Dr Norman Goldwasser 

"Teshuva/Repentance: The Key

to Becoming anOptimal Business Leader"How to use the process of Teshuva to build a

successful business team and environment.

Dr. Norman

Goldwasser is a Licensed Psychologist based in Florida. Dr. Goldwasser received

his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Industrial/Organizational

Psychology. Dr. Goldwasser has been the Director of Horizon Psychological

Services for the past 22 years, where he has led an interdisciplinary team of

mental health professionals who work collaboratively to meet the increasingly

complex needs of the community. His areas of expertise include addictions,

trauma, sexual attraction issues, marital conflict, relationship difficulties,

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, depression, anxiety and phobias, and Adult

Attention Deficit Disorder. Dr. Goldwasser is also the Clinical Director of

Jewish Community Watch, an organization whose mission is to stop child sexual

abuse, and to provide support and treatment for victims. He also is an

experienced practitioner and consultant in EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization

and Reprocessing, a dramatic treatment for trauma,that literally transforms the

lives of victim of traumas. From a lunchtime lecture on September 8, 2015.

Aliza Bulow "From Puritan to Rebbetzin"Aliza Bulow is the Director of Ner LeElef's North American Woman's Program. She mentors graduates of their international leadership training program, as well as others who work in Jewish Adult Education and Outreach throughout North America. Aliza’s fascinating upbringing by activist parents led her on a journey to eventually find Judaism at the age of 16. Her own activism took root during her early high school years in the fight for freedom for Soviet Jews. Aliza then went to Israel where she studied for 2 years and then served in the Israeli Defense Forces from 1982-1984 during the first Lebanon War. Aliza eventually ended up back in the States and completed her degree in Hebrew and Jewish Social Studies. The Senior Educator at The Jewish Experience in her home city of Denver, Colorado, Aliza has been a Jewish Educator for over thirty years. In addition to teaching ongoing classes locally, she lectures internationally on a wide array of Jewish subjects. From a lunchtime lecture on Wednesday, August 19th, 2015.

Rabbi Dudi Winkler 

“24/6:

How Can A Digital Business Keep Shabbat?”

Jewish

businesses traditionally close on Shabbat and Chagim.But,

how does this translate to the online world?

Rav Dudi

Winkler studied at Yeshivot in Eli and Dimona and received Semicha from

the Meretz Kollel. He served as a combat medic in the IDF, and then, after

many years dedicated to learning, began teaching at Yeshivat Lev HaTorah. In

2011, he and his family went on shlichut to Melbourne, Australia where Rav Dudi

spent three years as Rosh Kollel of the Mizrachi Bet Midrash. Upon their return

to Israel last year, Rav Dudi resumed his post as Rebbe at Yeshivat Lev

HaTorah and took on an additional role as inaugural director of Lev LaChayal, the Yeshiva Center for Lone

Soldiers of the IDF.  From a lunchtime lecture on Tuesday, July 28th, 2015.

Rabbi Moshe Taragin “Why Doesn’t the Torah Mention the Afterlife?”If the afterlife is so pivotal to religion why doesn’t the Torah mention it? Where is true heaven?Rav Moshe Taragin has been a Ram at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Gush Etzion since 1994. He has Smicha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, a BA in Computer Science from Yeshiva College, and an MA in English Literature from City University. Rabbi Taragin previously taught Talmud at Columbia University, lectured in Talmud and Bible at the IBC and JSS divisions of Yeshiva University, and served as Assistant Rabbi at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. In addition, Rabbi Taragin currently teaches at the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women of Yeshivat Har Etzion in Migdal Oz in Gush Etzion. He is the author of an Internet shiur entitled "Talmudic Methodology" with over 5,000 subscribers, and authors an audio shiur for KMTT - Ki Mitzion Teitze Torah - The Torah Podcast, entitled "Redemptive Sketches."From a lunchtime lecture on Friday, 22nd May.

Rabbi Michael Baris

“The

mirror reflected: land registration and Jewish law”

Rabbi Michael Baris,

a member of the Israeli Bar, holds a PhD in Philosphy from Bar-Ilan and a law degree

from Hebrew University.  Rabbi

Baris teaches Jewish Law, Philosophy of Law and Labour Law at the Sha'arei

Mishpat Academic Center in Hod Hasharon. A former Rosh Kollel in Ofra, and

Rabbi (Ram) at the Yeshivat Hesder in Karnei Shomron, he is currently the Rabbi

of the Synagogue founded in Tel Aviv by the late Chief Rabbi of Israel and the

IDF, Rabbi Shlomo Goren.From a lunchtime lecture held on Wednesday, 13th of May 2015.

