Community message
- Published
- Community Message
FROM HONEY CAKES TO DIWALI LIGHTS
The JCCV is proud to nurture friendships that bring Victorians together.
Dear friends,
The JCCV is serious about building and nurturing relationships with Victorians from other faith and cultural backgrounds.
Jewish people are commanded in the Torah to show kindness, welcome and hospitality to “strangers” – to those who may not seem like us on first glance.
Ahead of Rosh Hashana, the JCCV and Connecting Cultures dropped honey cakes and jars of honey off to multicultural leaders across Melbourne. We drove from West Footscray to Wantirna delivering sweetness from the Jewish community.
We co-hosted an interfaith Sukkot event at Central Shule attended by people from many faith and cultural backgrounds, alongside Connecting Cultures and AIJAC. For many of the attendees it was their first time visiting a synagogue and they enjoyed the tour provided by Rabbi Shmuel Karnowsky.
JCCV board member Natalie Gunn and CEO Naomi Levin were guests at the Premier’s Diwali Dinner, where they joined 1200 people in this festive south-Asian celebration of lights. It was a privilege to be welcomed by our friends Makarand Bhagwat and Gary Verma, president and secretary of the Hindu Council of Australia (Victoria), and to meet with Sai Paravastu, nation president of the Hindu Council of Australia.
The JCCV’s Sebastian Inwentarz built connections to the Vietnamese community, attending the AGM of the phenomenal Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association.
I attended German Week celebrations here in Melbourne, and was heartened to hear the German Ambassador Beate Grzeski speak proudly about her country’s efforts to combat antisemitism.
Meanwhile, Naomi met with the Victorian Government’s Multifaith Advisory Group at the Greek Centre on Lonsdale Street on Thursday.
I would like to thank our JCCV Interfaith Sub-Committee led by Sebastian, with members Frank Greenstein, Natalie Gunn, Janice Iloni-Furstenberg and Alex Kats, for their leadership in this important space.
