May 2010:  Shabbat at Chabad House

We were treated to a fine multi-course dinner at Chabad House.  Prior to the meal getting underway Rabbi Mendel Goldstein took us through a Shabbat Seder.  Through it we were introduced to many traditions that most had never experienced before.  During the meal, there was lively discussion about all sorts of topics from Israel to the ethics of producing synthetic life.

A great time was had by all and we look forward to the Goldstein family's return in a few months from furlough in New York.

April 2010:  Heritage: Civilization and the Jews: Episode 5

We continued our journey through the history of the Jews in April.  We picked up the thread of Jewish history as the intellectual awakening of the Renaissance began to alter the attitudes and habits of all people.  Scholars such as Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Johanes Kepler and Galileo began to examine the world around them with new eyes.

Abba Eban took us through the narrow alleys of the Venetian ghetto life. Jewish composers, artists and poets achieved fame that transcended the ghetto walls.  Spanish and Portugese Jews who had escaped the persecution of the Spanish Inquisition, flocked to Amsterdam, known as the "New Jerusalem" where refugees from religious intolerance were welcomed.

March 2010:   Peter Durrant and Passover

Peter Durrant looked at the archaeological history of the Passover and in particular the archaeological backing for the location of the biblical Mt Sinai.   As part of his presentation we watched the adventures of Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams as they make the case for Jebel el Lawz, which is located in modern Saudi Arabia, as the “real” Mt Sinai.   During the discussion it was interesting to hear that there at least 13 other sites put forward by other scholars as potential Mt Sinai alternatives.

Dr Henrietta Mondry, Jewish stereotypes in Czarist Russia, the Soviet Union and the Post-Soviet States:  February 2010

Henrietta Mondry’s Exemplary Bodies: Constructing the Jew in Russian Culture since the 1880s is one of the most important books to appear in the burgeoning field of Russian-Jewish studies this decade. She demonstrated how recurring themes from the Blood Libel and the demonization of Jews as criminals, corrupt and greedy had become entrenched in Russian society. 

Despite Russia's repudiation of the Holocaust and support for the establishment of Israel, these stereotypes have remained in the Post-Soviet states.  Unlike the Roman Catholic church, there are no stories of Russian Orthodox clergy risking their lives to protect Jews from persecution,  nor are there any official apologies ever been made by the Russian Orthodox church for the persecutions of the past.

Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Middle East (KBRM):  December 2009

NZFOI hosted the President of Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Middle East (KBRM), Rodney Brooks who gave a spirited presentation of their work and the responses to their advocacy on behalf of Israel.

Along the way they have discovered that:

• The newspapers have allowed published falsehoods to remain uncorrected.
• Often letters columns do not have both sides of the argument adequately covered.
• Pro-Israeli articles and opinion pieces are vastly outnumbered by material from the opposing lobby.
• The standard of journalism when measured against factors such as fairness, adequate research and independence is poor in this country.

Dr Rodney Brooks is a Physicist who worked for a meteorological research organisation in Maryland USA before retiring to Wanaka New Zealand.  While in the US, he participated in advocacy work seeking to address unbalanced reporting found in the Washington Post and other papers.  He has recently published his book on Quantum Field Theory which can be freely read from here.

Heritage: Civilization and the Jews: Episode 3-4: October-November

Over October and November we were pleased to present two episodes from the documentary series "Heritage: Civilization and the Jews."

Episode 3 covers the period 30 AD to 732 AD.  In first century Rome Jews were scattered throughout the Mediterranean. Wherever they lived, communities of Jews continued to obey the laws of their own land though it might be thousands of miles away. By the year 135, the Roman armies of the Emperor Hadrian had crushed the land of Judea. A total of 580,000 Jews had been killed in battles and raids. On the ruins of Jerusalem, a Roman city was built. The shrine to Jupiter was erected where the Holy Temple had stood, and the teaching of Judaism became a capital crime. Emperor Hadrian obliterated the Jewish state and renamed Judea, Palestine. The Shaping of Traditions chronicles the decline of this Roman Empire, a process extending over four centuries, and shows how the Jewish faith continued to survive throughout these turbulent years.

