Here is a calendar of upcoming events, up and down the country. Some are organized by us, others by like-minded organizations and groups.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus used bread and wine to talk about his sacrifice for us? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal for yourself and find out!
This demonstration of the ancient Passover Seder meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 3-hour experience is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover Seder…until He returns!
Join Zohar Gonen and discover how this ancient holiday is GOOD NEWS for us today.
RSVP to Christine Naseri at 03 545 2409.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus used bread and wine to talk about his sacrifice for us? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal for yourself and find out!
This demonstration of the ancient Passover Seder meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 2 1/2 hour experience is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover Seder…until He returns!
Join Nigel Christensen and discover how this ancient holiday is GOOD NEWS for us today.
Cost: $15 single / $25 couple (no children)
RSVP by 10 March to Pastor Steve Hollis at 021 074 6435 or hollissm@xtra.co.nz.
We are honoured to have Sarri Singer talk to the Zionist Federation of New Zealand direct from New Jersey.
Join us at 6pm on Sunday 7 March on Zoom (details below) to hear Sarri talk about her first hand experience of Palestinian terrorism and how from this she has set up the organisation Strength to Strength.
This will be a fascinating and no doubt emotional talk as Sarri recalls what happened as she boarded bus number 14 in Jerusalem.
To join the Zoom Meeting, please use the link below
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89508695325?pwd=eTR6Y2hEMUE3U0NudndjSlFhb2dZZz09
Meeting ID: 895 0869 5325
Passcode: 441936
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Sarri Singer, born in Lakewood, New Jersey, is the daughter of New Jersey State Senator, Robert Singer. Until 9/11, Sarri worked a few blocks away from the World Trade Center. Deeply moved by the tragedy of 9/11, Sarri decided to resign from her position in December 2001 and move to Israel to help victims of terror. While there, Sarri volunteered with various organisations working with victims of terror.
On June 11, 2003, Sarri was on Bus 14 in Jerusalem when an 18-year-old Palestinian terrorist dressed as a religious Jew boarded and blew himself up. 16 people were killed, including all those seated and standing around her, and over 100 people were injured. Sarri was hospitalized for two weeks and then returned to New Jersey to be with family. Her story became high profile. She appeared on television stations such as CBS, FoxNews, CNN and radio interviews. She spoke before Congressmen and Senators in Washington, D.C. and politicians in New York and New Jersey. In September 2003 she returned to work and volunteering in Israel. In June 2004, she returned to the United States to take care of ongoing medical issues associated with her attack.
Sarri is the Founder and Director of Strength to Strength (www.stosglobal.org), which focuses on bringing together victims of terrorism together from around the world and assisting with long term psychological needs. Sarri has addressed audiences throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and Israel and continues to share her unique insight into the ongoing struggle for victims of terror in Israel and around the world.
Indigenous Peoples and the Middle East Conflict
Today, one hears that the Palestinians are an indigenous people that is having their homeland stolen from them by the white settler colonialists, the Jews. Is this true?
The events of October 7 have divided New Zealanders. The connection to indigenous rights has created fault lines for our Maori community.
On Thursday, we are delighted to welcome Dr Sheree Trotter to talk to us about the establishment of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem and her views on how the Middle East Conflict has impacted her Maori Community.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr Sheree Trotter is a researcher, writer, and co-director of the Indigenous Coalition For Israel. She also co-founded the Holocaust and Antisemitism Foundation, Aotearoa New Zealand (formerly Shadows of Shoah). Sheree is Māori (Te Arawa) and earned her PhD in History at the University of Auckland.
Hi Folks
Are you shocked by the killing of innocent civilians? Are you feeling conflicted as to who is “in the right” in the Israeli-Gaza conflict? Why as a Christian should you care about a dispute on the other side of the world? Are you puzzling over what a Christian response should be? If any of these questions resonate with you, then this event is for you.
Hope Presbyterian in Amyes Rd Hornby, has invited us to join a discussion panel at their evening service, this Sunday at 7pm.
The topic is: What should be the Christian attitude toward Israel and Gaza?
