as
retirement, but we wish her all the best in her next
journey, whatever that may be.
BRIAN SAMUEL
PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM
VICTORIA INC.
THE MOST REVEREND
DR PHILIP FREIER
ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE
Dear Friends,
Dear Nina,
On behalf of the Australian Multicultural
Foundation, I wish to congratulate you on a
very successful and productive three years as
President of the JCCV. It has been a pleasure
working with you and seeing your outstanding
dedication to promoting Australia’s social and
cultural well-being.
Yours sincerely,
DR B. (HASS) DELLAL OAM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AUSTRALIAN MULTICULTURAL
FOUNDATION
I wish to thank Nina Bassat and the members
of the Jewish Community Council Executive
for the service rendered to our friendship
during the current term. I extend greetings and
good wishes to all the members and to their
successors.
Yours sincerely,
+DENIS J HART DD
ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE
It has been an absolute pleasure working
with Nina over the last few years. Nina’s
intellect, compassion, wisdom and a lovely
sense of humour enabled us to always get
to a positive outcome no matter what the
challenge. While Nina’s current role comes
to an end, I am sure she will continue her
wonderful contribution to building stronger
and more resilient communities. Nina
has been a good friend to both me and
Victoria Police. Thank you Nina.
ANDREW CRISP
ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER
STATE EMERGENCIES AND SECURITY
COMMAND VICTORIA POLICE
___ 21
On behalf of the Zionist Federation of Australia
executive and staff, I wish to congratulate Nina
on the conclusion of an outstanding term of
office as JCCV President.
Nina is a consummate community leader.
She is dedicated, intelligent and passionate
about the issues that affect our community. We
have shared a wonderful working relationship
not only during my period as President of the
Zionist Federation of Australia but also in my
other communal leadership positions over
many years.
Nina, you have led by example with true
commitment and your presidency will be
recalled for your accomplishments, leadership
and devotion.
As you step down from this role, I wish you
success in all your endeavours. I look forward
to working with your successor and the
incoming JCCV Executive as we continue to
strive to achieve our common objectives.
DR DANNY LAMM
PRESIDENT
Message of Congratulations to Nina Bassat AM
On behalf of my Parliamentary colleagues,
I wish to thank Nina for her outstanding
leadership and great work she has contributed
to the Jewish and broader community as
President of the Jewish Community Council of
Victoria (JCCV).
It has been an absolute pleasure to work
alongside Nina in her capacity as JCCV
President on many matters, particularly in
providing the Jewish community a strong voice
and standing up against hate in all its forms.
I consider Nina a dear friend and truly value
the frank and open dialogue we have shared.
I will always appreciate the great advice and
support Nina has given me and her passion in
advocating for the Jewish Community.
Nina has earned the upmost respect from
all who she meets, demonstrating strong
leadership throughout the most difficult
of times. We will all miss Nina’s calm and
measured way of managing the JCCV and her
quirky sense of humour.
It is my distinct honour and privilege to write
in favour of Nina Bassat AM as she leaves the
helm of the JCCV. Nina has served the Victorian
and Australian community in numerous senior
roles over the years and I have had the pleasure
of working with her on numerous projects.
Nina is always willing to listen and to help,
she has provided meaningful contributions at
many forums related to community health and
wellbeing. Our community is all the better for
Nina’s dedication and indeed her message that
family must always come first resonates well for
all those entrusted with communal leadership
positions.
On behalf of the Organisation of Rabbis of
Australasia I thank and applaud Nina for her
tireless dedication to communal work, and wish
her all the best in her future endeavours. As
stated in the Shabbat liturgy “and all those who
busy themselves with the needs of the community,
the Almighty (Himself) will ensure their reward”.
RABBI MEIR SHLOMO KLUWGANT
PRESIDENT ORA
Nina, I thank you for what you have done for
the community and particularly the treasured
friendship and support you have given me.
DAVID SOUTHWICK MP
STATE MEMBER FOR CAULFIELD
Dear Nina,
You have been an intelligent, elegant, charming
yet forthright leader of the Jewish Community
Council of Victoria.
On behalf of the Victorian Coalition Government,
Iextend my best wishes and congratulations to
Ms Nina Bassat AM as she completes her term
as President of the Jewish Community Council of
Victoria.
dedication to preserving its traditions, and an
extraordinary generosity in sharing Jewish culture
with the broader community. Nina has certainly
demonstrated these qualities throughout her
presidency .
As the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and
Citizenship, Ihave been privileged to work with
Nina and the Council, and have been impressed
by the unwavering dedication she has shown in
supporting Victoria’s Jewish community.
I thank Nina for her many years of service to
Victoria and wish her all the very best in her future
endeavours.
I have had the opportunity to see you at many
forums and functions both within and outside the
Jewish community. In all these forums you have
been a great ambassador and advocate, not only
for the community here in Victoria, but also for
Israel.
THE HON. MATTHEW GUY MLC
MINISTER FOR MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
AND CITIZENSHIP
You have represented our community with great
distinction and I feel honoured to call you a
friend.
During her presidency, Nina has shown
tremendous leadership in facilitating positive
and harmonious relationships between Victoria’s
diverse faith groups. She has been a vital part of
our State’s interfaith and intercultural movement
and Ihave no doubt her work has helped maintain
the social cohesion and community harmony
Victoria is renowned for.
Victoria’s Jewish community-the largest in
Australia-is characterised by its energy, its
I wish you great nachas as you spend more time
with you family and friends.
Warmest regards,
THE HON. MARSHA THOMSON
MEMBER FOR FOOTSCRAY
___ 22
Executive Director’s Report
This has been a stressful and turbulent year for the Victorian
Jewish community. Rising antisemitism around the world
and the Israel – Gaza conflict have created a difficult
environment, but bipartisan support in Victoria by the State
Government and Opposition for multiculturalism and
Israel, and against racism have helped create a relatively
harmonious and peaceful community for all Victorians.
We saw a substantial rise in antisemitic incidents during
the Israel – Gaza conflict but not to the extent of NSW and
certainly nothing like has been seen in Europe or the USA.
The freedoms we enjoy in Victoria are assets that we must
work hard to ensure, and we have been very active in that
work in prevention and addressing of problems as they arise.
The JCCV’s areas of focus over the past year have been:
• Harmony: ensuring our ability to live safely as Jews
in the Victorian community
• Youth: ensuring the health, safety and future of
Jewish youth
•
Continuity: ensuring community strength
continuity through key events
• Strength: and
ensuring a strong and effective Victorian
Jewish community
I would like to take this opportunity to focus on some of the
new actions or initiatives that the JCCV has implemented in
2014.
Living safely as Jews in Victoria
•Launch of the Overview of the Jewish Festivals booklet
to assist service providers to the Jewish community to
better understand Judaism and the special needs of our
community.
•A Jewish community immersion
day was held with State
members of parliament of
all sides of politics introducing
them to Jewish Melbourne,
and the issues faced by our
community,
including
antisemitism,
community
security, aged care, welfare
services and the community’s
concerns regarding Israel.
•Graffiti removal bins were presented to the community
by the Minister for Crime Prevention to help remove
antisemitic and other graffiti from communal properties
and infrastructure. (insert graffiti bin photo)
•Active advocacy was undertaken to defend s.18C
of the Racial Discrimination Act against being watered
down, through meetings with members of parliament,
public statements, public advocacy and organising of a
submission to the Attorney General including 35 diverse
Victorian community organisations, including various
faiths (eg. Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Muslim,
Christian) and multicultural communities (eg. Italian,
Chinese, Indian, Macedonian).
• I attended, together with Nina Bassat AM, a roundtable
meeting hosted by VEOHRC with Dr Tim Soutphommasane,
Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner, at which the
issues surrounding the proposed watering down of s.18C
and various strategies were canvassed.
•Active participation in the newly formed Victoria Police
Multicultural Portfolio Reference Group (PRG) which helps
improve cultural sensitivity in Victoria Police and adds an
element of multicultural understanding to the Police
decision making process. The membership of this
group has been recently rebalanced to focus on at-risk
communities, and the JCCV is a key player in helping with
this process.
• Through the Victoria Police Multifaith Council, we work
with a variety of faith groups to add an understanding
of faith issues to the Police decision making process. Both
this group and Multicultural PRG provide advice and
input to various Police projects and their senior level
decision making processes. In September, this group
placed a letter to the community in newspapers calling
for rejection of violence, community harmony as well as
vigilance, given the announced increase in the National
Security Threat level.
