Roosters win premiership and Jewish hearts

The Sydney Roosters won the NRL Premiership on Sunday night – but regardless of the result, they had already won the hearts of the Jewish community.

The club – which prevailed 19-18 in a thrilling rugby league decider against a spirited Newcastle Knights side – have been staunch supporters of the Jewish community, especially in the aftermath of the December 14 Bondi Beach massacre, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said.

“The Roosters reached out amid two years of escalating attacks on the Jewish community, with fire-bombings and all the rest,” he said.

“They just wanted to engage. They looked at a segment of the local community that was really suffering and thought ‘how can we help, how can we stand with them’. That was such a tremendous thing.”

Ryvchin said that while sport “can’t unbreak a broken heart or heal such trauma and wounds, it gives us hope and a happy distraction when we need it the most.