It’s around midday on Monday, and I have just met up with Rabbi Mendy for lunch at a café in Melbourne for a Kosher meal. Rabbi Mendy is the rabbi for the Jewish South Caulfield congregation and secretary for the Rabbinic Council of Victoria, Australia. The reason for the meeting is to express our concern regarding the rise in antisemitism in Australia, to offer support and stand in solidarity with our Jewish friends.
We looked through the menu, placed our food order and waited. While we waited, I asked Rabbi Mendy about the upsurge in antisemitism in Australia, and he shared that recently the Jewish community in Australia had been targeted with discrimination, insults, vandalism, violence and acts of terror. This is obviously concerning as it has brought fear and anxiety to many Jews in Australia who just want to go about their daily business. It became clear during our conversation that worshippers attending synagogues on Sabbath were also concerned for their safety and security had to be provided to synagogues and at schools. This is regrettable for a society that seeks to foster cohesion, equality and tolerance.
Before long our meals arrived and Rabbi Mendy offered a Jewish prayer in thanksgiving for our food. As we dug in, I asked Rabbi Mendy about how Seventh-day Adventists could support the Jewish community at this unsettling time. He indicated that vague statements of support were less effective than actively calling out antisemitic behaviours in the community. He mentioned how much his community had appreciated the support of fellow Australians who spoke out against hostility towards Jews. Further, he observed that most people are not antisemitic but often choose to remain silent in the face of antisemitic behaviour.
As we paused while eating, Rabbi Mendy reminded me that as people “we have more in common with each other than what divides us”. Our shared humanity is a common denominator that calls us to empathise with those who are suffering. However, as Seventh-day Adventists we have a calling that transcends our shared humanity. As a people who are called to actively reflect the love of God, we care about the way people are treated in our society, and we endeavour to reach out to them in kindness and love. The unspoken reality is that a threat to the Jewish faith community is a threat to our faith community.
We finished our meal and exited the café. We bid each other farewell and promised to keep in touch. You may be surprised at how grateful your Jewish neighbour will be when you reach out to them. On the other hand, we may be the ones who end up being surprised when the King says to us, “‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” (Matthew 25:40).
Kojo Akomeah is the public affairs and religious liberty director at the Australian Union Conference.
