Calendar

Here is a calendar of upcoming events, up and down the country. Some are organized by us, others by like-minded organizations and groups.

Aug
23
Wed
AUCKLAND: Holocaust Survivor: Peter Gaspar: August 23 @ University of Auckland
Aug 23 @ 6:30 PM

How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia

Please note that the venue has been changed from Room 201 to Room 203 in the same building.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.

AUCKLAND: Holocaust Survivor: Peter Gaspar: August 23 @ University of Auckland
Aug 23 @ 6:30 PM

How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.

Aug
30
Wed
CHRISTCHURCH: Holocaust Survivor: Peter Gaspar: August 30 @ Villa Maria College Auditorium
Aug 30 @ 7:30 PM

How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia

There will be public meetings also in Wellington and Auckland; keep an eye out on our website for notices of these events once the times and dates have been confirmed.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.

Sep
3
Sun
WELLINGTON: Holocaust Survivor: Peter Gaspar: September 3 @ Holocaust Center of New Zealand
Sep 3 @ 4:30 PM

How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.

Nov
18
Sun
CHRISTCHURCH: NOV 18: The Story of the Jews: Part I @ Northwood Villa Clubrooms
Nov 18 @ 2:00 PM

THE STORY OF THE JEWS
(Part I)

CHRISTCHURCH:
SUNDAY, 2PM, 18 NOVEMBER 2018

Northwood Villa Clubrooms, O’Neill Ave, Christchurch (Note the change in venue, being different than that in the newsletter, please advise your friends and other members if you know they are interested in coming).

Simon Schama presents an epic five-part series exploring the extraordinary story of the Jewish experience from ancient times to the present day. Drawing on original scholarship and Sharma’s own family history, this is a story that is at once deeply historical and utterly contemporary, taking viewers on a journey from the biblical past to tomorrow’s front pages. Travelling the globe from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, from New York and Burlington to Cairo in Jerusalem, the story unfolds with the help of a dazzling cast of historical characters, vivid storytelling, stunning location photography, and encounters with people who live with the passions and perplexities of the Jewish story today. At the heart of the story of the Jews is a compelling argument about distinctiveness and difference, separation and isolation, tolerance and prejudice, but it is also a celebration of the ways in which Jewish thought, Jewish imagination and Jewish achievement have transformed the world for us all.

In a review for The Daily Telegraph, Neil Midgley described the first episode as a “resounding success”, saying: “Schama told the story efficiently and evocatively – and deftly picked out stories that would illustrate his overarching thesis about how Judaism managed to survive…In Schama’s view, to be a Jew is to be verbal…By the end of this first episode, Schama had given the title of his programme an intriguing double meaning. Over its four remaining parts, The Story of the Jews promises to be not only a chronological history, but also a common narrative of what unifies and fortifies Jewish people”

Part 1 starts with Creation

Where:  Northwood Villa Clubrooms, McNeill Ave, Northwood, Christchurch.  Please note the venue is different from that published in our newsletter.

When:  2pm, Sunday November 18.

Admission:  A plate of finger food.  Please no pork or seafood products. 

Dec
4
Tue
CHRISTCHURCH: Hanukkiah Lighting Ceremony: Dec 4, 5pm @ Cathedral square, christchurch, new zealand
Dec 4 @ 5:00 PM

You are invited to a Hanukkiah lighting ceremony at 5pm, Tuesday December 4.

For the first time, since the earthquake, it will be held at Cathedral Square and marks a significant milestone in the rebuilding of the city.

Bring your children to hear the miraculous story of Hanukkah.

Organized by Chabad House of New Zealand.

Dec
9
Sun
WELLINGTON: Hanukkah in the Park: Sunday Dec 9, 11am @ Botanical Gardens, Wellington
Dec 9 @ 11:00 AM
Feb
17
Sun
CHRISTCHURCH: NOV 18: The Story of the Jews: Part II @ Northwood Villa Clubrooms
Feb 17 @ 2:00 PM

THE STORY OF THE JEWS
(Part II)

CHRISTCHURCH:
SUNDAY, 2PM, 17 February 2019

Northwood Villa Clubrooms, O’Neill Ave, Christchurch 

Simon Schama presents an epic five-part series exploring the extraordinary story of the Jewish experience from ancient times to the present day. Drawing on original scholarship and Sharma’s own family history, this is a story that is at once deeply historical and utterly contemporary, taking viewers on a journey from the biblical past to tomorrow’s front pages. Travelling the globe from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, from New York and Burlington to Cairo in Jerusalem, the story unfolds with the help of a dazzling cast of historical characters, vivid storytelling, stunning location photography, and encounters with people who live with the passions and perplexities of the Jewish story today. At the heart of the story of the Jews is a compelling argument about distinctiveness and difference, separation and isolation, tolerance and prejudice, but it is also a celebration of the ways in which Jewish thought, Jewish imagination and Jewish achievement have transformed the world for us all.

In a review for The Daily Telegraph, Neil Midgley described the first episode as a “resounding success”, saying: “Schama told the story efficiently and evocatively – and deftly picked out stories that would illustrate his overarching thesis about how Judaism managed to survive…In Schama’s view, to be a Jew is to be verbal…By the end of this first episode, Schama had given the title of his programme an intriguing double meaning. Over its four remaining parts, The Story of the Jews promises to be not only a chronological history, but also a common narrative of what unifies and fortifies Jewish people”

Part 1 starts with Creation

Where:  Northwood Villa Clubrooms, McNeill Ave, Northwood, Christchurch.  Please note the venue is different from that published in our newsletter.

When:  2pm, Sunday February 17.

Admission:  A plate of finger food.  Please no pork or seafood products. 

Jun
11
Tue
CHRISTCHURCH: Mikaela Hood: Holocaust Education & Remembrance 75 Years On @ Rehua 225, University of Canterbury Campus, see map below
Jun 11 @ 5:30 PM
Jun
16
Sun
CHRISTCHURCH: A HATEFUL STATE OF MIND: HATE SPEECH AND FREE SPEECH IN NEW ZEALAND @ Spark Room, Christchurch Central Library
Jun 16 @ 2:00 PM

Professor Paul Moon

Where:  Spark Room, Christchurch Central Library, Turanga.

When:  2.00pm, Sunday, June 16.

Admission:  A plate of finger food.  Please avoid pork and seafood products. A collection will be taken to defray expenses.

With talk of new Hate Speech Legislation in NZ, this free talk shows how ineffective such legislation has been; and offers a robust alternative to counter ideologies of prejudice and intolerance. 

NZ Friends of Israel wishes to acknowledge the kind support of the Holocaust Centre of NZ.  This address was originally part of their Human Rights Series of lectures.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Having written over 25 books, Professor Paul Moon is one of New Zealand’s best-selling and respected historians and social commentators.

His specialist area is New Zealand history, and in 2014, he was shortlisted for the international Ernest Scott Prize in History for his book Encounters: The Creation of New Zealand, which academics described as ‘powerful’ and ‘truly fascinating’. His works have been published by Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins.

He has worked on several Treaty claims, and with numerous government agencies, on Treaty-related issues. In 2003 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society at University College, London, and has since gained fellowships in the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Arts. He also has been a consultant on documentaries about New Zealand history