Malki Rose

The Dora Rose Foundation was established to create initiatives to support and nurture vulnerable children in our community.

The charity, established in memory of Melbourne Grandmother extraordinaire & Holocaust Survivor Mrs Dora Rose z"l, aimed to build on her legacy that "every child is important & needs someone to believe in them to reach their potential".

In 2012, work begun on our first major initiative, building a much needed centre to empower and support kids.

The centre, being built in Caulfield will be a much needed resource to support vulnerable kids in our community being affected by abuse in the home or at school, neglect or just need a space where they can be supported, nourished and heard.

In its initial stages the centre will offer advocacy for children through psychologists and legal support services, linked in with local government Department of Human Services, as well as the AJP and Hatzolah. (We are currently developing our Community Foster care program.. please get in touch if you would like to volunteer as a Foster carer!)

The unique facilities and much needed programs, including an urban farm, kids kitchen and art studio, will be open to all children!

As with so many other Jewish mothers, food had a nurturing and uniting role to play in Dora Rose's family life. Food IS family. Food IS love. So you can see why we felt that there was no better way than through Jewish food to unite our community around the children's centre.

Food excites and nurtures and we hope that through the enormous momentum the project has built we can create awareness for this much needed resource which will change the lives of more children than Dora Rose could ever have imagined.

So far our first 4 episodes, hosted by Bram Presser & Adam Krongold, have aired on our youtube channel MyKosherKitchenRules (check them out!) with more than 10,000 views on youtube, and 4,000 MKKR Facebook views each week, with the challenges and grand finale yet to air (Gala screening night at The Astor, 26th November 2013).

Some of Melbourne's finest local food heroes have come on board to support the initiative including the iconic Continental Kosher Butcher, Georgie's Harvest, Sidewalk Cafe, Made with Luv Foods, Gold River Dairy, Dom's Fruit & Vegetables, Tassal, Passionate Catering, Glicks Cakes & Bagels and as the momentum grows more supporters are signing up to be a part of this unique project.


Email: [email protected] for more information or to get involved
Book tickets for the MKKR Gala Night here at http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=66567

My Kosher Kitchen Rules

So far the MKKR project has been wildly successful, with a huuuge audience following, massive sponsor interest and the bulk of the filming has already been completed, with only editting remaining.

Our challenge is of course to complete the edits by November (easier said than done! - and that's with superhuman editors!!!) But we are optimistic Aussie battlers can go weeks without sleep.

The final film will screen in Melbourne by the end of November of 2013. (one night only, with a VIP supper with our judges, sponsors and all the awesome people involved in making MKKR and the children's centre happen!)

One of the biggest challenges in the long term is exhaustion. We have a fantastic team of dedicated change makers on board to help get the DRF Children's Centre off the ground (and we've been working hard since 2012), but its a long road and there are alot of I's to dot and T's to cross. So we risk burnout if we dont have the right people and the right funds in place. (Great volunteers make all the difference!)

But the biggest challenge to date, and in the future, has proven to be the detractors. Those who dont' see why we want our community to have a children's centre and feel that it is not necessary.

Our challenge is to ensure, with the help of our planners and our neighbours, that the centre not only complies with local planning laws but does not in any way create inconvenience to local residents. Our hope is that it will be a centre everyone will be proud to support.

Our friends at DHS certainly do, but they agree they simply do not have the resources to services even 10% of the kids who require support every single day, and felt that if every community took it upon themselves to step up and provide services and resources for those who are vulnerable our society would be a very different place indeed.

Build it, and they will come.
We hope you will join us in building this centre for all our children.