Monash University. School of English, Communications and Performance Studies and Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology

GreenFaith Australia’s Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black presented at this event.

Friday 28th October 2011

2.00 – 5.00 pm

Monash University, Caulfield, H Building, Room 1.16

Panelists: Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black (founding President of Greenfaith Australia), Assoc. Prof. John Bradley (Monash Indigenous Centre), Dr. Padmasiri Da Silva (Monash Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology), Prof. Norm Habel (Theology, Flinders University), Elyse Rider (Monash Centre for Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies), Dr. Salih Yucel (Monash Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology).

RSVP (for catering purposes):  with subject line: Forum on Religion and Ecology RSVP. This is a free event.

GFA invitation to join the University of the Third Age for

A visit to two synagogues during Sukkot
(the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles)

Monday 17 October 2011. 12 noon – 2.30 pm

Leo Baeck Centre, 31 Harp Road, East Kew
Kew Hebrew Congregation, 53 Walpole Street, Kew

Hosts: Albert Isaacs and Michael Taft (Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism) and Tzipi Boroda (Kew Orthodox Hebrew Congregation)

A visit to the two synagogues in Kew, during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles).
As well as conducted tours of the two synagogues, including an opportunity to discuss the differences between these two forms of Jewish practice, participants got an opportunity to visit the sukkah (a rough booth made of palm leaves) at each synagogue.
The festival of Sukkot commemorates the Jewish people’s wandering in the desert for 40 years after the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 33:12 – 34:26).
During this festival, Jews build a sukkah which is a reminder both of the booths built in the desert, and also those constructed in the fields at harvest time in the land of Israel. During the week of Sukkot, some Jews do much of their living and eating in the sukkah.
Participants in the tour joined in the spirit of this tradition by partaking of a light luncheon – homemade soup in the KHC sukkah; Glick’s bagels and homemade dips and cake in the LBC sukkah.

Bookings by 10 October, please to: Joan Taylor 9817 6678
Cost: $6 per head.

Centre of Melbourne MultiFaith & Others Network proudly presented:

SHARING OUR ENVIRONMENT

Let’s learn, share and respect our environment together.
A FUN & FREE family evening with a vegetarian meal provided for all.
BRUNSWICK TOWN HALL
233 Sydney Road, Brunswick – 5pm to 8:30pm.
Wednesday, 21st September 2011
www.common.org.au
RSVP, Project Manager
Jamel Kaur Tel: 0413 425 912
[email protected]

GreenFaith Australia and the Boroondara Interfaith Network marked World Environment Day, Sunday 5 June 2011, with a forum on the theme of Religion and Ecology hosted at the Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism. 

This event captured many of the fears, hopes and strengths in the community that people of different faiths are experiencing in the face of climate change and the complexities of our ecological and social condition.
Centre host and network member, Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black, opened the forum by introducing a panel of diverse speakers who shared their thoughts on the role of environmental ethics and ecological relationships from their faith perspectives. The panel included: young Wurundjeri Elder, Bill Nicholson, who also welcomed us to Country in his traditional language; the education convener for the Buddhist Council of Victoria and Buddhist psychotherapist, Peggy Page; musical interpreter of the traditional Sikh hymns and mediation teacher, Dya Singh; retired Uniting Church Minister and founder of ‘Grand Stand for the Environment’ action group for Grandparents seeking a sustainable future for the next generations, Gail Pritchard; and Rabbi Jonathan who has a long term commitment and leadership role in environmental action and interfaith relationship building.  Each panelist was knowledgeable in their faith tradition and shared some of their personal story around sustainable action and learning.
The panel was followed by a thought provoking audio-visual presentation  on the fear, hope, beauty and devastation of the eco-human world we live in. It incorporated teachings from a range of sacred texts of the world religions calling humanity to respect and care for the earth which sustains us. In this reflective mood participants then joined Bill Nicholson in the courtyard of the centre for a traditional smoking ceremony to cleanse, renew and connect people to Country.
During a soul-warming vegetarian afternoon tea, participants listened to two of the GreenFaith Australia team, permaculture teacher and community activist, Martha Hills and Sikh interfaith activist, nurse and GreenFaith president Jessiee Kaur Singh present on ecological sustainability in our daily decisions and the links to health and wellbeing. The event was closed by Dya Singh who invited participants to share a song or chant from their tradition and language – many were keen to share a favorite or meaningful piece with the group.
A big thank you to all those involved in the planning and delivery of this event.

GREENFAITH AUSTRALIA offered an open invitation to share dinner & hear EVAN THORNLEY, Executive Director of BETTER PLACE AUSTRALIA at our AGM.

21st February 2011, from 6pm to 8:30pm

Cultural Infusion Office, 138 Cromwell St, Collingwood.

The program:
6.00: Shared pot-luck vegetarian dinner
6.35: Evan Thornley, Better Place Australia
7.15: AGM
8.30: closing

GreenFaith Australia was at the Sustainable Festival at Federation Square on 19th February 2011 from 5:30 to 6:30pm. For more information visit the Sustainable Living Website or contact Jessiee Kaur Singh on 0411 300 655.

Walking Humbly was a Pre Parliament of the Worlds Religions event that took place in Nov 2009. About ninety participants, both national and international travelled around the Victorian Murray Darling Basin together, meeting locals and hearing their stories.