Executive Council of Australian Jewry

Last updated
Executive Council of Australian Jewry
Founded1944;79 years ago (1944)
Headquarters Sydney, Australia
Region served
Australia
Co-Chief Executive Officers
Alex Ryvchin
Peter Wertheim
Website https://www.ecaj.org.au/

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, or ECAJ, [1] is an official peak national body representing the Australian Jewish community. It is the umbrella organisation for over 200 Jewish organisations across Australia. [2] It is the Australian affiliate of the World Jewish Congress, the worldwide umbrella organisation of Jewish communities. It is also affiliated with the Commonwealth Jewish Council, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture. [3]

Contents

Overview

ECAJ was created in 1944 as the peak body for the various state based representative bodies. [4] Its councillors are elected via a collegiate electoral system. Of the ECAJ's 33 councillors, 25 are directly elected by the members of its constituent organisations, and eight are appointed by its affiliate organisations.[ citation needed ]

Syd Einfeld was President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry between 1953–54, 1957–58, and 1961–62. [5] Other distinguished Presidents who have served multiple terms have included Maurice Ashkenasy CMG QC (1948-1950, 1954-1956, 1958-1960, 1962-1964, 1966-1968) and Isi Leibler AO CBE (1978-1980, 1982-1985, 1987-1989, 1992-1995).

Platform and advocacy

The ECAJ Policy Platform [6] covers a broad range of issues, including human rights, indigenous issues, multiculturalism, interfaith relations, refugees, education, Holocaust remembrance, racial vilification, antisemitism, religious issues, and Israel and the international community. The ECAJ website includes a pictorial history of Australia and Israel [7] including government-to-government, commercial, cultural and people-to-people relationships between the two countries from the earliest years onward.

There have been criticisms of the organisation that they are not truly representative and that their elections are too narrow to make a claim to represent all of Australia's Jews. [8]

Nevertheless, no other organisation has emerged to challenge the ECAJ’s status as the most broadly-based Jewish communal organisation across Australia. It continues to enjoy access to leaders at the highest levels of government and politics (Evan Zlatkis, 'A ScoMo-norah’ Australian Jewish News, 15 June 2020; Anthony Galloway, ‘By calling out antisemitism on the Left, Albanese has created room for himself’, Sydney Morning Herald/The Age/Brisbane Times, 15 July 2021).

Communal submissions

One of the roles of ECAJ is to prepare submissions to the government on behalf of the Jewish community. This has been on a broad range of topics such as the statutory definition of charity, [9] human rights, [10] freedom of religion [11] [12] and labeling kosher foods. [13]

ECAJ has also taken a stand against child sexual abuse which had a significant presence in the community. ECAJ advocated for the return of Malka Leifer from Israel to face abuse allegations, [14] and issued an apology to abuse advocate, Manny Waks, who was abused as a child. [15]

In 2019, ECAJ called on the government to offer more protections to faith-based hospitals, aged care facilities and housing providers, to allow organisations to continue to preference people of their own faith in service delivery. ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim explained one of the relevant issues as follows:

“Another issue for faith-based hospitals, aged care facilities and accommodation providers is that many of them currently have constitutions which restrict their membership and that of their governing boards and committees wholly or mainly to people of their own faith.

This is especially important for numerically small faith communities like ours — and also, for example, the Greek Orthodox community. If these charitable Jewish service-providers would now be prohibited from restricting their membership and that of their governing boards and committees to Jewish people, they may eventually find themselves with a non-Jewish majority of members or governors who would be free to vote to abandon the organisation’s Jewish ethos and religious practices.

The new Bill expressly allows faith-based clubs to restrict their membership to people of their own faith but, oddly, there is no equivalent allowance for faith-based hospitals, aged care facilities and accommodation providers.” ('The Religious Discrimination Bill does not do enough to protect Australia’s Jewish community’, ABC Religion & Ethics, 16 January 2020.)

Anti-Semitism

One of the roles of ECAJ is to monitor antisemitic instances in Australia. This includes the unprecedented 60% jump in incidents for 2018 on the back of an increase in 2017. This was seen mostly due to a sharp increase in white supremacist activity. [16] [17] Another significant rise was recorded in 2019. [18]

They also strongly objected to the extremist politicians, Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts coming to speak in the Jewish suburbs of Melbourne. They were invited by a Jewish extremist Avi Yemini, and many white nationalists were expected at the event, before it was cancelled. ECAJ in their statement with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria said that while they "generally support the right of people to express their opinions", they objected to this event going ahead. [19]

Israel advocacy

ECAJ, considers itself a peak body for Australian Jewry, but regularly conducts advocacy on behalf of Israel. This is in accordance with the ECAJ’s Constitution, whose objects include “To support and strengthen the connection of Australian Jewry with the State of Israel.” Further, according to the authoritative Gen 17 study of the Australian Jewish community in 2017, 88% of Australian Jews feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that the State of Israel continues to exist in peace and security (p.64).

