Aish Australia
Build a life you love
Our next weekly event
Why Don't Jews Celebrate X'mas?
In the Western world, Xmas is the most widely celebrated non-Jewish holiday. As Jews, how should we relate to this day? Should we celebrate a secular Xmas like many non-Jews or should we refrain completely?
Join us next week as we discuss why Jews don’t celebrate Xmas.
Why Don’t Jews Celebrate X’mas?
Tuesday, 17 December
Aish Australia
46 Balaclava Road, St Kilda East VIC 3183, Australia
About
If you want to build a life you love, you’ve come to the right place!
Aish inspires young Jewish adults to live a more purposeful life and develop more vibrant and lasting relationships, based on 3500 years of practical Jewish wisdom.
Find out more about the joy of Judaism right here, right now.
Meet the team
Rabbi Andrew Saffer
Rabbi Andrew Saffer went to Scopus and Monash, anticipating a career in Internet Law at the same commercial law firm as his many cousins. A six-week Jerusalem Fellowship summer trip to Israel changed that.
Six weeks at Aish Jerusalem turned into six years, and (while moonlighting as a graphic designer and events photographer — he shot Margaret Thatcher!), Andrew became a rabbi. He met his wife, Rachelle (also from Melbourne) in Jerusalem the very next day.
They married, moved back to Australia, and now share five spectacular children. Andrew spends his spare time listening to the same music your parents did and making excruciating Dad jokes. Contact Andrew
Rabbi Jon Neumann
Rabbi Jon Neumann grew up in Melbourne, went to school and university for a bit before deciding that working in Consulting and IT was more fun.
After maxing out his corporate life, Jon moved to Israel, and spent seven years learning at Aish Jerusalem and working to expand Aish’s international outreach efforts. In 2006, Jon moved back to Melbourne to join Aish Australia and help share the wisdom of Torah with the local community.
Jon has four amazing children who specialise in coming up with new schemes to ensure their parents don’t have too much free time on their hands. Contact Jon
Rachelle Saffer
Rachelle Saffer went to Beth Rivkah and Lauriston, planning to study Psychology. After Year 12, she too went on a Jerusalem Fellowship program to Israel — and stayed. She studied at the Neve Yerushalayim seminary, and while leading a Jerusalem Fellowship herself, she met Andrew. They were married soon after.
Rachelle now divides her time between leading a team at Beth Rivkah’s creche, studying Education, and explaining her husband’s Dad jokes to people who don’t catch his classic rock and film references.
Judith Samuel
Judith Samuel was born in Israel but grew up in Sydney. After school, uni and a few years enjoying the view out of the KMPG offices, Judith moved to Melbourne in 2010. She was introduced to Aish shortly thereafter.
Much to Andrew’s delight, Judith assumed the role of Aish CFO in 2012, and she is still waiting for her ten-year-service gold watch to arrive.
Judith now spends her time reconciling transactions, baking cakes, walking along the bay, making constant Star Wars references, checking algebra homework, and trying to make her children laugh. Contact Judith