Beth Weizmann’s security to be upgraded
The Victorian government has awarded a grant of $500,000 towards a security upgrade for Beth Weizmann, Melbourne’s central community facility.
Sam Tatarka
President of the Zionist Council of Victoria and Chair of Beth Weizmann Community Centre, Sam Tatarka welcomed the announcement by Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria of a $500,000 saying it was much-needed.
The Beth Weizmann Community Centre serves as the centre of Jewish life in the community and is home to over 25 community organisations as well as the location for much of the community’s diverse activity. The Community Centre precinct also houses the Lamm Jewish Library of Australia which is a hub of communal cultural and educational activity and serves as the leading establishment and resource for all things pertaining to Jewish life and culture.
Through this commitment of funds, the Labor Government has acknowledged the important and central role that the Beth Weizmann Community Centre plays in the field of social cohesion and multicultural activity.
Daniel Andrews
Mr Tatarka, said, “We are thrilled that the Andrew’s Labor Government has seen fit to honour its pre election commitment in its very first budget and that it has recognised the critical need to support this important community establishment that is so central to Jewish life in Melbourne.” The Premier has shown that he and his government have a keen understanding of the key issues that plague our community which unfortunately include a need to address our security concerns. particularly in light of the worrying trend of attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions in Europe and elsewhere in the World”.
“We are hopeful that the Federal Government will also give earnest consideration to meeting its own pre-election commitment to community security which thus far has been primarily focussed on upgrades to physical security at Jewish schools” Mr Tatarka said “Whilst we recognise the critical need to protect our children and are thankful for the support of successive Federal Governments in doing so, overseas experience dictates that we also pay very close attention to other communal buildings such as Beth Weizmann in today’s ever more hostile environment”
Even with the State Government’s contribution the cost of performing all of the much-needed works at Beth Weizmann far outstrip the Centre’s ability to fund them. Current budget estimates put the full cost of the works at approximately $1.3 million.