•
Events have been held
with a number of ethnic
communities, including the
Chinese, Indian, Thessaloniki
and Polish communities to build friendships and create
coalitions against intolerance
and racism. The dinners
with the Chinese and
Indian communities and the
reception in Parliament
with the Thessaloniki Association were most successful,
and built on relationships developed during our Racial
Discrimination Act advocacy.
•The JCCV presented on Judaism and the Jewish
perspective on various issues for the Australian
Multicultural Foundation, Transurban and Spiritual Health
ictoria.
A healthy, supportive and safe environment for our youth
•
The JCCV conducted a comprehensive five month training
program in the first half of 2014 for Jewish community
organisations to help them develop appropriate policies,
procedures and processes for the protection of children
ith whom they work from child sexual abuse. It has been
xtremely successful, changing attitudes and thinking, and
has involved over sixty leaders from twenty diverse Jewish
community organisations, including schools, synagogues
and community organisations from Adass Israel and
ewish Care to Temple Beth Israel and Maccabi Victoria.
• At the JCCV Community Awards evening in November,
the JCCV will be launching the inaugural JCCV Young
Leader Award to recognise and encourage energetic and
innovative young leaders in the Jewish community.
This complements the existing awards presented to
___ 23
outstanding volunteers by community organisations on the
evening, as well as the prestigious Sir John Monash Award.
o At our October Plenum, the Australian Forum of Russian
Speaking Jewry became an affiliate of the JCCV
Community strength and continuity through key events
A strong and vibrant community
Professional development and
networking
•Babi Yar Commemoration was
organised in partnership with
the Australian Forum of Russian
Speaking Jewry, the Kangarusskis
and the Russian Sunday School
LIDER
involving Russian
speaking Jewry from across the
generations,
from
primary
school age to Holocaust Survivors.
•Young Leadership forum and
a community forum with
HE Dr Mohammed A-Hadid,
the President of the Jordanian
Red Crescent with the leadership
of MDA from Israel, hosted
in partnership with the ZCV
demonstrating the ability of Jews
and Muslims to effectively work
together.
•At least seven JCCV Plenums
are held each year, and we seek
to focus on issues of community
interest and concern, in addition to the reporting to
delegates and discussion, including in the past
12 months:
• Affiliate presentations by the King David School, Kehilat
Nitzan (Masorti) and the Theodore Herzl Club at JCCV
Plenums hosted at their venues
•The Polish Ambassador to Australia on the relationship
between the Polish and Jewish communities, and the new
Jewish Museum in Warsaw (Polish Ambassdor photo)
•Georgie Crozier MP, Chair of the Victorian Inquiry
into child sexual abuse in institutions speaking about the outcomes from the Inquiry
•Marilyn Kraner, Acting General
Manager Community Services,
Jewish Care speaking about the
services and support offered by
Jewish Care for survivors of child
sexual abuse
• Joe Krampel, President of Emmy
Monash Aged Care, on the new
Emmy
Monash
building
program
• Community security briefings by
the Community Security Group (CSG)
•Dr Andre Oboler, CEO of the Online Hate Prevention
Institute (OHPI) speaking about the growth in online
racism and hate speech, and the tools being implemented
by OHPI to prevent them
•Professor Andrew Markus on social cohesion and the
Victorian Jewish community report derived from the 2011 Census.
•
Seminars
and
workshops
were organised for community
organisation professional staff
and Board members on various
management,
leadership,
personal
development
and philanthropy topics with
management consultant Adam
Slonim and Andre Spokoiny, the US-based CEO of Jewish
Funders Network
•To help identify and address
some of the issues confronting
the community with an ageing
demographic, a forum on the
Rights and Responsibilities of
Elderly People was held,
featuring a panel of speakers including Jewish Care, a
Geriatrician, a psychologist, a lawyer and the
Commissioner for Senior Victorians.
GLBTI Working Group
The JCCV Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex
(GLBTI) Working Group has helped the JCCV deliver a
number of initiatives to address the mental health issues
arising from homophobia and community alienation in the
Jewish GLBTI community, including:
• JCCV was recently awarded a HEY (Healthy Equal Youth)
Grant from the Youth Affairs Council to address mental
health issues in the Jewish GLBTI community, focused
around a communication program including a video to
be developed with input from young people
•Active participation in the Progressive Judaism Victoria
Midsumma Festival Shabbat Service at TBI
•Helping Keshet and Jewish
Care address the issue of
GLBTI Elder Care within the
Jewish community, and
through Keshet building
GLBTI inclusion into the
Jewish
Care
executive
training program
Pastoral Care
•The JCCV now has a Board membership position on
Spiritual
Care
Victoria,
the leading body overseeing
pastoral care services in
Victoria
•
A
Jewish
community
immersion
day
was
organised where pastoral
care coordinators from
___ 24
organised where pastoral care coordinators from hospitals
across the state and from various faiths spent a day visiting
Jewish Melbourne to better understand our community
and our special needs, including the Jewish Museum, a
synagogue, the Mikvah, the Jewish Holocaust Centre, the
Lamm Jewish Library, Glicks and finishing with a panel
including Orthodox, Conservative and Progressive rabbis.
Innovation in our communication
•The 2014 JCCV Directory and Diary with colour for
the first time sold out at an increased price and we have
increased the print run for the 2015 edition, which is now
available.
• We have been proactive and very active on social media
in communicating positive stories on Judaism and Israel,
promoting important events and most importantly as
support for our major advocacy campaigns, including:
• Successfully defending the Racial Discrimination Act from
repeal of s.18C which would have potentially opened the
door to increased antisemitism
•Sponsoring and promoting the petition to Federal
Parliament in support of the three kidnapped Israeli
boys. We obtained thousands of signatures thanks to
terrific community grassroots support and cooperation
•Supporting and promoting AUJS’ petition against
reinstatement of the bullying and anti-Semitic Socialist
lternative (SA) at Monash University which was hugely
successful
•Over the year, we have also significantly increased
the exposure of JCCV’s activities and events within the
community, especially through The Australian Jewish
News, J-Wire, J-Air interviews and the Leader newspaper.
•In October 2014, the JCCV Youtube channel was
launched to help promote the work and objectives of
the JCCV within the Jewish community and to the broader
Victorian community. The aim is to reach an audience
that is not being reached through existing media channels
and forums.
Community collaboration
•Rallies to show the Victorian Jewish community’s clear
support for Israel were organised in Caulfield and on the
steps of Parliament during the Israel - Gaza conflict with
JCCV, ECAJ, ZCV, ZFA and AIJAC working together with
a variety of other community groups.
•The very large and emotional services of support and
memorial service at Caulfield Hebrew Congregation
and the Beth Weizmann Community Centre for the three
kidnapped Israeli boys, involving all streams of religion
within the Jewish community coming together to share
our grief and
how support
for
the
families.
• A strong group of concerned
organisations came together
to host a community forum
on
domestic
violence,
featuring Minister Mary
Wooldridge,
Police
Commissioner Ken Lay,
David Southwick MP, and
victims’ advocate Rosie
Batty. The organizing group
included JCCV, the NCJWA,
the Jewish Taskforce Against
Family Violence, IMPACT,
NCWA and the Salvation
Army.
In summary
We have had a challenging 12 months, featuring rising
antisemitism and the Gaza conflict starting with kidnapping
of the three Israeli boys. This has kept us very busy
working with Government, media, Victoria Police and other
community organisations to maintain community harmony
and vigilance at the same time.
Our professional team have delivered outstanding results
this year, and I am delighted that Hilary McMahon, Jo Silver
and Julie Batty continue to be passionate, professional and
driven to deliver for the community.
We have worked with many wonderful partners on events
and in working groups and committees, who are listed
elsewhere in this report, but I would like to especially thank
the following organisations who are consistently excellent
partners, a delight to work with and outstanding contributors
to the community:
• B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) working
against antisemitism
• Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) in working
on national and international issues
•Jewish Care Victoria on a range of social justice and
social inclusion issues
•Jewish Holocaust Centre (JHC) working together on
Holocaust remembrance
•Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) supporting
multiculturalism
•Victoria Police working together for a safer and more
harmonious community
•Zionist Council of Victoria (ZCV) working in support of
Israel
I hope that the collaboration and cooperation that we
have seen across the community on a wide range of issues
continues to blossom in the future, and that we are all
working together in more peaceful times.
