Jewish community stand in defiance after synagogue firebombing attack
Photos have emerged of the aftermath of the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue as the Jewish community gathered to rally against anti-Semitism in the wake of the attack.
Victoria
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Jarring photographs taken inside the Adass Israel Synagogue in the wake of the “evil” firebombing show the full scale of destruction.
Once a place for worship and study, the newly released images show the inside of the shule has been completely gutted by the arson attack, with the damage estimated to be worth millions of dollars.
The site has been closed since Friday’s firebombing, with the Victorian Government pledging $100,000 to help rebuild the site.
And an online fundraising campaign supporting the rebuild has already amassed more than $285,000 in donations.
Long time congregation member and temple advocate Yumi Rosenbaum told the Herald Sun the shule would be rebuilt “bigger and better”.
Mr Rosenbaum said the area of the temple which suffered the most extensive damage was where the majority of people congregated.
He said if people hadn’t been inside the shule at the time of the attack the arsonists would have most likely gutted the entire property.
“They expected no one to be there and only left after noticing the congregants, if they had another 10 minutes or so they could have done a lot more damage,” he said.
“Not much survived, but thankfully our special torah scrolls are kept in a fire-safe box and didn’t get burnt.”
Mr Rosenbaum said community members were temporarily using facilities such as school campuses to pray while the synagogue undergoes a rebuild.
He said some had even reverted to conducting prayer services at their homes, reminiscent of Covid times.
“We’re resilient people and we make it work.”
PROTEST LAW CHANGE CONSIDERED
The Allan government will look at changing laws that could make it illegal to protest outside places of worship.
In a statement on Sunday night, a government spokeswoman said: “The Victorian Government will consider changes to the law which ensure that people can exercise their right to attend places of worship freely, without fear, intimidation, harassment or obstruction.”
It follows an almost identical pledge from New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who on Sunday vowed to take action to ban people from protesting outside places of worship.
The Victorian government provided little information about what is up for consideration, but it’s understood such a change could be similar to laws introduced in 2015 that make it illegal for protesters to harass people within 150 metres of abortion clinics.
CALL FOR UNITY AND PEACE
It comes as Melbourne’s Jewish Community took a defiant stance against anti-Semitism, converging in the hundreds at a Ripponlea park on Sunday morning in solidarity of Friday’s heinous firebombing attack at the Adass Israel Synagogue.
The Burnett Gray Gardens were awash with blue and white as community members proudly displayed both Israeli and Australian flags and held placards calling for “unity” and “peace.”
Speaking at the rally, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg blasted the Labor government for “being missing in action,” blaming Jacinta Allen for Friday’s attack.
“I say to the Premier of Victoria, this happened on your watch, responsibility rests at your door.
“Jacinta Allen gets a big fail because a lot of the (anti-Semitic) attacks and incidents are happening here in Victoria, more than any other state.
“We know businesses that have had to close, university campuses have become unsafe, and we know death threats have been made against Jewish people in Melbourne.
“The list goes on and on.”
Mr Frydenberg said what happened on Friday isn’t merely a Jewish problem, but a problem for “Australian values.”
“This is a problem for our democracy,” he said in Ripponlea on Sunday.
“What will it take before we see stronger action?
“Will it tragically take people to lose their lives as they’ve lost their lives in other countries?
“I hope not. I hope this is a line in the sand moment for our country to come together, for our leaders to wake up and say enough is enough, just as everyone here today has said enough is enough.
“Words are not enough, we need concrete action and we can start by declaring the firebombing of the Adass Synagogue as a terrorist attack,” Mr Frydenberg said.
Several other MPs were also in attendance, including Opposition Leader John Pesutto and federal Macnamara member Josh Burns.
Deputy Liberal Leader David Southwick – who earlier said the Jewish community was tired of empty words and wanted action to ensure all Australians were safe – was also in attendance.
Bentleigh local Estelle Pizer said she attended the rally as a proud Jewish woman, and was “disgusted” with the rise in anti-Semitic incidents over the past year.
