Derech Eretz (DE) is a Jewish/Aboriginal Partnership with the Indigenous communities of Boggabilla and Toomelah on the border of QLD and NSW. DE takes a group of university-aged students for ten days to Toomelah/ Boggabilla, once or twice a year, to run school holiday programs for the community children. There have been 8 visits over the last 5 years.

DE was established because we wanted to build a sustainable relationship with an Indigenous community that would allow for intensive engagement and learning for the volunteer students, and provide useful services to the communities at the same time. This is a joint program between JAA and the Shalom Institute in NSW.

The Hebrew term ‘Derech Eretz’ means literally, ‘the way of the land’, but as a concept embodies the idea of conduct that contributes to decency, respect and social awareness.

Derech Eretz is divided into 4 components:

Derech Eretz Trip – 12 participants for 10 days over the summer, running school holiday activities and learning about the community.

Alumni Trip – 12 DE alumni for 10 days in July, running leadership courses through the schools.

At Home – Guest speakers, fundraisers and awareness raising activities in Sydney and Melbourne. 

Dental Project – In the process of setting up this project whereby a Dentist, Dental nurse and 2 alumni will visit the communities every few months and set up a temporary dental clinic.

Click here to download a booklet with more information about the Derech Eretz program. 

Click on the image below to download the latest Derech Eretz newsletter. 

 “The fun gained by spending time with the children, the knowledge and meaning shared by the elders, and the unique culture and will of the Aboriginal people is only something that can learnt by experiencing it first hand.” – Kezia Janks

“Some say that the Derech Eretz program is a way for young Jews to connect to their Australian identity. For me it is much more about expressing my Jewish identity in Australia. It’s about finding a way of fulfilling my obligation as a Jew to seek justice, to pursue peace and sustain the world with acts of loving kindness.” – Grace Shwartz.

Reflections by Sarah Gelbart

The Australia I grew up in preached multiculturalism and ‘a fair go for all’. My grandparents came here as refugees after the Holocaust. They came with nothing, just hopes for a future free from discrimination and persecution. This country has been good to my family, and I am grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded me.

Derech Eretz gave me the chance to meet with people who know a very different Australia. For two weeks we ran summer holiday programs for children in the Aboriginal communities of Toomelah and Boggabilla in Northern NSW. Beyond this, we were given an opportunity to speak with a range of people, including elders, a representative from the Land Council, the Principal of the school, a teacher at TAFE, the nurse, a policeman and others. Through these conversations, we began to appreciate the complexities of life in these communities, and see a very different side of this country to down-town Caulfield or Bondi.

Statistics of poor Indigenous life expectancy, high incarceration rates, low literacy levels and so on, are blasted across the media. Politicians offer endless commentary and magic-bullet solutions, yet few non-Indigenous Australians really engage with Indigenous Australia. At times I find it incomprehensible that this gulf exists. The challenges can seem overwhelming, but Derech Eretz reminds us of our common humanity. It allows us to break down some barriers, to share cultures and learn from each other.

The kindness and generosity which we, a group of 10 Jewish university students from Melbourne and Sydney, were shown by the people of Toomelah and Boggabilla, is something both precious and humbling. Derech Eretz is about relationships. It is about respect and understanding. It is not a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’, like a trip to Africa. Rather, it is a partnership. By making these connections and building trust and understanding, in some small way we are contributing to a more just and compassionate Australia.

I want to live in a country where equality of opportunity is not just a catchphrase, but a reality for all.

Where access to health and education are universal, where people are free from discrimination and are able to grow up proud of their culture and heritage.  We would all be enriched by this.

Click on the image below to watch a 3 minute Derech Eretz promo video.