David Marlow
___ 25
JCCV Affiliate Support
Portfolio Report
As the official roof body for the Victorian Jewish Community,
the JCCV has had a busy and productive year and much of
that has included the wide range of supports and services we
offer to our affiliates.
It has obviously been a challenging
year for all Jewry with the war in
Gaza and a worldwide rise in antiSemitism. Our community came
together in these difficult times,
and the JCCV united with affiliates
and other roof body organisations
in organising Prayer services and
solidarity rallies.
beneficial and we encourage maximum attendance at these
meetings and the plenums.
Our Youth Alcohol Program continues to be a vital part of
addressing the challenges of youth alcohol abuse across the
community and many individuals, schools and groups have
benefitted from this initiative.
What’s Nu, our online affiliate bulletin, “keeps affiliates
in the Loop”, and people can also engage through our
regularly updated website.
Our new community diary is available in a beautiful colour
format and is a wonderful resource to many community
members.
We also partnered with affiliates in
organising a range of interesting,
informative and inspiring speakers across a range of topics
such as “Crossing Borders to Save Lives”.
Our activity levels remain high as we come to the end of the
calendar year – we will be hosting our Annual Awards night
where we acknowledge the dedication and commitment of
volunteers from our affiliate organisations.
We offered our members professional networking sessions
dealing with issues that challenge organisations and their
members across the board such as Fund Raising, and Time
and Productivity Management.
We are proud to offer the inaugural Young Leadership
Award and this is representative of our focus on engaging
the younger members of our community in all aspects of
JCCV activity.
We held a number of
community
forums
open
to all community members
including a community forum
on domestic violence and
another on the rights and
responsibilities
of
elderly
People.
As we go to print, we look forward to joint hosting Andres
Spokoiny, a world recognized expert on community
leadership and fundraising, present at a number of special
sessions.
The JCCV brought together
representatives
of
all
spectrums of the community
in a comprehensive training
program on child protection.
The wonderful success of this initiative has been praised not
only by participants who requested a continuation of the
program with alumni sessions, but also by politicians and
external professionals.
The JCCV continues to hold regular Plenums and these are
held at a variety of venues, which gives the hosting affiliate
the opportunity to showcase their “home” and inform the
JCCV and other affiliate delegates about their organisation.
This promotes respect and cohesion of members and
strengthens bonds across community groups.
As well as being the time for the required business
proceedings and operations of a roof body organisation,
the JCCV Plenums have allowed affiliates to hear many
prominent and interesting speakers. This includes members
of our community present on their area of expertise such
as Online Hate Prevention, and Jewish Community Census
results, as well as Parliamentarians such as Georgie Crozier
MLC, Parliamentary Secretary for Health speak about Child
Protection.
Council of Presidents Meetings have also been held a
number of times throughout the year, allowing the important
dialogue between the Presidents and our Executive to
continue. The shared advice and ideas have proved very
We are delighted to welcome a new affiliate to the JCCV –
The Australian Forum of Russian Speaking Jewry.
We strive to offer them and all our affiliates strong and
relevant support, to advocate for them and to provide
appropriate links and networking opportunities with other
members.
We trust that through sharing, collaborating and joint
development of ideas all our affiliates benefit greatly from
their involvement with the JCCV.I look forward to working
alongside our delegates in another positive and productive
year and may it be a time of peace in Israel and for all Am
Israel.
Atida Lipshatz
Nina Bassat AM and Ambassador Paweł Milewski
Embassy of the Republic of Poland
___ 26
Interfaith & Multicultural
Activities ReporT 2014
This year was a challenging year for the Victorian Jewish
Community, as was it for the world’s Jewish communities, in
light of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and the advent of the
Islamic State.
A tragic consequence for us, as Jews, and as world citizens,
is that anti-Semitism has reared its ugly head yet again, and
has become more prevalent and sadly more acceptable in
our society.
Not everyone in our community appreciates how very
important it is for us to work to nurture cross-cultural and
interfaith relationships. But as we live in a pluralist society
and we want to be able to continue to be active and
productive and contributive members of this society, we have
to continue to learn to understand others and help them
understand us. We are all part of Australia.
This been the real focus for the interfaith and multicultural
portfolio in 2014. Because we believe in education, and in
personal familiarization as the most potent tools for breaking
down barriers of ignorance and fostering respect between
people with different origins, cultures and faiths, we have
concentrated harder on fostering cross cultural activities.
We are also conscious that life is harder for our Muslim
brothers and sisters today especially because of the fear of
terrorism which has arisen from the real fear of IS.
The JCCV continues to be represented on the Faith
Communities Council of Victoria, on the Jewish Christian
Muslim Association and on the Ethnic Communities Council
of Victoria. Within all these organizations, we have striven
hard to work with people of diverse backgrounds and faiths.
This has in some cases proved to be challenging but we
believe that we have no choice but to persist.
David Marlow, our energetic and visionary, Executive
Director, has taken a lead in interfaith activities representing
the JCCV on MAG, the Multicultural Advisory Group for the
State Government and with a very sympathetic police force.
He has developed productive friendships within the Islamic
Council of Victoria and the Victorian Council of Churches.
He championed a statement signed by most ethnic and faith
based organizations objecting to changes to the Federal
Constitution regarding racist statements.
At the same time we have continued to share our table with
the Anglicans, the Catholics and the Indian Community
in events which were warm and productive in building
friendship.
Students participating in Kynnections
Dr Helen Light
Multicultural and Interfaith Portfolio Representative.
___ 27
Community Research
Portfolio Report
2014 has continued the excellent grounds made in 2013
with the programs going from strength to strength. The
year’s results have been even better than expected.
CHILD PROTECTION
This year has produced extraordinary results due to the
professionalism of the training and program planning. The
community has shown serious commitment to safeguarding
children and young people within organisations and I
commend the participants and their leadership.
This is exactly the role and purpose of the JCCV; to identify
important and necessary issues and provide the means for
our community to respond.
I would like to thank all the members of the Reference
Group for their commitment and time. The members are:
Andrew Blode - Chair, Nina Bassat AM, Anton Herman,
Vicki Gordon OAM, Marilyn Kraner, Katherine Levi, David
Marlow, Jo Silver, Rimma Sverdlin OAM and Debbie Weiner.
Child Protection Reference
Group Report
“Children are inherently vulnerable. Parents expect - and the law
requires - that children will be safe from harm or abuse at school,
on camp, at a youth group, in a sporting club or in any other
community setting.
As promised in last year‘s annual report the
Reference Group facilitated a series of formal
training workshops where both affiliates and nonaffiliates can attend to enhance their knowledge,
to identify potential risks, develop better screening
polices, understand legal liabilities and comprehend
the importance of mandatory reporting.
The highlight without doubt was the tremendous
attendance and spirit by the participants to tackle
the confronting issues. The “Child Protection”
workshops led by Katherine Levi and supported by Jo Silver delivered
a comprehensive education and pathway for participants to develop
and enhance their understanding of the issues. The results of these
workshops are being progressively rolled out by the organisation into
their services
The workshops have been so successful that we will continue to run
them through 2015.
On a personal note, I would like to thank the foresight of the JCCV to
establish such a Reference Group for the benefit of its affiliates and the
community. I would also like to thank the contribution of the Reference
Group members and to acknowledge the ongoing work of the Jewish
Taskforce Against Family Violence, the Australian Jewish Psychologists,
Jewish Care, The Rabbinical Council of Victoria, Tzedek and the
Australian Jewish News for keeping child abuse issues at the forefront
of the community’s mind.
In conclusion, I wish to thank the Melbourne Jewish Community for their
commitment to confront the issue of child abuse, and their proactive
engagement to prevent it in the future.”
Written by Andrew Blode, Chair.
YOUTH ALCOHOL PROGRAM (YAP)
The program continues to work with Jewish school students
and we are now working closely with parents to better assist
them with managing this difficult issue.
My deep thanks again to Debbie Zauder, YAP Manager. Her
ongoing professionalism, dedication and motivation are the
key to the program’s success.
