Muslim, Jewish & Sikh women talk about fashion, faith and how it feels to look different.

Here’s a press release about an event that readers  (especially those in Melbourne) might find interesting:

Finding the perfect scarf to match an outfit is one challenge. Racist abuse is another.  Then there’s the question of safety if you happen to be a kick-boxer.

Women who wear head-coverings for religious reasons are among the most visibly different people in Australian society.

But Muslims who wear hijab, religious Jewish women who cover their hair with wigs and Sikhs who don a modesty scarf are finding unexpected allies in one another.

Minority women will about fashion, faith and how it feels to look different  at a special event entitled Under Our Hats in Melbourne later this month.

Syafiqah Khan , a young Muslim woman, has begun wearing a hijab regularly only recently – but she still takes it off for safety when competing as a kick-boxer.

Sheiny New, an Orthodox Jewish woman, never goes out without her “sheitl” , a wig she wears every day. Only her husband and children see her hair.

Jamel Khaur Singh, a Sikh woman, wears a head scarf but unlike a Sikh man – who is expected to wear his turban at all times – she can choose  when to be visible and when to slip into the crowd.

The event is being run by the Jewish anti-racism group ADC and the National Council of Jewish woman to emphasise the commonalities between women of different religions.

7.30 pm, Wednesday 29 June

Blue Room @ Multicultural Hub

Corner Victoria & Elizabeth Sts
Opposite Victoria Market

$10 adults/$5 students including a light supper.

For further information, please call ADC on 95725770 or reception@antidef.org.au

A scene from the aikido dojo, with a poster from the Krav Maga academy (with whom they share the facility) in the background

On Sunday 10 April, there will be the chance for Melbourne readers to participate in Caulfield’s local Aikido Renshinkai class to help raise money for the hundreds of thousands of people, who were affected by the destructive and damaging earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Participants will be introduced to learning some self-defence skills as taught in Aikido, an authentic Japanese martial art.

On Friday 11 March, Japan was hit with a massive earthquake, reading 9.0 on the Richter scale, which triggered a ten meter tsunami causing extensive damage off the north-east coast of the main island of Honshu.  “Earthquakes are not new to me but the recent disaster was more frightening and damaging than ever before and its effects will ripple through Japanese society for many years to come,” said Paul Chapman, Aikido instructor at IDF Training and a frequent visitor to Japan over the last 16 years.

The death toll has exceeded more than 10,000 with at least 4,500 people confirmed dead. A nuclear emergency has also been declared following explosions at various nuclear plants in the Fukushima area. The most heavily impacted areas were Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture and Fukushima prefecture. Major damage occurred, with cars, ships, and buildings swept away, trains thrown off tracks, and landslides. At least 6,300 homes were completely destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless, and millions were left without adequate food, power, or running water.

“Shops are often running out of food and everyday life has become extremely difficult for most people. The looming threat of radiation is also on everyone’s mind,” said Paul Chapman.

Readers are encouraged to come down and try learning an authentic Japanese martial art whilst making a contribution to help victims of the natural disaster in Japan.

When: Sunday 10 April, 12.00-1.30pm

Location: IDF Training Gym: 105 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield North

Cost: $25 (All proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross Society)

In what is believed to be the biggest deal of its kind in the Australian Jewish online media sector, Robert Magid, owner of the Australian Jewish News (AJN), has purchased Galus Australis from co-owners Rachel Sacks-Davis and Anthony Frosh. Galus Australis is the most widely read online Jewish publication in Australia.

While the purchase price has not been publicly disclosed, the figure is apparently substantial enough that it has significantly surprised sector analysts, given that Galus Australis currently makes almost no revenue.

A spokesperson for Mr Magid told the AJN that “Galus Australis is a very respected brand, and has a broad and highly engaged audience. We believe we’ll bring the necessary synergies and experience to successfully monetise this acquisition. There is tremendous untapped value”

It is believed that in the short term, Magid plans to introduce more foreign syndicated content to the Galus website, as well establishing a weekly column on the website for AIJAC.

