Leibler says look outwards not inwards
Speaking to a B’nai Brith meeting at Beth Weizmann, the Melbourne Jewish community centre recently, he said for a long time, we relied on relationships with key decision makers.
The Australian Jewish community needs to do things differently in the post October 7 era, according to Zionist Federation of Australian President Jeremy Leibler.
Speaking to a B’nai Brith meeting at Beth Weizmann, the Melbourne Jewish community centre recently, he said for a long time, we relied on relationships with key decision makers.
“But we didn’t invest in the grassroots because of resources, people, that sort of thing. [But there was] a very slow, sophisticated infiltration by anti-Israel groups into almost every single part of civil society, from the law to politics to education and we were we were not there” he said.
Leibler firmly rejected the notion that Australian political leaders like Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are antisemitic.
He stated, “We can have policy disagreements and critique rhetoric, but I can absolutely tell you emphatically that neither the Prime Minister, not the foreign minister, are antisemites. Absolutely. And it is completely counterproductive to throw that accusation around.”
Despite acknowledging a desire to turn inward amidst the challenges facing the Jewish community, Leibler emphasized the importance of continuing outward engagement with broader Australian society.
“Because we have something to contribute to this country, and the broader society is we have and we also have something to gain from being a part of broader society, and I don’t think we should allow our enemies to define us or how we operate in the real world” he said.
Leibler believes the rise in antisemitism following October 7 has left many Jews feeling isolated and fearful, but when he visted Israel shortly after the attacks, he found solace in the sense of community and solidarity among Israelis and global Jewry.
“What we’re all collectively feeling in Australia and across the Jewish world is actually what Jewish peoplehood feels like. If we can channel this pain into something meaningful and positive, we will do what Jews have done for generations: turn trauma into a pathway for rebuilding” he said.
Leibler believes one way to do this is by getting as many people to Israel as we can.
“Because I think that is the beginning of a journey of self-learning, it doesn’t have to be when they’re young. And then we bring them into the community” he said.
Leibler stressed that we must not let antisemitism, or its adversaries define our community’s identity or future.
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