‘I’ve been called a dirty Jew. I’d never been called a dirty Christian’
I was born and raised a Protestant and married an Australian Jewish woman. Today, I am one of the custodians within the NSW Jewish community, a communal leader responsible for the wellbeing and growth of our community, its institutions and its members.
For close to 30 years now, I have been made to feel very welcomed and included as a member of the tribe and, over this time, I have also chosen to convert.
When I look at Australian Jews, I see a vibrant, proud and peaceful community that values hard work and the ability to give back and contribute to this great country that has provided refuge from anti-Semitism for so many.
But these past 15 months have tested us and shocked me to my core.
The scale and ferocity of the vilification of Jews is staggering, and to be a recipient of this is awful.
And yet, the level of restraint we Australian Jews have shown has been commendable.
Despite physical attacks, abuse, graffiti, fire bombings, arson, violence, vilification and the rivers of hate speech on social media, we have maintained our dignity despite our rage.
And now, news of a potential car bombing and a potential mass casualty event.
One understands why the Jewish community, and most Australians, are on edge.
Overall, our response is peaceful, our protests poignant, our speeches dignified. Our restrained response to the worst outbreak of anti-Semitism in our lifetimes should be recognised, not taken for granted. Our hearts are broken.
Growing up in rural Scotland, where Jews were few and far between, my Protestant faith was of little or no consequence – except when Rangers played football against arch rival Celtic.
Now, suddenly, some people whom I’ve never met, and probably never will, wish me harm because I’m a Jew. This is not OK.
Over the past three decades, I’ve worked hard to help build bridges between the Jewish community and the broader community in business, politics and interfaith.
These bridges are critical, especially now when Jews are being isolated, intimidated and assaulted at scale. For the first time in my life, I’ve been called “a dirty Jew”. I’d never been called “a dirty Christian” anytime, anywhere.
Yes, we are extremely shaken. We are under constant daily attacks, threatened at a scale most of us have never known. And that’s why we need all Australians to unite.
Governments on all levels have an obligation to counter anti-Semitism and, sadly, with the increase in the number and tone of those events over recent months, this has become an election issue, which it should not be. It seems likely we Jews will be critiqued, exposed and, worse, potentially targeted further.
Never has an Australian election been fought against the backdrop of such horrific anti-Semitic attacks.
Never has an Australian election been fought with Jews so squarely in the eye of the storm. And never have we as a community been so rattled by the near-daily assault on our way of life.
Before the election campaign has even been called, I read with dismay a report by the Anti-Defamation League, which revealed that about 20 per cent of Australians hold elevated anti-Semitic attitudes. This is shocking. I still hear people deride some business leaders, “Ah, he’s Jewish”. Subtle but sinister anti-Semitism. This is not OK.
Our challenge will be to maintain our restraint, even – or especially – as a toxic debate explodes around us.
We must not succumb to the almost inevitable wedge in the looming election campaign. Unity, not uniformity, is paramount. Our rabbis teach us how to think, not how to vote. We’ve still got to work that out for ourselves, navigating this together respectfully.
This is a sensitive issue for all Australians, not just Jews.
We need Australians to stand up and stand together with us and condemn these disgusting acts. We are grateful for the tireless work of the police and other agencies to solve these crimes and protect us.
As this unique election campaign commences, and as a subset of anti-Semitism continues to threaten us, we must hold fast with pride that we are Australian Jews who love this country and who remain united and resilient.
Our contribution to this land has been and will continue to be both significant and highly positive. We are a great part of this story and will continue to be so.
We need to be ready for more difficult days that lie ahead. I remain optimistic; we have no choice. And I take comfort from the fact that the Jewish community is considerably closer now because of what we’ve endured since October 7. I realise that this is bittersweet, but it is a silver lining.
Grant McCorquodale is president of Emanuel Synagogue in Woollahra, NSW
Voters drive Allan to the brink – and Albanese is next
The swing against Labor in the Victorian party’s heartland of Werribee will be sounding alarm bells in the national campaign office.
Strap in for a frenetic February
Company profit season is more relevant than ever this time round, as investors brace for readings across key sectors, and the nation is on the cusp of the RBA’s pivotal February board meeting.