Together with many of my fellow Jews living in Australia we have felt a renewed sense of pain and following the deeply disturbing antisemitic rallies that took place in our country.
These rallies were promoted as peaceful gatherings, but in reality, they were anything but.
They echoed with chilling chants calling for the destruction of Israel and “death to the IDF,” featured Nazi symbols, and openly celebrated terrorism — including images of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei holding a rifle. For our community, these were not just slogans or symbols — they were painful reminders of hatred we have known all too well.
This kind of incitement has no place in Australia — a country built on values of respect, dignity, and inclusion.
If peace were truly the goal, the organisers would have raised their voices for the 50 innocent hostages still held by Hamas. They would have stood against the terrorist organisation that continues to bring misery to Israelis and Gazans alike. But instead, they chose to take a cherished national landmark — a place that should bring people together — and use it as a platform for division, hostility, and extremist ideology.
What should have been a call for compassion was twisted into a rally of hate.
And our community felt every word, every image, every cheer — because we know where such hatred leads. We've seen it before. And we will not be silent in the face of it.
Let me say this clearly: we will not be intimidated.
We have stood tall for thousands of years, through the rise and fall of empires, through hardship and hate — and we remain standing today.
Not only surviving, but thriving.
Yes, it hurts. It stirs memories we hoped to keep in the past. But let it also stir something else: our pride in who we are.
Our strength. Our unity.
This moment is not new to us. Every year on the Seder night, we declare with unwavering faith: "Vehi She'amda l’avoteinu velanu..." — that in every generation, there are those who rise to destroy us, but the Holy One, Blessed be He, saves us from their hands. This is not just a line in the Haggadah — it is the lived history of our people. And it is our present resolve.
It is especially striking that these rallies took place on the 9th of Av — Tisha B’Av, the most sorrowful day in the Jewish calendar, when we mourn the destruction of our Holy Temples and countless tragedies throughout Jewish history. Yet even on that dark day, we find a message of hope:
That while hatred and destruction may rise again and again, they will never break the eternal spirit of our people.
If anything, they remind us of our mission — to rebuild, to strengthen, and to stand proudly as Jews.
This is a moment not for fear, but for determination. Not for retreat, but for reaffirmation. We will continue to live as proud Jews — to educate our children, to celebrate Shabbat and holidays, to support one another, and to bring light where others bring darkness.
Our sages taught that in a place where there is no humanity, strive to be human. And we would add: in a world where there is hate, let us bring more love. In a time of noise and confusion, let us stand firmly with clarity and compassion.
Let us also not forget the many Australians of all backgrounds — government officials, neighbours, colleagues, and friends — who have stood beside us and condemned this hatred unequivocally. There is more good than evil. More light than shadow.
To those in our community feeling anxious: your concerns are valid, and we are here for you. We continue working closely with authorities to ensure safety. But above all, we will not let fear define us.
Now is the time to strengthen our Jewish identity — to wrap ourselves in our heritage like a warm tallit, with pride, dignity, and faith.
Let us respond to darkness with more mitzvot, more kindness, more unity. Because light is never diminished when shared — it only grows stronger.
Am Yisrael Chai — the Jewish people live. And we always will.
With blessing, hope, resolve, and unshakable faith in Alm-ghty G-D”
Rabbinical Association of Australasia
