Stories of Connection - A Maccabi LIFE & Stories that Stir™ Collaboration

Maccabi LIFE is PROUD to invite you to a special and first collaboration with Stories that Stir™ to bring you an exciting evening of inspirational and motivating stories on the importance of connection. Come and join us for a moving and uplifting evening and start living a healthier, happier and connected Jewish LIFE.

ABOUT MACCABI LIFE:

Maccabi’s health and wellness program – Maccabi LIFE – actively educates, engages, and promotes the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through a wide range of initiatives, both digital and face to face.

Health and wellness events, education programs, and unstructured physical activities help create a healthier and happier LIFE for you and your family, in a way that uniquely suits your individual lifestyle.

ABOUT STORIES THAT STIR™

Stories that Stir™ is a global event concept created by husband and wife team Monica Rosenfeld and Joram van der Starre, whereby people share raw and personal stories to break down barriers, stir conversation, and inspire positive change.

Meet your storytellers:

Lisa Goldberg (Headliner) Eat, Cook, Connect

In a world where connections can often feel fleeting, Lisa Goldberg invites us to gather around the table, where every dish tells a story, and every recipe binds us together. As a co-founder of the Monday Morning Cooking Club, Lisa has devoted herself to preserving the rich tapestry of Jewish culinary traditions, fostering a sense of community through shared meals and cherished memories. With each cookbook and every episode of her YouTube series she not only celebrates the flavours of her heritage but also reminds us of the power of food to nurture relationships, honour family legacies, and inspire new beginnings. Lisa continues to champion the bonds forged in the kitchen, proving that through food, we can create connections that transcend time and distance, nourishing not just our bodies, but our souls.

Lisa Goldberg co-founded the Monday Morning Cooking Club in 2006 and - as ‘Chief Pot Stirrer’ - led the group to publish four best-selling award winning cookbooks (2011 - 2020), which document and preserve recipes from Jewish kitchens across Australia and the globe. In 2023, Lisa hosted a youtube series called Walking up an Appetite, sharing all the things she loves to do - eat, walk, talk and cook. Lisa and the Monday Morning Cooking Club are in the process of writing their fifth book, to be published in October 2025. Since 7 October 2023, Lisa has become a strong social media advocate through @heylisagoldberg for the Jewish community and for Israel. She is working on a new food show with the working title ‘That (Australian) Jewish Food Show’.

Rayni Bonne - Existential Comedy

Global events in 2023 turned Rayni's world upside down. In a bid to find peace, she fled to a war zone, where she grappled with the past, present, and future of meaning, performing stand-up comedy. When the world loses its mind - Laugh, cry, and make art.

Rayni Bonne is a business owner and creator of hens night life drawing parties at The Artful Hen. She's a stand up comedian, storyteller, artist, teacher, writer, student and mother. Sometimes she can be found on nude beaches handing out business cards.

Orly Faya - Being Jewish

When it comes to feeling connection, no matter how periphery Orly's Judaism has seemed alongside her spirituality, artistry, passion for diversity, and creative activism, being Jewish has become front-centre to her experience of belonging in today's brave world. To be Jewish is an ancient-come-modern controversy—a historical tale of survival. Although most of us have veered far from religious belief into the realms of community, pride, and preservation, our connection as Jews has only deepened. This is a snippet of her story.

Orly is an anthropologist and artist using the world as her studio to explore belonging and the sacred feminine. Through painting, photography, poetry and spoken word, she connects humanity with the Earth and seeks to inspire transformation.

Julie Randall - Patient 71

Julie had a massive brain seizure. She was diagnosed with incurable cancer and given only months to live. She promised her teenage daughters she would find a way to stay alive and in doing so, she discovered an untapped potential within herself.

Julie is a motivational speaker, best-selling author, and mentor. Her story has been broadcast on 60 Minutes.

Please arrive by 6.30pm to enjoy a drink and mingling. Seating at 6.50pm with the storytelling commencing at 7.00pm sharp.

* If you'd like to have dinner beforehand, the bistro downstairs serves delicious meals.

* Trigger warning: Story content may include sensitive topics 

*18+ event