Tag: JCCV

MR: Aleph Melbourne expresses alarm at Melbourne visit by Moshe Feiglin

MEDIA RELEASE
October 9 2015

ALEPH MELBOURNE EXPRESSES ALARM AT MELBOURNE VISIT BY MOSHE FEIGLIN

 

The imminent visit by Moshe Feiglin to Melbourne has raised alarm by many organisations within the Melbourne Jewish community.  Aleph Melbourne is signatory to a collective statement from these organisations.

Despite claiming to support “human rights” for LGBTIQ people, Moshe Feiglin opposes full societal inclusion and equality of LGBTIQ people, as reported in the Jerusalem Post in 2013:

Feiglin said. “When you’re trying to change the value system, that pushes me into the closet!” Families, he stated, are the foundation stone of society and the nation, and he said he would not do anything to harm what he called the “classic” family structure of one man, one woman and their children.

Aleph convenor Michael Barnett said: “Any Holocaust denier or anti-Semite would be hounded out of town by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Anti-Defamation Commission, yet despite these organisations calling for respect for LGBTIQ people, they have remained silent on this visit from a person who does not respect LGBTIQ people.  That is unacceptable.  This man represents intolerance and intolerance is unacceptable to a cohesive and safe community.”

Aleph Melbourne calls on the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Anti-Defamation Commission to express their extreme disappointment at the Jewish organisations that are hosting Moshe Feiglin during his visit to Melbourne, in addition to their outrage at his visit.

ENDS

Contact Michael Barnett for further comment on 0417-595-541

Jews All Diverse and Equal Video Competition! | Minus18 + JCCV

From Minus18:

We’re working on a very exciting new project with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria!

It’s a video competition all about showcasing the experiences of Jewish young people to help combat LGBTI discrimination!

Entries close on October 30th! Get in fast!

Go to http://jccv.org.au/jade for more information!

Minus18 is Australia’s largest youth-led organisation for same-sex attracted and gender diverse young people. This is where we belong.

Website https://minus18.org.au

JCCV Plenum votes in favour of admitting Keshet as an affiliate

On Monday evening (Aug 3 2015) the Jewish Community Council of Victoria voted on the admission of Keshet Australia as an affiliate member.  The well-attended meeting, held at the Blake Street Hebrew Congregation, was orderly, efficient and respectful.

Photos from the evening (below).  Permission is granted for use (with accompanying credit to “Aleph Melbourne/Michael Barnett”) for supportive promotion of the event.

Additional media coverage here and here.

A packed JCCV Plenum meeting
Rarely is a JCCV Plenum meeting packed to capacity.  PHOTO: Michael Barnett.
JCCV Plenum votes for Keshet
The ‘Yes’ vote.  PHOTO: Michael Barnett.
JCCV admits Keshet
(L-R) Alan Samuel, Philip Bliss, Jonathan Barnett, Jennifer Huppert, Mark Cherny, Jonathan Cohen.  PHOTO: Michael Barnett.

Media Release – JCCV, Keshet and Social Inclusion | JCCV

[JCCV media release; DOC file]

Major Milestones In Social Inclusion For The Jewish Community

04 August 2015

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) Plenum on Monday night had a near record attendance of affiliate organisations, community leaders and interested community members to participate in two milestone events.

In a landmark decision, the JCCV Plenum voted to support the affiliation of Keshet Australia Inc, the JCCV’s first LGBT affiliate. Jonathan Barnett, President of Keshet spoke about the mental health and exclusion problems faced by Jews of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, and Keshet’s role in combatting these.

Jennifer Huppert, JCCV President, stated, “This is the first time that a LGBT organisation has joined a Jewish community roof body in Australia and one of the few around the world.  Rarely has this happened in faith based communities anywhere in the world.”

This is a concrete step in our advancement of full social inclusion for every member of the Jewish community, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.  The discussions within our affiliates before the vote were important, as they raised awareness of the issues faced by some members of our community, and the importance of embracing diversity.  The vote was a comprehensive victory for inclusion and a strong statement by the Jewish community against homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and intersex exclusion.”

David Marlow, JCCV Executive Director stated, “This vote may not change the world, but will change the way many in our community feel about the world.”

The JCCV Plenum also voted to support the adoption of the new JCCV Social Inclusion Disability Policy, aimed at reducing stigma and improving inclusion and access to community based services and activities for members of the Jewish community with a disability.  The Policy was introduced by JCCV executive member Doron Abramovici, who said that “The JCCV has a proud record of advocating for inclusion all members of our community and today we extend this history with 2 motions”. David Southwick MP, Chair of the Social Inclusion Leadership Committee (SILC) was one of a number of people who spoke in support of the policy.

