Community message
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- Community Message
PAST, PRESENT FUTURE.
Remembering those we have lost, responding to today's challenges, and building a stronger future are not separate tasks. They are all part of the same story. This week I reflect on how our past, present and future are deeply connected.
Dear friends,
What will you find in this newsletter?
Remembering Malki ob"m
Twenty-five years ago today, 15-year-old Malki Roth and her best friend Michal Raziel were murdered by a Hamas suicide bomber while sitting in a pizza restaurant in Jerusalem.
Malki grew up in Melbourne, before making Aliyah with her family. Her loss rippled through the Melbourne Jewish community in 2001.
Since that day, her parents, Arnold and Frimet, have tirelessly fought to keep Malki’s memory alive and to bring the mastermind of that terrorist attack to justice.
Today, we remember Malki, her friend Michal, and all the innocent lives cut short in the Second Intifada. We send comfort and wish long life to Arnold, Frimet and their extended family.
Make Judaism count
Tuesday is Census Day. Every five years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics counts every person and every household in Australia.
I want to encourage everybody who identifies as Jewish to record this on the Census. Census data informs decisions about funding, education, welfare, security and community infrastructure. Being accurately represented helps ensure our community is properly supported.
For information on how to record your Jewish identity in the Census, please review this helpful guide prepared by our friends at the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies
Royal Commission updates
Thank you David
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion continued its important work this week.
Early in the week, the Commissioner examined the circumstances around two highly charged demonstrations in Sydney: the first outside the Opera House on October 9, 2023, and the second by neo-Nazis outside NSW Parliament House.
My NSW counterpart, David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, spoke of the overwhelming impact those demonstrations had on the safety and sense of belonging of Jewish Australians.
I want to thank David not only for his thoughtful evidence, but also for his dedicated leadership of the NSW Jewish community over the past four years. As he prepares to step down from the role, I know there are not many volunteer positions like the ones David and I hold. I hope that, like me, he feels a deep sense of purpose from his time as president. I also hope his successors never face the challenges our community leaders have confronted since October 7, 2023.
Drivers of extremism
Later in the week, Commissioner Virginia Bell AC heard evidence related to the drivers of extremism, including antisemitism.
The Commission heard important evidence from police, academia and former extremists. Once again, the failure of social media companies to address the dangerous content on their platforms came to the fore. The Commander of NSW Police’s Anti-Terrorism and Intelligence Group, whose name was not released to the public, said the social media platforms do not notify police when content is posted indicating users are planning terrorist attacks.
Evidence related to Islamist extremism, neo-Nazism, conspiracy theories and other radical ideologies was scrutinised before the Royal Commission this week.
Follow the Royal Commission
There are many ways to keep up to date with the progress of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
- Watch hearings live or review transcripts – ASC
- Keep-up-to-date during the hearings – AJN
- Watch clips from evidence – @ecajoz on Instagram
- Read summaries of each hearing block – ShareYourStory
Your questions, answered
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is one of the most significant inquiries our community has participated in.
I encourage you to join us at the JCCV’s August Plenum, where we will hear directly from Rebecca Carpenter, Head of Engagement for the Royal Commission. Rebecca will provide an update on the Commission’s work, its engagement with the Jewish community, and what comes next as it progresses towards its final report.
There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. Whether you have been following the hearings closely or are looking to better understand the Commission’s work, I hope you will join us for what promises to be an important and informative discussion.
Gen26
One of the strengths of our community is that we are always thinking not only about today’s challenges, but also about the future.
In the coming weeks, Gen26 will open across Australia. Led by the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) in partnership with Monash University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Gen26 will provide an updated picture of Jewish life in Australia and help inform planning across education, aged care, welfare, security, advocacy, religious life and community services.
Good decisions are built on good information. The more people who participate, the better equipped our community organisations will be to understand changing needs, identify emerging trends and plan for the years ahead.
The JCCV is proud to be leading the Victorian rollout of Gen26, and I encourage everyone to take part when the survey opens. It is a simple way for each of us to contribute to the future of Jewish life in Australia.
