By way of introduction, I am a proudly Jewish Australian, born and raised in Melbourne with an active interest in our local Jewish community. I consider myself to be a traditional, cultural Jew who enjoys the many festivals, practices and rituals that our wonderful faith provides us.
I have held numerous honorary board positions in the Melbourne Jewish community, promoting the preservation of Jewish identity and culture, by combating antisemitism and encouraging healthy dialogue. I previously held the position of Vice President at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. I am currently a board member of the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) and also hold the position of Antisemitism Strategies and Education Officer with that organisation.
The AJA supports the right of Jews to live in security and peace in their traditional ancient biblical homeland, believing that Jerusalem is the eternal undivided capital of Israel and the entire city including the Temple Mount should be administered by Israeli authorities. I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly.
How did I connect with Norman and Barbara Miller?
In May this year, I received a press release from the Indigenous Friends of Israel International. I was not aware of this group prior but having read through their press releases and then their website, I felt compelled to share their messages of support and promote their organisation to a wider audience. It’s not every day that you come across people of the calibre of Norman and Barbara who are passionately advocating for the safety and security of the Jewish people and the State of Israel like they are.
Unfortunately, friends and allies of the Jewish community are few and far between in Australia right now. The accepted norm in 2024 is to stand alongside the Australian Greens in particular and preach pro-Palestinian venom. The Indigenous Friends of Israel International provide a badly needed counterbalance to the current moral and ethical debate in Australia on this complex issue.
Who are the Australian Jewish Association?
The Australian Jewish Association, AJA, is a membership-based organisation guided by authentic Torah values, as well as centre-right, conservative Australian values. The AJA endorses Israel as the only nation-state and the cultural and religious home of the Jewish people, supporting the right of Jews to live in security and peace in their traditional ancient biblical homeland with Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the Jewish people.
How did Jewish people come to live in Melbourne after World War Two?
Following World War Two and the Holocaust, a new wave of Jews settled in Victoria as refugees. Many of these were Eastern European Jews who were Holocaust survivors and spoke Yiddish. My father’s family was amongst them.
My father’s parents both survived the Holocaust, having lost their entire families at the hands of the Nazi Genocide of European Jewry during this period. From Lodz in Poland, they lost their entire families in the most horrific of ways. By a stroke of luck, they both survived, having been in hiding, suffering in ghettos, forced labour camps and concentration camps like Auschwitz.
My grandfather was married before the war with his first wife and a young child. He had them both taken away from him on the train platform when they arrived at Auschwitz. They were both sent straight to the gas chambers. My grandmother suffered unimaginable trauma at the hands of the Nazis. My grandparents lived with that pain for the rest of his lives, yet were able to stay proudly Jewish and raise their future family with strong Jewish values.
Australia offered my grandparents a place of refuge, an opportunity to start over again and be free. They both embraced Australia and were grateful for the way they were accepted amongst many cultures and religions. My grandfather proudly employed people from a broad range of cultures in his business, including many Indigenous Australians that became his personal friends as well. Sadly, the Australia we live in today in no way resembles the supportive and inclusive country that my grandparents were lucky enough to call their home.
How many Jewish people live in the State of Victoria?
According to 2024 statistics provided by the Victorian State Government, the Jewish community in Victoria is the largest in Australia, with the majority of Jewish people living in Melbourne. There are 46,645 people living in Victoria who identify with Jewish ancestry.
What is currently happening in Melbourne when it comes to antisemitism?
Antisemitic incidences in Australia have increased by over 700% since the Hamas massacre of approximately 1200 Jewish Israelis on October 7th. Overwhelmingly, Australians from all walks of life are on the side of Hamas. The Australian Greens are leading the charge and remain the greatest existential threat to Jewish existence in this country.
As a Jewish person, this massive increase in antisemitic incidences is alarming and concerning. Never in all my years have I been as alert and on guard, when it comes to being Jewish in Melbourne as I am right now. It’s anxiety provoking, deeply triggering, and exhausting.
The lack of support from our political leaders in Canberra is alarming. The Prime Minister is pathologically incapable of condemning antisemitism without mentioning islamophobia in the same sentence. There is no moral equivalence between the two. This is astounding unless you consider Albanese’s lifelong support for the Palestinian cause.
Albanese was a founding member of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine and has been actively engaged with the Australian Muslim community for all of his adult life. Make no mistake, he is no friend of the State of Israel or the Jewish people here in Australia.
What can you do to help?
If you are feeling somewhat overwhelmed or pessimistic about the sad state of affairs in Australia right now when it comes to the avalanche of opposition towards Jews and the State of Israel, you are not alone.
The continuing anti-Jewish incidents across Australia are damaging the country’s reputation and represent a major failure of the Albanese Government.
This is made worse when your own elected political representatives from the Labor Party and the Greens are actively working against Jewish interests. Adam Bandt and his Marxist extremists remain the greatest existential threat to the Jewish people in Australia by far.
You can start by educating those in your personal and professional networks about the truth when it comes to the State of Israel and what constitutes antisemitism towards our Jewish community here in Australia. You can help them understand the Jewish people’s indigenous rights to the holy land.
This is so much more powerful coming from someone that is not in fact Jewish. It shows a broader perspective on the issues at hand and is greatly appreciated by the Australian Jewish Community. A strong and supportive Christian voice is critical.
If you are interested to hear more of my views and opinions on these critical issues, I encourage you to subscribe to my blog: adamkreuzer.com.au or contact me via email: adamkreuzer@gmail.com
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