Chair and Vice-Chair's MessageWelcome to another year of university life and another O'Week full of AUJS activities! For those of you who are first years, or still unsure of what AUJS is, we're the Australasian Union of Jewish Students – Australia and New Zealand's body of Jewish university students. AUJS does a number of things, but most abstractly we're concerned with engaging students in their Jewish identities, enriching their times as students on campus and developing their skills. AUJS facilitates this through seemingly infinite ways: we have interactive educational and political seminars, like our world famous Political Training Seminar in Canberra each year, where the best and most influential politicians meet the best and brightest from our ranks. We also celebrate Jewish festivals with the biggest parties, bringing everyone together at Purim and Yom Ha'atzmaut. We also run conferences – like a mid-year ski trip to New Zealand this year – and programs overseas – to Israel, the United States, Europe and Nepal – to offer touring, volunteering and unparalleled opportunities for personal development. And don't forget our work fighting antisemitism and anti-Zionism on campus, where the level of activism from AUJS has already, and will continue to increase. But most of all, everything AUJS does needs you, the Jewish student, to become active and involved. If you want to organise or attend a party, be a madrich on a program to Israel, run a stall on campus, or contribute in a new way, give either one of us a shout or be in contact with your campus rep. Finally, a big thank you to our own webmaster - Roman Feigin for his continued dedication and hard work for AUJS. For 2010 AUJS wishes everyone the best of luck, success and happiness in everything you do. B'shalom, |
