A lifeline for Jewish artists fighting discrimination

Theatre-maker Dominic Weintraub has one word to describe the experience of Jewish artists belonging to Australia's creative community right now: “dire”.

Since October 7, the General Manager of advocacy body Centre of Jewish Artists (COJA) has received countless reports of Jewish artists losing opportunities to showcase their work, negotiating hostile professional environments, and confronting anti-Jewish ideas on a day-to-day basis.

“We have seen public shaming of Jewish artists,” Weintraub told The Jewish Independent.

“We’ve seen people lose jobs. We’ve seen Jewish artists’ names, photos, workplaces, and in some cases, phone numbers published online. We’ve seen artists lose decades worth of career building and progression, and we’ve seen the decimating impact all of this has had on artists’ mental health.”

In response to COJA’s cultural safety survey – undertaken by a large and diverse cohort of Jewish artists with varying political, religious and cultural perspectives – 90% reported feeling unsupported by their workplaces; over 80% had left or were considering leaving creative projects because of the behaviours of their peers; and over 50% had been the direct recipient of antisemitic comments or behaviours by a colleague.

“In times of conflict, artistic expression becomes even more critical as a means of processing, healing, and making sense of the world,” Weintraub explained.