As Chair, I would like to thank all the members of the
Committee. The members are: Rimma Sverdlin OAM Chair, Rachael Bajayo, Nina Bassat AM, Ruth Casen, Danny
Elbaum, Rabbi Ian Goodhardt, Michelle Kornberg, Jacqui
Lerner, David Marlow, Brian Samuel, John Searle and Dr
Ann Wollner.
YOUTH ALCOHOL PROGRAM REPORT
The Youth Alcohol Project (YAP) has
successfully fulfilled its 5th year of
educating and raising awareness
of youth and alcohol issues in the
Melbourne Jewish community. In
2014, over 800 youth and parents
from the Jewish schools participated
in YAP educational sessions and
workshops.
Feedback from both youth and parents was very positive.
The following are examples of comments made at the YAP
sessions,
“If alcohol affects young people’s brains why is it legal to
buy it?”
(Year 6 student, The King David School)
“I find it unacceptable that my child is given alcohol by
another parent without my permission”
(Parent, Mount Scopus Memorial College)
“The YAP message must be repeated over and over again at
all high school levels!”
(Parent, Bialik College) (insert Yap photo here – Bialik Year 7
Students participating in YAP)
This year the YAP Parent Network (PN) Project was launched
with the financial assistance of a Glen Eira Council
Community Grant. The aim of the PN Project is to empower
parents to be able to say “no” to their children in relation
to alcohol and social events where alcohol is available. A
meeting was held with parents of teenagers currently at a
variety of the Jewish, state and other private schools. Parents
discussed the parental strategies and techniques they use for
such situations and how as a group they could work together
for better outcomes.
YAP received a further Glen Eira Council Community
Grant to research and produce a resource for parents of
teenagers. The brochure will contain the most frequently
asked questions that parents ask at YAP sessions, in relation
to youth and alcohol. The answers will be sourced from
experts in the field and based on up to date research in the
___ 28
Community Research
Portfolio Report
alcohol and health sectors. This brochure will be available
early 2015.
Thank you to the YAP Committee for their continued support
of the project, it is greatly appreciated.
For more information on YAP, contact Debbie Zauder on
0413 263 673 and dzauder@jccv.org.au.
THANK YOU
My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who has tirelessly worked
on the projects for the benefit of the Jewish community.
I would like to personally thank Nina Bassat AM as the
President. It has been a privilege and pleasure to have
worked with her on the Executive.
Written by Debbie Zauder
As well my thanks go to my fellow Executive Members and
the highly professional JCCV staff.
PASTORAL CARE
Rimma Sverdlin OAM
Pastoral care offers healing through compassionate listening,
support and connections to people’s inner and communal
resources. Pastoral care is spiritual, offering therapeutic,
non-medicinal care to improve healing and wellbeing.
This year the pastoral care steering committee focused on
educating pastoral care coordinators and hospital staff on
Jewish patient needs. This started with a multi-faith immersion
program with Spiritual Health Victoria. Twenty participants
spent a day each in six faith communities and the Jewish day
involved a visit to the Jewish Museum, Holocaust Centre,
Mikvah, Chevra Kadisha and Glicks for lunch and finished
with a Q&A with rabbis from across the Jewish spectrum.
The aim was to gain an insight into Jewish life and learn
about Jewish patient care and many participants joined
congregations around Melbourne for Shabbat dinner and
Friday night service. (insert pastoral care immersion day)
The program was so successful that Spiritual Care Australia
conducted professional development at the Royal Children’s
Hospital for eighty pastoral care coordinators from across
Victoria and Wangaratta Hospital arranged a similar day
for regional staff. Phone calls have flooded in from other
hospitals requesting information on Jewish patients and
Thomas Embling Forensic Care invited us to present at
Naidoc Day.
I sit on the Board of Spiritual Health Victoria (SHV) and they
have been a valuable and dedicated partner in multi-faith
education. SHV held their AGM at East Melbourne Hebrew
Congregation to promote Judaism to their members and
they have agreed to develop a multi-faith calendar and
brochure that will be distributed across Victorian hospitals
and aged care on faith based patient needs.
Members of the Steering Committee have conducted training
programs for rabbis from the Rabbinical Council of Victoria
and volunteers from Masorti Judaism and Progressive
Judaism Victoria. 16 rabbis have been trained in Clinical
Pastoral Education and there has been a concerted effort
to update Jewish contacts at hospitals and visit patients
more regularly.
The steering committee has developed a number
of resources to assist in education and patient care
including a position description for volunteers,
caring for Jewish patients’ brochure, patient prayer
and healing booklet and Temple Beth Israel’s guide
to support patients and volunteers.
Written by Jo Silver
___ 29
JEMP Annual Report 2014
JEMP is a specialist organisation
whose Emergency Management
Plan (ERP) coincides with the State’s
Emergency Management Manual of
Victoria which documents the State’s
arrangements for managing an
emergency in Victoria.
Run by the Victorian Jewish
community, JEMP provides a coordinated planning,
response and recovery phase for major emergencies
affecting the Victorian Jewish community regardless of
whether the incident is local or abroad. JEMP does NOT
seek to replace arrangements already covered by the
Emergency Management Manual of Victoria but dovetails
into a number of aspects of that plan.
JEMP exists to:
1.coordinate various Jewish and public resources in
responding to and recovering from major emergencies affecting the Victorian Jewish community.
2.educate members of the Victorian Jewish community
about preparation and planning for a major emergency.
3. guide Victorian Jewish communal organisations toward the implementation of a tested Emergency and Business Continuity Management Plan and required capability.
JEMP’s Executive of Nina Bassat AM, Sam Tatarka, Rabbi
Ronnie Figdor, Alan Samuel JP and Gary Bryfman task the
Technical Committee with the ongoing responsibility to
ensure that JEMP is current and relevant.
Ably chaired by David Michelson, the Technical Committee
consists of the following highly skilled professionals: Danny
Elbaum, Rabbi Ronnie Figdor, Frank Gaensler, Simon
Glynn, Justin Lipson, Andrew Litwinow, Saul Midler and
Mike Bookman. Nina Bassat AM, as President, attends most
meetings providing valuable guidance and leadership and
Kathy Kaplan OAM delivers administrative support and
greater efficiencies for the organisation.
JEMP’s Operational Plan is designed to provide guidance
during the Emergency Response phase of an event that
impacts the Victorian Jewish Community. Describing
the actions to be taken immediately following a severe
emergency, JEMP’s Plan includes a management structure
that interfaces with various agencies, Emergency Service
Organisations and community support and resource groups.
In support of JEMP’s Mission, JEMP’s Emergency Response
Plan is a comprehensive document designed to coordinate
various Jewish and public resources in responding to and
recovering from major emergencies affecting the Victorian
Jewish community. The target outcome of this is a secure,
stable and sustainable environment for those affected by the
major emergency
JEMP has enjoyed a close working relationship with Victoria’s
Emergency Service Organisations (ESOs) including the
Police, Ambulance Victoria, Australian Red Cross, State
Emergency Services, Melbourne Fire Brigade, Country Fire
Authority, Department of Human Services and others for
many years now.
As a result, JEMP Technical Committee members and
ESO representatives meet on at least quarterly in order to
exchange procedures and strategies. These ESO meetings
offer JEMP the opportunity to educate and update the ESOs
on issues facing the Victorian Jewish Community and for
the organisations to run through Tabletop Scenarios with
JEMP to practise and debrief on strategies and lines of
communication.
JEMP participates in the Emergency Management Meetings
of the Cities of Bayside, Glen Eira, Stonnington and Port
Phillip and is represented by David Michelson on the Southern
Metropolitan Region Emergency Response Committee. In
this way, local municipalities are aware of JEMP and of
the specific threats facing the Jewish Community and, as a
result, these are factored into Community Emergency Risk
Management (CERM) documentation.
Each year, prior to summer and winter camps, JEMP’s
Technical Committee provides training sessions to brief
the AZYC leadership of potential emergencies. This year,
shlichim, madrichim, other youth movement leaders and
staff were again advised about the appropriate strategy and
procedures required to safeguard the children in their care.
Tabletop scenarios were acted out which assisted the Youth
Movements to better think through possible ‘emergency’
events and how they could or should be managed.
