Choosing resilience over fear
A three-day program will focus on Jewish resilience, education and empowerment amid rising antisemitism.
The Empowered Jew will partner with Caulfield Shule and J-United to present the Empowered Jew Weekend, a three-day program dedicated to education, resilience and empowerment, running in Melbourne from July 17-19.
The event comes in the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack, with organisers saying the current climate makes the weekend particularly timely, as many in the community grapple with how to remain openly and proudly Jewish amid rising antisemitism.
Empowered Jew founder Chavi Block-Israel, a survivor of the Bondi attack, said fear was often the instinctive response to such events, but she had come to believe the opposite was needed.
“As a Bondi survivor myself, there are moments when fear feels like the natural response. Yet I have come to believe the opposite is true. Now is precisely the time to stand taller, strengthen our Jewish identity, and be proud of who we are.”
She said those seeking to intimidate or silence Jewish people wanted the community to retreat, and the appropriate response was to deepen connections to Judaism and Israel while building the knowledge and confidence to navigate the current environment.
The program has been designed to offer sessions on a range of topics. On Saturday night, a social media panel featuring Keren Zelwer, Marnie Perlstein, Courtney Cohen and Zara Cooper will explore navigating the online world and responding to misinformation.
Photo: Supplied
On Sunday, Joshua Dabelstein from the Movement Against Antizionism Australia (MAAZ) will examine how antisemitism has evolved and why antizionism has become one of its most common contemporary expressions.
Rabbi Chaim Cowen will discuss the connection between Judaism and the land of Israel, while author Rachelle Unreich, whose mother Mira survived the Holocaust, will lead a workshop on preserving and sharing Jewish stories.
Other sessions include a resilience and wellbeing-focused meditation session led by Sharon Tal, and a practical Krav Maga workshop run by CSG.
Organisers said participants could choose sessions based on their own interests, whether that meant deepening their understanding of Judaism, strengthening ties to Israel, building advocacy skills or connecting with community.
Block-Israel said education was central to the organisation’s approach to resilience.
“The more we understand our history, values, identity and connection to Israel, the more confident we become, not only in navigating difficult conversations if we choose to engage in them, but in simply living proudly as Jews,” she said.