Bialik College urges the community to support Keshet

Last Friday, July 31 2015, the Principal of Bialik College, Jeremy Stowe-Lindner, issued this letter urging the community to support the application of Keshet Australia to become an affiliate member of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria at the plenum meeting on Monday August 3.

 

31 July 2015

Shalom Kehilla,

Rarely do I write to our Bialik community to pass comment on events beyond the College, but such is the situation at the moment with regards the inclusion of members of our community that I feel obligated to write.

It is with horror that we turned on our computers this morning and opened our newspapers to learn of the knife attack at the Gay Pride event in Jerusalem. The attack appears to have been perpetrated by a member of our own community and this makes the situation all the more shocking.

The Jewish people are a mosaic of difference. Whether we are Orthodox or Progressive, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, practising or non-practising, gay or straight we are all members of klal Yisrael, the people of Israel.

The rainbow spectrum of our community, and I use the term ‘rainbow’ deliberately, is something that we should celebrate. The idea of inclusion of those whose lifestyles are different to what may be seen as mainstream, but contribute positively to the community without impinging on the freedom of others, is a fundamental tenet of modern liberal Jewish values.

As the Jewish Community Council of Victoria debates on Monday whether to include Keshet, a group representing Jews who may not identify as heterosexual, I would like to express my personal view as Principal of a cross-communal pluralist Jewish school that the inclusion of such members of the community in our institutions should not be a matter of debate but simply a matter of fact.

Having just commemorated Tisha B’Av, the date when so many calamities have befallen the Jewish people and when we bemoan ‘baseless hatred’, now is the time to come together as a community and make a positive stand for inclusion.

Shabbat Shalom,

Jeremy Stowe-Lindner
Principal

 

Jewish Community Council of Victoria issues statement against Jerusalem knife attack

Adding to a strong statement against the Jerusalem Pride March knife attack from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria have added the following message:

“The attack in Jerusalem is a despicable act.  Bigotry, intolerance and hatred are not acceptable in any community, here, in Israel or anywhere.  We join with the ECAJ in condemning this terrible incident, which demonstrates where hate can lead.  Everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity should feel free and safe in their daily lives.” — Jennifer Huppert JCCV President

Rabbi Is Out Of Line & Out Of Touch With The Community | JCCV

Rabbi Is Out Of Line & Out Of Touch With The Community

16 February 2015

Jewish Community Council of VictoriaMuch of the evidence presented at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse over the past two weeks has been seriously disturbing, appalling and distressing. One of the lows was the statement made by Rabbi Zvi Telsner, a senior rabbi in the Yeshivah community, that homosexuals can be ‘cured’.

This is repulsive, ignorant and insulting, demonstrating a serious departure from the views of the mainstream Jewish community.

Rabbi Telsner also linked paedophilia and homosexuality in his testimony. Any such linking is disturbing and indeed toxic. Those comments are poisonous to people of diverse sexual preference, their families and friends.

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) signed up to the ‘No To Homophobia’ campaign in 2013, the first and possibly only faith community to do so and we urged our affiliates to do likewise.  26 Jewish community organisations have also signed up to the campaign, including the Australian Union of Jewish students (AUJS), Progressive Judaism Victoria, Jewish Care, Jewish Aid, the Jewish Holocaust Centre and the Jewish Museum. Obviously Rabbi Telsner, whose organisation is not affiliated to JCCV, did not sign up.

View Related Article in “Star Observer”

MEDIA RELEASE: Jewish Community responds to Australian politicians attending hate conference

MEDIA RELEASE – FOR  IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION – 28/07/2014
ALEPH MELBOURNE WELCOMES STATEMENT FROM JCCV REGARDING WORLD CONGRESS OF FAMILIES CONFERENCE

 

Aleph Melbourne welcomes a statement from David Marlow, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) this morning in response to the news that some politicians from Victoria are attending a conference organised by the World Congress of Families:

“Any spreading of homophobia, homophobic hate speech or the virulent type of dangerous and disgraceful views on homosexuality spread by the likes of Pastor Scott Lively are completely unacceptable in Victoria and Australia. These sorts of views have led to bullying, violence and murder of gay people across the world, who just want to live their lives in peace and equality.”

Aleph Melbourne convenor Michael Barnett said “Kudos to the JCCV for speaking out against homophobia.  No Victorian politician should be attending a conference organised by a hate group.  The Jewish community works very hard to stamp out hate in all its forms and I’m grateful that the JCCV has recognised any association with this conference is unacceptable.”

Aleph Melbourne calls on Premier Denis Napthine and Prime Minister Tony Abbott to speak out against Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark and Federal MP Kevin Andrews attending this conference.

Further comment available from Michael Barnett on 0417-595-541 or michael@aleph.org.au