In a joint statement, Ms Sacks-Davis and Mr Frosh commented “We have thoroughly enjoyed developing this pluralistic publication, but it’s also been a tremendous drain on our time. We’re looking forward to getting our lives back, and having the opportunity to pursue other endeavours. We’d like to thank all our readers, and wish them a purim sameach.”

Jewish Aid has launched an appeal to assist victims of the Queensland floods.

The floods have wreaked havoc for the last month and at least 31 towns and over 200,000 people have been affected. The estimate of damage and lost revenue is about AU$13 billion. Three-quarters of the state of Queensland has been declared a disaster zone.

The magnitude of this tragedy is growing everyday and dozens have been killed and many are still missing.
Jewish Aid has been working in 2 Aboriginal communities in northern NSW for the last 5 years on a program called Derech Eretz. Both communities, Toomelah and Boggabilla, have been fully evacuated and the floods are devastating the homes and buildings there.

JAA has launched a community wide appeal to assist victims of the floods, both in Queensland and Northern NSW. Donations received will be divided between The Queensland Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal, and towards relief efforts in the 2 Aboriginal communities where Jewish Aid works.

Please consider a generous contribution to JAA’s Floods Appeal, to enable us to assist communities respond, recover and rebuild in the wake of this enormous disaster.  Over $70,000 was raised in the first two days. JAA thanks everybody for their support, and requests that you please forward this page to your friends and family.

All donations are fully tax deductible and can be made in the following ways:

Online here.
You will receive an automatic tax deductible receipt. Please make it clear that your donation is for the JAA Floods appeal in the special message area. (Amex is accepted.)

Cheques made out to Jewish Aid Australia should be sent to:

Jewish Aid Floods Appeal
PO Box 2, Malvern, VIC, 3144

For a direct deposit:
Bank: Bendigo Bank
Account: Jewish Aid Australia
BSB: 633000
Account number: 123798688
For those donating via direct deposit, if you would like a tax deductible receipt, please email gary at jewishaid.org.au with your address after you have processed your direct deposit.

The above is an edited press release received from Gary Samowitz, CEO of Jewish Aid Australia.

While most of you probably do not celebrate XMAS, it is nevertheless the time of year when three public holidays fall within the space of a week. Hence, it’s an appropriate time for Galus to take a break and enjoy a piece of the Australian summer. We’ll be back in mid January. In the meantime, the ascent of the new secular year will see us look for some new volunteers (see here and here).

And if anyone is looking for some books to read over summer, please consider visiting our sponsor.

Enjoy the summer break, and as always, we recommend you swim between the flags.  See you in 2012.

With Pesach upon us, Galus Australis will be taking a break from its usual content.

To mark the holiday, during chol hamoed, we’ll be linking to some musical pieces that we feel tie in with the spirit of Chag HaCherut (The Festival of Freedom).

We hope they enrich your experience of the festival.

Chag Sameach!

Ps. The video above is something completely different to get you started, thanks to ShaBot 6000, by William Levin (ben Baruch)

Next week, the newly-revived Purim Spiel kicks off at the Phoenix Theatre in Elwood.

Last year, the Spiel was revived after a hiatus of over 15 years. “Of Mice and Menschen” was a great success, providing the community with a new avenue for Jewish involvement and connectedness, a warmly received form of musical entertainment, and an opportunity to raise awareness and significant funds for Emunah, and its social welfare programs in Israel.

This year’s production is titled “The 39 Shleps”, and is a brand new musical comedy with an original script that the whole community will love and a fantastic talented cast, orchestra and crew. Everyone involved is willingly volunteering time and skills. Written by Dr Talia Boltin and Josh Gurgiel, the show features an all-star cast including many original cast members from last year.

Best of all, all funds raised go straight to supporting Emunah, a volunteer-based Zionist women’s organisation, operating children’s day care centres, residential homes, and crisis intervention centres for children at risk, and a range of schools and training colleges in Israel. It also works to enhance the status of women in Israeli society by supporting women’s rights legislation and providing legal assistance to women in rabbinical courts.

Momentum is in place for the Purim Spiel to once again become a cherished annual event in the Melbourne Jewish calendar. The show opens on March 2 and runs to March 7 at the Phoenix Theatre. Tickets can be purchased online at purimspiel.com.au or by phone 03 9525 9292 / 0413 016 924.