Courage to Care is an educational program which travels throughout Victoria, Australia. The program combats prejudice, racism, discrimination and bullying, and works to transform bystanders to upstanders.
News articles
COVID has exploded Jewish LGBTQ acceptance online. There’s no going back. | Forward
Melbourne Golf Club Vandalised with Anti-Semitic, Homophobic Graffiti | Star Observer
Response to attack on Cranbourne Golf Club
MEDIA RELEASE
May 21 2020
Response to attack on Cranbourne Golf Club
Aleph Melbourne is disturbed by the news of a pointless and senseless act of cowardly vandalism at Melbourne’s Cranbourne Golf Club.
The antisemitic and homophobic graffiti demonstrates profound immaturity and insensitivity by the perperator/s.
As a support group for LGBTIQ+ Jews we feel the pain doubly. We are targeted for being Jewish. We are targeted for our sexual orientation.
What makes this type of vandalism especially pernicious is that it was laced with hate. It wasn’t an ordinary case of self-expression on a fence or wall, but rather, a calculated and targeted act of intolerance designed to hurt people.
We hope that the perpetrator/s are brought to justice. More than that, we hope that they come to understand the nature of their crime and make amends for their actions.
END
MEDIA CONTACT
Michael Barnett (pronouns: he/him/his)
Co-convenor – Aleph Melbourne
0417-595-541
contact@aleph.org.au
Daisies In Auschwitz
Journalist and author Keith Howes recalls his interview with Holocaust survivor Kitty Fischer and his own recent visit to Auschwitz, Krakow and Warshaw. #Auschwitz #Krakow #Warshaw #KeithHowes #KittyFischer
Daisies In Auschwitz
Melbourne Radio Station Drops Show After Rabbi’s Homophobic Comments | Star Observer
Discrimination Under the Cover of Corona | Alastair Lawrie
The third potential outbreak which concerns me is anti-LGBT vilification. That is, attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals – and the LGBT community more broadly – claiming that we are somehow responsible for promulgating the coronavirus, or deserving of infection because of our supposed ‘sinful lifestyles’.
This is not a hypothetical fear, either. At the start of April, Melbourne Jewish radio station J-AIR broadcast the following homophobic and transphobic comments from a Rabbi Kessin:
…
But there is also no anti-LGBT vilification coverage in Victoria[iii] (meaning the earlier comments on a Melbourne Jewish radio station were likely lawful), or in Western Australia, South Australia or the Northern Territory.
“Discrimination Under the Cover of Corona” by Alastair Lawrie; May 16 2020
Melbourne Jewish radio J-AIR finds March 30 broadcast was “contrary to Australian law” and “vilified members of the homosexual (and LGBTIQ+) community”
On May 5 2020 Melbourne’s Jewish radio station J-AIR published the findings of their inquiry into the March 30 2020 incident where they aired an interview stating “the pandemic is an exact designer drug … that will remove … problems … in the form of homosexuality and gays”.
The publication of these findings follow an unreserved apology from the station on April 2 2020.
J-AIR COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE FINDINGS
Approved Committee of Management on May 1 2020
Published results of J-AIR inquiry (forwarded to Michael Barnett via email on 5 May 2020).
1) The J-AIR complaints resolution committee, comprising J-AIR radio’s executive committtee, inquired into comments by Rabbi Mendel Kessin on The Tamar Yonah Show (30 March 2020) broadcast and podcast by J-AIR. Rabbi Kessin’s comment were originally aired on 24 March on the INTR program The Mystical Meaning of the Coronavirus with Rabbi Mendel Kessin. The complaints resolution committee found Rabbi Kassin’s comments were contrary to Australian law in that they vilified members of the homosexual (and LGBTIQ+) community.
2) An unreserved apology was issued immediately to the homosexual (and LGBTIQ+) community via Michael Barnett, who wrote about the TYS broadcast on the Aleph.org website on 4 April. The apology was distributed to The Australian Jewish News, J-Wire, JMedia and J-AIR’s Facebook group and page.
3) The apology was posted on the landing page of J-AIR’s website (j-air.com.au) and the apology in audio form was broadcast for several days following the original broadcast.
4) Michael Barnett, who brought the TYS broadcast to J-AIR’s attention, was engaged by telephone by the J-AIR assistant station manager.
5) Tamar Yonah was contacted for her comment. She noted in part: “Israel News Talk Radio is an Israeli Jewish station based on Torah values. We have on a variety of guests including rabbis who express different opinions on current or historical/biblical issues. Guests and listeners may, and do, hold very diverse views. Our live shows offer listeners to call in and agree, disagree, ask a question, or make a comment. Live talk-radio is very dynamic and is not a closed forum, and knowing that people express very diverse views, we have a disclaimer on our site stating that the many different views and opinions expressed on INTR do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Israel News Talk Radio or its staff.”
