Jewish joy is the best form of resilience 

When does the Australian Jewish community shift from surviving to thriving? 

In December 2023, just weeks after October 7, I experienced two strikingly different responses in Melbourne and Israel. I found that the Melbourne Jewish community came together out of fear, while the communities in Israel united out of strength.

This was a mindset I hadn’t expected: one group was scared, the other was proud.

During this period, Israelis gathered to celebrate Channukah through activities like donut making. This wasn’t just a distraction from the pain – it was a way to keep on going. Meanwhile, the Melbourne Jewish community felt frozen, trying to process what had happened. In some ways, it felt easier to endure something myself in Israel than to worry about what my friends and family in Israel were going through. 

Once I returned to Melbourne, the stark contrast lingered. A large proportion of Melbourne events in 2023 and 2024 were about processing and defending ourselves. That response was necessary in the moment, but left me with many questions. When do we start celebrating being Jewish rather than just surviving? When does our identity become something we express with joy again, not just something we need to protect? 

This tension was especially clear throughout university campuses. Jewish university students — including myself — spent months feeling vulnerable and exposed. It was exhausting having to constantly explain, justify, or hide who we are. At times, it felt like being Jewish was a burden instead of a source of pride. Yet in the face of this, students also craved a place where they could feel fully, unapologetically Jewish.

There were some surprising side effects — like an increase in student engagement with AUJS and a stronger sense of solidarity across year levels and campuses. Being under pressure had the unexpected effect of deepening our connection to our community. 

Now, in 2025, I believe it is time to shift our mindset, taking inspiration from the Israeli strength and resilience I witnessed.

Being Jewish isn’t just about surviving; it's also about being proud of our culture, our traditions, and our voices. One way of doing this is by being open to showing our culture to others. Part of that means no longer trying to protect our culture from others, but being open to sharing it.

I have seen the joy of sharing shabbat dinners, AUJS picnic events, and so on — not just within our community, but beyond it. It is inspiring to see my non–Jewish friends learn about Judaism, whether it be eating a bagel or understanding the meaning of the shabbat candles. 

Jewish joy is radical, powerful, and contagious. It reminds us that our identity isn’t just tied to trauma or antisemitism, but to beauty, humour, tradition, and creativity.

This shift is already beginning, and I am excited to see how far it can go. Once we make this shift, we can lay the groundwork for something sustainable. The challenge is clear: to build a Jewish community that isn’t defined by fear, but vibrant and full, where our culture is shared, not sheltered.

By embracing Jewish joy as a form of strength, we become resilient.