Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex & Queer people in Melbourne's Jewish community. Founded 1995.
Jonathan Barnett is bringing Keshet to Australia. His message:
We have a committee and we have a plan. We will be bringing Keshet’s educational program to Australia. Contact me if you’d like to be involved. www.keshetonline.org
Read about this exciting initiative here.
Contact Jonathan on 0467-508-868 or jonathan.barnett@gmail.com if you are interested.
11 Nov 2011
The Australian Jewish News Melbourne edition
LIVIA ALBECK-RIPKA
AS THE only nominee for president in the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) elections, Nina Bassat will replace John Searle when he steps down after three years in the role.
According to Bassat, a former president of the JCCV and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, it’s an exciting time to take over.
“I think we are at a stage in communal life where we must work together.
“If there’s one thing I’d like to see happen it’s collaborative communal activity,” she told The AJN.
In a distinguished communal career, Bassat has been a tireless campaigner and facilitator for Holocaust restitution, for resettling Jews from the former Soviet Union, and for dealing with the aftermath of the Maccabiah bridge disaster. In 2003, Bassat, who has an Order of Australia medal, was added to the Victorian Women’s Roll of Honour. Having headed the JCCV from 1996-1998, Bassat currently presides as vice-president and is highly regarded by Searle.
“Nina Bassat has a wealth of experience and skills to offer our community and will no doubt do an outstanding job as president of this organisation. I wish her every success,” he Searle.
He said he felt confident that the JCCV was well placed to fulfil its mission to be the recognised and responsible peak body and voice of Victorian Jewry.
Basset will be joined by current board member Dr Helen Light as vice-president and Ian Jones as treasurer.
Meanwhile, the Jewish community has expressed unprecedented interest in joining the JCCV’S executive, with nine nominations received.
“We attribute this to the sensational job the JCCV has done over the last few years, the respect afforded to it by members of our community and the wider Victorian community as well as to our restructure, the reformulation of our mission and goals, and the introduction of clearly defined portfolio position descriptions,” Searle said.
He said interest in the organisation had been generated by its increasing relevance and high-profile in the community.
At the JCCV’S annual meeting on November 21, five executive members will be elected from current executives John Searle, Dvir Abramovich and Rimma Sverdlin and new nominees Ashley Browne, Daniel Fox, Jennifer Huppert, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant, Atida Lipshatz and Jackie Phillips.
Further to the post on November 3 about the analysis of the JCCV’s report, here’s the podcast of the interview.
| Title: | The Rainbow Report-Progress Part 3 | |
| Author: | Joy 94.9 | |
| Summary: | On this edition of the Rainbow Report Doug with the assistance of his co-host, Chris Warwick from the Defence Force Gay and Lesbian Information Service and hopefully our new producer, speak with Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black from the Centre for Progressive Judaism about the report that looks into GLBT vilification and discrimination in the Jewish community. | |
| Published: | Fri, 4 Nov 2011 2:08 PM | |
| Duration: | 14:51 | |
| Download: | RR_PODCAST_04 11 2011_PART 3.mp3 | |
Last month Doug Pollard spoke to the JCCV’s outgoing President John Searle about the progress of their investigation into vilification of and discrimination against GLBT people in the Jewish community. Tomorrow he discusses the findings of the JCCV’s investigation with Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black from the Leo Baeck Centre.
Tune in to JOY 94.9 in Melbourne or via live streaming on www.joy.org.au at 12:30pm (UTC/GMT+11) on Friday November 4 2011.
If you’d like to know a little more about Jonathan, this article will give you an idea of the wonderful person that he is.
“Regular listeners will know that I’ve been following the story of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and their somewhat tortuous relations with the gay and lesbian community
This week saw the publication of their report into GLBT discrimination and vilification in the Jewish Community, and it’s fair to say that while it was progress of a sort, most seemed to feel it was far too little. Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black, from the Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism in Melbourne, gives us his reactions to the report.”
4 Nov 2011
The Australian Jewish News Melbourne edition
ADAM KAMIEN
“I was concerned that some rabbis still practised or recommended some form of aversion, or conversion therapy.”
Sally Goldner
JCCV GLBT reference group
A NUMBER of recommendations for tackling “discrimination, harassment and abuse” faced by members of Melbourne’s Jewish gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community have been put forward by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV).
In a report issued by a reference group comprising members of the JCCV executive, and the GLBT Jewish community, as well as representatives from Jewish Care and Australian Jewish Psychologists, concern was also expressed over the resultant mental-health issues those affected could experience, such as depression and suicide
JCCV president John Searle said the study was the first of its kind, and that he hoped it would help improve foster tolerance and acceptance.
“We have recognised the need to deal openly with issues of vilification and discrimination in our community, and hope that this report will play a part in educating members of the community so as to reduce prejudice and incidence of mental health issues among our GLBT community members,” Searle told The AJN.
The report also identified challenges facing the Orthodox community, which it said must reconcile “the rulings of Jewish law with the need to ensure that all people are treated with compassion and acceptance”.
The report offers a number of recommendations, including increasing the level of education within schools, professional development programs for rabbis, and the adoption by all community organisations of a policy prohibiting discrimination and vilification based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity.
Spokesperson for the transgender community, and a member of the JCCV reference group Sally Goldner, said the report had shed light on the challenges facing the Jewish GLBT community.
“The report has given us a really clear picture of where things are at, which we didn’t really know,” Goldner said.
“There was anecdotal evidence, but what this has done is put it into a succinct picture so we know where to move forward.”
Goldner described the dialogue between the GLBT community and the wider Jewish community as “pioneering”.
“The report is a great step, and if the things it recommends can happen in the next three years and we check and see further progress, I think that’s excellent.”
But there is still cause for concern according to Goldner, who said there were some disturbing findings.
“I was concerned that some rabbis still practised or recommended some form of aversion, or conversion therapy. That is disconcerting both objectively and as someone who has been through the psychological side of attempted conversion therapy. It’s a very frightening process, and I’m concerned that anyone would still think that might be possible.”
Bruce Llama comments on the recently released report from the JCCV’s GLBT Reference Group. Read here: The JCCV releases a report! | Bruce Llama.
Following the August 2011 Call for Submissions, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) announced on October 31, 2011 the release of their report into vilification and discrimination of GLBT people in the Melbourne Jewish community. Read the report here.