Many of you, I am sure, have taken the opportunity over the past few weeks to take a break from ordinary life, maybe spend extra time with children and grandchildren, perhaps enjoy a visit to a beach or in nature, and dedicate some time to thinking about the months to come. I am sure you have plans, ideas and hopes for you and your families in 2025.

At the JCCV, we have plans and hopes for our community over the coming months.

Among our plans, the JCCV will be:

1. Continuing to advocate effectively on your behalf to the Victorian Government as stronger vilification and discrimination laws are debated, hopefully in February.
2. Insisting that the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police take a stronger, more urgent response to anti-Jewish crimes, including arrests for recent offences.
3. Publishing unique reports to help policymakers and law enforcement to understand and address antisemitism. The first one, Defining Antisemitism: A Victorian Experience, is just a few weeks away.
4. Engaging with more non-Jewish people via the JCCV’s Jewish Immersion Program. In coming weeks, we already have programs booked with newly elected councillors, childcare staff, aged care staff and we are continuing our work with Officeworks.
5. Engaging across our community – with our rabbis, our museum directors, our school principals, the caregivers who look after our community’s most vulnerable, with volunteers at Jewish organisations big and small – to make sure the JCCV is truly representative.

And what are the JCCV’s hopes for 2025? Simple.

To lead a strong, united and proud Victorian Jewish community.
For peace in Israel and the safe return of the hostages.