One significant area of pro-Israel advocacy is in their opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. [20] ECAJ has rejected the BDS movement as anti-Semitic, although they did not join the legal proceedings against a Sydney professor brought by the group Shurat HaDin. [21]

ECAJ submitted a complaint to Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) over their screening the TV series The Promise in November and December 2011. [22] This complaint pointed to many examples of the negative stereotyping of the Jewish people throughout the series, in particular through the portrayals of the Jewish characters. This was later supported by the Chairman of the New South Wales Community Relations Commission, Stepan Kerkyasharian. [23] His submission argued that the program was guilty of "the portrayal of an entire nation in a negative light" and noted "concern that the series negatively portrays the WHOLE of the Jewish People. Such a portrayal cannot be justified in ANY context."

In 2019 ECAJ also released a rebuttal against the Israeli journalist and political candidate, Orly Noy who claimed anti-Sephardi racism and Apartheid was deeply rooted in Israeli society. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Council for Public Affairs</span> Nonprofit organization

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is an American Jewish nonprofit organization that advocates for progressive and liberal policies. Founded in 1944 as the umbrella organization for local Jewish advocacy arms known as community relations councils, for almost 80 years it represented approximately 125 local Jewish federations and community relations councils and was the coordinating body for 15 national Jewish organizations.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, commonly referred to as the Board of Deputies, is the largest and second oldest Jewish communal organisation in the United Kingdom, after only the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established in 1760 by a group of Sephardic Jews, the board presents itself as a forum for the views of most organisations within the British Jewish community, liaising with the British government on that basis. Notably, while Lord Rothschild was President of the Board of Deputies, the Balfour Declaration was addressed to him and eventually led to the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. It is affiliated to the World Jewish Congress and the European Jewish Congress. Its current president is Marie van der Zyl who, due to holding this position, also sits on the Executive Committee of the World Jewish Congress.

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), represents the interests of the Australian Jewish community to government, politicians, media and other community groups and organisations through research, commentary and analysis. The organisation is directed by Colin Rubenstein, who was previously a political science lecturer at Monash University. AIJAC has office locations in Melbourne and Sydney. AIJAC is formally associated with the American Jewish Committee.

The Community Security Trust (CST) is a British charity whose purpose is to provide safety, security, and advice to the Jewish community in the UK. It provides advice, training, representation and research.

The history of Jews in Australia traces the history of Australian Jews from the British settlement of Australia commencing in 1788. Though Europeans had visited Australia before 1788, there is no evidence of any Jewish sailors among the crew. The first Jews known to have come to Australia came as convicts transported to Botany Bay in 1788 aboard the First Fleet that established the first European settlement on the continent, on the site of present-day Sydney.

Manfred Gerstenfeld was an Austrian-born Israeli author and chairman of the steering committee of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. He founded and directed the center's post-Holocaust and anti-Semitism program.

British Jews are British citizens who are Jewish. The number of people who identified as Jews in the United Kingdom rose by just under 4% between 2001 and 2021.

Bible Believers is the antisemitic website of the Bible Believers' Church of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Not to be confused with "Whole Bible Believers" which is based in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syd Einfeld</span> Australian politician

Sydney David Einfeld was an Australian politician and Jewish community leader. Einfeld is credited with changing Australia's immigration policy to provide a refuge for Holocaust survivors. As a result, Australia accepted more refugees per capita than any other country in the world, and more Jewish refugees than anywhere except Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Cohen (Australian politician)</span> Australian politician

Samuel Herbert Cohen QC was an Australian politician and barrister. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and served as a Senator for Victoria from 1962 until his death in 1969. He was also a member of Gough Whitlam's shadow ministry from 1967. He was the first Jew elected to the Senate.

The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), known as Poale Zion (Great Britain) from 1903 to 2004, is one of the oldest socialist societies affiliated to the UK Labour Party. It is a member of the progressive coalition of Avodah/Meretz/Arzenu/Ameinu within the World Zionist Organization. Its sister parties are the Israeli Labor Party (Havodah) and Meretz.

