Campaign to honour Jewish Anzacs
The campaign will highlight the role of Jewish Diggers in all of the wars Australia has been involved in.
A national information campaign, culminating in April 25 events in Sydney and Perth, is set to show that antisemitism represents an abhorrent disrespect for the Anzac Day spirit.
Organised by Never Again Is Now (NAIN) – an Australia-wide movement that was established after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks – the campaign will highlight the role of Jewish Diggers in all of the wars Australia has been involved in.
NAIN founder Mark Leach, an Anglican pastor, said the education campaign, conceived by some of NAIN’s Sydney members, aims “to remind everyday Australians about the contribution of the Jewish Anzac Diggers”.
The campaign, now underway, features mobile billboards travelling around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth for three days leading up to Anzac Day. These are accompanied by a social media campaign and information leaflets distributed to churches, schools and neighbourhood centres.
Leach stated online, “These powerful displays honour the 7000-plus Jewish Australians who have served in our armed forces – and call on all Australians to stand with Jewish communities now. If you see [a billboard], snap a photo and share it with others. Let’s make sure their service – and our unity – are never forgotten.”
Rallying supporters ahead of the campaign, Leach stated, “Let’s get the message out that the Jewish community have fought and died for our freedom and security in Australia, and so Australians now need to stand with them to combat the antisemitic hatred that is festering in our country.”
In Sydney, a picnic brunch featuring live music will be held on Anzac Day at Turramurra Memorial Park. It will follow a wreath-laying ceremony honouring the fallen Diggers from wars Australia has taken part in, NAIN spokesperson Limor Weingarten told The AJN.
“We’re going to let the Australian population know about the Jewish Diggers in WWI, WWII [and other wars], and that, to this day, we have Jewish soldiers in the Australian Army,” she said.
On its website, NAIN stated, “If the Jewish community is safe and free in Australia, then every minority group will be safe and free. Throughout history, how a society treats its Jewish population is an indicator of how free and safe it is for all people.
“The Jewish community is a tiny minority in our country, only 120,000 people. They have been here since the First Fleet and have made an enormous contribution to our society.”
From NAIN’s initial gathering in Sydney, with more than 10,000 participating, a national grassroots movement has developed to push back against anti-Jewish hatred.