Editorial (July 31, 2009)
Burying bad news is no answer
NEWS that rabbis were among 44 individuals arrested in the United States on charges of political corruption, money-laundering and even trafficking in human organs triggered some reflection at The AJN on how to cover the story.
Closer to home, the imminent committal hearing in Adelaide of Rabbi Yossi Engel, facing charges over a school-funding application, focuses attention on our role as a newspaper for the Jewish community.
When Rabbi Engel was charged last month, our front cover drew criticism from those who believe the role of a Jewish newspaper is to run public relations for the community to the wider Australian community and beyond.
They believe we should turn a blind eye to Jewish figures, and rabbis in particular, who are facing court, or who have been convicted, even while mainstream newspapers freely report these events. We disagree.
Without commenting on any case before the courts, the blame, where it applies, needs to be sheeted home to rabbis — and any figures of trust in our community — who commit criminal acts.
Judaism is not big on hierarchies and rabbis are venerated not for their station in life, but for their good deeds. Rabbis literally are teachers. They are role models, especially to our youth, and a heightened standard applies to them.
As stated by our columnist this week, Rabbi Dovid Freilich, president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia, which serves the Orthodox rabbinate, this accountability is even greater for those who dress identifiably as Jews.
They become our ambassadors and when they appear on front pages in the custody of US agents, they cause fingers to be pointed at the Jewish community. To the uninitiated, they are “the Jews”.
Yet to ask Jewish newspapers to censor themselves is no remedy. It might keep negative news away from the newsagent shelves, but what we would lose in the process is far greater. It is akin to expecting Jewish figures to be given a free pass.
Burying bad news does our community no favours. It would create an unhealthy culture, encouraging some to do as they wish, free of public scrutiny. It is not how newspapers in a democracy should conduct themselves.
Hats off to a pair of Michaels
YOU don’t need to look far in the Australian Jewish community to find people named Michael. There might not be a more popular first name among Australian Jewish males of a certain vintage.
And for two particular Australian-Jewish Michaels, it has been a big few weeks.
The first is music impresario Michael Gudinski, whose more than 30 years of service to the music industry were recognised at the Helpmann Awards when he received the prestigious JC Williamson Award for his outstanding contribution.
Gudinski founded Mushroom Records in the 1970s and soon became Australia’s leading music promoter. Among his success stories are Skyhooks, Billy Thorpe, Split Enz, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes.
Not much has happened on the Australian popular music front without Gudinski’s involvement and the plaudits that came his way at the Sydney Opera House on Monday night were richly deserved.
On a sadder note, a community-wide invitation has been issued to an event next weekend to celebrate the life of Mike Wrublewski, a huge figure in the Sydney Jewish and sporting communities, who is fighting pancreatic cancer.
A long-time high-ranking Maccabi identity, Wrublewski planted himself firmly in the Australian sporting consciousness in the 1990s when he took over the Sydney Kings and turned the National Basketball League club into the most popular sports team in Sydney.
Wrublewski understood the sports business -— put bums on seats and the sponsors will soon follow.
Perhaps the greatest testament to his success as a sporting entrepreneur is that the Kings were hopeless before he took them over and crumbled to the point of extinction once he sold his stake in the club.
Both Michaels have been credits to their respective fields of endeavour. We congratulate Michael Gudinski on his gong and wish Mike Wrublewksi the best as he battles his illness.
We also urge the community to support the charitable foundation that will be launched in his name at next week’s function in Sydney.