Home – J-Wire

Australian and former resident tied to Iran-directed Jewish attacks

News AAP - 24/06/2026

Australians and former residents living overseas helped Iran orchestrate firebombings targeting Jewish sites in Sydney and Melbourne, ASIO director-general Mike Burgess has revealed. Mr Burgess...

News

Israel braces for nationwide haredi protests over draft enforcement

A nationwide Orthodox (Haredi) protest convoy is set to take place on Wednesday afternoon,...

News

Bondi hero pleads not guilty to alleged assault

Bondi massacre hero Ahmed Al Ahmed has faced court to formally deny assaulting his...

News

Royal commission puts campus antisemitism under scrutiny

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will examine antisemitism at Australian universities...

News

After security discussions, Netanyahu, Katz and Zamir say IDF to remain in Lebanon

The Israel Defence Forces will stay in the security zone in Southern Lebanon, neutralise...

News

Viral video excluded from trial of former Bankstown Hospital nurses

A judge has excluded the viral video at the centre of the prosecution of...

Local

Antisemitism is a ‘light sleeper’ in Australia, ECAJ president warns royal commission

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion received more than 20,000 submissions, one...

Local

New Zealand Jewish Council condemns comments targeting Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities

The New Zealand Jewish Council has condemned recent comments by Brian Tamaki targeting New...

News

Peters raises concerns with Israel as Sa’ar emphasises Hezbollah threat

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has raised Wellington’s “grave concerns” over remarks by...

News

UK Labour frontrunner faces questions over Israel and antisemitism

Andy Burnham’s record on Israel, Gaza and antisemitism is coming under renewed scrutiny after...

News

Wikipedia page for ‘2026 Iran War’ claims Islamic Republic won

A footnote from the reference links to news articles that fail to confirm the...

Israel

Tel Aviv University ranked No. 1 in Israel in the prestigious World University Rankings for 2027

Tel Aviv University has been ranked 208th globally as an institution and 29th worldwide...

News

Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the memorial service for his brother Yoni

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attended the memorial service for his brother Lt....

Sydney Jewish Writers Festival takes stories from page to stage

J-Wire Newsdesk -

The Sydney Jewish Writers Festival will move beyond the printed page this August with the launch of Festival of...

On the other hand

Michael Kuttner -

What do you do with all the food which is left over from weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvot, Britot and other such celebrations? One...

Feintooner

Feintooner -

This week's cartoon: AdVANCEing Antisemitism

Lecture: Is free will an illusion?

That question will sit at the heart of a major public lecture by internationally renowned Jewish philosopher Associate Professor Samuel Lebens when he visits...

Jewish Archaeology

Jeremy Rosen -

We live in a world of lies and misrepresentations. Nowhere is this more obvious than in regard to the long history of the Jews. The...

Trump’s surrender

Melanie Phillips - JNS.org -

Does Donald Trump actually understand what he’s done? Responding to critics of his agreement with Iran, the U.S. president called them "fools" and either “jealous...

World Cup Winner

Michael Kuttner -

Although the Mondial FIFA World Cup competition has only just started, Iran has already emerged as the undisputed winner. You may well ask how Iran...

Podcast: L’Chaim to Life

Features Desk -

Mythbuster – ABC Misinformation Report David Schulberg previews what is intended to be a comprehensive exposé of the ABC's systemic anti-Israel bias and the fact...

Shabbat Korach

Jeremy Rosen -

Korach leads a rebellion against Moshe in this week’s Torah reading. Overwhelmingly, Rabbinic commentators condemn him for using religious arguments to gain personal political power....

What message does government secrecy send?

Michael Gencher -

The federal government's attempt to keep information from the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion raises a question that goes well beyond Cabinet...

Protecting critical infrastructure: Israeli expertise in focus at security forum

J-Wire Newsdesk -

Australia’s power grids, transport networks, ports and data centres are now frontline targets in a new era of cyber conflict. That growing threat will be...

CBDChabad expands Lunch & Learn program to Barangaroo

J-Wire Newsdesk -

CBDChabad Sydney has expanded its weekly Lunch & Learn network across the Sydney CBD, following a successful trial session at Tower 2, Westpac HQ,...

Jewish stories and talent showcased at South African Film Festival

J-Wire News Service -

Three films with strong Jewish connections will feature in this year’s South African Film Festival, including the feature directorial debut of acclaimed actress Embeth...

Reader’s letter: “Six months after Bondi”

I’m not Jewish, but I travelled from over 1 hour away to be at Archer Park last night to show my support. It was a...

Havdalah dinner brings Sydney communities together

J-Wire News Service -

Last Saturday, 13 June, nearly 200 people from Sydney’s Jewish and broader communities gathered for a Havdalah dinner aimed at strengthening connection, dialogue and...

Have You Heard?

