NSW Police: Go out and celebrate Chanukah

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas has called on everyone to attend Chanukah events this year.

Speaking to The AJN after Chabad of Caulfield in Melbourne cancelled its communal fireworks display for security reasons, Kaldas said that if we stop going about our business as usual then the terrorists have won.

“They want us to stop living our normal lives, but we won’t,” Kaldas told The AJN.

“Authorities here, both state, federal and the intelligence community, are all working very closely and very hard and I’m confident that we are doing everything we can to make sure NSW is safe.

“We must all make the effort to defy those who would have us cower in the corner, and I don’t know too many communities that have showed that defiance as well as the Jewish community.”

His comments were echoed by the Community Security Group’s (CSG’s) head of security David Rothman, who said that the security climate and threat level is being monitored closely.

“The CSG in NSW is working closely with NSW Police and works to provide timely advice to its institutions about activities and events,” Rothman said.

“It’s critical to our community and way of life that we work hard to ensure our events and celebrations have the necessary security in place so they can take place in a safe and secure way.”

Chanukah in the Park in Melbourne, which has been held for the past 20 years attracting thousands of revellers, was cancelled late last week despite advice from CSG in Victoria that it “could have taken place, safely, with appropriate security measure in place”.

Following the decision to cancel the event, a group of Chabad representatives in Melbourne have come together to organise another event, of similar size, at the Caulfield Racecourse.

“We feel that this year, more than any other, we need this event for the community,” Rabbi Mendel Haller in Melbourne told The AJN.

In Sydney all of the events that have been planned will go ahead, including Chanukah at Martin Place and Chanukah in the Park in Dover Heights, with the support of CSG and NSW Police.

“This year we stand united in celebration, spreading the light of Chanukah across Sydney,” Chanukah at Martin Place organiser Rabbi Elimelech Levy told The AJN.

And Rabbi Yanky Berger, who is organising Chanukah at the Bay in Double Bay, said he is hoping to see as many people as possible at the event.

For details of other Chanukah events, see this week’s AJN.

JOSHUA LEVI