Media Release: Australia Day Honours for Michael Barnett

Media Release
Australia Day Honours for Michael Barnett

Aleph Melbourne is proud to announce that our co-convenor, Michael Barnett, has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the 2023 Australia Day Honours List.

Michael has been an integral part of Aleph Melbourne, and receiving an Order of Australia recognises the tireless work he has undertaken in the Jewish community in Melbourne.

His work has spanned nearly 30 years, and the award acknowledges his dedication and devotion to ensuring that the community is welcoming of all gender and orientations.

Michael has provided a welcoming place for hundreds of people over the years, and has been at the forefront of fighting for the dignity and humanity of people from diverse genders and sexual orientations.

From arranging Shabbat meals and social get togethers to taking on the might of the establishment, he was worked tirelessly to make life just a little better for the community.

The award shows that his tenacity of efforts has paid dividends, as witnessed by the growing ‘Jews of Pride’ participation in Melbourne Pride March each year. What started as a small group marching with Aleph Melbourne has now expanded to many organisations and hundreds of people marching under the ‘Jews of Pride’ banner.

Michael Barnett OAM, congratulations, Aleph Melbourne is delighted that your hard work has been recognised.

Colin Krycer
Co-convenor – Aleph Melbourne

colin@aleph.org.au

Jewish Leaders Want to Ban Kanye West from Australia: ‘Don’t Want You Here’ | Newsweek

LGBTQ groups are also wary of Ye’s presence in the country, noting his apparent backflip in his support for the community when he invited rapper DaBaby to perform with him at his Donda album listening party in 2021. DaBaby has made multiple homophobic comments in the past.

“Until such time as Ye has unambiguously demonstrated he is a true friend of the Jewish people and has distanced himself from his hurtful antisemitic comments, and similarly has proven he is an LGBTIQ+ ally at least to the level he was in 2005, I support calls for the Australian government to deny him entry on character grounds,” said Michael Barnett, co-convenor of Aleph Melbourne, a Jewish LGBTQ group.
Jewish Leaders Want to Ban Kanye West from Australia: ‘Don’t Want You Here’

Caulfield Great Debate: Religious Discrimination

Audio extract from the November 3 2022 Caulfield Great Debate candidates forum, where the candidates discuss the proposed Liberal Party legislation to water down anti-discrimination legislation and how this may adversely impact LGBTIQ+ people.

Speakers: David Southwick MP (Liberal), Lior Harel (ALP), Nomi Kaltmann (independent), Rachel Iampolski (Greens), Julie Szego (moderator)

Victorian Liberal MP Gives Personal ‘Iron-Clad’ Guarantee To Protect LGBT Community From Discrimination | Star Observer

Michael Barnett, co-convenor of Aleph Melbourne welcomed Southwick’s “personal guarantee to look after the best interests of LGBTIQ+ people” but added that the organisation had concerns with the party’s policies.
“I am concerned that the Liberal Party as a whole does not share his strong support for our wellbeing. One just has to look at the untold damage they did to trans people by running an anti-trans candidate like Katherine Deves in NSW in the recent Federal election,” Barnett told Star Observer.
“I am also confounded as to what actual problem the Liberal Party feels it needs to introduce this legislation for. To my thinking they have fabricated a hypothetical scenario and are jumping in to save the day as the good guys. It’s the stuff of comic books, but it’s not funny,” added Barnett.

Victorian Liberal MP Gives Personal ‘Iron-Clad’ Guarantee To Protect LGBTCommunity From Discrimination

Aleph Melbourne hosts ultra-Orthodox Rabbi | AJN

‘A STRONG ALLY TO LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE’

Aleph Melbourne hosts ultra-Orthodox Rabbi

He maintains his religious practices while simultaneously attending Pride Parades and protest rallies for queer rights and inclusion.

By MIA GARDINER
September 12, 2022, 7:35 pm

From left: Rabbi Mike Moskowitz and Michael Barnett. Photo: Gregory Storer.

The Victorian Pride Centre on Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, provided the perfect location to hear New York’s ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Mike Moskowitz discuss how Judaism can provide a welcoming and inclusive place for people of all genders and sexual orientations, free from judgement and discrimination.

On his tour of Australia and New Zealand last month, the US based rabbi made time in his schedule to address an intimate gathering, as guest of Aleph Melbourne and the Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council.

Talking about how having a transgender family member challenged and changed his worldview, Rabbi Moskowitz spoke about how he devotes much of his time to making Judaism a safer and more welcoming place for LGBTIQ+ Jews, free from judgement and hostility.

