Aleph Melbourne is committed to both the welfare of LGBTIQA+ people and combatting antisemitism in Melbourne’s Jewish Community.
On discovering J United’s decision to fund a campaign with money from Advance (“Jewish-led anti-Greens campaign launches“; AJN Jan 30 2025), the latter an organisation that strongly campaigns against transgender rights, Aleph Melbourne co-convenor Michael Barnett responded with a letter to the editor.
Funding alert
It alarms me that J United has resorted to taking money from conservative lobby group Advance, which has campaigned hard against LGBTIQA+, Indigenous and other progressive causes for many years. History has taught us that people who are intolerant of diversity tend to be intolerant of Jews too. When a Jewish organisation takes money and in-kind support from Advance, they are inadvertently harming other vulnerable minorities in the pursuit of eradicating antisemitism.
I can’t say whether Advance genuinely care about Jews and antisemitism, however I am confident their motivation is not rooted in benevolence. They are a hardline outfit that promotes division and intolerance. I call on the Jewish community to fundraise from reputable sources.
Michael Barnett Ashwood, Vic
AJN Letters to the Editor; February 14 2025
Aleph Melbourne will continue to stand up for the rights, visibility and inclusion of all LGBTIQ+ people, both in the Jewish community and beyond it.
UPDATE: March 12 2025
Two responses to this letter were published in the Australian Jewish News (“Defending Advance” by Michael Burd; Feb 21 2025 and “Straightforward” by Dan Coleman; Feb 28 2025):
On the afternoon of October 7 Susie Danziger and I arrived at the JOY studios in St Kilda to record interviews with Demetra Giannakopoulos for her show Life is a Disco.
We spent a good couple of hours in the studio at the back overlooking the huge peppercorn tree. The tree captivated me because it was full of birdlife, most notably a wattlebird and a currawong.
Demetra was a delight. She asked the most thoughtful questions and was congenial, sensitive and refreshing. We were at ease, and our conversation happened naturally.
I went first, Susie followed. We gave the JOY audience our all.
Following the interview I dropped Susie home and we went on with our day.
It was only a matter of hours later that the terrorist organisation Hamas perpetrated an unforgivable able act of evil upon innocent people in Israel.
Our interviews were edited and they aired over the subsequent two weeks.
The world had changed yet again. War had broken out.
It was very challenging, knowing that we had recorded interviews before the terrorist attack, with them going to air afterwards. It’s hard to say if we would have even done the interviews after October 7, just because of the way everything panned out.
Despite that, it was a privilege being part of Demetra’s show and having the opportunity to tell our stories.
Letter to the Editor, Australian Jewish News, May 5 2023, p17
A flawed genius
AS much a genius and friend of Jews Barry Humphries was seen to be (AJN 28/04), these accolades fall short of him respecting transgender people. Consummate at presenting as a woman, Barry failed to appreciate the depth of hurt his words wielded when in 2016 he first ripped into the very heart of transgender identity. He proceeded to take further swipes at the LGBTIQ+ community in 2018, where he was shunned by the comedy community and beyond.
To see Jews laud a person who inflicts harm on vulnerable people makes me very uneasy. We cannot afford room for any intolerance, lest we wish to invite similar upon ourselves.
2022 • 98 MIN • THE NETHERLANDS, LUXEMBOURG, GERMANY • DRAMA, HISTORY, ANTI-WAR
DIRECTOR: Saskia Diesing CAST: Hanna van Vliet, Eugénie Anselin, Anna Bachmann, Bram Suijker, Konstantin Frolov LANGUAGE: German and Dutch with English subtitles, English AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Inspired by true events, Lost Transport is a deeply human story about cohesion and friendship set in the last days of WWII.
April, 1945. A train of 2,500 Jewish prisoners from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp stops in a field near a German village and the German soldiers flee from advancing Russian troops, abandoning those onboard. The village quickly turns into a refugee camp, where a forced quarantine only adds fuel to the chaos.
A chance encounter results in a Dutch couple from the train, Simone (European Shooting Star Hanna van Vliet) and Isaac, and Red Army sniper Vera (Eugénie Anselin, Bad Banks) being assigned to stay at the house of distrustful villager Winnie (Anna Bachmann).
As the village is marked by mistrust, despair and resentment, Simone, Vera and Winnie must learn to adapt and find compassion, resulting in an unexpected friendship.
Told from a unique female perspective and shot across Luxembourg and Germany by director Saskia Diesing, Lost Transport is an impactful story of fearlessness.
DIRECTOR: Christoph Hochhäusler CAST: Timocin Ziegler, Thea Ehre, Michael Sideris LANGUAGE: German with English subtitles AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
As an undercover investigator, Robert is tasked with gaining the trust of drug dealer Victor. To do so, he pretends to be in a relationship with the recently paroled Leni (Thea Ehre, in a Silver Bear-winning role for Best Supporting Performance), as the police hope her ties with the felon will help to infiltrate the organisation.
