Some years ago the editorial team of this blog were invited to engage with the Foreign Editor of the West Australian following scathing criticism we published regarding the West’s media bias. We were impressed by the willingness of Alan Kirk to engage, the fairness of his approach, and the personal
When I heard Perth’s worst radio shock jock call Israel’s naval blocade of Gaza ports illegal under international law I decided to switch radio stations for good. However I was reminded about this today when I read the following quote in the United Nations report. “The fundamental principle of the
When you are living in the midst of a changing environment, it is sometimes difficult to see the change. Perth is a changing city. The Jewish community of Perth is a changing community. In both cases there are attributes of change which are for the better and others that are
One of the wonderful aspects of being Jewish is that the Jewish world is so diverse. Cultural and regional influences from around the world and from different eras of time continue to impact the way Jewish communities live and develop today. The sociological experience of visiting Israel brings to light
‘I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is
Right on cue the West Australian has run an article today about an Israeli backpacker who died in the Christchurch earthquake. A newspaper in Southland, New Zealand started the story by alledging that the backpacker concerned had five passports on him. The rest of the story was built around his
There are so many incredibly positive things to write about that I have seen in the Perth Jewish community in just the past few days. A busload of campers from Bnei Akiva arrived at the Jewish Centre today, and a busload of Habonim campers departed. Between the two youth movements there are
The balance of political power in Australia took a long-known change for the worse this week with the Greens taking on kingmaker voting powers in the Senate. It would seem many were taken off guard by this, an outcome of the previous general election that will further tarnish the quality
We all know that appearances can be deceptive. A number of my peers are dedicated religious Jews, but do not wear a Kippah (skullcap) in the workplace. I respect people for making their own choices regarding standards of observance and do not cast value judgements on how people express their
Tonight a respectable crowd heard an even more respectable address from Ephriam Zuroff, internationally recognised pursuer of justice who tracks and assists the prosecution of Nazi war criminals. Mr Zuroff noted many important points, stressing that age does not diminish the severity of a crime and that Australia has a particularly poor