The Australian Jewish communities in Melbourne and Sydney held festive Chanukah celebrations and candle lighting ceremonies in many places, including Federation Square and Taronga Zoo, with the participation of Jewish and non-Jewish community members, leaders and politicians.
The Religious Discrimination Act debated in Federal Parliament last week received mixed responses within the Jewish community, with the majority of Jewish schools and major organisations declaring that they would not veer away from their strong policies of inclusivity, diversity and non-discrimination.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry presented its annual report on antisemitic incidents in Australia, noting 447 such incidents, a significant increase of some 35% over the recent average, mainly due to the Israel-Hamas conflict in May and adverse reports of a small minority of Jews breaking the Covid-10 lockdown rules in Melbourne.