While the plan initially works smoothly, their fake relationship is rocky from the start. Leni is transgender, and Robert, who is gay, was once in love with her former self. While they soon have the criminal in their sights, their buried feelings sit close to the surface and ultimately, drug dealer Victor is the one who forces Robert to confront his conflicting feelings of love.
A smart, subtle blend of genre and auteur cinema, Christoph Hochhäusler’s Till the End of the Night is an intricate exploration of love and identity and features a nostalgic soundtrack, dark romantic atmosphere and an excellent ensemble cast.
DIRECTOR: Joya Thome CAST: Whitney Bjerken, Yara Storp LANGUAGE: German with English subtitles, English AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
One in a Million tells the story of two girls on the brink of adulthood. As US gymnast and YouTuber Whitney Bjerken struggles with setbacks, she turns to music to express her feelings. Yara from Germany is one of her biggest fans and part of a show-acrobatics team. When Yara falls in love with a girl for the very first time, she barely finds time for her fan-account anymore. While navigating the exciting world of social media, Yara and Whitney begin to find out who they are and what they want in life.
A coming-of-age documentary about success and loneliness in the age of social media, friendship and first love, coming out as queer and having the courage to find your voice.
DIRECTOR: Anika Decker CAST: Elyas M’Barek, Alexandra Maria Lara, Lucie Heinze, Peri Baumeister, Denis Moschitto LANGUAGE: German with English subtitles AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
It is red carpet time in Berlin, and everyone at the film premiere – squealing fans, prowling paparazzi and eager camera crews – is waiting to catch a glimpse of Germany’s biggest movie star, Marvin Bosch (Festival favourite Elyas M’Barek, also in A Thousand Lines). But their wait will be in vain, as there is no way Marvin will show up after his interview with the snippy and ruthless tabloid journalist Bettina Bamberger (Alexandra Maria Lara, The Collini Case GER21) goes horribly wrong.
The star finds himself on the run from the media and ends up taking shelter at 3000, a small, independent feminist LGBTQI+ theatre. Run by Frieda (Lucie Heinze, My Son GER22), 3000 is on the verge of bankruptcy. Under the watchful eye of the public, will they manage to save the theatre, restore Marvin’s reputation and give true love a real chance?
A fun new romantic comedy from top writer/ director Anika Decker (Rabbit Without Ears), Love Thing is a story of trials and tribulations, love and betrayal, and the quest to find happiness.
Aleph Melbourne is pleased to receive the following statement from David Southwick MP, Member for Caulfield and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.
STATEMENT ON DISTURBING EVENTS ON THE STEPS OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE – 18 MARCH 2023
The past fortnight has been a difficult time for Victoria’s LGBTQIA+ and Jewish communities.
The shocking events we’ve seen outside Parliament House, where neo-Nazis displayed open hate and vilification towards our Transgender community, do not reflect who we are as a State.
I want to reiterate my support and alliance with the entire LGBTQIA+ community.
Throughout my parliamentary career, I have fostered deep connections with LQBTQIA+ community and have a genuine appreciation for all they do to make our state a better place. Together, we have campaigned to legalise same-sex marriage, ban gay conversion therapy, and stood shoulder to shoulder at pride events.
Victoria is a place where everyone should be free to be their authentic self, regardless religion, race, gender, sexual preference and identity.
My party will work with the government to ensure Victoria Police have the powers, resources and training to stamp out these shocking acts of hate.
As Deputy Opposition Leader and Member for Caulfield, I will continue to call out discrimination wherever I see it and work to make Victoria a more tolerant and inclusive place.
The JCCV has been advocating for the safety of all Victorians, including our Jewish community. We know that on this occasion, the target of hateful conduct was transgender people. That is why the JCCV is campaigning for a broader discussion about vilification of all minorities.
JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF VICTORIA MEDIA STATEMENT
“The actions of Nazi thugs over the weekend has shocked the entire Victorian community, not just Jews. We are pleased to see the Victorian Government move to ban the Nazi salute, most likely with bipartisan support. It is an odious symbol of hate.
It should not be lost in the debate that, on this occasion, the proximate target of this hateful conduct was transgender people.
“The JCCV thinks that there needs to be a broader discussion about vilification of all minorities, and criminalisation of such behaviour. We look forward to participating in that discussion with Government in the near future.”
19 March 2023 – A diverse group of trans, LGBTIQ+, multicultural, women’s and other civil society organisations have joined together to condemn the hate speech and transphobic displays that took place outside Victorian parliament.
The coalition said it highlighted the urgent need for Victoria and other jurisdictions to expand their anti-vilification laws to prohibit all forms of hate speech, including vilification based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
There are currently no federal laws and no laws in Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia protecting LGBTIQ+ people from vilification. Only vilification based on race (and in Victoria, also based on religion) is prohibited in these places.