JEMP does not work in a vaccuum and so thanks and
acknowledges its member organisations for their support
– Adass Israel School, Association of Principals of Jewish
Schools in Australasia, Australasian Union of Jewish
Students, Australian Jewish Psychologists, Beth Weizmann
Community Centre, Bialik College, Chevra Hatzolah
Melbourne, Community Security Group, Council of
Orthodox Syngogues of Victoria, Emmy Monash Home for
the Aged, Jewish Care Victoria, Maccabi Victoria, Mizrachi/
Leibler Yavneh College, Mt Scopus Memorial College,
Progressive Judaism Victoria, Sholem Aleichem College,
The King David School, The Rabbinical Council of Victoria,
Yeshiva & Beth Rivkah Colleges, Yesodei Hatorah College
and the Zionist Council of Victoria.
JCCV Policy Platform
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL
OF VICTORIA POLICY
PLATFORM 2010 (revised)
SUBJECT
1
PREAMBLE
2
OUR MANDATE
3
OUR POLICIES
3.1
INTRODUCTION
3.2
THE VICTORIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY
3.3
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
3.4
INTERFAITH RELATIONS
3.5
RACISM IN VICTORIA
3.6
ANTI-RACIST ACTION
3.7
RESPECT
3.8
ANTISEMITISM
3.9
REPORTING OF ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS
3.10
HOLOCAUST DENIAL
3.11
HOLOCAUST RHETORIC
3.12
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE
3.13
RESTITUTION
3.14
TERRORISM
3.15
JEWISH EDUCATION
3.16
GENDER EQUITY
3.17
YOUTH REPRESENTATION
3.18
STATE CEREMONIES
3.19
ACCOMMODATION OF RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
3.20
JEWISH BURIAL RIGHTS
3.21
GET REFUSAL
3.22
SOCIAL JUSTICE
3.23
MENTAL HEALTH
3.24
INTEGRATION
3.25
ABORIGINAL RECONCILIATION
3.26
CLIMATE CHANGE
3.27
STEM CELL RESEARCH
3.28
ISRAEL
3.29
ALCOHOL
3.30
CHILD PROTECTION
___ 30
___ 31
1.PREAMBLE
The Australian Jewish community, of which the Jews of
Victoria are such a vital part, differs markedly from other
Diaspora Jewish communities as Jews were here right from
the beginning of Australian nationhood and have been
integral partners in the development of modern Australia.
Jews are at home in this multicultural nation built on
migration, a state of affairs that has not always been
the Jewish experience elsewhere. More than that, our
community has made a recognised, remarkable and perhaps
disproportionate contribution to the Australian way of life.
Through the efforts of talented and hardworking individuals
and groups, the Australian Jewish community is proud of the
part it has played in the many cultural, political, social and
economic achievements of this great diverse country.
Long the largest Jewish community in Australia, Victorian
Jews have played a major part in this wonderful story as
military leaders, Governors-General, judges, philanthropists,
captains of industry, presidents of football clubs and
‘ordinary’ men and women. Thus Jewish lives, beliefs and
traditions have helped to shape both Victoria and Australia.
2.
OUR MANDATE
Our constitution sets out the aims and objectives of the
Jewish Community Council of Victoria.
In essence, our mandate is:
• to be the roof body and official voice of the Jewish
community of Victoria on lay matters
• to advance its unity
• to work to achieve its goals
• to partner others to ensure the continuity and development
of our community’s religious, spiritual, cultural and
social heritage.
Through consultation, advocacy and working with
government, other faith and ethnic communities, the media,
service providers and the general public, the JCCV seeks to
achieve the following outcomes:
• A better society by promoting understanding and
cooperation between all faiths
• Facilitation of harmony and positive relationships between
the various elements of the Victorian Jewish community
and between our community and the larger community
• A positive perception of Jews in Victoria
• Greater understanding of and respect for the Jewish
way of life
• Wider knowledge and appreciation of the Shoah
(Holocaust) and its lessons
• In partnership with the State Zionist Council of Victoria:
• A more sophisticated public understanding of
Israel’s efforts to achieve peace and security
• Effective counteraction of misinformation on
Israel, the Middle East and the Arab/Israel conflict
• A better informed public understanding of Israel
in relation to contemporary Jewish identity
• Working with Jews in other States and Territories to
achieve these objectives at a national level through the
Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
3.
OUR POLICIES
3.1INTRODUCTION
The current policy platform of the Jewish Community Council
of Victoria is outlined below.
Its development has not been an easy task. Our community
is heterogeneous and hence has a multitude of views.
Nonetheless, there are certain issues on which we are largely
united. These include the significance of Israel in Jewish life,
a commitment to Jewish continuity and the importance of
Jewish education for our children.
While recognising the diversity of the Victorian Jewish
community, these policies seek to embody the majority
beliefs and values of our community. These, we believe,
enhance general Australian values of democracy, the rule of
law, the freedom, rights and responsibilities of the individual,
understanding and respect, and a fair go for all.
3.2
THE VICTORIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY
This Council:
3.2.1 RECOGNISES the distinctive character of the
Victorian Jewish community as part of the Jewish
people in Australia and elsewhere, with a shared
history, culture and religious tradition.
3.2.2 RECOGNISES Victorian Jewry as a vital and
vibrant component of a culturally diverse Australian
society.
3.2.3 RECOGNISES the pluralistic nature of Victorian
Jewry and its complex nature due to diverse
languages, cultural origin and countries of origin.
• A thriving local Jewish community
• A safer local Jewish community
• Zero community tolerance of racism in general and
antisemitism in particular
• Contributing to social justice in Victoria
3.2.4
RECOGNISES that the JCCV is the sum of its affiliates and the need for regular, appropriate and ongoing consultation with the latter.
___ 32
3.2.5 ACKNOWLEDGES that skilled professional
expertise is crucial to the effective and efficient
delivery of services and support within the organised
Jewish community and the need to provide relevant
professional development and encouragement of
Jewish professional involvement in community
organisations.
3.2.6 ACKNOWLEDGES that volunteerism is the
backbone of organised Jewish communal life and
the need to provide all possible support for and
recognition of volunteers.
3.2.7 ACKNOWLEDGES the diversity of Jewish
organisations in Victoria, which cater to a wide
range of interests and needs within the Jewish
community and are an indication of its strength.
3.2.8 ACKNOWLEDGES the right of any Jewish
organisation to identify as an ethnic organisation
due to the choice of the membership of that
organisation or due to specific aims, objectives and
programs consistent with policies and programs of
the government relating to ethnic affairs.
3.2.9 ACKNOWLEDGES the right of any Jewish
organisation to identify as a faith organisation
due to the choice of the membership of that
organisation or due to specific aims, objectives and
programs consistent with policies and programs of
the government relating to religious affairs.
3.2.10 VALUES the friendly cooperation and cordial
relationship between Victorian Jewry and ethnic
groups and roof bodies within Victoria.
3.2.11 VALUES the friendly cooperation and cordial
relationship between Victorian Jewry and faith
groups and roof bodies within Victoria.
3.2.12ENCOURAGES close liaison between Jewish
organisations and ethnic, faith and other Victorian
groups in the pursuit of common policies in the
best interests of the entire Victorian community.
3.3
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
This Council:
3.3.1 AFFIRMS its support for Federal and Victorian
policies of cultural diversity, which have benefited
all citizens as a building block of social cohesion.
3.3.2
CALLS ON Federal and Victorian governments to
confirm their commitment to cultural diversity as
a policy which respects the right of all Australians
to express their individual cultural identity, and to
maintain and share their cultural heritage, within
the framework of an overriding commitment to
Australia, the basic values of Australian democracy
and the rule of law.
3.3.3 COMMENDS government policy of ensuring
access and equity in the provision of government
services, including the provision of mechanisms to
address the barriers faced by immigrants not yet
familiar with Australian culture and language.
3.3.4 ACKNOWLEDGES the diversity of cultural
expressions within the Jewish community and
supports the furtherance of diverse cultural activity.
3.3.5 CALLS UPON Jews and Jewish organisations to
support others whose views they disagree with but
whose presence is constructive for diversity within
the community
3.3.6 RECOGNISES the centrality of language to cultural
transmission and calls upon members and elements
of the community to increase their learning and
daily use of Jewish languages.
3.4
INTERFAITH RELATIONS
This Council:
3.4.1
WELCOMES the development of multi-faith events
and contacts between bodies representing many
diverse faith groups.
