“Acceptance and Inclusion Can Only Bring Gay Jews Closer” by Rich Dweck.
Month: January 2013
Training the GLBTI trainers | AJN
The Australian Jewish News
Friday January 4, 2013
Page 7
Training the GLBTI trainers
AJN STAFF
KESHET Australia – a local group representing the rights of the Jewish gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) community – is seeking expressions of interest from rabbis, educators, and community professionals to take part in a US training program.
Workshops in January and May this year will provide programs for “training the trainers”, said Keshet Australia convenor Jonathan Barnett.
The workshops, organised by the Keshet Training Institute in the US, will teach these individuals how to train their own organisational staff to treat GLBTI individuals in an affirmative and inclusive manner, he said.
Keshet Australia is offer a limited number of partial scholarships to applicants who show a commitment to sharing the insights gained at these workshops with colleagues in the Australian Jewish communities, Barnett said.
Barnett said applicants need to detail why the wish to attend the Keshet Training Institute and how they hope to share learned knowledge in their local Jewish communities.
Enquiries: president@keshet.org.au.
Orthodox MK Amsallem steps up in support of gay marriage and then backtracks | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
Israeli court asked to recognize gay newlyweds’ prenup agreement | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
New PJV president’s 2020 vision | AJN
The Australian Jewish News
Friday, January 11, 2013
Page 6
New PJV president’s 2020 vision
Peter Kohn
NEW president of Progressive Judaism Victoria (PJV) Brian Samuel said he was confident of exciting times ahead, as he took office at the annual general meeting.
Samuel, who has spearheaded PJV’s new marketing strategy, has also worked on its Vision 20-20 program, looking at the organisation’s goals for the year 2020.
The past president of Temple Beth Israel, Samuel paid tribute to Dr Philip Bliss – who stepped down as PJV president after a three-year term – crediting him with transforming the organisation from a synagogue-based body into a communally based one, which incorporates The King David School and Netzer youth movement.
Samuel signalled further changes in the coming year, with a strategic development day on February 10 to lay the groundwork for Progressive Judaism at the end of the decade.
He welcomed former state MP Helen Shardey, who has taken on a community-relations portfolio, and will strengthen links between the PJV and the broader Jewish community, and within State Parliament.
In his report, Bliss outlined advances in outreach to smaller regional communities during the past year, as well as in education, Israel awareness, the United Israel Appeal Progressive Trust, shlichut (recruiting volunteers from Israel), and gay rights. “As I stand down, I know this year will be very exciting and rewarding.”
The meeting was addressed by Menachem Leibovic, deputy chair of Keren Kayemeth LeYisrael – Jewish National Fund, who have an update on his organisation’s ties with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism.
PJV board member Jonathan Barnett – a fire safety and forensic engineer who was on the investigative team set up by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York – spoke about how the 9/11 experience has led to preventative engineering for the future.
My Big, Gay Jewish Seder | The Arty Semite – Forward.com
SYN Media: GLBTIQ and multifaith opportunities
SYN Media has a vacancy for the Queer Youth on Air program that is set to get underway in 2013.
Are you curious about making radio and your own unique media?Check out the exciting opportunity for same sex attracted and gender diverse young people at SYN.Apply now!this is a short extension to our previous deadline, so get your application in ASAP!
If you have any questions please email me anytime or call me on Tuesday 15 January 2013 on 9925 4192.
We are also holding an information session for the existing multifaith program, Unscriptured, on Wednesday 16 January 2013.
Interested young people aged 12 – 25 are invited to come along to an information session on Wednesday 16 January from 4pm at SYN.To register, email access@syn.org.au
We would love you to join us at SYN so please feel free to call or email me to find out more.
kind regards,
Danae
Danae Gibson
Access Programming Coordinator
Student Youth Network Inc.
Book NOW for SYN Media Learning in 2013
Direct Line: 03 9925 4192
E-mail: access@syn.org.au | Web: www.syn.org.au
Clarifying the authority of the ECAJ « mikeybear
ECAJ submission to the Senate Committee on the Exposure Draft of Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry submitted a response to the Senate Committee inquiry on the Exposure Draft of Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012.
All submissions to this Senate inquiry are online here. The submission by the ECAJ is available on the Senate site (#242) and the ECAJ site.
The following paragraph on page 6 of the submission (emphasis added) is of particular relevance:
Whilst there are good, evidence-based policy reasons to have legislation in place which prohibits conduct that offends, insults, humiliates or intimidates others because of other attributes, especially sexual orientation and gender identity, we believe that this should take the form of anti-vilification, not anti-discrimination, legislation and such legislation should include the same objective element as applies when the protected attribute is race. If, as we believe is the case, the Commonwealth lacks the constitutional power to enact anti-vilification legislation to protect attributes other than race, then it should be left to the States and Territories to do so, and the focus of government should be to achieve uniformity in such legislation across Australia.
