‘This is a burden you do not bear alone’

As it heralds the start of a new year, the sound of the shofar invites us all to pause and listen. And there is so very much for us to hear, beginning with your truth – no matter how difficult or confronting it might be.

The truth is that the pain Australia’s Jewish community has endured over the past year is something no one should ever have had to face. The grief that you carry is untouched by the passage of time. I know that it will be felt around the Rosh Hashanah table, and in synagogues across the country.

Yet what will always shine powerfully is how your community responded to darkness. You have stood tall and unbowed, proud of the richness of your identity and the immense hinterland of your heritage. Importantly, you have continued to gather. You have found moments to celebrate.

That is something I was pleased to see a few weeks ago when a delegation of students from the Australasian Union of Jewish Students came to Parliament House for their annual political training seminar.

Regardless of what is going on in the world, the AUJS students turn up to Parliament House every year equipped with difficult questions and, most importantly, a drive to not only learn but to share. And every year when I meet with them, I am struck by their pride. They are young Australians who want to shape our country for the better. Not just for the Jewish community, but for everyone.