Community message
- Published July 28 2024
- Community Message
Community message from JCCV President, Philip Zajac.
LOOKING AHEAD
Many of our community organisations have spent the last few weeks catching our breaths after a frantic nine months.
Our hearts are still with the hostages – we cannot forget them and we must ensure the world does not do so either.
But on the home front, we are trying to look ahead at what community priorities need to be addressed in the coming few months.
At the JCCV, this is what we are focusing on:
- Outreach to non-Jewish leaders and service providers to build understanding of our community and expand our network of allies.
- Advocating for more robust Victorian laws to address antisemitism effectively and in a timely manner.
- Working closely with our Jewish community when they need support, from campus groups, to school parents, to individuals impacted by antisemitism.
In the next few weeks, we will be:
- Publishing the Victorian Antisemitism Report 2023, in partnership with CSG and the Victorian Government.
- Speaking to a variety of audiences across Victoria about the local Jewish community and the challenges we face.
- Welcoming the Special Envoy for Antisemitism Jillian Segal AO to Melbourne.
- Continuing our work with UJEB to help government schools better address antisemitism when it rises.
- Supporting AUJS Victoria as students return to campus for semester 2 amid a noisy campaign in favour of boycotts of Israel.
RAISING AWARENESS
This last week, the JCCV met with the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP), staff from City of Glen Eira, and City of Kingston Councillor Cameron Howe to speak about the Victorian Jewish community and how they can best support Jewish people.
Staff from the CCYP, including the Principal Commissioner Liana Buchanan, learnt how to better understand and engage with the Jewish community in order to ensure all organisations are committed to child protection.
The JCCV runs educational programs with City of Glen Eira staff regularly, providing cultural awareness training to staff multiple times a year. On this occasion, participants ended the program with a tour of Caulfield Shule. We thank Rabbi Daniel Rabin for his fabulous work with our group.
ARRESTS MADE
On Friday, we learned that two people had been arrested in relation to the recent terrible act of vandalism against Josh Burns MP’s office. They will face court in October. You can read the full statement from police here.
We thank Victoria Police for its thorough investigation and continue to urge all community members to report antisemitic incidents to Victoria Police and to CSG via the JEAP app.
OLYMPIC FEVER
This summer’s Paris Olympics warrants a historical look at some of European Jewry’s athletic stars… and tragic losses. Click here to read the article by Hillel Kuttler in the National Library of Israel Magazine.
EXPERIENCING ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS
