Catholic Religious Australia and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry yesterday released a new resource to assist Catholic schools, communities and agencies to hold better-informed discussions about antisemitism.
Titled “Addressing Antisemitic Bullying: A Resource for Catholic Leadership and Formation”, its centrepiece is a video of a conversation between a Catholic educator and leading members of the Jewish community who share their knowledge and experience of dealing with antisemitic incidents in the community.
The video is accompanied by discussion guides that can be tailored to suit a staff meeting, professional development day or conference workshop. The materials are all available online and, while pitched to CRA’s Catholic networks, are freely available to others as well.
The resource is being released at a critical time in Australia, which has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitism since October 7, 2023.
However, arising from a project carried out prior to October 7, it should be noted that the resource does not engage with volatile political issues but, rather, views antisemitism through a general lens of respect for human dignity and the practical context of anti-bullying policies.
CRA President Br Gerard Brady CFC, said: “To their credit, Catholic school principals are typically highly motivated to embed values of respect and inclusion, and anti-bullying policies are already in place.
“What our Jewish colleagues help us to understand is that not all bullying is the same – there are specificities about antisemitic bullying that are not always well understood.”
Peter Wertheim, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said: “Antisemitism has specific indicators – as do other kinds of bullying such as Islamophobia and prejudice against First Nations peoples. Without a deeper understanding, antisemitic incidents can be lost in and overlooked by generic anti-bullying policies. Our hope is that this resource will strengthen both education and incident response.”
Details: Addressing Antisemitic Bullying: A Resource for Catholic Leadership and Formation
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Catholic and Jewish leaders launch a new resource for education against antisemitism (CRA)
