 The B’nai B’rith Victoria Menorah Awards were established in 1978. They are presented annually to worthy recipients who:
Eligibility:
Contact: Mark Rubinstein - 0427 433 200 Email: artcomp@bbvic.net HOW TO ENTER: 1. Register your entry by 19th June 2020 2. Submit your artwork by 15th July 2020 3. Awarding of prizes 26th July 2:00 PM See below for further details. 
Click HERE to read the latest (March '20) Newsletter Category 1 Research Grant
Category 2 Travel Grant Download the application form / guidelines Click above to download the 2020 forms. SIXTY YEARS ON, A LIVING MEMORIAL REMAINS It happened in 1955. Summer holiday period. Hume Highway. Car, driver, two passengers. The car swerved off the road and hit a tree. A common event, a tragedy, more frequent then than today. Two young men died. The woman passenger survived. The accident ended the life of Bernard Lustig, a brilliant young barrister, winner of the University of Melbourne’s Supreme Court Prize. He was the older son of Adolf and Kate Lustig, German refugees from Nazism who fled to Australia before the war. As the war ended Adolf helped found the first B'nai B'rith lodge in Melbourne. Bernard followed in his father’s footsteps as a lawyer, although Adolf’s career in Munich was cut short by the Nuremberg Race Laws. Bernard also became interested in B'nai B'rith in 1951, becoming a founding member of B'nai B'rith Youth Melbourne and one of its earliest presidents. His death generated a thought among the members of the BBY committee. Let’s establish a scholarship in his memory. Too ambitious, said some. But anyone who knew the late Pauline Richter (later Pauline Glass) would testify that this was a young woman who was motivated, capable and persistent. She won the day. With financial contributions from B'nai B'rith Melbourne Lodge and its Women’s Chapter, the youth group set up a fund later that year, and awarded the first scholarships, to assist capable Year 12 students about to embark on a university course in 1956. Six decades have passed, and the scholarship is now the oldest continuing B'nai B'rith project and the longest running scholarship in the Victorian Jewish community. As with any project that survives for so long, it has had to change with the times. The first scholarship was worth ₤50. Today, winners receive $2500. Winners are decided by a long-serving group of trustees comprising senior academics and representatives of the Lustig family. The administration has changed. BBY Melbourne no longer exists: the scholarship is now a B'nai B'rith Victoria project. Instead of treasurers handling a couple of cheques, the scholarship receives some of its funding from an investment fund managed by the B'nai B'rith Charitable Fund (and from numerous individual donors). Information technology has wrought changes too. Originally, applicants sent hand-written letters in response to an AJN ad. Now there are detailed guidelines and an extensive application form, submitted by email. Nearly all communications among the trustees are handled electronically. The purpose of the scholarship has also altered since its early days. The scholarship is now offered in two categories: as a research grant to master’s and doctoral thesis candidates, and as a travel grant to outstanding student leaders at university level, to fund overseas travel to participate in leadership development programs. Some recent winners have travelled to Israel to participate in short courses at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Another worked as a deputy speech-writer for the Israeli Mission at the United Nations in New York. A young medical practitioner was assisted to pursue post-graduate research at Harvard University. The major winner in 2017 was a school counsellor researching for a master’s degree in psychology. Applications open in March each year and close at the end of April. Intending applicants should send an email to the B'nai B'rith Victoria Office, council@bbvic.org, requesting a copy of the guidelines and an application form. 
