Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has made a passionate gesture, expressing solidarity with the Jewish community as they mourn victims of the Bondi massacre.
The Archbishop represented Sydney Anglicans at an outdoor memorial on Wednesday and then spoke at the Great Synagogue to mark Hanukkah and mourning for massacre victims.
Archbishop Raffel’s speech ended with him singing a Hebrew blessing as the congregation joined in.
Archbishop Raffel, who has spoken out against the rise of anti-semitism since the October 7th massacre, gave a heartfelt message from Sydney Anglicans to the congregation at the Synagogue in the heart of Sydney.
“Today I bring you the sympathy, condolence, love and prayers of the Sydney Anglican community,” the Archbishop said. “I honour your dignity, your bravery, your compassion, and I express the friendship and solidarity of Sydney Anglicans with you.”
“Sydney Anglicans speak with one voice when I say that we abhor anti-semitism and we will not turn away from anti-semitism in silence.
“It is intolerable that the streets of Sydney have been filled with voices of threat and violence, and no one has silenced them. It is unbearable that this week you are burying children, parents, survivors of the Shoah, Rabbis and community leaders. You deserve to be safe, respected, and protected. Not just because you are Jewish, but because you are Australians. And we stand with you in opposing violence and hatred.”
Here are the Archbishop’s remarks in full:
I consider it a great privilege to be here with you in the Great Synagogue, this house of prayer and devotion. All the more so in this week when you have demonstrated your determination amid darkness to keep the light of Hanukkah shining.
Today I bring you the sympathy condolence love and prayers of the Sydney Anglican community. I honour your dignity, your bravery, your compassion and I express the friendship and solidarity of Sydney Anglicans with you.
My Jewish friends tell me that when there are three Jews in a room there are five opinions. The same can be said about Sydney Anglicans.
But Sydney Anglicans speak with one voice when I say that we abhor antisemitism, and we will not turn away from antisemitism in silence.
It is intolerable that over the last two and more years you have been terrorised in your homes, communities and synagogues. It is intolerable that you have to employ security guards for your places of worship, education and society, as though this was normal or acceptable.
It is intolerable that the streets of Sydney have been filled with voices of threat and violence and no one has silenced them.
It is inexcusable that this week you are burying children, parents, survivors of the Shoah, Rabbis and community leaders.
You deserve to be safe, respected and protected not just because you are Jewish but because you are Australians. We stand with you in opposing violence and hatred whether motivated from extremist religious racial or political ideology.
In your scriptures, and mine, the first words of God are, let there be light. May the Light of the Lord God Almighty shine upon you and give you his peace.
Meantime, the state government has called on people of all faiths and all communities across NSW, to come together to help unite New South Wales.
The initiative is called One Mitzvah for Bondi and people are being asked to perform a mitzvah or good deed in honour of the Bondi victims.