Juliet Moses 18 October 2023 Jews are an ancient people with a long collective memory. Embedded in that memory, alongside happier times, are massacres we have suffered – during the destruction of our two temples in Jerusalem by the Babylonians and Romans, the 1190 massacre at York Castle, the pogroms of the Russian Empire (which … Read more
Ben Kepes 18 December 2023 A couple of weeks ago I attended a private media briefing at the Israeli Embassy in Wellington where select New Zealand journalists were allowed to watch footage captured from the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel. The footage came from the cameras of both victims and terrorists and was, for … Read more
Ben Kepes 08 November 2023 I’m fortunate to serve on the board of an iwi organisation. Having the opportunity to get to know the intricacies of Te Ao Maori, even at a slightly superficial level, is fascinating. One concept that I’ve started to get to terms with is ahi ka, a concept in Te Ao … Read more
Ben Kepes 25 October 2023 I’m an incredibly proud New Zealander. I relish the fact that I was born and grew up in the most beautiful place in the world. I love the fact that, while we have a long way to go when it comes to righting the colonial wrongs, we embrace our indigenous … Read more
On the night of June 2 2022, four men attacked my home with antisemitic and homophobic graffiti while I slept inside. A burned rainbow flag was left staked out the front. I live in a deconsecrated church that I have turned into an art project. It is commonly known that I am a member of … Read more
In respomnse to the Ministry of Social Development’s request for feed back on social cohesion the following submission was made.
Report on Antisemitism in Aotearoa New Zealand 2021.
Today we mourn the loss of Doris Yahbas, Rabbi Moshe Kravitsky, Lora Yitzhak and Menahem Yehezkel, murdered by an ISIS supporter in Beersheba, Southern Israel. We are thinking of their families and praying for the full and quick recovery of all those who were injured in this terror attack. We note the condemnation of this … Read more
Request for public input against racism 25 August 2021 Antisemitism = Racism Yesterday the Human Rights Commission issued a press release, copied below, as part of “an initiative to gather Aotearoa New Zealand’s thoughts on how to address racism”. Antisemitism is racism. It is important to have a Jewish input. We are asking you to … Read more