They have already had two sermons over the last two weeks on the history of Israel for background, and the sermons can be found here (click the image):
You’re invited to take part in this fascinating discussion. The Q&A session is going to be informative and rewarding. Even more so, if you have thought about it already so bring some questions with you.
See you there!
Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, holds deep significance for Israelis. It is observed on the fourth of Iyar, the day preceding Israel’s Independence Day. This day commemorates those who lost their lives in the struggle that led to the establishment of the State of Israel and all military personnel who were killed while in active duty in Israel’s armed forces.
Unlike the American Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron has a distinct character and mood. For 24 hours, from sunset to sunset, all places of public entertainment are closed, including theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, and pubs.
The most poignant feature of the day is the sound of a siren heard throughout the country twice: once at 8 p.m. to mark the beginning of Memorial Day, and again at 11 a.m. before the public recitation of prayers in the military cemeteries. During these moments, the entire nation observes a two-minute “standstill” of all traffic and daily activities.
Radio and television stations broadcast programs that honor fallen soldiers, often featuring Israeli songs that convey the somber mood of the day.
Yom Hazikaron serves as a powerful reminder of the price of Israel’s independence and the ongoing challenges it faces. It fosters a sense of unity and collective responsibility as Israelis come together to honor the memory of those who gave their lives in service to their country.
By the time of Yom Hazikaron in 2024, the commemoration honored over 24,000 fallen individuals.
Limmud is a cross-communal ‘festival of learning’ which last year attracted over 25000 participants to its events, held across five continents, in almost forty countries. It started in the UK 30 years ago where the annual five-day event now attracts 2,500 people from across the religious spectrum and boasts 350 presenters offering some 900 sessions.
Limmud aims to enable each participant to go one step further on their own Jewish journey. One of the key principles behind what has now become an international cross-communal movement is that we all have something to contribute and can learn from each other. Presenters are treated as part of the community, they are volunteers like those who organise the events and all are rewarded by the opportunity to learn from each other. Becoming Limmud NZ makes us part of an exciting worldwide movement.
Limmud has core principles that we feel reflect our community. The catchphrase behind Limmud is “Every Jew should be a student and everyone can be a teacher”. This seems very much to capture what our organizing committee believes, and we are eager for more local presenters to put themselves forward and to encourage people to volunteer. Even an hour will make a huge difference to the success of the first Limmud conference on 18/19 August. Expanding Jewish horizons, empowering individuals to contribute to their community and enabling connections to be made between individuals and across communities are the values behind Limmud International and behind Limmud NZ. We also love the emphasis on ensuring all participants feel equally respected and comfortable at Limmud, no matter which shul they go to, or don’t go to. All Limmud events will be strictly kosher to enable participants to eat and enjoy together.
Limmud, of course, means learning and it is about learning but not in a formalized way. The great thing about the format is it is “pick and mix”. Each session runs for an hour, and there are five different streams to choose from.You just pick what you want to go to – discussion of an ethical dilemma with local and international experts, an intimate text study, a film discussion, or sessions relating to parenting issues. If you need a break for a session, grab a coffee and schmooze. The only thing we can’t do for you is arrange for you to be at two sessions at once – although some sessions are repeated.
Keep these dates free, more information to come.
Hi Folks
Because it looks like our June 7 mail out of our newsletter wasn’t received, we’ve decided to call off tomorrow night’s meeting.
If you are aware of another member who receives the newsletter by snail mail, please get in touch and let them know.
We will be making this announcement on Facebook, Instagram and our website too.
In the meantime, we’ll investigate why the email might be in our “Sent Items” folder, it didn’t make it to our members.
Apologies for the inconvenience
Hi Folks
Our next meeting in Christchurch is on Tuesday, 7.30pm at the Halswell Centre, 349 Halswell Rd, Christchurch.
Our focus will be:
• The inside information about the rescue of the four hostages last weekend and how that gives hope for rescuing more hostages.
• Jordan Peterson and John Spencer on what urban warfare means and how that has shaped the IDF’s conduct in Gaza.
As always, admission is a plate of finger food, please no pork or seafood products.
See you there!