After eight years in rented office premises in Kooyong Road, B’nai B’rith Victoria’s President Dr Benny Monheit announced to members that B’nai B’rith Victoria is relocating its headquarters to the heart of the community, to become part of Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre in South Caulfield.

This decision has come after a long search for premises and a re-evaluating the needs of members and the aging Melbourne community explained Dr Monheit.  “We also looked at the data from the Gen 17 survey and discussed how BBVic could continue to have an impact in the community. We want to be able to continue to service our aging members, while ushering in a new change and forging new connections with the younger generations in our community.”

This move will also introduce a new focus, with B’nai B’rith being open to opportunities to work with and collaborate with other like-minded organisations on activations and projects that continue to bring value to our local and wider community.

We are extremely proud of what our organisation has achieved over the past 70 years, introducing projects and programs such as ‘Hillel’ at various university campuses in the 1970s and later the B’nai B’rith Anti Defamation Commission and the ‘Courage to Care’ program. These initiatives have transformed the lives of not just our community, but also the greater community around us, both locally and internationally.

However, it is now time we look at the future and what new initiatives we can create. These initiatives may reflect ways to encourage more social inclusion or support the health and welfare of our baby boomers age group. We hope that the relocation to  Beth Weizmann  will open new doors and bring us closer to community minded people who want to help us in our work.

Dr Benny Monheit, President of BBVic said, “It’s a major change in thinking and direction for the organisation.” He hopes it will lead to a more open and responsive organisation to meet the challenges Jewish people are now facing in Melbourne. “We really have too many competing organisations and too many stand alone buildings within our Melbourne Jewish community. It’s time to share our valuable but limited human and financial resources.”
The Chairman of the Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre, Sam Tatarka, added that he “is thrilled to have B’nai B’rith  join the BWJCC family and looks forward to working collaboratively in the future, as we continue to expand the hub of the community”

This year marked the 41st year that B’nai B’rith Victoria (BBVic) has been paying tribute to volunteers who give unstintingly of their time, working quietly behind the scenes for the benefit of the community.  Four exceptional women were recipients of the 2018 Menorah Awards:  Jacqui Dinor-Corry, Timmy Rubin, Cynthia Pollak and Karin Zafir.  Guest Speaker was Dr Danny Lamm AM who spoke about “Israel and the Diaspora in 2018.”  The evening was held at Beth Weizmann and was huge success with family, friends and members of BBVic mixing and schmoozing afterwards over refreshments.

BBVic’s Combined Meeting held Sunday, 25th March 2018 was “packed to the rafters” with members and guests attending BBVic’s 1st Combined Meeting for 2018.  Guest Speaker was Prof. Andrew Markus whose topic: Anti-Semitism & islamophobia: patterns of thought analysed was well received and findings discussed by everyone throughout the afternoon. Presentation of the BBVic Appreciation Award to PP Irene Bud for her many years of dedicated service to BBVic as Auditor and Treasurer of  multiple projects and her Unit.  Hand clapping and top tapping entertainment was by: Sibling Revelry - with an eclectic range of music from Yiddish, Hebrew to Jazz and people were even dancing in the aisles.

Don’t miss out on BBVic’s next Combined Meeting which will be held on Sunday, 29th July.

Below is the list of goods that they are hoping we are able to assist with.  

FOR AGED CARE:

• Perfumes and aftershaves for presents
• T-shirts, both male and female, as presents (sizes M/L)
• Other new clothing for residents

HOME CARE PROGRAM:

• Stocking Fillers such as: toiletries, stationery, pens, diaries, socks, handkerchiefs, face washers, sweets/chocolates, shortbreads & fun things.

Members are also more than welcome to make a monetary donation at either their meetings or at the BB office.

Bring your donations to your next meeting or to the B’nai B’rith office (71 Kooyong Road) by Monday, 20 November.

You will be doing a wonderful mitzvah assisting those less fortunate

Reverse Garage Sale

It’s time to declutter!

Bring any of the following that you no longer need between 10am and 2pm on Mitzvah Day (Sunday 19th November) - see www.jeco.org.au for details:

• Batteries
• Bicycles
• Bras & swimwear (new & used)
• Children's books, atlases (without USSR), dictionaries & encyclopedias from 2005 onward
• Clothing in good condition, especially men’s clothing, women’s plus-sized clothing, sleepwear, clean, unstained bedding, shoes & socks (clean/near new)
• Computers & IT equipment, cables,
• VCR, DVD & CD players
• DVDs, CDs, VHS, cassette tapes & cases, floppy disks, printer cartridges
• Cameras, video cameras, projectors
• Electrical appliances & power tools
• Hearing aids
• Pairs of glasses (spectacles)
• Light globes-incandescent, compact fluorescent, downlight & fluorescent tubes
• Mobile phones, batteries, chargers & accessories
• Musical instruments (guitars, violins, percussion, recorders, etc)
• Sporting equipment in good condition-sports shoes/boots, balls, bags, bats, racquets, gloves, helmets, etc
• Toiletries or essentials (unopened) that anyone in need may require
• Towels, blankets, flat sheets, pillowcases, pet accessories
• Used stamps (from envelopes)
• X-rays

We’ll arrange for items to be reused, repurposed or recycled. Follow this link to find out where we will be sending everything and where you can send these and other items after Mitzvah day:  http://www.jeco.org.au/reuse-repurpose-recycle/

Like to get involved? Contact us at info@jeco.org.au or
visit the JECO website www.jeco.org.au