Thank you, CSG
The president of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry Jillian Segal has praised the volunteers of the Community Security Groups around Australia for their contributions through lockdown.
Jillian Segal
In a statement, Jillian Segal said: “The Jewish community across Australia has made extraordinary efforts over the last 18 months to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jewish institutions, families, ordinary individuals and, most especially, the elderly and vulnerable.
We recognise with deep appreciation the contributions of many organisations and people to this work, but none have surpassed the dedication of the professional staff and volunteers of the CSGs.
Under the most challenging of circumstances, they have spared no effort and devoted countless hours to keep the Jewish community safe in the face of both old and new sources of threats to our physical security. They have met new and difficult problems with complete professionalism.
In addition to protecting our shules, the Day Schools, and other communal institutions, they have gone even further and adapted their operations to enable them to contribute to the support of those who have been the most severely affected by the pandemic and by government-mandated restrictions on movement and contact.
More recently all the CSG’s and their governing bodies have come together with the ECAJ to establish the National Council for Jewish Community Security to work towards a unified approach to communal security and the management of crises by Jewish communities across Australia.
As Australia looks to emerge from the pandemic, this is an opportune moment to take stock and thank the CSGs for all they have done to fulfil their mission of protecting Jewish life and the Jewish way of life.
On behalf of all of us at the ECAJ, and each of the State and Territory roof bodies of the Jewish community throughout Australia which make up the ECAJ, as well as those entrusted with the governance of the CSGs, we extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of the CSG professionals and volunteers for their extraordinary work over the last 18 months.
The whole community owes them a debt of gratitude. Their conduct exemplifies the Australian Jewish community at its finest, mobilising its talent and resources with unity of purpose and great skill for the common good.”