3.4.2
APPLAUDS activities which improve the basis for
dialogue between Jews and other faith groups.
3.4.3 NOTES past efforts at improving Jewish-Muslim
relations, particularly those which have recognised
common concerns in human rights areas such as
religious liberty, racial tolerance and recognition of
religious rights.
3.4.4 SUPPORTS dialogue and cooperation between
representatives of the Jewish community and
all other faith communities with a view to
common action for communal tolerance and
inter-community cooperation.
3.4.5 CALLS on all Australians to respect the dignity and
right of all people to maintain their own religious
traditions.
3.4.6
SUPPORTS the expansion of the dialogue process
to include other partner organisations representing
religious communities.
___ 33
3.5
RACISM IN VICTORIA
3.7RESPECT
This Council:
This Council:
3.5.1 CONDEMNS all manifestations of racist action
and speech.
3.7.1
3.5.2
SUPPORTS public programs to educate Victorians
regarding the senselessness and immorality of
racism.
3.5.3 CALLS ON leaders of all mainstream political
parties to consistently articulate a vision which
embraces cultural diversity and which guarantees
dignity and rights for all Victorians.
3.5.4 CALLS ON all mainstream political parties to place
racist, divisive and extremist candidates in the last
positions when allocating electoral preferences.
3.7.2 RECOGNISES that irrespective of the common
traits that bind us as a community, Victorian Jewry is
also diverse and pluralistic and that this is reflected
in different, often strongly held views, on a range of
issues affecting the Jewish and larger communities.
3.7.3 CALLS FOR respect for any such differences, while
affirming that disagreement is only permissible in
ways that do not vilify other persons or their views.
3.7.4
3.5.5
CALLS on political, civil and religious leaders to
play public leadership roles in emphasising the
unacceptability of racism.
3.6
ANTI-RACIST ACTION
This Council:
3.6.1
3.6.2
NOTES the activities of extremist organisations, the
currency of various racist myths and the tolerance
given to racist comment by some sections of the
mainstream media.
NOTES that racial vilification and racial violence
in Victoria have intensified since September 11,
2001.
3.6.3 ACKNOWLEDGES that effective responses to
racism include moral and political leadership from
public figures; legislation to make clear that racism
is unacceptable and to give recourse to its victims;
and on-going public education.
3.6.4 COMMENDS those public figures who have
taken a leadership position against racism and
antisemitism.
3.6.5 COMMENDS the Victorian Government for
legislating against anti-religious and racial activity.
3.6.6 CALLS ON state and federal law enforcement
agencies to urgently upgrade the capacity to
pursue and apprehend the perpetrators of acts
of racist violence and vandalism and to fund both
public and Jewish communal strategies to achieve
those ends.
ACKNOWLEDGES the distinctive character of the
Victorian Jewish community as part of the Jewish
people worldwide, with a shared history, culture
and religious tradition.
CALLS FOR abstention from any public or private
conduct that incites hatred against, serious
contempt for, revulsion, vilification or severe
ridicule of, another person or group on the ground
of their identity (including race, religion, colour,
disability, sexual orientation, gender and national
origin) or views of that other person or group.
3.8ANTISEMITISM
This Council:
3.8.1 EXPRESSES ALARM at the escalation in acts of
antisemitism in Victoria including assaults on
Jewish people, attacks on synagogues and other
Jewish institutions and on homes and businesses
owned by Jews.
3.8.2NOTES that extremist left and right-wing
organisations have encouraged their supporters to
work together with extremist elements within other
communities.
3.8.3
CONDEMNS the prevalence of anti-Jewish rhetoric
in elements of the mass-media which hides behind
criticisms of Israel.
3.8.4 CALLS ON the government of Victoria to take
all necessary steps to protect Jewish citizens and
communal property and to prevent other acts of
anti-Jewish incitement.
3.8.5 COMMENDS Victoria Police for agreeing to
establish an Intelligence Crime Desk at the
Moorabbin Divisional Intelligence Unit to monitor
and report antisemitic incidents and offences
committed against the Victorian Jewish community.
___ 34
3.9
REPORTING OF ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS
This Council:
3.9.1
NOTES the importance of the Jewish community’s
state and national leadership having an accurate
picture of the nature and extent of antisemitic
violence, vandalism, intimidation and harassment
in both Victoria and Australia.
3.9.2 URGES all members of the public to report
all incidents of an antisemitic nature, whether
crimes or not, to the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation
Commission and the Community Security Group.
3.10
HOLOCAUST DENIAL
This Council:
3.10.1 NOTES that individuals and organisations in
Victoria propagate Holocaust denial to attack the
Jewish community.
3.12.2 CALLS on the Victorian Department of Education
to ensure that all students obtain a basic
knowledge of the events of the Holocaust in
order to gain an understanding of the dangers of
ideological hatred.
3.13
RESTITUTION THIS COUNCIL:
3.13.1 APPLAUDS the efforts of those working for the rights
of survivors, their heirs and the Jewish world in the
areas of restitution and restoration of property and
true recording of the history of the Holocaust.
3.13.2 CALLS for the resolution of all outstanding claims
with a minimum of administrative cost or delay,
and for priority in the application of funds for the
benefit of survivors and the heirs of victims.
3.14
TERRORISM THIS COUNCIL:
3.10.2 NOTES the deception employed by Holocaust
deniers in the way they present their hatred in
quasi-academic guise.
3.14.1 JOINS in mourning the victims of terrorism in
Israel and throughout the world, and extends
condolences to the relatives and friends of those
who have been murdered, and sympathy and
wishes full recovery to the injured.
3.10.3CALLS ON Jewish organisations to continue
the policy of not engaging Holocaust deniers
in any public debate which could give credence
to Holocaust denial but to clearly and publicly
identify Holocaust deniers as people engaged in
antisemitism, racism and promotion of extremist
ideologies.
3.14.2 SUPPORTS local efforts to prevent terrorist attacks,
including the enactment of effective anti-terrorism
laws, the application of resources for efficient
investigative processes, and local participation in
the international war against terrorism.
3.11
HOLOCAUST RHETORIC
This Council:
3.11.1RECOGNISES that the Holocaust, the Nazi
program of genocide, was a unique historical
event.
3.11.2 NOTES that the Holocaust is generally recognised
as the benchmark of human evil.
3.11.3 DEPLORES the inappropriate use of terminology
relating to the Nazi Genocide in Australian
public debate.
3.12
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE
This Council:
3.12.1
ENCOURAGES
public
remembrance
of
Kristallnacht, Yom Hashoa and UN Holocaust
Memorial Day.
3.14.3 NOTES the importance of legislation designed to
counter terrorism and to provide security properly
recognising the required balance between human
rights and law enforcement.
3.14.4 APPLAUDS governmental activity to ensure that
the cohesion of Australia’s multicultural society
is not prejudiced in the undertaking of antiterrorism activities.
3.15
JEWISH EDUCATION
This Council:
3.15.1NOTES that the Victorian Jewish community
maintains a number of private day schools
which are essential to Jewish learning and our
community’s continuity.
3.15.2 STRESSES the importance of Jewish day schools
having high quality Jewish and Israel Studies and
Jewish languages curricula.
___ 35
3.15.3 NOTES that the provision by the United Jewish
Education Board of Jewish education to Jewish
students who do not attend Jewish day schools in
Victoria is essential to ensuring Jewish learning and
our community’s continuity for those outside of the
Jewish day school movement.
3.17
3.15.4 CALLS ON all Victorian Jewish Day Schools, the
United Jewish Education Board and Jewish Youth
groups to substantially increase the teaching of
contemporary issues facing Israel and world and
Australian Jewry in programs offered at primary
and secondary levels.
3.17.2 NOTES with concern the lack of youth representation
on most communal bodies.
3.15.5 RECONFIRMS the responsibility of leaders of
Victorian Jewry to strive to ensure that no Jewish
child is denied full-time Jewish education due
to financial considerations; and the continued
responsibility of leaders of Victorian Jewry to support
organisations that provide Jewish education of
children who are outside of the Jewish day school
system to ensure Jewish continuity for all.
3.17.4 CALLS on Jewish communal bodies to support and
work with youth groups and movements to prepare
an action plan to develop strategies to encourage
youth participation on communal bodies.