Israeli Australians refers to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are fully or partially of Israeli descent. The population colloquially refer to themselves as Ausraelis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Community Council of Victoria</span>

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria Inc (JCCV) is the main representative body for Victorian Jewry, representing 52 Jewish community organisations and over 60,000 Victorian Jews. The JCCV's mission is to represent the Victorian Jewish community, the largest Jewish community in Australia, and deal with matters that affect its status, welfare and interests. The JCCV was established in 1938 as the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board. It has been known as the Jewish Community Council of Victoria since 1989 and became incorporated in 2000.

Antisemitism in the United Kingdom signifies hatred of and discrimination against Jews in the United Kingdom. Discrimination and hostility against the community since its establishment in 1070 resulted in a series of massacres on several occasions and their expulsion from the country in 1290. They were readmitted by Oliver Cromwell in 1655.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law</span> Nonprofit organization

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Kenneth L. Marcus in 2012 to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. LDB is active on American campuses, where it, according to the organization, combats antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

Antisemitism in South Africa is the manifestation of hostility, prejudice or discrimination against the South African Jewish people or Judaism as a religious, ethnic or racial group. This form of racism has affected Jews since New Zealand's Jewish community was established in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Council of Jewish Communities</span> Democratic representative body of all the Jewish communities of Scotland

The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) is the democratic representative body of all the Jewish communities of Scotland. The Council was founded in 1999 in response to Scottish devolution, with the principal aim of providing the Jewish community of Scotland with a single voice in dealings with the Scottish Parliament and Government, other communities, and other statutory and official bodies.

Janina "Nina" Bassat is a leader in the Victorian Jewish community. She served as president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) between 1996 and 1998. Then she was again president for three years before retiring again in 2014. She has also served as president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) between 1999 and 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campaign Against Antisemitism</span> British non-governmental organisation

Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) is a British non-governmental organisation established in August 2014 by members of the Anglo-Jewish community. It publishes research, organises rallies and petitions, and conducts litigation.

Moving Forward Together (MFT) is an Australian charitable organisation based in Sydney that promotes social harmony and the prevention of prejudice. The organisation was founded in 2005 and is led by Holocaust survivor Ernie Friedlander.

References

  1. ↑ "Homepage". Executive Council of Australian Jews. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  2. ↑ As Anti-Semitism Rises, ‘I Don’t Feel Safe in Australia,’ Rabbi Says
  3. ↑ "Partners". Executive Council of Australian Jews. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "About". ECAJ. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  5. ↑ "Sydney David Einfeld, Politician and Community Leader (1907-1985)". ARCHIVE OF AUSTRALIAN JUDAICA. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
  6. ↑ "Policy Platform". Executive Council of Australian Jews. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Australia and Israel: A Pictorial History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  8. ↑ Mendes, Philip; Levey, Geoffrey Brahm (2004). Jews and Australian politics. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN   978-1-903900-72-7.
  9. ↑ "Proposed introduction of a statutory definition of 'charity'–submission on behalf of the Australian Jewish community" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "National Human Rights Action Plan" (PDF).
  11. ↑ "Religious Freedom Submission" (PDF).
  12. ↑ Narunsky, Gareth. "New protections against religious discrimination". ajn.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  13. ↑ Gottlieb, Rabbi Yaron (2010-05-27). "Copyrighting kosher a sectarian minefield". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  14. ↑ "Developments in Malka Leifer case". ECAJ - Executive Council of Australian Jewry. 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  15. ↑ "Executive Council of Australian Jewry apology". Manny Waks. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  16. ↑ Cohen, Hagar; Bouf, Jacqueline (2018-11-26). "Antisemitism report shows marked increase in incidents and neo-Nazi activity". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  17. ↑ Davidson, Helen (2017-11-27). "Antisemitic incidents in Australia up nearly 10% over year, study says". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  18. ↑ Benjamin, henry. "Anti-Semitic incidents up 30% in Australia, report says". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  19. ↑ "antifa notes (december 2, 2016) : jewsagainstfascism ~versus~ One Nation Party". slackbastard. 2016-12-02. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  20. ↑ "The Global BDS Campaign Laid Bare" (PDF). Executive Council of Australian Jews. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "BDS Litigation "inappropriate" says ECAJ". J-Wire. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  22. ↑ "Formal Complaint: The Promise" (PDF). Executive Council of Australian Jews. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "Letter to Mr Skrzynski" (PDF). Executive Council of Australian Jews. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "ECAJ complaint to ABC: Radio National interview of Orly Noy and Sara Saleh". Jews Down Under. 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.