One Month After Bondi
The Shloshim: An Evening of Grief and Resolve
On Monday night, our community came together to mark the Shloshim for the Bondi terrorist attack – 30 days since the devastating terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 15 innocent people. It was a deeply moving evening of reflection and remembrance, as we honoured lives defined by generosity, courage and an instinctive commitment to helping others.
Elyse Schachna, President of Zionism Victoria, reflected that “Shloshim forces us to sit with a hard truth. We should not be here. The people we mourn should be alive.” She spoke powerfully about how contemporary antisemitism increasingly manifests through narratives that deny Jewish people the right to safety, memory and self-determination. This denial has real and tragic consequences.
We were profoundly moved by the heartfelt words of Sheina Gutnick, daughter of Reuven Morrison, and Perele Goldhirsh, sister of Rabbi Eli Schlanger. Perele spoke of the remarkable man her brother was, and the light he brought into the world, including through the Chanukah event he helped create. Sheina reflected movingly on her father’s devotion and values, recounting his final moments and the extraordinary courage he showed in confronting and distracting the terrorists – an act that saved countless lives.
The evening concluded in grief but also with resolve. It was a powerful reminder that the Australian Jewish community is deeply committed to this country and invested in its future. Those who gathered left with a shared belief that Australia can, and must, do better. We are determined to play our part in building a nation where hatred is confronted and antisemitism is named clearly without euphemism or evasion, communities are protected, and our shared values are upheld.
We will continue to honour those who should still be alive by refusing to allow hatred to continue unchecked and to honour grieving families by ensuring they do not carry this alone.
We thank the constant work of the Community Security Group and the police, whose vigilance protects lives every day.
May the memories we carry be for a blessing. May our grief deepen our responsibility.
And may we live in a way that proves these lives were not lost in vain.
We extend our sincere thanks to J-AIR for recording and airing the Bondi Shloshim service on Monday night. Listen here.
Public Address by Sussan Ley MP and Senator Sarah Henderson
On Thursday morning, members of the Jewish community attended an address by the Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley MP, and Senator Sarah Henderson.
Senator Henderson has been a staunch ally of the Jewish community for a long time. Before introducing Ms Ley, Senator Henderson opened the proceedings with powerful words affirming her allyship and how the Bondi massacre was not only a tragedy for the Jewish community but indeed for all of Australia.
In her remarks, Ms Ley commended the community’s strength, compassion, courage and determination in the aftermath of a tragedy that left many at a loss for words. She also acknowledged the community’s advocacy in calling for a Royal Commission, praising its commitment to accountability and justice.
Ms Ley went on to outline the role the Coalition will play in supporting the Jewish community while in Opposition. Looking ahead, she spoke about her intentions should she become Prime Minister, including the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy toward hate speech and the promotion of radical ideology or terrorism.
In closing, Ms Ley made clear that she and her party would not accept a government that views antisemitism as “merely a problem to be managed - it must be eradicated.” She ended by encouraging the community to be proud of its faith and its future in Australia, affirming the nation’s pride in its Jewish community.
Zionism Victoria supports ZFA’s Sumbission into the New Hate Speech Laws
The ZFA has made a submission to the Parliamentary inquiry into the Federal Government’s proposed laws to combat antisemitism, hate and extremism. You can read their full submission here.
Hatred is fuelled by hate speech. This is why the most extreme forms of incitement must be prohibited through clear and effective legislation. For these reasons, ZFA welcomes the proposal to introduce a regime that allows for the proscription of extremist organisations that promote hatred. ZFA also supports the effort to introduce a criminal offence that targets the most extreme forms of promoting or inciting racial hatred.
The ZFA strongly support the introduction of a system to ban extremist organisations that promote hatred. This is an important step in protecting our community.
However, the ZFA have raised concerns that key parts of the proposed law have been drafted too narrowly, which may limit its effectiveness. Their submission makes three core recommendations.
1. Make the offence easier to prove
As currently drafted, prosecutors must prove that a person specifically intended to promote hatred of a group because of their race. This is an extremely difficult standard to meet.
The ZFA recommend rewording the offence so it is enough to show that someone engaged in hateful conduct targeting a group, and that the conduct was connected to the group’s race. This mirrors the approach taken in Victoria’s laws.
2. Capture reckless conduct, not only intentional conduct
Much of the antisemitism we have seen since October 7 involves people who may not intend to promote hatred of Jews, but who recklessly engage in conduct that has that effect.
If someone is aware their actions are likely to incite hatred and proceeds anyway, this should be captured by the law.
3. Cover private spaces, not only public ones
The proposed offence applies only to conduct in public places. This is a major gap.
Groups like the National Socialist Network deliberately promote their worst hatred in private settings such as training camps and encrypted online forums.
If this loophole remains, new hate groups will simply operate underground to avoid the law. Victoria’s equivalent laws have no such restriction, and neither should this one.The ZFA have urged the Committee to strengthen these provisions so the legislation can fulfil its purpose of protecting Australians from the most extreme forms of racial hatred.
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