Threat level for Victorian Jews critical says CSG
Community briefing addresses security concerns following Bondi attack
The threat level for Victorian Jewish communities is “critical” following Sunday’s terror attack at a Chanukah event in Bondi, Community Security Group Victoria CEO Justin Kagan told a community briefing on Thursday night.
Speaking to several hundred community members at Caulfield Shule, Kagan said the community was “forever changed” by the attack that killed fifteen people.
I”I think we can all recognise that our community is forever changed by this attack,” Kagan said. “One of the most significant impacts of this attack has been on our collective psyche, our sense of safety and belonging, a tragic characteristic of terror.”
The briefing, jointly hosted by CSG Victoria and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, included a question and answer session.
Kagan revealed that since Sunday night, CSG had deployed 24-hour patrols with between four and six mobile units operating at any time. The organisation provided security to 15 functions in three days, totalling 1,630 hours of static and mobile protection.
“As soon as we heard about the attack in Sydney, CSG stood up our emergency operating centre. We immediately deployed people, both static and mobile, to provide an extra layer of protection to the entire community that was celebrating Chanukah events,” he said.
JCCV CEO Naomi Levin said the JCCV had been imploring the Victorian Government “to do what they have failed to do to this point, and that is to stamp out the true hate that has become normalised in Australia.”
“Antisemitism has not come out of nowhere. We have seen it on the streets of Melbourne for years now,” she said, citing examples including far-left activists, neo-Nazis, online harassment and incidents at polling booths.
“In the case of all of these real examples that I’ve mentioned, not a single charge has been laid, not a single consequence has been felt by any of these perpetrators. Enough is enough.”
Levin noted that new hate crime laws had recently come into force in Victoria, with additional legislation commencing in June 2026.
“We’re yet to hear any details of prosecutions under these laws, but it is very early days,” she said. “We want to see swift change, swift charges leading to swift convictions, to provide a real deterrent to antisemites.”
The JCCV is preparing to launch an initiative called “Educate 10,000” to convert messages of goodwill into pledges from individuals and organisations to attend Jewish education programs, visit synagogues or visit the Jewish Holocaust Museum in 2026.
“It’s great to send us thoughts and prayers, but now it’s time for action,” Levin said.
She also announced the JCCV was working on a 10-point plan to address antisemitism, which will be delivered to both the Victorian Government and Opposition.
“We need to focus attention on this problem beyond the immediate future and into the coming months and years,” she said.
Levin highlighted the importance of allies, pointing to Nick Turner, the incoming school captain of Xavier College, who spoke at Monday night’s vigil at short notice.
“He took responsibility on behalf of young people in Australia to help us fight antisemitism. That’s what allyship looks like,” she said.
Kagan said CSG’s Jewish Community Crisis Management division was developing a comprehensive recovery plan to address the psychological impact on the community.
“There is no single right way to respond to a moment like this, especially so quickly,” he said. “For some, the fear shows up as anxiety and hypervigilance. For others, it may be anger, numbness or exhaustion. All of these reactions are human and you are not alone.”
Councillors from Glen Eira, Port Phillip and Stonnington Councils attended the briefing.
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