South African Jews understand we must say Yes to the Voice

SANDRA TATZ explains why her own upbringing and the work of her late husband COLIN TATZ compels a yes vote in the upcoming referendum.

I was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, at the outbreak of World War II. It was a city divided by pro and anti-Allied supporters, echoing the long-standing divisions between Afrikaner and Anglo descendants. Jews in that city were quiet, discreet, and cautious. We were always ‘other’, subject to legal differentiation – such as quotas at universities. However, we were tolerated as White.

In Bloemfontein and in Johannesburg, where my family lived for 12 years, we learned a lot about acts of violence committed against Jews. We experienced what it was to be racially vilified. Trained Jewish youth protected those walking to and from shule on shabbat. Once the South African population register became mandatory in 1950, there were specific numbers that identified Jews. The government of the day controlled whether or not money could be sent to Israel in its need. We were a special people requiring special legislation.

The reason I mention this part of my early life is to ask you to re-focus present-day Australia with that brief portrait in mind. There is such an obvious parallel between the experiential history of Jews in South Africa with the situation of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. They, too, have always lived under special laws, rules and regulations and their movements have been controlled. While vast sums of money have been invested in various schemes to improve their lot, they have never been consulted as to what might be the best approaches so that the money would not wasted.

This piece is not to try and convince you to vote Yes in the referendum, but to cast your vote in an informed way.

There is a misconception that Aborigines have or will receive special privileges. Aborigines have never, ever, received more than any other group in the community. Whatever they have been granted has been in an attempt to compensate for what was taken away or denied. That included losing their homelands; their languages; their forced removal to closed settlements of the government's choosing. Missions under various Christian creeds forced groups together that should never have met, introducing diseases that are nowhere documented in their history. Alcohol and drugs were introduced, whites preyed on them and took their government handouts. Their children were stolen and taken to institutions to be raised as domestics and labourers. Their children were incarcerated at an unforgiveable rate, without any assistance during their time in prison. And their life expectancy was far lower than for non-Aborigines. Although a considerable number fought with Australian forces in the WII, they were not accorded anything on their return.