SBS Hebrew

Alex Dafner SBS Yiddish Report:

The Australian Jewish community was deeply concerned over the outbreak of violence in Jerusalem and other Israeli towns, the rocket fire from Gaza and loss of innocent lives on both sides of the conflict, whilst Australian political leaders on both sides of politics called out to leaders on both sides of the conflict to implement an immediate cessation of the violence.

A new comprehensive survey on Australians’ attitudes to Jewish Australians, antisemitism, Israel and other related issues, has found that there is a low level of negative attitudes regarding these issues, despite an increase of reported antisemitic incidents, and that these attitudes have not changed much over the previous 5 years.

Australian PM Scott Morrison, whilst speaking at a AICC function in Sydney, stated that his government will follow previous Coalition and Labor Governments and not participate in the Durban Declaration on racism anniversary events, because of its history of selective anti-Israel and even antisemitic declarations.

SBS News in Hebrew 9.5.2021

The Australian Jewish community was shocked and deeply saddened over the tragic loss of 45 Israelis in the stampede at Mt Meron in northern Israel, with PM Morrison sending Australia’s condolences and the Australian Mogen-Dovid Adom - Israel’s Ambulance service support organisation, brought forward its appeal campaign to raise funds for a mobile blood transfusion caravan for the Israeli service.

PM Scott Morrison, whilst speaking at a UIA fundraisers function in Sydney, praised the Australian Jewish community for its outstanding, exemplary contribution to Australia and said that he has learnt much about Judaism and strengthened his own Christian faith thanks to the writings of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Z”l,.

Sharp differences of opinion amongst Melbourne’s Jewish communal, Zionist and religious leaders have broken out over an invitation, as key speaker, by the Mizrachi organisation amongst others, of Jonathan Pollard, the Jewish American who spied for Israel and who spent 30 years in jail in the US, before being released and emigrating to Israel this year.

Yosl Winkler, the stalwart community and Yiddish cultural activist, who also contributed to the Yiddish programs on SBS Radio over many years, passed away at the age of 94.

SBS Jerusalem report (in English) Peta Jones Pellach reports on violence in Jerusalem and the latest attempts to form a government

Why some people are afraid of getting the Covid Vaccine? Oren Thaler an academic at Sydney University and a teacher at the Emanuel school tries to answer this question (Hebrew).