Survey reveals community fears

A new survey of the Queensland Jewish community has revealed widespread fear and reluctance to report incidents amongst escalating antisemitism.

The release of the survey findings coincided with the inaugural Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism held last week on the Gold Coast, bringing national attention to local challenges facing Queensland’s geographically dispersed Jewish population.

Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg said, “The impact after October 7, 2023 has got worse for Queensland Jews.

“We’re getting a report about antisemitism every second day, whether that be graffiti or someone being abused at school or at the workplace.”

The survey revealed that a significant number of respondents were hesitant or unwilling to report antisemitic incidents because they believed nothing meaningful would happen in response.