Calendar

Here is a calendar of upcoming events, up and down the country. Some are organized by us, others by like-minded organizations and groups.

Dec
4
Tue
CHRISTCHURCH: Hanukkiah Lighting Ceremony: Dec 4, 5pm @ Cathedral square, christchurch, new zealand
Dec 4 @ 5:00 PM

You are invited to a Hanukkiah lighting ceremony at 5pm, Tuesday December 4.

For the first time, since the earthquake, it will be held at Cathedral Square and marks a significant milestone in the rebuilding of the city.

Bring your children to hear the miraculous story of Hanukkah.

Organized by Chabad House of New Zealand.

Dec
9
Sun
WELLINGTON: Hanukkah in the Park: Sunday Dec 9, 11am @ Botanical Gardens, Wellington
Dec 9 @ 11:00 AM
AUCKLAND: DEC 9: Hanukkah in the Park
Dec 9 @ 5:00 PM
Apr
7
Sun
GORE: Passover Demonstration: April 7 @ Calvin Community Church
Apr 7 @ 7:00 PM

See the source image

Have you ever wondered why Christians are instructed to regularly use bread and wine to remember the death of Jesus? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal and find out!

This demonstration of the ancient Passover meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 1-hour demonstration is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover meal…until He returns!

Apr
12
Fri
AUCKLAND: PASSOVER SEDER BANQUET: April 12 @ Northcross Intermediate School
Apr 12 @ 5:00 PM

Have you ever wondered why Jesus used bread and wine to talk about his sacrifice for us? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal for yourself and find out!

See the source image

This demonstration of the ancient Passover Seder meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 3-hour experience is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover Seder…until He returns!

Join Scott Brown and discover how this ancient holiday is GOOD NEWS for us today.

We will enjoy a shared dinner and dessert, so please bring a plate if you are able.  Hot and cold drinks will be provided.  A donation toward the venue hire and a gift for the speaker will be appreciated.

RSVP Sue Whitcombe at office@jesusfirst.org.nz or 027 663 5009.

NELSON: PASSOVER SEDER BANQUET: April 12 @ St Peters Anglican Church
Apr 12 @ 5:30 PM

See the source image

Have you ever wondered why Jesus used bread and wine to talk about his sacrifice for us? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal for yourself and find out!

This demonstration of the ancient Passover Seder meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 3-hour experience is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover Seder…until He returns!

Join Zohar Gonen and discover how this ancient holiday is GOOD NEWS for us today.

RSVP to Christine Naseri at 03 545 2409.

Jun
16
Sun
WELLINGTON: Sunday June 16: DocEdge Film Festival: Gaza @ The Roxy Cinema 1
Jun 16 @ 6:15 PM

We are forming a group to go view this documentary on Sunday June 16.  If you’d like to join up, call our Wellington Regional Coordinator, Joanna Moss on (022) 154 7865.

“…by the end, Keane and McConnell are tugging so hard at heartstrings that most viewers will be unable to resist, even the ones who can see the puppeteers in constant motion.” – Hollywood Reporter

It’s hard to imagine anybody living a normal life in the Gaza Strip. Frequently labelled as the world’s largest open-air prison, it makes an appearance on news reports every time a confrontation erupts between Israel and Hamas. On TV sets thousands of miles away, this tiny piece of land has been reduced to an image of violence, chaos and destruction.

The Gaza which is seldom seen is ordinary, everyday Gaza, a coastal strip smaller than Lake Taupō and home to an eclectic mix of almost two million.

So what do the people who live there do when they’re not under siege?

Gary Keane and Andrew McConnell’s atypical approach to their subject matter yields unexpected, unfamiliar stories of people plagued by conflict but not defined by it.

“We don’t wanna be killed or injured. We simply want to live.”
– Paramedic in Gaza

Gaza cannot be understood in a purely political context or by analysing tragic sound bites during conflict. It can only be understood by immersion, by living amongst its people and by recognizing and exploring its rich social diversity and cultural subtleties.

As the filmmakers travel through the physically broken and battered landscape, they allow their subjects to speak for themselves.

Through them, we gain a nuanced understanding of what life is really like for Gaza’s citizens. In Keane and McConnell’s tender portrait of beleaguered humanity, we experience familiarity and affinity with this unique community.