Episode 4 covers the period from 732 AD to 1492 AD. During this period, the Jews founded a "Golden Age" in the 10th and 11th centuries, despite periodic persecution in Islamic Spain. "In Spain for more than two centuries, Arabs and Jews lived together, side by side, bound to each other despite differences, by a common love of beauty and knowledge, poetry and music, art and philosophy." Our gaze is then transported to Northern Europe where Christianity was gradually consolidating its authority. Then we return to see the Spanish Inquisition and the disastrous course of events that followed as the Jewish people found themselves trapped in a politically and economically untenable position. Join us for the viewing of this wonderfully informative and poignant documentary.

Rosh HaShannah:  September 2009

We were pleased to be addressed by Ina de Paauw on the subject of Rosh Hashanah.  Ina de Paauw emigrated to New Zealand from the Netherlands last April and is now a member of the Canterbury Hebrew Congregation.  Prior to her arrival in New Zealand, she was the chair and treasurer for the Kehillat Beit HaChidush Jewish Community a progessive denomination within Judaism.  She has practiced as a Funeral Director for 20 years and has been influential in developing new forms of Jewish funereal rituals and ceremonies.

We thought we were only going to hearing about one of the Festivals during the High Holy Month but her presentation took us through how this festival fitted into a framework of worship that covered the entire season.  Through her exciting and interested delivery we were treated to a rare insight into why this period is a very special part of the year for the spiritual life of a Jew. 

Live and Become: 11 August 2009

It had been some years since I last saw the movie "Live and Become", the story of an Ethiopian Christian whose Mother, having already lost the rest of the family to bandits and starvation, passes him off as a Jew so that he would be evacuated to Israel under Operation Moses in 1984.  As they part, she commands him to "Live and become."  The film was filled with many heart rending moments as the young nine year-old dealt with his separation anxiety, to adapting to Jewish society whilst all the while keeping his dark secret, and at the same time, struggling with his identity throughout. 

It is a thought provoking movie that raises more questions than answers:

• Who is a Jew?
• What was the conflict that led to so many people becoming refugees?
• Why were Jews persecuted in Ethiopia?
• How did a community of Jews come to be in Ethiopia?
• What happened to all the refugees that were left behind?
• Have those conflicts been resolved now?
• Has the prejudice against the Ethiopian Jews abated?

As the movie closed and the lights came on, I looked around and saw hardly a dry eye in the place.  If you ever get a chance to purchase this move as a DVD, buy it, its a keeper.

Alan Dershowitz:  The Case Against Israel's Enemies:  Panel Discussion: July 14 2009

On July we had a panel discussion on the material presented in Alan Dershowitz's book "The Case Against Israel's Enemies."  This was a great opportunity to find out about the background to some of Israel's harshest critics and to look at the supporting evidence that they had for their various arguments.

Shavuot Cooking Demonstration: May 17

Shavuot (or Shavuos , in Ashkenazi usage; lit. "Weeks") is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. It is one of the shalosh regalim, the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer.

The date of Shavuot is directly linked to that of Passover. The Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover and immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the Giving of the Torah. On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.

The festival being a celebration of such a happy occasion is strongly linked to food and feasting.

Des and Evelyn Rubie, Glennis Lane and Rebecca Marchand gave an informative demonstration of a number of traditional Jewish dishes and an opportunity to see how Challah bread is braided. Those who attended were treated to a wonderful panoply of exquisite tastes and flavours.

Representing Evil: The Holocaust and its Legacy: 14 April

In April we were pleased to have Dr Susanne Ledanff carry out a presentation on a course she was teaching at the University of Canterbury.  The course covered the history of the Holocaust, the events that led to its inception, the extent of its activities and finally the impact it has had on post-war and modern European culture.

"The systematic mass killings at Auschwitz are a defining moment of twentieth-century history and culture. To study the camps is not just to see one of the world's deepest abysses of racism; it is to understand the historical and sociological fabric of that racism and to reflect on its disturbing modernity. In this course we will study the specific background of German anti-Semitism in particular but also the intellectual roots of anti-Semitism and Racism in other European countries. In the course, we look at the Nazi system of domination, with particular emphasis on how "peacetime" Nazism shaped the lives of citizens. This is followed by an examination of the system of terror and extermination with particular emphasis on the concentration camps in Eastern Europe. The course also looks at the case of France during German occupation and the consequences of German occupation and the actions of the co-operating Vichy Regime for the Jews. "

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr Ledanff is the Programme Director and Senior Lecturer in German at the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Before coming to Canterbury, Susanne was Assistant Professor at the Technical University Berlin, and DAAD-Lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria.  Her research interests include Goethe, Berlin cultural history 1800-1850; new Berlin literature after 1989; German literature; Contemporary German culture; and German sociolinguistics.

