Overview
- Royal Commission hearings in Melbourne on Thursday heard senior rabbi Allison Conyer and community figures say insults, swastika vandalism, bomb threats and a Hanukkah shooting have become more common and publicly accepted.
- Witnesses told the inquiry that nearly all 19 progressive synagogues have received abusive calls or bomb threats and that synagogue preschools have lost about a quarter of their enrolments, with at least one service at risk of closure.
- Conyer and others described Jewish Australians concealing identity and withdrawing from public life, including children excluded from parties and families avoiding sharing Jewish customs at school events.
- The commission is probing gaps in security planning by government departments, how police coordinate with Jewish security groups, and the shortfall in consistent funding and volunteer capacity to meet rising threats.
- If the inquiry leads to changes, it could mean stronger state and federal guidance on risk assessments, clearer police‑security group protocols and targeted funding to protect Jewish institutions and restore community participation.