With Yom Hashoah now upon us, I want to offer one final and heartfelt invitation to join our community tomorrow evening. 

The annual JCCV Yom Hashoah Commemoration is one of the most important moments in our communal calendar. At a time when antisemitism is rising globally, when Holocaust distortion is becoming more common and when many in our community are feeling vulnerable and unsettled, coming together to remember is not simply tradition. It is an act of strength. It is a statement of identity. It is a commitment to our past and our future. 

The commemoration will begin at 7:30pm, but I warmly encourage you to arrive from 7:00pm for a special pre-event program. There will be live musical performances by individual artists and the Combined Schools Klezmer Orchestra, creating a beautiful atmosphere of reflection and continuity. You will also have the opportunity to view a presentation of Portraits of Survival by Anita Lester, a striking and deeply moving series of oil paintings portraying Melbourne’s Holocaust survivors with dignity, colour and emotional depth. 

These portraits remind us that behind every number is a name, a face, a family and a story. And they remind us that Melbourne is home to one of the most significant survivor communities in the world. Their courage is a gift and a responsibility for us all. 

If you have been thinking about attending, please make the time. Bring your children, your parents, your friends. Let us fill the room with community, with memory, with resilience and with hope.