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Message from the Chairman
Dear friends,
Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days are a period of reflection and renewal, a time to celebrate with families and friends.
It also an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the foundational values of respect and tolerance, and to reaffirm our resolve and determination to fight anti-Semitism.
The hatred of Jews, and the delegitimizing and defaming of the state of Israel, is a disturbing reality that will not go away by ignoring or wishing it away.
Clearly, these are difficult times for the Jewish community, with too many incidents of incitement, vilification and violence, whipped up by bigots and racists who are out in full force.
The task of opposing this menace and winning the unprecedented battles ahead is now more critical than ever.
At such a time, you can count on the ADC to never stand idly by and to always do the essential work that needs to be done.
With your steadfast support, I know that we can a build a better future and continue to educate the next generation of leaders through our groundbreaking program Click Against Hate, now reaching 20,000 students a year.
I wish you and your family a sweet, healthy, and peaceful New year. May you be inscribed for blessings in the Book of Life.
Shana Tova,
Dvir Abramovich
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ADC honours Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission Helen Kapalos with its ADC Leadership Award
"I would like to thank the ADC for the great honour for receiving the award bestowed on me recently for recognising the VMC in promoting diversity and inclusiveness."
Helen Kapalos
In September B’nai B’rith Victoria held a movie afternoon to fundraise for the ADC. Tania Tobias and Jacqui Dinor-Corry presented a cheque to Dvir Abramovich, who thanked them and welcomed the close relationship that B’nai B’rith Victoria and ADC share.
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ADC quoted in The Age and SMH about Facebook
.."the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, slammed Facebook’s handling of the case. Chairman Dvir Abramovich said the “disturbing” post mocked Holocaust victims and “the vile comments that followed clearly violates its community standards”......
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Media Release
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ADC breaks the story of the UNE professor displaying anti-Israel cartoons
ADC chair Dvir Abramovich said, “Imagine being a Jewish student, about to enter the office for a consultation, and being confronted with these disturbing and offensive posters which demonise and portray Jews and Israelis in a highly negative way"......
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Media Release
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ADC's ground-breaking education program Click Against Hate features on SBS World News TV
Watch Here
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ADC honours Essendons' Courtenay Dempsey for speaking out against racism
Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich said: “We need sportspeople like Courtenay who will stand up with a clear-eyed and principled conviction..."
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Media Release
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ADC critical of HSU BDS motion
“The HSU has decided to promote a fervently vicious and one-sided resolution that unfairly lays of all the blame at the feet of Israel and which seeks to isolate and demonise the Jewish State”...
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Media Release
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ADC Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich and 2016 ADC Gandel Orator write an opinion piece about terrorism
ADC Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich and 2016 ADC Gandel Orator, Dan Mariaschin, write an opinion piece in The Australian Jewish News reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the Entebbe rescue and how the world has changed since then..."
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ADC Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich, writes an opinion piece in the Herald Sun on Israel's success
... "Sixty-eight years is not a long time in the span of history, yet the rebirth of the modern state of Israel in 1948 still stands as one of the most inspiring events of the 20th century, as story of liberty and hope for all oppressed people" ....
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ADC Chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich denounces petition to bar Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from visiting Australia
"To charge that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a racist war criminal is an odious form of incitement, and to accuse Israel of promoting the vile racial policies promulgated by the former apartheid government in South Africa has no basis in reality. " Abramovich said.
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ADC celebrates milestone of 300th school in the Click Against Hate program
ADC Chairman Dvir Abramovich recently attended an assembly at Bentleigh Secondary College to present them with a certificate and cheque for their library. Bentleigh Secondary is the 300th school to undertake the Click against Hate program.
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ADC deeply troubled by Bill Leak cartoon portraying same sex marriage advocates as Waffen SS soldiers
ADC chair Dvir Abramovich said "..to compare them to the Waffen SS ... only adds to the cynical debasement, twisting and abuse of the Holocaust so prevalent today."...
