Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop Christopher Prowse has visited the ACT Jewish Centre to express the Catholic community’s solidarity with the Jewish community and to explore ways to foster interfaith collaboration. Source: Catholic Voice.
The Jewish community in Australia is grappling with renewed fears and trauma following anti-Semitic events linked to the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
Archbishop Prowse was joined by St Christopher’s Cathedral acting administrator Fr Josh Scott at the ACT Jewish Centre earlier this month.
Archbishop Prowse said the purpose of the visit was “to say that as Catholics, we unequivocally stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, in the face of these terrible times”.
“The deplorable rise in anti-Semitism in Australia is not only heartbreaking but fundamentally against everything we believe in as people of faith,” he said.
Rabbi Gary Robuck, spoke candidly about the emotional turmoil within the Jewish community. Security measures around the ACT Jewish Centre have tightened in response to these concerns.
Board Secretary Robert Cussel detailed the steps, including hiring security guards, reducing centre hours, and securing entrances with stricter clearances.
However, these changes have come at a heavy emotional cost, especially for Holocaust survivors.
“Older members of our community, especially Holocaust survivors, are being re-traumatised, the centre’s managing director Nicole Campbell, said.
“The anti-Semitism they faced in their youth is now reappearing in their later years, and we are seeing its psychological effects.”
Rabbi Robuck highlighted the challenges in addressing these issues, pointing to insufficient engagement from educational institutions and public figures, but said acts of kindness from other faith groups also highlighted hope amid the difficulties.
He said a Baptist church had offered its space for community gatherings and that messages of support from Anglican ministers have reminded many in his congregation that they are not alone.
“These gestures are small but monumental. They remind us that acts of solidarity are a verb – it is something you do, not merely something you say.”
Archbishop Prowse proposed the formation of an interfaith task force to tackle ongoing concerns while highlighting the need for ongoing practical action.
“Support isn’t a one-time act. The Catholic Church is committed to meaningful, lasting collaboration to ensure that hate does not prevail.”
FULL STORY
Interfaith bonds strengthen amid rise in anti-Semitism in Australia (Catholic Voice)