ICEJ Ambassadorial Dinner: April 2

ICEJ recently hosted a dinner for the Israeli Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Mr Yuval Rotem which I was fortunate to be able to attend as a representative of NZFOI.

Over 320 people filled the Spencer on Byron Hotel to hear Mr Malcolm Hedding give the keynote address. Mr Hedding is the International Director of the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ), and travelled to New Zealand especially for the event.

The evening attracted guests from throughout New Zealand, including a great mix of people from the Jewish and Christian community to show their appreciation for the work of both the Israeli Embassy in Canberra and the Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, and offer encouragement for their efforts.

It was also a celebration of a shared love for Israel, the Land, the People and the State.

Mr Rotems address focused mainly on the imminent threat that Iran poses to Israel and the rest of the world, he stressed that it should not be down played or underestimated.

Mr Hedding gave a heart warming address that reinforced the Christian community's commitment to supporting Israel's right to exist and defend herself, and emphasized Gods faithfulness to his covenants and promises.

Addresses were also given by Mr Bob Narev from the Auckland Hebrew Community and Mr Graeme Lee, former leader of the Christian Democrats - each bringing their own perspectives on Israel.

The Challenge of Money:  A Jewish Perspective on Earning and Spending: 1 March

Meir Tamari

Tamari used a passage from Pirkei Avos as the centrepiece of his presentation:

"There are four character types among people. One who says, 'What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours' is of average character, and some say, this is the character of Sodom. [One who says] 'What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine' is unlearned (lit., [of] the people of the land). [One who says] 'What's mine is yours and what's yours is yours' is pious. [One who says] 'What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine' is wicked." Ch 5, Mishna 13

His discourse explained how this passage could equally be translated as "four character types within a person" and that they could be used to explain why unfettered Communism, Socialism, Free Markets cannot be made to work, warmly illustrating many of his points with stories of his time in kibbutzim in Israel. 

Economics he said, is not the answer to everything, nor can everything be explained in terms of Economics.  In fact our modern view of Economics is flawed.  Prior to the 1940s Economics was taught in the Western world as part of Religion.  However the University of Chicago separated out the two, saying that Economics could be treated like a science.  In fact it opened the door for Secular Humanism to fill the vacuum.  Yet, all economic decisions are the outcome of moral judgements.  Today, the unspoken mantra is "more is better."  In fact, "less is more" may also apply.  Modern Economics does not teach the concept of "enough." 

On being asked for his opinion of what was the fundamental cause for the economic crisis we currently face:  "Let there be no doubt, this crisis is caused by moral bankruptcy."  Those who could attend the presentation were treated to a fascinating night as Tamari demonstrated how the Torah applied to modern Economics.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Meir Tamari was born Leopold Fagov in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1927, and graduated from the University of Cape Town with a degree in economics in 1948. Tamari was an active member of the Zionist Bnei Akiva youth group, and in 1950 he joined other members of this group in moving to Israel. At first he settled in Kfar Darom, moving soon afterwards to Kibbutz Shluchot. (It was from the palm -- Hebrew tamar -- trees in Shluchot that Tamari coined his Hebrew name.)

In 1960 Tamari became an economist at the Bank of Israel, attaining the status of Senior Economist in 1967. He was responsible for the bank's Corporate Finance Project, analyzing the economic characteristics of manufacturing firms. This study attracted international attention. In 1971 Tamari served as a special consultant to the UK Royal Commission on Small Firms, and later he was invited by the French Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) to make a comparison of corporate financial patterns in various countries. This research formed the basis of his doctoral thesis at the City University of London, which granted him a Ph.D. in 1976. The thesis was later published as a book, Some International Comparisons of Industrial Financing.

Subsequently Tamari served as Senior Lecturer in Economics at Bar Ilan University. Bar Ilan defines itself as a religious Jewish university, but Tamari was disturbed by the seeming disconnect between the Jewish and academic identities of the school and its students. He writes: "Although the university is an Orthodox Jewish institution, I found myself teaching course in corporate finance in exactly the same way I would have done in any other university in the world, with the content completely divorced from a Jewish value system." He began to introduce more Jewish sources and content into his economics courses, in order to emphasize that Jewish tradition adopts a particular ethical approach to economic issues and problems.

