Legal challenge fails over expanded police powers during Herzog visit
February 9, 2026 by Rob Klein
Protesters have lost a legal challenge to the NSW government’s decision to grant police expanded powers during the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, with the Supreme Court finding the declaration was lawful and aimed at public safety.
‘We shall overcome this evil together’ – Herzog at Bondi memorial
February 9, 2026 by Rob Klein
Israeli President Isaac Herzog began his visit to Australia on Monday morning at the site of the Bondi Beach terror attack, in which 15 people were killed and more than 40 wounded during a Chanukah gathering.
A mother’s survival, a son’s oath: a judge’s story of gratitude
When Gregory Sirtes took the oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales on Friday, he presented the moment not as a personal triumph, but as the continuation of a family story that began in the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp.
Reconnecting through business: the story behind Australia’s new Jewish executive network
A new national network for Australia’s Jewish business executives is preparing to launch chapters in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, with its co-founder saying the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack sharpened the need for trusted, values-based leadership spaces.
NSW announces $1m mental health and resilience package after Bondi terror attack
The NSW government has announced a further $1 million in funding for Jewish community mental health and resilience programs following the deadly antisemitic terrorist attack on a Chanukah celebration in Bondi Beach on 14 December, 2025.
Patron walks out of Sydney Festival show and cuts ties
February 6, 2026 by Rob Klein
A major Sydney Festival Jewish supporter who withdrew her backing after attending a flagship performance says the experience brought an abrupt end to a relationship she had built with the festival over more than two decades.
Sydney Biennale offers preview to Jewish leader amid anti-Zionist concerns
February 5, 2026 by Rob Klein
The Biennale of Sydney has sought to ease tensions with Jewish community groups by issuing formal anti-discrimination commitments and inviting a senior Jewish representative to an advance preview of its 2026 exhibition.
Brisbane Lord Mayor visits Bondi terror attack site
February 4, 2026 by Rob Klein
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner visited the site of the Bondi terror attack today, paying a personal tribute to the victims and to a community still living with the impact of the December violence.
Bondi Beach hero Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff receives key to the city
February 4, 2026 by Rob Klein
Waverley Council honours rabbi who rushed to aid wounded officer during Bondi terror attack
In a moving ceremony on February 3, 2026, Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh presented Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff with the Key to the City and a lifetime beach parking pass, honouring his extraordinary courage during the December 14, 2025, terror attack at Bondi Beach.
Former Sydney Uni staffer banned from campus after court appearance
February 3, 2026 by Rob Klein
A former staff member of the University of Sydney has faced court charged with multiple offences after allegedly launching an unprovoked antisemitic tirade at Jewish students during a religious gathering on campus last year.
Choosing optimism: Eddie Jaku’s story comes to the Sydney Opera House
February 1, 2026 by Rob Klein
The extraordinary life and outlook of Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku will be brought to the Sydney Opera House stage in May 2026 with the Australian premiere of The Happiest Man on Earth, a one-man play starring and produced by Anton Berezin.
Dymocks drops author Matt Chun over antisemitic claims after Bondi
Australia’s major bookstore chain Dymocks has pulled all books by children’s author and illustrator Matt Chun from its shelves and website following accusations that his writings contain antisemitic views.
We Will Prevail: voices, fury and faith after Bondi
January 29, 2026 by Rob Klein
“We Will Prevail” is not a book written in hindsight. It was produced in the immediate wake of terror; while blood was still on the grass near Bondi Beach, many victims were still in hospital, and the shock of what had happened had barely begun to settle.
Hostage pins to be transformed into permanent memorial artwork
January 28, 2026 by Rob Klein
Melbourne artist and curator Nina Sanadze has launched a national project to collect yellow hostage pins, with the aim of transforming them into a permanent artwork to be preserved and displayed in partnership with the Sydney Jewish Museum.
Jewish influencer vows legal fight after Australia bars entry
January 28, 2026 by Rob Klein
British-Israeli influencer Sammy Yahood has vowed to challenge the Australian government’s decision to cancel his visa, saying he will fight what he described as an unlawful and politically motivated ban.