"The booklet should be printed as a 2-sided document, short-edge binding"
Online Showcase 2020 – To all potential contestants, their parents, and music teachers,
The changes we have all experienced as a society due to corona-virus have made us all rethink our daily lives. For the Showcase committee, we are concerned about our core business; Showcase: fostering Jewish musical talent. We know that our children are going through a challenging time. Schools were shut and students instructed to spend their days in an online classroom from their bedrooms. Sporting teams and clubs stopped meeting, training and playing. After four months, things have not gone back to normal. Children and young people have been having online music lessons. I think there are many young people out there trying to keep up with their music. Showcase is a key B’nai B’rith project. The Showcase committee was established in 1985 to encourage young people to continue their musical pursuits. We are committed to continuing that work. How to enter Online Showcase 2020 1. Go to our webpage at https://www.bnaibrith.org.au/our-projects/showcase.Download the Information Booklet, Entry form and Consent Form. 2. Register your entry by Friday 24 July. Late entries will not be accepted. 3. You will then receive your acknowledgement and access rights to the Showcase channel. 4. June 26-July 31 Online Heats will take place. The channel will be open for entrants to upload video recordings of their performances to the Showcase channel. 5. July 31-August 18 Our adjudicators will assess the performances. Entrants and competitors will receive adjudications, participation certificates and awards to celebrate their talent, according to the adjudicators’ decision. 6. August 18-Sept 10 Awardees will be contacted and the Finals Concert organised. 7. September 13 at 1.30 pm. the Finals Concert. Substantial prizes are offered for Section winners and the overall winner. While all entrants are requested to participate in Online Showcase 2020, we are living in a rapidly changing environment. With restrictions continuing in July, if venues are opened, the Showcase committee could offer entrants a live final and live-streamed concert via the channel. Keep a watch on our webpage for up to date information. Dear teachers, families and friends, we have found a way to adapt to changing circumstances. The Showcase committee is a volunteer group comprising of retired professionals. If you have the expertise to support us to run an Online Showcase 2020, please let us know via the website. We welcome your opinion and your feedback. Please let us know through our website: showcase@bbvic.org or the B’nai B’rith office phone 9523 0888. We have now opened our online channel bbvic.net to prepare for the Heats. This week, the booklets, flyers, website and advertising have been updated. We have advertised widely and already have 25 entries. We have extended the registration date to respond to the changing uncertain times and school holiday period. Interested entrants still have time to fill in the two forms, Entry Form and Consent Form, and encourage Online Showcase 2020 to find a new way to foster Jewish musical talent. Music can help raise everyone’s spirits. Judy Firestone Chair of Showcase 2020
This is the only Jewish Showcase in Australia and fulfills a specific need - it does not replicate what any other Jewish organisation is doing. Jewish musicians are enabled to compete in an officially recognised Showcase; as most are held on Shabbat, this competition acts as a bridge through all streams of Judaism - covering Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels (ages 8 - 25).
Register now and you too can be part of this exciting event! Please see the attached files on the right for sign up information or phone the B'nai B'rith Office on (03) 9523 0888 or email showcase@bbvic.org 
2019 SHOWCASE WINNERS AND PRESENTERS
JUDY FIRESTONE-PODCAST PROMOTING SHOWCASE ON J-AIR 5/6/20Official Accompanist Guide
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| Chairman: Robert Kohn A registered charity "opportunity shop", the Bargain Bazaar in Sydney occupies a very important place as one of the projects of B'nai B'rith in NSW. By collecting donated goods from within the Sydney community and selling them as second-hand for very reasonable prices, the shop has raised in excess of $750,000 for a broad range of charities of all denominations, humanitarian, medical and educational since its inception 25 years ago. What we sell We sell mainly second-hand clothing and shoes as well as manchester, books, CDs, DVDs, kitchen and household goods. These come to us from customers who bring donations into the shop, people who are decluttering, downsizing, moving into nursing homes or retirement villages or from deceased estates. Our customers are some of the best-dressed people in Surry Hills! With the inclusion of furniture as part of our inventory, we sell pieces such as bedside tables, dining chairs, coffee tables and chests of drawers. These are delivered at a small charge. We also have small electrical goods such as hair dryers, bedside lamps, table lamps and clock radios that are tested before being put out for sale. Occasionally we have fridges and washing machines in good condition and these sell quickly. There are times when we receive an item that is too valuable to sell in the shop such as a wedding dress or a designer handbag so it goes on eBay. Committee The Bargain Bazaar committee is elected by the volunteers each year at the annual general meeting and comprises the following positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Roster organiser and general committee members. The committee is responsible for managing the finances, the volunteer roster, shop repairs and maintenance and a sub-committee decides the allocation of donations to various charities, both Jewish and non-Jewish each year. Volunteering From a humble beginning, today the shop is operated by over 70 volunteers --- members and non-members, friends of B'nai B'rith --- and is constantly looking for new helpers for as little as 3 hours per month. Age or lack of retail experience is no barrier --- only a willingness to help is required. For the retail operation, opening hours are Monday to Friday 10 am – 4pm and Sunday 10 am – 3pm. We do not open on Saturdays and are closed on Jewish holidays and national holidays. There are two shifts per weekday 10 am – 1pm and 1pm – 4pm. The roster is done on a 4-weekly basis with volunteers working from one to several shifts in each 4-week period. At the beginning of each year, every volunteer with a regular shift receives a hard copy of the full year’s roster, indicating dates on which they are scheduled to work. However, it is not necessary to have a regular shift. We also have volunteers who do casual shifts as the need arises. As well as volunteers who sell front-of-shop, we have two other teams of volunteers: one group that comes in, usually on Mondays and Tuesdays, to work at the back of the shop sorting and pricing stock; and another group that collect donations from households and delivers the goods to the shop. All volunteers are provided with a manual, written by one of the members of the committee with input from others, that sets out procedures and processes that need to be followed. Please click the link below to read our Volunteer Manual. volunteer_manual.pdf Donations Sinc the introduction of small items of furniture and some electrical goods as part of our stock, our takings have increased to the point that, between 2017 and 2019, we have been able to donate over $240,000 to many and varied charities. In the Jewish community, these include Maccabi All Abilities, Courage to Care, Our Big Kitchen, BJE, ECAJ, NSW Friendship Circle, COA, Jewish Care, Camp Sababa, Sydney Jewish Museum and Hatzolah. Within the Surry Hills and wider community, recipients include DARTS, Midnight Basketball, Giant Steps, Kids Giving Back, South Sydney Police Citizens Youth Club, Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, Australian Foundation for Diabetes Research, Cleft Palate Foundation Westmead Hospital and Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Pop-up Shop Since September 2019, our pop-up shop in the Surry Hills Shopping Centre has been open for business and will remain until the centre is redeveloped. We now have additional space to sell the larger items of furniture that could not fit into our op shop. We have dining suites, individual chairs and tables, two-seater and three-seater sofas, large bookshelves, wall units, chests of drawers, mattresses, bed frames, paintings, mirrors and more. Hours of opening are 11am – 5pm excluding Saturdays. Contact us For more information or to apply to volunteer contact the Sydney B'nai B'rith office on (02) 9321 6300 or council@bbnsw.org.au. To hear about the beginnings of the Bargain Bazaar from one of its founders, find Hetty Hardy on Our People page. |
Making a Difference is a project (of Melbourne Mitzvah Lodge) which has been running since 1996. In that time we have raised some $150,000 from our members and their friends and given away bursaries to 219 Year 11 & 12 Jewish financially disadvantaged students to the end of 2015. Usually our money is raised by our members when they have simchas and request that their friends make a donation to 'Making a Difference' instead of bringing a gift, or other happy or sad occasions. Sometimes members give donations for no reason at all! Sometimes the Executive give us a donation to cover a bursary or Melbourne Mitzvah Lodge has a function during the year for us.
We have no administration costs and every dollar received is used for these bursaries. We only accept requests from school welfare co-ordinators. In 2015, we received requests from 8 schools who nominated some 18 students for 2016. After careful and lengthy deliberations, the committee decided to award 13 bursaries to the amount of $14,000. 11 were for amounts of $1000 each and the two most needy students received $1500 each, i.e. for the Sylvia Klein Bursary and the Herbert & Viva Leder Bursary both named in honour of long serving, much loved but deceased members of our committee.
We would be delighted to receive donations from people outside our Lodge should they wish to support our wonderful work.
You are welcome to make a direct deposit or forward cheques to:
B'nai B'rith Victoria
306 Hawthorn Road
Caulfield South VIC 3162
(please mark cheques 'Making a Difference' )
Or email devorahz@zmood.net
MAKING A DIFFERENCE GROUP
B'nai B'rith Melbourne Mitzvah Lodge
We have no administration costs and every dollar received is used for these bursaries. We only accept requests from school welfare co-ordinators. In 2015, we received requests from 8 schools who nominated some 18 students for 2016. After careful and lengthy deliberations, the committee decided to award 13 bursaries to the amount of $14,000. 11 were for amounts of $1000 each and the two most needy students received $1500 each, i.e. for the Sylvia Klein Bursary and the Herbert & Viva Leder Bursary both named in honour of long serving, much loved but deceased members of our committee.
