My first Christmas Day was on Bondi Beach. It was 1959 and  I was ten months old. My older brother Jeff, born in Cairo, was eating a vegemite sandwich while I sat in my playpen on the sand, watching. A Sydney Morning Herald photographer captured the scene and ran it on page three of the Christmas edition. I must have looked like a typical Aussie baby. Few could have known I was among the first generation of Egyptian Jewish migrants born into the safety and promise of “the lucky country”.

My absorption into Australian society did not come through the classroom. It came through sport — rugby, cricket, surfing — and later, karate. Sport was the language through which I learned belonging. Elementary school 1969. Coogee South 10 year boys rugby team

Twenty years later, I opened the Bondi Beach Karate Club. It is still operating today. Generations of Australians — Jews and non-Jews alike — have trained there, learning discipline, respect, and responsibility. We even produced a few world champions.

Twenty-five years after that first Christmas on the beach, I found myself representing Australia in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium in the inaugural Shotokan World Karate Games. Wearing the green and gold, I felt deep gratitude for a country that had given me freedom, opportunity, and belonging. Our national team reflected Australia at its best: 1991 Karate world championship in Mexico, Silver medal for the Australian team

Migrants from Lebanon, Iran, Peru, Hong Kong, Egypt, and Greece — and me, the token Jewish Australian. We represented our country proudly, while remaining rooted in our diverse communities.........

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