Jewish healer cancelled from Melbourne wellness festival after anti-Israel smear campaign

Melbourne’s flagship festival has bowed to anti-Israel activists, cancelling a long-time exhibitor after a smear campaign labelled her a ‘Zionist’ and said she was complicit in ‘genocide’ | WATCH

‘Soul alchemist’ Sharon Tal at her office in Caulfield on Tuesday. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

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Melbourne’s flagship health and wellness festival has bowed to anti-Israel activists and dumped a Jewish practitioner who has presented at the iconic event for nearly a decade.

Organisers of the MindBodySpirit Festival abruptly cancelled the participation of Jewish “soul alchemist” Sharon Tal after a pro-Palestinian smear campaign labelled her a “Zionist” and accused her of taking “part in a genocide”.

Ms Tal, a qualified kinesiologist and counsellor who has run a healing clinic in Caulfield for 25 years, said she was shocked to learn she had been removed from this month’s festival at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre following pressure from anti-Israel activists.

In an email obtained by The Australian, Exhibition and Events Australia managing director Jane Ford confirmed to Ms Tal that her participation in the June 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.

“This decision has been made in light of recent developments, where your involvement has unfortunately attracted significant public reaction,” Ms Ford wrote, citing a clause in the exhibitor agreement that allows for cancellation.

“We believe this may pose a risk to the safety and wellbeing of not only our staff and visitors, but also yourself, as well as the overall reputation of the Festival.

“This has not been an easy decision, and it is one we have made with careful consideration and with the best interests of the event, our team and your own safety in mind.”

But Ms Tal, who has lectured and run stress management workshops at the biannual event since 2016, said she was being unfairly targeted and penalised for a misrepresentation of her character and identity.

On Monday, she received a text from a festival manager asking if she knew a woman named Talitha Mitchell, a self-described “psychic medium” and organiser of the “Northern Rivers for Palestine” action group in NSW.

Ms Mitchell demanded organisers remove the Jewish healer over a brief mention of WIZO – the Women’s International Zionist Organisation – in her professional biography. WIZO is a charitable group supporting women, children and families in Israel.

Ms Mitchell then posted inflammatory claims in the Facebook group accusing the festival of “supporting genocide” by allowing Ms Tal to attend.

The posts triggered a barrage of emails and phone calls to the organisers, who initially sought to manage the fallout. But by Monday afternoon, Ms Tal received official notice of her cancellation.

“This feels not only like a personal attack, but also like an economic assault and character defamation based on anti-Semitic sentiment,” Ms Tal told The Australian.

“I have never made political statements in any public capacity, and I have never engaged in political discourse at the festival or otherwise. The mere mention of WIZO in my professional bio has been twisted and weaponised against me in a deeply prejudiced manner.”

Ms Tal has presented at Melbourne’s iconic MindBodySpirit Festival for nearly a decade. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Ms Tal said she had already cleared her schedule, hired staff, spent money on marketing, and sold more than 30 tickets to her now cancelled workshop.

The decision by one of Australia’s most recognised wellness expos has raised questions about the limits of inclusion in the alternative health industry, and whether fears of political backlash were being used to justify discriminatory practices.

Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said MBS festival organisers decided to reward the “hate brigade” and called it an act of “character assassination”.

“Sharon Tal did nothing wrong. She did not bring danger. Her only crime was being Jewish, Israeli-born, and proud of it. And that is now a punishable offence in multicultural Australia,” Dr Abramovich said.

“This is economic strangulation. Character assassination. Social exile. And when you normalise the erasure of Jews from public life, when you make ‘Zionist’ a slur, 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.”

Dr Abramovich has called on festival organisers to “search your souls” and to reinstate Ms Tal.

“To the organisers of the MBS Festival, search your souls and ask yourselves: Did we honour the values of inclusion, healing, and courage? It’s not too late,” he said.

“You can still stand on the right side of history and reinstate Sharon Tal. Show the community that you will not trade principle for appeasement and fear.”

A festival spokesperson said the event was not a suitable place for “political rhetoric” and declined to reinstate Ms Tal.

“Our primary concern is that our festival remains a welcoming and safe space for the thousands of visitors, exhibitors and staff that work and attend MindBodySpirit for a wellness experience,” the spokesperson said.

“MBS is not a suitable platform for political rhetoric, and this is considered a breach of our exhibitor guidelines.”

The MBS Festival markets itself as a celebration of diversity, healing and spiritual wellbeing. Yet Ms Tal claims she has been vilified by an anti-Israel smear campaign.

The festival’s decision comes amid a broader surge in anti-Semitism experienced by Jewish Australians since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel’s military response in Gaza.