Chanukah in Parliament
Labor MP Michael Danby has addressed a gathering of Federal politicians celebrating the lighting of a menorah at the country’s seat of government.
Rabbi Yaakov Glasman, Michael Danby, Kevin Andrews, Bob Katter, Rabbi Shmueli and Chasia Feldman
Danby said: “On behalf of the six Jewish members I thank our colleagues for attending today and thereby including us in the wider story of the success of Australian pluralism.
The Australian Jewish community are but 120,000 of 24 million, half of one percent but I reckon that we have made from the earliest days, a decent contribution to this Lucky Country. Chanukah is as the Rabbi’s explained a festival of freedom, when the miracle of lights burning in the Holy Temple symbolised the victory of Simon Bar Kochba over the Hellenists, apologies to Georganas, Sinodinos and Xenophon who was known as Xenephou when I first knew him (and probably still is by his mother).
Rabbi Shmueli Feldman and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop
Chanukah is symbolic of the Jewish resistance. We shouldn’t demand any more rights than other people and OR ANY LESS. But when our rellies are stabbed or rundown in Israel we feel the pain here. Whether it’s in Parramatta or Petach Tikva, whether it’s in Endeavour Hills in Melbourne or it’s in Mamilla Mall, we are all effected by this phenomena of teenage fantasised on Facebook, trying to kill innocent civilians. The lesson of the Jewish history is that all civilised people must act together. We should all demand the same standards of justice and security. We can’t advocate one law here in Australia to protect civilians, and another in Israel. The only way to beat the evil of Dash is to act together. If incitement prompted a massive upsurge of attacks in Australia, as there has been in Israel, we in Australia would demand that the perpetrators be dealt with.
As the Premier of Victoria said, when these stabbings and Nice style running’s down began “we must oppose this whether it is in Israel, Australia or anywhere else”.
Each Jewish festival has what my dear wife, Amira Malka calls it Nigella Lawson or Ottolenghi essence. “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s EAT”.
The Menorah was lit the six Jewish members of the Parliament, Michael Danby, Mark Dreyfus, Mike Freeland, Josh Frydenberg, Julian Leeser and Senator Sterling Griff with the two remaining candles lit by Kelly O’Dwyer on behalf Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Tanya Plibersek on behalf of opposition leader Bill Shorten.
Where are the other Jewish Members of the House of Representatives (MHR) and Senators?
I think the Commonwealth Parliament as about six Jewish parliamentarians now.