Events with parliamentarians, the police and army
Allan said she understood that while Chanukah is normally a time of joy, that this is a "community full of pain".
Candles were lit in Victoria’s Parliament to celebrate the upcoming festival of Chanukah. The event on December 10 was co-hosted by Chabad of Melbourne CBD Rabbi Chaim Herzog and Caulfield Shule’s Rabbi Daniel Rabin, with speeches made by guests including Premier Jacinta Allan, Leader of the Opposition John Pesutto, Caulfield MP David Southwick, Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten as well as Israel’s Ambassador Amir Maimon.
Coming days after the Adass synagogue was burnt down, speeches lamented rising antisemitism. Shorten told the crowd of around 300, “An attack on Australians of Jewish heritage is an attack on all Australians and it is an attack on our country. It is unAustralian. These are not our values.”
Allan said she understood that while Chanukah is normally a time of joy, that this is a “community full of pain”.
“There is a reason we call antisemitism the world’s oldest form of hate, whether it was that evil king that banned Judaism in the land of Israel thousands of years ago, or a synagogue destroyed by terrorism on the other side of the world in 2024, it is the same evil century after century after century, and Jews, century after century after century, have shown the same courage … that courage is why Jews live and is why extremists fail,” she said.
Allan remarked on the “great synergy” this year as Chanukah starts on December 25 which is also Christmas, “The day I celebrate the birth of a Jew in Bethlehem”, adding “It’s a little signal that says Jewish values, Christian values and multicultural values, they are all Victorian values … an attack on one is an attack on all of us.”
Pesutto commented, “Chanukah is such a special time I know for you, but for all of us who joined and celebrated, to remember no matter how insurmountable, no matter how intractable, no matter how formidable the challenges which beset us, we will continue to live and search for hope.”
Another pre-Chanukah event was held with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at East Melbourne Shule on December 11, led by Senior Rabbi to the ADF Ralph Genende and ADF Chaplain Rabbi Dovid Gutnick with guest speaker Colonel Mike Kelly.
Chanukah was also celebrated at the Victoria Police Academy on December 11 alongside police chaplains Rabbi Shmuel Karnowsky and Rabbi Rabin, Chair of the Victoria Police Jewish Network Sgt. Rowan Epstein and executive advisor at Victoria Police Dan Goodhart.
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