Arutz Sheva and the Gesher Leadership Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the AMI National Alliance, have joined together to create a new video series "Jewish-Share", an initiative to help Israelis connect with their brethren in the Diaspora.
In this episode, Benji Jotkowitz, President of Mizrachi Melbourne and Board Member of World Bnei Akiva Council, from Melbourne, Australia, spoke to Matan Nabozny, a member of the management of the Bnei Akiva youth movement, from Kfar Vradim in northern Israel.
Benji Jotkowitz says that “the rise of antisemitism is the main challenge that we've been facing as a community post October 7th. Literally on the day after, the pro-Palestinians started rallying on the Sydney Opera House and that's continued across the country, throughout the universities and the city, and the central business districts. This all culminated just a few Fridays ago with the firebombing against the Adas Israel synagogue, which shook the country. This really changed the way that we were acting in Melbourne.”
Matan Nabozny feels that “here in Israel we understand this challenge, but during this year we've been through many challenges here in Israel and I think that our challenges here in Israel are what are keeping us busy, what we're dealing with on a day-to-day basis. Even so, we are aware of what is happening around the world, including the rise of antisemitism. We actually should be even more aware with what's going on around the world, with our brothers overseas, I don’t think we are aware enough. We are not busy with what’s going on overseas, but with what's going on here.”
Benji explains that “Melbourne is a very strong Zionist community, from the irreligious to the religious. We pray for the soldiers and the hostages, we say Tehillim (Psalms). The Jewish day schools, we have an exceptionally high Aliyah rate from here that hasn't really stopped, programs are still going through Bnei Akiva, we have the Gap programs, which are still going very strong. There is an outpouring of love, most families have someone within the Mizrachi community who has made Aliyah, there are a number of families and friends of ours whose children have been serving and there's also unfortunately those who have fallen in the war as well, with a connection to Australia and specifically to Melbourne.”
Matan says that he is “speaking as a soldier who has been on reserves for many months in the past year, both in Gaza and Lebanon, I want to say that we really do feel your big hug and support also from far. I really appreciate that. If I were to ask my kids (chanichim) in the different youth programs, I would I would first ask them if they know what a Jewish community overseas is dealing with as far as dealing with a war, how it impacts that them, how it influences them. Grown-ups understand that there's a rise of antisemitism and a war like this affects communities overseas. But I'm not sure that many of the population in Israel understand that. I would let them learn what communities overseas are dealing with, how they have supported us and how much connection there really is, or should be even more.”
In response to the support that Israel feels from the Diaspora, Matan asked Benji what support does he feel that the Diaspora needs from Israel. “It's the connection. We feel support. I'm glad you feel the hug and the love. It's definitely there. It's through the school, through the kids, through the prayers, through the rallies, it's through the proactive path that we take here, it's talking about the situation, it's about writing the letters to the newspapers, it's everything that we're doing to make sure that this war is not forgotten, that the hostages are not forgotten. That this is all constantly in our minds and in our prayers. I'm glad you are feeling it. I know when the war started, there was an outpouring of love – kitting out all the soldiers with all the different needs for goggles or infrared, or protective gear and tsitsit. Our community organizes projects of meals for Shabbat for families whose husbands are serving in reserves for literally hundreds of days,” explained Benji.
Benji describes the source of strong Jewish and Zionist education in Australia, saying it starts “the education in the classroom, as well as the informal education, out of the classroom, is exceptionally strong and it's constant. We have a team here from Israel which comprised of graduates of the Hesder program, who come to do another year through Torah M’Zion, we have a young couple from Israel and they give that connection of Israel to the kids. That flows onto Bnei Akiva. Bnei Akiva in Melbourne is the largest branch outside of Israel, and we can get 300-400 kids. It’s summer here now and kids from Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, and even from New Zealand, are all at camp. So there's a lot of education going on and it’s well received by the kids.”
“When the war broke out,” says Matan, “I made a decision that as a non-formal education organization, Bnei Akiva has to do whatever we can to keep the spirits of Am Yisrael in Israel and overseas as strong as we can. We started speaking about what we can do to support the families of the reserve soldiers, and the families that were evacuated from their homes in the south and also in the north. There was a lot a lot of volunteering going on, helping and supporting them, after being in the war for a year, we are actually talking about this as ‘a nation that has spirit’. We understand that the way that we will win this war and we will be stronger is if we keep our spirits strong and the youth will have great influence on the way the nation will feel and the spirits that they will be able to hold throughout the challenging period that we're going through in this war.”
Talking about the challenge of antisemitism, Benji says that “personally I walk the streets wearing my kipa (yarmulke). I never consider taking it off, neither in the workplace or in the streets. I think that the younger generation is more worried about showing their Jewish Identity on campus. But I do think that hopefully a lot of them are a lot prouder to demonstrate their Judaism, are more vocal or confident in what they believe in as well. I saw a statistic that post October 7, there were 2,000 incidents of antisemitism that have occurred here and that's a lot. It has put the fear through the younger generation but hopefully the tide will turn. We've got a government that is not our best friend at this time, but hopefully that will turn over time as well.”
Matan ends with a message on behalf of all Jews in Israel to Benji and the community, “we love you, we feel your support and we thank you for your great support. We will make the effort from our side to make the connection even stronger and we're waiting for you here in Israel to come join us, when it's right for you. We look forward to meeting you.”