Statement of Rabbi Ralph Genende at the interfaith gathering, in support of the Melbourne Hebrew congregation, on Thursday, 10 July 2025
Antisemitism isn’t a Jewish problem, it’s a societal problem – it erodes and undermines us all because it is driven by hatred and hatred knows no religious, racial, or cultural boundaries. It is a hatred of the other, a scape-goating, a sickness, and a virus that cannot be cured by Jews.
Jews cannot cure antisemitism. Only the antisemite can do that, together with the society to which they belong. Jews are not the cause of antisemitism but the object of it. And like a rogue virus or pandemic, this sickly evil enmity will not stop with the Jews, but contaminate us all.
Yes, we Jews are different and make no apologies for it, because by being different we teach the world the dignity of difference and the diversity of God’s world, and it is the dignity of our differences that you’re witnessing here today as leaders of our interfaith community stand together. Together we can unite in the fight against antisemitism.
While all Jews in Australia have a long, ancient, and enduring connection to the land of Israel, and most have an attachment to the modern state of Israel as a place of protection and sanctuary, we cannot be held responsible for all its actions or mistakes, nor resolve its moral challenges and practical complexities. We cannot, should not, and dare not do so on the streets of Melbourne.
What happened here at this gem of a synagogue in the very heart of Melbourne, and at the restaurant down the road, is not about Israel, it’s about unbridled, often irrational, hatred of the Jew. We believe in the sacred right of protest in democratic societies. But we also believe in the fundamental right of all citizens to feel safe and secure in our Australian cities. It’s time that Jewish citizens of Melbourne stop feeling intimidated by the Sunday protests, which are too often aggressive in their nature, violent in their words, and offensive in their expression. We appreciate the seriousness with which our government is tackling antisemitism, but we call on them to strengthen the powers of the police and to monitor, channel and, if necessary, restrict the incessant presence of the protesters on the streets of our beautiful city.
It needs to be done now… before the violent words and acts become even more violent and frightening actions. If not now, then when?
Last Thursday afternoon I shattered my shoulder, last Friday night my community was shattered. Bones can heal, brokenness can be mended, and people can help people renew their broken hearts and restore their faith in their society. So, in the words of the psalmist, as we consider the burnt door of the sacred space, let us remember to open the gates of righteousness, prise wide open the doors of our hearts, and let the light and the love that defines our religions flow in breathlessly.
Thank you Rabbi
Your words mean so much