Community message
- Published August 25 2024
- Community Message
Community message from JCCV President, Philip Zajac.
WORKING TOGETHER
High Holy Days and October 7 Anniversary
The JCCV continues to work closely with Victoria Police. This week, we were informed by local police that there will be an increase in police resources to protect our community ahead of the upcoming High Holy Days, which also coincides with the first anniversary of the October 7 massacre.
We encourage all synagogues to work closely with CSG to put in place relevant plans ahead of the coming holidays. While we are encouraging the community to join the Illuminate October initiative, if you are planning an event to mark the upcoming anniversary, please make sure this is logged with CSG as well. Caulfield Police Station is also compiling a list of anniversary events to ensure our community can be kept safe.
We thank our local police for partnering with the JCCV to keep our community safe.
Joint Senate Submission
The JCCV and CSG made a joint submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024.
The submission included the CSG’s University Impact Report, which detailed the experiences of 23 Jewish students at Victorian universities, and also included the JCCV’s experience supporting Jewish faculty. The submission recommends the Senate vote in favour of the Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024.
Collaboration for Non-Jewish Students
The JCCV office convened a meeting with JCCV member organisations that offer antisemitism, anti-racism or Holocaust education programs to non-Jewish students. As we all know, this is such important work, especially at the moment.
It was a chance for the organisations to learn about the work each is focussing on, to find opportunities for collaboration and to try and work out whether there are any gaps that aren’t being catered for.
Meet and Greet
Thank you to the Jewish Museum of Australia for inviting me to meet with Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt when she visited on Wednesday. It was a really productive visit and Minister Stitt really saw the value in Victorians visiting the Jewish Museum to familiarise themselves with Jewish culture and the Melbourne Jewish story.
Thanks also to WIZO Victoria for inviting me to meet with Nathaniel Buzolic, known online as Nate Buzz, and Israeli journalist Dr Ilana Dayan. Both are inspiring for very different reasons, Nate Buzz who does so much to help share Israel’s story with his many millions of social media followers, and Ilana for her remarkable insights.
Community Presentation on the 2023 Victorian Antisemitism Report
This is your last chance to register for the launch of the 2023 Victorian Antisemitism Report. We are holding a community presentation to discuss insights into the concerning trends that arose from the report findings.