Rabbi Moskowitz told those gathered that he maintains his religious practices while simultaneously attending Pride Parades and protest rallies for queer rights and inclusion.

He also stressed that the fundamental understanding that a person cannot change their sexual orientation or gender identity is of particular importance to him, and shared that he actively combats damaging practices that seek to change or convert LGBTIQ+ people to being heterosexual and/or cisgender.

Aleph Melbourne co-convenor Michael Barnett said, “It was a total joy meeting Rabbi Moskowitz. His passion for LGBTIQ+ people and issues rivals that of any ally I have ever met and sets a very high bar when it comes to advocacy and inclusion.”

He also told The AJN that “Many of those in attendance spoke of how they found it unexpectedly refreshing to meet an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who was proud to be a strong ally to LGBTIQ+ people and advocate for our full inclusion in the Jewish community.”

Barnett added, “What I took from meeting Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is that being decent to LGBTIQ+ people and other vulnerable minorities takes minimal effort, and goes a long way to mend the harms that ill-informed rabbis and others perpetrate in the name of their faith.”

Australian Jewish News – September 2 2022 – Melbourne edition

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Video: A conversation with Rabbi Mike Moskowitz

Aleph Melbourne and the Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council hosted a conversation with Rabbi Mike Moskowitz at the Victorian Pride Centre on Sunday August 14, 2022.

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is the Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue. He is a deeply traditional and radically progressive advocate for trans rights and a vocal ally for LGBTQ inclusivity. Rabbi Moskowitz received three Ultra-Orthodox ordinations while learning in the Mir in Jerusalem and in Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ.
www.rabbimikemoskowitz.com

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz – powerful LGBTIQ+ ally

AJN What's On column: Rabbi Mike Moskowitz — AJN What’s On: Conversation with Rabbi Mike Moskowitz

On Sunday @mike_rabbi addressed a gathering at @VicPrideCentre to discuss his activism and advocacy for LGBTIQ+ people. It was invigorating to hear an ultra-Orthodox rabbi speak with unflinching sincerity about such important issues. Thanks to @AgmcAustralia for their support. pic.twitter.com/TUJ7xVMZAl
— Aleph Melbourne (@alephmelbourne) August 16, 2022

L-R: Alexander Teh (AGMC), Susie & Dudi Danziger, Michael Barnett (Aleph Melbourne), Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, Colin Krycer (Aleph Melbourne)

L-R: Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, Michael Barnett (Aleph Melbourne)

A sense of Jewish pride | AJN

‘FANTASTIC SUPPORT’

A sense of Jewish pride

The annual Midsumma Pride March received fantastic support from the community.

By AJN STAFF
February 13, 2022, 10:00 am

The Jewish community was out in force at the annual Midsumma Pride March last Sunday. With crowds back to normal after the pandemic, there was rapturous applause for the 70 -strong Jews of Pride contingent, with everyone clapping and dancing along to the Jewish music.

Participating organisations included Aleph Melbourne, the Jewish Lesbian Group of Victoria, Temple Beth Israel, Habonim Dror, Hashomer Hatzair, Zionism Victoria, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), Pathways Melbourne, SKIF and Temple Beth Israel.

Aleph co-convenor Michael Barnett told The AJN “I am heartened to see the fantastic support from Jewish youth groups, providing a safe and inclusive space for LGBTIQ+ people. We also have more parents and families of young people attending, crucial to the safe development of their children.”

The sentiment was echoed by regular participant, Naomi Barnett, who said it was her best ever Pride March yet, with so much enthusiasm from the sidelines for the Jewish presence.

JCCV vice president Doron Abramovici reflected, “It is a wonderful experience for all Jewish organisations to march together, as a unified group.

Jewish submissions to inquiries for the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021

Enquiries

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights: Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and related bills
Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 [Provisions]; Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021 [Provisions] and Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 [Provisions]

Submissions

Aleph Melbourne

Submission to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry: Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and related bills

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Submission-15-Aleph-Melbourne-Senate-Standing-Committees-on-Legal-and-Constitutional-Affairs-Religious-Discrimination-Bill-2021-etc

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AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL & JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL

Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights’ Inquiry into Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and related bills

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Submission-147-Submission-to-the-Senate-Legal-and-Constitutional-Affairs-Legislation-Committee-Inquiry-into-Religious-Discrimination-Bill-2021-and-related-bills

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Executive Council of Australian Jewry

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry into Religious Discrimination Bill 2021, Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021 and Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021

ECAJ-Submission-to-PJCHR-re-Religious-Discrimination-Bill-2021-Final

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