At this anguished moment of national outrage and pain following the hate-fuelled killings in Bondi, Initiatives of Change Australia calls for a deeper response at all levels of our society:
We extend our care and solidarity to the Jewish community and particularly to our Jewish friends. We recognise the depth of shock, grief and fear many are carrying at this time, and the pain of feeling that this fear has not always been fully acknowledged. Centuries of anti-Semitism have caused deep harm and must be actively confronted - along with all forms of exclusion, terrorism and hatred against the ‘other’ religion, race, national background, gender or generation. This is a clear and ongoing commitment.
Despite this past and present darkness, we draw strength from the humanity, resilience and commitment to justice that Jewish faith and community life have demonstrated time and again. As Chanukah is marked, we honour the lighting of candles as a symbol of perseverance and hope as well as the enduring traditions of compassion, responsibility and Tikkun Olam, healing the world, that sit at the heart of Jewish life.
To all Australians who have witnessed this tragedy: the violence in Bondi calls us to pause, to grieve, and to question more deeply the conditions that allow hatred and dehumanisation to take root in our society. This includes an honest re-assessment of the seedbeds of racism and prejudice that have tainted our nation’s being.
These realities have accumulated since the crushing dispossession of First Peoples of this land, the cruel legacy of convict settlement and the ever-living trauma brought by myriad peoples who fled persecution and sought shelter within our shores. These histories continue to influence how trust is formed, fractured and repaired today.
Could we ask ourselves where in our lives and communities is trust lacking, resentments left unattended, and where fear has hardened into resentment? This is not to explain away violence, but to take responsibility for preventing further harm.
In ‘building trust across the world’s divides’, Initiatives of Change holds that ‘change begins with me’. This is not a call to private reflection alone, but an invitation to take responsibility for how our own attitudes, silences and actions shape the spaces we are part of. That is where we each have agency. Any of us can ask ourselves, what responsibility can I take, right now, to contribute to trust and social cohesion? This might look like reaching out to Jewish friends or colleagues to ask what support they need. Speaking up when we hear racism, anti-Semitism or dehumanising language. Choosing care over silence in our families, workplaces and communities.
Around the world, millions recognised the courage of a fruit shop owner, Ahmed al-Ahmed, who intervened at risk of his own life. Will we seize the moment, equally, to intervene whenever we see racism, anti-Semitism or prejudice expressed in our family or community around us?
Let us walk on this journey together and seeking opportunities for dialogue, interfaith engagement and shared presence, and choosing to remain in relationship across difference. This is slow and demanding work, but it is the work of peace.
In the days ahead, we will also make space at Armagh for quiet reflection and shared presence, for those who wish to gather in care and solidarity.
Kind regards,
The Board of Initiatives of Change Australia