On Sunday in Bondi we saw a tremendous outpouring of grief, support and determined resolution.

Most remarkably, we witnessed a Jewish community still reeling from the raw betrayal of neglect, expressing their love for Australia. The evening concluded with a rendition of I Still Call Australia Home that could call Peter Allen himself home from his resting place.

Love from Australia for our Jewish community – the banner organised by Mark Connelly.

This is entirely consistent with the lessons I learnt growing up Christian in a sea of Jewish friends and families at my New York high school. I learnt in the classroom, at dinner tables and visits to the synagogue about the incredible capacity for Jewish strength and resilience in the face of repeated persecution.

The question that will define us now as a nation is how we break from that history of hatred and return the Jewish love of country. How do we ensure that our support long outlasts the fleeting flowers laid in remembrance?

We begin by listening to the chorus of Jewish leaders who have told us clearly: Your silence is deadly. Your inaction to hatred is killing us. Our governments and law enforcement........

© The Age