‘Unbreakable’ women unite at NCJWA conference

The National Council of Jewish Women of Australia brought together women from across Australia and beyond for its 2026 national conference in Sydney, uniting delegates around the theme of “Unbreakable” across two days of panels, keynotes and personal testimony.

The conference opened on Saturday night with a reception at Admiralty House hosted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who told the gathering she drew strength from the women in the room.

“When I spend time with a group of unbreakable women who are leading your communities through these very hard and traumatic times with such incredible strength and intellect and care, that gives me hope,” Mostyn said, pledging to use her office to “elevate care, kindness and respect above the division and discord”.

NCJWA national president Lynda Ben-Menashe used the opening night to pay tribute to the Governor-General’s support since the December 14 terror attack and to announce the organisation’s inaugural Esther Awards, which attracted 97 nominations recognising women who embody courage, conviction and leadership.

Ben-Menashe warned of a confluence of threats facing the Jewish community.

“We are watching the terrifying confluence of a resurgence of vile antisemitism from the right, the import of foul Islamist anti-Judaism from too many countries, and perhaps worst of all, our neighbours, our colleagues, and even our own young people being brainwashed.”

Opening day one, she noted the breadth of the gathering, which drew representatives from the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Department of Home Affairs, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, Chief Executive Women and the Scanlon Institute, among others.

Day one featured a Bondi pilgrimage that left delegates visibly moved as panellists reflected on the female experience of the terror attack and the months since. A cultural safety panel explored the experiences of Jewish women navigating the arts, media and philanthropy, while a session on women and freedom heard testimony from Iranian-Australian women about fleeing persecution. A further session examined the intersection of online misogyny and antisemitism.

On day two, Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett detailed the AFP’s response to the Bondi attack, revealing that the AFP’s national security investigations teams have charged 56 individuals with Commonwealth offences related to hate crimes and threats.

“Never, ever again should anyone from the Jewish community feel they need to hide or strip away their identity just to feel safe,” Barrett said.

A diversity and exclusion panel brought together Jewish, Muslim and queer voices to share experiences of belonging, drawing emotional responses from the audience.

Lebanese-born author and self-described “recovered antisemite” Rawan Osman delivered a powerful account of her journey from hatred to advocacy, recounting how a single act of kindness from a Jewish storekeeper in France changed her life.

Further sessions tackled the challenges facing women leading Jewish organisations and asked whether feminism had failed the Jewish community.

Australian Human Rights commissioner Lorraine Finlay rounded out the program before the NCJWA’s annual general meeting.

But it was Osman’s message that captured the spirit of the weekend.

“Sometimes, even our tiniest actions have a massive ripple effect in the universe.”