New foundation launches to combat antisemitism
Dor Foundation to focus on universities and online spaces amid concerns over young people's attitudes
A new national organisation, The Dor Foundation, has been established to combat antisemitism and hate in Australia.
Its initial focus will be on university campuses and the online space.
The Foundation, which has just launched with charitable status, brings together prominent leaders from business, government and the not-for-profit sectors under the chairmanship of former Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
One of the Board of Guardians, Nina Bassat, a former President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told the AJN that while antisemitism was the catalyst, the organisation’s scope extends far beyond the Jewish community.
“This is not a Jewish problem. It’s a Jewish pain,” she said.
“We’re the ones who are feeling the pain, especially the generations younger than I and my grandchildren, great grandchildren. But this is a societal problem which is going to erode and whittle down all the capital that has been built over the years in terms of democracy, in terms of multiculturalism, in terms of being a fair go society.”
Bassat identified young people as a particular concern.
“We have a real problem with the younger demographic, which either through ignorance or prejudice or being aligned to the far left has very little understanding of the geopolitics or of the nuances, but nonetheless, is coming out as being rapidly both antisemitic and anti-Israel”, she said.
Board Chair Josh Frydenberg highlighted the urgency of the Foundation’s mission, saying “The frequency and intensity of antisemitic attacks in our country is unprecedented. The intolerance we are seeing is un-Australian and undermines our shared values of freedom, respect, fairness and equality.”
The Foundation’s inaugural CEO, Tahli Blicblau, formerly a senior executive in the NSW Public Service, will implement what she described as “a nationally coordinated long-term strategy, that fosters collaboration, leadership and innovation.”
It’s a personal issue for Blicblau, who has deep fsamily roots in Australia.
“My great grandmother, who’s 105, claims to have been one of the first people to wear a bikini on Bondi Beach. So it’s this kind of amalgamation of strong Australian history and third generation Holocaust survival that really motivates me to work on cementing social cohesion and building Australian values to the extent that we can”, she said.
The Foundation’s strategy will focus initially on universities and online spaces, with Bassat saying they will partner with existing organisations rather than duplicate efforts.
“We will partner rather than recreate. We have some very talented people in our community who are already doing all of that or some of that work, and we hope to bring it to a national level”, she said.
Foundation Guardian Jennifer Westacott, Chancellor of Western Sydney University, said “As an educator and business person I have seen a dangerous rise in antisemitism which I believe is a threat to Australia’s way of life. As a non-Jewish person, I see myself as having a moral responsibility to be part of a movement to stamp antisemitism out and I believe the Dor Foundation will play a vital role in meeting this challenge”.
The Foundation can be contacted at info@thedorfoundation.org.au
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