Roundtable highlights need for education, clearer responses to antisemitism

Wentworth MP Allegra Spender hosted a Jewish community roundtable with the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD), Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) and other leading Jewish community organisations to discuss concerns around antisemitism.

The forum brought together brought together local community leaders, educators, advocates and service providers to share their concerns, reflect on progress, and explore practical steps to address antisemitism and promote social cohesion.

The discussions highlighted the need for education, interfaith work and clearer responses to antisemitism.

“Representing everyone in Wentworth is always my aim, and with the largest proportion of Jewish constituents in Australia, advocating and achieving outcomes that matter to the Jewish Australians is of course a key priority,” said Spender.

“It is clear, and the events in Melbourne confirm this, that the community does not feel safe. This is feeding into hyper-anxiety within the community. Those present talked about the urgency to deal with antisemitism, which felt like it was being normalised rather than marginalised.”

Spender said antisemitism is being particularly felt by those in the education system, adding that key focus areas included the challenges facing Jewish students and staff at non-Jewish schools and universities.

“There was strong support for a clear, consistent definition of antisemitism underpinning all activities and better support for teachers to recognise and respond to antisemitism across the breadth of school systems,” she said.

“The current lack of clarity on whether the universities are or are not instituting a shared definition of antisemitism is a significant issue right now. Training teachers to better recognise and deal with antisemitism was proposed as a way of finding better ways to respond to incidents.”

The need to strengthen interfaith engagement, antisemitism in the workplace and exclusion from public spaces were some of the other issues raised, with Spender adding that celebrating Jewish culture and promoting the inclusion of Jewish voices across our community will be a focus area for her this term.

“I was heartened to learn that some of the interschool and interfaith meetings I’ve convened over the last term have led to ongoing relationships and dialogue that help strengthen understanding across our community and hope to build on this model within the electorate,” she said.

“More broadly, it was highlighted how important it is to share positive stories of Jewish culture and community life. Jewish House, which provides nightly accommodation and support to vulnerable people, whatever their background,  and the Jewish Museum, which plays a vital role in education and cultural preservation, are outstanding local examples of the community’s contribution to our broader society.”

Spender said online hate and extremism, as well as community safety, are issues top of mind, and her focus on law reform will continue.

“This roundtable was a constructive and forward-looking discussion that reaffirmed the importance of collaboration across our community,” she said.

“I’m grateful to everyone in attendance who contributed their experiences and insights, and I will continue to push hard to tackle antisemitism – as this is an urgent issue, not only in Wentworth, but also in Australia.”

NSW JBD CEO Michele Goldman thanked Spender for taking time to meet with Jewish community organisations in order to understand how she can best represent the Jewish community in Canberra.

“We welcome the opportunity to bring our community together to share perspectives, voice concerns, and explore new ways to work with our elected representatives,” said Goldman.

“Now more than ever, the Jewish community needs the understanding and support of decision-makers in Canberra.”

AUJS co-president Danielle Tischmann said, “We’re at risk of growing too comfortable with antisemitism — of accepting it as just part of the landscape. So it was encouraging to sit down with our local Member and have a frank and open conversation about what must be done to tackle the problem.

“It’s crucial for the issue of Jewish safety to extend beyond political lines and be woven into both our social and legislative fabric. AUJS will continue to push for universities to adopt a clear definition of antisemitism, backed by proper training and accountability.”

CEO of the Sydney Jewish Museum Kevin Sumption expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reinforce the Museum’s important message that Holocaust education is an antidote to hatred.

“We need to illuminate and share with the broader community what Jewish culture and values are all about; and to show what happened when prejudice and hatred went unchecked in the worst example of antisemitism in history,” he said.

“Tolerance and respect for diversity and what we share is crucial in these challenging times.”

Moriah College principal Mira Hasofer said, “We are grateful to the Jewish Board of Deputies for facilitating an opportunity for Jewish and wider community members to come together to discuss matters of shared concern. These conversations play an important role in fostering understanding, building relationships, and strengthening the fabric of our broader community.”