by Ezra May, Melbourne, Australia
Special to the Where What When
Until erev Chanukah this year, Australia – despite
having a Jewish presence dating back to 1788 – had never experienced a fatal
antisemitic terror attack. That grim distinction was shattered when a father
and son carried out a shooting attack, draping an ISIS flag on their vehicle
before opening fire. The Jewish world was in shock, and in Australia, the
attack fell like a bombshell, shattering the illusion of a society free of
antisemitism.
Not many people are familiar with
the history of Jewish Australia, but, until recently, it was indeed a place
where Jews flourished in a climate of peace and tolerance.
* * *
Jews have been a part of
Australian history since the very first day of European settlement, with at
least eight Jews arriving on the First Fleet in 1788. Their immediate
acceptance and contribution were remarkable for the time. As more Jews
emigrated from England, organized Jewish life quickly emerged, with a chevra
kadisha established in 1817. The first recorded house minyanim were held
in 1820, and a formal shul was established in 1837.
The Gold Rush of the 1850s
attracted a new wave of immigrants, including many Jews, and led to a
significant expansion of organized Jewish life. The earliest Jewish schools
were established in 1855, and in 1895 the first Jewish newspaper was founded.
A further surge of Jewish
immigrants fleeing pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe began arriving in the
1890s, alongside Jews from other European countries. An informal communal
divide gradually emerged, with mostly secular Western and Central European Jews
settling in Sydney, while many of the more traditional and often highly
Orthodox Jews from Eastern Europe settled in Melbourne.
When Australia was federated in
1901, not only were some of its founders Jewish, but from the outset the
approximately 15,000 Jews living in Australia were treated as equal citizens,
with full freedom to participate in economic, civic, and cultural life.
Incidents of antisemitism – let alone institutionalized antisemitism, which was
common and, in some places, increasing in Europe and America – were rare in
Australia.
Practicing and identifiable Jewish
members of Parliament served in the 1850s, with Jewish lord mayors and state premiers
appearing later in the nineteenth century. General Sir John Monash led
Australia’s forces during World War I. Australia’s first Australian-born
Governor-General was Sir Isaac Isaacs in 1931, followed decades later by Sir
Zelman Cowen in 1977. A Jewish chief justice of a State Supreme Court served as
early as 1886. Today, both Victoria and Western Australia have
Shabbos-observant, yarmulke-wearing, frum justices serving on their
Supreme Courts.
Following World War I, another
wave of Jewish immigrants arrived from Europe. When the Nazis seized power in
Germany in 1933, many German Jews found refuge in Australia, and in 1938,
Australia granted 15,000 visas to “victims of oppression.” The largest surge in
Jewish migration came after World War II, when Australia welcomed large numbers
of Holocaust survivors. As a result, Australia became known for having the
highest number of Holocaust survivors per capita of any country outside Israel.
Between 1938 and 1961, the Jewish population nearly tripled to 61,000. The
community was further strengthened by Jewish immigration from South Africa in
the 1980s and from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s.
* * *
For many refugees – particularly
those arriving after World War II – Australia was the true Golden Medinah. Its
geographic and cultural distance from Europe’s ancient hatreds and prejudices
meant those forces never took root here. Jewish life flourished without
impediment, and many Jews prospered. World-class Jewish institutions were
established, including schools, yeshivahs, kollelim, and kosher food
establishments, contributing richly to Australian society.
However, like much of the Western
world, Australia has not been immune to change. Increased globalization and
migration from the Middle East have altered aspects of Australian society,
shrinking the world in both positive and troubling ways. While many Jews now
access shiurim, news, and Jewish life directly from Israel and the
United States, those same technological channels have allowed radicalization
and extremist ideologies to spread just as easily.
Especially since October 7, many
Australian Jews have felt that the forces associated with Europe and, more
recently, America were finally catching up with Australia. The infamous rally
on October 9 at the Sydney Opera House, where the Hamas attacks were
celebrated, shattered long-held assumptions about the boundaries of acceptable
public discourse. In the weeks that followed, and taking cues from developments
overseas, regular protests related to the Gaza war were held in Australia’s
major cities. While many participants framed their actions as political
protest, the chants and slogans frequently crossed the line from anti-Zionism
into overt antisemitism.
This surge in inflammatory
rhetoric was followed by an unprecedented wave of graffiti and other forms of
hate speech targeting Jewish institutions and individuals. In December 2024,
the situation escalated dramatically when the Adass Israel Shule was firebombed
– an act that shocked not only the
Jewish community but the nation as a whole. According to security intelligence
shared between Australia and Israel, the attack was directed by the IRGC arm of
the Iranian regime. In response, Australia expelled the Iranian ambassador.
While no injuries were suffered, the sense of vulnerability had fundamentally
changed.
Acts of property damage,
intimidation, and harassment continued, and many Jews watched developments in
Europe and America with a growing sense of foreboding. Attempts were made to
mimic events overseas and establish protest encampments at Australian universities,
and long-familiar public spaces began to feel less secure.
* * *
The erev Chanukah attack
killed 16 people and injured many others. While the investigation remains
ongoing, it has been determined that the perpetrators were ISIS inspired and
attended an ISIS training camp in the Philippines in September. No evidence of
a broader local ISIS network has been found, and Israeli authorities are
assisting Australian agencies in determining the extent of overseas
involvement.
Yet, despite profound shock and
horror, the general Australian communal response has been extraordinary. In the
aftermath of the biggest terror attack Australia has ever known, more than
20,000 people gathered at Bondi Beach for a public eighth-night Chanukah
lighting. The event was attended by the Governor-General, the Prime Minister,
the State Premier, senior dignitaries, and thousands from both the Jewish
community and the wider public. Across the country, thousands of Jews who
usually never lit Chanukah candles did so, while many non-Jews did too as an
expression of solidarity. The New South Wales government also announced a “One
Mitzvah for Bondi” initiative. This reflected the groundswell of empathy and
resolve which has dominated the TV and newspapers.
Throughout the remainder of
Chanukah, public candle-lightings were held in shopping centers, beaches, and
town squares across Australia, drawing large crowds. Many were accompanied by
flowers, cards, and messages left by members of the broader community.
While erev Chanukah marked
the moment when the violent antisemitism so prevalent elsewhere finally reached
Australia, it also revealed the depth of goodwill that still exists within
Australian society.
One can only hope that the shock
and outrage felt by the Australian public – that an attack on the Jewish
community is an attack on Australia itself – will lead to decisive action to
confront and contain this hatred. Australia has long prided itself on being a
multicultural haven, and it now has to self-reckon how it can return to being a
place where being a Jewish Australian – or an Australian Jew – is able to live
openly, confidently, and proudly, without any threat.
