Overload, part 5: Yom Ha'atzmaut
Straight after Holocaust Awarness Week, AUJS Deakin began to plan what we would be doing for Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. What was nice was that during that week, the Deakin Uni Students Association was having it's anual Multicultural Week, where students from different backgrounds got to showcase their cultural traditions to the rest of the university. last year we made felafels in pittas with salad. this year we wanted to do something a little different, so we had a BBQ, with kosher sausages of course.
so last Wednesday (11/5) we had our BBQ. we were a bit pensive at first because it was Yom Hazikaron, Israel's rememberence day for its fallen soldiers and victims of terror. but we got the OK in the end. at the end of last year, we bought a portable bbq and this was the first time we would use it, so there was no problem with kashrut, or anything. we bought 300 sausages, 15 loaves of bread, 4 bottles of tomato sauce, 2 bottles of mustard, and a heap of drinks, including more Goldstar beer, imported from Israel, which we kept in eskies (iceboxes, for you non-Aussie folks). the day before, we also got some new utensils like tongs, knives and trays, and i went with Moish to the mikvah and toivelled (kashered) them a little. we also got the Australian Jewish punk rock band called YIDcore to perform. they played on the same stage that we did our Holocaust Awareness Week stuff on. the BBQ went for a few hours, but they only did a 50 minute set. the rest of the time, we had cool Israeli music playing, including Subliminal, Hadag Nachash, Haverim Shel Natasha and Soul Farm, as well as a classic Israeli mix with songs like Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, Am Yisrael Chai, Bashana Haba'a, Yoya, etc. The Israelis will know what i'm talking about :)
Moish made a little speech about Israel's Independence Day, and saying that we want peace, and all that jazz, and it was really cool. we didn't get any trouble, and have never got any trouble at any AUJS event on campus.
so that night, there was the annual Yom Ha'atzmaut concert organised by the State Zionist Council of Victoria, at Rod Laver Arena, where they also play the Australian Open tennis tournament. it's also a great concert venue and when there's no tennis on, there's a concert there almost every week. but this was the first time this concert was held there. last year it was Vodafone Arena, which is next door and slightly smaller. i was wearing my IDF t-shirt that Tammy got me and my Israeli flag draped around me. there were heaps of Australian Jewish singers and an Israeli group called Ha'achim Tzanchany. they are three brothers and last year, two of them made it to the semi-final of the Israeli version of Australian Idol. after the concert there was an AUJS after-party in one of the function rooms at the stadium, but i think there were more Israelis there than AUJS members. lol. it was by far the best Yom Ha'atzmaut i've ever experienced. but i'm sure it's nothing compared to actually bing in Israel for it.
ok, im almsot there, not much left. brb.
so last Wednesday (11/5) we had our BBQ. we were a bit pensive at first because it was Yom Hazikaron, Israel's rememberence day for its fallen soldiers and victims of terror. but we got the OK in the end. at the end of last year, we bought a portable bbq and this was the first time we would use it, so there was no problem with kashrut, or anything. we bought 300 sausages, 15 loaves of bread, 4 bottles of tomato sauce, 2 bottles of mustard, and a heap of drinks, including more Goldstar beer, imported from Israel, which we kept in eskies (iceboxes, for you non-Aussie folks). the day before, we also got some new utensils like tongs, knives and trays, and i went with Moish to the mikvah and toivelled (kashered) them a little. we also got the Australian Jewish punk rock band called YIDcore to perform. they played on the same stage that we did our Holocaust Awareness Week stuff on. the BBQ went for a few hours, but they only did a 50 minute set. the rest of the time, we had cool Israeli music playing, including Subliminal, Hadag Nachash, Haverim Shel Natasha and Soul Farm, as well as a classic Israeli mix with songs like Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, Am Yisrael Chai, Bashana Haba'a, Yoya, etc. The Israelis will know what i'm talking about :)
Moish made a little speech about Israel's Independence Day, and saying that we want peace, and all that jazz, and it was really cool. we didn't get any trouble, and have never got any trouble at any AUJS event on campus.
so that night, there was the annual Yom Ha'atzmaut concert organised by the State Zionist Council of Victoria, at Rod Laver Arena, where they also play the Australian Open tennis tournament. it's also a great concert venue and when there's no tennis on, there's a concert there almost every week. but this was the first time this concert was held there. last year it was Vodafone Arena, which is next door and slightly smaller. i was wearing my IDF t-shirt that Tammy got me and my Israeli flag draped around me. there were heaps of Australian Jewish singers and an Israeli group called Ha'achim Tzanchany. they are three brothers and last year, two of them made it to the semi-final of the Israeli version of Australian Idol. after the concert there was an AUJS after-party in one of the function rooms at the stadium, but i think there were more Israelis there than AUJS members. lol. it was by far the best Yom Ha'atzmaut i've ever experienced. but i'm sure it's nothing compared to actually bing in Israel for it.
ok, im almsot there, not much left. brb.