A message from Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese for Yom Kippur
I send my warmest wishes to everyone observing Yom Kippur.
Just as Jewish Australians have played such a central role in the building of modern Australia, Jewish rituals and traditions have long part of our nation’s story. Through fasting and prayer on the Day of Atonement, Jewish Australians delve deeper into their faith – in all its comforts, truths and tests – and are reminded of what is most important.
Along with the solemn reflection and introspection that do so much to define it, Yom Kippur also brings hope and the promise of renewal. That is profoundly relevant every year, yet it has taken on even greater power in the darkness of the present.
Since the atrocities of October 7, Jewish Australians have felt the cold shadows of antisemitism reaching into the present day. We condemn the poison of antisemitism, whatever form it takes. It is a pain the Jewish people should never have had to endure again. Nor should the Jewish people feel exposed once more to the hatreds that had their most pitiless culmination in the Holocaust. As a nation we say never again. There is no place in Australia for discrimination against people of any faith.
Yom Kippur is an opportunity to reflect on the truth of our shared humanity. May you find solace in your faith, and comfort in the love of your families and communities at this holy time.
G’mar chatima tova.
Anthony Albanese/AAP
