Australia’s Jews Must Speak Up

With the deadline for the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion extended to June 14, and hearings commencing this week, some are still questioning whether they should make a submission.

The answer is simple: yes.

Australia is facing an antisemitism crisis, among other serious social fractures, and unless people speak up, our experiences risk being ignored, minimized, or forgotten.

I have lodged my own submission and I will not pretend it was easy. Speaking about antisemitic experiences reopens wounds, not only our own, but those carried by the generations before us. Still, I strongly believe we all should contribute.

I also have reservations about what outcomes may come from this process. But unless we all make our voices heard, how can change ever occur? One thing I have learned, especially over the last two years, is that we do have a voice and we must use it.

I often think about our Holocaust-surviving parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Many lost entire families. We grew up hearing stories of the antisemitism they experienced in the 1930s, in the lead-up to ghettos, deportations and concentration camps. Some survivors never spoke of what they endured. Others did, leaving testimonies through organizations such as the USC Shoah Foundation, established by Steven Spielberg following the production of Schindler’s List.

All four of my grandparents survived the Holocaust. My father’s parents never spoke about it with him or his siblings. On my mother’s side, my grandmother also remained silent, but my grandfather shared many stories with me and recorded eight hours of testimony. I will always be grateful for that insight, especially because some of those stories now feel disturbingly relevant to what we are witnessing in Australia today.

If they could share their experiences so future generations would remember, then I believe we owe it to them to share ours with a Royal Commission they themselves never had the opportunity to address.

Their stories differed in detail, but all carried the same underlying truth: antisemitism. Our stories today may also differ, but again they are connected by the same common thread.

There is no right or wrong way to write a submission. Write from the heart. Share your experiences, but also explain how those experiences have made you feel. Speak about the Australia you miss. Speak about the differences in your life compared to other Australians because of antisemitism.

It can be as simple as asking why Jewish schools require security measures that resemble those of a prison. You may want to describe an antisemitic experience from years ago and the long-term impact it had on you. Commissioner Virginia Bell should hear about the lasting effects of racial hatred.

I know that I often compare the heavy security surrounding my children at school with the carefree experience I had arriving at the exact same campus as a child. You may be a student, a parent, or in your senior years. Age is irrelevant. Your story matters.

Like me, you may choose to write about harassment, intimidation or doxxing. I included experiences of online abuse and calls made to my workplace.

You also have the option to remain anonymous. Submissions will generally be made public unless you request otherwise, and there are options available for different privacy preferences. I personally chose anonymity to avoid further harassment.

You will also be asked whether you are willing to be contacted by the Royal Commission or potentially provide evidence at a hearing.

Importantly, you do not need to be Jewish or have Holocaust-surviving family members to make a submission. If you are not Jewish, but have noticed changes in Australian society, your perspective matters too.

As Jew-hatred, often repackaged as anti-Zionism, has taken hold, the current situation is simply not sustainable. Recommendations can only be formed through the submissions and testimonies received. While many of us may have concerns about whether the current Albanese government is willing to drive meaningful change, we live in a democracy and governments can change. The recommendations produced by this process may help shape future policy and future leadership.

Remember to write about the Australia you want back. The Australia you miss.

I remember an Australia where mateship and helping your neighbor were the norm, where Australian values were grounded in decency, community and Judeo-Christian ethics. What Australia is becoming does not reflect the country those before us immigrated to and many of us grew up loving, nor the country our children deserve to inherit.

If you need assistance preparing your submission, reach out to a Jewish organization for guidance. And if revisiting traumatic experiences becomes overwhelming, support is available through Jewish House and Jewish Care.

My grandfather ended his Holocaust testimony with these words:

“You are lucky to grow up in a country like Australia, free from the antisemitism we experienced in Poland. Always be a proud Jew and never let anyone make you feel like a second-class citizen. Be proud, and be kind to all mankind.”

If he were still alive today, I would ask him whether he still believed that. Right now, I doubt he would.

I fear we may never fully return to feeling “lucky” in Australia. I fear the genie is out of the bottle and may never go back in.

At times, it feels as though anti-Zionism and antisemitism have become fashionable, as though hatred of Jews has somehow become socially acceptable or even “cool” in certain circles. It also feels as though some Jews who align themselves with anti-Zionist rhetoric are searching for acceptance, validation, or a sense of belonging, filling a void by distancing themselves from their own community.

But regardless of how difficult or disheartening this moment feels, we still have a responsibility to fight for our freedoms and for the future of this country. Right now, this Royal Commission is one of the most important opportunities we have.

We have just commemorated Yom HaShoah and ANZAC Day, and celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut. Freedoms were fought for and won.

Now we must all dig deep and prepare our submissions. My old school motto, “Chazak ve’ematz” — “Be strong and of good courage” — speaks volumes at a time like this.

There is also a Yiddish saying: “a bisl un a bisl macht a fulle shisl” — “little by little fills the bowl.”

Every submission matters. Every voice matters. Individually, we may feel small or powerless, but collectively our stories, experiences and testimonies can help build a clearer picture of what Jewish Australians are facing and what kind of country we want Australia to be.

As the saying goes, “Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze La’ze” — all of Israel is responsible for one another.