Bondi Beach massacre sparks online hate storm, report warns of normalised antisemitism
January 25, 2026 by Rob Klein
In the aftermath of the terrorist shooting at Bondi Beach, online platforms erupted in antisemitism and Islamophobia, according to a new report from the Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI).
Hamas-linked symbols sprayed on smashed Melbourne monuments on Day of Mourning
January 24, 2026 by Rob Klein
Damaged historic monuments in central Melbourne were defaced with symbols associated with Hamas on Australia’s National Day of Mourning, Thursday 22 January, sparking condemnation from political leaders and the Jewish community and prompting a police investigation.
Second teen arrested following antisemitic ute attack on Jewish boys in East St Kilda
January 24, 2026 by Rob Klein
On Friday, Victoria Police arrested a second teenage boy in connection with an antisemitic incident in which Jewish schoolboys were chased by a white ute in St Kilda East.
SHIR to perform at ‘Australia Day Live’ in historic first for Jewish music
January 23, 2026 by Rob Klein
SHIR will take to the stage at ‘Australia Day Live’ this Monday night on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, marking a first for the national event and a moment of deep significance for the Jewish community.
Sydney Opera House memorial reclaims a national symbol after Bondi attack
January 23, 2026 by Rob Klein
Flags above the Sydney Harbour Bridge flew at half-mast last night as families of the victims, Jewish leaders and political figures gathered at the Sydney Opera House for a national memorial service marking the deaths of 15 people in the Bondi Beach antisemitic terror attack. Read more
Joshua Belinfante: learning from master filmmakers, telling his own stories
January 20, 2026 by Rob Klein
Young Australian filmmaker Joshua Belinfante has been mentored by two of the world’s most influential directors, German Werner Herzog and Iranian Asghar Farhadi, experiences he describes as defining and deliberately challenging.
Parliament honours 15 killed in Bondi Beach terror attack
Australia’s parliament fell into silence on Monday during a condolence motion in the House of Representatives, confronting the human cost of the antisemitic terror attack that killed 15 people at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025.
Unique Holocaust education programme “In My Pocket” expands to Lithuania
January 19, 2026 by Rob Klein
The “In My Pocket” initiative, an innovative Holocaust education programme developed in Australia, has now extended to Lithuania.
ECAJ considers contempt action over extremist Islamic preacher’s video
January 17, 2026 by Rob Klein
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) is exploring contempt of court proceedings against Islamic preacher Wisam Haddad. This follows allegations that he violated a federal injunction regarding antisemitic statements in a recent online video.
Waverley Council awards Keys to the City to heroes of Bondi Beach terror attack
January 16, 2026 by Rob Klein
Waverley Council has unanimously agreed to award Keys to the City to three people who intervened during the December 14 terror attack at Bondi Beach, while also resolving to seek posthumous national honours for those killed trying to stop the gunmen.
From disinvitation to apology: Abdel-Fattah and the Adelaide Festival fiasco
The new board of the Adelaide Festival has issued an unreserved apology and issued an invitation to Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah to Writers’ Week 2027, reversing a controversial January decision that led to the event’s collapse.
Israel plans return to Venice Biennale
January 15, 2026 by Rob Klein
Israel will take part in the 2026 Venice Biennale, confirming its return to the world’s most prominent contemporary art exhibition after its national pavillion was closed during the 2024 event amid protests.
Waverley Council to consider fate of Bondi footbridge used in terror attack
January 15, 2026 by Rob Klein
The future of the pedestrian footbridge at the centre of the Bondi Beach terror attack will be debated by Waverley Council tonight (Thursday), as community division continues over whether the structure should remain, be removed, or be replaced.
Concerns grow that antisemitism bill leaves dangerous loopholes
Representatives of the Jewish community have told a Senate committee the government’s draft antisemitism bill risks missing its mark unless key flaws are fixed. At the same time, support for the legislation is reportedly splintering ahead of a vote next week.
Government names leaders to oversee recovery from Bondi terror attack
January 14, 2026 by Rob Klein
One month after the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach, the NSW Government has appointed two senior figures to oversee the long-term recovery of the affected community.
