A country safe for Saturday, Sunday or any people
The horrifying events of October 7, 2023, and their aftermath ignited anti-Semitism on a scale never before seen on our shores.
It sparked a dangerous domino effect of protests, doxxing, threats, graffiti and firebombs, leaving our Australian Jewish community shocked, shaken and outraged.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be comforting Australia’s Holocaust survivors, who previously fled the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, as they faced new traumas in a country they hoped would be a healing haven, free from the anti-Semitism they once endured.
Yet, amid the dismay, something remarkable emerged: unity.
These recent challenges underscore a truth I’ve always known about our Jewish community. When times are tough, we band together, stand together and amplify our identity with pride. This unity is not just a reaction to adversity; it is testament to the enduring strength of our traditions, values and collective spirit.
Less than one week ago in a heart-wrenching deal Israel agreed to a prisoner exchange for the return of innocent civilians kidnapped from their homes and the Nova music festival.
Some may say they traded today’s hostages for tomorrow’s hostage-takers. Few will publicly call the deal disproportionate, a word often used to discredit Israel in this war – yet a ceasefire has been reached.
Sadly, I doubt the haters and hooligans on our suburban streets will cease their own fire, as we tragically saw at a Sydney childcare centre.
As footage emerged of the three young female hostages reunited with their families, we witnessed in real time the raw, overwhelming emotions that embody the ancient Jewish teaching: “Whoever saves a single life is considered to have saved the entire world.”
Indeed, every single hostage represents an entire world in and of itself. We continue to pray fervently for the safe return of all remaining hostages to their families and freedom.
The palpable unity within Australian Jewry must now extend to the broader Australian community. All Australians must stand together against anti-Semitism and join us in stamping out this scourge once and for all.
Our leaders must understand that advocating for change comes with the responsibility to inspire action and ensure its implementation.
This was the topic of a roundtable discussion this week at the Central Synagogue initiated by Peter Dutton, Senator James Paterson, MP Julian Leeser and Liberal candidate for Wentworth Ro Knox, along with communal leaders and members concerned by the erosion of core Australian values.
The meeting was productive, yielding important insights about grappling with the growing wave of anti-Semitism and a lack of action from the top.
For what it’s worth, I presented my own three-pronged plan:
● The silent majority: I believe the silent majority abhors and is angered by the rise in anti-Semitism. I have received many messages of solidarity and empathy from kind-hearted Australians who have reached out in support. Their words remind us that decency and goodwill remain strong forces in our society.
They too have had enough. As Australians are enjoying their summer family holidays, they are bombarded by images of offensive Nazi graffiti and firebombing. Frustration is not enough. We need to encourage the silent majority to no longer be silent.
I’m the grandson of a Holocaust survivor; my grandfather’s survival was possible only because of the extraordinary courage of one man who chose to act. This righteous individual hailing from outside the Jewish community took a stand against hatred and injustice, refusing to remain silent in the face of evil. Because of his bravery, scores of my grandfather’s descendants around the globe lead lives of service and contribution.
While government and law enforcement are crucial, it is now the voice of the Australian public that is vital in helping turn the tide against anti-Semitism.
● Judaeo-Christian values: About 3500 years ago, at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Jewish people were tasked with passing on to the world a revolutionary idea that every human being is created in the image of the divine. The concepts of justice, equality and accountability to a higher authority were born.
Thomas Cahill, in his book The Gifts of the Jews, illustrates how Jewish teachings gave the world a vocabulary that is now the bedrock of Western civilisation; words such as compassion, human dignity and freedom. Fighting anti-Semitism isn’t merely about protecting a minority, it is about safeguarding the foundational principles that underpin the values of our democratic civilisation.
● Education: Providing protection and security for our synagogues and schools against physical threats is an unfortunate but necessary reality for Jewish communities. However, the best defence is a strong offence, as Jennifer Westacott eloquently shared in these pages on Friday. Building an informed and empathetic Australia begins in our schools and universities.
Proposals such as the federal Opposition Leader’s initiative to make visits to Holocaust museums mandatory in state schools are excellent steps forward. I would suggest introducing an idea spearheaded by my mentor, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He promoted a moment of silence in public schools at the start of each school day, regardless of one’s religion, to reflect and embrace accountability to a higher moral authority. This practice from an early age reinforces the idea that we don’t live in a jungle where only the strongest and most ruthless prevail, but in a society guided and grounded in justice, compassion and ethical values.
During Donald Trump’s inauguration this week as 47th US President, Rabbi Ari Berman delivered an emotive address, saying: “Guide our schools and college campuses, which have been experiencing such unrest, to inspire the next generation to pair progress with purpose, knowledge with wisdom, and truth with virtue.”
Perhaps these are sentiments the Australian National University’s Genevieve Bell should contemplate next time she clears students of wrongdoing and dismisses Nazi salutes.
As the old adage says: “First they come for the Saturday people, then they come for the Sunday people.”
As Australia Day approaches, let’s return to our authentic Aussie values and way of life. Let us commit to building a safe and free country where no one ever comes for the Saturday, Sunday or any people.
Rabbi Levi Wolff is the spiritual leader and chief minister at the Central Synagogue in Bondi Junction, Sydney.
PM should learn from Starmer
Anthony Albanese needs to sit down with Donald Trump later this year and he could follow his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, in establishing a strong personal relationship.
Work from home needs a flexible IR system
While some in the union movement wanted to cling to the complex web of outdated workplace laws, working arrangements could be modernised to be fair and flexible for all parties.
In my 27 years as a rabbi in this country, I have never faced a year as challenging – yet profoundly rewarding – as this past one.