“Australia has always prided itself on its multicultural success and social cohesion and how it’s absorbed migrants from many countries. However, since October 7, Australia has let the antisemitism genie out of the bottle and either can’t or won’t put it back in,” said Cofounders of Indigenous Friends of Israel International (IFII), Norman and Barbara Miller.
“After events in Melbourne over the weekend, Jewish leaders and even Education Minister Jason Clare are calling for antisemitism education in schools. It doesn’t exist and it should exist, and we have developed a program for Australian primary schools.
“We launched our Schools Antisemitism Education Project in Cairns last night during NAIDOC Week as William Cooper is the Father of NAIDOC. A Jewish family attended with their children and one of the sons said how he had been hit on the head in a NSW school for being a Jew. This is a problem all over Australia, even in Cairns schools where we live.
“Speakers were Dr Hudson, Rabbi Rubin and Barbara Miller. Dr David Hudson is a famous Aboriginal edutainer, singer and artist who played the didjeridoo at the Beersheba Centenary, Israel in 2017. Rabbi Ari Rubin, from Chabad Rural and Remote Australia, is based in Cairns and has studied in London, New York and Israel. Both gave heartfelt messages as did Barbara Miller, sociologist, historian and author of 12 books, three on William Cooper. Munganbana Norman Miller, artist and author was MC and sang the haunting song October Rain which Israeli singer Eden Golan sang at Eurovision in 2014. It commemorates October 7.
“We urge education authorities to use our modules as they align with the national curriculum v9 and can be used for HASS, Humanities and Social Studies, English, Art and Health.
“It is a 10-week or term long program or teacher resource for Grades 1 and 2 and Grades 5 and 6 which are finalized with Grades 3 and 4 still in development. We are ready to go. It is sensitive and age-appropriate and uses an inquiry method developed by Kate Murdoch as the last thing we want is indoctrination. It teaches children to evaluate and have empathy and compassion.
“It is understandable that Jewish people are saying Kristallnacht has come to Melbourne with the appalling storming, shattered glass and violence that occurred at an Israeli restaurant, Miznon, in Melbourne Friday night and the torching of the East Melbourne Synagogue with 20 people having to escape through the rear, frightened for their lives. We strongly condemn this.
“Kristallnacht was the Night of the Broken Glass in Europe, with Jewish synagogues, homes and businesses being torched or having their windows broken, at least 91 Jews killed and 30,000 sent to concentration camps. Aboriginal William Cooper organised the Australian Aborigines’ League to march to the German Consulate in Melbourne with a protest letter. What are we doing today? What would William Cooper do today?
“Barbara helped organise events at East Melbourne Synagogue and the Israel embassy in Canberra on 6 December last year to honour William Cooper and the League’s protest and Norman and Barbara attended the Canberra one.
“The Melbourne event was significant because Jews, Christians, Indigenous people including descendants of William Cooper participated and handed a document to the Victorian government on the steps of Parliament House. The document had recommendations to deal with antisemitism that was written by Barbara Miller in consultation with the organising team.
“The Israel Embassy event was significant because a plaque to honour William Cooper was erected near the adjoining fence to the German Embassy who participated in the event and support steps to reduce antisemitism. William Cooper descendants attended.
“Barbara spoke at the East Melbourne Synagogue or Hebrew Congregation in 2012 on 6 December when we reenacted William Cooper and the League’s protest walk to the German Consulate of 1938 and launched her book William Cooper Gentle Warrior.
“Incredibly, on the same day as William Cooper’s protest, 6 December, while we had these events in Melbourne and Canberra, the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was torched and gutted last year.
“We at IFII have developed an education program for primary schools that will help protect Jewish children from antisemitism and help all Australian children develop healthy intercultural relations.
“We’ve been working on it for nine months now with curriculum writer Shoshana Linnane and advice from Jewish educators Eli and Jill Rabinowitz of the WE ARE HERE! Foundation. It’s our Schools Antisemitism Education Project.
“The Australian Jewish News reported 4 July 25 that, ‘A NSW parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism has been told about Jewish school children being afraid to wear their uniforms in public, Jews being excluded, stigmatised and gaslighted, and called “cockroaches’.
“Jewish children have also been threatened with the gas chambers and told they should all have been killed by Hitler, so it’s well passed time for us all to stand up as responsible citizens and return our nation to a nation that protects and values all its citizens. Antisemitism education is one important method. We are looking at education authorities, schools and Jewish organisations to use what we already have on offer.”