Jewish Australians begin giving evidence as royal commission hearings open

Jewish Australians began giving evidence on Monday as public hearings opened in the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, marking the first formal examination of how antisemitism is affecting lives across the country.

The opening of Hearing Block 1 comes six months after the ISIS-inspired Bondi Beach terror attack, in which 15 people were killed at a Chanukah gathering, prompting the establishment of the inquiry.

Over the next two weeks, the Commission will hear from members of the Jewish community and others describing experiences ranging from abuse in schools and universities to hostility in workplaces and businesses.

The first day’s witnesses, listed by the Commission, reflect a cross-section of the community, including senior communal figures, professionals and individuals sharing lived experiences. Representatives of major Jewish organisations are appearing alongside community members giving personal testimony.

High-profile figures are expected to give evidence during the hearings, including Rabbi Benjamin Elton of the Great Synagogue and Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin, whose former Sydney home was targeted in an antisemitic attack in early 2025.

According to a statement by peak Jewish organisations, many witnesses are speaking publicly for the first time, outlining what leaders describe as a worsening climate of hostility that predates the Bondi attack.

Witnesses include university students who say campuses have become places of routine hostility, as well as teachers and parents dealing with antisemitism in schools. Professionals in fields such as healthcare and the arts are also expected to describe pressure and exclusion linked to their identity.

Others are detailing changes to daily life, including avoiding visible Jewish symbols in public or warning children not to identify as Jewish at school.

Small business owners are giving evidence about declining customer activity and staff concerns about safety, while community leaders are outlining the strain of supporting individuals and institutions facing sustained abuse.

Security concerns are also a central theme, with witnesses describing the experience of entering synagogues, schools and community centres under armed guard due to ongoing threats.

The hearings follow the release of the Commission’s interim report last week by Commissioner Virginia Bell, which focused on intelligence and security responses to the Bondi attack. The report made 14 recommendations, including nationally consistent gun law reform and stronger protection for Jewish events.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would adopt all recommendations, noting Jewish Australians were grieving and seeking answers.

Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the hearings marked a critical moment.

“This Commission is the most significant national examination of antisemitism in Australia’s history,” he said.

“Over the next fortnight, the country will hear from the people who lead our community alongside ordinary Australians who have lived through what happens when words of hatred go unchallenged long enough that they stop being only words.”

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Michele Goldman urged engagement with the process.

“This Royal Commission is an independent inquiry of the highest order, and it merits the serious and constructive engagement of the community,” she said.

“We are encouraging Jewish Australians to engage directly with the Commission, thoughtfully and constructively, so it can properly understand what is happening and make recommendations that strengthen safety and cohesion for everyone.”

Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Philip Zajac said the witnesses reflected the breadth of the community.

“The witnesses giving evidence in this first block include people whose ordinary lives have been turned upside down,” he said.

“Our community is engaging with this process constructively and in good faith, because that is how lasting change is made in this country.”

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said the hearings would help explain how conditions had worsened.

“What we are witnessing in Australia is a contemporary form of an ancient hatred,” he said.

“The Commission opens today with an opportunity to hear directly from Jewish Australians about what they have been experiencing, to understand how we arrived here, and what needs to be done to ensure that all Australians can live, and participate fully in this country, free from hatred and free from fear.”

National Council of Jewish Women of Australia president Lynda Ben-Menashe said the hearings would highlight the human impact behind the data.

“Behind every statistic the Commission will examine is a parent doing the school run, a student walking onto a campus, a woman deciding whether to wear her Star of David in public, all of them worried whether that day is the day they will be abused or attacked for who they are,” she said.

The Commission is also expected to hear a range of perspectives beyond mainstream communal organisations.

Hearing Block 1 is running in Sydney until May 15. Submissions to the Royal Commission remain open until June 14, with the final report due later this year.