In 2002 the 'Jews for refugees' group held a successful Pesach gathering/rally outside the Maribynong Detention Centre. It attracted over 600 Jews to protest against the mandatory detention of asylum seekers.

Check out this article on the protest for inspiration http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/25603

In 2012 there are over 4,500 asylum seekers still in detention. 500 of these are children and 250 people have been in detention for over 2 years.

We invite you to participate in a discussion about what we, as Jews, can do to oppose the horrendous treatment of asylum seekers and refugees in Australia.

Please come to a meeting on Sunday the 22nd of April at 2 pm at the Melbourne Multicultural Hub- White room, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite the Queen Victoria Market).

Sunday, 4 March 2012
15:00 until 17:00
Multicultural Hub Melbourne -Green Room, 506 Elizabeth Street (opposite the Queen Victoria Market), a short walk from Melbourne Central station

What kind of Jewish community do we want?
What issues are important to us and what do we want to do about them?

Lots of us young Jews are searching for a Jewish identity which is relevant to the issues facing the world today. Many of us also feel alienated from the mainstream Melbourne Jewish community.

So let’s come together to talk about the kind of Jewish community that would be meaningful to each of us. We’ll talk about the kinds of ideas, events and programs which could exist: we’ll challenge the idea that there can only be one Jewish community, or one Jewish way of thinking, in Melbourne.

Invitation to AJDS Annual Dinner - 11th December 2011

We are pleased to invite you to our Annual Dinner at Almazett Lebanese restaurant at 208 Balaclava Road North Caulfield 7pm on the 11th of December 2011.
The Annual Dinner is a fantastic chance for all members and supporters to catch up and talk about issues relevant to progressive Jews in an informal setting. We’re very much looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Gareth Evans (Chancellor of the ANU, Former Head of the International Crisis Group, Former Foreign Minister): "The Role of the International Community in Preventing Genocide and other Mass Atrocity Crimes"

The text of the speech is now available.

This speech was delivered to a large audience on Sunday 31st July at the Leo Baeck Centre.

Proceeds funded the Renate Kamener Scholarship for Indigenous students at the University of Melbourne. Renate was a beloved member of the AJDS.

The Refugee Advocacy Network is calling on all groups and individuals who support refugee rights to come together and send a clear message to the government: it’s time to end mandatory detention.

The crisis in Australia’s detention system has reached a critical point. There are now almost 7,000 people locked in detention centres across the country. Increasing number have been incarcerated for long periods of time – months or even years. Asylum seekers and refugees in the camps are increasingly despairing and desperate.

The Renate Kamener Oration: Peter Singer (Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University)

“Living Ethically in a Divided World”

7.15 for 7.30pm, Sunday 11th July 2010 Leo Baeck Centre, 33 Harp Rd East Kew. $15 admission.

Proceeds will go to the establishment of a scholarship for Indigenous students at the University of Melbourne. Additional donations welcomed.