Diaspora ‘has a voice’ in Israel

Yaron Shavit, deputy chair of the Jewish Agency, is set to visit Australia “to meet and listen to the Australian Jewish community”.

Speaking to The AJN ahead of his trip, Shavit said he wants to hear firsthand about the explosion of antisemitism in Australia. “I want to hug you for the challenges that you’re facing there. And I want to listen.”

He will talk about J-Ready, the Jewish Agency’s support program for Diaspora Jewish communities, which has trained some 5000 Jewish professionals in more than 50 countries. Its educational programs can equip Jewish Australians to combat the six-fold rise in antisemitism in this country since October 7, 2023.

A member of the World Zionist Organisation’s board of governors since 2006, Shavit’s schedule will include meeting leaders of the Union for Progressive Judaism, the Australian Reform Zionist Association and Progressive Judaism Victoria to encourage constituents to vote in the World Zionist Congress (WZC) elections, to be conducted between July 1 and July 27.

“The Jewish people have a voice in what’s happening in Israel,” said Shavit, “and like it or not, whatever happens in Israel reflects on them. So I’m calling upon them to be more active, to be more involved.”