3.15.6 CALLS ON Jewish communal and fund-raising
organisations to explore additional methods of
alleviating financial constraints affecting Jewish
day school education and the ability of Jewish
day schools to provide the highest quality Jewish
education.
3.15.7NOTES the importance of and encourages
participation
in
Adult
Jewish
education
opportunities such as those offered by Melton
and Limmud Oz.
3.16
GENDER EQUITY
3.16.1 This Council:
a.
b.
RECOGNISES the leadership capability and
commitment to be found within the Jewish
community in Victoria;
Recognises the need for people in leadership
positions to possess appropriate qualifications and
experience; and
YOUTH REPRESENTATION
This Council:
3.17.1 RECOGNISES that the involvement of younger
community members is of vital importance to the
success of Jewish continuity.
3.17.3 CALLS on constituent bodies to encourage youth
involvement.
3.17.5 RECOGNISES the important social, cultural and
educational contribution over many years made by
our many organised Jewish youth movements and
calls on affiliate groups to support their work into
the future.
3.17.6ENCOURAGES the organised Jewish youth
movements to encourage their members to grow
into broader community leadership roles.
3.18
STATE CEREMONIES
This Council:
3.18.1 CALLS ON the State Government to recognise
that state ceremonies, celebrations and memorials
should be inclusive and not make use of religious
words and symbols that may effectively exclude
some Australian citizens.
3.19
ACCOMMODATION OF
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
This Council:
Having read to the above, seeks to reflect gender
equity in its leadership positions.
3.19.1 NOTES decisions by a number of instrumentalities
which recognise and support the right of all staff
to meet their religious and ceremonial obligations,
regardless of religious, ethnic or cultural
background.
3.16.2 To this end the Council commits to achieving gender
equity in its elected representatives including:
3.19.2 RECOGNISES the right of all Victorians to observe
religious and ceremonial obligations.
• The committee of management of the Council (Executive); and
3.19.3CALLS UPON government and employers
organisations to respect and support, as a matter
of policy, the right of employees to meet the
obligations of their beliefs.
c.
• Victorian Councillors to the Executive Council of
Australian Jewry (Councillors)
___ 36
3.19.4CALLS UPON Government to ensure that
religious and ceremonial obligations can be
observed without attracting the threat of loss of
employment.
3.22.4ACKNOWLEDGES its duty to ameliorate the
social disadvantage and hence individual distress
of Victorian Jews through support of its affiliate
organisations.
3.19.5 CALLS UPON Government and statutory bodies to
take religious holy days and dietary requirements
into consideration when planning public events.
3.22.5 URGES its affiliate organisations to be conscious
of and to cater for the needs of socially
disadvantaged Jews.
3.20
JEWISH BURIAL RIGHTS
This Council:
3.22.6 ACKNOWLEDGES its duty to ameliorate the social
disadvantage of members of the broader Victorian
community by working in concert with faith, ethnic
and other groups.
3.20.1 NOTES Jewish law and tradition require burial in
perpetuity.
3.23
3.20.2 NOTES that a grave containing human remains is
demarcated as the final resting place of the person
concerned and the integrity of the grave must not
be altered without explicit Rabbinic authority.
3.20.3 REAFFIRMS the need to maintain arrangements for
Jewish burials in perpetuity and calls on cemetery
authorities to respect this requirement; and
3.20.4 CALLS UPON State Governments to plan for
and ensure sufficient land is allocated for Jewish
communities to bury their dead in accordance with
Jewish communal requirements.
3.21
GET (DIVORCE) REFUSAL THIS COUNCIL:
3.21.1 RECOGNISES the invidious situation of the agunah
(wife refused a divorce).
3.21.2 URGES the members of the Rabbinical Council of
Victoria and the Melbourne Beth Din to collaborate
with their counterparts in Australia and elsewhere
to seek an acceptable solution to deliberate Get
refusal.
MENTAL HEALTH
This Council:
3.23.1 RECOGNISES that there are members of the
Victorian Jewish Community with mental health
issues which require different types and levels of
response.
3.23.2 RECOGNISES the need to destigmatise these
members of our community
3.23.3SUPPORTS those affiliates whose members
possess professional qualifications (recognised
under the Health Professionals Registration Act,
2005, Victoria) who provide specialist services
and expertise within a Jewish ethos (assessment/
diagnosis/treatment; community education and
referrals) to those in the community with and/or
affected by mental health issues.
3.23.4 SUPPORTS those affiliates whose members while
not professionally qualified in this field provide
support services within a Jewish ethos to those
in the community with and/or affected by mental
health issues.
3.24INTEGRATION
3.22
SOCIAL JUSTICE
This Council:
3.22.1 RECOGNISES the Victorian Charter of Human Rights
and Responsibilities and encourages its affiliate
organisations to uphold the principles therein.
3.22.2 RECOGNISES that there are many people within
the Jewish and wider communities who are
members of socially disadvantaged groups.
3.22.3NOTES that there are individuals prohibited
from full involvement in Jewish communal life due
to their membership of socially disadvantaged
groups.
This Council:
3.24.1 NOTES that the Jewish community includes Jewish
immigrants who are on the fringes of the organised
community structure.
3.24.2 RESOLVES to support affiliate organisations in
taking active steps to absorb and integrate these
immigrants into our community’s core.
___ 37
3.25
ABORIGINAL RECONCILIATION
This Council:
3.25.1 RECOGNISES Indigenous people as the first
Australians, with unique cultures, languages and
spiritual relationships to the land and waters.
3.25.2 PURSUES a vision of an Australia that provides
equal rights and life chances for all.
3.25.3AFFIRMS the fundamental importance of
reconciliation as the basis of an Australian
Community which respects the diversity of values,
cultures, ideas and the contribution of all people.
3.25.4 SUPPORTS programs that encourage organisations
and individuals to turn their good intentions
into action. Areas for action may include the
Council using its networks to:
• Raise community awareness and understanding
of the historic, social and economic factors which
contribute to the current levels of disadvantage
confronting many Indigenous people and
communities.
• Influence governments and business to address
the systemic issues that keep many Indigenous
people and their communities in poor health
and poverty.
• Support human rights based approaches to
economic and social development programs in
Indigenous communities; and
• Lead inter-faith alliances to develop and provide
targeted financial and capacity building support
to selected projects which strengthen Indigenous
organisations’ governance, management, service
delivery and professional development.
3.25.5 ENCOURAGES the Jewish community to increase
its knowledge and understanding of the identity
and experiences of Indigenous peoples and reflect
this awareness in our social relationships and our
support for their advancement.
3.25.6 CALLS UPON the government, business and civil
communities and people of Victoria to take action to
reduce the relative disadvantage many Indigenous
people may face by improving education, health,
housing, employment, governance, social and
communal relationships and law and justice
3.25.7 ENCOURAGES our affiliates and other Jewish
organisations and individuals to support and
pursue reconciliation in their activities.
3.26
CLIMATE CHANGE THIS COUNCIL:
3.26.1 NOTES that climate change is a major challenge
facing Victoria and the world. The current drought,
water shortages, bush fires and record temperatures
remind all Australians of our nation’s vulnerability
to climate change.
3.26.2 SUPPORTS efforts to bring together Australian faith
communities to take action on climate change.
3.26.3 DECLARES its support for action to tackle Australia’s
rising greenhouse gas emissions.
3.27
STEM CELL RESEARCH
This Council:
3.27.1 NOTES that leading rabbinic authorities have
given their support to the use of existing embryos
for stem cell research, mindful that Jewish
law concerns itself that such embryos are only
appropriately obtained.
3.27.2 NOTES that stem cell research offers great hope
to many sufferers and contains the potential to
rectify painful, debilitating and life shortening
genetic conditions.
3.27.3 SUPPORTS properly conducted research into the
saving of life as a part of our human mandate to
act in the image of G-d, to heal and to be merciful.
3.27.4 CALLS ON all JCCV affiliates to encourage
Victorian Jews to publicly support the opportunities
which stem cell research provides as reinforcing
and not diminishing the sanctity of life.
3.28ISRAEL
This Council:
3.28.1 AFFIRMS Victorian Jewry’s strong and enduring
solidarity with Israel and her people.
3.28.2
APPLAUDS
the
Victorian
government’s
relationship and agreements with numerous Israeli
governmental institutions, Israeli and public bodies
and academic institutions.
