Jewish World

The Jewish community is diverse, we all share similar traditions, values and beliefs but come from all across the world.

Joining ECAJ Host Alissa Foster is Rabbi Isaac Choua to discuss the story of Sephardi Jewry and the Abraham Accords from the perspective of Jews from North Africa and the Middle East. 

Rabbi Isaac Choua holds multiple positions, including Operations Manager for the WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps in the Americas, Global Interfaith Lead for the WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps, and liaison for Jewish communities in the Middle East and North Africa. He earned his master's degree in Medieval Jewish History with a concentration on pan-Sepharadi Studies from Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School, and holds a BA in Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Abrahamic Religions from the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. He is founder and editor-in-chief of haSepharadi.com, a platform dedicated to the shared and varied traditions and of the many unique groups within the pan-Sephardic community, associate museum curator at Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and Museum in New York, and Religious Affairs Committee and as a National Central Council Member for the Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America. 

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March is Women’s History Month where governments, organisations and individuals across the globe highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. 

Female participation and leadership in our community is very important. Joining ECAJ Host Alissa Foster is Jillian Segal AO, the President of the ECAJ, to chat about where our community currently stands in regards to gender equality and the path forward.

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The ECAJ annual report on antisemitism revealed a 41.9% increase in antisemitic incidents in the past two years, with a 35% increase in 2021 and a further 6.9% increase in 2022. Joining host Alissa Foster today is the author of the report, Julie Nathan, the Research Director at the ECAJ to talk through the recently released report, and how we can best educate the broader community about antisemitism and its many manifestations. 

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Antisemitism on university campus is a concern to Jewish communities around the world. Here in Australia over the past year, we have seen a rise in antisemitic rhetoric in student unions and university classrooms. At the University of Adelaide, Jewish students were laughed at and ridiculed in a student representative council meeting and at the University of Sydney, a note which read free Palestine with two Nazi swastikas was dropped in the tote bag of a Jewish student while she was in a lab. 

This episode ECAJ Host Alissa Foster sits down with CEO and Co-Founder of Jewish on Campus, Julia Jassey to speak about the challenges in combatting antisemitism, and the importance of amplifying the voices of Jewish students.

A North American based non-for profit organisation which seeks to revive pride in Judaism by emboldening a new generation of Jews through education, social media campaigning and grassroots organising. As a movement of young Jewish people, they seek to end  antisemitism on college campuses and beyond.

Julia’s work has been featured in media outlets such as CNN and Forbes magazine, and in 2021 she was awarded one of Algemeiner magazines 'Top 100 people positively influencing Jewish life'. 

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Ukraine’s top diplomat alleges mass rape and other atrocities in Russian invasion, vows Ukraine will emerge victorious and will reclaim Crimea.

This episode is a special one. We bring you just one guest, fitting given that for many of us, there is one global issue that takes primacy at the moment, and that is the devastating invasion of Ukraine. To discuss this war, its causes, aims, impact on Ukrainian life and national consciousness, and prospects for a diplomatic solution, we welcome Ukraine’s most senior diplomat in Australia, the head of mission, Mr Volodymr Shalkivskyi.

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