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Thursday 7 th June – Bet David, 3 Middle Road, Morningside/Sandton
SAUPJ 80th Anniversary Conference 7-10 June 2012
Programme
09h30-13h30 SA Association of Progressive Rabbis (SAAPR) Rabbinic Kallah
14h00-15h45 SA Union for Progressive Judaism (SAUPJ) AGM: Steve Lurie, Chair
16h00-17h45 SA Union of Temple Sisterhoods AGM: Paddy Meskin, President
18h00 SA Foundation for Progressive Judaism Donors Cocktail Party (Protea Hotel)
19.30 SAUTS Conference Dinner (Bet David Campus, Middleton)
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Friday 8 June – Beit Emanuel, 38 Oxford Road, Parktown
08h15 Shacharit --Service leader: Rabbi Malcolm Matitiani
09h00 [Slome Auditorium] Defining the Progressive Challenge:
Facilitator: Reeva Forman, Gauteng
Speakers: Mike Grabiner, UK; Dave Robinson, New Zealand; Yaron Shavit, Israel; Steve Lurie,
South Africa
10h15 Tea
10h30-11h30 Break-out sessions
(1) Life-long learning in the Progressive Jewish Community; Leader Diane McColl, Durban
(2) Congregation and Sisterhood—renewing the work. Leader: N’tanya Gordon-Davis, Cape
Town
(3) Using Technology and Social Media for our benefit. Leader: Lynton Travis, Gauteng
(4) Dor l’Dor—activating next generation members of all ages. Leader: Gareth Hall, Gauteng
(5) Using resources wisely and well in your community. Leader: Eric Beswick, Cape Town
11h30-12h00 Report Back
Facilitator Reeva Forman and Recorder/Leader from each break-out group
12h00-12h30 Lunch
12h30-13h15 Luncheon Keynote: Progressive Judaism in Action
Anat Hoffman Director, Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC)
Session sponsor, SA Centre for Religious Equality and Diversity (SACRED);
Moderator: Rabbi Robert A. Jacobs, Gauteng;
Response: A South African Perspective: Professor David Bilchitz, Gauteng
13h30-14h45 Interest Groups
(1) Round Table: Building New Models for Progressive Religious Jewish Life Moderator: Rabbi
Hillel Avidan; Speakers: Rabbi Danny Rich UK; Rabbi Robert A. Jacobs, Gauteng; Lael
Bethlehem, Gauteng.
(2) NETZER & TaMaR—Dalya Levy, Israel; Jenna Reinbach, Durban; Sivan Zeffertt, Gauteng
(3) Choirs and synagogue music—Avi Kanar, Glynnis Kanar, Gauteng
(4) Educators forum: Diane McColl, Durban; R M Matitiani, Cape Town; Merle Williams,
Gauteng; David Silman, Gauteng; Melanie Beswick, Cape Town; Giddy Lief, Gauteng
14h45-15h15 Tea
15h15-15h40 AGM South African Centre for Religious Equality and Diversity (SACRED)
15h40-16h00 AGM South African Foundation for Progressive Judaism (SAFPJ)
Nominations welcome for two year terms on the respective Boards.
18h00 Kabbalat Shabbat at Beit Emanuel
Service leaders Rabbi Ash, Student Rabbi Julia Rubinstein
Vision for Progressive Judaism 2012--Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, President WUPJ
19h30 Shabbat Dinner
Dinner chair—Steve Lurie
Importance of the World Union for South African Jewry
Mike Grabiner, chairman WUPJ
Birkat Hamazon: Rabbi Richard Newman
Saturday 9 th June—Temple Israel, Hillbrow
08h30 Shabbat Morning Torah Study for Shabbat Behaalotecha
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SAUPJ 80th Anniversary Conference 7-10 June 2012
Programme
Study leaders: Rabbi Malcolm Mattitiani, Cape Town; Rabbi Richard Newman, Cape Town and
Rabbi Robert Ash, Gauteng
10h00 SAUPJ Shabbat Morning Service
Dvar Torah—Rabbi Danny Rich, Chief Executive, Liberal Judaism, UK
13h00-14h00 Brachah—Luncheon
14h00-16h00 Optional Tours of Constitution Hill or Apartheid Museum
18h45 The Middleton, Bet David Campus
Havdalah—Netzer
Gala Dinner, Dinner chairman
Motzi— Rabbi Malcolm Mattitiani, Cape Town
Keynote: Human Rights, Civil Rights, Jewish Rights
Anat Hoffman, Director Israel Religious Action Center/Mercaz Lapluralizm, Israel;
Chair, Women of the Wall
Birkat Hamazon— Rabbi Hillel Avidan, Durban
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Sunday 10 June—Yom Iyyun at Beit Emanuel, 38 Oxford Road, Parktown
08h30 Shacharit—Service-Service Leader: Rabbi Greg Alexander
09h00 Yom Iyyun Opening Plenary and Round Table
Session moderator-- Professor Antony Arkin; Session Sponsor: Arzeinu
Ya’akov Finkelstein, Deputy Chief of Mission and Political Councillor of
the State of Israel to South Africa. The Place of Israel in the Changing Middle East
09h45-10h45 Round Table: The Changing Politics of the Middle East
Moderator—Reeva Forman; Speakers: Leading International Correspondent;
Yaron Shavit; Dalya Levy.
10h45-11h00 Tea
11h00-12h00 Panel: Issues, Problems & Successes of Diaspora Jewry
Moderator—Monica Solomon, Gauteng; Speakers-- EUPJ: Miriam Kramer, UK; FSU: Rabbi Helena
Rubinstein, St. Petersburg; UPJ Australia-New Zealand Dave Robinson, NZ; IMPJ: Yaron Shavit.
(Israel)
12h15 Luncheon Keynote
Moderator—Jeremy Gordin, Gauteng;
Seeking Justice in Africa
Tali Nates, Director, Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre
13h00-14h15 Breakout discussions by topic
(1) Anti-Zionism vs. Anti-Semitism
Moderator: Alvin Kushner, Cape Town; Speakers: Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, Mike Grabiner,
Steven Gruzd (SA Jewish Board of Deputies)
(2) Images of Jews in the Media in 2012
Moderator: Russell Cohen, Gauteng; Speakers: Bev Goldman, SAZF; Anthony Katz,
Myshtetl.co.za; Charisse Zeifert, SA Jewish Board of Deputies
(3) Jewish Identity: Progressive Jewish Views
Moderator Brian Cohen, Gauteng; Speakers: Rabbi Greg Alexander, Cape Town; Brett
Steingo, Gauteng; Rabbi Danny Rich
(4) Progressive Jewish lessons for a Greener World
Moderator Desmond Sweke, Gauteng; Speaker: Rabbi Hillel Avidan, Rabbi Robert Ash, Paddy
Meskin, Durban
14h15-14h30 Tea
14h30 Closing Plenary Panel: Tsedek, Tsedek…Progressive Views of Justice
Moderator Merle Williams, Gauteng; Panellists: Anat Hoffman; Yaron Shavit; Leading
Correspondent
15h45 Concluding ceremony
Moderator: Rabbi Robert A. Jacobs
Programme is subject to last minute change on an urgent basis.
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