News and Events

ARZA Australia joins with the Union for Progressive Judaism in supporting the following statement by the Australian Assembly of Rabbis and Cantors. The statement by the ARC came, in light of the Times of Israel report that Orthodox MK's vow to shun Knesset Progressive candidate Rabbi Gilad Kariv as a partner for coalition or a minyan. The Orthodox MK's said that they would boycott Progressive Rabbi Gilad Kariv if, as appears likely, he enters the Knesset with centre-left Labor in next month's general election. They took this opportunity to attack Progressive Judaism, with Shas MK Moshe Abutbul being quoted [...]

It is with deep concern that ARZA Australia has learnt of the KKL (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael) plan to expand Jewish settlements by purchasing private land in the West Bank. As the Zionist arm of the Union for Progressive Judaism and with the support of UPJ, Netzer and the Assembly of Rabbis and Cantors, we feel a sense of duty and deep obligation to appeal to the full Board of Directors of KKL to consider the concerns raised by both the Progressive/Reform movements within Israel and throughout the Diaspora and refuse support for this plan. It is your support of [...]

As the fourth round of elections to take place in Israel in just 2 years draws closer, Progressive/Reform Jews in Israel and the Diaspora wonder if they may finally gain representation in the Knesset and proper recognition in the Jewish homeland. This question is examined by the Jerusalem Post, as follows. Gilad Kariv: The Labor candidate who could be the first Reform rabbi MK. He is the Executive Director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism By JEREMY SHARON FEBRUARY 4, 2021 RABBI GILAD KARIV: The fact that I am in the fourth slot says something [...]

On behalf of ARZA Australia I bring you a warm and meaningful message from the Chairman of the WZO remembering the Holocaust. Helen Shardey ARZA AUSTRALIA PRESIDENT Office of the Chairman Wed 27th January 2021 Dear friends, Today the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It took over 60 years after World War II ended for the nations of the world to stop for a moment, remember and acknowledge the systematic genocide. Six million of our people were slaughtered just because they were Jews. Countless words have been written about that dark period of history, [...]

In August 2020 in the name of ARZA Australia I lodged a formal complaint with the Office of the Australian Attorney General about the ongoing drawn out process to extradite Malka Leifer from Israel to Australia to face accusations of child abuse.I also expressed concern about the recommendation to appoint Yaakov Litzman as the Minister for Health, given the accusation that as Assistant to the Israeli Minister for Health, it was claimed that he helped Malka Leifer evade justice.I acknowledged that Israel, like Australia, is a democracy and recognises the presumption of innocence before the law, but also that no [...]