Son Vivienne and Jeremy Wiggins, CEO’s of Transgender Victoria and Transcend said: “Surely, we can agree that whatever our personal or political beliefs, we share a human desire for mutual respect?
“Anti-vilification laws are one way to protect humanity against violence, hate and bigoted ideologies that hurt all people, but especially those at the intersections of stigmatised gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, faith, class and disability.
“Transgender Victoria and Transcend believe in standing for common decency and compassion and we call upon state and federal governments to strengthen legal protections against hate.”
Jackie Turner, Founderof the Trans Justice Project said: ”Trans people deserve to thrive. Yet right now we are facing unprecedented attacks on our rights, lives and health care from anti-trans hate groups. I encourage everyone to stand in solidarity with the trans and gender diverse community in calling out these attacks.”
Anna Brown, CEO of Equality Australia said: “The actions of the anti-trans protesters in Victoria yesterday speak for themselves and we condemn them in the strongest possible terms. Clearly there is no place for Nazi salutes and signs calling for the destruction of trans people in Australian public debate.
“The neo-Nazi ideology and that of the anti-trans protesters have much in common – they target vulnerable minorities to incite hatred and fear. These ugly displays of transphobia are typical of the sort of vilification trans people have to deal with every day and now the broader Australian public can see for themselves the sort of people doing it.”
Mohammad Al-Khafaji, CEO of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) said: “With International Day on the Elimination of Racism on Tuesday, we can’t stand by and let the symbols of racist ideology be used to demean the dignity of any person in our wonderfully multicultural society, whatever their race, religion, gender identity or sexuality.”
Daniel Aghion KC,President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) said: “Vilification, in any form, has no place in Victoria.”
Jana Favero, Director of Systemic Change, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said: “It was shocking to see footage of yesterday’s anti trans neo nazi displays. We condemn this display of racism, hatred, and fear mongering. Such discrimination and division does not reflect us as a community and must be rejected and condemned.”
Michael Barnett, Aleph Melbourne said: “White supremacy of this nature lead to the persecution and murder of millions of Jews, LGBTIQ+ people and other minorities in World War 2. There is no room for this ugly behaviour in Melbourne, or anywhere else. Transgender, gender diverse and all LGBTIQ+ people have a right to live in peace and safety, without fear of bigotry, transphobia or intolerance.
Renee Carr, Executive Director of Fair Agenda said: “The fight for women’s rights is one for respect and dignity. We condemn the actions of all who target and marginalise people in our community to incite hatred and fear. All women must join together to ensure our movement is not co-opted to demonise the trans women among us. A better future for women is one where we all have safety, security and agency over our lives and bodies.”
In 2021, a cross-party Victorian Parliamentary committee recommended expanding Victoria’s racial and religious vilification laws to protect everyone from hate, including transgender people. These recommendations are yet to be implemented.
In the lead up to the federal election in 2022, the Commonwealth government committed to enacting religious anti-vilification laws but has not committed to prohibiting vilification based on other attributes.
Ms Brown said reforms to protect LGBTIQ+ people from the harms of hate speech were long overdue.
“In 2023, it cannot be that Nazi salutes vilifying trans people are legal in Victoria, or anywhere in Australia. Everyone deserves to live without people condemning their simple right to exist, or live with dignity,” concluded Ms Brown.
Media contact: Anna Brown 0422 235 522, Tara Ravens 0408 898 154
AJN What’s On: Conversation with Rabbi Mike Moskowitz
On Sunday @mike_rabbi addressed a gathering at @VicPrideCentre to discuss his activism and advocacy for LGBTIQ+ people. It was invigorating to hear an ultra-Orthodox rabbi speak with unflinching sincerity about such important issues. Thanks to @AgmcAustralia for their support. pic.twitter.com/TUJ7xVMZAl
L-R: Alexander Teh (AGMC), Susie & Dudi Danziger, Michael Barnett (Aleph Melbourne), Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, Colin Krycer (Aleph Melbourne)L-R: Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, Michael Barnett (Aleph Melbourne)
Aleph Melbourne received the following clarifying statement from Glen Eira Councillor Dr David Zyngier on April 4, 2022, issued in response to the tweet from @StrewthQueen below:
As a member of the Greens I fully support and endorse the non-negotiable rights of all people to their fundamental human rights. I fully support the Greens policy on trans rights. I acknowledge as a cis male there is much that I do not fully understand and am open to being educated about issues that impact and effect our LGBTQI+ community. I look forward to future productive conversations with members of the LGBTQI+ community and especially those members of the Greens who identify as trans. If there are transphobic or trans exclusionary members of the Greens, they do not represent Green values or mine.
Hi @alephmelbourne since you endorsed this candidate in 2020, what is your position on Cr. Zyngier's choice to speak over trans people – particularly women – who've taken issue with Cr. Leppert's dissemination of fascist TERF talking points re: self-ID & conversion therapy?