Ultimately Tamari "created a special course that would attempt to present to the students this value system and its practical application to economics". This was the first, or among the first, accredited business ethics course ever offered in any Israeli institution of higher learning. These courses helped Tamari to lay the foundations of his unique approach to Jewish business ethics. He also began an intensive lecture schedule to lay audiences worldwide on the topic of Jewish Business Ethics.

In 1987 Tamari published his landmark work, With All Your Possessions: Jewish Ethics and Economic Life. The book, based on the Bar Ilan University course, is still in print after 20 years. This was followed in 1995 by The Challenge of Wealth: A Jewish Perspective on Earning and Spending Money, Al Chet: Sins in the Marketplace in 1996, and Jewish Values in our Open Society: A Weekly Torah Commentary in 2000.

In 1992, Tamari founded the Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, on the campus of the Jerusalem College of Technology. He continues to serve as the honorary Head of the Center. Today the center is known as the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem.

Meir Tamari lives in a suburb of Jerusalem with his wife Devora. He continues an active schedule of writing and lecturing.

Barbecue: February 2009

We started the New Year off with a BBQ at the President's house.  A great time was had by all as everyone got to know one another over some great food and excellent sunny weather.

Of course, it had been an eventful Summer break with Israel's Gaza campaign to quell the rocket attacks launched from that quarter. 

This New Year was likely to be a busy one as we continued to build our ties with the Hebrew community, and had established a joint project to hold seminars on Holocaust Education.  By sponsoring such seminars we hope to not only raise awareness of the Holocaust but also to work against the evil of racial prejudice in all parts of society.

The committee had met to work out a program of events for the year and had started working on lining them up already.

Hanukkah and the work of Chabad Lubavitch:  December 2008

This month the Society welcomed Mendel Goldstein to give a presentation on Hanukkah and the work of Chabad Lubavitch. Tragically, the Chabad centre in Mumbai India was attacked in December and Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife were murdered.

Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.

Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the largest Hasidic movements in Orthodox Judaism, and is based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Chabad is a Hebrew acronym for Chochmah, Binah, Da'at meaning Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. Lubavitch is the only extant branch of a family of Hasidic sects once known collectively as the Chabad movement; the names are now used interchangeably.

The movement took its name from Lyubavichi, the Russian town which served as the movement's headquarters for over a century. It has over 200,000 adherents, and up to a million Jews attend Chabad services at least once a year. Its adherents follow Chabad traditions and prayer services based on Lurianic kabbalah. As "Hasidim", they follow the Chassidus of Israel ben Eliezer.

Founded in the late 18th century by Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Chabad-Lubavitch has had seven leaders or rebbes. Menachem Mendel Schneerson succeeded his father-in-law, Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn in 1950, becoming the seventh leader of the movement, a position he held until his death in 1994.

Today the movement runs thousands of centers around the world, Jewish community centers, synagogues and schools, providing outreach and educational activities for Jews.

Rabbi Mendel (Mendy) Goldstein and his wife Sara are the Directors of Chabad's work in New Zealand. During his time in Christchurch, Mendy has become an integral part of the Hebrew Community's spiritual life.  Chabad House has also become the support centre for Israeli travellers touring through Canterbury.  Mendy was prominently involved in supporting the family of Liat Okin when she went missing on the Routeburn track in April.  He has recently announced plans to start a kosher restaurant in Christchurch.

A collection of $400 was taken up for the Holtzbergs.

The role of the ANZACs in the Middle East and the establishment of Israel:  November 2008

Kelvin Crombie

The Gallipoli campaign in World War I, celebrated on Anzac Day, April 25, has a much deeper meaning than has been generally applied to it, according to historian Kelvin Crombie.

“I believe the Anzacs’ defeat at Gallipoli was followed through by geopolitical events that directly contributed to the restoration of the state of Israel."

At our November meeting, historian Kelvin Crombie gave a detailed presentation on this interesting topic.

While working in Israel Kelvin Crombie became intrigued by the role of the Anzacs in the history of modern Israel. He has been researching for the past 25 years the contribution of the Anzac troops to the Middle East. His book "Anzacs, Empires and Israel's Restoration" was published in 1998.

The Fall Festivals through the Lens of a Jewish Wedding: October 2008

At our October meeting, we had Des Rubie presented a most interesting talk on the Autumn Festivals (Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah).

He showed how the various festivals illustrate the elements of a Jewish wedding and thereby reinforced how a covenant marriage was woven into the relationship between God and Israel.

His notes can be downloaded from here.

