Over 5oo souls gathered at Gerringong headland this morning for a moving dawn service. A gentle westerly stirred the Australian flag at half mast as Kevin Sullivan performed his own song, ‘Pilgrimage’ in public for the first time. Kevin’s visit to Gallipoli for the Anzac Centenary inspired ‘Pilgrimage’ - a call to visit and capture the reverence of that sacred shore. An unexpected moment of emotion caught me by surprise as I laid a red poppy on the memorial at the conclusion

The dictionary defines a hero as one, noted for courageous acts or nobility of character. A person who has special achievements, abilities or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal. My heroes are not elite athletes. While they may fit the definition, to me they are ‘stars.’ The men and women who died or put their lives on the line for their country - they are my ‘heroes.’ My father enlisted as a nineteen year old and twelve months after basic training was

Last Thursday Israel celebrated its 73rd Independence Day. Now a country of 9.3 million people, it commenced its journey in 1948 with a population of 806,000 and a small army of dedicated fighters in the midst of high controversy. Who were the first countries to recognise the new State? The first - The United States of America. President Truman made the historic phone call 11 minutes after the Declaration. Czechoslovakia recognised the new State 1 day after Declaration and su

Last Thursday Israel commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day. My wife and I were in Israel in 2017 and remember the sirens that signal two minutes silence. The country pauses. Cars stop. Israelis stand silent in the streets and remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Memorials and ceremonies are held throughout the country. 174,500 survivors live in Israel. The Day is not without controversy. A member of the Knesset walked out of the chamber during the ceremon

This beautiful Jerusalem Cross is treasured by my wife. It came by post from the jewellery shop of a Palestinian friend who lives in Jerusalem. I befriended Michel Benham in 2018 when I spent many hours learning about the history of his Christian Orthodox family. Michel gave me great support in writing, ‘Wall of Tears’ and said, “I don’t want you to hate the Jews. Write your own truth!” If you are searching for a special gift, and want to support a Palestinian family, take a