ADC News
Volume 2, No. 1
March 2009
Future leaders build interfaith bridges 
Jewish, Muslim and Christian young leaders participated in the ADC's highly successful Multifaith Future Leaders Program on the outskirts of Melbourne in early February. The program gave the next generation of communal leaders experience of working with other faith communities while learning leadership skills.
The ADC initiated the project as a long term investment in preventing antisemitism and stereotyping. It aims to build relationships between members of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities.
About 30 participants shared an intense program of team-building activities and learnt skills such as conflict resolution, working with the media and public speaking. Many said it was the first time they had met members of the other faiths. They said the safe environment gave them the opportunity to explore differences and find similarities. The young leaders have already got together in follow-up social activities and formed friendships across the communities. Many have expressed enthusiasm about being involved in supporting another program.
To register interest in joining the next Multifaith Future Leaders program click here.
 Iran expert to deliver ADC Gandel Oration
Iran stands as among the world's greatest threats and a strong force of international antisemitism. The 2009 ADC Gandel Orator Dr Charles Small is one of the world's foremost experts in the danger of Iran and what can be done to minimise the risks.
Dr Small will visit Australia in May to speak on these issues and to meet with Australian public figures. Dr Small is the Director and Founder of the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism at Yale University and is an authority on antisemitism and Iran. He has a particular interest in globalisation and antisemitism.
Dr Small recently told a seminar at the British House of Commons that the extremism of the Iranian regime was a threat not only to Israel and Jews everywhere but also to moderate Islam. "It seems clear to me, that the Iranian regime has become emboldened and very powerful, and I can’t see how a regime like this is going to stop unless it is stopped," he said.
Vicious antisemitsm at Gaza protests 
Israel's incursion into Gaza in December and January prompted a spate of antisemitic attacks, including vicious posters, graffiti, web postings and media articles. Israel's action aimed at stopping Hamas rockets raining down on Israeli civilians led to massive international coverage of civilian deaths among Palestinians being used as human shields by Hamas terrorists.
Protestors across the western world employed antisemitic tropes including replacing the Star of David on the Israeli flag with swastikas, making offensive comparisons with the Holocaust and producing cartoons of hook-nosed Jewish "baddies". Slogans included "Jewed to Death" and "Jews haven't learnt, they need more than before". These images breach racial vilification laws but it is almost impossible to identify the offenders. Organisers of protests take no responsibility for the kind of racism they are stirring up.
The Age apologises, need for training acknowledged
The editor of The Age Paul Ramadge apologised to the Jewish community in January following the publication of a deeply offensive article by British columnist Michael Backman. Backman's article blamed Israel for 9/11 and the Bali bombings, invoked Christian images of Jews as Christ killers and painted an image of Israeli backpackers in Nepal as arrogant and mean. Ramadge, who was away when the article was published, said the publication was "an error" and met with Jewish community leaders, including ADC research director Deborah Stone, JCCV deputy chairman Daniel Aghion and SZC deputy chairman Sam Tatarka. The community expressed its concerns that a number of staff on The Age were clearly unable to distinguish the antisemitic content of the column from legitimate criticisms of Israel. Mr Ramadge acknowledged the need for training to ensure this kind of error can't happen again.
Increasing our web presence 
As the internet becomes the core medium for both information and social exchange, the ADC is increasing its web presence through both formal and informal channels. We are delighted to have software and web hate expert Dr Andre Oboler working with us to develop techniques to ensure antisemitism on the web is challenged and casual surfers are more likely to come across favourable material on core issues including Israel, human rights and the United Nations than to choose less friendly sources of information. The democratic nature of information dissemination on the web means it is not enough simply to put information out there. Users working for social change need to increase their chances of being found by search engines and therefore given a voice. We are developing strategies which won't necessarily be labelled as ADC pages but will engage us and our values in these important conversations.
Talking to parliamentarians 
ADC public affairs chairman Professor Douglas Kirsner visited Canberra in late February to meet with parliamentarians and increase their awareness of antisemitism. Professor Kirsner and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies executive director Vic Alhadeff met with about 20 members of parliament. High on the agenda were media coverage of the Gaza conflict and whether Australia will participate in the Durban Review Conference, which many fear will lead to a repeat of the Israel-bashing and antisemitism of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban.
War memorial vandalised
 The war memorial in Caulfield Park was vandalised by anti-israel protestors during the Gaza conflict. Vandals painted Palestinian graffitti around the cenotaph, including crude Hamas flags and slogans such as "Free occupied minds" and "Get out of Palestine". The attack caused deep offense both to supporters of Israel's defensive action in Gaza and to all Australians who regard the memorial as sacred space. The park is a central leisure space in Melbourne's Jewish area and the attack was clearly an attack on the Jewish community.The graffitti was promptly removed by the Glen Eira City Council.
Author shares the power of the story 
Award-winning writer Arnold Zable spoke to the ADC in February on the humanizing power of the story. Zable, who is known for his evocation of the migrant experience, talked about the ability of stories to find our commonalities. As current president of the international writers' organisation PEN, Zable is internationally prominent in the struggle for human rights. Zable's books have frequently explored the Jewish migrant experience in both fiction and non-fiction in such titles as Jewels and Ashes and Cafe Scherazade. More recently he has looked at the Greek experience in his latest book Sea of Many Returns. Zable has been deeply involved in speaking out for asylum seekers. He has recently set up a blog which you can read here.
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