MindBodySpirit Festival reinstates Jewish kinesiologist Sharon Tal

Jewish healer Sharon Tal has been reinstated to the program of Melbourne’s MindBodySpirit Festival after being cancelled earlier this week because of a “hate” campaign by pro-Palestine activists.

Jewish kinesiologist and reiki master Sharon Tal has been reinstated on the program of Melbourne’s popular MindBodySpirit Festival after being cancelled because of a “hate” campaign against her by pro-Palestine activists.

In a statement to the Herald Sun on Thursday morning a spokeswoman for the festival said “we sincerely regret the distress caused by our prior decision to remove her from the program”.

Ms Tal — who has presented at the MBS Festival for nearly a decade — was told on Tuesday she was not welcome at this weekend’s event because of security concerns following complaints about her from pro-Palestine campaigners.

Sharon Tal was “in shock” when told she could not present this year. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Anti-defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said Ms Tal’s axing had “rewarded the hate brigade” and led to “a moment of national shame”.

“When you let the cancel crowd dictate who gets to speak, you are burning down the very values that make this country what it is,” he said.

Caulfield-based natural healer Ms Tal said she was “in shock” after being told she could not present at the festival this year.

She told the Herald Sun on Thursday she was relieved the festival had backflipped on its decision because she wanted “to work, to heal and to share the love and light” but was deeply saddened by what had occurred.

“There was never politics involved for me, it didn’t need to come to this,” Ms Tal said.

“I want to be there (at the festival) to help empower people to heal themselves … how can we now move forward and try to bring love rather than hate?”

Chair of the Anti-defamation Commission, Dr Dvir Abramovich.

The MBS Festival spokeswoman said the decision to cancel Ms Tal “was made with the best of intentions and was not based on religion, ethnicity, or personal beliefs”, but it had now reviewed security arrangements and changed its position.

“After careful consideration and following consultation with venue and security personnel, we are pleased to be reinstating Sharon Tal as a participant in our upcoming Melbourne Festival program,” she said.

“We greatly value our longstanding relationship with Sharon Tal and her significant contributions to our festivals.”

In an email, Exhibition and Events Australia managing director Jane Ford had originally told Ms Tal her participation in the festival had been cancelled due to the “significant public reaction” to her inclusion, warning it could pose a “risk to the safety and wellbeing” of staff and visitors.

Ms Tal, who trades under the name The Soul Alchemist, is a qualified kinesiologist, counsellor and reiki master. Picture: Supplied

She has presented at the MindBodySpirit Festival for nearly a decade. Picture: Supplied

On Thursday Dr Abramovich said the MBS Festival “didn’t do the right thing — they did the convenient thing” in reinstating Ms Tal.

“After days of silence, of cowardice, of letting a Jewish woman be publicly humiliated and cast out for her identity, they’ve now reinstated Sharon Tal not out of conviction, but because they were caught red-handed,” he said.

“This is not a moment of pride for the festival. They caved to a hate campaign … and only reversed course when the outrage became too loud to ignore.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said in initially cancelling Ms Tal festival organisers had bowed “to an orchestrated smear campaign” that had “ludicrously” suggested she “had taken part in a genocide” on the other side of the world.

“The Festival organisers behaved cravenly and made a mockery of their own values of diversity and inclusion,” he said.

“It would have been difficult to escape the conclusion that Ms Tal had been discriminated against simply for being Jewish … by reinstating Ms Tal to the event, the festival organisers have redeemed themselves, and we commend them for this welcome, if belated, victory for fairness and common sense.”

Originally published as MindBodySpirit Festival reinstates Jewish kinesiologist Sharon Tal