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Media Release
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The Age reports on the ADC's call for Holocaust education in Australian schools
..."The body's chair Dvir Abramovich called for the federal government to introduce mandatory Holocaust education in all Australian schools".....
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Media Release
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ADC Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich reflects on the 9/11 terrorist attacks in The Australian Jewish News
....“ADC Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich, writes an opinion piece in The Australian Jewish News reflecting on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America....
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Media Release
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ADC Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich, pays tribute to Elie Wiesel
... "Elie Wiesel shall be celebrated as the man who insisted on the remembrance of the victims and for not letting the world forget that apathy, and its companion, forgetfulness, should be every human being’s chosen enemy"....
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Media Release
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ADC calls for GetUp! Director to resign or renounce her BDS support
"Instead of building bridges and fostering dialogue in Australia, by having Ms Saleh on the board, Get Up! has chosen the path of divisiveness that only blows on the embers of discord.”........
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Media Release
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ADC speaks out on the anti-Semitic posts on VCE Facebook page in the Herald Sun
“It is deeply saddening that these students thought that expressing hatred towards Jews and exploiting the Holocaust and the murder of millions to vilify others is funny.”....
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Media Release
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ADC opposes proposed changes to Section 18C
"Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, welcomed Senator Xenophon’s stance and urged the Prime Minister to guarantee the racial vilification law would not be changed."....
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Media Release
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ADC troubled by World First refusal to transfer money to a student in a Yeshiva in Israel
“Any refusal to deal with an Israeli institution, large or small, is an egregious attack on the Jewish State and contradicts our fundamental values of fairness and tolerance,” Abramovich said....
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Media Release
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ADC awards Yarra Primary for swift removal of swastika graffiti
“This award recongnises that schools can inspire and empower their students to never be bystanders, and celebrates schools that make a difference by sending the powerful message that anti-Semitism and racism will never be tolerated”....
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Media Release
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To read all ADC News items and Press Releases go to http://www.antidef.org.au/news
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CLICK AGAINST HATE
This transformative program, which is accredited by the Victorian Government is presented in 120 schools to over 20,000 Primary and Secondary students. Many schools are hearing about the program from fellow teachers and students and contacting the ADC directly. The ADC continues to receive positive feedback and welcomed back to schools yearly.
We have changed and matured a lot after the program and we aren’t being racist or stereotypical any more – Jonah
Thanks to the ADC I now tell other people ‘don’t do it’ and give them a reason why it is wrong – Georgia
I loved the program. Now I keep an eye out for any bullying that goes on anywhere – Inderbir
We are all humans, we have feelings and the program helped teach us how important this is - Jelani
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2016 ADC GANDEL ORATION
The ADC is proud to share with you that for the fourth year running, we have had a sell-out event.
Dan Mariaschin, Executive Vice President of B'nai B'rith International delivered the Oration this year. He shared with the audience that the anti-Jewish hatred is now at a post-World War II high.
As the Australian Jewish News reported:
"Israel, unique among nations, finds its very statehood challenged. Boycotts, divestment and sanctions’ “economic warfare has both directly and indirectly been strengthened by the ritualistic mistreatment of Israel in the UN,” Mariaschin said.
Israel’s “staying power, remarkable development and increased population share” mean that, for the first time in its 68 years, it has become “the senior partner in the Jewish world”. But from a high after 1967, young Diaspora Jews are increasingly turning away from Israel, with Pew research showing only a quarter of Jews aged 18-29 “strongly connecting” with the Jewish State.
Ending on an upbeat note, however, Mariaschin cited many of today’s church groups and legislators in the West as supportive, just as historically, Jews found support from some righteous Europeans during the Holocaust.
“To succeed in the battle against the anti-Semites, and the perniciousness of the new anti-Semitism, trumpeted through the internet at the speed of a keystroke, with Twitter, Facebook and other social media placing anti-Semitism within the reach of everyone, anywhere in the world,” he said, “we need friends and allies in the non-Jewish community to aid us in our efforts.”
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