Political leaders praise Jewish community
"I think I can say Nick and I and our colleagues will protect not only Victoria's amazing Jewish community, but we will do it in the name of other people of goodwill," says Nick Staikos.
A Chanukah celebration at the Victorian Parliament on Monday saw leaders from both sides of politics participate in the candle lighting.
St Kilda Shule and Chabad of Melbourne CBD hosted the gathering in the Queen’s Hall.
The St Kilda Shule choir sang, while Chabad of Melbourne CBD Rabbi Chaim Herzog lit the fourth candle, flanked by government and opposition representatives.
Nick Staikos, parliamentary secretary for multicultural affairs represented the Victorian government.
He joked that as someone of Greek heritage at a Chanukah celebration, he hopes that after 2200 years “we can bury the hatchet”.
“Last night, I joined John Pesutto, the Leader of the Opposition and Ben Howard, the Deputy Premier and a number of other colleagues at a Chanukah celebration at the Hellenic Museum, where there was a beautiful fusion of Jewish and Greek culture and that was most enjoyable,” he said.
Opposition leader John Pesutto told the audience that non-Jews in Victoria are proud of the Jewish community.
“The commitment that throughout the millennia, the Jewish people have shown to education and knowledge is itself what shining the light is about – raising awareness and building bridges between different civilisations,” he said.
“I think I can say Nick and I and our colleagues will protect not only Victoria’s amazing Jewish community, but we will do it in the name of other people of goodwill, who know and understand that the freedom of choice and the promise of our land cannot mean anything unless we are free to be who we want to be and free to worship as we want to worship.”
St Kilda Shule’s Rabbi Yaakov Glasman addressed the audience about the meaning of Chanukah, especially in this dark time.
He told the assembled political and Jewish leaders that the strength of the Jewish community and the message of Chanukah is more than just force, strength, military agility and strategic thinking.
“That is not who we are, that does not define our people. What those candles symbolise, the light that dispels much darkness, is spirituality in the place of moral bankruptcy.”
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