"The Jewish Echo" - Hopes and Fears of the Youth

Source: Der Standard, December 18, 2012

http://derstandard.at/1355460017586/Das-Juedische-Echo-Hoffnungen-und-Aengste-der-Jugend

In the new issue, which deals with the topic of youth awakening, Zelman’s successor Marta S. Halpart shows good intuition when it comes to good stories and good authors.

Relax, hang out, meet friends, university, job and apartment - in short, find your place in this world: the hopes and fears of young people are quite similar across country and continent borders. Sometimes, however, the desires and real-life opportunities drift apart dramatically.

This is shown in the annual publication “The Jewish Echo” with smart essays, humorous reports, conclusive interviews, concise analyses and loving memories, e.g. of chief editor Leon: Leon Zelman co-founded the “The Jewish Echo” in 1951 and served as the chief editor until his death in 2007.

Claudia Roden: „The Book of Jewish Cuisine“

Source: Die Presse, September 13, 2012

A highly recommendable book, for which Claudia Roden collected Jewish recipes from all over the world.
„Is this about sheep testicles? “ - was one of the questions Claudia Roden was asked, when she told people about her project; a cookbook focusing on Middle East cuisine. The author told this anecdote while presenting her newest, German-language book. 

Eruv makes life easier for Jews in Vienna

Source: ORF, September 14, 1012

The area within the symbolic boundaries should make life a lot easier for Jews in Vienna during the Sabbath.

According to the Torah, on Sabbath, religious Jews are not allowed to move or carry anything outside their homes. It does not matter if it is a stroller or a fruit crate. However, there are exceptions to these strict Sabbath rules. The private domain can be extended to the yard and even other houses. 

Circumcision: The Controversial Ritual from a Feminist Perspective

Profil, July 30, 2012
http://www.profil.at/articles/1231/560/336471/beschneidung-das-ritual-perspektive

3,000 years of tradition do have profound weight. Nevertheless it is high time to investigate circumcision from a feminist perspective, argues Tessa Szyskowitz.

July, in my parents’ garden, south of Vienna. We are sitting in the shade of the common beech and I am telling my son Adam, who just turned eight years old that in this house his Brit Mila took place about eight years ago. “My circumcision? Iiih!” he said. “Let’s go to the swing instead!”

The Unknown at the Jewish Museum

Source: ORF Wien

http://wien.orf.at/news/stories/2534116

Claire Fontaine The weeping wall inside us all ©Yanai Toister, Courtesy EP Privatstiftung. Sopurce: http://www.jmw.at/foreigners-everywhere

Beginning with May 24, 2012, the Jewish Museum Vienna will show photographs and installations from the collection of Eduard Pomeranz. The exhibit, “Foreigners everywhere” aims to investigate the influence of Jewish collectors on the Viennese art scene.

Jewish Community opened ist doors

Source: Der Standard
http://derstandard.at/1336697359808/Wien-Israelitische-Kultusgemeinde-oeffnete-die-Tueren


May, 20, 2012

Jewish Community invited all interested parties for the first time to “show that we do not live secluded”

Vienna – The Jewish Community of Vienna held an open house day for the first time in its history. “I would like to position the Jewish community as a part of Austrian society”, explained Oskar Deutsch, President of the Community. People should be familiarized with Jewish holidays and traditions. And “we also want to show that we do not live secluded”, said Miriam Tenner of the organizing committee.

Faymann promises financial coverage of the Memorial Service.

Wiener Zeitung, March 12, 2012. Translation.

German original: http://www.wienerzeitung.at/nachrichten/panorama/chronik/443014_Faymann-sagt-finanzielle-Absicherung-fuer-Gedenkdienste-zu.html

Vienna. “The victims are the only ones who have the right to forget”. With these words Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann began his speech on the occasion of the general assembly of the Austrian Friends of Yad Vashem.  

Spindelegger: „Yad Vashem poses obligation to fight resolutely against anti-Semitism, hatred and prejudices“

Vice chancellor Spindelegger expresses his thanks to Austrian Friends of Yad Vashem for their commitment.

