Greek Choir votes against performing with Jewish Choir
Jewish leaders express disappointment after Greek choir vote cancels joint concert for Bondi victims.
Australian Jewish leaders have expressed their disappointment at the decision of a Greek choir not to perform with a Jewish choir at a concert.
A joint Jewish-Greek choral concert, “Concert for Hope and Unity,” planned to raise funds for Bondi Beach massacre victims’ families, was cancelled according to The Australian, following internal opposition from members of the Australian Hellenic Choir to performing alongside a Jewish choir.
The vote, taken last Monday ahead of rehearsals, reportedly saw more than half of the choir’s 50 members object on political grounds, others cited safety fears.
Anne Spira, chairperson, Sydney Jewish Choral Society told The AJN, “Like many other Jewish artists in Australia since 7 October 2023, our Choir has been cancelled. We have been de-platformed and it is deeply upsetting for us and for the broader Jewish community who have been the target of anti-Jewish racism in Australia for two and a half years.”
Australian Hellenic Choir president James Tsolakis, who initiated the event, described himself as “disappointed and pretty upset.”