This quarter of the year is very busy with all of the Chagim, which leads to opportunities to celebrate with the Golden Age Club.  At the Rosh Hashana evening in South Melbourne the entertainment was provided by a Russian singer as well as some members of the Indian community who were guests at the function.  We were entertained with stories of similar cultural celebrations (eg Festival of Light) and 2 Bollywood dancers who proceeded to invite members of the Golden Club and the NCJWA (Vic) committee to join in.

NCJWA (Vic) gave a presentation on Caring Mums at the City of Glen Eira Communities Together Conference; we held a fundraising charity shopping night for Caring Mums at Exterior – The Style Room in Hawthorn; together with Hatzolah we ran a lecture as part of the Life Cycle Series for Women; together with all the Jewish women’s organisations of Melbourne we hosted an event with Rabbi Riskin, chief Rabbi of Efrat, speaking on issue relation to Agunot.  We also helped organise an art exhibition event that raised money for Caring Mums as well as a charity golf day at Cranbourne Golf Club.
During this time Caring Mums continued to operate and receive referrals, we also hosted a social/education session for new mums.
We also ran our first session of the UJEB Batmitvah program of which we are part.  Together with Jewish Care we organised workshop for women on updating job seeking and interview skills.

Gold Coast has been busy baking honey cakes and delivering them to those who they know to be in hospital long term and to those members of their community who live on their own with little or no family support.  Members continue to visit Jewish residents in Aged Care facilities once or twice a month on a regular basis.

Brisbane has nothing new to report but continue with their Tahara sewing and general community services in the Brisbane community.

NSW’s Mum for Mum held a function where Heather Irvine Rundle, Clinical Psychologist, addressed the volunteer Mums on dealing with challenging personalities and working with boundaries. The Mum for Mum volunteers are organising an awareness brunch to be held on Thursday 12th November with guest speaker developmental paediatrician Dr Michael Zilibowitz who will provide invaluable parenting/grandparenting tools using the program titled Watch, Wait and Wonder. As part of NCJWA JWBCN they will be celebrating Pink Monday where the NCJWA JWBCN support program will be launched on 19 October 2015.  On August 27, through their Transcultural program, NCJWA held a most successful event packing 800 kits for the Birthing Kit Foundation Australia. Over 70 volunteers packed kits, shared stories and enjoyed lunch together. These kits offer a resource to women in developing countries to help reduce infection in childbirth.  The Jana Gottshall Memorial Library will host a Founder’s Day event on December 7. Rabbi Gourari will join a panel on “Judaism and Domestic Violence”.  Two NCJWA NSW nominees continue to serve on the Wolper Board as well as having a nominee on the Wolper Community Services Committee.

Canberra members are involved in the local Jewish Care, hospital visits, transport to community events and a luncheon group called Lunch’n Lecture.  They also help with parcels for the elderly and needy at major chagim.

West Australia reported that Mitzvah Baskets for Rosh Hashana were very successful this year.  As stated in my last report, WA held an International Peace Day in September, plan Pink Sunday in partnership with Maccabi this month and Mitzvah Day in November.
Thank you to sections for their reports.