J-AIR carries a similar disclaimer hourly.
6) J-AIR will begin an updated education program for all presenters about Australian vilification laws, and advise them to remind guests before interviews to be wary of what they say.
7) Tamar Yonah has requested her program be replaced by other programs from INTR. J-AIR’s programming committee is looking into replacement programs.
Aleph Melbourne is pleased to hear that J-AIR are reinforcing anti-vilification requirements to their presenters, and also that the station is replacing the problematic Tamar Yonah Show syndication with alternative content.
Related coverage
Melbourne radio station J-AIR replaces program after homophobic broadcast | OUTinPerth
Jewish community submissions to Inquiry into Anti-Vilification Protections
Aleph Melbourne, together with other Jewish Community organisations, have provided submissions to the Victorian Government Inquiry into Anti-Vilification Protections.
Details of the inquiry, along with links to the submissions, are presented here.
Terms of Reference
Received from the Legislative Assembly on 12 September 2019:
An inquiry into current anti-vilification laws, their possible expansion, and/or extension of protections beyond existing classes to the Legal and Social Issues Committee for consideration and report no later than 1 September 2020.
The Committee should consider:
1) The effectiveness of the operation of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (the Act) in delivering upon its purposes;
2) The success or otherwise of enforcement of the Act, and the appropriateness of sanctions in delivering upon the Act’s purposes;
3) Interaction between the Act and other state and Commonwealth legislation;
4) Comparisons in the operation of the Victorian Act with legislation in other jurisdictions;
5) The role of state legislation in addressing online vilification.
6) The effectiveness of current approaches to law enforcement in addressing online offending.
7) Any evidence of increasing vilification and hate conduct in Victoria;
8) Possible extension of protections or expansion of protection to classes of people not currently protected under the existing Act;
9) Any work underway to engage with social media and technology companies to protect Victorians from vilification.
Terms of Reference – Inquiry into Anti-Vilification Protections
Submissions
The following submissions have been accepted by the Committee:
# 26. Jewish Community Council of Victoria
# 38. Online Hate Prevention Institute [supplementary submission]
# 55. Australian Jewish Association [supplementary submission]
# 57. Union for Progressive Judaism
# 58. Aleph Melbourne [supplementary submission]
Hearings and Transcripts
Past Hearings:
Tuesday, 25 February 2020
Meeting room G.1, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne
| Time | Witness | Transcript |
| 12:45pm | Jewish Community Council of Victoria Jennifer Huppert, President | Transcript |
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Meeting room G.6, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne and via videoconference
| Time | Witness | Transcript |
| 1:30pm | Austalian Jewish Association Dr David Adler, President Ted Lapkin, Executive Director | Transcript |
Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Meeting room G.6, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne and via videoconference
| Time | Witness | Transcript |
| 11:20am | Union for Progressive Judaism | Transcript |
Tuesday, 25 June 2020
Meeting room G.6, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne and via videoconference
| Time | Witness | Transcript |
| 12:50pm | Executive Council of Australian Jewry | Transcript |
JCCV policy changes strengthen support for LGBTIQ+ people and people living with HIV
At their 2019 Annual General Meeting the Jewish Community Council of Victoria passed an amendment to their Policy Platform, in response to feedback from Aleph Melbourne and others, strengthening support for a range of groups including LGBTIQ+ people and people living with HIV.
The relevant changes, as detailed in the Agenda of the AGM, are outlined here:
14. Amendment to the JCCV Policy Platform
Proposed Resolution:
That Paragraph 3.7.4 of the JCCV Policy Platform be amended as shown in mark up:
Respect
3.7.4
CALLS FOR abstention from any public or private conduct that incites hatred against, serious contempt for, revulsion, vilification or severe ridicule of, another person or group on the ground of their identity (including race, religion, colour, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, sex characteristics, HIV/AIDS status, descent or and national, ethnic or ethno-religious origin) or the lawfully held views or personal medical decisions of that other person or group.
Note: the marked-up changes appear to have inadvertently removed the characteristic “gender”. Aleph Melbourne has raised this concern to the attention of the JCCV.
This amendment significantly builds on the ground-breaking 2010 reform where the JCCV added “sexual orientation” to their Policy Platform, and follows on from the (previously passed) changes the Executive Council of Australian Jewry made to their Policy Platform.