Vienna, March 12, 2012 – “Every well – intentioned person who, like me, visited Yad Vashem, understands that fighting anti-Semitism, hatred and prejudice is imperative. This is consistent with the essential message of Yad Vashem, and I may use this occasion to thank all of you, who foster and advance the mission of Yad Vashem in Austria.”

Vice chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger directed these clear words at the General Assembly of the Austrian Friends of Yad Vashem on March 12,, which marks the 74th anniversary of the rise to power  of the National Socialists in Austria. Yad Vashem is Israel’s national memorial site for the remembrance of the persecution and assassination of six million Jews during the Holocaust.

In Another Lifetime

| film screening, Washington, DC
co-sponsored by the Washington Jewish Film Festival

Vielleicht in einem anderen Leben / In another Lifetime

 

April 1945: a group of Hungarian Jews is led through an Austrian village. They are supposed to go to Mauthausen, but have to stop in the village for a few days. Unable to proceed, the Jews are locked into barn of a local family. Affected by their suffering, the owner of the barn Mrs. Fasching and her Farmhand Poldi take pity on the Jews and bring them food and water. 

Deutsch wants to open Community to Non-Jews

Source: Der Standard, February 23, 2012. 

Vienna  - “We want to open the doors”: Oskar Deutsch, who was elected to succeed Ariel Muzicant as president of the Jewish Community (IKG) this past Tuesday, wants to open the community for others. “We want to present ourselves as part of Austrian society” he said Wednesday. An open house day, planned for May 13, 2012, as well as a Facebook presence and the use of new media are to demonstrate a “vibrant Jewish life” in Vienna. In order to keep things this way, Deutsch also wants to tackle the problem of emigration of Austrian Jews. “We can only counter this through a big enough community where everyone can find a partner”.

Muzicant Successor Wants to “Open” Jewish Community

Die Presse, February 22, 2012. Translation.
German original: http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/religion/734236/MuzicantNachfolger-will-Kultusgemeinde-oeffnen

Oskar Deutsch wants to move the Jewish Community closer to non-Jewish society. A change of course towards the FPO is ruled out.

Oskar Deutsch, the successor of Ariel Muzicant as president of the Austrian Jewish Community (IKG) wants to increase efforts to open the Community for non-Jews. “We would like to present ourselves as part of Austrian society”, Mr. Deutsch said at a press conference on Wednesday, where the new board of directors was presented.

A Coffee Roaster leads the Jewish Community

Oskar Deutsch will become President of the Austrian Jewish Community

Source: Der Standard, February 22, 2012

A new face is on top of the Jewish Community (IKG), bringing with him a new style of leadership. But the course will remain the same. Because Oskar Deutsch, elected by a wide margin to succeed Ariel Muzicant, is a guarantor that things will stay the same in the Jewish Community like they have under Muzicant.

City of Innsbruck Awards Holocaust Refugees

Orders of Merit for Holocaust refugees from Innsbruck

In a small, personal ceremony, the City of Innsbruck has awarded Orders of Merit to three Holocaust refugees on 13 February 2012 at the Residence of the Austrian Ambassador in London: Vera Adams, Dorli Neale and Vera Graubart all had to flee their native Innsbruck as children on a Kindertransport to Britain, after the Nazis had taken power in Austria

From the Beginning...

Photographs by Shai Ginott

from_the_beginning.jpg

IKG Vienna

Shai Ginott was born in Jerusalem in 1958. After  studying biology, she began work at the Isreali Department for Natural Conservation as Director of Photography. Her photographs have been published in several magazines and photo books. Ginott received several distinctions, among them 1st prize at the Intrenational Boo Fair in jerusalem in 1993 for her best-seller "Echoes of a landscape" (1992).

Shai Ginott directs several photography workshops in Insrael. Her work has been shown in several exhibitions, both inside and outside of Israel, including London Tokyo, and now Vienna.

The photographs shown were all shot in Israel - at the Negev, the Medittaeranean coast, Glaiea, See genezareth, as well as on Mount Hermond. Through composition of two photographs on top of each other, she created imaginary scenes that isslutrate passages of the Bible.

The exhibit will be on display at the Library of the Evangelical and Catholic Faculty of Theology at the University of Vienna.

-> Information (in German) at the IKG Vienna