Joodles Archive

Boris Gurman z"l (69) and his wife Sofia Gurman z"l (61) showed a form of heroism that is immediate, instinctive, and deeply human. When the attack began at Bondi, they did not run. Dashcam footage shows Boris stepping toward the gunman, attempting to tackle him and wrestle the weapon away. Sofia moved forward to help him, trying to pull the attacker off her husband. In those critical moments, their actions saved lives by slowing the attacker and drawing his attention away

ZAKA is an Israeli volunteer emergency response organisation founded in 1995 to bring order, dignity, and compassion to the most devastating scenes of terror and disaster. Its mission is grounded in a central principle of Jewish law: the dead must be sanctified, and every part of a person’s body must be returned for burial. This obligation, chesed shel emet , (true kindness), is considered one of the highest mitzvot because it is given to someone who can never repay it. ZAK

Josh Frydenberg has become one of the most important public advocates for Australian Jews in recent years. Over the last two years, he has worked relentlessly to confront rising antisemitism and support a community facing fear and uncertainty. A former Treasurer and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, Frydenberg is one of the highest-ranking Jewish politicians in Australia’s history. He carries that identity with confidence and pride. Since October 7, through speaking clear

Yotam Ottolenghi has done more than make Middle Eastern food famous. He has shown that cooking can build bridges. Born in Jerusalem to an Israeli father and a German Jewish mother, he grew up with many voices and tastes, and learned early that the table is where differences can meet. After moving to London, he kept that spirit alive. Through his books and restaurants, he introduced a wide audience to food that is colourful, generous, and meant to be shared. Every dish plays

Founded in Israel in 2015 by designer Pablo Kaplan, Wheelchairs of Hope makes bright, sturdy wheelchairs for kids who need them most. Each one costs under 100 dollars to build and is tough enough to roll over dirt roads and rocky ground. Working with UNICEF and the World Health Organization, the team has delivered thousands of chairs across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. For many kids, it is their first real chance to go to school, play with friends, or move ar

Sir John Monash was one of Australia’s greatest military leaders and engineers, and one of the first Jews to rise to national prominence. Born in Melbourne to Prussian Jewish parents, he had a brilliant mind and a quiet confidence that shaped everything he did. Before World War One, Monash was already a top civil engineer. When the war came, he brought logic and planning to the battlefield. As commander of the Australian Corps, his smart strategies at Hamel and Amiens in 19

Deborah Conway is one of Australia’s most respected and successful singer songwriters. For more than forty years she has been a central figure in Australian music, first with the band Do Re Mi and later through a long solo career that earned her awards, acclaim, and a loyal following. After October 7, Conway spoke openly as a proud Jew and a Zionist. That decision changed everything. She was doxxed, abused online, and blacklisted by most of the Australian music industry. Pe

Rummikub was invented in the 1940s by Ephraim Hertzano, a Romanian Jew who emigrated to Israel after the war. Banned from playing card games under the Communist regime, he created his own version using small tiles instead. From his kitchen table in Tel Aviv, Hertzano began selling sets door to door. What started as a family pastime soon spread across Israel, and later the world. By the 1970s, Rummikub had become one of the best selling games in America, winning Game of the

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a US Supreme Court Justice who changed how the world sees equality. Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, she learned early what it meant to face barriers. When she graduated from law school, few firms would hire her because she was a woman, a mother, and a Jew. She spent her career turning quiet determination into action. As a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, she argued and won five major Supreme Court cases that ended laws treating me