Thanks to all those who attended, and particular thanks to the wonderful folk at Auburn Road Centre, who made it clear to those of us who are not members, that we were in a place that honours Judaism, the life of the mind, and the individual.
And boy do they know how to put on a [...]
Nov
25
2009
25
2009
Sex, Denial, and Anarchy: The Event
Nov
23
2009
23
2009
Shlichut and the Sensible Jew
The Anonymous Benefactor is solely responsible for SJ having its own site and beautiful new template. He also happens to be involved in a number of projects that leave me in awe at their potential to benefit Jews and non-Jews alike.
Alex.
Shlichut and the Sensible Jew
by The Anonymous Benefactor
I’ve been asking myself one question over the [...]
Nov
18
2009
18
2009
Sex, Denial, & Anarchy: or, How I Narrowly Avoided Joining One Nation
It all seemed tedious enough.
Last night, a local environmental group – led by an angry teen and an angrier middle aged woman – managed to get a forum together.
The by-election for Peter Costello’s vacated seat of Higgins may well be a done deal for the Liberals.
Their candidate, Kelly O’Dwyer is delightfully fresh-faced and many other [...]
Nov
17
2009
17
2009
Interfaith Conference 2: Answers… Some to Questions I Hadn’t Thought to Ask
Today’s morning session of the conference was something of a revelation.
One of the highlights of this conference was meeting a young woman who is part of the Muslim roof body.
Did you know the Muslim community has been having many similar debates to us regarding roof bodies and representation?
Did you know that they had their own [...]
Nov
16
2009
16
2009
Interfaith: Time To Keep an Open Mind… Perhaps
I hear the word, “Interfaith,” and I shudder a bit.
So do many of you from the various comments, emails, and Facebook messages I received after the last post.
Here is the general consensus from that correspondence: Interfaith is a pointless exercise that involves well-meaning types pretending their differences don’t exist, and basically doing not a whole [...]
Nov
12
2009
12
2009
Young Interfaith at Monash
This looks really interesting:
Melanie Landau of Monash Jewish Studies alerted me to her department’s involvement in a young interfaith training seminar.
If the intellectual rigour and innovation that characterises Landau’s research is reflected in this event, it could be really exciting.
Nov
10
2009
10
2009
Yun Qi Chen’s Ultimate Solution
Yun Qi Chen is the President, Immediate Past President, and Probably Future President of The Definitive Leaders of Australian Jewry (D-LAJ). [1]
He prefers to be known as, “The Pres” in order to appeal to Gen X/Y Jews.
While he applauds the seriousness with which thinkers such as Melbourne University’s Dvir Abramovich, approach the problem of how [...]
Nov
8
2009
8
2009
Melbourne Jews Gone Wild – Quietly: Rumspringa 2
Welcome, everybody, to the new Sensible Jew site*.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve met with many groups and individuals, spoken to even more over the phone or via email, and one thing is becoming increasingly obvious:
I’m not the only person concerned with our community’s current direction.
But it’s one thing to be perpetually peeved, and [...]
Nov
2
2009
2
2009
Vic Alhadeff, Borderline Blood Libels, and Jews who Cry Wolf
Sometimes, there really is a wolf and someone needs to cry out.
In Australia, many Jewish leaders and spokespeople have spent the past few years diminishing the gravity of the charge of anti-Semitism, by jumping on every single instance and raising hell in any media outlet that would have them.
Unfortunately, our community has suffered from a [...]
Nov
2
2009
2
2009
The Rumspringa Series: What We Need to Learn From Amish Gone Wild
The Amish are best known for their ascetic lifestyle and their shunning of modern technology.
Less well known is their mechanism for retaining their young folk.
In theory, a religious grouping like the Amish that is so at odds with the modern world, should find it very difficult to convince its kids that the way they grew [...]