Community message
- Published
- Community Message
ELUL, UNITY, AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY
Reflection, collaboration, and vigilance as we move towards the High Holy Days.
ELUL: A TIME TO REFLECT AND PREPARE
This week, we ticked over into the month of Elul – the final month in the Hebrew calendar and the countdown to the High Holy Days.
Elul is a time for reflection, spiritual preparation, and a chance to move closer to our faith and community.
As you listen to the shofar this Elul, take a moment to reflect on the generations of Jewish people who have upheld these traditions. Today, we are their custodians — entrusted with preserving and passing on the spirit of Elul to future generations.
If you have not already done so, now is the time to buy your synagogue seat for the High Holy Days, or better yet, a membership for the whole year. The Social Blueprint has a terrific list of many of the synagogues in Melbourne, there really is a shule for everyone.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A STRONGER COMMUNITY
At a time when we face many challenges as a Jewish community, collaboration is a key focus of the JCCV.
This week, we brought together leaders from the Rabbinical Council of Victoria with the leadership of key community organisations, including Zionism Victoria, CSG and Zionist Federation of Australia.
Our rabbis are at the coalface of our community, speaking with community members, providing pastoral care, and monitoring the mood of their congregants. It was so important for us to hear their thoughts and consider their guidance.
We will continue to work in a united way with rabbis from across our community.
JCCV CEO Naomi Levin also met with Australia’s Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism Jillian Segal to learn more about the Special Envoy’s Action Plan and ways that the JCCV can support its implementation. It is notable that a number of the actions in the plan are already underway here in Victoria, led by the JCCV, but there is significant work to be done.
PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY IN CHALLENGING TIMES
I am sure you shared my shock at hearing the news from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, that the Iranian Regime was behind the devastating attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue, a kosher café in Sydney, and possibly other antisemitic incidents here in Australia.
The JCCV has engaged with senior leaders in Victoria Police following this announcement, as has CSG. We will continue to advocate for necessary support from law enforcement to protect our community so we can safely go about our lives as Australian Jews.
We have also raised our real concerns with the Victorian Government, via the Local Escalation and Help committee, around whether there are other ways Iran could be seeking to disrupt Victoria’s social cohesion.
In the meantime, there are several things the community must do:
- Stay united and continue participating in Jewish life knowing that all necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the community’s safety.
- Report any concerns around terrorism or foreign interference to the National Security Hotline.
- Report any incidents of antisemitism, in an emergency to police via 000, otherwise to CSG via the JEAP app or 1300 000 274.
- If you need assistance, please contact the JCCV’s Antisemitism Support Service.
WHEN ALLIES STEP UP
Dr Sonja Hood AM joined a conversation, led by the JCCV, on steps to restore social cohesion here in Victoria. Sonja is the CEO of the Scanlon Foundation and President of the North Melbourne Football Club. The conversation considered the role of allies in helping reduce antisemitism in Victoria, the need to focus on grassroots efforts to rebuild cohesion. and the opportunity that influential organisations, like the AFL and clubs, have to role model inclusive activities.
Sonja knows the Jewish community well, having grown up in Caulfield, and is a respected leader in the broader community. We greatly appreciate her participation in this special JCCV event. We also thank Victor Smorgon Group for hosting this important conversation.
