JCA Today

CEO Note & Impact Stats

Ensuring that we continue to grow and understand the changing needs of our community is vital for our future. Bringing Stand Up into the JCA extended family broadens our reach and impact and offers an opportunity for us to work in a new space. Through Stand Up, we will be providing broader programs and services to a wider segment of our community and joining the critical and timely quest for social justice.

This month also saw the culmination and release of theEducation Review Committee Report. Many in our community have debated how to move forward in a sustainable manner, whilst providing the best possible education for the next generation. The report identifies six“Big Ideas” that our community will investigate and if viable will implement.

On Monday, JCA begins its initial two-week pre-campaign period, with our annual campaign commencing on 15 May. We do hope that we can count on your continued support as we approach another year with renewed hope and some optimism. We also take this opportunity to thank all of you who have continued to support JCA and the community. We are all JCA.

Shabbat Shalom.
Ian and Alain

Monthly Mensch
Gabi Stricker-Phelps

When did you first get involved in community?

I was removed from my biological mother at the age of 9 and went to live with Jackie Stricker-Phelps and Kerryn Phelps who later became my mothers when they adopted me in 2012. At one of our first Shabbat dinners my grandfather Alfred took me aside. Alfred, had a turbulent childhood having fled Nazi-occupied by Vienna at age nine. He spoke to me about the way that, I, much like him, had a choice in my life. I could either dwell on the past and become a victim of circumstance or I could focus on building a bright future for myself and my community. I like to think I chose the latter option. Since that first Shabbat dinner, family and community have become central to my life. My involvement with the Jewish Community really picked up when I finished school. I became involved with the Jewish Board of Deputies, Youth HEAR, the Australasian Union of Jewish Students and the Susan Wakil Fellowship.

When is community important to you?

Community means a lot to me. The Jewish community has provided me with a great sense of belonging and opened up a world of opportunity. The extent of generosity, connection and zest for life in our community also gives me the energy to give back in a meaningful way, not just to our community but to Australian society more broadly. Community has also been important in enabling me to meet a really diverse group of people that are bound together by a common thread. I think many of us take for granted the inherent connection and security that communities provide, and I feel really lucky to have had strong communities around me enriching my growing up and world perspectives.

Working in the advocacy and social justice space – where is your main focus?

I have always had an interest in fairness and equality. The first advocacy work I ever did was alongside my parents as we lobbied various government ministers to change the law in NSW to enable my parents to adopt me. In fact, I was the first child in NSW to be adopted by a non-kin same sex couple. I also openly spoke about marriage equality and was so proud to be in Parliament with my parents on the day it was achieved in this country. With rising rates of religious and race-based intolerance across the globe and in Australia, I have played a small part in addressing different types of antisemitism on campus and more broadly. Alongside many of our communal groups, I have attempted to bring into sharp focus a nuanced sense of what antisemitism is and what it isn’t.

What is your hope for the future of our community?

I hope that our community continues its commitment and determination to give back to Australian society. I hope that our leaders remain curious about the world around us, engaged with diverse perspectives and critically aware of just how lucky we are to be in a position to give back.

Nosh Nook
Toffee Matzah Crunch with Our Kitchen Hand

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a sheet tray with a layer of foil, then cover the foil with a sheet of parchment. Evenly cover the sheet tray with matzos. Break or cut the matzos into smaller pieces if necessary.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 additional minutes and continue stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and pour the toffee mixture over the matzos. Then use a spatula to spread evenly across the entire surface of the matzo. Make sure you spread it out fairly quickly or it will start to get sticky and become harder to smooth over.

Place the baking sheet in the oven & immediately reduce the heat to 170 degrees C. Bake for 15 mins. Check frequently to be sure that the mixture is not burning. If it appears to brown too quickly, remove the tray from the oven and reduce the heat to 160 degrees C, then replace the tray when the temperature drops a bit.

Once 15 minutes have passed, remove the matzos from the oven and evenly sprinkle the chopped chocolate chips over the top.

Let it stand for 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over the matzo. Then sprinkle the chopped nuts and a light sprinkle of sea salt over the top of the melted chocolate (both are optional).

Place in the freezer until the topping has set then cut into squares. Serve straight from the freezer, chilled, or at room temperature.

Coming Up in the Community in May

Download this months calendar