Editorial, February 11, 2011
Exodus from Adelaide
JEWISH communities on this vast continent are far from ubiquitous. A small population and lack of a fertile heartland has conditioned Australians to huddle along the south eastern “boomerang”, and Jewish communities have sprung up within.
We have opted for the inclusiveness of Rose Bay and Caulfield, leaving smaller communities in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth and Canberra with fragile Jewish populations.
Beyond the capitals, numbers thin down further – from mini-communities, such as the NSW Central Coast and central Victoria, to Outback towns where individuals are aided in their observance by roving Chabadniks.
Mostly, the Jewish story of country Australia is the stuff of remembrance, as historical societies celebrate centenaries of vacated synagogues from bygone eras.
And then there is the case of Adelaide, whose Jewish community, at somewhere around 1000, is a constantly endangered species. Perhaps it is the unfavourable combination of being not only small, but close enough to Sydney and Melbourne, that is behind the South Australian capital’s population drain. Adelaide’s Jewish youth seeking to make their way in the world regularly relocate to these cities, knowing they are still close enough to family and friends to hop on a short flight for a yom tov or family gathering.
Paying the price for the exodus from Adelaide is Massada College, which after narrowly avoiding a financial crisis last year, has once again come up short and gone into voluntary administration, although a reprieve is currently being discussed.
In this week’s AJN, the president of the Jewish Community Council of South Australia laments that the beleaguered school has been educating young people who leave for the East Coast, depriving the school of its future sources of students. He mounts an excellent case for Jews to make their home in Adelaide. He talks of two dynamic rabbis, kosher groceries at Coles, a youth shaliach, Maccabi sport, and a growing population of Israeli expats – a fantastic achievement for such a small community.
What they lack though is critical mass. It’s a vicious circle because its tiny numbers are both the cause and the effect of its frequent flirtations with near-extinction. There are no easy remedies. And whether Adelaide Jewry is ultimately destined to become the stuff of remembrance, as historical societies celebrate centenaries of vacated synagogues, remains to be seen.
Trouble at the top brass
THE Israeli Government’s last-minute recasting of the IDF’s next chief of general staff is a story that could almost have been missed in this tumultuous time.
Political disarray has affected Israel’s neighbours with such speed and uniformity, it’s almost as if Cyclone Yasi had taken a detour through their halls of power. First, the Lebanese Government fell and swapped its prime minister for one more palatable to Hezbollah and Syria. Then, unrest that began in Tunisia spread like wildfire to Egypt. That crisis continues to hang like a Sword of Damocles over Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s regime, with the future of Israeli-Egyptian relations and regional stability at stake.
Even Jordan’s King Abdullah sacked his government, in a pre-emptive move aimed at reinforcing control over his kingdom.
So whether the IDF is run by a general named Yoav Galant, Benny Gantz or none of the above almost seems irrelevant. Except that it isn’t.
That is not to doubt Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak’s assertion that Gantz – their backup choice following scandals that ended Galant’s bid – has what it takes to be an excellent IDF chief. Nevertheless, Israel’s friends should rightly be concerned by developments that have left outgoing Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi holding the baton without a proper transition team to pass it off to.
The naming of an IDF chief is not an overnight process. Barak chose Galant in August to allow time to lay the groundwork for an orderly transfer of leadership. Gantz – assuming he passes reviews of his own – will not have the same luxury of time to prepare for the job.
It has been tempting to point fingers of blame for the debacle. Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni has accused the Government of incompetence. Barak has accused his rivals of targeting Galant out of spite. However, with unpredictable events unfolding on Israel’s borders, the country – like Gantz – does not have the luxury of time to descend into a tit-for-tat.
As Netanyahu pointed out to his cabinet this week, it is especially important now for Israel’s defence structure to stabilise. What’s crucial is to unify behind a qualified new IDF chief, whoever it may be, as he will surely need all of our support preparing for the next chapter in Israel’s security.
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