Sydney Jewish Writers Festival takes stories from page to stage

Arts J-Wire Newsdesk -

The Sydney Jewish Writers Festival will move beyond the printed page this August with the launch of Festival of...

Lecture: Is free will an illusion?

Have You Heard? -

That question will sit at the heart of a major public lecture by internationally renowned Jewish philosopher Associate Professor...

Protecting critical infrastructure: Israeli expertise in focus at security forum

Have You Heard? J-Wire Newsdesk -

Australia’s power grids, transport networks, ports and data centres are now frontline targets in a new era of cyber...

CBDChabad expands Lunch & Learn program to Barangaroo

Have You Heard? J-Wire Newsdesk -

CBDChabad Sydney has expanded its weekly Lunch & Learn network across the Sydney CBD, following a successful trial session...

Jewish stories and talent showcased at South African Film Festival

Have You Heard? J-Wire News Service -

Three films with strong Jewish connections will feature in this year’s South African Film Festival, including the feature directorial...

Havdalah dinner brings Sydney communities together

Have You Heard? J-Wire News Service -

Last Saturday, 13 June, nearly 200 people from Sydney’s Jewish and broader communities gathered for a Havdalah dinner aimed...

Opinion

Reader’s letter: “Six months after Bondi”

Your say – University antisemitism

A partially religious assessment of the Hamas-Israel conflict

Readers letters: Adelaide Writers Week

A response to Michael Kuttner’s Brick Wall

John Lyons’ criticism of “the Jewish lobby”: A reader proffers an explanation

The funeral of Rabbi Brian Fox: Where were the orthodox rabbis?

Readers Letters: Courage to Care shares its shock

A tragedy foretold – a reader’s letter

Advertising for a rabbi…a reader’s letter

Schools around Australia celebrate Yom Haatzma’ut

Have You Heard? Rob Klein - 05/05/2026

Photo gallery Last week, schools across Australia came alive with colour, music and energy as students marked Yom Haatzmaut, celebrating...

Photo gallery: UIA Gala – Sydney

Featured Articles J-Wire photo story - 23/03/2026

Did you attend the UIA NSW Gala at Randwick Racecourse last month? The evening featured addresses from former Israeli minister...

Winner of the Arthur Rubinstein Musical Society visits Australia

Photo Galleries Features Desk - 30/11/2025

Australian Friends of the Arthur Rubinstein Musical Society, a prestigious Israeli piano competition, brought prize winner and Japanese piano...

Photo gallery: Pre-Chanukah celebration at NSW Parliament House

Photo Galleries J-Wire photo story - 28/11/2025

NSW Premier Chris Minns and newly elected Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane used this year’s pre-Chanukah celebration at Parliament House...

Stepping into the future of the Sydney Jewish Museum

Photo Galleries J-Wire - 24/10/2025

Visitors to the Sydney Jewish Museum were recently invited to step into the future. Over a series of preview events,...

Our Big Kitchen honours 9/11 with remembrance event

event Rob Klein - 18/09/2025

Our Big Kitchen (OBK) in Bondi marked the anniversary of the September 11 attacks with a community gathering of...

Were you at the Sydney Magen David Adom fundraiser?

Featured Articles J-Wire photo story - 19/06/2025

A J-Wire photo gallery.

A private viewing of the Archibalds – Photo gallery

Featured Articles J-Wire photo story - 11/06/2025

The Moriah Foundation was thrilled to host their annual private viewing of Australia’s most popular and eagerly awaited art...

Movies & TV

Jewish stories and talent showcased at South African Film Festival

17/06/2026

Three films with strong Jewish connections will feature in this year’s South African Film Festival, including the feature directorial debut of acclaimed actress Embeth Davidtz and a new short...

A Swedish saviour

Unknown to this Netflix subscriber, The Swedish Connection (Swedish: Den svenska länken) is the story of the heroic activities of a Swedish bureaucrat who is...

Golem horror film claims inaugural Jewish Australian Screen Fellowship

Queensland filmmaker Idan Kotzen has been named the first recipient of the Jewish Australian Screen Fellowship, a new $20,000 initiative designed to support Jewish...

Two AOs and another AM and OAM

The morning brought the news from readers that we had missed four Jewish recipients of the Australia Day Awards. They have been added to the...

2026 Australia Day Awards: The Jewish Recipients

JWire congratulates all Jewish recipients of this year’s Australia Day Awards. VIC ten awards - NSW three awards - WA three awards - SA one...

Don’t forget Iran!

The pace and range of U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign-policy initiatives are simply dizzying. In keeping with Trump’s keen sense of drama, honed through his...

Theatre

Beau Jest

20/05/2026

A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First I can’t think of a Saltpillar Theatre endeavour that I have enjoyed more than this delightful production of Beau Jest. Premiering in Chicago in...

Cast announced for Australia’s Fiddler on the Roof

Troy Sussman began preparing for Tevye before he knew the role was his. As soon as he found out he was auditioning for “Fiddler on...