3.28.3 STRONGLY URGES all Jews, individually as well as
communally and institutionally, to visit Israel and
schedule events in Israel.
3.28.4 APPLAUDS the success of many Israel experience
programs operated by Australian Jewish
organisations in partnership with Israel.
___ 38
i.society as a whole shares responsibility for
promoting the wellbeing and safety of children;
and
3.29 ALCOHOL
This Council:
3.29.1 ACKNOWLEDGES that inappropriate levels of
alcohol consumption is a problem within the
Victoria Jewish Community, reported anecdotally
to be of equal severity to that of the general
Victorian Community. The problem is particularly
serious amongst our youth from aged 12 years and
above, who engage in binge drinking and expose
themselves to risk.
3.29.2 AFFIRMS its support for the Federal and Victorian
Governments’ policies and Police initiatives
designed to educate the community about the
dangers of alcohol consumption, particularly
regarding underage drinking
3.29.3 RECOGNISES that alcohol can play a part in
Jewish religious ceremonies but notes that grape
juice is often regarded as a viable alternative for
both minors and adults as a non-alcoholic option.
3.29.4 ENCOURAGES all Victorian Jewish Schools, youth
related groups and organisations to participate
in Alcohol Abuse Awareness Programs for their
students and parent body.
3.29.5 CALLS UPON all Jewish Parents to be appropriate
and responsible role models in relation to alcohol
use, for their own children and for all children in
the Community.
3.29.6 CALLS UPON all Jewish communal groups and
organisations, as well as leaders in the Community
and all individuals to take into account the provision
and supply of alcohol when planning events either
public or private. It is imperative that adults in the
Jewish Community model the responsible supply
and use of alcohol.
3.30 CHILD PROTECTION
This Council:
3.30.1 AFFIRMS that all children have the right under the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child to be protected from all forms of physical
or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or
negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation,
including sexual abuse, while in the care of
parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person
who has the care of the child.
3.30.2 NOTES that the Victorian Child Wellbeing and
Safety Act (2005) establishes inter alia the
fundamental principles that:
ii. those who develop and provide services, as well
as parents, should give the highest priority to
the promotion and protection of a child’s safety,
health, development, education and wellbeing.
3.30.3ITERATES Jewish values that emphasise the
importance of our youth, and Jewish laws that
recognise the vulnerability of children and prohibit
physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse and/
or neglect and/or maltreatment of children of any
and all kinds from any source.
3.30.4 ACKNOWLEDGES that the Jewish community is
not immune from the scourge of child abuse in
all its forms as well as neglect or the impacts on
children growing up in an environment of family
violence. Child abuse occurs in all societies, in all
faiths, at all socio-economic levels and within all
levels of religious observance.
3.30.5 ENCOURAGES Jewish communal groups and
organisations which work with children to prioritise
the development and implementation of child
protection policies and procedures, and to provide
educational programs for children and adults, to
ensure the safety of those children in their care.
3.30.6 ENCOURAGES Jewish communal groups and
organisations to raise awareness of the prevalence
of abuse and promote the safety and protection of
children throughout the community.
3.30.6 AFFIRMS its support for Recommendation 10 in
the Victorian Parliamentary Enquiry into Vulnerable
Children, which states:
The Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development should develop a wide-ranging
education and information campaign for parents
and caregivers of all school-aged children on the
prevention of child sexual abuse.
3.30.7CALLS UPON anyone who has reasonable
grounds to suspect, or knowledge that a child
is being harmed, or who is at risk of harm, to
report it to the appropriate authorities, namely the
Department of Human Services or its equivalent
and/or Victoria Police.
3.30.8 CALLS UPON the Jewish community to do its
utmost to assist community members who make
disclosures of abuse to find the care, help and
support they need, and avoid the imposition of
any stigma, ridicule or discrimination by reason of
having reported the abuse or having been a victim
of such abuse.
___ 39
Appreciation
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria wishes to express
its sincere appreciation to the following sponsors and
supporters:
Tisher Liner FC Law, the Council’s Honorary Solicitors, and
the Auditors for the JCCV, Jack Gaddie & Associates for their
assistance during 2014.
Allen Feiglin Graphics
Rabbi Philip Heilbrunn
Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
High Key Productions
Arnold Bloch Leibler
J-Air
Australian Jewish Funders
Jewish Care Victoria
Australian Jewish News
Jewish Christian Muslim Association
Australian Multicultural Foundation
Jewish Holocaust Centre
Henry Benjamin @J-Wire
Kehilat Nitzan Conservative (Masorti) Community
Bialik College
King David School
Andrew Blode
Leibler-Yavneh College
B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission
Magen David Adom
Mervyn Chait
Monash University
City of Glen Eira
Mount Scopus Memorial College
Community Security Group
Office of Multiculturalism and Citizenship
Eastern Press
Parliamentary Friends of Israel
Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission
Peter Haskin Photography
Edit-1 Video
Peter Unger Catering
Estate of Jakob Frenkiel
Progressive Judaism Victoria
Executive Council of Australian Jewry
Rabbinical Council of Victoria
Henry Greener at The Shtick
Sean Meltzer
Randi Grose
Sholem Aleichem College
Guests Accounting
Spiritual Health Victoria
Handcrafted Flowers
Studio HBD
Islamic Council of Victoria
Victoria Police
and to the many volunteers, working group members
and donors whose generosity has been outstanding and
gratefully appreciated.
___ 40
Notes
This page has been intentionally left blank
MONDAY
17 NOVEMBER
2014
IN THE PRESENCE OF
PROFESSOR JEFFREY V. ROSENFELD AM OBE
THE GENERAL SIR JOHN MONASH AWARD
FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE
IS BEING PRESENTED TO
PROFESSOR LOUIS WALLER AO
JCCV YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARD
JOSH BACK
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE FOLLOWING
RECIPIENTS
AUSTRALIAN JEWISH
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
DR HOWARD FREEMAN OAM
AUSTRALIAN JEWISH
PSYCHOLOGISTS
LISA POMEROY
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY
OF POLISH JEWS &
THEIR DESCENDANTS
IZYDOR MARMUR
AUSTRALASIAN UNION
OF STUDENTS –VICTORIA
STEPHEN MACHET
BLAKE STREET HEBREW
CONGREGATION
NAOMI DESSAUER
B’NAI B’RITH VICTORIA INC
EVA RATHNER
BRIGHTON HEBREW
CONGREGATION
DR JEFFREY SHAPIRO
CAULFIELD HEBREW
CONGREGATION
DANNY RADOCJIN
EMMY MONASH
AGED CARE
BRUCE JOSKE
JEWISH CARE
VICTORIA INC
MELISSA DAVIS
JEWISH COMMUNITY ARTS &
MEDIA
ROBERT BONTSCHEK
JEWISH HOLOCAUST CENTRE
ROSA KRAKOWSKI
JEWISH TASKFORCE AGAINST
FAMILY VIOLENCE
MARIANNE COOKLIN
KEHILAT NITZAN
CONSERVATIVE (MASORTI)
COMMUNITY INC
ZVI CIVINS
ST KILDA HEBREW
CONGREGATION
DANNY GOLDSMITH
MACCABI VICTORIA
RUSSELL JAFFE
STAND UP
(FORMERLY JEWISH AID)
CONNY BRANDT
MARCH OF THE LIVING
GREG SHER
TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL
SAM SHARMAN
MIZRACHI ORGANISATION
SAM SEIGEL
VAJEX
HAROLD KARPIN
NCJWA (VIC) INC
DR SUSAN FELDMAN
ZIONIST COUNCIL
OF VICTORIA
PESACH STEINBERG
MELBOURNE HEBREW
CONGREGATION
DAVID SHERR
SHALOM ASSOCIATION
VLADIMIR PLOTKIN
SOUTH CAULFIELD HEBREW
CONGREGATION
EARLE ORENSTEIN
306 Hawthorn Road
Caulfield South
Victoria 3162 Australia
T 61 3 9272 5566
F 61 3 9272 5560
E community@jccv.org.au
FOLLOW
JCCV
www.jccv.org.au
Community Security Group
(CSG) 1300 000 274
Jewish Emergency Management Plan
(JEMP) 1800 18 1816

the 2014 jccv annual report

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