Oh the places You'll Go!

"Who would have thought the ‘seminal event’ in my Jewish life would take place over a plate of papaya salad and sticky rice on a stinky street in South East Asia?

I’d grown up on Sydney’s northern beaches and felt completely disconnected from my European heritage. I remember watching my first episode of Seinfeld and telling my best friend that I thought I might be Jewish … she laughed and told me that unless I went to the synagogue, I wasn’t Jewish. But years later, when I was working as a foreign correspondent in Bangkok, I was introduced to an Israeli by the name of Guy Sharett. I can honestly say that the minute he spoke I felt as if I’d met my long-lost brother. He was hilarious and honest and understood me better than many of my friends back home. I felt like I’d found one of my ‘tribe’."

Read Ange's story on what it means to be Jewish: http://angetakats.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/jutta-and-me.html

Ange Takats - http://www.encounters.edu.au/SJWF/Presenters/Ange-Takats

"This weekend I’ll be participating at the Sydney Jewish Writers’ Festival. One of the sessions I’ll be taking part in is called ‘Stranger in a new land’. It has caused me to reflect on my Jewish heritage … and think about my grandmother who died eight years ago. I wouldn’t be taking part in the festival if it weren’t for Jutta and her brave journey to a far away land ... and her passion for travel which inspired me to leave my homeland for Thailand ... where I met an Israeli called Guy Sharett who declared one humid Bangkok day ... “Darling, you are Jewish!”

 

Ange will also be sharing her adventures during Oh the places you'll go

along with Tony Kevin. They travelled through Spain, Portugal and Thailand and will be talking about the astonishing people and places they encountered.

 

This session will include a tribute to Carolyn Shine, author of Single White Female in Hanoi, who was supposed to be part of the SJWF program but tragically passed away earlier this year.

For the full program - http://www.encounters.edu.au/SJWF/Program/Program

Opening Night / Saturday 25 August takes place at the Law Theatre in the Law Building at the University of NSW. 

The program on Sunday 26th, Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th August takes place at the Eric Caspary Learning Centre, Shalom College, at the University of NSW.

For more information, see Venue.

Click for a downloadable version of the program.

N.B. Program is subject to change.