We would be delighted to receive donations from people outside our Lodge should they wish to support our wonderful work.
You are welcome to make a direct deposit or forward cheques to:
B'nai B'rith Victoria
306 Hawthorn Road
Caulfield South VIC 3162
(please mark cheques 'Making a Difference' )
Or email devorahz@zmood.net
MAKING A DIFFERENCE GROUP
B'nai B'rith Melbourne Mitzvah Lodge
Attention: Jewish Students
Whether we are happy or sad, it is our responsibility to assist others less fortunate through Tzedakah. For 20 years Making a Difference has been dedicated to fulfilling this Mitzvah by providing assistance for financially disadvantaged Jewish students. We need your help to raise money so that we can ensure all Jewish students can have access to education.
Donate Now
Account Name: B’nai Brith Charitable Trust
BSB: 013017
Account Number: 900128923
Include Reference: MAD + surname/name of special occasion
Connect with Making a Difference on Facebook
Donate Now
Account Name: B’nai Brith Charitable Trust
BSB: 013017
Account Number: 900128923
Include Reference: MAD + surname/name of special occasion
Connect with Making a Difference on Facebook
| The Jenny Goldberg Community Service Grant has been awarded annually since 2004. Jenny Goldberg z"l, who passed away in 2003, was an active volunteer in B'nai B'rith and the wider community. The grant exists to help improve people's skills as volunteers, which in turn will benefit the community at large. To be eligible for the $2500 grant, applicants must be Jewish, reside in Melbourne, be under the age of 35, and have a history of volunteering in the Jewish and/or wider community. |  |
BBVIC - A New Community Service Project
Click and Connect (C&C) is a Melbourne-based organisation that got off the ground in 2016. Their project is already under way, helping students in four schools in various parts of Israel.
- For more information about it, see its website, www.clickandconnect.org.au
- C&C wants to expand its activities, not only in Israel, but here in Australia, by assisting students who need help with English.
- C&C’s leadership approached B'nai B'rith seeking our support.
- At its August executive meeting, BBVic agreed to explore ways in which we could assist them in their work. BBVic President Dr Benny Monheit endorsed the project, stating that “C&C’s vision of supporting community service in Israel and locally is strongly aligned with the aims of B'nai B'rith”.
Dr Paul Gardner AM has agreed to be the initial liaison between BBVic and C&C. Here are his thoughts about how B'nai B'rith might be able to assist:
“I have met with some of their leadership on two occasions and have been impressed by their vision and their competence. For them to grow, they require more resources, especially human resources. This is a hands-on-the-internet-direct-help project, not a fund-raising exercise.
So, here’s how you might become involved:
Are you a retired teacher willing to spend an hour every fortnight on the internet with a particular child in Israel?
Or if not a teacher, would you enjoy having a conversation in English about any topics of mutual interest? (The aim is not to cover a curriculum, simply to encourage the kid to talk.)
Or, if direct conversation with kids is not your forte, would you be willing to provide volunteer assistance to C&C to help out with managing their project?
Do you know anyone in your circle of family and friends – they don’t have to be B'nai B'rith members – who might be interested in helping out in some way?
If the answer to any of these questions is YES! -- and I would love to get some enthusiastic YES! responses – please contact me.”
pgardner@bigpond.net.au 9578 4724 0412 275 623
Fellowship Group Concert: provides an outing which includes afternoon tea and entertainment once a month to senior citizens who either come from independent living or aged care facilities. Our volunteers offer transport to the event, where possible.
Volunteers prepare and serve afternoon tea. Many of the entertainers provide their services for free or a reduced rate.
Proceeds go to B’nai B’rith projects.
For more details, please contact Cera at 0412 304 894
All photos on this page, thanks to Judi Schiff Photography (click on photo to see the full picture)
Volunteers prepare and serve afternoon tea. Many of the entertainers provide their services for free or a reduced rate.
Proceeds go to B’nai B’rith projects.
For more details, please contact Cera at 0412 304 894
All photos on this page, thanks to Judi Schiff Photography (click on photo to see the full picture)
Our Projects
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