Des Rubie is a retired Jewish farmer who has studied the Scriptures for over 50 years.  He is a parent to 4 children and a grandparent to 17 grandchildren.

Arnold Zable:  September 2008

Arnold Zable is a dynamic and highly acclaimed storyteller. His books include the award winning Jewels and Ashes (1992), The Fig Tree (2002) and the novels Café Scheherazade (2001) and Scraps of Heaven (2004). He is president of the International PEN, Melbourne.

Zable was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1947, and grew up in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton. He attended Melbourne University and Columbia University. He has travelled and lived in the USA, India, Papua New Guinea, Europe, Southeast Asia and China.

He has run workshops for migrants and refugees, and has recently spent considerable time with refugees held in Australian detention centres. Arnold Zable lives in Melbourne with his wife and son.

Zable spoke with passion about memory and history, displacement and community, the experience of the Jewish diaspora, within Australia.

AGM:  August 2008

We held our AGM during our August meeting and elected a new President for the Canterbury Branch and a new Treasurer.

Many thanks to Barry Thompson for the many years he has served as President.  He continues to serve as the President for the National Administration.

Jim Slape was elected as a Life Member of the Association.

Members' lunch:  July 2008

In July 2008 we met at the Northwood Villas clubrooms and enjoyed a fun lunch together.  It was a great opportunity to get to know one another.

Rebecca Marchand and Mendel Goldstein gave a report on their trip to the Gala Dinner held in Auckland to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of Israel as a modern nation state. 

Former Australian cabinet minister Alexander Downer gave an interesting presentation on his views regarding Israel's right to exist in the Middle East and related many amusing anecdotes on his government's position on the matter.  John Key also had an opportunity to present his views while he thanked the Downer for his address. 

The afternoon was rounded off with an interesting discussion with Mendel on Judaism and various aspects of Christianity.

Paper Clips

In April 2008 we showed the documentary "Paper Clips".  It was about the town of Whitwell, Tennessee and how it went about finding out what the Holocaust was about.

Whitwell, TN is a small, rural community of less than two thousand people nestled in the mountains of Tennessee. Its citizens are almost exclusively white and Christian. In 1998, the children of Whitwell Middle School took on an inspiring project, launched out of their principal's desire to help her students open their eyes to the diversity of the world beyond their insulated valley. What happened would change the students, their teachers, their families and the entire town forever… and eventually open hearts and minds around the world.

     

PAPER CLIPS is the moving and inspiring documentary film that captures how these students responded to lessons about the Holocaust-with a promise to honor every lost soul by collecting one paper clip for each individual exterminated by the Nazis. Despite the fact that they had previously been unaware of and unfamiliar with the Holocaust, their dedication was absolute. Their plan was simple but profound. The amazing result, a memorial railcar filled with 11 million paper clips (representing 6 million Jews and 5 million gypsies, homosexuals and other victims of the Holocaust) which stands permanently in their schoolyard, is an unforgettable lesson of how a committed group of children and educators can change the world one classroom at a time.

PAPER CLIPS, presented by One Clip At A Time HMA, is a production of The Johnson Group, in association with Miramax Films and Ergo Entertainment. It was named one of the top films of 2004 (documentary) by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, has been acclaimed by critics as "Oscar caliber" (Joel Siegel, Good Morning America ), and has received audience and jury awards at film festivals across the country.

Ebenezer Emergency Fund

In March 2008, Steve Lightle gave an interesting talk on the work of the Ebenezer Emergency Fund.  Ebenezer is an interdenominational Christian organization. Since being founded in 1991 by Gustav Scheller in Bournemouth, England, Ebenezer has helped over 100,000 Jewish people make aliyah (return to Israel) from the lands of the former Soviet Union by sea, and on Jewish Agency-sponsored flights. Having started with just three people, Ebenezer now has a team of over 250, an International Board and offices in the USA, Switzerland and Germany, national coordinators in 23 countries as well as an increasing number of bases in the former Soviet Union. 

Steve is a former Seattle Businessman who lives in Israel and has been involved in the work of the Fund since its inception.  He has also authored two books on the Ebenezer Emergency Fund:  "Exodus II" and "Operation Exodus II".

International Law and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Dr Kennedy Graham gave a lecture on

• What is this thing called "international law"?
• How does it apply to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict?
• How has it been (mis)applied historically?

