<H2><b>JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF VICTORIA AND BEYONDBLUE - WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?</b></H2>

Two organisations in Victoria, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV)(sic) and Beyondblue, Jeff Kennett's "organisation" have one major theme in common - they are both homophobic. They are both responsible, either directly or indirectly, for gay, lesbian, transgender and HIV/AIDS members of our communities who suffer from depression or have suicidal ideation, being able to get any assistance from these organisations trumpeting loudly - and with financial assistance from many sources - that they are there to help those -young and old - with depression and suicidal thoughts.

Beyondblue has been in the news a great deal over the last few months, but the club known as the JCCV is mostly in the media such as the Israeli zionist times aka the Australia Jewish News, and only makes it into the mainstream when people like John Brumby, premier of the state of Victoria present themselves to some Jews in an election year to ensure that he and his government get as many votes from Jews in the communities as he possibly can.

Here is Brumby at such an event:

Brumby pays tribute to Jewish contribution
Posted on 22 March 2010 in the "Australian Jewish News"

by PETER KOHN

PREMIER John Brumby paid tribute to Victoria’s Jewish community for its role in fostering diversity and multiculturalism in the state at a United Israel Appeal (UIA) fundraising dinner on Tuesday evening (March 16).

“Victoria’s Jewish community, the largest and most vibrant Jewish community in Australia, has itself played an immense role in making our state so diverse, so multicultural, so multi-faith and so tolerant,” the Premier said.

Brumby added that his government’s efforts “to stamp out religious and racial vilification have received immeasurable support from Jewish communities here in Victoria”.

He recalled the Jewish community’s support when, as Opposition leader in the mid-1990s, he worked closely with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria to develop a framework for racial vilification legislation that was brought into law by the ALP government in 2001-02.

“As you know, there were quite significant differences in many of the multicultural communities about the value of that legislation. So it was really the leadership of the Jewish community working with us and making that commitment that saw that legislation put into place in 2001.

“And in particular, in that regard, I would want to acknowledge the work of the Zionist Council of Victoria and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria because you’ve all worked so hard to promote mutual understanding and tolerance and to support the democratic fundamentals of dialogue and inclusion.”

Urging the Jewish community to support the UIA, Brumby noted that the organisation “is concerned not only with material assistance, but also with the preservation and protection of the neshamah, the concept of the Jewish soul”.
He commended UIA’s initiatives in taking Jews and non-Jews, many from Victoria, to Israel on cultural exchange programs, “to share the values of the Australian Diaspora community” and to bring home new ideas to Australia.

He gave as an example the groundbreaking Victoria-Israel Science and Technology Research and Development Fund (VISTECH) - launched by Brumby as minister for innovation in 2005 - which has received 175 expressions of interest and is now into its seventh round of grants.

Special guest Kathy Kellerman, an American who made aliyah, also spoke at the function about the Keren Hayesod-UIA Nitzana Youth Village initiative in the Negev, where she lives and works.

She predicted that Israel’s south, comprising more than 60 per cent of the country’s land mass, would become a major population centre in the future, as sustainable water and power technologies, now under development in Nitzana, became widespread.

UIA Victoria paid tribute to veteran fundraiser George Kuran, 90, who told the gathering his passion for digging deep to help Israel was sparked by a solidarity drive at South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation during the Six-Day War, and has grown ever since. In his honour, the UIA funded a 12-month scholarship for a young Victorian to take part in the programs at Nitzana.



(This comment is awaiting moderation: AJN)

March 25, 2010 at 2:14 pm

John Brumby paints a delightfully rosy picture of Victoria’s Jewish community. One would expect no less of a key guest speaker at a community fund-raising dinner. One could even be forgiven for thinking that if he said nice things, people might vote for him and his party.

Apparently as a community we “foster diversity” and are “so tolerant”. Nice words, but honestly, he can’t be serious. Much of the Victorian Jewish community struggles with diversity and tolerance big time on a number of issues, but mostly when it comes to the taboo topic of homosexuality.

Our community should hang it’s collective head in shame when it comes to it’s handling of this issue. Rates of suicide amongst same-sex attracted youth are at startlingly high levels in religious communities around the country, as revealed by Suicide Prevention Australia in 2009. This is being ignored by every leader of the community, but most especially by the JCCV, the organization that claims to speak on our behalf. Not a single person is talking about it.

Both homosexuality and suicide are taboo in many sections of our community. These need to be confronted head on and dealt with immediately. It’s your children and grandchildren whose lives are at stake. We can’t afford to lose them, especially to religious bigotry.

It’s time the community spoke out and started asking questions. Why are our leaders not talking about homosexuality and youth suicide? I’ve given them the statistics, but they chose to ignore them. Our leaders are playing games while the community’s youth are suffering.

Michael Barnett.
Ashwood, Victoria.