04-07-2025
Antisemitism inquiry told Jewish school students subject to abuse and threats
School children have had eggs thrown at them, been chased down streets, and subjected to Nazi salutes and death threats amid a surge of racism targeted at Sydney's Jewish community, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.
The upper house inquiry is examining the prevalence and severity of racist incidents targeted at the NSW Jewish community — known as antisemitism — and what measures could help combat it.
Miriam Hasofer is the principal of Sydney's Moriah College, a Jewish independent school, and told the inquiry the hate directed at her community had become "crude, vile and targeted" and was designed to intimidate.
"Last week a year 9 girl was chased up Queens Park Road by a woman shouting, 'F*** the Jews', 'f****** c-word', 'free Palestine', over and over," Ms Hasofer told the inquiry.
"This was a child walking to school; she was terrified."
Ms Hasofer also described receiving an anonymous message stating: "I hope all the children, parents and staff get cancer and die a slow, painful death. Praise Hitler."
She also recounted incidents of people driving past the college and giving the Nazi salute or yelling "f*** the Jews".
Ms Hasofer said security had been stepped up at Moriah College in response.
"In 2025 we are averaging nearly one incident a week; that's nearly two years of relentless, targeted abuse," she said.
"Our leaders are operating like a counterterrorism unit and this has become our new normal."
Emanuel School board member Bassina Farbenblum told the inquiry Jewish students were "genuinely fearful" for their safety.
"There were kids in my son's year who had raw eggs thrown at them at Westfield because they were in school uniform," she said.
It is not just students at Jewish independent schools being targeted.
Avishai Conyer is the head of youth and young adult engagement at Sydney's Emanuel Synagogue.
He told the inquiry most of the students who were part of his synagogue attended non-Jewish schools and often reported trying to avoid conflict over their identity.
"They make an active choice to take off their Star of David necklace … or not wanting to make a fuss when someone draws a swastika on the locker," he said.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said the rate of "hate incidents" recorded against the Jewish community was increasing year on year.
Deputy Commissioner Hudson was questioned by the inquiry about the spate of graffiti and arson attacks on the Jewish community over summer and whether they constituted antisemitism.
"Whilst the catalyst of those incidents was a manipulation of the criminal justice system by an individual … the Jewish community was targeted; they were putting lives in danger," he said.
"I don't think we would consider it anything but antisemitic in nature."
Several members of the inquiry also questioned whether the incidents targeted at the community were anti-Jewish or anti-Israel attacks.
"You can have this argument day and night in this committee around what the definition is, what the intent is," Nathalie Samia from the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia said.
"We can only talk to the impact on our families and that is what I think you need to have in mind when you have this discussion."
Emanuel School principal Linda Emms was also unequivocal when she described hate directed towards her students.
"The references are Nazis, Hitler, gas chambers — to me there is no question, this is antisemitism."
The inquiry is set to hand down its findings by September.