His lecture covered the theory of international law and touched on

• The historical development of International Law
• The UN charter
• The role of the Security Council and its legislative powers
• The International Court of Justice and how it has become more
  common to see those accused of crimes against humanity have
  been tried.
• Some future developments in International Law.

About the Speaker: 

Dr. Graham serves on a number of advisory boards including the:

o Public Advisory Group on Disarmament and Arms Control (Wellington)
o NZ Institute of International Affairs (Christchurch)
o Conflict Prevention Project of the International Crisis Group (Brussels)
o EU & Global Governance Programme of the European Policy Centre (Brussels)
o Khan Foundation of Bangladesh (Dhaka)

  Dr Graham is visiting professor at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. He has also been commissioned to prepare a feasibility study for the establishment of the Ana Lindh Chair in Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management, to be located in Europe.

  Kennedy Graham held a two-year fellowship in the School of Law (August 2005 to July 2007). The fellowship facilitates a research project on "alternative models of regional governance for Pacific Island States".

  Dr. Graham holds a B. Com (Auckland), MA in International Relations (Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Boston), and a Ph.D. (Victoria University, Wellington). He has received Fulbright and Fletcher scholarships, a McCarthy Fellowship (1986), and was Quarter centenary Fellow at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, England (1995).

  Dr. Graham served in the NZ Foreign Service for 16 years, specializing in global security and the UN, his last diplomatic assignment being counsellor in the NZ Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. He has lived and worked in nine countries in Asia, the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

  From 1999 to 2004 he worked for the United Nations University, first as Director of its Leadership Academy (Amman, Jordan; 1999-2002); then as director of its Regional Security & Global Governance Project (Bruges, Belgium; 2002-4). In 2004 he was commissioned to provide a paper for the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Paper on Threats, Challenges and Change.

  In 2005-6 he has been Senior Consultant to the UN's Dept. of Political Affairs in New York, assisting in the preparation and convening of the Secretary-General's high-level meetings, and the Security Council's meetings, with regional organizations.

  He recently wrote an article in the Press (15/6/2007) entitled "NZ Obliged to Help" where he put the case for why New Zealand should take a more active role in resolving this conflict.

August 2007: Yemenite Jewish Cooking Demonstration

The Jews of Yemen have a long and colourful history.  Local Yemenite Jewish traditions have traced the earliest settlement of Jews in this region back to the time of King Solomon. One legend has it that King Solomon sent Jewish merchant marines to Yemen to prospect for gold and silver with which to adorn the Temple in Jerusalem. Another legend places Jewish craftsmen in the region as requested by Bilqis, the Queen of Saba (Sheba). The Beta Israel or Chabashim (Jews in neighboring Ethiopia) have a sister legend of their origins that places the Queen of Sheba as married to King Solomon. Parts of Yemen and Ethiopia at that time were jointly ruled by Sheba, with its capital in Yemen, adding some plausibility to the story.  Source:  Wikipedia. "Yemenite Jews."

Yemenite Jews have developed their own forms of cuisine and we are fortunate to have an expert living here in the Christhchurch region.

Lauren Carmichael presented a number of traditional Yemenite Jewish dishes including Zhug and Jachnoon. 

Vice-President Des Rubie said it was "one of the most enjoyable meetings we've had all year".  Many thanks to Canterbury Hebrew Congregation President Bettina Wallace for helping to arrange the demonstration at local winery Langdale Wines.

July 2007:  Members' Luncheon

We were pleasantly surprised to be joined by

•   Rabbi Mendel Goldstein who has come to establish a branch of Chabad in Christchurch; and
•   A couple of Israeli Artists who presented their paintings

Our lunch at the Northwood Villas clubrooms was great fun and an excellent opportunity to get to know one another.

June 2007:  AGM and Heritage DVD Series

The AGM went quickly and therefore well and all the current committee members were re-elected to office.  It has been a busy year for the Society and we look forward to another interesting and eventful year.

We also screened the third in the Heritage DVD series presented by Abba Eban, covering the period 30AD to 732AD:  A dramatic period for the Jewish people which saw the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the scattering of the people throughout the Roman Empire and Babylonia, the rise of Christiantiy and Islam created new challenges and dangers.

May 2007:  Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)

Autumnal colds and flus meant that there many apologies.  Our ex-Treasurer JJ Lipton sent his regards.  However those hardy souls that were able to make it were treated to a highly informative talk on this happy celebratory feast. 