“I’m Jewish and disgusted and terrified as a citizen in Melbourne,” she said.
“All the people posting pro this and pro that they’ve got no idea what they’re talking about and they make my life scary.
“I don’t feel safe walking around in my own city, I just want to leave.
“I can’t wear my Star of David, it’s frightening and you don’t feel comfortable.
“I’m here today for solidarity and the synagogue.”
In passionate addresses to rally goers, Jewish leaders praised the community for “standing as one” in the fight against anti-Semitism.
Samantha from J United, Melbourne’s Largest Jewish Activist Network, told the crowd “hate has gone unchecked” in our city for the past 14 months.
“We’re all devastated by the arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue, but sadly we’re not surprised.
“An arson attack is not only a crime, it’s blatant anti-Semitism and an act of terror.
“This rally is about more than just responding to an attack, it’s about standing shoulder to shoulder with the Adass Israel community who are one of the quieter members of our broader Jewish family.
“They have been targeted in a way that shapes us all.
“Today we send a clear and powerful message that no part of our community stands alone, hate has no place in our society, country, or future.”
Jewish Community Council CEO Naomi Levin thanked the organisers of Sunday’s rally for putting the event together “in a short period of time, including over Shabbat.”
“We want to acknowledge the enormous resilience of the Adass community, they continue to live proud Jewish lives here in Melbourne.
“They’re not angry, they’re devastated, but they’re resilient and they will rebuild.”
Adass Israel Synagogue board member Benjamin Klein said it was “amazing” to see the Jewish community turn up in such force to support the temple.
“The public coming out and showing their support for us really means a lot,” he said.
“To be honest we weren’t too surprised at the turnout as we are quite close.
“Someone asked me earlier if you could say something to the people that have done this to us what would you say, and I said I would tell them thank you because they have brought us all together and that’s a really important message.
“We’re a community that has lots of different stripes, but at the same time get together and show our love and support.”
Mr Klein said the synagogue was currently undergoing a “huge rebuilding”.
“We’ll come back bigger and better, I can assure you,” he said.
“I had a chat with the police this morning, they’ve been phenomenal and said they’re working hard on the investigation.”
Flowers and messages of support were earlier placed at the site in a show of support for the Jewish community.
A note from a “non-Jewish Ripponlea resident” condemned the attack, saying her “heart goes out to you”.
“I am so sorry some hateful people did this to you. It makes me sick,” the woman, known as Kate, wrote.
There have been 2062 reports of anti-Semitism across Australia in the past year, with 905 alone in Victoria, including vandalism and hate speech.
Still reeling after Friday’s “reprehensible” firebombing attack on one of Australia’s busiest synagogues, Jewish community members attended Shabbat services at their local temples on Saturday morning, including at the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation.
Several security guards lined the entrance to the synagogue.
The Adass Israel Synagogue remained closed to the public after it was set alight by two masked men, leaving some worshippers with burns and destroying millions of dollars worth of artefacts.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed a single bullet was found on the footpath outside the synagogue, along Glen Eira Ave, just before 5pm on Saturday.
Investigations into the attack are continuing with an array of CCTV cameras installed along the synagogue’s perimeter expected to be key.
That footage has been handed to detectives from the force’s counter-terrorism unit and members of the arson and explosives squad.
Victoria Police said it would work with other specialist teams as required, including the Security Investigation Unit from Counter Terrorism Command.
One man, who reviewed the footage with the arson squad on Friday, said it appeared to be teenagers or young men carrying out the attack.
One experienced police officer said the attack was further confirmation of a deeply concerning crime trend in Melbourne.
“Firebombing has been normalised in Melbourne now,” he said.
On Saturday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to introduce anti-vilification and social cohesion laws.
Despite condemning the firebombing, Ms Allan didn’t attend the rally.
Across the city, pro-Palestinian protesters will gather outside the State Library for the 61st week in a row, with a march scheduled through the CBD ending at Flinders Street Station.
Protesters will hear from speakers, including Aboriginal activist Gary Foley, Uncle Robbie Thorpe and a member of the Woolworths strike.
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