Community message
- Published August 11 2024
- Community Message
Community message from JCCV President, Philip Zajac.
WE RE NOT BACKING DOWN
We were all absolutely astonished to see the video of a Jewish man refused service at Officeworks Elsternwick earlier this year.
It was a dreadful display of discrimination that has absolutely no place in Melbourne.
It is also a reminder that if you are treated in a discriminatory way, consider following these steps:
- Document what has happened in as much detail as possible.
- Report the incident immediately to the store manager, a supervisor or the company or organisational leadership.
- Make a complaint via the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. It is illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of race or religion in Victoria.
- Any instances of antisemitism should also be reported to CSG via the JEAP app.
I met with Officeworks CEO Sarah Hunter this week to learn more about the incident and to understand the steps taken by Officeworks subsequently.
Sarah explained that the behaviour of this staff member was not representative of the beliefs of the organisation and expressed a sincere apology. She also said that 8000 Officeworks staff had been briefed on the incident and reminded of their obligations to prevent discrimination.
Finally, she said that Officeworks is committed to finding a way to do more to educate staff on antisemitism. I pledged the JCCV’s support for this mission. I genuinely believe that education and awareness – rather than punishment – will create lasting change.
This week, I also met with Vivienne Nguyen and Bwe Thay, Chair and Deputy Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, together with new VMC director of strategy Kashif Bouns.
The JCCV continues to work closely with the VMC but remains frustrated by the slow response to the Victorian Government to measures that could address rising antisemitism.
JCCV CEO Naomi Levin also caught up with City of Glen Eira CEO Rebecca McKenzie. Rebecca is a great ally of our community and continues to lead a council that is responsive to the needs of the local Jewish population. Did you know that nearly 50% of the population in both Caulfield North and Caulfield South is Jewish?
This week, we tragically marked 10 months that the hostages have been held in Gaza. We have not forgotten them and our community continues to advocate for their release and pray for their safety.
Plans for the Jewish community’s October 7 commemoration are underway. This will be a chance to collectively mourn the 1200 people slaughtered by Hamas. The JCCV, together with dozens of other Jewish organisations, are supporting the Illuminate October initiative, an initiative of Zionism Victoria. Please visit the website and consider participating with your family.
Finally, the JCCV has two important events coming up. I am pleased to say that we have several important leaders and officials from outside the Jewish community, including Parliamentarians, local Councillors and government officials, attending both events, in an effort to gain a greater understanding of antisemitism and how to address it.
