2019_bbm_winter_print copy

B’NAI B’RITH TODAY
Highlights From the B’nai B’rith Australia/
New Zealand Triennial Meeting
B’nai B’rith Australia and New
Zealand delegates, during their
triennial meeting in Melbourne in
September, elected a new set of officers,
to be led by President David Samuels.
They also commended outgoing
president Morris Tobias for his past six
years of leadership. Tobias currently
serves as a senior vice president of
B’nai B’rith International.
International President Charles O.
Kaufman installed the new officers
and delivered an address about surging
anti-Semitism around the world,
including recent events in Australia.
He suggested an annual Seder-like event
that would tell the story of blood libels
and lies that have been used to promote
anti-Semitism for millennia.
“We retell the story of the Exodus every
year at Passover,” he said. “We know how
it begins and ends. We must educate and
remind our community and society about
anti-Semitism. A Seder-like event would
be an important tradition.”
The meeting highlighted two highly
successful B’nai B’rith Australia/New
Zealand initiatives. For many years,
Courage to Care has fought hatred by
bringing Holocaust survivors and rescuers
into the schools to augment the work
of specially trained educators. Click to
Connect is a new program in which B’nai
B’rith members help underprivileged
youth in Israel improve English skills
through engaging conversations and
online videoconferencing.
David Southwick, a member of
Parliament in Australia, addressed the
convention and presented a Heroes of
Caulfield Award to Tania Tobias. The
award recognizes the work of “unsung
heroes” in this community in Victoria.
Stéphane Teicher, a senior vice
president of B’nai B’rith International,
discussed anti-Semitism in France and
Photos credit: Arie Offenberger
B’nai B’rith UNESCO Representative Stéphane Teicher (r) and Morris Tobias, whose
leadership during six years of service as president of B’nai B’rith Australia/New Zealand
was recognized during the District’s September convention and gala. Both men are
currently senior vice presidents of B’nai B’rith International.
elsewhere in Europe. He also spoke
about his work as B’nai B’rith’s
representative in Paris to UNESCO
(United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization).
B’nai B’rith Australia/New Zealand’s new
president, David Samuels, (l) and B’nai
B’rith International President Charles O.
Kaufman, who installed new officers and
spoke at the convention.
B’NAI B’RITH 29