To me, Judaism is about upholding the cultural traditions, spirituality, and family My Judaism presents itself via lighting the candles, saying Kiddush and tucking into Challah on Shabbos, attending communal Simchot, or spending time in Shule during the high holidays Similarly, I find Zionism and a love of Israel to be a key part of my Jewish connection It is indeed Jewish values that also fuels my Jewish identity Tikkun olam tells us we are all endowed with a fundamental responsibility to repair the world around us This notion guides the decisions I make every day and, I believe we must leave the world in a better condition than we found it That’s why I work hard to ensure that our Jewish community is well represented in the Victorian Parliament
The Nazi Swastika is a vile symbol of hatred, division, racism, and the traumatic past of the Jewish people For many years, I have worked with our community organisations and members to listen to their concerns around anti semitism What became clear was that the banning of the public display of the Nazi Swastika was an effective way to counter it That’s why in February 2020, I announced, along with the Victorian Liberal Party that we would legislate a ban on displaying the vile symbol of hate In Parliament, we called on Dan Andrews and his government to amend our laws and legislate the ban Following our announcement, I worked across all sides of politics to rally support for this important move As a result of the pressure, the Victorian Government announced earlier this year that they would ban the public display of the Nazi Swastika I feel proud to have driven this change which has now had other states like NSW also follow with introducing these important laws
Growing up, I watched my father, Stuart represent his local community as a councillor for nearly 30 years As a young child, I saw the power of community service and how politics can materially improve the lives and livelihoods of people Whilst the values of hard work, empathy and resilience were instilled in me in my youth, it wasn’t until later in my life that I felt the urge to run for political office. It was my involvement in grassroots community organisations, like Ardoch Youth Foundation, that drove me to run for office Ardoch is a children’s education charity focused on improving educational outcomes for children and young people in disadvantaged communities Through this involvement, I became inspired to help my community and represent them in Parliament
During the lockdowns and implementation of the COVID 19 restrictions, I worked with the Rabbinical Council and other community organisations to allow things like the Shofar project take place Unfortunately many of the laws did not make sense and I made many representations on behalf of the Jewish community negotiating with government to allow Shule services, weddings and funerals to take place
A Royal Commission to get to the Botton of the failures from the Governments COVID response and lockdowns
Fix our broken health and mental health system.
Better messages to reduce cost of living and support for small business
Better integrity and trust in government
Better planning protections of our local neighbourhood and protections for the envioronment
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES YOU SEE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND VICTORIANS?
Yomtov cooking conjures up images of big pots of chicken soup to last from Rosh Hashanah through to Simchas Torah. The amount of meat used in such volume is bound to create a thick layer of unwanted fat floating on top.
If time is on your side, you can just put the pot in the fridge overnight, and remove the solidified fat the next day. But if you’re cooking till the last minute, and want to serve the soup that day without the fat, you’ve got a problem.
Here’s one great solution:
1 Cut a sheet of plastic wrap big enough to overlap the top of the pot
2 Gently immerse it till it touches the surface of the soup. The fat will cling to it
3 Now carefully gather the plastic wrap and discard. Repeat if necessary
ALL GONE!
Yiddishe Gesheften is excited to be back after a slow start as our clients very gradually rebuild their businesses. Isn’t it liberating to finally feel normal once again? Being able to travel and escape Melbourne’s winter has been exhilarating, especially after experiencing the ups and downs of health challenges all around.
Meeting family we haven’t seen for years has been a balm to the soul. It seems we had to go through the lockdowns to appreciate what we missed. Think - being back in Shul on Yomtov after two years absence.Think - hearing the shofar being blown inside Shul instead of outside your window.Think – having as many guests as you like for your Yomtov meals. Read what others think on page 6
Talking about meals, head over to our Balabusta’s kitchen on page 7 to see her latest Yomtov dish, then checkout her cooking tips on page 4.
We thank you, our dear readers and clients for your loyalty and support throughout this difficult year. Wishing you a K’sivah v’Chasima Tovah with happiness, good health and hatzlocho in the year ahead Leah and the Team at Yiddishe Gesheften.
• Some trees and some shrubs have dormant buds beneath their bark and these buds survive the heat of a fire.
• Many shrubs, grasses, sedges, lilies, terrestrial orchids and ferns regrow after fire from dormant buds in underground organs. These are protected from the heat of fires by the soil.
• Some plants regrow from buds protected from the heat of fires by leaves or old leaf bases. Excerpted from https://www.anpc.asn.au/
COVER PAGE: The new life bursting forth after the bushfires represents our new life after Covid. Photograph by Murray Lowe Photography
Now that those challenging times are (hopefully) behind us, it’s easier to look back and reflect on how we were affected. We asked around for positive lessons people had learnt from the experience. Here's what some of them had to say:
"How to cut my son’s hair"Sheina, young mum
"How to involve parents in their childrens’ education" Mrs N, teacher
"learnt to appreciate my childrens teachers" Sarah, mum of 7
"to appreciate normal traffic sounds"Miriam, busy working mother
"I forged new friendships on my outdoor walks" - Bubby of a large family
"Learnt how to blow the shofar" Chaim, teenager
"Learnt how to cook" Ruth young married
" I learnt how to do my eyebrows"Leah, Grandma
"Appreciating tissue paper" Esther and Yossi, parents
"Zoom classes helped set me on a newcareer path" Rivky, busy mum
"How to study in bed" Anonymous, 8th grade student
"A closer relationship to G-d" a sentiment expressed by many
Here’s a new take on carrots for your Rosh Hashanah table or any other occasion for that matter, as a side dish or salad ingredient.The brown sugar and oil caramelizes the carrots, creating a sweet glaze.
10-12 Carrots peeled and cut lengthways or rounds
A good pinch of salt & pepper
1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons oil
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees .C
2. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tra.y
3. Put the carrots down and then sprinkle them with salt, pepper, cinnamon and brown sugar. Mix together with the carrots.
4. Pour the oil over the carrots.
5. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the carrots are cooked through. About half way through, mix the carrots to ensure even baking.
6. Pour any leftover brown sugar and oil on top of the carrots when serving.
7. Sprinkle baked carrots with parsley to decorate with.
