Chairperson:  Ralph Levy

The B'nai B'rith Parents Home (Vic) Inc owns 16 one bedroom flats and 2 two bedroom flats in Inkerman Rd, Caulfield built in the 1960s. The flats are managed as affordable independent living accommodation for older Jewish people with an onsite resident Caretaker. The Home is run by a hardworking and very capable committee of volunteers, predominantly B'nai B'rith members.

Residents are charged a reasonable ingoing fee and a small monthly maintenance fee.

Whilst flats do not become available often, the Committee maintains a register of expressions in interest.

To find out more, call the B'nai B'rith Office on 03 9523 0888 or admin@bbvic.org.au

CLICK HERE FOR THE NOMINATION FORM.
Applications close 15 August 2022.

The B’nai B’rith Victoria Menorah Awards were established in 1978. They are presented annually to worthy recipients who:

• have worked for the welfare of the community, and
• have not previously received a National or State Government recognition Award.

 
Eligibility:

• Menorah Awards will be presented to individuals who have performed voluntary work of benefit to the community, usually over a long period.
• Recipients will usually be members of the Jewish community. Members of other faiths, who have contributed significantly in relation to the Jewish community, may also be considered.
• Nominations must be made on the Menorah Awards nomination form (CLICK HERE), obtainable from the B’nai B’rith Victoria office.
• Nominators will be asked to suggest two referees that the Committee may consult. All nominations will be handled confidentially.
• Nominees are not to be informed that they are being considered for an Award until after the selection process is complete. Only successful nominees will be notified.

Judging Criteria:

All nominations will be considered by the Menorah Awards Committee. Awards will be offered to individuals who

• have furthered religious, educational and social welfare by their communal work, for which they have not previously been recognised, and
• have performed such work on a voluntary basis, usually over a considerable period of time.

The Committee will assess each nomination in the frame of the above criteria, and it may seek additional information and/or clarification, either from the nominator or other sources, before advising successful candidates of the outcome of its deliberations.

General:
Nominators of successful candidates will be asked to  prepare the citation and a brief talk about the candidate for presentation at the Awards Ceremony in November. Prior to this they are asked to nominate a sponsor, who will prepare the citation for presentation at the Awards Ceremony in November.
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CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION FORM.
Applications close 25 August 2022.

 A HISTORIC LUSTIG SCHOLARSHIP “PRESENTATION”

For the first time in its 65 year history, the winner of this year’s Bernard Lustig Memorial Scholarship was announced at a Zoom event earlier this month.

Michaela Glass is a brilliant law student, having graduated last month from Monash with a double degree in Arts and Law, with first-class honours. Winners in the scholarship’s Travel Grant category are judged not only on their academic results, but also on their proven ability to be a student leader. Her referees, foremost amongst them the Hon. Marilyn Warren AC, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Victoria, praised Michaela for her enduring efforts as a mentor to younger undergraduates.

Michaela was “present” at the Zoom meeting, but she wasn’t in Melbourne. She was in the Netherlands, on her way to Cambridge University. When the new northern university year begins, she will participate in a highly selective group of post-graduates in a course leading to the Master of Corporate Law Degree. She is interested in the issue of legal control of corporations, to ensure that proper attention is given to privacy and consumers’ rights.

The meeting was opened by BBVic President Dr Benny Monheit and hosted by Raoul Wallenberg Unit, one of the BBVic entities that are committed to major annual donations to the scholarship. Dr Paul Gardner AM, Chairman of the Scholarship’s Trustees, introduced the winner to the meeting. The Lustig family was well represented. Danny Lustig, the nephew of the late Bernard, is one of the Trustees; Eve Lustig, widow of Dr Lew Lustig, founding Patron and Trustee, Bernard’s brother, was also present. A pleasant surprise was to see another nephew, Bernard King-Smith, son of the late Ruth King-Smith, and named in memory of the uncle he had never known, logged in early in the morning from his home in the United States.​

Dr Gardner, whose friendship with the Lustig family goes back to his childhood years, told Preview, “The pandemic is an international disaster of the first magnitude, and its effects have not yet been fully felt. In the meantime, B'nai B'rith and its projects refuse to lie down and die. We do what we can to carry on. Giving up is not an option.”

Making a Difference – a Project of Lodge Melbourne Mitzvah
​Making a Difference has been in operation since 1996. Our purpose is to support financially disadvantaged Jewish students in our community, whether they attend a State school or a Jewish school. We support students going into year 11 and year 12, as it was felt that it is these two years which are critical for students to achieve success.

​Money is raised through the support of our members, their families and friends. We receive donations when a variety of events are celebrated and we are grateful for each donation. Since 1996 we have donated over $220,000 to some 280 students. We welcome donations from all.

Our banking details are:
Melbourne Mitzvah Lodge ( MAD) - BSB 013-017, Account No 9001 28923

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.
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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.”
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pgardner@bigpond.net.au      9578 4724        0412 275 623