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CHRISTCHURCH: YOM HA’ATZMAUT ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY PARTY

In partnership with the Canterbury Hebrew Congregation, we invite you to come celebrate Israel’s 78th birthday (Yom Ha’atzmaut). There will be lots of activities for young and old. Please bring a plate of finger food. No seafood or pork products. Thanks for your understanding.

We will be finishing by about 8.30pm as the next day is a school day.

Seventy‑eight years after its rebirth in 1948, Israel stands as one of the most extraordinary success stories of the modern era. A nation born in the shadow of trauma and surrounded by immense challenges has not only endured but flourished in ways few could have imagined. From a population of just over 800,000 at independence to more than nine million today, Israel has built a vibrant, diverse, and resilient society rooted in ancient heritage yet boldly oriented toward the future. Its survival alone would have been remarkable; its thriving is nothing short of inspiring.

In less than eight decades, Israel has become a global leader in science, medicine, agriculture, cybersecurity, and humanitarian innovation. It has turned deserts into farmland, pioneered life‑saving technologies used around the world, and fostered a culture of creativity and determination that continues to defy the odds. The story of Israel at 78 is not simply one of endurance — it is a testament to human spirit, ingenuity, and hope. It reminds us that even in the most difficult circumstances, a nation built on courage and vision can achieve the extraordinary.  Yom Ha’atzmaut is a day for celebration.

MARY POTTER COMMUNITY CENTRE
442 DURHAM ST NORTH
CHRISTCHURCH

6.30PM. TUESDAY MAY 12, 2026.

RSVP TO

secretary@nzfoi.org
info@chc.org.nz

Israel defending itself from Iranian retaliation

Israel defending itself from Iranian retaliation

Israel at war has reshaped global conversations, and NZFOI supporters are invited to meet on March 24 for an open discussion about the conflict and its wider regional implications.

We’ll explore how these events are influencing attitudes toward Jewish communities worldwide, how those shifts are being felt in our own families, friendships, and local communities.

Library services will be available.

NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc – Fighting racial intolerance in New Zealand and beyond

https://www.nzfoi.org/event/1665689/

Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch: Yom HaShoah Event

HCNZ Yom HaShoah 2026

Yom HaShoah:  Join us as we honour the six million and all who perished in the Shoah. Together we remember, we mourn, and we affirm our commitment to stand against hatred in every generation.

Click these links to register:

Online Event: Helen Schamroth – The Legacy We Inherit

Intergenerational trauma - Helen Schamroth

THE LEGACY WE INHERIT
Understanding Intergenerational Trauma and Resilience Across Generations
The topic explores the intergenerational transmission of the legacy of the Holocaust – the trauma, the resilience, the intense longing for what was missed and those lost. It connects with the L’dor V’dor concept of scientific research on how the Holocaust legacy may pass to 2G and 3G descendants.  We’ll examine ‘post-memory’ – a connection to a past not personally lived through – and discuss findings on inherited extreme stress effects.
Helen Schamroth
Born in Poland, Helen Schamroth arrived in Melbourne with her parents in 1949 and has lived in Auckland, New Zealand, since 1968. She has written extensively for national and international publications about craft and design, including her award-winning book “100 New Zealand Craft Artists”. Her writing has evolved in parallel with her visual arts career, and she has exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Triennale of Tapestry in Lodz, Poland.
Working as an arts writer, arts consultant, curator and arts advocate, Helen has served on the Arts Board of Creative New Zealand and is a Life Member of the Designers’ Institute of New Zealand. In 2005, she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts.
Series Information & Booking
Join us for the L’Dor V’Dor Speaker Series 2026 to explore the vital links between our past and future.
Single session: $11.50 (Members: $8.05)*
Experience the complete 10-part journey for only $80 (Members $58)*
Early Bird series pricing ends April 20th, 2026. Secure Your Series Pass Now – Click HERE
*Prices include GST. Booking fees are additional.

Click the graphic to register

CHRISTCHURCH, AUCKLAND, WELLINGTON: Iran Global Day of Action

Iran Global Day of Action 20260214

N.B. DIFFERENT START TIME FOR CHRISTCHURCH

CHRISTCHURCH, MARCH 24: “Scholarship Under Fire: Teaching and Research While Israel is at War”

Prof. Michal Siegel

Prof. Michal Bar-Asher Siegel

Even though Israel is at War, we are delighted to invite you to an evening with Prof. Michal Bar‑Asher Siegal, one of Israel’s leading scholars of Jewish–Christian relations in Late Antiquity and the Vice President for Global Engagement at Ben‑Gurion University of the Negev.

Prof. Bar‑Asher Siegal plays a central role in shaping BGU’s international partnerships and global academic strategy, while also ensuring a vibrant, supportive environment for the University’s international students and scholars. Her home city of Beersheva sits just 23 km from the sites attacked on October 7, bringing a deeply personal dimension to her reflections on Jewish history, resilience, and identity.

A professor in the Goldstein‑Goren Department of Jewish Thought, her research focuses on the complex interactions between early Christians and rabbinic Jews, using comparative readings of foundational texts to illuminate how these communities shaped — and challenged — one another. She has held prestigious visiting professorships at Harvard Law School, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and is a member of the Israel Young Academy of Sciences.

Her acclaimed books include:

  • Early Christian Monastic Literature and the Babylonian Talmud (CUP, 2013), winner of the 2014 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award
  • Jewish‑Christian Dialogues on Scripture in Late Antiquity (CUP, 2019), a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award

Join us for what promises to be a fascinating and timely exploration of how a university faces and overcomes many challenges encountered in wartime.

Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Mary Potter Community Centre
442 Durham St North, St Albans, Christchurch 8014

Online access.  Please contact the Secretary if you wish to obtain the link to allow you access to the live talk.

Please bring a plate of finger food to share for supper afterwards.
No pork or seafood products, thank you for your understanding.

We look forward to seeing you there.

ROTORUA: Vigil for Bondi

Sunset over Bondi Beach

Sunset over Bondi Beach

We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, to honor lives lost and stand together in grief and solidarity. Please join us as candles are lit, prayers and reflections shared, and silence observed in unity.

Location: By Lakefront, Rotorua
Date & Time: Sunday December 21, 3pm

Flags and respectful signs welcome. Families, friends, and all members of the community are welcome. Together, we affirm resilience, compassion, and peace.

“We remember. We mourn. We stand together.”

RAGLAN: Vigil for Bondi

Sunset over Bondi Beach

Sunset over Bondi Beach

We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, to honor lives lost and stand together in grief and solidarity. Please join us as candles are lit, prayers and reflections shared, and silence observed in unity.

Location: Papahua Domain
Date & Time: Sunday December 21, 3pm

Flags and respectful signs welcome. Families, friends, and all members of the community are welcome. Together, we affirm resilience, compassion, and peace.

“We remember. We mourn. We stand together.”

WELLINGTON: Vigil for Bondi

Sunset over Bondi Beach

Sunset over Bondi Beach

We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre, to honor lives lost and stand together in grief and solidarity. Please join us as candles are lit, prayers and reflections shared, and silence observed in unity.

Location: By Freyberg Pool, Oriental Parade, Wellington
Date & Time: Sunday December 21, 3pm

Flags and respectful signs welcome. Families, friends, and all members of the community are welcome. Together, we affirm resilience, compassion, and peace.

“We remember. We mourn. We stand together.”

AUCKLAND: Vigil for Bondi

Auckland Bondi Vigil

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