Interfaith volunteer suspended

The AJN has been told a person responsible for filming an anti-Israel social media video inside a Melbourne synagogue during a school interfaith visit has been suspended from the Dandenong Interfaith Network.

The Melbourne synagogue, which does not wish to be identified for security reasons, has initiated a review after the volunteer, who described himself in the post as “Melbourne’s hardest wog”, filmed footage both outside the synagogue and inside the sanctuary during an educational visit coordinated by the City of Greater Dandenong Interfaith Network last week.

In the video, which has since been deleted, he made comments that appeared to conflate Orthodox Judaism with anti-Zionism. The post was removed from Instagram approximately one day after it was uploaded.

The synagogue’s president has advised members that the volunteer had been granted permission to film for “internal educational use only” but had taken a second, unauthorised video.

“Without knowledge of the school or of the Interfaith Network, the volunteer took a second video, while still on the shule premises, in which he expressed anti-Israel views,” the president wrote in a letter to congregants. “He uploaded that video to his social media page.”

The synagogue subsequently met with Interfaith Network representatives. Network officials “were distressed to learn what happened and immediately contacted the volunteer who has since deleted the video”, according to the president’s letter. The Dandenong Interfaith Network is expected to issue its own statement regarding the incident.

The president emphasised the longstanding relationship between the congregation and the network, which facilitates visits by non-Jewish students to learn about Judaism.

“This is the first occurrence of a breach of trust in an extended relationship,” he wrote.

Community Security Group Victoria executive director Justin Kagan confirmed his organisation is working with the congregation on the matter.

“We have worked closely with the team since the incident to fully understand the events and the security context in which they occurred,” Kagan said. “As we do after any incident, we are working with them to review their security practices and ensure that we implement all learnings.”

The synagogue has advised members it will provide updates on any further developments.