100% on Rotten Tomatoes

 

 

Sep
19
Thu
CHRISTCHURCH: “ASK ME ANYTHING” (AMA) SESSION WITH RABBI ARIEL TAL: SEPT 19 @ Sumner Community Centre
Sep 19 @ 7:30 PM

CHRISTCHURCH:

“ASK ME ANYTHING” (AMA) SESSION

WITH

RABBI ARIEL TAL

RABBI OF THE WELLINGTON JEWISH COMMUNITY

19 SEPTEMBER 2019

Following the massacres, it’s clear that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of minorities in our community.  With that lack comes uncertainty, anxiety and even fear.  Unfortunately we humans often respond with prejudice and intolerance.  One of those minorities is the Jewish community and those who adhere to Judaism.

We are honoured to host Rabbi Ariel Tal to join us for an “Ask Me Anything” session where he will take questions from the floor.

Rabbi Ariel Tal is an experienced educator, Rabbi and marketing expert, serving in positions in both North America and Israel. Rabbi Tal has a education degree from Ohalo College in the Golan Heights, Israel, Rabbinical Semicha from Israel Chief Rabbinate, and is a Personal Coach through Da’at U’Tevuna School in Rechovot, Israel. He has taught at the Netivot HaTorah Day School in Toronto, Kibbutz Lavi Primary School and the educational organisation Livnot U’Lehibanot.

With such wide experiences, Ariel is well able to answer questions on Judaism, Jewish life in Israel, the Diaspora and New Zealand.

Ever wondered what Judaism stood for? What it says about the meaning of life? What Judaism says about how the world ends?

A Jewish perspective on the Middle East Conflict and Palestinian Arab relations? What Jews outside of Israel think of the Middle Eastern situation?

What impression New Zealanders have made on Ariel and his family? His thoughts on New Zealand culture and what its like to live in Wellington?

That’s just a few questions you could ask him.

A rare opportunity to publicly quiz a Jewish Rabbi in person.

Where: Sumner Community Centre, 14-16 Wakefield Avenue, Sumner, Christchurch.

When: 7.30pm, Thursday, September 19.

Admission: A plate of finger food. Please avoid pork and seafood products. A collection will be taken to help defray expenses.

Dec
22
Sun
Chanukkah
Dec 22 @ 8:45 PM – Dec 30 @ 8:45 PM

Hanukkah (Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה, usually spelled חנוכה pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, also romanized as Chanukkah or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

Feb
25
Tue
CHRISTCHURCH: Who lives behind the Gaza blockade? Feb 25, 5.30p @ South Arts Lecture Theatre A6, University of Canterbury Campus
Feb 25 @ 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

A kite with an incendiary device is readied for its launch

Folks

The NZ Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA) has invited us to their event:

Title:  Who lives behind the Gaza blockade, and what can Aotearoa NZ (and we) do?

Speaker:  Marilyn Garson

Date:  Tuesday, Feb 25

Time:  5.30p-6.30p

Venue:  South Arts Lecture Theatre A6, University of Canterbury Campus

 

Abstract: Marilyn Garson worked for 18 years with excluded communities affected by war.  She has established locally owned social enterprises with Cambodians with disabilities, Afghan women and others.

In 2011, she was invited to move to the Gaza Strip. As the economic director of a large NGO programme, she led an ambitious Gazan team.  In 2013, she became a consultant to the office of UNRWA’s then-Gaza director.  They set about launching the GGateway enterprise to create technology-related jobs behind the Gaza blockade. Marilyn volunteered to stay in Gaza as part of the UN emergency response team that prepared to shelter 35,000 displaced Gazans – but 293,000 people needed shelter through 50 days of bombardment.

Marilyn recently published Still Lives – a memoir of Gaza, chronicling four years of work (2011 – 2015), and the lives being lived behind the Gaza blockade.

As a Jew, Marilyn has skin on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict. She discusses the conflict, and NZ’s aid policy, in the unifying language of law and human rights.

She asks, who really lives behind the Gaza blockade, and what can we do about it?

Shalom

NZ Friends of Israel Assoc Inc

Box 37 363
Halswell
Christchurch
New Zealand 8245

+64 (27) 433 9745
contact@nzfoi.org
www.nzfoi.org