The role of Jewish community security groups in protecting schools, synagogues, events and community leaders will come under close examination at the next hearings of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
Hearing Block 5 will be held in Melbourne from Monday, July 20, to Friday, July 24, before continuing in Sydney from Monday, July 27.
The hearings will examine the security needs of Jewish institutions, events and leaders, and the arrangements now used to protect them. A major focus will be the work of Community Security Groups (CSGs), which operate as specialised Jewish community security organisations in several states.
The commission will consider the functions CSGs perform, how they are structured and funded, and how their work compares with equivalent Jewish security organisations overseas. It will also examine how CSGs coordinate with police and other law enforcement agencies, including the exchange of information, threat assessments, incident reporting and preparations for major community events.
CSGs use a combination of professional staff, trained volunteers, private security personnel, monitoring systems and police relationships to protect Jewish communal life.
Community Security Groups provide a visible presence at synagogues, schools, museums, institutions and events while also monitoring threats, assessing risk and operating round-the-clock response services.
Their work includes security advice, emergency planning, crisis management, training, CCTV monitoring and the collection and sharing of information about antisemitic and suspicious activity.
The groups also work closely with police and communal organisations, passing on relevant intelligence and helping institutions prepare for protests, attacks and other emergencies.
The commission is expected to examine whether responsibilities between police, private guards and community security volunteers are clearly defined. It may also consider whether community groups have adequate access to police intelligence, whether information is shared quickly enough, and whether volunteers are being asked to carry responsibilities that should sit with government agencies.
The hearings will look at government funding for protective security, including money provided for guards, CCTV, barriers, access controls, security operations centres, risk assessments and emergency planning. Police data collection will also be examined, particularly whether antisemitic incidents are consistently identified, recorded and used to assess threats to Jewish communities.
The commission will consider the role of emergency preparedness and resilience training conducted by police and community organisations, including evacuation procedures, lockdown exercises, crisis communications, first-aid training and preparations for attacks, violent protests or other critical incidents.
No witness list has yet been published for Hearing Block 5.
The Melbourne hearings will be held at 11 Exhibition Street. The Sydney hearings will be held at 83 Clarence Street. Public seating will be limited at both venues, but proceedings will be livestreamed on the commission’s website. Some witnesses may give evidence in closed session because of the operational sensitivity of security arrangements, intelligence and threat information.
The royal commission, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, is due to deliver its final report by December 14, 2026.