We need real justice, not rumour
This week’s Torah reading – Shoftim – contains the well-known phrase ‘Tzedek tzedek tirdof’ (Devarim 16:20) – the injunction to pursue righteousness. This comes at the conclusion of verses which...
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Neither Orthodox nor Reform
Australia has a large and diverse community that offers much choice when it comes to synagogues and Jewish education. From Orthodox to Reform and most things in between; there is something for...
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Kevin Rudd, the Bible, and “natural conditions”
On the ABC’s Q&A programme last night, Kevin Rudd was challenged by a preacher who questioned why he, as a Christian, supported same-sex marriage and didn’t “believe the words of Jesus in the...
View ArticleAussie Jews leading the fight against hate
The liturgy of Yom Kippur includes the phrase “we have not been satisfied with the previous ways to sin, so we have found new ways”. On a day devoted to cleansing and starting afresh, it’s a poignant...
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Michael Mansell rejects Jewish history
Michael Mansell – photo courtesy of ABC web site Tasmanian lawyer and indigenous activist Michael Mansell has rejected his nomination for an Australia Day award, claiming that it would be hypocritical...
View ArticleOur Culture of Silence Must Change
We knew. We knew that Mendel* was an abusive husband and parent. His family lived a secluded and very private life, his children home schooled, and his wife barely went out. When they needed assistance...
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The Kaddish Club
They gather together in the middle of the work day, converging on venues around the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD) for about ten minutes, then returning to their busy work schedules. They...
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When good people do bad things
Rabbi Mordechai Elon Orthodox communities all over the world continue to struggle with the wave of child sexual abuse accusations coming forth. While there are certainly challenges with any close-knit...
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No room for ‘restraint’.
Today we learnt that while the entire Jewish world had united in prayer for the safe return of our kidnapped boys, they were in fact lying dead in a field – murdered and then discarded by their...
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Where is the Muslim Outrage at IS?
Imagine this scenario: the emergence of a militant Jewish group. The New Sadducee State (NSS) rejects the Torah’s Oral Tradition, and want to return the entire world to their rule under their literal...
View ArticleUnderstanding the Left
I might have finally understood the Left. The stance of the Left is best explained by one of my favourite jokes – the social worker joke: Two social workers are walking down the street late at night....
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