Multicultural show of solidarity as people of many faiths support Wollongong Chanukah

More than 200 people gathered at Wollongong’s Stuart Park last night for a remarkably multicultural Chanukah event. Rabbi Menachem Aaron and the Jewish Community of Wollongong were joined by everyone from Buddhist monks to Seventh-day Adventists, as people of many cultures and faiths turned out in a show of solidarity to witness the lighting of the Menorah.

The night began at 6.47pm, the time the Bondi Beach terrorist attack started a week ago, claiming 15 innocent lives. The Wollongong crowd observed a minute’s silence as part of a nationwide tribute while seagulls cried overhead and the sound of children playing drifted over from the playground.

“We are grieving,” said Rabbi Menachem Aaron, Melbourne-based director of the outreach group Chabad of Rural and Regional Australia (RARA). 

“I myself am grieving. I've lost close friends. I had family in the hospital who were also injured in the attack, and it hasn't been an easy week at all. It's been a blur, honestly, not a lot of sleep, a lot of phone calls, a lot of travelling. I've been all over the coast throughout the past week, and it's hard to have strength to continue. It is difficult, even with all the outpouring of love and support.

“There's a very long road ahead of us. A lot of change needs to be made every level of society … if you look ahead, you may be a little depressed, because how are we going to make this through? There are 15 families that have lost loved ones, from 10 years old to 87 years old. Unity has literally been ripped apart. How are we going to do this? And the answer is, we're going to take this one day at a time.”

The rabbi welcomed the attendance of “a very, very wide representation of other communities”. 

“We are together for a beautiful gathering. I don't know if we've ever had such a thing like this in Wollongong,” said the rabbi, who has spent the week touring the state. He said seeing thousands of people come together has been “unprecedented”. 

“I wish we could do this without the tragedy,” he said.

“We need to be able to take strength for one day at a time and be able to connect with one another.”

Police ensured event could go on

After Sunday’s ISIS-inspired atrocity, when gunmen targeted Bondi’s Chanukah by the Sea on the first day of the festival of joy and light, KEVA, the Jewish Community of Wollongong, cancelled their Menorah event. Last Monday, local facilitator Dr Yoke Berry told the Illawarra Flame plans to light the last candle of Chanukah had been cancelled “because of the massacre”.

But the ‘City of Peace’ wasn’t having that. Behind the scenes, multicultural leaders reached out and Wollongong Police came up with a plan to ensure the ceremony could go ahead safely in the city's biggest public park. Yoke said she was very grateful to police, including multicultural community liaison officer Josefina Fernandez and Superintendent Karen Cook, Commander of Wollongong Police District, who were among the honoured guests.

“It was beautiful,” Yoke said after Rabbi Aaron had lit all eight flames of the Menorah candelabra. “I thought the words of the rabbi were beautiful.”

“Only when I came here today did I let go my nerves, because you never know – and some of the mothers didn't want to come and bring their children if something happened.”

Usually, the small local Jewish community would meet at someone’s home, with everybody bringing a plate, but Yoke said having such a big crowd, including faith leaders and parliamentarians, necessitated a public gathering. The event kept its informal warmth, with Israel’s Star of David flags decorating the beachside hut, flying alongside the Australian flag, and a heart-warming array of donated dishes, including kosher doughnuts from Sydney.

Sunday was the first time that members of the Indian, Vietnamese, Nepalese and other local communities joined Chanukah in Wollongong, with the leaders of the Multicultural Communities Council of the Illawarra (MCCI) expressing strong support.

The new chair of MCCI, Tom Begic, a first-generation Croatian Australian who took over from longtime leader Ken Habak OAM just last week, said that MCCI immediately reached out to the Jewish Community of Wollongong, a small independent group, and then spread word of the Chanukah event to all their members.

“We wanted to be there for them,” Tom said.

Seeing so many different communities standing shoulder to shoulder in Stuart Park was “really touching”, he added. 

“It's fantastic seeing the unity here and the broad range of different groups, faith based and culture based.”

Also representing MCCI were the charity’s CEO Chris Lacey, and  Diana Manns, the new deputy chair of the charity’s board of directors. Local faith leaders present included Robin Kinstead, senior minister at Figtree Anglican Church; Peter Lozenkovski, president of the Macedonian Orthodox Community Wollongong; and Allen Bierschbach, lead pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Wollongong.

Parliamentarians from all sides of politics also showed a united front. From Wollongong City Council, there were Acting Lord Mayor Linda Campbell and Councillor Ryan Morris, who liaised with the Jewish community to ensure council received a flag, which flew at half-mast outside the city’s chambers on Burelli Street.

The Ward 1 Liberal councillor said it was moving to see Rabbi Aaron preach “of the light and the miracle of Hannukah” (as Chanukah is also known). 

“For him not to come out here and speak darkly or negatively, just come out here and make everyone understand and aware of what the Hanukkah event was fantastic,” Ryan said. “So many different people from the community have come up, of all different faiths, of all different areas within the community. It's exactly what it should be, and this is what the best of Australia represents.”

Song sheets were distributed so everyone could join in to sing traditional blessings – including Oseh Shalom, a song of prayer and peace – as part of the Menorah lighting ceremony.

Parliamentarians included Paul Scully, the state Member for Wollongong, and Senator Mark Banasiak, as well as federal Labor leaders Alison Byrnes, the Member for Cunningham, and Carol Berry, the Member for Whitlam. 

“There's so many different groups represented here tonight, and just that sense of solidarity and that sense of everybody wanting to show how much they care, I think is beautiful and says a lot about our community,” Carol said.

“It's absolutely beautiful, and it shows Wollongong at its best.”

Rabbi calls for support

Even a sudden storm rolling in could not dim the spirit of the night. MP Paul Scully found an umbrella so the rabbi could continue his speech amid a downpour, people pulled up camp chairs and huddled closer undercover until the rain passed, before stepping into the evening sunshine for a group photo so big we had to stitch two images together to fit everyone in.

Wollongong’s event was part of a nationwide Day of Reflection to honour victims of the terrorist attack. Flags on Government buildings flew at half-mast and buildings lit up yellow, as people around Australia lit candles in remembrance and light beamed into the sky from Bondi Pavilion, where thousands gathered. 

While acknowledging his personal grief, including for Bondi's Rabbi Eli Schlanger, “a beacon of light” who visited people in need, in hospital and in prison, Rabbi Aaron ultimately encouraged people to take energy from the Menorah, which was now “full of light”. 

“This is obviously a Jewish tragedy, but all of Australia is reeling from this,” he said, urging people to donate to the fundraising appeal for the families of the Bondi victims.

“These families need that security, they need that support,” he said. “Go to SupportSydney.org and please make a contribution, it will be very much appreciated.”