Facing the future together, without fear

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once said that the special gift that Jews and Judaism gives to the world is the equal honour placed on the individual and the collective. While our relationship with Hashem may be a personal one, it is our collective strength found in strong communities that maintains our resilience and effectively, our survival.

On Rosh Hashanah, we see this duality clearly. We know the importance of individual reflection as an opportunity for repentance and to reassess our values and beliefs. Yet, great emphasis is also placed upon communal prayer during the festival. We gather as a reminder of our collective responsibility to each other and to the world and the importance of unity as we enter the new year.

Upon my own reflections of this past year, I noticed a trend amongst those who similarly self-identify as a “young person”, this being a push towards more in-person community events – by young Jews, for young Jews. What feels different is that this desire for community often goes beyond any religious context, where community may typically exist, and is concerned more with safety, shared identity and connection.

Before October 7, 2023, large Jewish gatherings were more commonplace across Melbourne and Sydney, particularly when centred around Jewish festivals. Teneille Murray, now the political affairs director at the Australian Jewish Association, spent many years running large-scale Jewish parties in Sydney with groups such as I-Society, the young adult division of the Zionist Council of New South Wales, and Lilah Blue. Since retiring from the Jewish party planning business, Murray said that she feels the community has now “gone to a different model of these small events, more niche, more based on hobbies and likes rather than large-scale celebration of pride and Judaism.” What this indicates to me is that young Jews are looking for new and more meaningful ways to connect.

In Melbourne, Rabbi Rabin, who runs Young Adults of Caulfield Shule (YACS), observed a similar phenomenon. “Young adults are still connected online, but they’re increasingly searching for something that a screen can’t provide … I don’t think young people are simply looking for entertainment. They’re looking for friendships, mentors, meaningful conversations, and a place where they feel they belong.”

In the lead up to Rosh Hashanah, we remind ourselves of the importance of communal responsibility and what it means to be a leader. Daniel Lazarus, who started running events for young Jews in Melbourne in October last year with Open Court, a Jewish owned co-working and events space in Balaclava, reminded me of an important perspective. In reference to a passage from the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot, Lazarus felt that the message was clear; “If you feel something is lacking, don’t wait for someone more qualified to make it happen, be the change you want to see in the world. Leadership begins with initiative, not authority.”

In Judaism, the concept of communal responsibility is one that has seemingly stayed with us wherever we have found ourselves. As a people, we share mutual accountability for each other’s actions, physical welfare and spiritual standing. Since October 7, 2023, and perhaps more significantly since the Bondi Beach terror attack in December, 2025, the experience of being Jewish in Australia has been fraught with fear and conflict like never before. Despite this, I am continuously inspired by those taking the initiative to ensure the next generation of Jews doesn’t lose their Jewish identity and remain proud Jews.

For Chrystal Dias, founder of Shabbat Club Australia and Nice Jewish Runners Melbourne, creating events for young Jews was her way of challenging antisemitism by “creating unity, celebrating good and contributing, in a quiet and meaningful way.”

In a similar vein, Shaked Gozlan, who founded a Jewish arts collective in Melbourne in 2024, found that her own experiences being outcast from mainstream arts spaces encouraged her to “create more opportunities for connection” within Jewish spaces.

Rabbi Eichenblatt, the rabbi for young adults and young families at Central Synagogue in Sydney, had this to say: “The regular types of activities that our young adults would be engaging in on a regular basis, they want to do it specifically Jewish … They don’t have to be worried about being cancelled or being yelled at or being ostracised or just being in an uncomfortable situation.”

It is moments in history like these that we see the significance of individual actions for the collective good. Let this be the message we carry forward into the new year.

As Rabbi Sacks once said, “It is easier to face the future without fear when we know we do not do so alone.”