From Yom Kippur Grief to Global Challenges

As we emerged from Yom Kippur, we were shaken by news from Manchester, where a terrorist attack struck at the heart of a Jewish community gathered on the holiest day of the Jewish year.

British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said, “This is the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come. For so long we have witnessed an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, on campuses, on social media and elsewhere – this is the tragic result. This is not only an assault on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundations of humanity and the values of compassion, dignity and respect which we all share.”

We stand in solidarity with the victims, their families, and all those impacted.

Whilst we know that this might be a scary time for many in the community, we understand that there is no intelligence to suggest that there is a direct threat to our community. That said, we can be assured that CSG and Victoria Police will be significantly increasing security around the community and at shules over Shabbat and Sukkot, and are in constant contact with community leaders.

We extend our appreciation to the CSG staff and volunteers and Victoria Police for keeping our community safe over the High Holidays.

In other news, earlier this week, President Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan aimed at reshaping the path to the end of the war in Gaza. The plan, supported by Israel, is also backed by several Arab/Muslim-majority states, the Palestinian Authority and a number of Western countries, including Australia. We pray this plan paves a swift path to the return of the hostages and the end of the war.

At sea, another Gaza-bound flotilla ended in failure this week. Intended to challenge Israel’s security blockade, it was intercepted before reaching its destination. The flotilla’s collapse once again highlights the persistent tactics used to delegitimise Israel under the guise of “humanitarian missions.”

Finally, as a community, we will come together on October 19 to commemorate the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre. We will honour those we lost and those we long to return.

Together, these events remind us of both the ongoing challenges we face and the importance of resilience, clarity and community solidarity in responding to them.