JCCV revamps immersion program
JCCV to deliver new Jewish Immersion Day Program to local councils in an effort to boost community collaboration post lockdown.
WHILE Melbourne’s Jewish community has a long history of civic contribution, lockdowns have isolated organisations and exhausted resources. In response, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) has created a new Jewish Immersion Day program.
Twenty staff from the City of Glen Eira recently tuned into the newly-revamped program, hosted by the JCCV.
Joshua Goodman, JCCV Project Officer – Community Engagement, noted it was “an opportunity for participants to be exposed to the experience of what it means to be a Victorian Jew”.
“Local councils are an important component of Victoria’s public service and ultimately we share a lot of objectives,” he said in advocating for greater collaboration.
“It’s tricky to create meaningful, fatigue-free programs online these days, but I think we came as close as anyone.
“The program was dynamic, fast-paced and contemporary, adding value and context to our participants. A great start to an important campaign.”
JCCV Executive Director Judy Fetter recognised that some professional relationships had fragmented during the pandemic, which she said has led the JCCV to “prioritise and embrace community engagement” through upcoming in-person engagement and a stronger commitment to community contacts in 2022.
The JCCV has recruited a diverse range of speakers to deliver the program, including Joel Lazar, CEO of Jewish Climate Network; Shelley Cohney, educator and Jewish walking tour guide; Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann of The Ark Centre, as well as Fetter and Goodman from the JCCV.
Community diversity, migration, cultural heritage and history, shared values, Jewish practice, progressive causes and the various guises of antisemitism will be among the topics to be discussed.
Fetter said, “Developing a broader understanding of passive and overt antisemitism is a key motivator for educating and raising greater understanding of Jewish life in Melbourne.
“Raising awareness and understanding of the differences, and placing these in an historical context, are all key objectives of the program.”
The JCCV will deliver the program face-to-face in 2022 for staff from the City of Glen Eira, City of Melbourne, City of Port Phillip and City of Stonnington, and will be offering a special program for councillors from these municipalities.
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