PM pledges extra funds to Jewish museum to educate against antisemitism

The Federal Government has responded to recent antisemitic attacks by investing additional funds in a new the Centre of Contemporary Jewish Life that will sit alongside the Sydney Jewish Museum.

The Centre is part of a planned major redevelopment of the Sydney Jewish Museum, which has until now been primarily a Holocaust museum but will be expanded over the next two years to include a second cultural facility under its banner.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced yesterday that the government will contribute $8.5 million to the upgrade to help young people understand history and "know that prejudice, hatred and violence has no place in Australia’s present or its future".

The announcement follows another antisemitic attack this week, when a car was set on fire, and homes and footpath were graffitied with "Kill Israiel [sic]" and other offensive slogans in Woollahra in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Albanese also promised the government would provide "whatever support is necessary financially" to rebuild the Adass Israel synagogue, which was firebombed in a terrorist attack last Friday. It has also granted $250,000 towards restoring and replacing Torah scrolls damaged in the attack.

The culprits in the synagogue attack have yet to be apprehended but police said the Woollahra suspects were 15-20 years old.

Queensland police have also charged a man whom they will allege made online threats towards a Jewish community centre in Victoria. Detectives from the Counter-Terrorism Investigation Group (CTIG) allege the 52-year-old posted verbal threats to social media on Saturday.