Choosing life in the new Jewish year

As the Jewish people around the world prepare to welcome Rosh Hashanah, we enter a season of reflection and renewal.

It is a time to take stock of the year that has passed and to look forward with hope and determination to the year ahead. In that spirit, I extend to the Jewish community of Australia my warmest wishes for a Shana Tova, a year of meaning, sweetness and peace.

This past year has tested us all in ways we could not have imagined. We have seen the ongoing torment of hostages still held in Gaza, families torn apart and lives suspended in unimaginable suffering. We have watched Iran and its terror proxies extend their violence and sow instability across the region.

And here in Australia, as in so many places across the globe, we have seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism. Synagogues have been burned, sacred texts desecrated, congregants assaulted, students targeted, and community institutions vandalised. These acts are not isolated. They are part of a coordinated attempt to instil fear and weaken our spirit.

And yet, the story of this year is not only one of hardship. It is also a story of extraordinary resilience. Time and again, the Jewish people have chosen not despair, but defiance; not silence, but song; not fear, but faith.

Across Australia I have seen synagogues that, one week threatened by arson or vandalism, the next week are filled with worshippers, children’s voices, and the melodies of our tradition. This community has shown that extremists may seek to intimidate, but they cannot succeed when Jews stand together with unity (achdut) and with the eternal commitment that Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh – all of Israel is responsible for one another.

The courage of this community is not just inspiring; it is strengthening the people of Israel itself. Israel and Australian Jewry are bound by shared history, shared faith, and shared destiny. When you stand tall here in Australia, you remind Jews everywhere that we are never alone, never silenced and never without hope.

Just a few weeks ago, I witnessed a powerful example of this shared spirit when freed hostage Eli Sharabi visited Australia. Many of you had the chance to meet him. Eli spoke of losing his wife, two daughters and brother to brutal murder. He described pain beyond words. And yet, before some of Australia’s most influential leaders, he chose to deliver a message not of despair, but of resilience. He reminded us of the Torah’s call: U’vacharta bachayim, “choose life”.

Eli’s words were not theoretical. They were forged in the crucible of tragedy and yet they carried extraordinary strength. His message is a call to all of us: when confronted with despair, we must answer with hope; when faced with hatred, we must respond with life.

That call is especially powerful as we enter 5786. The shofar we will soon hear is not just a ritual sound; it is a summons to awaken our spirit. It is a reminder that renewal is possible, even after the darkest of nights. This year, we must choose and demand life. Life for the hostages. Life for the people of Israel. Life for Jewish communities around the world, proud and free from intimidation. And life in peace, where safety, justice and dignity prevail for all.

Choosing life also means building. It means ensuring that synagogues are not only places of prayer but also of joy, learning, and welcome. It means strengthening the bonds between Israel and the Diaspora so that our shared future is rooted in partnership and mutual responsibility. It means ensuring that our children inherit a world where being Jewish is not a source of fear, but a source of pride and renewal.

In the past year I have been deeply moved to pray beside you, to stand alongside you, and to learn from you. Your unity, generosity, and determination have left an indelible impression on me as Israel’s representative. As we step into 5786, I look forward to continuing this journey together, drawing from the wisdom, courage and unwavering spirit of this remarkable community.

Rosh Hashanah teaches us that every ending is also a beginning. The year that has closed may have been filled with hardship, but the year ahead is still unwritten. Together we can fill its pages with resilience, unity and peace. And above all, may this be the year that the hostages return home to their families, safe and embraced in the love of their people.

May your synagogues be filled with light, learning and song, and your homes with sweetness, joy and blessing. May this be a year of healing, renewal and peace for the Jewish people, for Israel, and for communities everywhere.

Shana tova u’metukah.

Amir Maimon is the ambassador of Israel to Australia.