Australia is my childhood landscape, my parents and family are there — my grandparents buried in its soil

I grew up amongst Holocaust Survivors, silently listening to how they chose this place of refuge because it was the far edge of the world, quiet, decent and immune from the hate of the past

I chose to build my life in Israel not because life wasn’t great in Oz

But rather because of the electrical pull to live in the Jewish state. To be part of Jewish history. The vibrant energy. The adventure of writing a modern chapter in our ancient story

And also perhaps most compellingly:

The painful lessons of the past leading to the conclusion that Israel and the IDF are the most riveting answers for the future prosperity and security of the Jewish people

Yes here in Israel we live with conflict, this is the price we pay for sovereignty in our homeland

But Australia was supposed to be different, a place where lighting candles on a beach was ordinary

I was at Bondi only weeks ago, speaking to the community as an Australian who made Aliyah

I met proud, strong Jews, unwavering in their support for Israel and the future of Jewish life Down Under

But also ever so tired, unsure how much longer the ground beneath them would hold

I asked them if the ceasefire in Gaza would stop the hate

Over and over again I received one unequivocal answer: “No”

They saw the writing on the wall then, and we know it now

Since October 7 the heat has been rising

The ugly display of hostility on Oct 9th at Sydney Harbor, lists of so called “prominent Zionists”, protests outside synagogues and schools, arson, threats, chants that turned Jews into symbols of evil

I believed Australia was different

The ideal of a “colorblind society” where religion or background didn’t matter, a quiet capsule far removed from the world’s problems

There was no antisemitism because being Jewish wasn’t a big a deal

That belief died........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)