Rav Amnon Bazak 

Who really compiled and edited

the Torah? Understanding and dispelling the “documentary hypothesis”

The “documentary hypothesis” claims the five books of

Torah were put together from independent, parallel, and complete narratives and

then compiled by a series of editors. 

The hypothesis came to light in the 18th and 19th century as an answer

to supposed inconsistencies in the text. 

Rav Bazak, a Ram at Yeshiva Har Etzion

(Gush), is a proficient scholar in Talmud and one of the most innovative modern

Tanach scholars in Israel today. 

Recognised internationally, he presents a fascinating new perspective

and context around both the popular and less well known portions of Tanach. Rav

Bazak is a guest of the RSVP group of Mizrachi (Rabbinical Scholar Visiting

Program).

The Honourable

Justice Michael Sifris

"Religion,

Democracy & Civil Society - Battle of the Rights" What is the extent of our religious freedom? Is it guaranteed? How does the Victorian Charter of

Human Rights affect religious freedom? Should we have a Bill of Rights? What happens when religious practice is illegal?

Justice Michael

Sifris was appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria in July 2010 and

currently sits in the Commercial Court. Justice Sifris was admitted to practice

in Victoria in 1987, having previously practiced in South Africa. Whilst at the

Bar, his Honour specialised in banking and finance law, corporations and

insolvency law. His Honour acted for many leading financial institutions, was

retained in many of the high profile corporate collapses and regularly appeared

for ASIC, the corporate regulator. His Honour was a member of various

committees of the Victorian Bar including the Human Rights Committee and was

Chairman of List A Barristers in 2009-2010. In 2007 his Honour founded Lonsdale

Chambers, a group of barristers specialising in corporate insolvency law.From a lunchtime lecture held on Thursday 11th September 2014.  For more information regarding this event click here.

Roy Doliner

“Kabbalistic Secrets in

Italian Art and Architecture”

Roy Doliner is co-author of

the international best-seller The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo’s Forbidden

Messages in the Heart of the Vatican. Five years after its initial USA

release, The Sistine Secrets has become a perennial bestseller for art

history and the Renaissance in over 26 countries and 15 languages. His studies

include foreign languages, art history, religious history, Western

civilization, architectural history, theatre and film. Learning of his Jewish

heritage at a later age, he is today a passionate lecturer on Judaism and an

eternal student of Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah. He is the first religious Jew to

be officially authorized to guide in the Vatican, and has received a

commendation from the Italian government for his work in popularizing Italian

Art History.From a lunchtime lecture held on Tuesday 19th August 2014. For more information regarding this event click here for the JBD events page.

Greens Senator Richard Di Natale & Rabbi Yaakov Glasman"Is it easy to be Green and Jewish"Dr. Richard Di Natale was elected to the federal parliament in 2010 and is the Greens' first Victorian Senator.  HIs portfolios include health, multiculturalism, gambling and sport. Richard's achievements in Parliament so far include securing almost $5 billion towards medicare-funded dentistry, winning a campaign to divest tobacco stocks from the Future Fund, and spearheading Senate inquiries into many issues of public significance.Rabbi Yaakov Glasman served as the spiritual leader of the North Eastern Jewish Centre for six years and in 2011 was appointed Chief Minister ad the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation.  He was elected President of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria in November 2009 and held this position for three years.  Rabbi Glasman demonstrates a keen interest in Jewish adult education and lectures broadly on religious and social issues.From a lunchtime lecture held on Thursday 28th August 2013. For more information regarding this event click here for the JBD events page.

Rabbi Kenneth Brander

“Ethics in Philanthropy: Should synagogues and Jewish institutions accept tainted funds?”

Rabbi Brander is the Vice President for University and Community Life and the Dean of the Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future (CJF). Rabbi Brander is Rabbi Emeritus of the Boca Raton Synagogue and founder of the Weinbaum Yeshiva High School. During his 14 years of service to the community, Rabbi Brander oversaw its explosive growth from 60 to some 600 families. He is world renowned and engaged extensively throughout the USA and internationally lecturing Rabbis, communal leaders and communities in general in the field of Jewish renewal. During his studies to obtain Smicha, he served as the student assistant to the esteemed Rabbi Joseph B Soloveitchik. Rabbi Brander has received numerous awards for his community service, none the least he was honored with the State of Israel Medal of Honour for Rabbinic leadership in supporting Gush Etzion. Rabbi Brander has authored many articles in various scholarly journals and also co-edited The Yeshiva University Haggadah. Rabbi Brander is in Melbourne as a guest of the COSV.

From a lunchtime lecture on Tuesday 6th August 2013. Click here to go to the events page.