Rebecca Marchand our Secretary gave a presentation on Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks).  It is one of the three pilgrimage feasts and is linked symbolically to the giving of the Torah on Mt Sinai as well as thanksgiving for the completion of the harvest and its subsequent abundance.  Bright flowers are often used for decoration during this time as according to tradition, the very desert burst out in bloom in celebration as the Torah was given to Mankind.  The book of Ruth was read by a procession of volunteers.  We were treated to some portions being read in the original Hebrew language by Barbara Bancroft and Ehud Ofir.  What a treat!

April 2007:  Pesach (Passover)

At our April meeting Sydney Levy, a member of the Canterbury Hebrew Congregation and a retired Solicitor from London, gave a lively and engaging presentation on Passover, its history, traditions and practice.   His anecdotes were particulary interesting and brought the subject to life.  Sydney has certainly had many varied and rich experiences which gave much colour to his presentation.   A good night had by all. 

February 2007:  The Genesis of the Israeli Language

In February 2007 the NZ Friends of Israel and the Canterbury Hebrew Congregation jointly promoted a presentation on the development of Biblical Hebrew into Modern Israeli.  Around 40 people attended. 

Prof Zuckermann talked about the wonderful history of the Hebrew and its resurrection through the 20th Century.  Although the language founders desired to re-establish a Semitic language they could not avoid infusing it with Yiddish influences.  Today Modern Israeli is in many ways quite different from Biblical Hebrew.  So much so that a Biblical Hebrew Scholar would find it difficult to comprehend a Modern Israeli Speaker.   Conversely a Modern Israeli Reader will often misunderstand the ancient Hebrew texts. 

The questions and answer session afterward was lively and interesting.   The audience was left to ponder on why the original Tanakh had not been translated into Modern Israeli.  The notes from the presentation can be downloaded from here.  Prof Zuckermann's website may be found here.

December 2006:  Hannakah

The Society was spoilt with a thoroughly engaging and informative presentation by the President of the Canterbury Hebrew Congregation, Bettina Wallace, who gave a presentation on the Festival of Hannakah. 

She talked about the meaning of the Festival and many of the customs and traditions that have grown around it. 

A local group also gave a demonstration of traditional Jewish dancing. 

August 2006:  Obsession the Movie

In August we screened the documentary: Obsession the Movie. The film was about Radical Islam and its nature, goals and objectives.  The material was provocative and disturbing.  It challenged viewers to consider how to counter Radical Islamism without stereotyping all Muslims as militant radicals.  Over 50 attended the screening. 

During the following month, the Society held a group discussion to debate the material in the movie and to stimulate discover what reactions the documentary evoked amongst its members.

June 2006:  Snow can’t stop Shavuot

Our original speaker was snowed in and so he wasn’t able to drive in to give his presentation on Shavuot. Happily another speaker was able to pull himself away from his newly born daughter and step in at short notice and gave an interesting and insightful lecture on the Festival.

The hardy members who braved the Winter cold, heard how Shavuot was a time of great celebration. It was one of three festivals that required a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.  Fruit intended for the Temple were marked with ribbons and because there were so many travellers many people opened their homes to provide temporary accommodation and hospitality along the way. 

Today, it is also an occasion to celebrate the giving of the Torah by God. To mark this significant event many read and study the Torah over a 24 hour period. It is also customary to eat dairy foods during this festival.

We were also pleased to be joined by his parents who had travelled from Israel to be in New Zealand in time for the birth of their 13^th grandchild.

May 2006:  Committee meets with Israeli Ambassador

On Saturday 6 May 2006,at the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand, Naftali Tamir’s request, he had dinner with the Committee.

Naphtali spoke about the need for New Zealand to take a firmer line against Hamas and Iran as well as mentioning various opportunities for Israel and NZ to build closer ties.

May 2006:  President of Hebrew Congregation Addresses Society

The President of the Hebrew Congregation addressed the Society at its monthly meeting on 9 May 2006.  The President presented a resume of the 143 year history of the congregation mentioning the many colourful people who had greatly contributed to the life of the community including the building of its synagogues in Gloucester St and Durham Sts.

One of the life-members of NZFOI was given a special mention for being one of the tutors who had assisted the first girls to successfully become their Bat Mitzvah in the 1950s. 

During its 143 year history, the community had been greatly effected by the gold rushes of the 19th Century and the Holocaust and its aftermath during the 20th. Since then the community has continued to develop and seemed in good heart as it explored new forms of worship through its progressive services.