Limmud Oz Melbourne 2025

Using the pen name Billy Albert I wrote a satire titled “Everything Goes to The Dogs.” In the book I satirised a once rich South African Jewish family where to evade the prevailing currency regulations their wealth was illegally transferred to a Swiss bank. But once there one member of the family betrayed the others by running off with everything. And the others were powerless as that Swiss account was illegal. But vengeance trumps all.

Increasingly polarised political discourse means nuanced and moderate positions are under attack from both ends. The Jewish world faces increasingly strident division both in Israel and in diaspora communities. Join a discussion on the impacts of polarisation and how  the centre is holding, through perspectives from media, politics and Jewish community engagement and activism.

For decades, Australian Jews found a natural home in Labor, united by progressive ideals. Today, that bond is shattered, replaced by selective solidarity that demonises Israel and sidelines Jewish voices. Antisemitism, disguised as anti-Zionism, thrives globally—from Corbyn’s UK to America’s campuses—echoed here by Greens activism and Labor silence. Unless Labor confronts this dangerous drift, we risk arriving at a tragic reality: the last Jew in Labor, left isolated and unwanted.

“The situation is hopeless. We must TAKE THE NEXT STEP.” Pablo Casals. The Israel-Palestine conflict looks hopeless. There are ongoing calls for diplomacy to produce a two state solution. But diplomacy cannot deliver when human hearts are so hardened. The next step, that any individual can take, is to embrace a well thought out virtue ethic. Then their own heart can be a positive example. I present such an ethic, based on Abrahamic wisdom.

We often mine Jewish texts for meaning and relevance. But when studying Jewish texts about specific topics, we sometimes don't ask ourselves the broader question of whether these texts actually apply in our given context. Let's look at some examples and ask the broader questions together!