Eddie Jaku’s granddaughter reflects on “The Happiest Man on Earth”

By Danielle Jaku-Greenfield You wouldn’t believe how strange it is to see a man you don’t know perform as your grandfather on stage. That’s what I...

Tradition revisited: Fiddler on the Roof returns

Few musicals have endured like ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, but its staying power has never relied on nostalgia alone. Since opening on Broadway in 1964,...

Sydney Jewish comedy showcase returns with laughs, stories and a stacked line-up

Sydney’s Jewish comedy scene is gearing up for a lively night, with the Sydney Jewish Comedy Showcase returning next month as part of the...

West Gate

A Melbourne Theatre Company production reviewed by Alex First It happened more than 55 years ago – on 15th October, 1970 – and was Australia’s...

Music

Pianist knew he was “overstepping the mark” on Gaza

19/05/2026

Concert pianist Jayson Gillham has denied he deliberately misled the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra about performing a piece dedicated to journalists killed in Gaza. It has been almost two years since...

Pianist’s Gaza remarks spark Federal Court fight

A court has heard the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was thrown into turmoil after pianist Jayson Gillham made comments about the war in Gaza during...

Israel defies Eurovision pressure to claim second place

Israel’s Noam Bettan has finished second at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, after a campaign marked by boycott calls, protests and intense scrutiny...

A Jewish Australian story shines again at Eurovision

As Eurovision heads into its 2026 finals in Vienna, Danny Estrin is returning to the contest in a new role, bringing the same Jewish...

Organic Saint-Saens

Oh, boy – did the Concert Hall of Sydney’s iconic Opera House get an acoustic workout in Saturday afternoon’s Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Saint-Saens Organ...

Eugene Onegin

An opera review by Victor Grynberg Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) is widely acknowledged as the finest Russian composer of all time. In fact, most critics will...

Books

Sydney Jewish Writers Festival takes stories from page to stage

24/06/2026

The Sydney Jewish Writers Festival will move beyond the printed page this August with the launch of Festival of the Spoken Word, a new month-long program of live Jewish...

Conversations with my Rabbi

Nikki’s Conversations with her Rabbi Book review by Dr Anne Sarzin Writing the book Conversations with my Rabbi clearly proved both cathartic and transformative for author...

From Music to Mayhem

Book review by Dr Anne Sarzin From 1924 to 1933, a jazz band comprising seven young, creative and brilliant musicians—six of whom were Jewish—reached the...

Who will rescue us?

The story of the Jewish children who fled to France and America during the Holocaust Book review by Dr Anne Sarzin When Jewish boys and girls...

Heart of a Stranger

Book review by Dr Anne Sarzin Everything about Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s compelling memoir is unusual. This is the only autobiography I’ve ever read that includes...

Chaim Grade’s “Sons and Daughters”

Book review by Dr Anne Sarzin Chaim Grade’s Sons and Daughters transports one brilliantly and completely into the bygone world of the Jewish shtetl, which...

Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

06/04/2026

An opera review by Alex First Superlatives can’t do justice to a magnificent Handa Opera production of The Phantom of the Opera on its 40th anniversary. With the Sydney Opera House...

Hansel & Gretel- now a spectacular opera

An Opera Review by Victor Grynberg There would be few people unaware of the famous fairy tale Hansel & Gretel, written by the German brothers...

Sydney Opera House memorial reclaims a national symbol after Bondi attack

Flags above the Sydney Harbour Bridge flew at half-mast last night as families of the victims, Jewish leaders and political figures gathered at the...

Carmen – an opera review by Alex First

Passion, obsession, desperation, jealousy and rage make for a fiery combination in composer Georges Bizet’s Carmen, newly interpreted by director Anne-Louise Sarks for Opera...

Performer displays PLO flag at London’s Royal Opera House

A cast member at London’s Royal Opera House unfurled a PLO flag during the final curtain call of Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore on Saturday night, prompting...

Lang Lang at the Opera House

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) hosted a beautiful evening of French music of the Romantic era featuring the dazzling pianist Lang Lang. Opening the program...

Sport

Ireland-Israel Nations League game moved to neutral site

14/06/2026

Ireland’s UEFA Nations League home match against Israel on Oct. 4 will be played at a neutral venue and behind closed doors due to “operational challenges", the Football Association...

Maccabi Bridge bridges generations

Last weekend, Maccabi Bridge held its inaugural 2026 National Championships in Sydney, bringing together more than 50 bridge players from across the community for...

Albanese says alleged antisemitic abuse at netball match is “beyond belief”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the alleged antisemitic abuse directed at Jewish children during a Sydney netball match, describing the incident as “beyond...

Police charge woman over alleged antisemitic abuse at children’s netball match

A 42-year-old woman has been charged and provisionally suspended from all netball activities after allegedly directing antisemitic abuse at Jewish children during an under-12s...