15/12/2025
Last night, as Australia lit the first candle to usher in Chanukah, I felt a heaviness I have never known before. After reciting the blessings, I concluded by saying Tehilim (psalms) for those now feverishly fighting for their lives. On Chanukah! Saying Tehilim! In 2025!
The festival that commands us to bring light into the world, yet we stood quietly with lumps in our throats, silently grieving for the fifteen innocent souls whose lives were stolen, and for families whose worlds have been shattered forever. One of the victims was a 10 year old child. Let that sink in for a minute... Another was an 87 year old Holocaust survivor, who lived through the darkest chapter of Jewish history only to be murdered on Australian soil while celebrating Chanukah.
This did not happen in a vacuum. This is what happens when chants of hatred are allowed to echo across our cities without consequence. This is where unchecked antisemitism leads. On October 9, crowds gathered at the Opera House and shouted “Gas the Jews”. Instead of swift condemnation, we were told months later that a forensic investigation had supposedly revealed the mob said something more benign. It was political pandering, a choice to dilute the truth rather than confront hatred head on. At the same time, the Labour government pursued a cancerous foreign policy with Tony Bourke banning several high profile Israeli nationals from visiting Australia, including Hillel Fuld, Simcha Rothman and Ayelet Shaked, claiming their presence could threaten social cohesion. What? Silence and a policy of appeasement is what has caused social discord. As Benjamin Netanyahu said, Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent; it retreats when leaders act. Silence has a cost. That silence created a vacuum, and into that vacuum the protests grew louder and more brazen. Week after week, crowds in Melbourne and Sydney chanting “Globalize the intifada”. Make no mistake. This is what that call means in reality. Lives lost. Families destroyed. A community left frightened and heartbroken.
Australia is now at a crossroads. If this country is serious about protecting all its citizens, everything must change. Hate must be confronted. Consequences must be real. And our leaders must finally take responsibility for what has unfolded on their watch.
Yet even in this darkness, sparks of humanity broke through. A Muslim man who risked his own life and is now wounded stopped the attacker, saving many lives. People shielded strangers they had never met. And the messages of support from my non-Jewish friends and colleagues who reached out with love and compassion have meant more than you can imagine. I am truly grateful.
So how do we respond? Not by hiding. Not by withdrawing from the world. As Jews, we have never survived by shrinking our identity. We strengthen it. We deepen our mitzvot. We bring more light into a world that desperately needs it. Tonight, as I light the second candle, I will hold my children close and remind them that they should never be afraid to be proudly Jewish and proud contributors to society.
When you light your second candle tonight, let us continue as a Jewish nation to bring light into the world. Think of those who have tragically lost their lives. Do an extra mitzvah so their souls may have aliyah. And give your kids an extra hug tonight.
Am Yisrael Chai.
